Step-by-step protocol for alternative injury models in newt cardiac regeneration.

Although the heart is one of the most important organs for animal survival, its regenerative capacity varies among animal species. Notably, adult mammals cannot regenerate their hearts after damage such as acute myocardial infarction. In contrast, some vertebrate animals can regenerate the heart throughout their lives.

Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in peripheral B lymphocytes induces IgM-type thyrotropin receptor autoantibody production in patients with Graves' disease.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpes virus that latently infects B lymphocytes. When EBV is reactivated, host B cells differentiate into plasma cells and produce IgM-dominant antibodies as well as many progeny virions. The aims of the present study were to confirm the IgM dominance of thyrotropin-receptor antibodies (TRAbs) produced by EBV reactivation and investigate the roles of TRAb-IgM in Graves' disease.

Newt Hoxa13 has an essential and predominant role in digit formation during development and regeneration.

The 5'Hox genes play crucial roles in limb development and specify regions in the proximal-distal axis of limbs. However, there is no direct genetic evidence that Hox genes are essential for limb development in non-mammalian tetrapods or for limb regeneration. Here, we produced single to quadruple Hox13 paralog mutants using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in newts (Pleurodeles waltl), which have strong regenerative capacities, and also produced germline mutants.

Cryo-injury procedure-induced cardiac regeneration shows unique gene expression profiles in the newt Pleurodeles waltl.

Background: Cardiac regeneration in the adult mouse is not substantial. Some vertebrates, such as newts and zebrafish, regenerate the heart throughout their lives. To understand how regenerative abilities differ among animal species, comparative research has been conducted in animals like mouse, zebrafish, and newt.

Photoperiod-independent testicular development in the model newt Pleurodeles waltl.

Urodele amphibian newts have unique biological properties in male gametogenesis, in addition to their extreme regenerative capacity. Male newts are able to regenerate new testes even after reaching sexual maturity and can possess multiple testes. Notably, these animals maintain primordial germ cell-like cells in a tissue adjacent to the testis.

Free radical scavenger edaravone produces robust neuroprotection in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

We used a multimodal approach to evaluate the effects of edaravone in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI was induced by extradural compression of thoracic spinal cord. In experiment 1, 30 min prior to compression, rats received a 3 mg/kg intravenous bolus of edaravone followed by a maintenance infusion of 1 (low-dose), 3 (moderate-dose), or 10 (high-dose) mg/kg/h edaravone.

Epstein-Barr Virus Lytic Reactivation Activates B Cells Polyclonally and Induces Activation-Induced Cytidine Deaminase Expression: A Mechanism Underlying Autoimmunity and Its Contribution to Graves' Disease.

Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease that results in and is the most common cause of hyperthyroidism, and the reactivation of persisting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in B lymphocytes induces the differentiation of host B cells into plasma cells. We previously reported that some EBV-infected B cells had thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAbs) as surface immunoglobulins (Igs), and EBV reactivation induced these TRAb+EBV+ cells to produce TRAbs. EBV reactivation induces Ig production from host B cells.

Repression of cyclin D1 expression is necessary for the maintenance of cell cycle exit in adult mammalian cardiomyocytes.

The hearts of neonatal mice and adult zebrafish can regenerate after injury through proliferation of preexisting cardiomyocytes. However, adult mammals are not capable of cardiac regeneration because almost all cardiomyocytes exit their cell cycle. Exactly how the cell cycle exit is maintained and how many adult cardiomyocytes have the potential to reenter the cell cycle are unknown.

The influence of Epstein-Barr virus reactivation in patients with Graves' disease.

In Graves' disease, the IgG class autoantibody against thyrotropin receptor (TRAb) is produced excessively and induces hyperthyroidism. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is one of the human herpesviruses that persists for life, mainly in B lymphocytes, and is occasionally reactivated. Therefore, EBV may affect the antibody production of B lymphocytes that would normally produce TRAb.

Coordinated regulation of differentiation and proliferation of embryonic cardiomyocytes by a jumonji (Jarid2)-cyclin D1 pathway.

In general, cell proliferation and differentiation show an inverse relationship, and are regulated in a coordinated manner during development. Embryonic cardiomyocytes must support embryonic life by functional differentiation such as beating, and proliferate actively to increase the size of the heart. Therefore, progression of both proliferation and differentiation is indispensable.

The evolution of Epstein-Barr virus inferred from the conservation and mutation of the virus glycoprotein gp350/220 gene.

To study variations of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), we analyzed the gp350/220 gene for several cell lines and Japanese wild isolates using direct sequencing. The N-terminal region was highly conserved in all EBVs except for Jijoye/P3HR-1 and a few isolates. The variation of the region coincided with EBV types A and B (also referred to as types 1 and 2) and were, respectively, designated as the types a and b.

The vIL-10 gene of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is conserved in a stable manner except for a few point mutations in various EBV isolates.

