Organogenesis of pancreatic anlagen allografted in rats

AIMS

To study the possibility of revascularization, growth, and differentiation of embryonic pancreatic anlagen transplanted to adult hosts. While transplantations of pancreas and islets are the main methods to cure diabetes mellitus, the donor source is in shortage. So it's necessary to find a new source for transplantation.

METHODS

The pancreas from embryonic day 14.5 (E14.5) and 15.5 (E15.5) Lewis rat embryos were implanted into either intraperitoneal or subrenal capsular site of healthy Lewis rats. at 3 weeks or 6 weeks after implantation, the pancreatic anlagen in the host rats were resected for size measurements, as well as histopathologic and immunohistochemical examinations.

RESULTS

Three weeks after implantation into the renal-capsular site, the size of both E14.5 and E15.5 pancreatic anlagen had enlarged 10- to 15-fold with differentiation of acinar components upon histological examination. Moreover, increasing numbers of beta cells and islets stained positive for insulin, and newly generated vessels were observed around the tissues. Continued proliferation of the endocrine islets in E14.5 pancreatic anlagen grafts was observed after another 3 weeks, whereas further proliferation in the E15.5 pancreatic anlagen graft was not seen. Additionally fibrosis appeared in the exocrine component of both E14.5 and E15.5 pancreatic anlagen at this time point. When implanted into intraperitoneal site, enlarged E15.5 pancreatic anlagen with proliferatels beta cells were also observed after 3 weeks. However, both the size of the pancreatic anlagen and the proliferation of the beta cells were much less than that in the subrenal capsular site.

CONCLUSIONS

The allografted E14.5 and E15.5 pancreatic anlagen revascularised and grew into tissues that were structurally similar to normal mature rats pancreatic tissue. Adequate embryonic age for the transplantation of pancreatic anlagen is 14.5 and 15.5 days old. Subrenal capsula is a more suitable site than the peritoneal cavity for implantation of pancreatic anlagen.

A Study of Soluble HLA-G1 Protecting Porcine Endothelial Cells Against Human Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity

Human natural killer (NK) cells, which can mediate direct lysis of porcine endothelial cells, play an important role in xenograft rejection. HLA-G, which is a critical molecule in maintaining maternal immune tolerance of semi-allogenic fetus, is able to protect susceptible target cells from lysis induced by NK cells. In this study, we investigated whether soluble HLA-G1 (sHLA-G1) protected porcine xenogeneic cells against human NK cell-mediated lysis.

METHODS

The human sHLA-G1 genomic DNA (pcDNA3-sHLA-G1) was transfected into a B lymphoblastoid cell line 721.221 (LCL721.221) by nucleofector. The sHLA-G1 expression of the transfected LCL721.221 cells was identified by RT-PCR and Dot-ELISA. The sHLA-G1 protein was purified by affinity chromatography on anti-HLA-ImAb W6/32 coupled to cyanogen-bromide-activated Sepharose 4B from culture supernates of transfectants. Various concentrations of sHLA-G(1) protein (0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 microg/mL) were added to a NK cell-mediated xenogenic cell lysis system with either NK92 cells or fresh human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) cocultured with the porcine endothelial cells line. A LDH release assay was used to evaluate NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

RESULTS

sHLA-G1 provided significant protection of porcine endothelial cells against human NK-mediated cytotoxicity in a dose-dependent manner. The rates of NK92 cell-mediated cytotoxicity were reduced to 83.4 +/- 5.7% (2 microg/mL), 56.6 +/- 9.3% (4 microg/mL), 39.3 +/- 10.2% (6 microg/mL), and 31.2 +/- 4.9% (8 microg/mL) versus 96.9 +/- 3.0% in the control group (P < .01). Similarly, adding 6 microg/mL sHLA-G1 reduced the mean rate of PBMC-mediated cytotoxicity (n = 4) to 5.8 +/- 1.6% from 23.9 +/- 1.3% in the control group (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that sHLA-G1 protected xenogeneic porcine endothelial cells against attack by human NK cells, thus providing a new approach to overcome NK-mediated immunity to xenografts.

