Corneal neuroepithelial compartmentalized microfluidic chip model for evaluation of toxicity-induced dry eye.

Part of the lacrimal functional unit, the cornea protects the ocular surface from numerous environmental aggressions and xenobiotics. Toxicological evaluation of compounds remains a challenge due to complex interactions between corneal nerve endings and epithelial cells. To this day, models do not integrate the physiological specificity of corneal nerve endings and are insufficient for the detection of low toxic effects essential to anticipate Toxicity-Induced Dry Eye (TIDE). Using high-content imaging tool, we here characterize toxicity-induced cellular alterations using primary cultures of mouse trigeminal sensory neurons and corneal epithelial cells in a compartmentalized microfluidic chip. We validate this model through the analysis of benzalkonium chloride (BAC) toxicity, a well-known preservative in eyedrops, after a single (6h) or repeated (twice a day for 15 min over 5 days) topical 5.10-4% BAC applications on the corneal epithelial cells and nerve terminals. In combination with high-content image analysis, this advanced microfluidic protocol reveal specific and tiny changes in the epithelial cells and axonal network as well as in trigeminal cells, not directly exposed to BAC, with ATF3/6 stress markers and phospho-p44/42 cell activation marker. Altogether, this corneal neuroepithelial chip enables the evaluation of toxic effects of ocular xenobiotics, distinguishing the impact on corneal sensory innervation and epithelial cells. The combination of compartmentalized co-culture/high-content imaging/multiparameter analysis opens the way for the systematic analysis of toxicants but also neuroprotective compounds.

An overview of current alternative models in the context of ocular surface toxicity.

The 21st century has seen a steadily increasing social awareness of animal suffering, with increased attention to ethical considerations. Developing new integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA) strategies is an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) goal to reduce animal testing. Currently, there is a lack of alternative models to test for ocular surface toxicity (aside from irritation) in lieu of the Draize eye irritation test (OECD guideline No. 405) performed in rabbits. Five alternative in vitro or ex vivo methods have been validated to replace this reference test, but only in combination. However, pathologies like Toxicity-Induced Dry Eye (TIDE), cataract, glaucoma, and neuropathic pain can occur after exposure to a pharmaceutical product or chemical and therefore need to be anticipated. To do so, new models of lacrimal glands, lens, and neurons innervating epithelia are required. These models must take into account real-life exposure (dose, time, and tear film clearance). The scientific community is working hard to develop new, robust, alternative, in silico, and in vitro models, while attempting to balance ethics and availability of biological materials. This review provides a broad overview of the validated methods for analyzing ocular irritation and those still used by some industries, as well as promising models that need to be optimized according to the OECD. Finally, we give an overview of recently developed innovative models, which could become new tools in the evaluation of ocular surface toxicity within the scope of IATAs.

AOP and IATA applied to ocular surface toxicity.

Until now, the Draize test on rabbits has been the only test performed to anticipate ocular toxicity of pharmaceutical compounds, mainly irritation. The OECD is urging the scientific community to develop and validate alternative methods to reduce the need for animal testing. Since the models and tests used cannot reflect the entire biologic response, it is necessary to combine them into integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA) to obtain robust data. IATAs, along with adverse outcome pathways (AOP) that encompass molecular cascades and key events, require the best combinations of tests. This commentary manuscript describes these OECD tools and proposes original approaches for ocular surface AOP and an IATA for toxicity-induced dry eye (TIDE).

Effects of flavonoids on tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue is associated with tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and human papillomavirus (HPV) infections. While clinical outcomes have recently improved for HPV-positive patients in general, 50% of patients suffering from tongue cancer die within 5 years of being diagnosed. Flavonoids are secondary plant metabolites with a wide range of biological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. Flavonoids have generated high interest as therapeutic agents owing to their low toxicity and their effects on a large variety of cancer cell types. In this literature review, we evaluate the actions of flavonoids on SCC of the tongue demonstrated in both in vivo and in vitro models.

Morphology, pathology, and the vertebral posture of the La Chapelle-aux-Saints Neandertal.

Although the early postural reconstructions of the Neandertals as incompletely erect were rejected half a century ago, recent studies of Neandertal vertebral remains have inferred a hypolordotic, flat lower back and spinal imbalance for them, including the La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 skeleton. These studies form part of a persistent trend to view the Neandertals as less "human" than ourselves despite growing evidence for little if any differences in basic functional anatomy and behavioral capabilities. We have therefore reassessed the spinal posture of La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 using a new pelvic reconstruction to infer lumbar lordosis, interarticulation of lower lumbar (L4-S1) and cervical (C4-T2) vertebrae, and consideration of his widespread age-related osteoarthritis. La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 exhibits a pelvic incidence (and hence lumbar lordosis) similar to modern humans, articulation of lumbar and cervical vertebrae indicating pronounced lordosis, and Baastrup disease as a product of his advanced age, osteoarthritis, and lordosis. Our findings challenge the view of generally small spinal curvatures in Neandertals. Setting aside the developmentally abnormal Kebara 2 vertebral column, La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 is joined by other Neandertals with sufficient vertebral remains in providing them with a fully upright (and human) axial posture.

