Histological aspects of cellulite: shedding light on 100 years of uncertainties.

Cellulite is a common topographic condition of the skin manifested as lumpy, dimpled flesh resembling an orange peel on some zones such as the thighs, hips, buttocks and abdomen. The aetiology of this cosmetic issue is multifactorial, with hormonal, anatomical, environmental and genetic factors influencing its origin, although the exact mechanisms which cause this condition are still unknown. In the present work, a bibliographic analysis of the cellulite etiology has been updated and exposed, as well as the multiple classification grade scales established over the decades. In addition, a new method to classify cellulite severity, in which the clinical manifestations are correlated to the histological aspects more frequently found in the patients, has been presented. Several theories regarding its appearance, structure and clinical aspects have arisen with the aim of developing and establishing a valuable therapeutic approach. However, the lack of a consensus regarding the classification of cellulite severity has complicated the developments within this field.

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins confer water stress tolerance to mammalian somatic cells.

Late Embryogenesis Abundant (LEA) proteins are commonly found in plants and other organisms capable of undergoing severe and reversible dehydration, a phenomenon termed "anhydrobiosis". Here, we have produced a tagged version for three different LEA proteins: pTag-RAB17-GFP-N, Zea mays dehydrin-1dhn, expressed in the nucleo-cytoplasm; pTag-WCOR410-RFP, Tricum aestivum cold acclimation protein WCOR410, binds to cellular membranes, and pTag-LEA-BFP, Artemia franciscana LEA protein group 3 that targets the mitochondria. Sheep fibroblasts transfected with single or all three LEA proteins were subjected to air drying under controlled conditions. After rehydration, cell viability and functionality of the membrane/mitochondria were assessed. After 4 h of air drying, cells from the un-transfected control group were almost completely nonviable (1% cell alive), while cells expressing LEA proteins showed high viability (more than 30%), with the highest viability (58%) observed in fibroblasts expressing all three LEA proteins. Growth rate was markedly compromised in control cells, while LEA-expressing cells proliferated at a rate comparable to non-air-dried cells. Plasmalemma, cytoskeleton and mitochondria appeared unaffected in LEA-expressing cells, confirming the protection conferred by LEA proteins on these organelles during dehydration stress. This is likely to be an effective strategy when aiming to confer desiccation tolerance to mammalian cells.

Placental Stem Cells from Domestic Animals: Translational Potential and Clinical Relevance.

The field of regenerative medicine is moving toward clinical practice in veterinary science. In this context, placenta-derived stem cells isolated from domestic animals have covered a dual role, acting both as therapies for patients and as a valuable cell source for translational models. The biological properties of placenta-derived cells, comparable among mammals, make them attractive candidates for therapeutic approaches. In particular, stemness features, low immunogenicity, immunomodulatory activity, multilineage plasticity, and their successful capacity for long-term engraftment in different host tissues after autotransplantation, allo-transplantation, or xenotransplantation have been demonstrated. Their beneficial regenerative effects in domestic animals have been proven using preclinical studies as well as clinical trials starting to define the mechanisms involved. This is, in particular, for amniotic-derived cells that have been thoroughly studied to date. The regenerative role arises from a mutual tissue-specific cell differentiation and from the paracrine secretion of bioactive molecules that ultimately drive crucial repair processes in host tissues (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, angiogenic, and neurogenic factors). The knowledge acquired so far on the mechanisms of placenta-derived stem cells in animal models represent the proof of concept of their successful use in some therapeutic treatments such as for musculoskeletal disorders. In the next future, legislation in veterinary regenerative medicine will be a key element in order to certify those placenta-derived cell-based protocols that have already demonstrated their safety and efficacy using rigorous approaches and to improve the degree of standardization of cell-based treatments among veterinary clinicians.

Effect of Origanum vulgare essential oil on biofilm formation and motility capacity of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains isolated from discoloured Mozzarella cheese.