Sertoli Cells Induce Xenolymphocyte Apoptosis In Vitro

BACKGROUND

Testicular Sertoli cells can protect pancreatic islet grafts from allo- and autoimmune destruction; however, the mechanisms underlying immune privilege of the testicle are not well understood, especially in xenotransplantation. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether rat Sertoli cells could induce mouse lymphocyte apoptosis in vitro.

METHODS

Testis was isolated from 2- to 4-week-old Sprague Dawley (SD) rats. Sertoli cells were successfully prepared by digestion with collagenase type V, trypsin, and DNase I, and then identified by electron microscope. Viability and apoptosis of cultured cells were measured by flow cytometry. We examined the apoptosis rates of Balb/c mouse lymphocytes, which were cocultured with SD rat Sertoli cells by FACS. The expression of Fas ligand (Fasl), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 and clusterin on Sertoli cells were detected by immunocytochemistry.

RESULTS

In the cocultured system, Sertoli cells accounted for more than 93%. With our isolation method, the viability of Sertoli cells was more than 95% and the apoptosis rate was 10.87% +/- 3.87%. The lymphocyte apoptosis ratio was 15.52 +/- 0.17 (P < .01, compared with the control groups). SABC immunochemistry staining showed that the sertoli cells could express FasL, TGF-beta, and clusterin.

CONCLUSIONS

In our coculture in vitro, rat Sertoli cells expressed FasL and TGF-beta1 as well as induced the apoptosis of mouse lymphocytes. These results indicated that the expression of FasL and TGF-beta1 on Sertoli cells might relate to immune privilege in xenotransplantation.

Catena-poly[[aqua(2,2'-bipyridine-kappa2N,N')cadmium(II)]-mu-4-carboxylatophenoxyacetato-kappa3O:O4,O4']

In the title compound, [Cd(C9H6O5)(C10H8N2)(H2O)]n, the CdII atom is coordinated in a distorted octahedral fashion by two carboxylate groups (one in a monodentate and one in a bidentate fashion) from two 4-carboxylatophenoxyacetate anions, two N atoms from a 2,2'-bipyridine ligand and one aqua ligand. The structure is a helix with a long pitch of 16.441 (5) A. A three-dimensional supramolecular network is further constructed through pi-pi stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions between the helices.

Poly[[diaquacadmium(II)]-mu4-[N-(phosphonatomethyl)ammonio]acetato]

The title compound, [Cd(C3H6NO5P)(H2O)2]n, is a three-dimensional polymeric complex. The asymmetric unit contains one Cd atom, one N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine zwitterion [(O-)2OPCH2NH2+CH2COO-] and two water molecules. The coordination geometry is a distorted CdO6 octahedron. Each N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine ligand bridges four adjacent water-coordinated Cd cations through three phosphonate O atoms and one carboxylate O atom, like a regular PO(4)3- group in zeolite-type frameworks. One-dimensional zigzag (-O-P-C-N-C-C-O-Cd-)n chains along the [101] direction are linked to one another via Cd-O-P bridges and form a three-dimensional network motif with three types of channel systems. The variety of O-H...O and N-H...O hydrogen bonds is likely to be responsible for stabilizing the three-dimensional network structure and preventing guest molecules from entering into the channels.

Chiral Magnetic Metal-Organic Frameworks of Dimetal Subunits: Magnetism Tuning by Mixed-Metal Compositions of the Solid Solutions

