Enhancing human ACE2 expression in mouse models to improve COVID-19 research.

Mice are one of the most common biological models for laboratory use. However, wild-type mice are not susceptible to COVID-19 infection due to the low affinity of mouse ACE2, the entry protein for SARS-CoV-2. Although mice with human ACE2 (hACE2) driven by Ace2 promoter reflect its tissue specificity, these animals exhibit low ACE2 expression, potentially limiting their fidelity in mimicking COVID-19 manifestations and their utility in viral studies.

Sodium Channel Voltage-Gated Beta 2 Plays a Vital Role in Brain Aging Associated with Synaptic Plasticity and Expression of COX5A and FGF-2.

The role of sodium channel voltage-gated beta 2 (SCN2B) in brain aging is largely unknown. The present study was therefore designed to determine the role of SCN2B in brain aging by using the senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8), a brain senescence-accelerated animal model, together with the SCN2B transgenic mice. The results showed that SAMP8 exhibited impaired learning and memory functions, assessed by the Morris water maze test, as early as 8 months of age.

Expressional difference, distributions of TGF-β1 in TGF-β1 knock down transgenic mouse, and its possible roles in injured spinal cord.

Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) is a multi-functional cytokine implicated in many aspects of mammalian wound healing and scar tissue formation. However, few experiments have so far addressed the potential biological effects of TGF-β1 in the nervous system after injury, in addition to the immune system. In the present study, expressional silencing TGF-β1 was achieved by selecting predesigning hairpins targeting mouse TGF-β1 genes.

WIF1 causes dysfunction of heart in transgenic mice.

Wnt activity is a key regulator of cardiac progenitor cell self-renewal, differentiation and morphogenesis. However, Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1), a antagonists of Wnt signaling activity, its potential effects on heart development has not yet been approached by either in vivo or in vitro studies. Here, the expression of WIF1 was regulated in a different way in the dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy heart from transgenic mice by mutations in cardiac troponin T, cTnT(R141W) and cTnT(R92Q).

Newly developed TGF-β2 knock down transgenic mouse lines express TGF-β2 differently and its distribution in multiple tissues varies.

Background: Transforming growth factor-betas (TGF-βs), including beta2 (TGF-β2), constitute a superfamily of multifunctional cytokines with important implications in morphogenesis, cell differentiation and tissue remodeling. TGF-β2 is thought to play important roles in multiple developmental processes and neuron survival. However, before we carried out these investigations, a TGF-β2 gene down-regulated transgenic animal model was needed.

Transgenic expression of human P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 is not sufficient for enterovirus 71 infection in mice.

Human PSGL-1 is a receptor for EV71 that facilitates EV71 entry and replication in mouse cells. We have evaluated the role of human PSGL-1 in EV71 infection in vivo using a transgenic mouse line. Expression of human PSGL-1 failed to enhance infectivity of clinical EV71 strains in mice; however, it promoted replication and symptom severity at an earlier stage in mice upon infection with a mouse-adapted EV71 strain.

miR-29c regulates BACE1 protein expression.

Recently, BACE1 expression was shown to be regulated by microRNAs, small endogenous RNA molecules that regulate protein expression through sequence-specific interaction with messenger RNA. Here, we showed that microRNA-29c (miR-29c), a miRNA that is enriched in the brain and highly expressed in the APPswe/PSΔE9 mouse lowers BACE1 protein in vitro and in transgenic miR-29c mice. In silico analysis identified two putative target sites in the BACE1 mRNA for the miR-29c family.

Expression of CYP2E1 increases oxidative stress and induces apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in transgenic mice.

Cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) is an effective generator of reactive oxygen species. Marked expression of CYP2E1 occurs in the heart and it is known to be regulated in the course of progression of myocardial ischemia and cardiomyopathy. We provide evidence that the expression of CYP2E1 is strongly up-regulated in cTnT(R141W) transgenic mice with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Evodiamine improves congnitive abilities in SAMP8 and APP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer's disease.

Aim: To investigate the effect of evodiamine (a quinolone alkaloid from the fruit of Evodia rutaecarpa) on the progression of Alzheimer's disease in SAMP8 and APP(swe)/PS1(ΔE9) transgenic mouse models.

Methods: The mice at age of 5 months were randomized into the model group, two evodiamine (50 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) and 100 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) groups and an Aricept (2 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1)) group. The littermates of no-transgenic mice and senescence accelerated mouse/resistance 1 mice (SAMR1) were used as controls.