Assessment of equine intestinal epithelial junctional complexes and barrier permeability using a monolayer culture system.

Gastrointestinal disease is a leading cause of death in mature horses. A lack of modeling has impeded the development of novel therapeutics. The objectives of this study were to develop and further characterize a small intestinal monolayer cell culture derived from equine jejunum including establishing normal measurements of intestinal permeability and restitution.

Large animal models enhance the study of crypt-mediated epithelial recovery from prolonged intestinal ischemia reperfusion injury.

Intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI) is a deadly and common condition. Death is associated with sepsis due to insufficient epithelial repair, requiring stem cell-driven regeneration, typically beginning 48 h after injury. Animal models are critical to advancing this field.

Culture of equine intestinal epithelial stem cells after delayed tissue storage for future applications.

Background: Equine intestinal epithelial stem cells (ISCs) serve as potential targets to treat horses with severe intestinal injury. The ability to isolate and store ISCs from intestinal biopsies creates an opportunity for both in vitro experiments to study ISC dynamics in a variety of intestinal diseases, and, in the future, utilize these cells as a possible therapy. If biopsies could be successfully stored prior to processing for ISCs, this would increase the availability of sample repositories for future experimental and therapeutic use.

Enteroendocrine Progenitor Cell-Enriched miR-7 Regulates Intestinal Epithelial Proliferation in an Xiap-Dependent Manner.

Background & Aims: The enteroendocrine cell (EEC) lineage is important for intestinal homeostasis. It was recently shown that EEC progenitors contribute to intestinal epithelial growth and renewal, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. MicroRNAs are under-explored along the entire EEC lineage trajectory, and comparatively little is known about their contributions to intestinal homeostasis.

Intestinal Stem Cell Isolation and Culture in a Porcine Model of Segmental Small Intestinal Ischemia.

Intestinal ischemia remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in human and veterinary patients. Many disease processes result in intestinal ischemia, when the blood supply and therefore oxygen is decreased to the intestine. This leads to intestinal barrier loss and damage to the underlying tissue.

A Single Amino Acid Residue at Transmembrane Domain 4 of the Subunit Influences Carisoprodol Direct Gating Efficacy at GABA Receptors.

The muscle relaxant carisoprodol has recently been controlled at the federal level as a Schedule IV drug due to its high abuse potential and consequences of misuse, such as withdrawal syndrome, delusions, seizures, and even death. Recent work has shown that carisoprodol can directly gate and allosterically modulate the type A GABA (GABA) receptor. These actions are subunit-dependent; compared with other GABA receptors, carisoprodol has nominal direct gating effects in 322 receptors.

An elastomeric patch electrospun from a blended solution of dermal extracellular matrix and biodegradable polyurethane for rat abdominal wall repair.

A biodegradable elastomeric scaffold was created by electrospinning a mixed solution of poly(ester urethane)urea (PEUU) and porcine dermal extracellular matrix (dECM) digest, with PEUU included to provide elasticity, flexibility, and mechanical support and dECM used to enhance bioactivity and biocompatibility. Micrographs and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated partial miscibility between PEUU and dECM. With greater dECM content, scaffolds were found to possess lower breaking strains and suture retention strength, although initial modulus was greater with higher dECM concentrations.

Recruitment of progenitor cells by an extracellular matrix cryptic peptide in a mouse model of digit amputation.

Biologic scaffolds composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) have been used successfully in preclinical models and humans for constructive remodeling of functional, site-appropriate tissue after injury. The mechanisms underlying ECM-mediated constructive remodeling are not completely understood, but scaffold degradation and site-directed recruitment of both differentiated and progenitor cells are thought to play critical roles. Previous studies have shown that degradation products of ECM scaffolds can recruit a population of progenitor cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Comparison of three methods for the derivation of a biologic scaffold composed of adipose tissue extracellular matrix.

Extracellular matrix (ECM)-based scaffold materials have been used successfully in both preclinical and clinical tissue engineering and regenerative medicine approaches to tissue reconstruction. Results of numerous studies have shown that ECM scaffolds are capable of supporting the growth and differentiation of multiple cell types in vitro and of acting as inductive templates for constructive tissue remodeling after implantation in vivo. Adipose tissue represents a potentially abundant source of ECM and may represent an ideal substrate for the growth and adipogenic differentiation of stem cells harvested from this tissue.

The effects of processing methods upon mechanical and biologic properties of porcine dermal extracellular matrix scaffolds.

Biologic materials from various species and tissues are commonly used as surgical meshes or scaffolds for tissue reconstruction. Extracellular matrix (ECM) represents the secreted product of the cells comprising each tissue and organ, and therefore provides a unique biologic material for selected regenerative medicine applications. Minimal disruption of ECM ultrastructure and content during tissue processing is typically desirable.

Quantification of DNA in biologic scaffold materials.

Biological scaffold materials composed of extracellular matrix (ECM) are routinely used for a variety of clinical applications ranging from the treatment of chronic skin ulcers to hernia repair and orthopaedic soft tissue reconstruction. The tissues and species from which the ECM is harvested vary widely as do the methods used to remove the cellular component of the source tissues. The efficacy of decellularization procedures can be quantified by examination of the DNA that remains in the ECM.