The isostructural, chiral molecular magnetic materials with the formula [MxM'(2-x)(ca)2(1,4-dimb)]n [H2ca = D-(+)-camphoric acid, 1,4-dimb = 1,4-di-(1-imidazolyl-methyl)-benzene, M = Ni(II), M' = CoII, 0 < or = x < or = 2] consist of ca-bridged (4,4) layers with [M2(O2CR)4] as secondary building units that are pillared by the 1,4-dimb ligands into a unique 3D framework. The high-spin octahedral symmetry and the proportions of the mixed-metal ions were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy. The compounds exhibit the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering at 7.5 approximately 23 K, as well as weak ferromagnetism, spin-flop, and glassy behavior that result from the randomness of the mixed-metal pairs, magnetic anisotropy of the metallic cations, and antisymmetric exchange. The composites should be regarded as molecular alloys of the pure Ni(II) and Co(II) compounds. The magnetic behavior of the solid solutions shows unambiguously that the organic bridges, bond angles, and bond distances greatly influence the effective interactions and bring about cooperative magnetic behavior in the chiral 3D frameworks.

A robust microporous 3D cobalt(ii) coordination polymer with new magnetically frustrated 2D lattices: single-crystal transformation and guest modulation of cooperative magnetic properties

A microporous 3D cobalt(II) coordination polymer featuring pillared layers [Co(2)(ma)(ina)](n) x 2nH(2)O (1 x 2H(2)O) (ma = malate, ina = isonicotinate) was generated by hydrothermal treatment with a void volume of 25.8%, in which the in-situ generated ma ligands connect the Co(II) ions into a 2D lattice with mixed and multiple exchange-bridges, affording a new geometrical topology different from the Kagomé lattice and leading to spin frustration. The rigid ina-pillared metallic-layered structure could retain 3D structural ordering upon guest removal and exchange. By soaking guest-free host in MeOH and methanamide (HCONH(2)) solutions, single crystals of dehydrated were transformed into single crystals of 1 x MeOH and 1 x HCONH(2), respectively, without apparent host-structural changes. 1 can also be rehydrated into 1 x 2H(2)O'. The guest-inclusion crystals have been characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction at 293 K and 93 K, confirming the single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformations and providing detailed information of the guest molecules confined in the subnanospace and host-guest and/or guest-guest hydrogen-bonding interactions. The magnetic behaviours of this family of porous magnetic materials are complex due to the influences of multiple metal sites, intra- and inter-layer exchanges, spin-orbit coupling, as well as geometrical frustration, which show magnetic ordering at <2 K, 3.5 K, 3.5 K, and 8 K for 1, 1 x MeOH, 1 x HCONH(2), and 1 x 2H(2)O, respectively, due to the different size of guest molecules along with the different host-guest interaction, which may slightly modify the path of magnetic exchange, decrease the intensity of the spin-frustration in the 2D lattice, and cooperatively enhance the magnetic ordering temperature.

Crystal-to-crystal transformations of a microporous metal–organic laminated framework triggered by guest exchange, dehydration and readsorption

Single crystals of a neutral, microporous, laminated metal-organic framework (MOF)[Fe(pydc)(4,4'-bipy)]xH(2)O (1xH(2)O)(H(2)pydc = 2,5-dicarboxypyridine, 4,4'-bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine) were generated by hydrothermal synthesis, and its crystal structure was determined. 1xH(2)O retains the framework robustness to ca. 370 degrees C and is insoluble in common organic solvents. By soaking in MeOH and EtOH solutions, 1xH(2)O was transformed directly from the parent single crystals into single crystals of 1xMeOH or 1xEtOH, respectively. Meanwhile, 1xH(2)O shrank to the guest-free framework (h) or (v), respectively, under appropriate heating (up to 160 degrees C in N(2)) or vacuum treatment (10 mmHg) at room temperature. Compared to that of 1xH(2)O, the unit-cell volume of 1xEtOH slightly increases by 2.9%, whereas those of (h) or (v) are reduced by 8.2 and 6.6%, respectively. The anhydrous (v) was found to be highly chemically reactive, taking up ethanol vapor to furnish the solvated crystal structure of an 'expanded' framework 1xEtOH. In a mixture of ethanol-DMF or ethanol-benzene, a selective exchange process was observed, with only ethanol molecules exchanged into the structure due to the limited free size of the channels in the framework of. All the transformed crystals have also been characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction to understand the crystal-to-crystal transformation, which have different free volumes (6.5-20.4%).