Fibronectin and Hand2 influence tubulogenesis during pronephros development and mesonephros regeneration in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Worldwide incidence of kidney diseases has been rising. Thus, recent research has focused on zebrafish, whose fast development and innate regeneration capacity allow identifying factors influencing renal processes. Among these poorly studied factors are extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins like Fibronectin (Fn) essential in various tissues but not yet evaluated in a renal context.

Zebrafish and evaluation of the recreational 25C-NBOMe drug demonstrates its high toxicity.

The NBOMe (N-2-methoxybenzyl-phenethylamines) family of compounds are synthetic hallucinogens derived from the 2C series. Although this family of compounds has been responsible for multiple cases of acute toxicity and several deaths around the world, to date there are few studies. These compounds act as potent 5-HT receptor agonists, including the hallucinogen 25C-NBOMe (2-(4-chloro-2,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-N-[(2-methoxyphenyl)methyl]ethanamine).

Pilot Study of an Integrative New Tool for Studying Clinical Outcome Discrimination in Acute Leukemia.

Acute leukemia is a heterogeneous set of diseases affecting children and adults. Current prognostic factors are not accurate predictors of the clinical outcome of adult patients and the stratification of risk groups remains insufficient. For that reason, this study proposes a multifactorial analysis which integrates clinical parameters, tumor characterization and behavioral analysis in zebrafish.

Hand2 inhibits kidney specification while promoting vein formation within the posterior mesoderm.

Proper organogenesis depends upon defining the precise dimensions of organ progenitor territories. Kidney progenitors originate within the intermediate mesoderm (IM), but the pathways that set the boundaries of the IM are poorly understood. Here, we show that the bHLH transcription factor Hand2 limits the size of the embryonic kidney by restricting IM dimensions.

tal1 Regulates the formation of intercellular junctions and the maintenance of identity in the endocardium.

The endocardium forms the inner lining of the heart tube, where it enables blood flow and also interacts with the myocardium during the formation of valves and trabeculae. Although a number of studies have identified regulators in the morphogenesis of the myocardium, relatively little is known about the molecules that control endocardial morphogenesis. Prior work has implicated the bHLH transcription factor Tal1 in endocardial tube formation: in zebrafish embryos lacking Tal1, endocardial cells form a disorganized mass within the ventricle and do not populate the atrium.

Hand2 ensures an appropriate environment for cardiac fusion by limiting Fibronectin function.

Heart formation requires the fusion of bilateral cardiomyocyte populations as they move towards the embryonic midline. The bHLH transcription factor Hand2 is essential for cardiac fusion; however, the effector genes that execute this function of Hand2 are unknown. Here, we provide in zebrafish the first evidence for a downstream component of the Hand2 pathway that mediates cardiac morphogenesis.

Distinct phases of cardiomyocyte differentiation regulate growth of the zebrafish heart.

Amongst animal species, there is enormous variation in the size and complexity of the heart, ranging from the simple one-chambered heart of Ciona intestinalis to the complex four-chambered heart of lunged animals. To address possible mechanisms for the evolutionary adaptation of heart size, we studied how growth of the simple two-chambered heart in zebrafish is regulated. Our data show that the embryonic zebrafish heart tube grows by a substantial increase in cardiomyocyte number.

Cytotoxicity of local anesthetics in human neuronal cells.

Background: In addition to inhibiting the excitation conduction process in peripheral nerves, local anesthetics (LAs) cause toxic effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, neuromuscular junction, and cell metabolism. Different postoperative neurological complications are ascribed to the cytotoxicity of LAs, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Because the clinical concentrations of LAs far exceed their EC(50) for inhibiting ion channel activity, ion channel block alone might not be sufficient to explain LA-induced cell death.

Isoflurane reduces the carbachol-evoked Ca2+ influx in neuronal cells.

Background: The authors previously reported that the isoflurane-caused reduction of the carbachol-evoked cytoplasmic Ca transient increase ([Ca]cyt) was eliminated by K or caffeine-pretreatment. In this study the authors investigated whether the isoflurane-sensitive component of the carbachol-evoked [Ca]cyt transient involved Ca influx through the plasma membrane.

Methods: Perfused attached human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to carbachol (1 mm, 2 min) in the absence and presence of isoflurane (1 mm) and in the absence and presence of extracellular Ca (1.

Differential thapsigargin-sensitivities and interaction of Ca2+ stores in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells.

In human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, two distinct intracellular Ca2+ stores, a KCl-/caffeine-sensitive and a carbachol-/IP3-sensitive store, were demonstrated previously. In this study, responses of these two intracellular Ca2+ stores to thapsigargin were characterized. Ca2+-release from these stores was evoked either by high K+ (100 mM KCl) or by 1 mM carbachol, and changes in the intracellular Ca2+ level were monitored using Fura-2 fluorimetry.