Specific wavelength peak emulation with amorphous metastructures.

The conventional design process for metasurfaces is time-consuming and computationally expensive. To address this challenge, we utilize a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) to generate new nanohole metastructure designs that match a desired transmittance spectrum in the visible range. The trained DCGAN model demonstrates an exceptional performance in generating diverse and manufacturable metastructure designs that closely resemble the target optical properties. The proposed method provides several advantages over existing approaches. These include its capability to generate new designs without prior knowledge or assumptions regarding the relationship between metastructure geometries and optical properties, its high efficiency, and its generalizability to other types of metamaterials. The successful fabrication and experimental characterization of the predicted metastructures further validate the accuracy and effectiveness of our proposed method.

Quantitative comparison of EGFR expression levels of optically trapped individual cells using a capacitance biosensor.

Cellular endocytosis is an essential phenomenon which induces cellular reactions, such as waste removal, nutrient absorption, and drug delivery, in the process of cell growth, division, and proliferation. To observe capacitance responses upon endocytosis on a single-cell scale, this study combined an optical tweezer that can optically place a single cell on a desired location with a capacitance sensor and a cell incubation chamber. Single HeLa cancer cell was captured and moved to a desired location through optical trapping, and the single-cell capacitance change generated during the epidermal growth factor (EGF) molecule endocytosis was measured in real time. It was found that single HeLa cells showed a larger increase in capacitance values compared to that of the single NIH3T3 cells when exposed to varying EGF concentrations. In addition, the capacitance change was in proportion to the cell's EGF receptor (EGFR) level when cells of different levels of EGFR expression were tested. An equation derived from these results was able to estimate the EGFR expression level of a blind-tested cell. The biosensor developed in this research can not only quickly move a single cell to a desired location in a non-invasive manner but also distinguish specific responses between cancer and normal cells by continuous measurement of real-time interactions of a single cell in culture to the external ligands.

A clinical comparison of an endothelin receptor antagonist and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors for treating digital ulcers of systemic sclerosis.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of an endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA) and phosphodiesterase type5 inhibitors (PDE5is) for treating SSc-related digital ulcers (DUs). METHODS: This prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study recruited patients with active SSc-related DUs from 13 medical centres in South Korea. The primary outcome was time to cardinal ulcer (CU) healing. A secondary outcome was time to new DU occurrence. Patients were followed up 4, 8, 12 and 24 weeks after treatment initiation. RESULTS: Sixty-three patients were analysed. Their mean age was 49.9 years (s.d. 11.4) and 49 were female. Twenty-eight had limited SSc. Forty-nine patients received ERA, 11 received a PDE5i (9 sildenafil, 1 udenafil and 1 tadalafil) and 3 received other medication. The hazard ratio (HR) for time to CU healing in the ERA group vs the PDE5i group was 0.75 (95% CI 0.35, 1.64; P = 0.47) in an unadjusted model and 0.80 (95% CI 0.36, 1.78; P = 0.59) in a model adjusted for age, sex, use of calcium channel blockers (CCBs), total DU number and initial CU area. The HR for new DU development in the ERA group vs the PDE5i group was 0.39 (95% CI 0.16, 0.93; P = 0.03) in an unadjusted model and 0.32 (95% CI 0.13, 0.81; P = 0.02) in an adjusted model. No patients receiving CCBs developed new DUs at 24 weeks. CONCLUSION: Time to CU healing is comparable for ERA and PDE5i. ERAs are more effective in reducing new DU occurrence than PDE5is. CCBs may be effective as a background medication.

Experimental confirmation of plasmonic field cancellation under specific conditions of trapezoidal nanopatterns.

