Acidic protein in macrophages

A noninvasive method to determine the fate of Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles following intravenous injection using scanning SQUID biosusceptometry

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) of Fe₃O₄ have been widely applied in many medical fields, but few studies have clearly shown the outcome of particles following intravenous injection. We performed a magnetic examination using scanning SQUID biosusceptometry (SSB). Based on the results of SSB analysis and those of established in vitro nonmagnetic bioassays, this study proposes a model of MNP metabolism consisting of an acute metabolic phase with an 8 h duration that is followed by a chronic metabolic phase that continues for 28 d following MNP injection. The major features included the delivery of the MNPs to the heart and other organs, the biodegradation of the MNPs in organs rich with macrophages, the excretion of iron metabolites in the urine, and the recovery of the iron load from the liver and the spleen. Increases in serum iron levels following MNP injection were accompanied by increases in the level of transferrin in the serum and the number of circulating red blood cells. Correlations between the in vivo and in vitro test results indicate the feasibility of using SSB examination for the measurement of MNP concentrations, implying future clinical applications of SSB for monitoring the hematological effects of MNP injection.

Cellular composition of a cerebral hemisphere primary culture

In this overview attention is given to available markers and methods for characterizing cell elements in a culture system. Primary cultures from newborn rat cerebral hemispheres were grown for 14 days. The population of cells was dominated by astrocytic glial cells (60-70%), but cells with properties of macrophages, endothelial-like cells, mesenchymal-like cells, ependymal-like cells, and oligoblasts were also found. Neither mature neurons nor oligodendroglial cells were observed. The enrichment in astroglial-like cells makes the cultures a satisfactory astroglial-cell model, at least for some purposes.