Endocytic activity in embryonic cardiac cushion mesenchyme in vivo and in collagen gel lattices

1983 ◽  
Vol 205 (3) ◽  
pp. 331-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Don A. Hay ◽  
Roger R. Markwald ◽  
Alexis P. Sage
Author(s):  
Arthur J. Wasserman ◽  
Azam Rizvi ◽  
George Zazanis ◽  
Frederick H. Silver

In cases of peripheral nerve damage the gap between proximal and distal stumps can be closed by suturing the ends together, using a nerve graft, or by nerve tubulization. Suturing allows regeneration but does not prevent formation of painful neuromas which adhere to adjacent tissues. Autografts are not reported to be as good as tubulization and require a second surgical site with additional risks and complications. Tubulization involves implanting a nerve guide tube that will provide a stable environment for axon proliferation while simultaneously preventing formation of fibrous scar tissue. Supplementing tubes with a collagen gel or collagen plus extracellular matrix factors is reported to increase axon proliferation when compared to controls. But there is no information regarding the use of collagen fibers to guide nerve cell migration through a tube. This communication reports ultrastructural observations on rat sciatic nerve regeneration through a silicone nerve stent containing crosslinked collagen fibers.Collagen fibers were prepared as described previously. The fibers were threaded through a silicone tube to form a central plug. One cm segments of sciatic nerve were excised from Sprague Dawley rats. A control group of rats received a silicone tube implant without collagen while an experimental group received the silicone tube containing a collagen fiber plug. At 4 and 6 weeks postoperatively, the implants were removed and fixed in 2.5% glutaraldehyde buffered by 0.1 M cacodylate containing 1.5 mM CaCl2 and balanced by 0.1 M sucrose. The explants were post-fixed in 1% OSO4, block stained in 1% uranyl acetate, dehydrated and embedded in Epon. Axons were counted on montages prepared at a total magnification of 1700x. Montages were viewed through a dissecting microscope. Thin sections were sampled from the proximal, middle and distal regions of regenerating sciatic plugs.


1994 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhiro Matsuda ◽  
Keiichi Kawamoto ◽  
Katsuzo Kiya ◽  
Kaoru Kurisu ◽  
Kazuhiko Sugiyama ◽  
...  

✓ The presence of the progesterone receptor (PR) in meningioma tissue has been confirmed by previous investigations. Studies have shown that the antiprogesterone drug, mifepristone, is a potent agent that inhibits the growth of cultured meningioma cells and reduces the size of meningiomas in experimental animal models and humans. However, these studies have not fully examined the relationship between the antitumor effects of an antiprogesterone agent and the expression of the PR. The present study examined the antitumor effects of mifepristone and a new potent antiprogesterone agent, onapristone; a correlation between the antitumor effects of these antiprogesterones and the presence of PR's in meningiomas in vitro and in vivo was also investigated. Meningioma tissue surgically removed from 13 patients was used in this study. In the in vitro arm of the study, mifepristone and onapristone exhibited cytostatic and cytocidal effects against cultured meningioma cells, regardless of the presence or absence of PR's; however, three PR-negative meningiomas showed no response to any dose of mifepristone and/or onapristone. In the in vivo arm, meningioma cells, embedded in a collagen gel, were implanted into the renal capsules of nude mice. Antiprogesterone treatment resulted in a marked reduction of the tumor volume regardless of the presence or absence of PR's. No histological changes in the meningioma cells suggestive of necrosis or apoptosis were detected in any of the mice treated with antiprogesterones. These findings suggest that mifepristone and onapristone have an antitumor effect against meningioma cells via the PR's and/or another receptor, such as the glucocorticoid receptor.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (2) ◽  
pp. E350-E359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Hussain ◽  
Stephen R Sloan ◽  
Christoph Wipplinger ◽  
Rodrigo Navarro-Ramirez ◽  
Micaella Zubkov ◽  
...  

