Protozoan Migration in Bent Microfluidic Channels

Microfluidic devices permit direct observation of microbial behavior in defined microstructured settings. Here, the swimming speed and dispersal of individual marine ciliates in straight and bent microfluidic channels were quantified. The dispersal rate and swimming speed increased with channel width, decreased with protozoan size, and was significantly impacted by the channel turning angle.     

Applications of Microfluidic Devices in Food Engineering

The design of novel food micro-structures aimed at the quality, health and pleasure markets will probably require unit operations where the scale of the forming device is closer to the size of the structural elements (i.e., 1–100 μm). One emerging possibility is microfluidics or devices that employ small amounts of fluids (10⁻⁶ to 10⁻⁹ l) flowing in channels where at least one dimension is less than 1 mm. However, under these conditions, the predominant effects are not necessarily those present in conventional macroscopic unit operations. Dominant physical effects at the microfluidic scale are introduced through the use of dimensionless numbers. Different types of geometries to generate multi-phase flows in micro-channels, techniques and materials to construct the micro-devices, principally soft lithography and laser ablation, as well as methods used to modify surface properties of channels, are reviewed. The operation of micro-devices, the role of flow regimes, rheological behaviour of fluids in micro-channels and of transient time is discussed. Finally, systems developed to generate emulsions and foams, fluid mixing and dispersion, and future applications of these devices in food processing and food analysis are presented.     

微流控与细胞迁移技术的研究进展

细胞迁移在多种生理、病理过程中扮演着重要角色。在细胞迁移研究中,琼脂糖平板法、transwell小室法等因操作简单、重现性好被广泛运用于细胞迁移的体外建模。但传统方法大多是检测单因素条件下的细胞迁移情况,却忽略了血流这一重要因素对细胞迁移的影响。微流控芯片的出现不仅解决了上述难题,并能保证迁移试验在多参数条件下一步到位的完成并及进行实时观测。因此,微流控芯片将带来一场细胞迁移技术及相关领域的革命。对近10年微流控技术在细胞迁移研究中运用进行了总结。     

Layer-by-layer Collagen Deposition in Microfluidic Devices for Microtissue Stabilization

Although microfluidics provides exquisite control of the cellular microenvironment, culturing cells within microfluidic devices can be challenging. 3D culture of cells in collagen type I gels helps to stabilize cell morphology and function, which is necessary for creating microfluidic tissue models in microdevices. Translating traditional 3D culture techniques for tissue culture plates to microfluidic devices is often difficult because of the limited channel dimensions. In this method, we describe a technique for modifying native type I collagen to generate polycationic and polyanionic collagen solutions that can be used with layer-by-layer deposition to create ultrathin collagen assemblies on top of cells cultured in microfluidic devices. These thin collagen layers stabilize cell morphology and function, as shown using primary hepatocytes as an example cell, allowing for the long term culture of microtissues in microfluidic devices.     

Modelling Directional Guidance and Motility Regulation in Cell Migration

Although cell migration is an essential process in development, how cells reach their final destination is not well understood. Secreted molecules are known to have a migratory effect, but it remains unclear whether such molecules act as directional guidance cues or as motility regulators. There is potential to use signalling molecules in new medical therapies, so it is important to identify the exact role these molecules play. This paper focuses on distinguishing between inhibitory and repulsive effects produced by signalling molecules, based on recent experiments examining the effect of Slit, a secreted protein, on the migration of neurons from the brain. The primary role of Slit, whether it is an inhibitor or repellent of neurons, is in dispute. We present population-level continuum models and recast these in terms of transition probabilities governing individual cells. Various cell-sensing strategies are considered within this framework. The models are applied to the neuronal migration experiments. To resolve the particular role of Slit, simulations of the models characterising different cell-sensing strategies are compared at the population and individual cell level, providing two complementary perspectives on the system. Difficulties and limitations in deducing cell migration rules from time-lapse imaging are discussed.     