In this study, we investigated plasmonic field localization with trapezoidal nanopatterns under normal incident light excitation to find optimum structures for sensing and imaging. A finite element method was used to calculate the fundamental characteristics of the localized surface plasmon with varied trapezoidal nanopatterns. First, we describe how to localize the plasmonic fields on the trapezoidal patterns and then report our results from the investigation of the optimum properties of the nanopatterns for maximized field intensity. Initially, we expected that maximized field localization would lead to enhancement of the sensing sensitivity or imaging resolution in plasmon-based sensing and imaging systems. However, more interestingly, we found a field cancellation effect under specific modality conditions through the simulation. Thus, we thoroughly investigated the principle of the effect and extracted the modality conditions that induced field cancellation. In addition, specific modality conditions of nanopatterns that could be fabricated with conventional lithographic methods were numerically determined. Then, the field cancellation effect was experimentally verified using scanning nearfield optical microscopy. The results indicate that trapezoidal nanopatterns bring about enhanced field localization at the shaper edge of nanopatterns than do conventional rectangular nanopatterns and that plasmonic field cancellation can be observed under specific modality conditions of nanopatterns, even for conventional rectangular nanopatterns. Thus, it is suggested that careful fabrication and maintenance are needed to obtain strong plasmonic localization. Finally, the feasibility of providing a novel sensing platform using the field cancellation effect is suggested.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics and Mortality in Korean Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: A Nationwide Multicenter Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate demographic and clinical features and predictors of mortality in Korean patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicenter medical chart review in Korean patients diagnosed with SSc from 1986 to 2016 at 11 university hospitals representing each geographic area of Korea. SSc patients were defined according to the American College of Rheumatology preliminary classification criteria and subtyped as limited cutaneous (lcSSc) or diffuse cutaneous (dcSSc) SSc. RESULTS: We enrolled 751 patients (female, 86.7%; mean age at diagnosis, 48.9 yrs). The most common organ involvement was interstitial lung disease (52.7%), followed by gastroesophageal reflux disease (32.9%) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (13.6%). Patients with lcSSc were more common than those with dcSSc (64.8 vs 35.2%), whereas anti-Scl-70 and anticentromere antibody positivity were identified in 302 (42.5%) and 175 (25.5%) patients, respectively. In the 46 (6.1%) patients who developed a malignancy, lung cancer (23.9%) was the most common diagnosis, followed by gastric (13%) and breast cancer (13%). During the study period, 57 (7.6%) patients died, and the 5- and 10-year survival rates were 94% and 87%, respectively. Increased age at diagnosis, cardiovascular involvement, and anti-Scl-70 antibody positivity were significant predictors of death. CONCLUSION: Clinical manifestations and survival rates in Korean SSc patients are similar to those of other populations. However, the prevalence of anti-Scl-70 antibody is higher in Korean SSc patients compared with whites, while the prevalence of anticentromere antibody is lower.

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Shungite against Ultraviolet B Irradiation-Induced Skin Damage in Hairless Mice.

As fullerene-based compound applications have been rapidly increasing in the health industry, the need of biomedical research is urgently in demand. While shungite is regarded as a natural source of fullerene, it remains poorly documented. Here, we explored the in vivo effects of shungite against ultraviolet B- (UVB-) induced skin damage by investigating the physiological skin parameters, immune-redox profiling, and oxidative stress molecular signaling. Toward this, mice were UVB-irradiated with 0.75 mW/cm2 for two consecutive days. Consecutively, shungite was topically applied on the dorsal side of the mice for 7 days. First, we found significant improvements in the skin parameters of the shungite-treated groups revealed by the reduction in roughness, pigmentation, and wrinkle measurement. Second, the immunokine profiling in mouse serum and skin lysates showed a reduction in the proinflammatory response in the shungite-treated groups. Accordingly, the redox profile of shungite-treated groups showed counterbalance of ROS/RNS and superoxide levels in serum and skin lysates. Last, we have confirmed the involvement of Nrf2- and MAPK-mediated oxidative stress pathways in the antioxidant mechanism of shungite. Collectively, the results clearly show that shungite has an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action against UVB-induced skin damage in hairless mice.

Plasmon-Coupled Whispering Gallery Modes on Nanodisk Arrays for Signal Enhancements.

Metallic nanostructures including single and double nanodisks are successfully used to enhance the localized electric field in vicinity of microcavity in whispering gallery mode (WGM) sensor. We demonstrate numerical calculations of plasmonic coupling of WGMs to single and double nanodisk arrays on a planar substrate. We then experimentally confirmed that the resonance wavelength of WGM sensor was dramatically shifted by adoption of single and double nanodisks on the surface of microcavity in the WGM sensor. Thus, our approach provides the tunable sensitivity of WGM sensor, and has a great potential to be used in numerous areas where the single biomolecule, protein-protein folding and biomolecular interactions are involved.

