Somatic uniparental disomy mitigates the most damaging EFL1 allele combination in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome.

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS; OMIM #260400) is caused by variants in SBDS (Shwachman-Bodian-Diamond syndrome gene), which encodes a protein that plays an important role in ribosome assembly. Recent reports suggest that recessive variants in EFL1 are also responsible for SDS. However, the precise genetic mechanism that leads to EFL1-induced SDS remains incompletely understood. Here we present 3 unrelated Korean SDS patients who carry biallelic pathogenic variants in EFL1 with biased allele frequencies, resulting from a bone marrow-specific somatic uniparental disomy in chromosome 15. The recombination events generated cells that were homozygous for the relatively milder variant, allowing for the evasion of catastrophic physiologic consequences. However, the milder EFL1 variant was still solely able to impair 80S ribosome assembly and induce SDS features in cell line and animal models. The loss of EFL1 resulted in a pronounced inhibition of terminal oligopyrimidine element-containing ribosomal protein transcript 80S assembly. Therefore, we propose a more accurate pathogenesis mechanism of EFL1 dysfunction that eventually leads to aberrant translational control and ribosomopathy.

Adipogenic effects of prenatal exposure to bisphenol S (BPS) in adult F1 male mice.

Bisphenol S (BPS) has been increasingly used as a substitute for bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor. Early-life exposure to BPA affects fetal development and the risk of obesity in adolescence and adulthood. However, the effects of fetal exposure BPS in later life are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of prenatal BPS exposure on adiposity in adult F1 mice. Pregnant C57BL/6 N mice were exposed to BPS (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5, and 50 mg/kg/d) via drinking water from gestation day 9 until delivery. Thereafter, two groups of offspring (6 weeks old) were either administered a standard diet (STD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks until euthanasia. The body weight and gonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) mass were determined, and the energy expenditure for the adiposity phenotype was computed especially for male mice, followed by histological analysis of the gWAT. Thereafter, the expression levels of adipogenic marker genes (Pparg, Cebpa, Fabp4, Lpl, and Adipoq) were analyzed in the gWAT via reverse-transcription PCR analysis. BPS-exposed male mice displayed apparent gWAT hypertrophy, consistent with the significant increase in adipocyte size in the gWAT and upregulation of Pparg and its direct target genes among HFD mice in comparison with the control mice. These results suggest that prenatal BPS exposure potentially increases the susceptibility to HFD-induced adipogenesis in male adult mice.

The Healing Effect of Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Jelly in Rabbits Undergoing Tracheal Resection and Anastomosis.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Tracheal anastomosis is commonly indicated for patients with tracheal tumor, stenosis and tracheoesophageal fistula. This study was designed to evaluate the healing activity of topical application of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) jelly for tracheal reconstruction in a rabbit model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six healthy New Zealand White rabbits were assigned to three groups of 12 animals each. The control group underwent tracheal resection and anastomosis. The fibrin-glue group and PRP-jelly group underwent tracheal resection and anastomosis plus fibrin glue or PRP jelly application over the anastomosis and surgical field, respectively. RESULTS: The PRP jelly treatment enhanced the healing capacity by positive effects on healing rate, tissue fill, and volume fraction of fibroblasts during the 28 days following surgery. CONCLUSION: Application of PRP jelly to tracheal anastomotic wounds can accelerate or improve the quality of repair.

Evaluation of Immunosuppressive Therapy Use for Tracheal Transplantation with Trachea-Mimetic Bellows Scaffolds in a Rabbit Model.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of immunosuppressive therapy with high-dose cyclosporine, high-dose azathioprine, and a combination of low-dose cyclosporine and azathioprine after tracheal reconstruction by using a trachea-mimetic graft of polycaprolactone (PCL) bellows-type scaffold in a rabbit model. Twenty-four healthy New Zealand white rabbits were used in the study. All underwent circumferential tracheal replacement using tissue-engineered tracheal graft, prepared from PCL bellows scaffold reinforced with silicone ring, collagen hydrogel, and human turbinate mesenchymal stromal cell (hTMSC) sheets. The control group (Group 1) received no medication. The three experimental groups were given daily cyclosporine intramuscular doses of 10 mg/kg (Group 2), azathioprine oral doses of 5 mg/kg (Group 3), and azathioprine oral doses of 2.5 mg/kg plus cyclosporine intramuscular doses of 5 mg/kg (Group 4) for 4 weeks or until death. Group 1 had longer survival times compared to Group 2 or Group 3. Each group except for Group 1 experienced decreases in amount of nutrition and weight loss. In addition, compared with the other groups, Group 2 had significantly increased serum interleukin-2 and interferon-γ levels 7 days after transplantation. The results of this study showed that the administration of cyclosporine and/or azathioprine after tracheal transplantation had no beneficial effects. Furthermore, the administration of cyclosporine had side effects, including extreme weight loss, respiratory distress, and diarrhea. Therefore, cyclosporine and azathioprine avoidance may be recommended for tracheal reconstruction using a native trachea-mimetic graft of PCL bellows-type scaffold in a rabbit model.