脓毒症小鼠心肌损伤与中性粒细胞浸润的关系

目的:探讨脓毒症小鼠心肌损伤与中性粒细胞浸润的关系。方法:复制脓毒症动物模型,分对照组、假手术组、造模组,并设不同的时间点(2h、4h、8h、12h)。采用双抗夹心酶联免疫法(ELISA)检测血清肌钙蛋白(IcTnI),并测心肌组织髓过氧化物酶(MPO)活性。结果:正常组与假手术组各时间点血清cTnI、心肌组织MPO活性均无显著性差异。造模组心肌组织MPO活性较正常组和假手术组均有明显升高(P<0.05),且随着时间进展而增加;造模组血清cTnI浓度随着时间进展而增加,2小时与正常组及假手术组无显著性差异(P>0.05),4小时后显著高于正常组和假手术组(P<0.05);血清cTnI浓度与心肌组织MPO活性呈显著正相关(r=0.700,P=0.000)。结论:脓毒症心肌损伤时,心肌组织存在中性粒细胞浸润,中性粒细胞浸润程度与心肌损伤显著正相关。     

rhBNP通过抑制细胞凋亡减轻大鼠心肌缺血再灌注损伤

为了研究重组人B型钠尿肽(recombinant human B-type natriuretic peptide, rhBNP)对减轻大鼠心肌缺血再灌注损伤的机制,本研究采用尾部静脉注射的方法对I/R大鼠成功建模,并设计注射生理盐水(I/R组)、rhBNP (I/R+rhBNP组)和假手术组CK组3个处理组,通过TUNEL法检测各处理组大鼠心肌细胞的凋亡情况。本实验还用生理和生化方法检测了心肌细胞中超氧化物歧化酶(superoxidedismutase, SOD)和丙二醛(malondialdehyde, MDA)活性和含量的变化情况,用RT-PCR和免疫印迹方法检测了Bax/Bcl-2信号通路中基因和蛋白表达水平变化。结果表明,rhBNP可以提高I/R大鼠心肌细胞中SOD酶活性,同时使MDA含量降低,表明rhBNP能够保护心肌细胞,使细胞受损程度减小。与此同时本研究发现rhBNP处理后大鼠心肌细胞中Bax基因和蛋白的表达量显著下调,且Bcl-2基因和蛋白的表达显著上调,从而使I/R大鼠心肌细胞的凋亡数目减少,缩小心肌坏死的面积。本研究表明rhBNP可以通过调节Bax/Bcl-2信号通路、提高SOD酶活性使I/R大鼠心肌细胞内MDA含量减少,以及心肌细胞凋亡数目减少,从而有效地减轻大鼠心肌缺血再灌注损伤,以达到保护心肌细胞的目的。     

The Role of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinases in Neutrophil Migration in 3D Collagen Gels

The entry of neutrophils into tissue has been well characterised; however the fate of these cells once inside the tissue microenvironment is not fully understood. A variety of signal transduction pathways including those involving class I PI3 Kinases have been suggested to be involved in neutrophil migration. This study aims to determine the involvement of PI3 Kinases in chemokinetic and chemotactic neutrophil migration in response to CXCL8 and GM-CSF in a three-dimensional collagen gel, as a model of tissue. Using a three-dimensional collagen assay chemokinetic and chemotactic migration induced by CXCL8 was inhibited with the pan PI3 Kinase inhibitor wortmannin. Analysis of the specific Class I PI3 Kinase catalytic isoforms alpha, delta and gamma using the inhibitors PIK-75, PIK-294 and AS-605240 respectively indicated differential roles in CXCL8-induced neutrophil migration. PIK-294 inhibited both chemokinetic and chemotactic CXCL8-induced migration. AS-605240 markedly reduced CXCL8 induced chemokinetic migration but had no effect on CXCL8 induced chemotactic migration. In contrast PIK-75 inhibited chemotactic migration but not chemokinetic migration. At optimal concentrations of GM-CSF the inhibitors had no effect on the percentage of neutrophil migration in comparison to the control however at suboptimal concentrations wortmannin, AS-605240 and PIK-294 inhibited chemokinesis. This study suggests that PI3 Kinase is necessary for CXCL8 induced migration in a 3D tissue environment but that chemokinetic and chemotactic migration may be controlled by different isoforms with gamma shown to be important in chemokinesis and alpha important in chemotaxis. Neutrophil migration in response to suboptimal concentrations of GM-CSF is dependent on PI3 Kinase, particularly the gamma and delta catalytic isoforms.     