Effect of steaming, freezing, and re-steaming on the texture properties of non-glutinous rice cakes.

The effects of steaming time (6, 8, and 10 min), freezing storage period, and re-steaming for thawing on the textural properties of non-glutinous rice cakes (baekseolgi) were investigated. As the steaming time increased, the rice cakes softened. In particular, the sample that was steamed for 10 min showed lower hardness than those steamed for shorter periods. A short period of steaming was insufficient for water bound to the surface of the starch granules to penetrate the granules in the dough. During the re-steaming process of the frozen non-glutinous rice cake samples, the retrogradation of starch and water syneresis contributed to the increased hardness of non-glutinous rice cakes.

Physicochemical and Gelatinization Properties of Starches Separated from Various Rice Cultivars.

UNLABELLED: Morphological, viscoelastic, hydration, pasting, and thermal properties of starches separated from 10 different rice cultivars were investigated. Upon gelatinization, the G' values of the rice starch pastes ranged from 37.4 to 2057 Pa at 25 °C, and remarkably, the magnitude depended on the starch varieties. The rheological behavior during gelatinization upon heating brought out differences in onset in G' and degree of steepness. The cultivar with high amylose content (Goami) showed the lowest critical strain (γ(c)), whereas the cultivars with low amylose content (Boseokchal and Shinseonchal) possessed the highest γ(c). The amylose content in rice starches affected their pasting properties; the sample possessing the highest amylose content showed the highest final viscosity and setback value, whereas waxy starch samples displayed low final viscosity and setback value. The onset gelatinization temperatures of the starches from 10 rice cultivars ranged between 57.9 and 64.4 °C. The amylose content was fairly correlated to hydration and pasting properties of rice starches but did not correlate well with viscoelastic and thermal characteristics. The combined analysis of hydration, pasting, viscoelastic, and thermal data of the rice starches is useful in fully understanding their behavior and in addressing the processability for food applications. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Rice flour has potential applications in various food products. The physicochemical properties of rice flour are dependent on its variety, which affects the quality of the final products. In this study, the combined analysis including hydration, pasting, viscoelastic, and thermal properties of rice flour could afford information for preparing a particular product such as bread and noodle.

Two cases of meningocele and meningoencephalocele in Jeju native pigs.

BACKGROUND: Meningocele and meningoencephalocele of the skull are congenital deformities. Various species, such as pigs, dogs, and cats, are susceptible to congenital meningocele and meningoencephalocele and the incidence is higher in large white and landrace pigs. CASE PRESENTATION: In this study, swelling was observed in the fontanel areas of the median planes of the skull cap in two female piglets of the same litter. Gross clinical examination, neurological examination, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were conducted on the symptomatic piglets. The gross clinical and neurological examinations revealed no specific findings, except for the swellings. According to the CT results, the length of the defect on the sagittal section of the skull was 4.7 mm in case 1 and 20.62 mm in case 2. Connected flow between the skull swellings and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the lateral ventricles was observed, and partial herniation was identified in case 2. On MRI, CSF with high T2 signals was identified in the arachnoid spaces between the cerebrum and the cerebellum in the two cases, which is consistent with intracranial hypertension. The size of the swelling formed in the parietal bones was 1.6 × 1.1 × 1.8 cm(3) (case 1) and 1.2 × 1.38 × 1.7 cm(3) (case 2). The increase in intracranial pressure was more obvious in case 2 than in case 1, and was accompanied by posterior displacements of the mesencephalon and cerebellum. CONCLUSIONS: Case 1 was diagnosed as meningocele resulting from meningeal herniation and case 2 was diagnosed as meningoencephalocele caused by brain tissue herniation.

