The C3H/HeJ inbred mouse is a model of vesico-ureteric reflux with a susceptibility locus on chromosome 12.

Vesico-ureteric reflux is the most common congenital anomaly of the urinary tract, characterized by a defective uretero-vesical junction with retrograde urine flow from the bladder toward the kidneys. Because there is strong evidence for a genetic basis for some cases of vesico-ureteric reflux, we screened 11 inbred mouse strains for reflux and kidney size and identified one strain, C3H/HeJ, that has a 100 percent incidence of vesico-ureteric reflux with otherwise normal kidneys at birth. These mice are predisposed to reflux as a result of a defective uretero-vesical junction characterized by a short intravesical ureter. This defect results from a delay in urinary tract development initially manifested by a ureteric bud arising from a more caudal location along the mesonephric duct. In contrast, C57BL/6J mice (resistant to reflux at birth) have long intravesical ureters, normally positioned ureteric buds, and no delay in urinary tract development. Genome-wide and additional fine mapping of backcross mice, derived from C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J crosses, identified a significant reflux susceptibility locus, Vurm1, on chromosome 12 (peak logarithm of the odds=7.39). The C3H/HeJ mouse is a model of vesico-ureteric reflux without renal malformation, and further characterization of this model will allow for the identification of a pathway important for urinary tract development, a finding that will serve as a model for the human disorder.

Application of chia (Salvia hispanica) seeds as a functional component in the fortification of pineapple jam.

This study aimed at producing chia seed-fortified pineapple jam and evaluation of its physicochemical and sensory characteristics. Five pineapple jam formulations were developed, starting with the basic formulation (jam 1/control) containing sucrose and added pectin. The other jams (jam 2, jam 3, jam 4, and jam 5) had sucrose and pectin but with chia seeds added at rates of 6.25, 12.5, 25, and 50% w/w, respectively. Crude protein of the jams was analyzed through macro Kjeldahl method, and the crude fiber was estimated by the Weende method. Thirty-two semi-trained panelists performed sensory evaluation test of the developed jams using 5-point hedonic scale. Chia pineapple jam had golden color compared to control pineapple jam, which had yellow color. The fresh chia pineapple jams had significantly (p < 0.05) different protein and crude fiber contents in each sample. The protein content in the control was 0.53%, while it ranged between 1.60 and 8.60% for the chia seed-fortified jams. For crude fiber, the values were 4.83% for the control and 5.38, 9.08, 13.33, and 21.02% for jam 2, jam 3, jam 4, and jam 5, respectively. General acceptability and sensory evaluation (flavor, color, and texture) showed significant (p < 0.05) differences compared to the control, while spreadability had no significant (p > 0.05) differences. The information obtained from this study indicates that chia-fortified pineapple jam could be produced with favorable sensory attributes that could be used for jam making and other processed products to benefit from the functional components in the chia seeds.

The relationship between nephron number, kidney size and body weight in two inbred mouse strains.

While some reports in humans have shown that nephron number is positively correlated with height, body weight or kidney weight, other studies have not reproduced these findings. To understand the impact of genetic and environmental variation on these relationships, we examined whether nephron number correlates with body weight, kidney planar surface area, or kidney weight in two inbred mouse strains with contrasting kidney sizes but no overt renal pathology: C3H/HeJ and C57BL/6J. C3H/HeJ mice had smaller kidneys at birth and larger kidneys by adulthood, however there was no significant difference in nephron number between the two strains. We did observe a correlation between kidney size and body weight at birth and at adulthood for both strains. However, there was no relationship between nephron number and body weight or between nephron number and kidney size. From other studies, it appears that a greater than two-fold variation is required in each of these parameters in order to demonstrate these relationships, suggesting they are highly dependent on scale. Our results are therefore not surprising since there was a less than two-fold variation in each of the parameters examined. In summary, the relationship between nephron number and body or kidney size is most likely to be demonstrated when there is greater phenotypic variation either from genetic and/or environmental factors.