Contribution of Cadherins to Directional Cell Migration and Histogenesis in Xenopus Embryos

Perturbation of adhesion mediated by cadherins was achieved by over-expressing truncated forms of E- and EP-cadherins (in which the extracellular domain was deleted) in different blastomeres of stage 6 Xenopus laevis embryos. Injections of mRNA encoding truncated E- and EP-cadherins into A1A2 blastomeres resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion and, at later stages, in morphogenetic defects in the anterior neural tissues to which they mainly contribute. In addition, truncated EP-cadherin mRNA produced a duplication of the dorso-posterior axis in a significant number of cases. The expression of truncated E- and EP-cadherins in blastomeres involved in gastrulation and neural induction (B1B2 and C1), led to the duplication of the dorso-posterior axis as well as to defects in anterior structures. Morphogenetic defects obtained with truncated EP-cadherin were more severe than those induced with truncated E-cadherin. Cells derived from blastomeres injected with truncated EP-cadherin mRNA, dispersed more readily at the blastula and gastrula stages than the cells derived from the blastomeres expressing truncated E-cadherin. Presumptive mesodermal cells expressing truncated cadherins did not engage in coherent directional migration. The alteration of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion led directly to the perturbation of the convergent-extension movements during gastrulation as shown in the animal cap assays and indirectly to perturbation of neural induction. Although the cytoplasmic domains of type I cadherins share a high degree of sequence identity, the over-expression of their cytoplasmic domains induces a distinct pattern of perturbations, strongly suggesting that in vivo, each cadherin may transduce a specific adhesive signal. These graded perturbations may in part result from the relative ability of each cadherin cytoplasmic domain to titer the P-catenin.     

Contribution of Cadherins to Directional Cell Migration and Histogenesis in Xenopus Embryos

Perturbation of adhesion mediated by cadherins was achieved by over-expressing truncated forms of E- and EP-cadherins (in which the extracellular domain was deleted) in different blastomeres of stage 6 Xenopus laevis embryos. Injections of mRNA encoding truncated E- and EP-cadherins into A1A2 blastomeres resulted in inhibition of cell adhesion and, at later stages, in morphogenetic defects in the anterior neural tissues to which they mainly contribute. In addition, truncated EP-cadherin mRNA produced a duplication of the dorso-posterior axis in a significant number of cases. The expression of truncated E- and EP-cadherins in blastomeres involved in gastrulation and neural induction (B1B2 and C1), led to the duplication of the dorso-posterior axis as well as to defects in anterior structures. Morphogenetic defects obtained with truncated EP-cadherin were more severe than those induced with truncated E-cadherin. Cells derived from blastomeres injected with truncated EP-cadherin mRNA, dispersed more readily at the blastula and gastrula stages than the cells derived from the blastomeres expressing truncated E-cadherin. Presumptive mesodermal cells expressing truncated cadherins did not engage in coherent directional migration. The alteration of cadherin-mediated cell adhesion led directly to the perturbation of the convergent-extension movements during gastrulation as shown in the animal cap assays and indirectly to perturbation of neural induction. Although the cytoplasmic domains of type I cadherins share a high degree of sequence identity, the over-expression of their cytoplasmic domains induces a distinct pattern of perturbations, strongly suggesting that in vivo, each cadherin may transduce a specific adhesive signal. These graded perturbations may in part result from the relative ability of each cadherin cytoplasmic domain to titer the P-catenin.     

