ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the feasibility of establishing a tree shrew model of chronic gastrointestinal mucosal injury. Methods A total of 12 adult male tree shrews were randomly divided into 3 groups. The experimental groups 1 and 2 were administered with intraperitoneal injection of 2 mg/(kg·d)and 1 mg/(kg·d)of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2, 3,6-tetrahydropyridine(MPTP)once every day for 56 days, respectively. The control group was given the same volume of sterile saline at the corresponding time points. Changes in the body weight of the tree shrews were observed. The contents of dopamine in the cerebrospinal fluid were detected. Gastrointestinal morphology was observed by stereoscope and histopathological changes of the gastrointestinal mucosa were examined by HE staining. Results The body weight and the contents of dopamine in the cerebrospinal fluid of the tree shrews in the model group were significantly decreased(P< 0.05 for both). Pathological changes to some extent of the gastric antrum, the gastric body and the duodenum were observed, without obvious differences between the 2 mg/kg group and the 1 mg/kg group. No obvious changes were found in the control group. Conclusions Long-term intraperitoneal injection with a low dose of MPTP is a feasible method for the establishment of a tree shrew model of chronic gastrointestinal mucosal injury. The optimal dose is 2 mg/(kg·d)every day for 56 days.
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the main cause of liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, and it is also a major health problem around the world. How to establish an efficient, reliable, and standardized animal model of chronic HBV infection is essential to the study of the pathogenesis and prevention strategies for HBV infection. This review summarizes the general research and new advances in using tree shrews as the model of HBV infection. We believe that tree shrews, as lower primates, will provide a vital platform and have a huge potential for building a proper animal model in the future, and could become the essential animal model for simulating the process of HBV infection in humans.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of ambient temperature on body mass, thermogenic activity and un-coupling protein-1 ( UCP1) content of brown adipose tissue ( BAT) in tree shrews ( Tupaia belangeri) , and to provide the-oretical basis for establishing tree shrews model of obesity.Methods Forty healthy adult tree shrews with similar body mass were uesd in our experiment.The tree shrews were divided into five groups (n=8):control group (0 d), the ani-mals were maintained under 25 ±1℃ and 12L:12D ( light : dark, lights on 08:00) photoperiod; and the animals were maintained under 5 ±1℃and 12L:12D photoperiod for 7 d, 14 d, 21 d and 28 d groups, respectively.At the end of ex-periment, the changes of body mass, nonshivering thermogenesis (NST), BAT mass and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) con-tent were determined.Results Compared with the control group (0 d), the body mass, NST, BAT mass and UCP1 con-tent of the cold acclimation groups were improved significantly, the BAT color also obviously deepened, and after cold accli-mation for 28 d, the body mass, NST, BAT mass and UCP1 content were increased by 26.32%, 20.65, 53.85%and 43%, respectively.Apparently, the UCP1 content was significantly positively correlated with BAT mass and NST.Conclusions BAT proliferation may be induced and UCP1 expression upregulated by cold acclimation in Tupaia belangeri, therefore, en-hancing the thermogenic activity of brown adipose tissue to increase energy expenditure.We would speculate that BAT might be used as a target organ for treatment of obesity by energetic approach in the future.
ABSTRACT
Objective To screen out specific microsatellite markers for use in Tupaia belangeri chinensis genetic testing. Methods Firstly to screen about 700 microsatellite loci from whole genome.Secondly to choose about 100 better loci without defect factors.Lastly 46 primers were designed by 33 tree shrew’ s microsatellite loci obtained from whole genome and other references.Agarose gel electrophoresis and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used for PCR products, and better loci based on electrophoresis results were chosen.Then STR scan was used to select the microsatellite loci combination for genetic testing.Results Twenty-two microsatellite loci were selected with a significant Stutter peak on STR scanning.Comparing the alternative loci and ultimately selected loci, there were two loci available in the five alternative loci of T.glis.The coincidence rate between T.glis and T.b.chinensis was 40%.There were two loci available in the five alternative loci of T.minor, and the coincidence rate between T.minor and T.b.chinensis was 40%.There were two loci available in the three alternative loci of T.belangeri, and the coincidence rate between T.belangeri and T.b. chinensis was about 70%.Conclusions The 22 microsatellite loci screened in this study are well applied for genetic testing of Tupaia belangeri chinensis, therefore, provide a scientific basis for the genetic quality monitoring of tree shrews.
ABSTRACT
Objective To lay the physiological and biochemical basis for establishing and evaluating tree shrews model of human disease. Methods There were 92 Tupaia belangeri chinensis, in which half of them were male,they were allowed to eat nothing for 12 hours, then we sampled heart blood 0.8~1.0 mL without anesthesia and put blood samples into sterilized centrifuge tube for separation and preparation of serum. Olympus AU5400 automatic biochemistry analyzer was used to measure biochemical indexes. Then 1.5~2.0 mL of urine of each tree shrew was collected and put into sterilized centrifuge tube for measuring renal function by using Combi-scan500 urine analyzer. Fianally SPSS statistics software was used to analyse the measured values, and comapared the measured values with the human reference values. Results There were significant differences in myocardial enzymes and some renal function indexes such as lactic dehydrogenase,α- hydroxybutyric, acid dehydrogenase, creatinine, uric acid, urine specific gravity and pH value between male and female Tupaia belangeri chinensis ( 0.05) . Then determination value of Tupaia belangeri chinensis, male’s and female’s, myocardial enzyme and part of the renal function indexes were compared with the human reference values. Some indexes including urea, urine specific gravity, urine, urobilinogen were in the range of human reference value, while the values of urine bilirubin, urine nitrite. lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase, α-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase isoenzyme CKMB were higher than the human reference value. White blood cell, urine protein, ketone, occult blood most of them were negative as the same to human reference value, but sometimes were positive, and the positive rates respectively were 3.95%and 46.1%,39.5%,2.63%. The measured value of Vitamin C was positive that is completely opposite to human reference value, but sometimes is negative, the negative rate was 6.6%. Conclusion Urea, urine specific gravity, urine, urobilinogen, urine bilirubin, urine nitrite can be directly used as the indexes for evaluating tree shrews models of human disease, other indexes can be used as indexes for judgment of the normal physiological and biochemical basis of tree shrews.