AbstractBACKGROUNDOur group has previously demonstrated in vivo annulus fibrosus repair in animal models using an acellular, riboflavin crosslinked, high-density collagen (HDC) gel.OBJECTIVETo assess if seeding allogenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into this gel yields improved histological and radiographic benefits in an in vivo sheep model of annular injury.METHODSFifteen lumbar intervertebral discs (IVDs) were randomized into 4 groups: intact, injury only, injury + acellular gel treatment, or injury + MSC-seeded gel treatment. Sheep were sacrificed at 6 wk. Disc height index (DHI), Pfirrmann grade, nucleus pulposus area, and T2 relaxation time (T2-RT) were calculated for each IVD and standardized to healthy controls from the same sheep. Quantitative histological assessment was also performed using the Han scoring system.RESULTSAll treated IVDs retained gel plugs on gross assessment and there were no adverse perioperative complications. The MSC-seeded gel treatment group demonstrated statistically significant improvement over other experimental groups in DHI (P = .002), Pfirrmann grade (P < .001), and T2-RT (P = .015). There was a trend for greater Han scores in the MSC-seeded gel-treated discs compared with injury only and acellular gel-treated IVDs (P = .246).CONCLUSIONMSC-seeded HDC gel can be delivered into injured IVDs and maintained safely in live sheep to 6 wk. Compared with no treatment and acellular HDC gel, our data show that MSC-seeded HDC gel improves outcomes in DHI, Pfirrmann grade, and T2-RT. Histological analysis shows improved annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus reconstitution and organization over other experimental groups as well.


1988 ◽  
Vol 168 (5) ◽  
pp. 1865-1882 ◽  
Author(s):  
N A Pawlowski ◽  
G Kaplan ◽  
E Abraham ◽  
Z A Cohn

Human monocytes show a high affinity for vascular endothelium both in vitro and in vivo. To explore monocyte-endothelial interaction in greater detail, we have developed a new in vitro model for growth of human endothelial cells (EC). Human umbilical vein EC (HUVEC) cultured upon collagen gels form confluent monolayers of EC that bind silver at their intercellular border similar to cells in situ. Intercellular junctional structures, both adherens and tight junctions, were identified. In contrast, HUVEC grown on plastic surfaces did not stain with silver. The silver-staining characteristic of EC-collagen monolayers was reversible and related to their in vitro maturation and senescence. Silver staining of EC borders provided a grid by which the location of monocyte binding to the luminal surface of individual EC could be assessed. Using this technique, we found that monocytes preferentially bound to the margins of EC, in approximation to the silver-staining junctions. These results suggest that EC determinants recognized by monocytes occur in a unique topographical distribution on the apical face of EC. After binding, monocytes migrated through the EC monolayers at high basal rates. The lack of penetration of collagen gels in the absence of an EC monolayer suggested the generation of EC-specific chemotactic signal(s). Monocytes were observed to pass between EC without evidence of disruption of the monolayer. Silver stain remained present during all phases of migration, and under transmission electron microscopy, junctional complexes were found proximal to monocytes that had just completed their passage through the monolayer. After orientation to the basal surface of the EC monolayer, monocytes migrated randomly into the underlying collagen gel. Monocyte adherence, penetration, migration, and long term survival can be studied under these conditions.


2007 ◽  
Vol 334-335 ◽  
pp. 1169-1172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Couet ◽  
Navneeta Rajan ◽  
Simone Vesentini ◽  
D. Mantovani