Cortisol Levels and Gastrointestinal Disorders After Stressful Surgery in Rabbits.

Rabbits are widely used in biomedical studies because they are docile and manageable. However, they are prone to gastrointestinal disorders due to their vulnerability to stress. Eighteen adult rabbits were used for allogenic tracheal surgery. The tracheas for allograft, 20-mm length, were transplanted into 20-mm tracheal defects. Immediately after surgery, most rabbits suffered from poor appetite. Food and water intake gradually recovered within 7 days after surgery, but six rabbits had severe anorexia from day 7 post-surgery. Four of these rabbits developed symptoms of diarrhea after surgery; three of them died several days after the onset of diarrhea, while one rabbit recovered. Gastrointestinal disorders need to be prevented in rabbits undergoing stressful surgery. Furthermore, it is important to choose the proper type and dose of analgesics in order to relieve postoperative pain. With this observation in mind, rabbits are not considered to be an appropriate model for stressful surgery.

Effect of Hydrogen Dioxide Treatment on the Osteogenic Potential of Duck-beak Bone-derived Natural Bioceramic Microparticles.

BACKGROUND/AIM: As an alternative material to the autogenous bone, duck-beak bone particle for bone substitute have been attracting great attention due to their biological properties. To deliver the most favorable outcome of medical treatment, it is essential to study the effect of various processing methods of the duck-beak bone. In this study, we compared the two deproteinizing agents for manufacturing duck-beak bone. Group 1 was treated by a conventional chemical agent (ethylenediamine) and Group 2 by hydrogen dioxide (H2O2). In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted in parallel to compare the cytocompatibility and osteogenic capability between two processing methods. For in vitro tests, human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hAD-MSCs) were planted onto each sample and their attachment and growing were evaluated. For in vivo biocompatibility and osteogenic properties, the samples were applied on the critical-sized calvarial bone defect of rats. Group 2 showed significantly higher cell attachment but Group1 showed slightly higher cell proliferation. In in vivo tests, all groups have shown biocompatibility and increased level of osteogenic potential. However, Group 2 had significantly higher bone regeneration (p<0.05). This experiment confirmed that H2O2 can be an optimal processing method for duck-beak bone particle.

Bone-Healing Capacity of PCL/PLGA/Duck Beak Scaffold in Critical Bone Defects in a Rabbit Model.

Bone defects are repaired using either natural or synthetic bone grafts. Poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PCL), ß-tricalcium phosphate (TCP), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) are widely used as synthetic materials for tissue engineering. This study aimed to investigate the bone-healing capacity of PCL/PLGA/duck beak scaffold in critical bone defects and the oxidative stress status of the graft site in a rabbit model. The in vivo performance of 48 healthy New Zealand White rabbits, weighing between 2.5 and 3.5 kg, was evaluated. The rabbits were assigned to the following groups: group 1 (control), group 2 (PCL/PLGA hybrid scaffolds), group 3 (PCL/PLGA/TCP hybrid scaffolds), and group 4 (PCL/PLGA/DB hybrid scaffolds). A 5 mm critical defect was induced in the diaphysis of the left radius. X-ray, micro-CT, and histological analyses were conducted at (time 0) 4, 8, and 12 weeks after implantation. Furthermore, bone formation markers (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen, and osteocalcin) were measured and oxidative stress status was determined. X-ray, micro-CT, biochemistry, and histological analyses revealed that the PCL/PLGA/duck beak scaffold promotes new bone formation in rabbit radius by inducing repair, suggesting that it could be a good option for the treatment of fracture.