Ruffini Mechanoreceptors in Isolated Joint Capsule: Responses Correlated with Strain Energy Density

Mechanoreceptive afferents innervating the posterior capsule of the cat knee joint were recorded in a preparation of isolated capsule. The purpose of the experiments was to identify mechanical states in the capsule that were associated with afferent discharge. The capsule was excised from the knee with its bone attachments intact, so that the geometry of the capsule could be reproduced in vitro. The capsule was deformed, and measurements were made of stresses and strains in the plane of the capsule. Afferent discharge was correlated with each of the components of plane stress, plane strain, and strain energy density (SED). SED, the stored elastic energy at the receptor location, was the only mechanical variable that was consistently positively correlated with afferent discharge. A model of the Ruffini-type receptor is presented that accounts for the sensitivity to SED.     

母亲、新生儿和收集相关因素对高质量脐血的影响

目的:探讨母亲、新生儿和收集相关因素对高质量脐血(high-quality cord blood units,HQCBUs)的影响。方法:用logistical回归模型回顾性分析广州脐血库(Guangzhou Cord Blood Bank,GZCBB)库存的4613例脐血的母亲、新生儿和收集相关因素,所有脐血均严格按照操作规程进行供者选择、采集、运送、处理、检测和冻存。结果:影响HQCBUs的因素包括分娩时顺产、孕周大于37周、新生儿为女性、较重的体重(3500 g)、脐血体积大(80 m L)、运送耗时短(12 hr)。α-地贫携带者对处理后细胞数(postprocessing total nucleated cell count,p-TNCC)1.25×109和CD34+细胞数6.01×106有影响,而羊水粪染和母亲分娩年龄小于25岁分别对p-TNCC1.25×109和细胞集落形成单位(colony forming units,CFUs)23.24×105有影响。结论:我们鉴定出影响HQCBUs的因素,为GZCBB更新脐血采集标准、优化处理程序提供参考依据,有助于提高HQCBUs的数量和比例及有效利用脐血库的资源。     

Effects of labour and medication on major lymphocyte subsets in cord

It is envisaged that flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte subsets in cord blood may be used as a biomarker for effects on the immune system of exposure to environmental factors. In order to investigate the possible application of this parameter, we first studied the effects of other factors that may influence the outcome of subset analysis in cord blood. FACS analysis was performed in 112 pairs of umbilical cord blood and of peripheral maternal blood sampled at labour. Whereas in maternal blood no statistically significant effects of medication during labour on T lymphocyte numbers and NK cells were found, in oxytocin and in oxytocin and prostaglandin treated mothers B cell numbers showed a statistically significant increase. In cord blood, the course of labour and or medication during labour were identified as the most important factors determining distribution of major lymphocyte subsets. In cord blood after deliveries without medication or after neuroplegic analgesia NPA, the mean percentage of cord blood T lymphocytes CD3 was highest 59 and that of NK lymphocytes CD3- CD16 56 lowest 20 . The mean percentage of T lymphocytes was significantly lower 52 and that of NK lymphocytes higher 28 in cord blood where deliveries were done under NPA in combination with infusion of oxytocin. The combination of NPA with oxytocin and induction of labour by prostaglandin E2 led to a further reduction of T lymphocytes and an increase of NK cells 39 and 38 respectively. The changes in ratio of T and NK lymphocytes were due both to decreasing absolute counts of T lymphocytes and increasing counts of NK lymphocytes. Thus, the effects of labour and or medication during labour must be taken into account when this parameter is applied as a potential biomarker of effects of environmental factors on the immune system.     

Human alpha-fetoprotein purified from amniotic fluid enhances growth factor-mediated cell proliferation in vitro.

Using a primary monolayer culture of porcine granulosa cells (pGC) as an in vitro cell proliferation assay, we have examined the growth-promoting activity of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) purified from term cord blood and midtrimester amniotic fluid. Increasing concentrations (2.5-20%) of crude human cord blood (CB) increased pGC proliferation, while identical concentrations of crude amniotic fluid (AF) were ineffective. When the cell system was maximally stimulated, AF dose dependently decreased cell proliferation. AFP purified from AF and CB (1.25-5.0 micrograms/ml) was not mitogenic alone, but, in the presence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) + insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) (10 ng/ml each), AFP dose dependently increased cell proliferation to nearly double that of EGF + IGF-I alone. The response of pGC to the proliferative effects of AF-AFP and CB-AFP were identical at each dose of AFP tested. These results indicate that although crude, pooled midtrimester AF does not display the mitogenic activity seen in cord blood, AFP purified from pooled AF significantly synergizes with growth factors to increase cell proliferation markedly.     

Gene and protein expressions in human cord blood cells after exposure to acrylonitrile

Acrylonitrile is a very high volume industrial chemical used primarily in the manufacture of plastics and rubber, which displays a pronounced acute toxicity and may be carcinogenic. The damage to the hematopoietic function by acrylonitrile may result from interference with cytokine production and cytokine receptor binding. Our present data show that acrylonitrile modulates the expression of some genes implicated in cell differentiation, cell-cycle progression, and clonogenic potential of human cord blood cells. A macroarray hybridization analysis showed that expression of the CXCR4, MCP-1, and MRP8 genes was modified by acrylonitrile exposure. Moreover, the acrylonitrile cell target seems to be the myeloid compartment, as assessed by a CFU-GM assay. In particular, the downregulation of CXCR4, MCP1, and MRP8 can be responsible for the observed reduction of cell proliferation and clonogenic capability of CFU-GM precursors. A Western blot assay showed an acrylonitrile-dependent induction of Bax, while Bcl-2 expression changed only after 48 h of chemical exposure. Bax was overexpressed in respect to Bcl-2, and this fact can be responsible for the induction in cell death after 24 h of treatment. C-fos and c-jun were also downregulated after 24 h and 6 h of treatment, respectively.     

