Correction: Low-Dose Irradiation Affects Expression of Inflammatory Markers in the Heart of ApoE -/- Mice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Monitoring Disease Progression and Therapeutic Response in a Disseminated Tumor Model for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma by Bioluminescence Imaging.

Xenograft tumor models are widely studied in cancer research. Our aim was to establish and apply a model for aggressive CD20-positive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, enabling us to monitor tumor growth and shrinkage in a noninvasive manner. By stably transfecting a luciferase expression vector, we created two bioluminescent human non-Hodgkin lymphoma cell lines, Jeko1(luci) and OCI-Ly3(luci), that are CD20 positive, a prerequisite to studying rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 antibody.

Co(II)-mediated effects of plain and plasma immersion ion implanted cobalt-chromium alloys on the osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.

Medical CoCr is one of the main alloys used for metal-on-metal prosthesis in patients with total hip arthroplasty. CoCr surfaces modified by nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) are characterized by improved wear resistance but also showed increased Co(II) ion release under in vitro conditions. For the first time, CoCr modified by nitrogen PIII was evaluated with regard to its effect on the osteogenic differentiation of MSC.

Characterization of a double-hit murine model of acute respiratory distress syndrome.

The aim of the present study was to characterize a murine model of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) abiding by the Berlin definition of human ARDS and guidelines for animal models of ARDS. To this end, C57BL/6NCrl mice were challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 15 mg/kg, i.p.

Transplantation of cryopreserved human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells does not induce sustained recovery after experimental stroke in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Previous studies have highlighted the enormous potential of cell-based therapies for stroke not only to prevent ischemic brain damage, but also to amplify endogenous repair processes. Considering its widespread availability and low immunogenicity human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) is a particularly attractive stem cell source. Our goal was to investigate the neurorestorative potential of cryopreserved HUCB mononuclear cells (MNC) after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

The influence of immunosuppressive drugs on neural stem/progenitor cell fate in vitro.

In allogenic and xenogenic transplantation, adequate immunosuppression plays a major role in graft survival, especially over the long term. The effect of immunosuppressive drugs on neural stem/progenitor cell fate has not been sufficiently explored. The focus of this study is to systematically investigate the effects of the following four different immunotherapeutic strategies on human neural progenitor cell survival/death, proliferation, metabolic activity, differentiation and migration in vitro: (1) cyclosporine A (CsA), a calcineurin inhibitor; (2) everolimus (RAD001), an mTOR-inhibitor; (3) mycophenolic acid (MPA, mycophenolate), an inhibitor of inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase and (4) prednisolone, a steroid.

Cytocompatibility of nitrogen plasma ion immersed medical cobalt-chromium alloys.

Wear particles and ion release from medical CoCr contribute to the risk for aseptic loosening. Nitrogen plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) has been shown to reduce wear of CoCr but is associated with increased Co ion release. This work investigated the cytocompatibility of CoCr modified by nitrogen PIII at different temperatures (mCoCr).

Extensive fibrosis caused by Pleural Tuberculosis: a lesson from a case without post-exposure-prophylaxis.

We report the case of a 9-year-old boy with extensive pleural fibrosis and contraction of the affected hemithorax secondary to pleural tuberculosis (TB), who was successfully treated with a 6 months course of the standard WHO regimen. Although well described for the adult population, this complication is rare among children and to our knowledge, no such case has been described since the widespread introduction of antitubercular therapy in the 1950s. This case underscores the importance of appropriate follow-up and administration of chemoprophylaxis after TB exposure.

Interrelations between blood-brain barrier permeability and matrix metalloproteinases are differently affected by tissue plasminogen activator and hyperoxia in a rat model of embolic stroke.

Background: In ischemic stroke, blood-brain barrier (BBB) regulations, typically involving matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and inhibitors (TIMPs) as mediators, became interesting since tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-related BBB breakdown with risk of secondary hemorrhage was considered to involve these mediators too. Despite high clinical relevance, detailed interactions are purely understood. After a pilot study addressing hyperoxia as potential neuroprotective co-treatment to tPA, we analyzed interrelations between BBB permeability (BBB-P), MMPs and TIMPs.

