Obesity-related IL-18 Impairs T-Regulatory Cell Function and Promotes Lung Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) is a severe form of acute lung injury, leading to increased early morbidity and mortality after lung transplant. Obesity is a major health problem, and recipient obesity is one of the most significant risk factors for developing PGD. We hypothesized that T-regulatory cells (Tregs) are able to dampen early ischemia-reperfusion events and thereby decrease the risk of PGD, whereas that action is impaired in obese recipients.

Over- and ectopic expression of Wnt3 causes progressive loss of ameloblasts in postnatal mouse incisor teeth.

Intercellular signaling is essential for the development of teeth during embryogenesis and in maintenance of the continuously growing incisor teeth in postnatal rodents. WNT intercellular signaling molecules have been implicated in the regulation of tooth development, and the Wnt3 gene shows specific expression in the enamel knot at the cap stage. We demonstrate here that Wnt3 also is expressed in specific epithelial cell layers in postnatal incisor teeth.

WNT signals are required for the initiation of hair follicle development.

Hair follicle morphogenesis is initiated by a dermal signal that induces the development of placodes in the overlying epithelium. To determine whether WNT signals are required for initiation of follicular development, we ectopically expressed Dickkopf 1, a potent diffusible inhibitor of WNT action, in the skin of transgenic mice. This produced a complete failure of placode formation prior to morphological or molecular signs of differentiation, and blocked tooth and mammary gland development before the bud stage.