6 Paths of ERK5 signaling pathway regulate hepatocyte proliferation in rat liver regeneration.

Generally, extra-cellular-signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) signaling pathway regulates many physiological activities, such as cell proliferation and cell differentiation. However, little is known about how ERK5 signaling pathway composed of 15 paths participates in regulating hepatocyte proliferation during liver regeneration (LR). In this study, to explore the influence ERK5 signaling pathway upon hepatocytes at gene transcription level, rat genome 230 2.0 array was used to detect expression changes of 75 related genes in isolated hepatocytes from rat regenerating liver. Bioinformatics and systems biology methods were applied to analyze the precise role of ERK5 signaling pathway in regulating hepatocyte proliferation during LR. Results showed that 62 genes were contained in the array and 22 genes were significantly changed. It was found that 6 paths were related to hepatocyte proliferation during rat LR. Among them, paths 3, 6 and 13 of ERK5 signaling pathway modulated cell cycle progression by decreasing the negative influence on ERK5 and paths 3, 4, 8 and 9 by reinforcing the positive influence on ERK5. In summary, the study shows that 22 genes and 6 paths of ERK5 signaling pathway participate in regulating proliferation of hepatocytes in rat LR.

Fatal cases of Theileria annulata infection in calves in Portugal associated with neoplastic-like lymphoid cell proliferation

This study was carried out to investigate fifteen cases of acute lethal infection of calves (< or = 4 months of age) by the protozoan parasite Theileria (T.) annulata in the south of Portugal. Calves developed multifocal to coalescent nodular skin lesions, similar to multicentric malignant lymphoma. Infestation with ticks (genus Hyalomma) was intense. Theileria was seen in blood and lymph node smears, and T. annulata infection was confirmed by isolation of schizont-transformed cells and sequencing of hypervariable region 4 of the 18S rRNA gene. At necropsy, hemorrhagic nodules or nodules with a hemorrhagic halo were seen, particularly in the skin, subcutaneous tissue, skeletal and cardiac muscles, pharynx, trachea and intestinal serosa. Histologically, nodules were formed by large, round, lymphoblastoid neoplastic-like cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) identified these cells as mostly CD3 positive T lymphocytes and MAC387 positive macrophages. A marker for B lymphocytes (CD79alphacy) labeled very few cells. T. annulata infected cells in these nodules were also identified by IHC through the use of two monoclonal antibodies (1C7 and 1C12) which are diagnostic for the parasite. It was concluded that the pathological changes observed in the different organs and tissues were caused by proliferation of schizont-infected macrophages, which subsequently stimulate a severe uncontrolled proliferation of uninfected T lymphocytes.

Biological characteristics of Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with bovine Prnp

A normal prion protein (PrPc) is converted to a proteaseresistant isoform by an apparent self-propagating activity in transmissible spongiform encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease. The cDNA encoding open reading frame (ORF) of the bovine prion protein gene (Prnp) was cloned from Korean cattle by PCR, and was transfected into Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells using lipofectamine. The gene expression of the cloned cDNA was confirmed by RT-PCR and Western blotting with the monoclonal antibody, 6H4. Cellular changes in the transfected CHO-K1 cells were investigated using parameters such as MTT, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, as well as nitric oxide (NO) production, and an apoptosis assay. In the MTT and LDH assays, the bovine PrnP-transfectant showed a lower proliferation rate than the wild-type (p < 0.05). Production of NO, after LPS or ConA stimulation, was not detected in either transfectants or CHO-K1 cells. In SOD assay under ConA stimulation, the SOD activity of transfectants was 10 times higher than that of CHO-K1 cells at 6 h after treatment (p < 0.05). The genomic DNA of both the transfectants and control cells began to be fragmented at 6 h after treatment with cyclohexamide. Caspase-3 activity was reduced by transfection with the bovine Prnp (p < 0.05). Conclusively, the viability of transfectants expressing exogenous bovine Prnp was decreased while the capacities for cellular protection against antioxidative stress and apoptosis were increased.

Sertoli cell proliferation during the post hatching period in domestic fowl

There has been no study aimed at directly determiningof the periods of Sertoli cell proliferation in birds evendomestic fowl. The aims of this study were to observe thecessation of post-hatching mitotic proliferation of Sertolicells in domestic fowl, and to determine the volumedensity of Sertoli and germ cells during this period. Atotal of 50 Leghorn chicks were used in this study. Thetestes sections of the animals were immunostained withBrdU to observe the proliferation of cells from one to 10weeks of age. The volume density of the Sertoli and germcells were determined using the standard point countingmethod. The volume density of the germ cell nuclei wasinitially less than that of the Sertoli cells but the volumedensity converged by week 6, and remained relativelyconstant until the commencement of meiosis. Clearlabeling of Sertoli and germ cells was observed from week1 to week 7. The only those cells still labeled after 8 weekswere germ cells, indicating that Sertoli cell proliferationhad ceased. Therefore, it is recommended that anyresearch into the testes of domestic fowl should considerthe cessation of Sertoli cell proliferation by approximately8 weeks.