A gene of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), BamHI-C fragment rightward reading frame 1 (BCRF1), codes viral interleukin-10 (vIL-10), which is a close homolog to human IL-10. EBV strain variations are known at EBV latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), and the distinct forms of LMP1 have been identified. In order to further elucidate the variations of EBV strains, the BCRF1 (vIL-10) gene was analyzed using PCR-direct sequencing in African Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines Raji, P3HR-1, EB1 and Daudi, Japanese BL cell line Akata, lymphoblastoid cell line OB and 22 wild EBV isolates from eight gastric carcinoma tissues and 14 throat washes.

Carboxyl-terminal sequence variation of latent membrane protein 1 gene in Epstein-Barr virus-associated gastric carcinomas from Eastern China and Japan.

Objectives: To elucidate variations of latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and explore the LMP1 variations of neighboring countries, China and Japan.

Methods: In 12 and 8 EBVaGCs from eastern China and Japan, respectively, the C-termini of LMP1 were analyzed using PCR and sequencing. The sequences were compared with previously published strains and were characterized on a phylogenetic tree.

The role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase in regulating interleukin-10 gene expression in Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines.

In malignant B lymphoma cells interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression is frequently upregulated. This effect is thought to support to the malignant transformation of these cells and to be a potential target for pharmacotherapy. To define better the mechanism for upregulation of the IL-10 gene, we tested the association between IL-10 and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in several Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected and non-infected Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines.

Difference of Epstein-Barr virus isolates from Japanese patients and African Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines based on the sequence of latent membrane protein 1.

Sequence variations in the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1) gene have been described in many EBV-isolates. To characterize the genomic relationship between Japanese EBV and the EBV isolates of other countries, we analyzed the LMP1 nucleotide sequences in EBV positive cell lines and clinical specimens, including five African Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines, a Japanese BL cell line, a B-lymphoblastoid cell line, a nasopharyngeal carcinoma hybrid cell line, six gastric carcinoma tissues, two peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and a B95-8 cell line, which contained the prototype EBV genome. We determined the C-terminal nucleotide sequences of LMP1 by PCR-direct sequencing analysis and characterized the sequence variation of Japanese isolates, made a phylogenetic tree from the sequence patterns of LMP1 by a neighbor-joining method.

[Two case reports on intra-tumor injection therapy of dendritic cells].

DC (dendritic cells) vaccine therapy against cancer has attracted attention in recent years. However, the existence of the immunosuppressive state in cancer individuals leads to anergy and failure in cytotoxic T cell (CTL) induction and DC migration to the target organ. It has been reported that injected intra-tumor DC is expected to work phagocytosis of the tumor as a localized effect, the consequent CTL induction in the tumor and the regional lymphnodes, resulting in a systemic effect.

Mechanism for induction of hydroxyurea resistance and loss of latent EBV genome in hydroxyurea-treated Burkitt's lymphoma cell line Raji.

Hydroxyurea (HU), as an inhibitor of ribonucleotide reductase (RR) through interaction with the R2 component, has been used in the treatment of malignancies. Recently, therapeutic strategies in Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-targeted lymphoma have been reported. In order to study the effect of HU on EBV, infected Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) Raji cells were passaged in medium containing 50 microM HU for more than 2 months.

Multiple epithelial cysts of the spleen and on the splenic capsule, and high serum levels of CA19-9, CA125 and soluble IL-2 receptor.

An 18-year-old woman with abdominal pain was diagnosed as having splenic cysts by computed tomography scan. She had high serum levels of CA19-9 (2886.8 U/mL; normal value, <35 U/mL), CA125 (131.

Contrasting effects of hydroxyurea on cell growth and reduction in Epstein-Barr virus genomes in EBV-infected epithelioid cell lines vs Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines.

Eliminating Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genomes from infected cells is an intriguing theoretical strategy in therapy for EBV-associated malignant diseases. Respective patterns were characterized for hydroxyurea (HU)-promoted loss of EBV genomes from EBV-infected epithelioid cell lines derived from the noncancerous portion of gastric carcinoma tissues and Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell lines. Epithelioid cell lines GT38 and PN were less sensitivity to HU than BL cell lines Akata, Raji, and Daudi in terms of cell growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest.

Blood flow does not correlate with the size of metastasis in our new intravital observation model of Lewis lung cancer.

We previously reported a novel in situ observation model for microcirculation of lung metastasis from subcutaneously implanted Lewis lung cancer into mouse. Using this model, we studied the correlation of blood flow and the size of lung metastasis. It was revealed that metastatic growth and its angiogenesis are suppressed by circulating angiogenesis inhibitors, such as angiostatin or endostatin, released from primary tumor.

Evidence of lytic infection of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBV-positive gastric carcinoma.

Twenty-one cases of gastric carcinoma were tested for the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. EBV genome was detected in 3 (14%) of the 21 cases. In situ hybridization for EBV-encoded small RNA 1 showed that EBV genomes were present in almost all carcinoma cells of the 3 cases.