Validity of SW982 synovial cell line for studying the drugs against rheumatoid arthritis in fluvastatin-induced apoptosis signaling model.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: To study effects of drugs against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synoviocytes or fibroblast like synoviocytes (FLS) are used. To overcome the drawbacks of using FLS, this study was conducted to show the validity of SW982 synovial cell line in RA study. METHODS: 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, Annexin V propidium iodide (PI) staining, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, Triton X-114 Phase partitioning, and immunolot for apoptosis signaling in SW982 human synovial cell line were performed. RESULTS: Fluvastatin induced apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner in TNFα -stimulated SW982 human synovial cells. A geranylgeranylpyrophosphate (GGPP) inhibitor, but not a farnesylpyrophosphate (FPP) inhibitor, induced apoptosis, and fluvastatin-induced apoptosis was associated with the translocation of isoprenylated RhoA and Rac1 proteins from the cell membrane to the cytosol. Fluvastatin-induced downstream apoptotic signals were associated with inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Accordingly, 89 kDa apoptotic cleavage fragment of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was detected. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, our data indicate that fluvastatin induces apoptotic cell death in TNFα-stimulated SW982 human synovial cells through the inactivation of the geranylgerenylated membrane fraction of RhoA and Rac1 proteins and the subsequent inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. This finding shows the validity of SW982 cell line for RA study.

Anti-obesity effect of alkaline reduced water in high fat-fed obese mice.

Whether or not alkaline reduced water (ARW) has a positive effect on obesity is unclear. This study aims to prove the positive effect of ARW in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity (DIO) in C57BL/6 mice model. Toward this, obesity was induced by feeding the C57BL/6 male mice with high-fat diet (w/w 45% fat) for 12 weeks. Thereafter, the animals were administered with either ARW or tap water. Next, the degree of adiposity and DIO-associated parameters were assessed: clinico-pathological parameters, biochemical measurements, histopathological analysis of liver, the expression of cholesterol metabolism-related genes in the liver, and serum levels of adipokine and cytokine. We found that ARW-fed mice significantly ameliorated adiposity: controlled body weight gain, reduced the accumulation of epididymal fats and decreased liver fats as compared to control mice. Accordingly, ARW coordinated the level of adiponectin and leptin. Further, mRNA expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP)7A1 was upregulated. In summary, our data shows that ARW intake inhibits the progression of HF-DIO in mice. This is the first note on anti-obesity effect of ARW, clinically implying the safer fluid remedy for obesity control.

The effects of artificial activation timing on the development of SCNT-derived embryos and newborn piglets.

This study investigated the effects of two different activation regimens on the developmental potential of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos and postnatal survivability of the cloned piglets. In vitro matured oocytes were enucleated and reconstructed with porcine fetal fibroblasts. On the basis of the activation regimen used, the reconstructed porcine embryos were allocated into two groups: Group 1-simultaneous electrical pulses and activation group (SFA group); and Group 2-electrical fusion without calcium followed by electrical pulses with calcium after colcemid and cytochalasin B treatment for 5h (DA group). Embryonic development in both SFA and DA groups was determined at day 6 of culture in NSCU-23 medium. To investigate the post-implantation development after the two activation methods, embryos were cultured for 1 day and then transferred into the oviducts of estrus-synchronized recipients. DA group had significantly (p<0.05) higher cleavage rates than SFA group. However, the developmental rate to the blastocyst stage and the mean cell number of blastocysts did not differ (p>0.05) between SFA and DA groups. Moreover, the pregnancy rate of SFA group was not significantly different compared to DA group. A total of 20 cloned piglets (SFA group-8 live piglets, DA group-11 live piglets and one stillborn) were obtained in the present study. The birth weight of the cloned piglets (live births) did not differ (p>0.05) between the two groups. Furthermore, no difference was observed in the postnatal survival rates of the cloned piglets obtained using two different activation regimens. These results suggest that the timing of artificial activation and additional chemical treatments do not affect the developmental rate of porcine SCNT embryos. Remarkably, the pregnancy rate and postnatal survivability of the cloned piglets did not vary between SFA and DA groups.

Status of bovine mastitis and associated risk factors in subtropical Jeju Island, South Korea.