One of the merging methods to produce tissue-engineered vascular substitutes is to process scaffolds to direct the regeneration of vascular tissues. Collagen, as one of the main protein in the vascular extracellular matrix, is one of biopolymers that exhibits a major potential for scaffold technology. However, gels made from reconstituted collagen generally exhibit poor mechanical properties and limited manipulability. Therefore, adding a reinforcement to the scaffold to make the structure resist to the physiological constraints applied during the regeneration represents a valid alternative. Silk fibroin is an interesting reinforcing candidate being a mechanically strong natural fibre, susceptible to proteolytic degradation in vivo and showing acceptable biological performances. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a model of a composite scaffold obtained by controlling the filament geometry winding of silk fibroin in the collagen gel. A finite element model taking into account the orthotropic elasticity of arteries has been combined with classic laminate theory applied to the filament winding of a tubular vessel. The design of the small structure susceptible to scaffold the vascular tissue regeneration was optimised by mean of an evolutive algorithm with the imperative to mimic the experimentally measured mechanical properties (compliance) of a native artery.


1981 ◽  
Vol 240 (3) ◽  
pp. C110-C115 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Bisbee

Prolactin is a known osmoregulatory hormone in lower vertebrates, and recent evidence indicates that this hormone modulates ionic concentrations in milk. In an ultrastructurally and biochemically differentiated primary cell culture system in which mouse mammary epithelium is maintained on floating collagen gels, prolactin causes an increase in short-circuit current (Isc) of monolayers of cells derived from midpregnant (24.6 to 48.0 microA . cm-2) and lactating (10.4 to 16.1 microA . cm-2) glands. Transepithelial potential differences (basal side ground) average about -12 mV and are similar to those seen in vivo. Prelactating mammary epithelial cell cultures have transepithelial resistances ranging from 374 omega . cm2 (prolactin present) to 507 omega . cm2 (prolactin absent), and lactating cell cultures have resistances averaging almost 1,000 omega . cm2. Prolactin effects require at most one day of culture maintenance in prolactin-containing medium, and the effects are not due to known contamination of prolactin preparations with arginine vasopressin or growth hormone. Medium concentrations of prolactin as low as 1 ng/ml can elicit these effects. In prelactating cell cultures not treated with prolactin, the Isc is equal to the rate of sodium absorption. Prolactin increases sodium absorption fourfold but increases Isc only twofold. Clearly, prolactin induces other active transport; neither potassium nor chloride movements can account for this additional transport. Resistance values, current-voltage plots, and permeability coefficients indicate that in vitro mammary epithelium is a moderately “tight” tissue. Comparisons with intact glands indicate that in vitro mammary epithelium closely resembles its in vivo counterpart. Floating collagen gel cultures appear suitable for elucidating transport properties in cellularly heterogeneous and structurally complex mammalian tissues.


Author(s):  
Madoka Imura ◽  
Ryota Sakiyama ◽  
Koji Yamamoto ◽  
Yusuke Morita ◽  
Eiji Nakamachi

Enhancement of nerve axonal extension by using the extracellular environmental stimulation were reported. In this study, we focused on the stretch stimulation, and developed a 3D cell culture system to mimic the in vivo extracellular matrices and investigated the fundamental mechanism of axonal extension enhancement. Firstly, we fabricated the stretch stimulation device. The rat phenocromocytoma cells (PC12), the nerve-like cells, embedded in the collagen gel were poured into the stretch chamber. It was set in the stretch stimulation device, which could load the strain to the collagen gel. Secondly, we determined the structure of the stretch chamber to implement the uniform strain distribution in the culture region. Using the finite element (FE) analyses, we confirmed that the uniform strain is assigned in a region of 2.7 × 3.0 × 0.5 mm in the culture region, which is the candidate for the observation region. Thirdly, PC12 cells axonal extension under uniaxial cyclic stretch stimulation (4% strain, 1 Hz) of 24 hours was carried out. After 96 hours’ culture, we observed the 3D morphology of PC12 cells by the multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscope (MPM). Finally, we confirmed the availability of our stretch stimulation device and the enhancement effect of axonal extension.


