In this study, we examined the effect of sodium fluoride (NaF) on oxidative stress in chicken embryonic gonads. Following exposure to varying concentrations of NaF for 6 h, mRNA expression and immunolocalisation of catalase (CAT), sodium dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2) and nuclear respiratory factors (Nrf1 and Nrf) were analysed in the gonads. In the ovary, a dose-dependent increase in mRNA expression of CAT, Nrf1 and Nrf2 following NaF exposure was found, while the intensity of immunolocalised CAT, SOD2 and Nrf1 was higher in NaF-treated groups. In the testis, no effect of NaF on CAT, SOD1 and Nrf1 mRNA levels was observed; however, NaF (3.5-14.2 mM) elevated Nrf2 mRNA expression. NaF, at a dose of 7.1 mM, increased the immunoreactivity of Nrf1 and SOD2. Further experiments evaluated the ovary and testes when incubated with NaF (7.1 mM), vitamin C (Vitamin C, 4 mM) or NaF + Vitamin C. mRNA expression of all four examined genes in the whole ovary and immunoreactivity of Nrf1 and CAT in the ovarian medulla increased in each experimental group. Similar effects were observed in the testis, where mRNA expression, as well as CAT and Nrf2 immunoreactivity, increased in Vitamin C and NaF + Vitamin C-treated groups. DOX inhibitor In summary, NaF exposure generated oxidative stress which is manifested by increased expression of free radical scavenging enzymes in chicken embryonic gonads. High doses of Vitamin C did not reverse this effect.A functional canonical WNT signaling pathway exists in preimplantation embryos and inhibits embryonic development. Recent studies suggest that this pathway is over-expressed in nuclear transferred (NT), compared to IVF embryos. The present study investigated the effects of Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), an inhibitor of canonical WNT signaling pathway and colony stimulating factor-2 (CSF2), an embryokine, on the developmental competence, quality, gene expression and live birth rate of NT buffalo embryos produced by Hand-made cloning (HMC). Following supplementation of the in vitro culture medium on day 5 with DKK1 (100 ng/mL), CSF2 (10 ng/mL), DKK1+CSF2 or no supplementation (control), the blastocyst rate was higher (P less then 0.05) with DKK1 and DKK1+CSF2 (42.6 ± 1.4% and 46.6 ± 0.9%, respectively) than with CSF2 or controls (40.6 ± 1.3% and 39.0 ± 1.3%, respectively). The apoptotic index of the blastocysts was lower (P less then 0.05) for DKK1, CSF2 and DKK1+CSF2 groups (3.44 ± 0.14, 3.39 ± 0.11 and 3.11 ± 0.22, red in 4 pregnancies (25.0%), all of which resulted in live births. No pregnancy was obtained after transfer of control and CSF-treated embryos to 12 and 16 recipients, respectively. These results suggest that DKK1 treatment of NT embryos increases the blastocyst, conception and live birth rate, and improves their quality whereas, CSF2 treatment, does not affect the blastocyst, conception and live birth rate despite improvement in embryo quality.Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation causes pain and disability, but current discectomy procedures alleviate pain without repairing annulus fibrosus (AF) defects. Tissue engineering strategies seal AF defects by utilizing hydrogel systems to prevent recurrent herniation, however current biomaterials are limited by poor adhesion to wetted tissue surfaces or low failure strength resulting in considerable risk of implant herniation upon spinal loading. Here, we developed a two-part repair strategy comprising a dual-modified (oxidized and methacrylated) glycosaminoglycan that can chemically adsorb an injectable interpenetrating network hydrogel composed of fibronectin-conjugated fibrin and poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) to covalently bond the hydrogel to AF tissue. We show that dual-modified hyaluronic acid imparts greater adhesion to AF tissue than dual-modified chondroitin sulfate, where the degree of oxidation is more strongly correlated with adhesion strength than methacrylation. We apply this strategy to an ex vivo bovine model of discectomy and demonstrate that PEGDA molecular weight tunes hydrogel mechanical properties and affects herniation risk, where IVDs repaired with low-modulus hydrogels composed of 20kDa PEGDA failed at levels at or exceeding discectomy, the clinical standard of care. This strategy bonds injectable hydrogels to IVD extracellular matrix proteins, is optimized to seal AF defects, and shows promise for IVD repair.Xenogeneic extracellular matrix (ECM) based tissue engineering graft is one of the most promising products for transplantation therapies, which could alleviate the pain of patients and reduce surgery cost. However, in order to put ECM based xenografts into clinical use, the induced inflammatory and immune responses have yet to be resolved. Cell membrane is embedded with membrane proteins for regulation of cell interactions including self-recognition and potent in reducing foreign body rejections. In this study, a novel and facile method for evasion from immune system was developed by coating autologous red blood cell membrane as a disguise on xenogeneic ECM based tissue engineering graft surface. Porcine source Living Hyaline Cartilage Graft (LhCG) and decellularized LhCG (dLhCG) established by our group for cartilage tissue engineering were chosen as model grafts. The cell membrane coating was quite stable on xenografts with no obvious decrease in amount for 4 weeks. The autologous cell membrane coated xenograft has been proved to be recognized as «self» by immune system on cell, protein and gene levels according to the 14-day lasting in vivo study on rats with less inflammatory cells infiltrated and low inflammation-related cytokines gene expression, showing alleviated acute immune and inflammatory responses.

Mutation screening of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) cases imply the major involvement of PKD1 mutations in 85% of patients while rest of the cases harbor mutation in PKD2, DNAJB11 and GANAB. This essentially indicates that individual’s genotype holds the key for disease susceptibility and its severity.

For finding genetic variability underlying the disease pathophysiology, 84 Indian ADPKD cases, 31 family members (12 susceptible) and 122 age matched control were screened for PKD1 and PKD2 using Sanger sequencing, PCR-RFLP and ARMS-PCR.

Genetic screening of Indian ADPKD cases revealed total 67 variants in PKD1 and 28 variants in PKD2. Among the identified variants in PKD1 and PKD2 genes, 35.79% were novel variants and 64.2% recurrent. Further, subcategorization of PKD1 variants showed 14 truncation/frameshift, 21 nonsynonymous, 25 synonymous and 7 intronic variants. Moreover, we observed 40 families with PKD1 pathogenic variants, 7 families with PKD2 pathogenic variants, 9 families with PKD1 & PKD2 pathogenic variants, and 26 families with PKD1/PKD2/PKD1-PKD2 non-pathogenic genetic variants.