Baicalein Reduces Airway Injury in Allergen and IL-13 Induced Airway Inflammation

Background

Baicalein, a bioflavone present in the dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, is known to reduce eotaxin production in human fibroblasts. However, there are no reports of its anti-asthma activity or its effect on airway injury.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In a standard experimental asthma model, male Balb/c mice that were sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), treated with baicalein (10 mg/kg, ip) or a vehicle control, either during (preventive use) or after OVA challenge (therapeutic use). In an alternate model, baicalein was administered to male Balb/c mice which were given either IL-4 or IL-13 intranasally. Features of asthma were determined by estimating airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), histopathological changes and biochemical assays of key inflammatory molecules. Airway injury was determined with apoptotic assays, transmission electron microscopy and assessing key mitochondrial functions. Baicalein treatment reduced AHR and inflammation in both experimental models. TGF-β₁, sub-epithelial fibrosis and goblet cell metaplasia, were also reduced. Furthermore, baicalein treatment significantly reduced 12/15-LOX activity, features of mitochondrial dysfunctions, and apoptosis of bronchial epithelia.

Conclusion/Significance

Our findings demonstrate that baicalein can attenuate important features of asthma, possibly through the reduction of airway injury and restoration of mitochondrial function.     

Irradiation Induced Injury Reduces Energy Metabolism in Small Intestine of Tibet Minipigs

Background

The radiation-induced energy metabolism dysfunction related to injury and radiation doses is largely elusive. The purpose of this study is to investigate the early response of energy metabolism in small intestinal tissue and its correlation with pathologic lesion after total body X-ray irradiation (TBI) in Tibet minipigs.

Methods and Results

30 Tibet minipigs were assigned into 6 groups including 5 experimental groups and one control group with 6 animals each group. The minipigs in these experimental groups were subjected to a TBI of 2, 5, 8, 11, and 14 Gy, respectively. Small intestine tissues were collected at 24 h following X-ray exposure and analyzed by histology and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). DNA contents in this tissue were also examined. Irradiation causes pathologic lesions and mitochondrial abnormalities. The Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content-corrected and uncorrected adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) and total adenine nucleotides (TAN) were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner by 2–8 Gy exposure, and no further reduction was observed over 8 Gy.

Conclusion

TBI induced injury is highly dependent on the irradiation dosage in small intestine and inversely correlates with the energy metabolism, with its reduction potentially indicating the severity of injury.     

Simple Microfluidic Devices for in vivo Imaging of C. elegans,Drosophila and Zebrafish

Micro fabricated fluidic devices provide an accessible micro-environment for in vivo studies on small organisms. Simple fabrication processes are available for microfluidic devices using soft lithography techniques ^1-3. Microfluidic devices have been used for sub-cellular imaging ^4,5, in vivo laser microsurgery ^2,6 and cellular imaging ^4,7. In vivo imaging requires immobilization of organisms. This has been achieved using suction ^5,8, tapered channels ^6,7,9, deformable membranes ^2-4,10, suction with additional cooling ⁵, anesthetic gas ¹¹, temperature sensitive gels ¹², cyanoacrylate glue ¹³ and anesthetics such as levamisole ^14,15. Commonly used anesthetics influence synaptic transmission ^16,17 and are known to have detrimental effects on sub-cellular neuronal transport ⁴. In this study we demonstrate a membrane based poly-dimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) device that allows anesthetic free immobilization of intact genetic model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), Drosophila larvae and zebrafish larvae. These model organisms are suitable for in vivo studies in microfluidic devices because of their small diameters and optically transparent or translucent bodies. Body diameters range from ~10 μm to ~800 μm for early larval stages of C. elegans and zebrafish larvae and require microfluidic devices of different sizes to achieve complete immobilization for high resolution time-lapse imaging. These organisms are immobilized using pressure applied by compressed nitrogen gas through a liquid column and imaged using an inverted microscope. Animals released from the trap return to normal locomotion within 10 min.We demonstrate four applications of time-lapse imaging in C. elegans namely, imaging mitochondrial transport in neurons, pre-synaptic vesicle transport in a transport-defective mutant, glutamate receptor transport and Q neuroblast cell division. Data obtained from such movies show that microfluidic immobilization is a useful and accurate means of acquiring in vivo data of cellular and sub-cellular events when compared to anesthetized animals (Figure 1J and 3C-F⁴).Device dimensions were altered to allow time-lapse imaging of different stages of C. elegans, first instar Drosophila larvae and zebrafish larvae. Transport of vesicles marked with synaptotagmin tagged with GFP (syt.eGFP) in sensory neurons shows directed motion of synaptic vesicle markers expressed in cholinergic sensory neurons in intact first instar Drosophila larvae. A similar device has been used to carry out time-lapse imaging of heartbeat in ~30 hr post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish larvae. These data show that the simple devices we have developed can be applied to a variety of model systems to study several cell biological and developmental phenomena in vivo.     