Author(s):  
Shohei Tanaka ◽  
Ryota Sakiyama ◽  
Koji Yamamoto ◽  
Yusuke Morita ◽  
Eiji Nakamachi

Numerous studies of electrical stimulation effects on the nerve regeneration have been carried out. However, there were very few investigations which adopt the 3D culture that mimics the in vivo environment. In this study, we designed and fabricated a new 3D direct current electric field (DCEF) stimulation bio-reactor and investigated the effectiveness on the axonal outgrowth enhancement. We searched an optimum structure using the finite element (FE) analyses to obtain a uniform DCEF in the culture region. A measurement result of DCEF strength showed an agreement with FE results. The rat phenocromocytoma cells (PC12) were disseminated in the collagen gel and 3D culture was performed. We observed the morphologies of cell bodies and neurites using the multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscope (MPM). Both increases in 11.3% of mean axonal length and in 4.2% of axogenesis rate, under the condition of 5.0 mV/mm on 6 hours a day for 4 days, were obtained. Further, there was a tendency of longer connecting distance between cell bodies in the DCEF group than one in the Control group. As a result, we validated the efficacies of our stimulation, both for the axonal extension and the neural network generation, using our newly developed bio-reactor.


Blood ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 96 (1) ◽  
pp. 176-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy W. J. van der Schaft ◽  
Elly A. H. Toebes ◽  
Judith R. Haseman ◽  
Kevin H. Mayo ◽  
Arjan W. Griffioen

Abstract Bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) has been known for some time to function in killing bacteria and in neutralizing the effects of bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide. In the present study, BPI is found to be a novel endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis. Within the sub-μM range, BPI shows a concentration-dependent inhibition of endothelial cell (EC) proliferation that is mediated by cell detachment and subsequent induction of apoptosis. As measured by flow cytometric analysis of the percentage of subdiploid cells, apoptosis induction was half-maximal at about 250 nmol/L BPI. Apoptosis was confirmed by quantification of cells with nuclear fragmentation. Apoptosis was found to be EC specific. In an in vitro collagen gel-based angiogenesis assay, BPI at 1.8 μmol/L inhibited tube formation by 81% after only 24 hours. Evidence for in vivo inhibition of angiogenesis was obtained, using the chorioallantoic membrane assay in which BPI was seen to be significantly effective at concentrations as low as 180 nmol/L. This newly discovered function of BPI might provide a possible therapeutic modality for the treatment of various pathologic disorders that depend on angiogenesis.


1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (4) ◽  
pp. L473-L481
Author(s):  
P. M. Reddy ◽  
C. P. Tu ◽  
R. Wu

The purpose of this study is to characterize glutathione S-transferase (GST) gene expression in airway epithelium both in vivo and in vitro. Immunohistochemical staining of nonhuman primate lungs of well-controlled healthy animals reveals the presence of alpha- and pi-class GST isoenzymes in ciliated bronchial epithelium. The stain of mu-GST antibody is either very low or absent in some of these monkey lungs. We observed that primary tracheobronchial epithelial (TBE) cells isolated from human and monkey pulmonary tissues maintain a relatively high level of GST enzymatic activity in culture, compared with various immortalized human TBE cell lines and other nonpulmonary cell lines. Northern blot analysis demonstrated the presence of mu-, pi-, and microsomal-GST messages but not the alpha-class message in cultures of primary TBE cells as well as in various human TBE cell lines. The expression of mu- and pi-class GST genes can be further regulated in culture by various environmental factors; however, most of these regulating factors are associated with TBE cell differentiation in culture. For instance, vitamin A treatment, which was shown to enhance mucous cell differentiation in vitro, stimulated the message levels of mu- and pi-class GST. Furthermore, plating cells on collagen gel substrata, which also enhanced mucous cell differentiation in culture, instead of plastic culture surface, enhanced total GST enzymatic activity by eightfold, and this enhancement is related to an increase in the expression of the pi-class GST gene. These results demonstrated that GST genes are differentially expressed and regulated by various environmental factors in primary TBE cells and various cell lines, and the regulation is correlated to the mucous cell differentiation in culture.


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