Evaluation of different media compositions promoting hepatocyte differentiation in the canine liver organoid model

Organoids are 3-dimensional (3D) self-assembled structures capable of replicating the microanatomy and physiology of the epithelial components of their organ of origin. Adult stem cell (ASC) derived organoids from the liver have previously been shown to differentiate into primarily mature cholangiocytes, and their partial differentiation into functional hepatocytes can be promoted using specific media compositions. While full morphological differentiation of mature hepatocytes from ASCs has not yet been reported for any species, the functional differentiation can be approximated using various media compositions. Six differentiation media formulations from published studies on hepatic organoids were used for the differentiation protocol. Target species for these protocols were humans, mice, cats, and dogs, and encompassed various combinations and concentrations of four major hepatocyte media components: Bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7), Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 (FGF19), Dexamethasone (Dex), and Gamma-Secretase Inhibitor IX (DAPT). Additionally, removing R-spondin from basic organoid media has previously been shown to drive the differentiation of ASC into mature hepatocytes. Differentiation media (N = 20) were designed to encompass combinations of the four major hepatocyte media components. The preferred differentiation of ASC-derived organoids from liver tissue into mature hepatocytes over cholangiocytes was confirmed by albumin production in the culture supernatant. Out of the twenty media compositions tested, six media resulted in the production of the highest amounts of albumin in the supernatant of the organoids. The cell lines cultured using these six media were further characterized via histological staining, transmission electron microscopy, RNA in situ hybridization, analysis of gene expression patterns, immunofluorescence, and label-free proteomics. The results indicate that preferential hepatocyte maturation from canine ADC-derived organoids from liver tissue is mainly driven by Dexamethasone and DAPT components. FGF19 did not enhance organoid differentiation but improved cell culture survival. Furthermore, we confirm that removing R-spondin from the media is crucial for establishing mature hepatic organoid cultures.

Establishment and characterization of turtle liver organoids provides a potential model to decode their unique adaptations

Painted turtles are remarkable for their freeze tolerance and supercooling ability along with their associated resilience to hypoxia/anoxia and oxidative stress, rendering them an ideal biomedical model for hypoxia-induced injuries (including strokes), tissue cooling during surgeries, and organ cryopreservation. Yet, such research is hindered by their seasonal reproduction and slow maturation. Here we developed and characterized adult stem cell-derived turtle liver organoids (3D self-assembled in vitro structures) from painted, snapping, and spiny softshell turtles spanning ~175My of evolution, with a subset cryopreserved. This development is, to the best of our knowledge, a first for this vertebrate Order, and complements the only other non-avian reptile organoids from snake venom glands. Preliminary characterization, including morphological, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses, revealed organoids enriched in cholangiocytes. Deriving organoids from distant turtles and life stages demonstrates that our techniques are broadly applicable to chelonians, permitting the development of functional genomic tools currently lacking in herpetological research. Such platform could potentially support studies including genome-to-phenome mapping, gene function, genome architecture, and adaptive responses to climate change, with implications for ecological, evolutionary, and biomedical research.

Adult Animal Stem Cell-Derived Organoids in Biomedical Research and the One Health Paradigm

Preclinical biomedical research is limited by the predictiveness of in vivo and in vitro models. While in vivo models offer the most complex system for experimentation, they are also limited by ethical, financial, and experimental constraints. In vitro models are simplified models that do not offer the same complexity as living animals but do offer financial affordability and more experimental freedom; therefore, they are commonly used. Traditional 2D cell lines cannot fully simulate the complexity of the epithelium of healthy organs and limit scientific progress. The One Health Initiative was established to consolidate human, animal, and environmental health while also tackling complex and multifactorial medical problems. Reverse translational research allows for the sharing of knowledge between clinical research in veterinary and human medicine. Recently, organoid technology has been developed to mimic the original organ's epithelial microstructure and function more reliably. While human and murine organoids are available, numerous other organoids have been derived from traditional veterinary animals and exotic species in the last decade. With these additional organoid models, species previously excluded from in vitro research are becoming accessible, therefore unlocking potential translational and reverse translational applications of animals with unique adaptations that overcome common problems in veterinary and human medicine.