Autoimmunity, intestinal lymphoid hyperplasia, and defects in mucosal B-cell homeostasis in patients with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome.

The Phosphatase And Tensin Homolog Deleted On Chromosome 10 (PTEN) regulates the phosphoinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT signaling pathway. In a series of 34 patients with PTEN mutations, we described gastrointestinal lymphoid hyperplasia, extensive hyperplastic tonsils, thymus hyperplasia, autoimmune lymphocytic thyroiditis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and colitis. Functional analysis of the gastrointestinal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue revealed increased signaling via the PI3K-AKT pathway, including phosphorylation of S6 and increased cell proliferation, but also reduced apoptosis of CD20(+)CD10(+) B cells.

Assessment of neuroprotective effects of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell subpopulations in vitro and in vivo.

Experimental transplantation of human umbilical cord blood (hUCB) mononuclear cells (MNCs) in rodent stroke models revealed the therapeutic potential of these cells. However, effective cells within the heterogeneous MNC population and their modes of action are still under discussion. MNCs and MNC fractions enriched (CD34(+)) or depleted (CD34(-)) for CD34-expressing stem/progenitor cells were isolated from hUCB.

Early outcome and blood-brain barrier integrity after co-administered thrombolysis and hyperbaric oxygenation in experimental stroke.

Background: After promising results in experimental stroke, normobaric (NBO) or hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) have recently been discussed as co-medication with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for improving outcome. This study assessed the interactions of hyperoxia and tPA, focusing on survival, early functional outcome and blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity following experimental stroke.

Methods: Rats (n = 109) underwent embolic middle cerebral artery occlusion or sham surgery.

Increased CD64 expression on polymorphonuclear neutrophils indicates infectious complications following solid organ transplantation.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of monitoring CD64 antigen upregulation on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) for the identification of infectious complications in the postoperative course of solid organ transplanted patients. Twenty-five kidney, 13 liver, and four pancreas-kidney transplanted patients were included. Beginning with preoperative values up to postoperative values after 3 months for each patient, the PMN CD64 Index, HLA-DR on monocytes, NKp44+ NK and NK/T cells, CXCR3+ NK cells, CXCR3+ T helper cells, CXCR3+ NK/T cells, and CD4/CD8 ratio were measured by flow cytometry.

Influence of low dose irradiation on differentiation, maturation and T-cell activation of human dendritic cells.

Ionizing irradiation could act directly on immune cells and may induce bystander effects mediated by soluble factors that are released by the irradiated cells. This is the first study analyzing both the direct effect of low dose ionizing radiation (LDIR) on the maturation and cytokine release of human dendritic cells (DCs) and the functional consequences for co-cultured T-cells. We showed that irradiation of DC-precursors in vitro does not influence surface marker expression or cytokine profile of immature DCs nor of mature DCs after LPS treatment.

Characterization of murine non-adherent bone marrow cells leading to recovery of endogenous hematopoiesis.

Non-adherent bone marrow-derived cells (NA-BMCs) are a mixed cell population that can give rise to multiple mesenchymal phenotypes and that facilitates hematopoietic recovery. We characterized NA-BMCs by flow cytometry, fibroblast colony-forming units (CFU-f), real-time PCR, and in in vivo experiments. In comparison to adherent cells, NA-BMCs expressed high levels of CD11b(+) and CD90(+) within the CD45(+) cell fraction.

Visfatin is a positive regulator of MCP-1 in human adipocytes in vitro and in mice in vivo.

Visfatin is a proinflammatory and potentially insulin-mimetic adipokine contributing to whole body glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as atherosclerosis. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 is an adipocyte-secreted protein which might play a crucial role in metabolic and vascular disease. MCP-1 expression and secretion after visfatin treatment were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in fully differentiated human mesenchymal stem cell-derived adipocytes (hMSC-Ads) in vitro.

