Haptoglobin and CCR2 receptor expression in ovarian cancer cells that were exposed to ascitic fluid: Exploring a new role of haptoglobin in the tumoral microenvironment

Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute-phase protein that is produced by the liver to capture the iron that is present in the blood circulation, thus avoiding its accumulation in the blood. Moreover, Hp has been detected in a wide variety of tissues, in which it performs various functions. In addition, this protein is considered a potential biomarker in many diseases, such as cancer, including ovarian carcinoma; however, its participation in the cancerous processes has not yet been determined. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the expression of Hp and its receptor CCR2 in the ovarian cancer cells and its possible involvement in the process of cell migration through changes in the rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton using western blot and wound-healing assays and confirming by confocal microscopy. Ovarian cancer cells express both Hp and its receptor CCR2 but only after exposure to ascitic fluid, inducing moderated cell migration. However, when the cells are exposed to exogenous Hp, the expression of CCR2 is induced together with drastic changes in the actin cytoskeleton rearrangement. At the same time, Hp induced cell migration in a much more efficient manner than did ascitic fluid. These effects were blocked when the CCR2 synthetic antagonist RS102895 was used to pretreat the cells. These results suggest that Hp-induced changes in the cell morphology, actin cytoskeleton structure, and migration ability of tumor cells, is possibly “preparing” these cells for the potential induction of the metastatic phenotype.     

Targeted disruption of the osteoblast/osteocyte factor 45 gene (OF45) results in increased bone formation and bone mass

We have previously described osteoblast/osteocyte factor 45 (OF45), a novel bone-specific extracellular matrix protein, and demonstrated that its expression is tightly linked to mineralization and bone formation. In this report, we have cloned and characterized the mouse OF45 cDNA and genomic region. Mouse OF45 (also called MEPE) was similar to its rat orthologue in that its expression was increased during mineralization in osteoblast cultures and the protein was highly expressed within the osteocytes that are imbedded within bone. To further determine the role of OF45 in bone metabolism, we generated a targeted mouse line deficient in this protein. Ablation of OF45 resulted in increased bone mass. In fact, disruption of only a single allele of OF45 caused significantly increased bone mass. In addition, knockout mice were resistant to aging-associated trabecular bone loss. Cancellous bone histomorphometry revealed that the increased bone mass was the result of increased osteoblast number and osteoblast activity with unaltered osteoclast number and osteoclast surface in knockout animals. Consistent with the bone histomorphometric results, we also determined that OF45 knockout osteoblasts produced significantly more mineralized nodules in ex vivo cell cultures than did wild type osteoblasts. Osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in ex vivo cultures was unaffected by OF45 mutation. We conclude that OF45 plays an inhibitory role in bone formation in mouse.     

Cage enrichment with paper tissue, but not plastic tunnels, increases variability in mouse model of asthma

Environmental enrichment, besides having a great impact on animal welfare, can also be a potential variable in experimental research. Thus, we investigated whether enrichment of cages with paper tissues or plastic tunnels affects scientific outcome in the well-described mouse model of allergic asthma. BALB/cJ mice were introduced to paper tissues as nesting material, transparent plastic tunnels serving as shelters or kept in non-enriched cages. Afterwards, mice were sensitized to chicken egg ovalbumin (OVA) precipitated in aluminium sulphate and then intranasally challenged with OVA to induce allergic lung inflammation. Mice housed in cages enriched with paper tissues, but not with plastic tunnels, had increased total cell number, eosinophil number and IL-13 concentration in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in comparison with the non-enriched control group. These results indicate that the effect of environmental enrichment on mice asthma models depends on the type of enrichment used. Therefore, it is important to consider the potential effects of any environmental enrichment on animal welfare and more importantly, on research results in order to standardize and obtain more accurate data from rodent studies.     

Enhanced secretory ability for the human factor VIII light chain produced in baculovirus-infected insect cells

The light and truncated heavy chains of human factor VIII, expressed separately in baculovirus-infected insect cells, exhibited different secretory behaviour when compared with each other and with a biologically active fusion molecule of the truncated heavy and light chains.The light chain was very efficiently secreted into culture medium, as judged by high extracellular protein levels and the absence of evidence for light chain retention within cells.Alternatively, proteins containing the heavy chain sequence were poorly secreted and appeared to be sequestered within cells, suggesting that regions within the heavy chain are responsible for the low levels of secreted protein which have generally been observed for recombinant factor VIII.     

First Philippine record of the parasitoid,Comperiella sp. (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae): a potential biocontrol agent against Aspidiotus rigidus (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

The encyrtid genus Comperiella Howard has so far not been reported in the Philippines, where there is currently an outbreak of the coconut scale insect Aspidiotus rigidus Reyne particularly in the southern parts of the island of Luzon and in some areas in Mindanao. Among Comperiella species, only C. unifasciata Ishii has been reported as a parasitoid of A. rigidus. We report not only new sightings of this parasitoid genus in the Philippines from surveys conducted in parts of the provinces of Laguna and Batangas, but also the discovery of a possibly new species that, like C. unifasciata, has been found to parasitize A. rigidus at a high rate. These findings have presented a potential of biological control against the coconut scale insect problem that has threatened the coconut industry in the country.     

重庆市蕨类植物区系调查和分析

重庆市有野生蕨类植物47科120属604种(含变种及以下分类单位)。其科属优势明显,其中蹄盖蕨科、金星蕨科、鳞毛蕨科和水龙骨科4个科包含了49属337种,占重庆市蕨类植物属、种总数的40.83%和55.79%;特有现象明显,地方特有种十分丰富,中国特有种和地方特有种类分别达到164种和33种;蕨类植物区系具有古老、孑遗和原始性等特点,表现出一定的热带性质或热带亲缘。