Changes of Enterocyte Morphology and Enterocyte: Goblet Cell Ratios in Dogs with Protein-Losing and Non-Protein-Losing Chronic Enteropathies

This study aimed to assess the morphometry of enterocytes as well as the goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in different intestinal segments of dogs with chronic enteropathies (CE). Histopathological intestinal samples from 97 dogs were included in the study (19 healthy juveniles, 21 healthy adults, 24 dogs with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), and 33 CE dogs without PLE). Healthy adult small intestinal enterocytes showed progressively reduced epithelial cell height in the aboral direction, while juvenile dogs showed progressively increased epithelial cell height in the aboral direction. CE dogs had increased epithelial cell height in the duodenum, while PLE dogs had decreased epithelial cell heights compared to healthy adult dogs. Both the CE and PLE dogs showed decreased enterocyte width in the duodenal segment, and the ileal and colonic enterocytes of CE dogs were narrower than those of healthy adult dogs. CE dogs had a lower goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in the colon segment compared to healthy dogs. This study provides valuable morphometric information on enterocytes during canine chronic enteropathies, highlighting significant morphological enterocyte alterations, particularly in the small intestine, as well as a reduced goblet cell-to-enterocyte ratio in the colon of CE cases compared to healthy adult dogs.

Distinguishing Between Endodermal and Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines During Somatic Cell Reprogramming

Mouse somatic cell reprogramming using Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc (OSKM) induces formation of two stem cell types: induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and induced extraembryonic endoderm stem (iXEN) cells. Since both stem cells types routinely arise alongside one another during reprogramming, it is critical to distinguish between both cell types to ensure that the desired cell population is selected and analyzed. This chapter details, from start to finish, how to reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) using retrovirus and how to distinguish between iXEN and iPS cells at the colony and single-cell levels.

The Genetic Regulation of Cell Fate During Preimplantation Mouse Development

The adult body is estimated to contain several hundred distinct cell types, each with a specialized physiological function. Failure to maintain cell fate can lead to devastating diseases and cancer, but understanding how cell fates are assigned and maintained during animal development provides new opportunities for human health intervention. The mouse is a premier model for evaluating the genetic regulation of cell fate during development because of the wide variety of tools for measuring and manipulating gene expression levels, the ability to access embryos at desired developmental stages, and the similarities between mouse and human development, particularly during the early stages of development. During the first 3 days of mouse development, the preimplantation embryo sets aside cells that will contribute to the extraembryonic tissues. The extraembryonic tissues are essential for establishing pregnancy and ensuring normal fetal development in both mice and humans. Genetic analyses of mouse preimplantation development have permitted identification of genes that are essential for specification of the extraembryonic lineages. In this chapter, we review the tools and concepts of mouse preimplantation development. We describe genes that are essential for cell fate specification during preimplantation stages, and we describe diverse models proposed to account for the mechanisms of cell fate specification during early development.

[Seven views on mental disorder]

BACKGROUND

Anyone attempting to devise a system for classifying mental disorders, such as DSM-5, needs to know what is meant by a mental disorder. This matter is also highly relevant for doctors in their daily practice and for persons involved in scientific research.

AIM

To present and discuss important views on the concept of mental disorder.

METHOD

Recent relevant literature is discussed, the main emphasis being on philosophical studies of the concept of mental disorder.

RESULTS

None of the views discussed provides a satisfactory answer to the question of how mental disorder should be defined and demarcated. Each view, however, does contain valuable points and elements that may help to offer a meaningful perspective on mental disorder.

CONCLUSION

Mental disorder is a complex concept. The way in which it is defined and applied has far-reaching consequences. Psychiatry has a duty to define this concept as clearly and accurately as possible.

Clinical application of the OneDose™ Patient Dosimetry System for total body irradiation

The OneDose Patient Dosimetry System (Sicel Technologies) is a new dosimeter based on metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor technology and designed for the in vivo measurement of patient dose during radiotherapy. In vivo dosimetry for total body irradiation (TBI) is challenging due to the extended treatment distance, low dose rates and beam spoilers. Phantom results confirm the suitability of the dosimeter for TBI in terms of inherent build-up, post-irradiation fading, accuracy, reproducibility, linearity and temperature dependence. Directional dependence is significant and should be taken into account. The OneDose dosimeters were also trialed in vivo for two TBI patients and the dose measured compared to conventional dosimeter measurements using an ionization chamber and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD), with agreement to within 2.2% and 3.9%, respectively. Phantom and patient results confirm that the OneDose patient dosimetry system is a practical and convenient alternative to TLDs for TBI in vivo dosimetry. For increased confidence in results with this dosimeter, we recommend that two dosimeters be used for each site of interest.

