Investigation and evaluation of gastrointestinal toxicity biomarkers in rats with different sites of gastrointestinal injury.

There are few reliable biomarkers for gastrointestinal toxicity, and the further identification of such markers can improve the accuracy and speed of toxicological evaluations. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of several recently proposed biomarkers-plasma citrulline, fecal calprotectin, fecal bile acid, and plasma miRNAs (miR-194 and -215)-in detecting intestinal toxicity. To this end, cysteamine hydrocholoride (cysteamine, 600 or 900 mg/kg, PO), indomethacin (10 mg/kg, PO), or 2,4-Dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid hydrate (DNBS, 20 mg/kg, IR) were administered to male Wistar rats to establish models of gastric/duodenal, jejunum/ileum, or colonic damage, respectively.

Engineering CD3/CD137 Dual Specificity into a DLL3-Targeted T-Cell Engager Enhances T-Cell Infiltration and Efficacy against Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive cancer for which immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have had only limited success. Bispecific T-cell engagers are promising therapeutic alternatives for ICI-resistant tumors, but not all patients with SCLC are responsive. Herein, to integrate CD137 costimulatory function into a T-cell engager format and thereby augment therapeutic efficacy, we generated a CD3/CD137 dual-specific Fab and engineered a DLL3-targeted trispecific antibody (DLL3 trispecific).

Digital workflows for pathological assessment of rat estrous cycle stage using images of uterine horn and vaginal tissue.

Assessment of the estrous cycle of mature female mammals is an important component of verifying the efficacy and safety of drug candidates. The common pathological approach of relying on expert observation has several drawbacks, including laborious work and inter-viewer variability. The recent advent of image recognition technologies using deep learning is expected to bring substantial benefits to such pathological assessments.

Class II lupus nephritis with podocyte injury in imiquimod-induced lupus-prone mice.

Lupus nephritis (LN) is a renal disease presented in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is divided into 6 classes based on histopathological criteria set by the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society. Major mouse models of SLE usually develop class III/IV LN, which are characterized by subendothelial deposits and endocapillary hypercellularity. We examined the pathological features of kidneys in a mouse model of SLE induced by a toll-like receptor 7 agonist, imiquimod (IMQ).

Lipomatosis of axillary lymph nodes in a cynomolgus monkey ().

Lipomatosis of lymph nodes is defined as the replacement of the lymphatic parenchyma by adipose tissue which grows in the node from the hilus toward the cortical zone. In humans, it is considered as part of the normal aging process and is common in obese patients, but there are no reports in non-human primates. In this report, we describe the first case of lymph node lipomatosis in the bilateral axillary lymph nodes of a young adult cynomolgus monkey.

Protruding structures with high expression of LGR5 are formed during regrowth phase after chemo-treatment in xenograft model of colorectal adenocarcinoma.

Recurrence after chemotherapy is one of the biggest obstacles in cancer therapy, along with metastasis. Although histopathological evaluation in preclinical models like the xenograft model help us to understand the pathophysiological process of tumor growth, there are not enough detailed histopathological analyses of such models. In this study, to learn how a tumor recovers the typical tumor structure after structural corruption during chemo-treatment, xenografted tumors originating from a patient-derived xenograft of colorectal cancer (CRC) were analyzed histopathologically over time.

Myocardial injury in a patient with severe coronavirus disease: A case report.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can lead to severe disease or death and is characterized by a wide range of mild to severe symptoms. In addition to the lungs, studies have reported the involvement of the stomach, intestine, and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors in the heart.

Case Report: We present a case of a patient with COVID-19 who died soon after developing multi-organ failure and myocardial injury due to COVID-19-associated pneumonia.

Three-dimensional culture models mimic colon cancer heterogeneity induced by different microenvironments.

Colorectal cancer demonstrates intra-tumour heterogeneity formed by a hierarchical structure comprised of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their differentiated progenies. The mechanism by which CSCs are maintained and differentiated needs to be further elucidated, and there is evidence that the tumour microenvironment governs cancer stemness. Using PLR123, a colon cancer cell line with CSC properties, we determined the culture conditions necessary to establish a pair of three-dimensional (3D) culture models grown in Matrigel, designated stemCO and diffCO.

Histopathological evaluation of crypt fission during intestinal development in neonatal mice.

Pathological evaluation of juvenile toxicity studies requires the understanding of normal tissue development at different ages. Here, we report the morphological features of the neonatal mouse intestine, focusing on crypt fission. Postnatal day (PND) 7 and 14 mice showed fewer crypts and less mature epithelial morphology compared to PND 21 and 28.

PAXgene-fixed paraffin-embedded sample is applicable to laser capture microdissection with well-balanced RNA quality and tissue morphology.

