ABSTRACT
The purpose of this work was to investigate the isolation, culture process of chicken gonadal primordial germ cells (PGCs) and study their biological characterization. PGCs were harvested from 5.5-day-old chicken embryonic genital ridges and explanted onto chicken embryonic fibroblasts (CEFs). The results showed that the primary cultivation of chicken PGCs on their own gonadal stroma cells were better than CEFs at first two days for reproduction. The conditioned media supported the growth and colony formation of PGCs for a prolonged time in vitro and maintained a normal diploid karyotype, which were positively stained by alkaline phosphatase (AKP), periodic acid Schiff (PAS) and reacted with anti-SSEA-1, SSEA-3, Oct4, Blimp1 and Sox2. Real-time PCR showed that they expressed the stage specific genes CVH, Blimp1 and Dazl, the stem cell specific genes Sox2, Pouv and Nanog. They also formed the embryoid bodies (EBs). These results suggested that the chicken PGCs cultured in vitro not only had strong self-renewal ability, but also had the potential capability of multi-lineage differentiation.
ABSTRACT
Background: Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) are rare neoplasms, usually arising from peripheral nerves or showing a nerve sheath differentiation. Primary MPNSTs of the scalp is exceptionally rare, and only sporadic cases have been reported recently. Objectives: Report a rare case of giant malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) beneath occipital scalp, and discuss how to treat with this kind of tumor. Methods: Descriptive study of a rare case of giant peripheral nerve sheath tumors of occipital scalp without adjuvant treatment with nine months follow up. Results: In a 52-year-old man with MPNSTs beneath occipital scalp, the tumor was treated with complete surgical resection. Histological examination proved that the lesion was a scalp MPNST. The patient was followed up asymptomatic for the following nine months after surgical resection without adjuvant radiotherapy. Conclusion: MPNSTs beneath the occipital scalp should be treated individually, for those well-circumscribed MPNSTs without bone destruction or brain invasion (low-grade tumors), complete surgical resection with clear margins (if possible) is recommended. Otherwise, adjuvant postoperative radiotherapy is necessary.
ABSTRACT
Flow cytometry (FCM) is a technology for fast qualitation, quantitative analysis and separation of single cells or other biological particles. The method is rapid, sensitive and accurate, and its objective and direct result can be analyzed with multi-parameters simultaneously. The morphological, biochemical and molecular changes during apoptosis include cellular shrinkage, permeability transition of plasma membrane, caspases activation, dissipation of mitochondrial trans-membrane potential, phosphatidylserine redistribution, calcium flux and DNA fragmentation and content. The review outlined the methods to characterize, identify and quantify apoptoUc cells by flow cytometry to further determine cell apoptosis.
ABSTRACT
The myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (Myd88) is an essential adaptor protein, which mediates in all Toll-like receptor (TLR) members signal transduction, except for TLR3. In this study, the 4464 bp genomic sequence of porcine Myd88 was first isolated, whereupon tissue distribution, chromosome mapping and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were analyzed. Our results revealed that porcine Myd88 gene, which was located at chromosome 13 linked with marker S0288 (distance = 40 cR; LOD = 8.66), was widely expressed in all the examined tissues. There were 16 potential SNPs in the isolated genome fragment. SNP 797T/C in the first intron was studied, with no significant association being found between the genotype and immune traits in pigs (p > 0.05). The porcine Myd88 protein contained both the death domain (DD) and the Toll/IL-1 receptor domain (TIR). Leu residues, essential for its structure, were the most abundant encountered in the DD. The TIR contained two conserved motifs which may play important roles in the Myd88 function.