Genetic regulation of stem cell origins in the mouse embryo

'Stem cell' has practically become a household term, but what is a stem cell and where does it come from? Insight into these questions has come from the early mouse embryo, or blastocyst, from which three kinds of stem cells have been derived: embryonic stem (ES) cells, trophoblast stem (TS) cells, and extraembryonic endoderm (XEN) cells. These stem cells appear to derive from three distinct tissue lineages within the blastocyst: the epiblast, the trophectoderm, and the extraembryonic endoderm. Understanding how these lineages arise during development will illuminate efforts to understand the establishment and maintenance of the stem cell state and the mechanisms that restrict stem cell potency. Genetic analysis has enabled the identification of several genes important for lineage decisions in the mouse blastocyst. Among these, Oct4, Nanog, Cdx2, and Gata6 encode transcription factors required for the three lineages of the blastocyst and for the maintenance their respective stem cell types. Interestingly, genetic manipulation of several of these factors can cause lineage switching among these stem cells, suggesting that knowledge of key lineage-determining genes could help control differentiation of stem cells more generally. Pluripotent stem cells have also been isolated from the human blastocyst, but the relationship between these cells and stem cells of the mouse blastocyst remains to be explored. This review describes the genetic regulation of lineage allocation during blastocyst formation and discusses similarities and differences between mouse and human ES cells.

Extracorporeal irradiation--novel use of a blood product irradiator

A Cs-137 blood product irradiator (BPI) is used for extracorporeal irradiation of bone grafts. For dose verification purposes two bone phantoms were constructed of plaster of Paris and irradiated in the BPI. The first was a hollow cylinder measuring 15 cm x 3.3 cm to simulate cortical bone, filled with paraffin wax to simulate yellow bone marrow. The second was a concave ellipse 11.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 2.5 cm to simulate a section of ilium. The absorbed dose was measured with radiochromic film in the phantoms and in water for comparison with the manufacturer's calibration certificate. The relative dose distribution in the bone phantoms was measured using Li-F thermoluminescent dosimeters and normalized to a reference point near the centre of each phantom. The doses measured in water matched the calibration certificate within 4%. The doses measured at the cylindrical and elliptical phantom reference points were 49.9 Gy and 52.3 Gy respectively, compared to the nominal dose of 50.0 Gy. The relative doses within the cylindrical phantom ranged from 88% to 100% along the central axis of the wax cylinder, from 89% to 100% along the plaster/wax interface, and from 90% to 103% along the outer surface of the plaster cylinder. The relative doses within the elliptical phantom ranged from 100% to 108% along the inside surface, from 99% to 107% along the outer surface, and from 98% to 103% through the centre of the plaster ellipse. These data agree well with the isodose plot provided by the manufacturer.

Extracorporeal irradiation for malignant bone tumors

PURPOSE

Extracorporeal irradiation (ECI) has been used selectively in the management of primary malignant bone tumors since 1996. We report our techniques for ECI and the short-term oncologic and orthopedic outcomes.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Sixteen patients with primary malignant bone tumors were treated with ECI from 1996 to 2000. The median age was 14 years. The histologic diagnoses were Ewing's sarcoma (11), osteosarcoma (4) and chondrosarcoma (1). The treated sites were femur (7), tibia (4), humerus (2), ilium (2), and sacrum (1). Following induction chemotherapy in Ewing's sarcomas and osteosarcoma, en bloc resection of the tumor and tumor-bearing bone was performed. A single dose of 50 Gy was delivered to the bone extracorporeally using either a linear accelerator (9 cases) or a blood product irradiator (7 cases). The orthopedic outcome was recorded using a standard functional scale.

RESULTS

At a median follow-up of 19.5 months, there were no cases of local recurrence or graft failure. One patient required amputation due to chronic osteomyelitis. For the 10 patients with follow-up greater than 18 months, the functional outcomes were graded good to excellent.

CONCLUSION

The short-term oncologic and orthopedic results are encouraging and suggest that ECI provides a good alternative for reconstruction in limb conservative surgery in selected patients. This technique should only be used in a multidisciplinary setting, where careful follow-up is available to assess the long-term outcomes.