Assessing how gene expression analysis by RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) correlates to a unique morphology is increasingly necessary, and laser capture microdissection (LCM) is a critical research tool for discovering the genes responsible in a region of interest (ROI). Because RNA-Seq requires high-quality RNA, a sample preparation procedure that can preserve morphology and give the required quality of RNA is essential. A PAXgene®-fixed paraffin-embedded (XFPE) block can satisfy the need for high-quality RNA, but there are few reports on adapting the method for LCM, such as how small an ROI is analyzable by RNA-Seq.

A simple method for histopathological evaluation of organoids.

-cultured 3D structures called organoids have become important tools for biological research, but there is little information concerning simple and efficient methods to evaluate organoid morphology. To address this issue, we attempted to establish a simple method by applying conventional histopathology that enables observation of multiple organoids on a single cross section, maintains good morphology, and is applicable to various histopathological stains. By centrifugation in unsolidified agarose solution, we were able to accumulate the organoids onto a single plane.

LGR5-positive colon cancer stem cells interconvert with drug-resistant LGR5-negative cells and are capable of tumor reconstitution.

The cancer stem cell (CSC) concept has been proposed as an attractive theory to explain cancer development, and CSCs themselves have been considered as targets for the development of diagnostics and therapeutics. However, many unanswered questions concerning the existence of slow cycling/quiescent, drug-resistant CSCs remain. Here we report the establishment of colon cancer CSC lines, interconversion of the CSCs between a proliferating and a drug-resistant state, and reconstitution of tumor hierarchy from the CSCs.

Cell proliferative activity in the kidney of young growing rat analyzed using flash and cumulative labeling with bromodeoxyuridine.

We examined the cell proliferation activity of kidney in young growing rats using flash and cumulative labeling with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). Rats were subjected to the study at the age of 6 weeks, and cumulative labeling was carried out for periods of 7 to 28 days. BrdU-positive cells were observed after flash labeling and were increased by cumulative labeling.

Segmentation of the Pathophysiological Stages of Diabetic Changes in the db/db Mouse.

The db/db mouse is one of the diabetes mellitus animal models and if the pathophysiological stages of diabetic changes in the mouse model could simulate the stages in human diabetes, the db/db mouse could be used to better evaluate drug candidates. Blood insulin, HbA1c levels and morphological features of pancreatic islets in db/db mice were evaluated to determine the pathophysiological stage. At 6 weeks of age, db/db mice showed the highest level of plasma insulin and lowest level of HbA1c, and histopathological examination revealed enlarged islets with a circular shape and hypertrophic islet cells.

IL-6R distribution in normal human and cynomolgus monkey tissues.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic cytokine and a contributing factor in many diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Castleman's disease, Crohn's disease, and multiple myeloma. Since the blockade of the signaling pathway of the IL-6/interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R)/gp130 complex is considered to have therapeutic value in such diseases, we developed an IL-6R humanized antibody (tocilizumab). In the current report, distribution of IL-6R in both normal human and cynomolgus monkey tissues was assessed as fundamental data to support preclinical and clinical studies of tocilizumab.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor has no adverse effects on atherosclerotic lesions in high cholesterol-fed miniature Swine.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is widely used to mobilize peripheral blood stem cells, and expected to restore cardiac function for patients with coronary artery diseases as a consequence of progression of atherosclerosis. Safety issues related to the administration of G-CSF to these patients, however, are still under study. The animal model for atherosclerosis was produced by feeding miniature swine a high-cholesterol diet for 3 months.

Differences in bone responses to recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor between mice and rats.

The authors previously demonstrated that high doses of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) induce bone changes characterized by accelerated osteoclastic bone resorption and osteogenesis due to intramembranous ossification in rats. As a basis for future analysis of the mechanisms of rhG-CSF-induced bone changes, the present study was undertaken to determine whether the bone changes observed in rats are also induced in mice. The experiment was conducted under the conditions that clearly induce bone changes in rats.

Molecular mechanism on the testicular toxicity of 1,3-dinitrobenzene in Sprague-Dawley rats: preliminary study.

The present study was conducted to elucidate the possible molecular mechanism of germinal cell apoptosis induced by Sertoli cell damage after 1,3-dinitrobenzene (1,3-DNB), a testicular toxicant, was administered to laboratory male rats. In this study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were administered with a single oral dose of 1,3-DNB (25 mg/kg body weight). Histopathological examinations and TUNEL methods revealed a marked increase in the number of apoptotic pachytene spermatocytes in seminiferous tubules showing stages VII-VIII and IX-XI of the spermatogenic cycle at 24 h after 1,3-DNB treatment.