NG2-positive pericytes regulate homeostatic maintenance of slow-type skeletal muscle with rapid myonuclear turnover.

Background: Skeletal muscle comprises almost 40% of the human body and is essential for movement, structural support and metabolic homeostasis. Size of multinuclear skeletal muscle is stably maintained under steady conditions with the sporadic fusion of newly produced myocytes to compensate for the muscular turnover caused by daily wear and tear. It is becoming clear that microvascular pericytes (PCs) exhibit myogenic activity.

Chemerin Regulates Epithelial Barrier Function of Mammary Glands in Dairy Cows.

Epithelial barrier function in the mammary gland acts as a forefront of the defense mechanism against mastitis, which is widespread and a major disorder in dairy production. Chemerin is a chemoattractant protein with potent antimicrobial ability, but its role in the mammary gland remains unelucidated. The aim of this study was to determine the function of chemerin in mammary epithelial tissue of dairy cows in lactation or dry-off periods.

Ninjurin 1 mediates peripheral nerve regeneration through Schwann cell maturation of NG2-positive cells.

Ninjurin 1 (Ninj1) is identified as a peripheral nerve injury-induced protein. However, the role of Ninj1 in nerve regeneration is unclear. Schwann cells (SCs) and microvasculature are critical for peripheral nerve regeneration.

Response of the denitrifier community and its relationship with multiple NO emission peaks after mature compost addition into dairy manure compost with forced aeration.

Animal manure is a source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (NO), therefore understanding the mechanisms underlying its production is essential for developing mitigating strategies and sustainable livestock production system. In this study, microbial communities potentially involved in multiple emission peaks during initial stage of laboratory-scale dairy manure composting with forced aeration system were investigated. Mature compost was used for the bulking agent.

Downregulated angiopoietin-like protein 8 production at calving related to changes in lipid metabolism in dairy cows.

Acute physiological adaptation of lipid metabolism during the postpartum transition period of cows facilitates peripheral metabolic regulation. Hepatokines, which are hormones secreted from hepatocytes, are presumed to play a critical role in systemic metabolic regulation. Angiopoietin-like protein 8 (ANGPTL8) has been identified as a novel hepatokine associated with circulating triglyceride concentrations in mice and humans.

Relative Contribution of nirK- and nirS- Bacterial Denitrifiers as Well as Fungal Denitrifiers to Nitrous Oxide Production from Dairy Manure Compost.

The relative contribution of fungi, bacteria, and nirS and nirK denirifiers to nitrous oxide (NO) emission with unknown isotopic signature from dairy manure compost was examined by selective inhibition techniques. Chloramphenicol (CHP), cycloheximide (CYH), and diethyl dithiocarbamate (DDTC) were used to suppress the activity of bacteria, fungi, and nirK-possessing denitrifiers, respectively. Produced NO were surveyed to isotopocule analysis, and its N site preference (SP) and δO values were compared.

Innate immune response of bovine mammary epithelial cells to .

spp. are contagious bacteria, and mastitis is a serious productivity problem on dairy farms. Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) have an important role in the elimination of pathogens, but the effect of on bMECs has not been fully described.

Retinoic acid modulates lipid accumulation glucose concentration dependently through inverse regulation of SREBP-1 expression in 3T3L1 adipocytes.

It is well known that retinoic acid (RA) suppresses adipogenesis, although there are some contradicting reports. In this study, we examined the effect of extracellular glucose on RA-induced suppression of adipogenesis in 3T3L1 cell culture. When the cells were cultured in normal glucose medium (NG), the addition of RA suppressed lipid accumulation.

The cell wall component lipoteichoic acid of Staphylococcus aureus induces chemokine gene expression in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is a major cause of bovine mastitis, but its pathogenic mechanism remains poorly understood. To evaluate the role of lipoteichoic acid (LTA) in the immune or inflammatory response of SA mastitis, we investigated the gene expression profile in bovine mammary epithelial cells stimulated with LTA alone or with formalin-killed SA (FKSA) using cap analysis of gene expression. Seven common differentially expressed genes related to immune or inflammatory mediators were up-regulated under both LTA and FKSA stimulations.

Cytokine mRNA profiling and the proliferative response of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells to Mycoplasma bovis.

Mycoplasma bovis is known as a significant pathogen and cause of large economic losses in beef and dairy calves worldwide. Numerous factors appear to play an important role in the development of disease during infection with M. bovis, e.

Fatty acid-binding protein expression in the gastrointestinal tract of calves and cows.

Fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) has high affinity for long-chain fatty acids and appears to participate in the metabolism and intracellular transport of lipids. Liver- and intestinal-type FABP (L-FABP and I-FABP, respectively) are expressed in the small intestine. However, in the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants, expression and localization of FABPs are unknown.

Alg14 organizes the formation of a multiglycosyltransferase complex involved in initiation of lipid-linked oligosaccharide biosynthesis.

Protein N-glycosylation begins with the assembly of a lipid-linked oligosaccharide (LLO) on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The first two steps of LLO biosynthesis are catalyzed by a functional multienzyme complex comprised of the Alg7 GlcNAc phosphotransferase and the heterodimeric Alg13/Alg14 UDP-GlcNAc transferase on the cytosolic face of the ER. In the Alg13/14 glycosyltransferase, Alg14 recruits cytosolic Alg13 to the ER membrane through interaction between their C-termini.