The present investigation was carried out to study the prevalence of mastitis in 136 Holstein cows from a subtropical province of South Korea. Out of 527 milk samples studied, 22.6 % were found positive for mastitis. On animal level, prevalence was estimated at 55.2 %. Late lactating cows were at higher risk for mastitis development as compared to those in early and mid lactations. The study revealed that the risk of an increase in somatic cell count (SSC) and mastitis increased with advanced age and in animals with higher parity. The highest infection rate of 71.4 % was found in the age group >9 years followed by cows with higher than fifth parity (65.5 %). On severity and quarter basis, cows of <3 years of age had higher occurrence (12.5 %) of severe mastitis. From the present study, it may be concluded that a positive relationship exists between increased prevalence of mastitis and high SCC and the advance in age and parity of Holstein cows.

Expression of CD133 in neuroendocrine neoplasms of the digestive tract: a detailed immunohistochemical analysis.

Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are potentially malignant with variable biologic behavior that originates from neuroendocrine cells of digestive tract. Recently, the existence of cancer stem cells (CSC) was demonstrated in tumors of gastrointestinal tract. CD133 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that serves as a CSC marker in various malignancies. However, the expression of CD133 in neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) of digestive tract has not been studied. We evaluated tissue expression of CD133 by immunohistochemistry in 90 NENs of digestive tract with their matched non-neoplastic mucosa including stomach (n=15), small intestine (n=7), appendix (n=3), colon (n=8), rectum (n=41), pancreas (n=2), gallbladder (n=4) and liver (n=10). Tumors were divided according to 2010 WHO classification. CD133 was expressed in 30.3% (17/56) of well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NET), 26.1% (6/23) of poorly-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NEC) and 63.6% (7/11) of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANECs). MANEC refers to existence of both adenocarcinoma and NEC together, each one comprising at least 30% of the tumor. CD133 was expressed in cytoplasm, luminal-side of cell membrane, or both and the staining pattern correlated with tumor growth pattern. CD133 expression was not significantly correlated with tumor grade, site, expression of neuroendocrine markers (chromogranin-A and synaptophysin) and patients' survival. Thus, CD133 expression may lack prognostic significance in GEP-NETs. Importantly, CD133 was not detectable in non-neoplastic neuroendocrine cells of digestive system including pancreatic islets. In conclusion, CD133 is expressed in poorly-differentiated NECs and well-differentiated NETs of the digestive tract.

CD133 expression is not an independent prognostic factor in stage II and III colorectal cancer but may predict the better outcome in patients with adjuvant therapy.

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are notorious for their capacity of tumor progression, metastasis or resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. However, the undisputed role of cancer stem marker, CD133, in colorectal cancers (CRCs) is not clear yet. METHODS: We assessed 271 surgically-resected stage II and III primary CRCs with (171) and without (100) adjuvant therapy after surgery. CD133 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and real-time RT-PCR. CD133 promoter methylation was quantified by pyrosequencing. RESULTS: The CD133 IHC expression was significantly correlated with mRNA expression (p=0.0257) and inversely correlated with the promoter methylation (p=0.0001). CD133 was expressed more frequently in rectal cancer (p=0.0035), and in moderately differentiated tumors (p=0.0378). In survival analysis, CD133 expression was not significantly correlated with overall survival (OS) (p=0.9689) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.2103). However, CD133+ tumors were significantly associated with better OS in patients with adjuvant therapy compared to those without adjuvant therapy (p<0.0001, HR 0.125, 95% CI 0.052-0.299). But the patients with CD133- tumors did not show any significant difference of survival according to adjuvant therapy (p=0.055, HR 0.500, 95% CI 0.247-1.015). CONCLUSIONS: In stage II and III CRCs, CD133 IHC expression may signify the benefit for adjuvant therapy although it is not an independent prognostic factor.

Anal myolipoma: a new benign entity in patients with an anal tumor?

A myolipoma is an extremely rare benign neoplasm, occurring most frequently in adults in the deep soft tissue of the abdomen or retroperitoneum. We experienced a case of an anal myolipoma occurring in a 30-year-old woman, and it was surgically resected. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a myolipoma arising from the anus, so such a possibility needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis.