细胞因子对脐血B细胞免疫球蛋白类别转换的调节

为了解细胞因子对新生儿Ｂ细胞免疫球蛋白类别转换的调节作用,在体外细胞培养的基础上,采用反向酶联免疫斑点法观察了脐血单个核细胞及添加重组细胞因子后脐血Ｂ细胞免疫球蛋白释放细胞数量（ＩｇＳＣｓ）。结果：正常脐血单个核细胞仅产生少量的ＩｇＳＣｓ。用抗ＣＤ３单抗刺激丝裂霉素Ｃ处理后的脐血Ｔ细胞,并补充ｒＩＬ－２、ｒＩＬ－４、ｒＩＬ－１０及其组合,可诱导脐血Ｂ细胞释放ＩｇＡ、ＩｇＧ和ＩｇＭ。这些结果提示：细胞因子的补充可促进体外新生儿Ｂ细胞免疫球蛋白的类别转换     

Review: In vitro generation of red blood cells for transfusion medicine: Progress,prospects and challenges

In vitro generation of red blood cells (RBCs) has the potential to circumvent the shortfalls in global demand for blood for transfusion applications. The conventional approach for RBC generation has been from differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from cord blood, adult bone marrow or peripheral blood. More recently, RBCs have been generated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) as well as from immortalized adult erythroid progenitors. In this review, we highlight the recent advances to RBC generation from these different approaches and discuss the challenges and new strategies that can potentially make large-scale in vitro generation of RBCs a feasible approach.     

Evaluation of intracellular and extracellular trehalose as a cryoprotectant of stem cells obtained from umbilical cord blood

Cord blood is a source of hematopoietic stem cells used in transplantation in which hematopoietic reconstitution is necessary. This transplant modality requires the cryopreservation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Dimethyl sulfoxide has been used as a cryoprotectant (CPA) in the cryopreservation of HSCs; however, it has been demonstrated that Me₂SO exhibits toxic side effects to the human body. Due to its stability upon freezing, disaccharides such as trehalose have been investigated as a cryoprotectant. This study investigated the hypothesis that a cryopreservation solution containing intracellular and extracellular trehalose improves the recovery of stem cells after cryopreservation. After thawing, the cells were tested for their viability using the 7AAD stain, CD45+/CD34+ cells were assessed using flow cytometry and the MTT viability assay, and the proportion of hematopoietic progenitor cells was measured using the CFU assay. Our results showed the effectiveness of the solution containing intracellular and extracellular trehalose in the cryopreservation of cord blood cells, demonstrating that trehalose may be an optimal cryoprotectant when present both inside and outside of cells.     

人脐带间充质干细胞的成脂诱导分化及其相关基因鉴定

目的:探讨人脐带间充质干细胞(hUC-MSCs)的分离提取、体外诱导分化为脂肪细胞的能力及其相关基因的表达情况。方法:取新生儿脐带经组织培养法提取后分离培养于αMEM完全培养基中,经大量纯化与扩增后,采用倒置显微镜观察其形态与细微结构;流式技术检测其细胞周期及表面标志;以含有成脂诱导剂的αMEM培养基对P3的hUC-MSCs进行培养,诱导其向脂肪细胞方向分化,对其对诱导后的细胞进行检测。应用油红"O"染色对其进行定性鉴定;应用实时定量RT-PCR对LPL、Leptin的基因含量进行测定。结果:经过组织培养法后,细胞呈贴壁生长,细胞呈梭性或旋涡状,形态不规则,多数有凸起,细胞核较大,核仁明显;第7代以前的细胞具有较强的生长活性;流式技术检测发现此类细胞高表达CD44、CD73和CD105等细胞表面标记,而几乎不表达CD34、CD45、CD31和HLA-DR。培养至第3代的细胞约72.724%的细胞处G1期、S期的细胞仅占18.069%,第7代时G1期细胞约为83.875%、S期为9.606%左右;经成脂诱导剂诱导分化后,细胞经油红"O"染色,分化为脂肪细胞的细胞着色并呈红色,实时定量RT-PCR结果显示该部分细胞表达脂肪细胞的标志性基因LPL和Leptin。结论:P7以前的hUC-MSCs具有较强的生长分化能力,可以向脂肪细胞进行分化并表达一定量的特定标志性基因。     

Clinical grade mesenchymal stem cells transdifferentiated under xenofree conditions alleviates motor deficiencies in a rat model of Parkinson's disease

Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) is a valid, definitive candidate for repair of damaged tissues in degenerative disorders in general and neurological diseases in particular. We have standardized the processing conditions for proliferation of BMMSCs using xenofree medium and checked their in vitro and in vivo neurogenic potential.

Method

The proliferative potential of BMMSCs was analyzed using xenofree media and functionality checked by transplantation into Parkinson's disease (PD) animal models. In vitro neuronal differentiation was investigated by neuronal induction media supplemented with growth factors. Differentiated cells were characterized at cellular and molecular levels. In vitro functionality estimated by dopamine secretion.

Results

A pure population of BMMSCs showing an 8–10 fold expansion was obtained using xenofree media. On differentiation to neuronal lineage, they exhibited neuronal morphology. Detectable levels of dopamine (1.93 ng/ml) were secreted into the culture media of differentiated cells. There was a significant behavioural improvement in PD models 3 months post transplantation.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that BMMSCs can be transdifferentiated efficiently into functional dopaminergic neurons both in vitro and in vivo. This holds immense clinical potential as a replacement therapy for PD and other neurodegenerative diseases.