Bovine milk lactoferrin induces synthesis of the angiogenic factors VEGF and FGF2 in osteoblasts via the p44/p42 MAP kinase pathway.

Lactoferrin (LF) belongs to the transferrin family and is present in several physiological fluids, including milk and colostrum. LF has recently been identified as an anabolic factor for bone. Here we investigated whether bovine LF (bLF) induces synthesis of angiogenic factors by osteoblasts.

Plasminogen/plasmin modulates bone metabolism by regulating the osteoblast and osteoclast function.

The contribution of plasminogen (Plg)/plasmin, which have claimed to be the main fibrinolytic regulators in the bone metabolism, remains unclear. This study evaluated how the absence of Plg affects the function of osteoblast (OB) and osteoclast (OC). There was a larger population of pre-OCs in bone marrow-derived cells from the Plg(-/-) mice than the population of that from the WT mice.

Possible involvement of prolactin in the synthesis of lactoferrin in bovine mammary epithelial cells.

Bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) synthesize lactoferrin, which is secreted into milk. Our results suggest that prolactin stimulated secretion of lactoferrin in primary bMECs and their clonal cell line under serum-free conditions. Prolactin also stimulated mRNA expression of lactoferrin in the clonal cell line.

Differential roles of MAP kinases in atorvastatin-induced VEGF release in cardiac myocytes.

Statins, specific inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, are now widely used for treatment of patients with hypercholesterolemia. In addition to the reduction of cholesterol biosynthesis, accumulating evidence indicates that statins have several pleiotropic effects especially on cardiovascular system. However, the exact role of statin in cardiac myocytes remains unclear.

alphaB-crystallin is phosphorylated during myocardial infarction: involvement of platelet-derived growth factor-BB.

alphaB-crystallin is the most abundant low-molecular-weight heat shock protein in heart and recent studies have demonstrated that it plays a cardioprotective role during myocardial infarction both in vivo and in vitro. On the other hand, platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a potent serum mitogen, has been reported to improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction. In the present study, using a mouse myocardial infarction model, we investigated whether alphaB-crystallin is phosphorylated during myocardial infarction and the implication of PDGF-BB.

Possible involvement of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signal pathway in vasopressin-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells.

We previously reported that p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase takes a part in arginine vasopressin (AVP)-induced heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) phosphorylation in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) is involved in the phosphorylation of HSP27 in these cells. AVP time-dependently induced the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt.

Methotrexate suppresses inflammatory agonist induced interleukin 6 synthesis in osteoblasts.

Objective: Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine that plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In bone metabolism, it is known that IL-6 is produced and secreted by osteoblasts, and that IL-6 induces osteoclast formation and stimulates bone resorption. Various bone inflammatory agonists such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-1alpha, prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), PGE2, and PGF2alpha, which play important roles in the pathogenesis of RA, induce IL-6 synthesis in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells.

Akt regulates thrombin-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in aortic smooth muscle cells: function at a point downstream from p38 MAP kinase.

We previously reported that p38 MAP kinase takes part in thrombin-induced HSP27 phosphorylation in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells. In the present study, we investigated whether Akt is involved in the phosphorylation of HSP27 and the role of adenylyl cyclase-cAMP system. Thrombin time-dependently induced the phosphorylation of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) and Akt in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells.

Adenylyl cyclase-cAMP system inhibits thyroid hormone-stimulated osteocalcin synthesis in osteoblasts.

It is generally recognized that thyroid hormone modulates osteoblast cell function. We have previously shown that triiodothyronine (T(3)) activates p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, resulting in the synthesis of osteocalcin in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the adenylyl cyclase-cAMP system on thyroid hormone-stimulated osteocalcin synthesis in these cells.

Adenylyl cyclase-cAMP system inhibits thrombin-induced HSP27 in vascular smooth muscle cells.

We previously reported that thrombin stimulates the induction of heat shock protein (HSP) 27 via p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation in aortic smooth muscle A10 cells. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the adenylyl cyclase-cAMP system on the thrombin-stimulated induction of HSP27 in A10 cells. Forskolin, a direct activator of adenylyl cyclase, reduced the thrombin-induced p38 MAP kinase phosphorylation, and significantly suppressed the thrombin-stimulated accumulation of HSP27.

Possible involvement of protein kinase C activation in differentiation of human umbilical vein endothelium-derived cell into smooth muscle-like cell.

We previously reported that when deprived of fibroblast growth factor, human umbilical vein endothelium-derived cells (HUVE-DCs) are capable of differentiating into smooth muscle-like cells through activin A-induced, Smad-dependent signaling, and that maintenance of the endothelial-cell phenotype and differentiation into smooth muscle-like cells are reciprocally controlled by fibroblast growth factor-1 and activin A (Ishisaki et al., 2003). Here, we examined how protein kinase C (PKC), which plays pivotal roles in the regulation of cellular proliferation and differentiation in numerous cell types, might affect the above differentiation.