Investigation of growth conditions for the expansion of porcine mesenchymal stem cells on microcarriers in stirred cultures.

The extensive use of mesenchymal stem cells (MCS) in tissue engineering and cell therapy increases the necessity to improve their expansion. Among these, porcine MCS are valuable models for tissue engineering and are classically expanded in static T-flasks. In this work, different processes of stirred cultures were evaluated and compared.

Limiting cell aggregation during mesenchymal stem cell expansion on microcarriers.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are known to be a valuable cell source for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. However, one of the main limiting steps in their clinical use is the amplification step. MSC expansion on microcarriers has emerged during the last few years, fulfilling the lack of classical T-flasks expansion.

Transport across Caco-2 cell monolayer and sensitivity to hydrolysis of two anxiolytic peptides from αs1-casein, α-casozepine, and αs1-casein-f91-97: effect of bile salts.

α-Casozepine and f91-97, peptides from α(s1)-casein, display anxiolytic activity in rats and may have to cross the intestinal epithelium to exert this central effect. We evaluated their resistance to hydrolysis by the peptidases of Caco-2 cells and their ability to cross the cell monolayer. To mimic physiological conditions, two preparations of bile salts were used in noncytotoxic concentrations: porcine bile extract and an equimolar mixture of taurocholate, cholate, and deoxycholate.

In vitro digestibility of α-casozepine, a benzodiazepine-like peptide from bovine casein, and biological activity of its main proteolytic fragment.

α-Casozepine is a peptide, corresponding to the sequence 91-100 of the bovine α(s1)-casein, displaying anxiolytic activity in the rat. The α(s1)-casein tryptic hydrolysate containing this peptide decreases stress effects after oral administration in various species including man. Therefore, the stability of this peptide toward gastric and pancreatic proteases has been assessed by using pepsin, chymotrypsin/trypsin, Corolase PP, pepsin followed by chymotrypsin/trypsin or pepsin followed by Corolase PP.

Variations in illumination, closed wall transparency and/or extramaze space influence both baseline anxiety and response to diazepam in the rat elevated plus-maze.

Numerous methodological-related variables have been demonstrated to influence the baseline anxiety level of rodents exposed to the elevated plus-maze (EPM), raising questions about the sensitivity of this test for the detection of the effects of anxiolytic drugs. Thus, the present study was designed (1) to assess the combined effects of illumination (40-lx red or white light), closed wall type (walls made of translucent or opaque material) and extramaze space size (small or spacious experimental room) on rat behaviour, and (2) to investigate the effects of such parameters on the relevance of the maze for detecting the effects of diazepam orally administrated at the anxiolytic dose of 3 mg/kg. Results indicate that illumination and closed wall type are two main independent parameters that are able to modify the open arm avoidance.