Paracrine signals from mesenchymal cell populations govern the expansion and differentiation of human hepatic stem cells to adult liver fates

The differentiation of embryonic or determined stem cell populations into adult liver fates under known conditions yields cells with some adult-specific genes but not others, aberrant regulation of one or more genes, and variations in the results from experiment to experiment. We tested the hypothesis that sets of signals produced by freshly isolated, lineage-dependent mesenchymal cell populations would yield greater efficiency and reproducibility in driving the differentiation of human hepatic stem cells (hHpSCs) into adult liver fates. The subpopulations of liver-derived mesenchymal cells, purified by immunoselection technologies, included (1) angioblasts, (2) mature endothelia, (3) hepatic stellate cell precursors, (4) mature stellate cells (pericytes), and (5) myofibroblasts. Freshly immunoselected cells of each of these subpopulations were established in primary cultures under wholly defined (serum-free) conditions that we developed for short-term cultures and were used as feeders with hHpSCs. Feeders of angioblasts yielded self-replication, stellate cell precursors caused lineage restriction to hepatoblasts, mature endothelia produced differentiation into hepatocytes, and mature stellate cells and/or myofibroblasts resulted in differentiation into cholangiocytes. Paracrine signals produced by the different feeders were identified by biochemical, immunohistochemical, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses, and then those signals were used to replace the feeders in monolayer and three-dimensional cultures to elicit the desired biological responses from hHpSCs. The defined paracrine signals were proved to be able to yield reproducible responses from hHpSCs and to permit differentiation into fully mature and functional parenchymal cells.

CONCLUSION

Paracrine signals from defined mesenchymal cell populations are important for the regulation of stem cell populations into specific adult fates; this finding is important for basic and clinical research as well as industrial investigations.

Downregulation of oxytocin receptors in right ventricle of rats with monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension

AIM

pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the rat leads to right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy, inflammation and increased natriuretic peptide (NP) levels in plasma and RV. Because the release of nitric oxide (NO) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a function of the oxytocin receptor (OTR), we examined the effect of PH on gene and protein expression of OTR, NP (A, atrial; B, brain) and receptors (NPRs), nitric oxide synthases (NOS), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor-α in the hypertrophied RV in a model of PH.

METHODS

RV hypertrophy was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with monocrotaline (MCT; 60 mg kg(-1) ) and was confirmed by the presence of an increased RV weight and RV-to-[left ventricle (LV) and septum] ratio.

RESULTS

in the RV of MCT-treated rats, a approximately 40% reduction in OTR mRNA and protein was observed compared with the RV of control rats. This reduction was associated with increased transcripts of ANP and BNP in both ventricles and a corresponding increase in NP receptor mRNA expression for receptors A, B and C. Protein expression of inducible NOS was increased in the RV, whereas endothelial NOS transcripts were increased only in the LV of MCT-treated rats. In the RV of MCT-treated rats, downregulation of OTR was also associated with increased mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-6.

CONCLUSION

our results show that downregulation of the OTR in the RV of MCT-treated rats is associated with increased expression of NP and their receptors as well as IL-1β and IL-6. This reduction in OTR in RV myocardium may have an impact on cardiac function in the MCT-induced model of PH.

Diurnal variations in solar ultraviolet radiation on horizontal and vertical plane

BACKGROUND

In general, measurements of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation are related to horizontal surfaces. While the humans walking and standing outdoors expose to the natural solar UV radiation, their eyes, cheeks, extremities, trunks, or many other anatomical sites are close to vertical plane and random orient to different directions. In this study, we characterized the diurnal variations in solar UV on horizontal and vertical plane which may be helpful to obtain more relevant information on UV exposure of humans.

METHODS

The UV exposure on vertical and horizontal plane were measured using Solar-UV Sensors in Shenyang (41°51″N, 123°27″E) and Sanya (18°19'N, 109°42'E), PR China.

RESULTS

As the well known, the diurnal variations in solar UV on horizontal plane in a sunny day exhibited unimodal distributions, reached a single UV peak exposure at around solar noon. However, the diurnal variations on vertical plane presented bimodal distributions, with two peaks in summer in Shenyang and Sanya, and a unimodal distribution in winter in Shenyang. In spring and autumn in Shenyang, the UV exposure around noon were slightly flat with no significant peaks but relative high. When the Solar Elevation Angle (SEA) is about 40°, the vertical plane may potentially receiving maximal unweighted total solar UV radiation exposures.

CONCLUSION

The results potentially showed that the protection of some vertical and near-vertical anatomical sites of human body from high UV exposure should not only focused on the periods of before and after noon especially in high SEA places.

Clinical analysis of elderly patients with elderly-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus in China: assessment of appropriate therapy

Patients with elderly-onset diabetes have specific characteristics. This study was designed to investigate these characteristics and to evaluate methods for appropriate control of glycaemia and cardiovascular risk factors in elderly-onset diabetes patients. A total of 155 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into those diagnosed at >or= 65 years of age (elderly-onset group, 75 patients) and those diagnosed at < 60 years of age (usual-onset group, 80 patients). Differences in clinical variables, diabetic complications, diagnosed comorbidities and the use of medications were analysed. Mean glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting plasma glucose and fasting insulin levels were significantly lower in the elderly-onset group than in the usual-onset group. The usual-onset group showed significantly greater homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance than the elderly-onset group. Microvascular complications and insulin use were significantly more common in the usual-onset group. In conclusion, insulin resistance was less severe in elderly-onset diabetes than in usual-onset diabetes. As hyperglycaemia was relatively mild or moderate, oral hypoglycaemic agents might be effective for elderly-onset diabetes.

Screen of micro-organisms for inducing the production of dragon's blood by leaf of Dracaena cochinchinensis

AIMS

To screen micro-organisms for inducing the production of dragon's blood, which is normally produced by stem xylem and by leaf of Dracaena cochinchinensis, and to evaluate the product by comparing with the standard.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty microbial strains were isolated from D. cochinchinensis leaves. Three of them were confirmed to elicit the leaf of D. cochinchinensis producing dragon's blood after inoculation. Upon elicitation, all of the 6-month-old leaves of the inducible trees produced dragon's blood; 60-70% of the 1-year-old leaves elicited produced the resin. All the three strains were identified as Colletotrichum gloeosporioide by morphological and molecular methods. The leaf resin had a similar TLC profile and antioxidant activities to the standard resin. In particular, it had a higher total flavonol content and antimicrobial activity than the standard.

CONCLUSIONS

Upon the induction of the screened C. gloeosporioide mycelia, D. cochinchinensis leaf produced dragon's blood with higher total flavone content and antimicrobial activity than the standard dragon's blood.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

This work has provided a strategy for producing dragon's blood in a sustainable way using leaves of C. gloeosporioides by fungal elicitation.