Myosin-II-Mediated Directional Migration of Dictyostelium Cells in Response to Cyclic Stretching of Substratum

Living cells are constantly subjected to various mechanical stimulations, such as shear flow, osmotic pressure, and hardness of substratum. They must sense the mechanical aspects of their environment and respond appropriately for proper cell function. Cells adhering to substrata must receive and respond to mechanical stimuli from the substrata to decide their shape and/or migrating direction. In response to cyclic stretching of the elastic substratum, intracellular stress fibers in fibroblasts and endothelial, osteosarcoma, and smooth muscle cells are rearranged perpendicular to the stretching direction, and the shape of those cells becomes extended in this new direction. In the case of migrating Dictyostelium cells, cyclic stretching regulates the direction of migration, and not the shape, of the cell. The cells migrate in a direction perpendicular to that of the stretching. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce the directional migration remain unknown. Here, using a microstretching device, we recorded green fluorescent protein (GFP)-myosin-II dynamics in Dictyostelium cells on an elastic substratum under cyclic stretching. Repeated stretching induced myosin II localization equally on both stretching sides in the cells. Although myosin-II-null cells migrated randomly, myosin-II-null cells expressing a variant of myosin II that cannot hydrolyze ATP migrated perpendicular to the stretching. These results indicate that Dictyostelium cells accumulate myosin II at the portion of the cell where a large strain is received and migrate in a direction other than that of the portion where myosin II accumulated. This polarity generation for migration does not require the contraction of actomyosin.     

Effect of Sub-deficient Zinc Status on Insulin Sensitivity after Burn Injury in Rats

Although zinc status is an important parameter in insulin sensitivity, data concerning its implication in noxious burn-induced insulin resistance are scarce. The present study was designed to evaluate the impact of zinc status before burn on the recovery of injury with focus on plasma insulin and glucose levels. The experiment was performed in male adult Wistar rats fed from weaning with a zinc normal diet (80 ppm) or a depleted zinc diet (10 ppm) for 8 weeks and burned to third degree on 20% of their total body surface area. Blood and tissue samples were collected 3, 6, and 24 h after injury in order to study biochemical parameters and the glucose/insulin response in relation with the zinc status. After burn, zinc-depleted rats presented an exacerbated decrease in plasma zinc level. In addition, the burn-induced insulin resistance, leading to protein catabolism, was emphasized, with higher plasma insulin, glucose, and leptin levels in zinc-deficient animals versus normal-fed rats. Our experimental results underlined the interest to early control the zinc status in order to limit the deleterious effects of oxidative stress and insulin resistance in burned patients.     

Combination of Dexamethasone and Aminoguanidine Reduces Secondary Damage in Compression Spinal Cord Injury

The study was performed to investigate the effect of combination therapy with aminoguanidine (AG) and dexamethasone (DEX) on the compression spinal cord injury (SCI) in rat. Compared to the control group, the combination therapy group with AG (75 mg/kg) and DEX (0.025 mg/kg) significantly reduced the degree of (1) spinal cord edema, (2) the permeability of blood spinal cord barrier (measured by ^99mTc-Albumin), (3) infiltration of neutrophils (MPO evaluation), (4) cytokines expression (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β), and (5) apoptosis (measured by Bax and Bcl-2 expression). In addition, we have also clearly demonstrated that the combination therapy significantly ameliorated the recovery of limb function (evaluated by motor recovery score). Taken together, our results clearly indicated for the first time that strategies targeting multiple proinflammatory pathways may be more effective than a single effector molecule for the treatment of SCI.