Crossveinless 2 contains cysteine-rich domains and is required for high levels of BMP-like activity during the formation of the cross veins in Drosophila

The BMP-like signaling mediated by the ligands Dpp and Gbb is required to reinforce the development of most veins in the Drosophila wing. However, the formation of the cross veins is especially sensitive to reductions in BMP-like signaling. We show here that the formation of the definitive cross veins occurs after the initial specification of the longitudinal veins in a process that requires localized BMP-like activity. Since Dpp and Gbb levels are not detectably higher in the early phases of cross vein development, other factors apparently account for this localized activity. Our evidence suggests that the product of the crossveinless 2 gene is a novel member of the BMP-like signaling pathway required to potentiate Gbb of Dpp signaling in the cross veins. crossveinless 2 is expressed at higher levels in the developing cross veins and is necessary for local BMP-like activity. The Crossveinless 2 protein contains a putative signal or transmembrane sequence, and a partial Von Willebrand Factor D domain similar to those known to regulate the formation of intramolecular and intermolecular bonds. It also contains five cysteine-rich domains, similar to the cysteine-rich domains found in Chordin, Short Gastrulation and Procollagen that are known to bind BMP-like ligands. These features strongly suggest that Crossveinless 2 acts extracelluarly or in the secretory pathway to directly potentiate Dpp or Gbb signaling.

Cochlear implants: response to therapeutic irradiation

PURPOSE

To determine the response of cochlear implants ("bionic ears") to therapeutic irradiation.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

A patient with a cochlear implant was referred for palliative cranial irradiation. As there were no published or manufacturer's data available regarding the response to radiation, implants were tested for functional changes following irradiation. Cochlear implants were supplied by Cochlear Ltd. Two units each of models CI22M, CI22M (with the second generation integrated circuit) and CI24M were irradiated with 4 MV X-rays, and an unirradiated unit of each model was used as a control. The implants were irradiated initially with 25 daily fractions to 50 Gy. To determine the response at higher doses, 10 Gy fractions were delivered to the same implants to 100 Gy, followed by a final fraction of 50 Gy (total dose 150 Gy). The implants were tested after each 10 Gy, up to 1100 Gy, and at 150 Gy. Several indicators of functionality were assessed, including RF (radio frequency) link range, and stimulator output current. The radiation shielding effect of the implants was also assessed.

RESULTS

Within the dose range < or = 50 Gy, the stimulator output current of the CI22M units was the only parameter to change. At higher doses (to 150 Gy), changes in current output continued, and gradual loss of RF link range occurred in the CI22M units. The CI24M units showed changes in output current to 100 Gy, and large changes at 150 Gy. Dose attenuation by the implants was measured at 6% for ipsilateral single field 4 MV X-rays.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that patients with these cochlear implants can receive cranial irradiation with a low risk of implant failure. Changes in stimulator output current can be compensated simply by reprogramming the speech map after the course of radiation treatment.

Thyroid dose in children undergoing prophylactic cranial irradiation

PURPOSE

To determine the radiation dose received by the thyroid gland as a result of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) in childhood leukemia and the factors influencing that dose.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

The dose to the thyroid resulting from simulated cranial irradiation with parallel opposed lateral fields of an adult anthropomorphic (ART) phantom with both 6 MV X-rays and Cobalt-60 gamma-rays was measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). The dependence of thyroid dose on the distance of the field from the thyroid and the proportions of thyroid dose from stray radiation (leakage, scatter from jaws, etc.) and tissue scattered radiation were measured. The effects of a shadow tray and shielding blocks were also determined. Calculation of thyroid dose using the Clarkson scatter integration method was performed for 6 MV X-rays to compare with the measured doses. In vivo thyroid dose estimates were made using TLD measurements for three children receiving PCI with 6 MV X-rays.

RESULTS

Using open, unshielded fields, the thyroid region of the phantom received 1.2-1.4% of the prescribed cranial dose for 6 MV X-rays and 1.5-1.7% for Cobalt-60. For both treatment units, stray radiation accounted for approximately two thirds of the thyroid dose and tissue scatter accounted for the remaining one third. The thyroid dose increased as the field moved closer to the thyroid, with an increasing proportion of the dose due to tissue scatter. Placement of a thyroid shielding block on a shadow tray reduced the thyroid dose by only 20% compared with the open, unshielded setup. Thyroid dose from 6 MV using open fields was affected by the orientation of the collimator. When the inferior field edge was defined by the lower jaw, the dose was reduced by 27% compared with the upper jaw. Good correlation of dose to the thyroid region was obtained between phantom measured doses, in vivo measured doses and calculation of dose using the Clarkson method.

CONCLUSION

For PCI doses of 1800 or 2400 cGy in the adult phantom, the dose to the thyroid was 20-40 cGy (1-2%). For small children this could rise to approximately 5% of the prescribed dose, of which half was due to stray radiation. As the thyroid in children is very sensitive to radiation and the dose-response curve for thyroid tumor induction is linear, attempts to shield the thyroid during cranial irradiation are mandatory. Cobalt-60 units should not be used, as the thyroid dose was higher than using 6 MV X-rays. Collimator orientation and the use of shadow trays and shielding were important factors in determining thyroid dose.

