Effects of perilla oil on the key gene expression regulating hepatic VLDL synthesis in obese rats / 中国实验动物学报

Objective This study aims to investigate the effects of high-fat diet rich in perilla oil on the expression of key genes that regulate hepatic VLDL synthesis in obese rats .Methods Sixty healthy male 5-week old SD rats were randomly divided into 2 groups.The rats in the normal control group (NC, n=12) were given normal diet, and the rats in the high fat group ( HF, n=48) were given a pure high fat diet in order to induce rat models of obesity .In the intervention period, the obesity model rats were randomly divided into 4 subgroups including consistent high fat group (CHF) and three intervention groups depending on perilla oil substitution rate of lard in CHF:20%PO, 50%PO and 100%PO.The serum triglyceride (TG) of the rats was measured after 4 weeks.Real-time PCR was applied to measure microsomal triglyceride transfer protein ( Mtp) and apolipoprotein B ( Apob) mRNA, and western blot assay was used for detecting the expression of MTP and APOB in the liver .Results Compared with the NC group , the CHF rats exhibited significantly high fat deposi-tion.The serum TG was markedly higher and the MTP and APOB were decreased at gene and protein levels in the CHF group compared with the NC group .After the intervention , PO remarkably reduced the level of serum TG and decreased he-patic fat deposition as it showed by pathological examination .At the gene and protein levels , MTP and APOB were upregu-lated by PO to different degrees .Conclusions All the three PO intervention can promote VLDL synthesis and secretion , and decrease the hepatic fat deposition in the obese rats .Furthermore , PO upregulates the expression of MTP at gene and protein levels in a dose-dependent manner .

iRhom2 mutation leads to aberrant hair follicle differentiation in mice.

iRhom1 and iRhom2 are inactive homologues of rhomboid intramembrane serine proteases lacking essential catalytic residues, which are necessary for the maturation of TNFα-converting enzyme (TACE). In addition, iRhoms regulate epidermal growth factor family secretion. The functional significance of iRhom2 during mammalian development is largely unclear. We have identified a spontaneous single gene deletion mutation of iRhom2 in Uncv mice. The iRhom2Uncv/Uncv mice exhibit hairless phenotype in a BALB/c genetic background. In this study, we observed dysplasia hair follicles in iRhom2Uncv/Uncv mice from postnatal day 3. Further examination found decreased hair matrix proliferation and aberrant hair shaft and inner root sheath differentiation in iRhom2Uncv/Uncv mutant hair follicles. iRhom2 is required for the maturation of TACE. Our data demonstrate that iRhom2Uncv cannot induce the maturation of TACE in vitro and the level of mature TACE is also significantly reduced in the skin of iRhom2Uncv/Uncv mice. The activation of Notch1, a substrate of TACE, is disturbed, associated with dramatically down-regulation of Lef1 in iRhom2Uncv/Uncv hair follicle matrix. This study identifies iRhom2 as a novel regulator of hair shaft and inner root sheath differentiation.

Selective breeding of a rat model of congenital umbilical hernia / 中国实验动物学报

Objective To obtain a stably inherited Sprague-Dawley rat model of congenital umbilical hernia by in-breeding, and to observe the structure of umbilical hernia and treat it surgically.Methods Congenital umbilical hernia rats were fostered by full-sib mating.The birth number and umbilical hernia quantity were recorded, and the umbilical hernia rate of rats was analyzed.Six female and 6 male rats with congenital umbilical hernia of 6-month aged F2 generation were selected randomly, among which 2 female and 2 male rats were examined anatomically, and the rest rats underwent surgical suture. Results The umbilical hernia rate was increased along with the increasing inbreeding coefficient, and the rats of F12 and F13 generations were all with congenital umbilical hernia.The umbilical hernia rate in female rats was significantly higher than that in male rats based on the total number of rats from F1 to F13 generation (c2 =11.1, P=0.001).Female and male rats had the same structure of umbilical hernia, and all rats recovered 3-4 weeks after surgery without recurrence.Conclusion After 13 consecutive generations of full-sib mating, a rat model of congenital umbilical hernia with stable genetic properties is successfully established.