Effects of low-intensity swimming on radiation-induced leg contracture in mice.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of low-intensity swimming on radiation-induced leg contracture.

Methods: Forty mice were randomly and equally divided into four groups: 1) irradiation; 2) swimming before irradiation; 3) swimming after irradiation; 4) swimming after contracture, and their left hind legs were exposed to gamma irradiation of 60 Gy. The mice were allowed to swim freely for 10 minutes, three times per day.

Requirement of the NF-κB pathway for induction of Wnt-5A by interleukin-1β in condylar chondrocytes of the temporomandibular joint: functional crosstalk between the Wnt-5A and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Objective: We have previously reported that interleukin-1β (IL-1β) up-regulates the expression of Wnt-5A and the activation of Wnt-5A signaling induces matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) through the c-Jun N-terminal kinase pathway in condylar chondrocytes (CCs) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). These results suggest that Wnt-5A could play an essential role in IL-1β-mediated cartilage destruction. The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism underlying IL-1β-induced up-regulation of Wnt-5A in TMJ CCs.

beta-Catenin/TCF/LEF1 can directly regulate phenylephrine-induced cell hypertrophy and Anf transcription in cardiomyocytes.

beta-Catenin/TCF/LEF1 signaling is implicated in cardiac hypertrophy. We demonstrate that knockdown of beta-catenin attenuates phenylephrine (PE)-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and the up-regulation of the fetal gene Anf. We explore the mechanism through which beta-catenin regulates Anf expression and find a consensus binding sequence on the Anf promoter for TCF/LEF1 family members.

[Redox factor 1 increases proliferation of neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts].

Objective: To investigate the function of REF1 in the proliferation and collagen synthesis of neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts, and the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were transfected with the adenoviral vector containing rat wild type Ref1 (Ad-Ref1) or mutated Ref1 (Ad-mutRef1). The mutations resulted in Cys to Ala at amino acids 65 and 93, which eliminated the redox function of the REF1 protein.

The LIM-homeodomain protein ISL1 activates insulin gene promoter directly through synergy with BETA2.

The LIM-homeodomain transcription factor ISL1 (islet factor 1) is essential for pancreatic islet cell and dorsal mesenchyme development. Mutations in ISL1 are associated with maturity-onset diabetes of the young and type 2 diabetes. Whether ISL1 plays a role in the insulin gene expression has not been fully elucidated.

Carboxyl terminus of Nkx2.5 impairs its interaction with p300.

The transcription factor Nkx2.5 plays critical roles in controlling cardiac-specific gene expression. Previous reports demonstrated that Nkx2.

[Bone marrow mesenchymal cell transplantation reduces left ventricular remodeling in heart failure following acute myocardial infarction].

Objective: Bone marrow mesenchymal cell (MSC) transplantation has been shown to improve heart failure but the mechanism and the subsequent effects are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that MSC transplantation reduces left ventricular remodeling through the MMP/TIMP system in heart failure following acute myocardial infarction.

Methods: Female SD rats underwent coronary artery ligation to induce myocardial infarction.

[HLA expression in human fetal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells].

Objective: To investigate the expression of human leukocyte antigens (HLA) in human fetal bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) after long time culture as well as the changes in response to interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) treatment.

Methods: Human fetal MSCs were collected from 23 to 24-weeks-old fetues with the approval of Ethic Committee of Peking University Health Science Center. The cells of passage 5 and passage 12 were analyzed for HLA expression before and after IFN-gamma (50 microg/L) treatment by flow cytometry at different time points.

Rat adipose-derived stromal cells expressing BMP4 induce ectopic bone formation in vitro and in vivo.

Aim: Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is one of the main local contributing factors in callus formation in the early phase of fracture healing. Adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSC) are multipotent cells. The present study was conducted to investigate the osteogenic potential of ADSC when exposed to adenovirus containing BMP4 cDNA (Ad-BMP4).

[Quantitative study on copy numbers of porcine endogenous retroviruses in genome of Banna miniature swine inbred line].

Objective: To investigate the copy numbers of porcine endogenous retroviruses in genome of Banna miniature swines for screening of donors in xenotransplantation with porcine transplants.

Methods: The genomic DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) of 50 Banna miniature swines in 4 inbred sublines and 5 European Large White Pigs was extracted for the detection to pol, envA, envB, envC and envA/C recombinant in PERVs with real-time quantitative/semi-quantitative PCR and normal PCR.

Results: PCR products of pol, envA and envB of PERV could be obtained from all the Banna samples, and the mean amount of these products was 24.

[Bone marrow stem cells-based SERCA2a gene therapy for heart failure after acute myocardium infarction].

Objective: Explore the possibility of MSC to be used to target delivery of therapeutic gene and evaluate the therapeutic effects among gene therapy, MSC transplantation and MSC-based gene therapy.

Methods: MSC were infected with an adenoviral expression vector carrying SERCA2a. SD female rats were used to make animal model with heart failure after AMI and divided into 4 groups randomly.

ISL1 physically interacts with BETA2 to promote insulin gene transcriptional synergy in non-beta cells.

ISL1 is a LIM homeodomain protein that plays an important role in insulin gene transcriptional activation and islet cell formation. BETA2 is a transcription factor in the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family, which activates expression of tissue-specific genes in several developmental systems. In this study, we investigated the functional and physical interactions of ISL1 and BETA2 in promoting insulin gene transcription in non-beta cells.

Adeno-associated virus-mediated bone morphogenetic protein-7 gene transfer induces C2C12 cell differentiation into osteoblast lineage cells.

Aim: To investigate the effects of bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP7)-expressing recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector on the differentiation of C2C12 cells.

Methods: AAV-BMP7 was packaged by infecting the stable cell clone BHK-21 (integrated with recombinant AAV vector plasmid pSNAV-BMP7) with recombinant herpes simplex virus type 1, which expresses AAV-2 Rep and Cap and possesses AAV packaging functions. Following infection with AAV-BMP7 at multiplicities of infection of 1 x 10(5) vector genomes per cell and subsequent culture, C2C12 cells were assessed qualitatively for BMP7 production, alkaline phosphatase activity, osteocalcin production and Cbfal and MyoD expression.

Heterogeneity in predisposition of hepatic cells to be induced into pancreatic endocrine cells by PDX-1.

Aim: The role of Pancreatic and Duodenal Homeobox-1 (PDX-1) as a major regulator of pancreatic development determines the function and phenotype of beta cell. In this study, potential plasticity of liver cells into pancreatic endocrine cells induced by PDX-1 was evaluated.

Methods: Human hepatoma cell line HepG2 was stably transfected with mammalian expression plasmid pcDNA3-PDX encoding human PDX-1 gene.