A rapid competitive binding nonseparation electrochemical enzyme immunoassay (NEEIA) test strip for microcystin-LR (MCLR) determination.

A competitive binding nonseparation electrochemical enzyme immunoassay (NEEIA) is described for the determination of microcystin-LR (MCLR) using a double-sided microporous gold electrode in cartridge-type cells. A gold film sputtered on one side of porous nylon membrane constitutes a working electrode, while another gold film formed on the opposite side serves as a pseudo reference electrode. After immobilizing MCLR antibody on working electrode by physical adsorption, the double-sided electrode was placed simply in a diffusion U-type or within a dry strip-type cell with a conjugate pad pre-loaded with a glucose oxidase labeled MCLR (GOx-MCLR) on working electrode side. Assays were performed in two steps: an MCLR-containing sample mixed with a known amount of GOx-MCLR conjugate either in buffer solution or in pre-loaded dry pad was incubated for an appropriate period (about 10 min) to induce competitive reaction with an immobilized anti-MCLR antibody on working electrode, and a fixed concentration of glucose solution (substrate) was then added to the backside of the working electrode. Due to the competitive nature of the assay, enzymatically generated product, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), was detected at the working gold electrode (at +800 mV versus Au) by oxidation, and the magnitude of amperometric current was inversely proportional to the concentration of MCLR in the sample. The response time after substrate addition was about 30s. Mean recovery of MCLR added to tap water was 93.5%, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 6.6%. The proposed competitive NEEIA system is in general comparable to existing heterogeneous enzyme immunoassays with a similar detection limit (100 pg/mL MCLR), and suitable for developing a disposable type biosensor for on-site monitoring of environment.

Immunohistochemical localization of galectin-3 in boar testis and epididymis.

The presence and distribution of galectin-3, a beta-galactoside-binding protein, in boar testis and epididymis was studied. Western blot analysis detected galectin-3 in boar testis and epididymis. In particular, intense galectin-3 immunoreaction was seen in the tail of the epididymis, while it was moderate in the head and body. Galectin-3 immunolabelling was detected in the connective tissues of the testis. In the testis, galectin-3 was detected in some cells (presumably peritubular myoid cells), but not in Leydig cells or the cells of the seminiferous tubules. In the epididymis, the galectin-3 immunoreactivity in the connective tissues was the same as in the testis. Intense galectin-3 immunolabelling was seen in the covering epithelium of the epididymis tail, but in very few cells in the head and body. We postulate that galectin-3, immunodetected here in the connective tissues in the male reproductive organs, serves as an extracellular matrix. Furthermore, we postulate that intracellular galectin-3 in the epithelium of the epididymis tail plays a role in either the maintenance of the epithelium or as a source of galectin-3 in the seminal fluid; here it may play a role in sperm activation in the boar reproductive system.

Temporal expression of osteopontin and CD44 in rat brains with experimental cryolesions.

Expression of osteopontin and CD44 in the brain was studied after cryolesioning to understand how osteopontin and its receptor, CD44, are involved in processes in the brains of rats with cryolesions. Western blot analysis showed that osteopontin increased significantly at days 4 and 7 post-injury and declined slightly thereafter in cryolesioned brains in comparison with levels in sham-operated controls. An immunohistochemical study localized osteopontin in activated microglia/macrophages in the core lesions, where the majority of macrophages proliferate. Osteopontin was also detected temporarily in some neurons and a few astrocytes in the lesion periphery on days 4 and 7 post-injury, but the immunoreactivity in macrophages, neurons, and astrocytes disappeared by day 14 post-injury. There was some CD44, a receptor for osteopontin, in the brain cells of sham-operated rats. After injury, intense CD44 immunostaining was seen in the majority of macrophages and in reactive astrocytes, but not in neurons, in the ipsilateral lesions after day 4 post-injury, and this immunoreactivity remained on day 14 post-injury. These findings suggest that activated microglia/macrophages and some neurons are major sources of osteopontin during the early stage of brain damage induced by a cryolesion and that osteopontin interacts with CD44 expressed on astrocytes and activated microglia/macrophages in the damaged cerebral cortex, possibly mediating cell migration after cryolesioning in the rat brain.