Transplantation of placenta-derived mesenchymal stromal cells upon experimental stroke in rats.

The beneficial effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) administration following experimental stroke have already been described. Despite several promising characteristics, placenta-derived MSC have not been used in models of focal ischemia. The aim of the current study is to investigate the impact of intravenously transplanted placenta-derived MSC on post-stroke recovery.

Effectiveness of cytopenia prophylaxis for different filgrastim and pegfilgrastim schedules in a chemotherapy mouse model.

Objectives: Recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) is widely used to treat neutropenia during cytotoxic chemotherapy. The optimal scheduling of rhG-CSF is unknown and can hardly be tested in clinical studies due to numerous therapy parameters affecting outcome (chemotherapeutic regimen, rhG-CSF schedules, individual covariables). Motivated by biomathematical model simulations, we aim to investigate different rhG-CSF schedules in a preclinical chemotherapy mouse model.

Allogeneic non-adherent bone marrow cells facilitate hematopoietic recovery but do not lead to allogeneic engraftment.

Background: Non adherent bone marrow derived cells (NA-BMCs) have recently been described to give rise to multiple mesenchymal phenotypes and have an impact in tissue regeneration. Therefore, the effects of murine bone marrow derived NA-BMCs were investigated with regard to engraftment capacities in allogeneic and syngeneic stem cell transplantation using transgenic, human CD4(+), murine CD4(-/-), HLA-DR3(+) mice.

Methodology/principal Findings: Bone marrow cells were harvested from C57Bl/6 and Balb/c wild-type mice, expanded to NA-BMCs for 4 days and characterized by flow cytometry before transplantation in lethally irradiated recipient mice.

Interleukin-1beta is a positive regulator of TIARP/STAMP2 gene and protein expression in adipocytes in vitro.

The impact of interleukin (IL)-1beta on tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced adipose-related protein (TIARP)/six-transmembrane protein of prostate 2 (STAMP2) was determined in adipocytes. TIARP/STAMP2 mRNA synthesis was significantly stimulated by IL-1beta in a dose- and time-dependent fashion in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Signaling studies suggested that janus kinase 2, nuclear factor kappaB, and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase are involved in IL-1beta-induced TIARP/STAMP2 mRNA expression.

Mesenchymal stem cells remain host-derived independent of the source of the stem-cell graft and conditioning regimen used.

Background: Human bone marrow contains hematopoietic stem cells and stroma cells known as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). MSC are cells with the morphological features of fibroblasts, which, in addition to their nursing function for hematopoietic stem cells, retain the ability to differentiate into cartilage, bone, fat, muscle, and tendon and have an important immunmodulatory function. To understand in more detail hematopoietic engraftment and immune modulation after hematopoietic cell transplantation, we investigated the ability of donor MSC to engraft after hematopoietic cell transplantation in dependency to the conditioning regimen (myeloablative vs.

Neuronal hypoxia in vitro: investigation of therapeutic principles of HUCB-MNC and CD133+ stem cells.

Background: The therapeutic capacity of human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (HUCB-MNC) and stem cells derived thereof is documented in animal models of focal cerebral ischemia, while mechanisms behind the reduction of lesion size and the observed improvement of behavioral skills still remain poorly understood.

Methods: A human in vitro model of neuronal hypoxia was used to address the impact of total HUCB-MNC (tMNC), a stem cell enriched fraction (CD133+, 97.38% CD133-positive cells) and a stem cell depleted fraction (CD133-, 0.

Cord blood cell therapy alters LV remodeling and cytokine expression but does not improve heart function after myocardial infarction in rats.

Objective: In this study the ability of unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSC) and mononuclear cord blood cells (MN-CBC) was tested to improve heart function and left ventricular (LV) remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: The cells were delivered by i.v.