AIMS: The study was focused on Pseudomonas fluorescens strains isolated from Mozzarella cheese, with the aim of evaluating the effects of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil (OEO) on the biofilm formation and eradication, as well as on the motility and blue pigment production at 10°C. METHODS AND RESULTS: Microdilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentration of the OEO, which ranged between 10 and 40 µl ml-1 . In vitro studies demonstrated that a sublethal concentration of OEO influenced not only P. fluorescens growth and motility but also the capability to form biofilm and, in a lower degree, the biofilm eradication at 10°C. Analysis by confocal microscopy revealed a dramatic reduction in biofilm formation and thickness, with scattered damage or death of cells, stained by propidium iodide. In addition, a concentration of 5 µl ml-1 of OEO affected the motility of the cells and, in particular, their ability to swim. However, the essential oil did not inhibit the blue pigment production by any of the tested strains. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest that oregano essential oil inhibits the biofilm formation of P. fluorescens strains and alters their motility. Moreover, in the preformed biofilm, OEO contributes to the detachment of the cells, deteriorating the architecture of the biofilm and reducing its thickness. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The O. vulgare L. essential oil was revealed as a promising agent against biofilm formation and for its detaching; these results suggest that oregano EO could be used in the dairy food industry to control biofilm formation, as an alternative, or in combination with conventional sanitizers.

Ovine amniotic epithelial cells: in vitro characterization and transplantation into equine superficial digital flexor tendon spontaneous defects.

In vitro expanded and frosted ovine amniotic epithelial cells (oAECs) were evaluated for their phenotype, stemness and attitude to differentiate into tenocytes. Fifteen horses with acute tendon lesions were treated with one intralesional injection of oAECs. Tendon recovery under controlled training was monitored. In vitro expanded oAECs showed a constant proliferative ability, a conserved phenotype and stable expression profile of stemness markers. Differentiation into tenocytes was also regularly documented. US controls showed the infilling of the defect and early good alignment of the fibers and 12 horses resumed their previous activity. Histological and immunohistochemical examinations in an explanted tendon demonstrated the low immunogenicity of oAECs that were able to survive in the healing site. In addition, oAECs supported the regenerative process producing ovine collagen type I amongst the equine collagen fibers. Considering our results, oAECs can be proposed as a new approach for the treatment of spontaneous equine tendon injuries.

Quantitative assessment of bronchiolar smooth muscle in healthy and diseased porcine lungs.

Smooth muscle cells are major components of bronchiolar wall. Bronchiolar smooth muscle is reported to increase in some veterinary pulmonary disorders, but such assumption is not supported by detailed morphometric analyses. The present investigation aimed at quantitatively evaluating bronchiolar smooth muscle in healthy and diseased pig lungs. Our results suggest that bronchiolar smooth muscle cells significantly modify in size and number under different disease conditions, namely parasitic bronchopneumonia and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae-induced enzootic pneumonia. Further studies are needed in order to understand the pathogenesis and the functional impact of such changes.

Achilles tendon regeneration can be improved by amniotic epithelial cell allotransplantation.

Amniotic epithelial cells (AECs) are ideal seed cells for tissue regeneration, but no research has yet been reported on their tendon regeneration potential. This study investigated the efficiency of AEC allotransplantation for tendon healing, as well as the mechanism involved. To this aim ovine AECs, characterized by specific surface and stemness markers (CD14(-), CD31(-), CD45(-), CD49f, CD29, CD166, OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, TERT), were allotransplanted into experimentally induced tissue defects in sheep Achilles tendon. In situ tissue repair revealed that AEC-treated tendons had much better structural and mechanical recoveries than control ones during the early phase of healing. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses indicated that extracellular matrix remodeling was more rapid and that immature collagen fibers were completely replaced by mature ones in 28 days. Moreover, spatial-temporal analysis of cellularity, proliferation index, vascular area, and leukocyte infiltration revealed that AECs induced a specific centripetal healing process that first started in the tissue closer to the healthy portion of the tendons, where AECs rapidly migrated to then progress through the core of the lesion. This peculiar healing evolution could have been induced by the growth factor stimulatory influence (TGF-ß1 and VEGF) and/or by the host progenitor cells recruitment, but also as the consequence of a direct tenogenic AEC differentiation resulting in the regeneration of new tendon matrix. These findings demonstrate that AECs can support tendon regeneration, and their effects may be used to develop future strategies to treat tendon disease characterized by a poor clinical outcome in veterinary medicine.