New methods for inactivation of lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped viruses

Two new methods are described for inactivating lipid-enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in plasma-derived products such as coagulation factors and intravenous immunoglobulin (IGIV). Iodine/Sephadex delivers iodine to IGIV solutions in a slow, controlled way and allows for inactivation of > or = 4 logs of porcine parvovirus (PPV), a hardy non-enveloped virus, under conditions which do not measurably damage the structural or functional properties of the IGIV, and with essentially no iodination of the protein. All detectable enveloped and non-enveloped viruses were inactivated by this treatment. Gamma irradiation has been successfully used to inactivate viruses at the final vial stage in freeze-dried plasma proteins. Four logs of PPV were inactivated by irradiation in the presence of fibrinogen, factor VIII and alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (API) at doses of 23, 28 and 30 kiloGray (kGy) respectively, while retaining 93% of fibrinogen solubility, 67% of factor VIII activity and over 80% of API activity. Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a lipid-enveloped model for hepatitis C virus, was completely inactivated by radiation doses of 20-30 kGy in these products. Gamma irradiation was less effective in inactivating viruses in freeze-dried IGIV.

Smoothened-mediated Hedgehog signalling is required for the maintenance of the anterior-posterior lineage restriction in the developing wing of Drosophila

It is thought that the posterior expression of the ‘selector’ genes engrailed and invected control the subdivision of the growing wing imaginal disc of Drosophila into anterior and posterior lineage compartments. At present, the cellular mechanisms by which separate lineage compartments are maintained are not known. Most models have assumed that the presence or absence of selector gene expression autonomously drives the expression of compartment-specific adhesion or recognition molecules that inhibit intermixing between compartments. However, our present understanding of Hedgehog signalling from posterior to anterior cells raises some interesting alternative models based on a cell's response to signalling. We show here that anterior cells that lack smoothened, and thus the ability to receive the Hedgehog signal, no longer obey a lineage restriction in the normal position of the anterior-posterior boundary. Rather these clones extend into anatomically posterior territory, without any changes in engrailed/invected gene expression. We have also examined clones lacking both en and inv; these too show complex behaviors near the normal site of the compartment boundary, and do not always cross entirely into anatomically anterior territory. Our results suggest that compartmentalization is a complex process involving intercompartmental signalling; models based on changes in affinity or growth will be discussed.

Calibration of a cadmium IVNAA system

An in vivo neutron activation analysis (IVNAA) system for the measurement of cadmium in the human liver and kidney was calibrated using cadmium doped liver and kidney phantoms in a water tank. The effect on the number of cadmium gammas detected with changes in organ position and cross-organ interference was assessed. The lower limits of detection were found to be 12 mg cadmium in the kidney and 7 ppm cadmium in the liver. This system was compared to five others using a performance index which considers equipment specifications and dose to the subject, and was found to rank second best for the liver measurements and second worst for the kidney measurements. The results from the organ position studies showed that the depth of the organs in the body has a great effect on the results, and differences between systems could be partially due to differences in calibration geometry.

Semi-automated analysis of manually reconstructed tracks of progressively motile human spermatozoa

Several alternative algorithms for computer-assisted derivation of measurements of movement characteristics from manually reconstructed tracks of progressively motile human spermatozoa were compared. Fifty tracks were reconstructed at 30 Hz from video recordings and analysed using traditional manual methods and by four combinations of computer algorithms. The best algorithm set was identified ('Videomot.mdpt') and the values for the curvilinear, average path and linear velocities (VCVL, VAVE and VLIN respectively), the amplitude of lateral displacement of the sperm head about the axis of progression (AH) and the number of times the sperm head crossed the average path (the 'beat/cross frequency', BXF) obtained using it were compared to those obtained by manual analysis. There was a considerable time saving when the computer-assisted method was used and the values it gave for the various movement characteristics showed good correspondence with those obtained manually. In addition, repeated data entry and analysis was found to be highly reproducible. When the tracks were re-plotted at 6 Hz (as used by the multiple-exposure photomicrography method for sperm motility analysis) insufficient information remained in the tracks for reliable determination of anything other than VLIN. We conclude that the Videomot.mdpt program provides reliable values for the movement characteristics of progressively motile human spermatozoa, and believe it will be of great value in the validation of commercial systems providing automated sperm movement analysis and in laboratories which do not have access to such costly equipment.

Thrombotic microangiopathy associated with squamous carcinoma

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