Functional integrative analysis of the human hip joint: the three-dimensional orientation of the acetabulum and its relation with the orientation of the femoral neck.

In humans, the hip joint occupies a central place in the locomotor system, as it plays an important role in body support and the transmission of the forces between the trunk and lower limbs. The study of the three-dimensional biomechanics of this joint has important implications for documenting the morphological changes associated with the acquisition of a habitual bipedal gait in humans. Functional integration at any joint has important implications in joint stability and performance. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional integration at the human hip joint. Both the level of concordance between the three-dimensional axes of the acetabulum and the femoral neck in a bipedal posture, and patterns of covariation between these two axes were analysed. First, inter-individual variations were quantified and significant differences in the three-dimensional orientations of both the acetabulum and the femoral neck were detected. On a sample of 57 individuals, significant patterns of covariation were identified, however, the level of concordance between the axes of both the acetabulum and the femoral neck in a bipedal posture was lower than could be expected for a key joint such as the hip. Patterns of covariation were explored regarding the complex three-dimensional biomechanics of the full pelvic-femoral complex. Finally, we suggest that the lower degree of concordance observed at the human hip joint in a bipedal posture might be partly due to the phylogenetic history of the human species.

How is sagittal balance acquired during bipedal gait acquisition? Comparison of neonatal and adult pelves in three dimensions. Evolutionary implications.

We compare adult and intact neonatal pelves, using a pelvic sagittal variable, the angle of sacral incidence, which presents significant correlations with vertebral curvature in adults and plays an important role in sagittal balance of the trunk on the lower limbs. Since the lumbar curvature develops in the child in association with gait acquisition, we expect a change in this angle during growth which could contribute to the acquisition of sagittal balance. To understand the mechanisms underlying the sagittal balance in the evolution of human bipedalism, we also measure the angle of incidence of hominid fossils. Fourty-seven landmarks were digitized on 50 adult and 19 intact neonatal pelves. We used a three-dimensional model of the pelvis (DE-VISU program) which calculates the angle of sacral incidence and related functional variables. Cross-sectional data from newborns and adults show that the angle of sacral incidence increases and becomes negatively correlated with the sacro-acetabular distance. During ontogeny the sacrum becomes curved, tends to sink down between the iliac blades as a wedge and moves backward in the sagittal plane relative to the acetabula, thus contributing to the backwards displacement of the center of gravity of the trunk. A chain of correlations links the degree of the sacral slope and of the angle of incidence, which is tightly linked with the lumbar lordosis. We sketch a model showing the coordinated changes occurring in the pelvis and vertebral column during the acquisition of bipedalism in infancy. In the australopithecine pelves, Sts 14 and AL 288-1, and in the Homo erectus Gona pelvis the angle of sacral incidence reaches the mean values of humans. Discussing the incomplete pelves of Ardipithecus ramidus, Australopithecus sediba and the Nariokotome Boy, we suggest how the functional linkage between pelvis and spine, observed in humans, could have emerged during hominid evolution.

A three-dimensional axis for the study of femoral neck orientation.

A common problem in the quantification of the orientation of the femoral neck is the difficulty to determine its true axis; however, this axis is typically estimated visually only. Moreover, the orientation of the femoral neck is commonly analysed using angles that are dependent on anatomical planes of reference and only quantify the orientation in two dimensions. The purpose of this study is to establish a method to determine the three-dimensional orientation of the femoral neck using a three-dimensional model. An accurate determination of the femoral neck axis requires a reconsideration of the complex architecture of the proximal femur. The morphology of the femoral neck results from both the medial and arcuate trabecular systems, and the asymmetry of the cortical bone. Given these considerations, two alternative models, in addition to the cylindrical one frequently assumed, were tested. The surface geometry of the femoral neck was subsequently used to fit one cylinder, two cylinders and successive cross-sectional ellipses. The model based on successive ellipses provided a significantly smaller average deviation than the two other models (P < 0.001) and reduced the observer-induced measurement error. Comparisons with traditional measurements and analyses on a sample of 91 femora were also performed to assess the validity of the model based on successive ellipses. This study provides a semi-automatic and accurate method for the determination of the functional three-dimensional femoral neck orientation avoiding the use of a reference plane. This innovative method has important implications for future studies that aim to document and understand the change in the orientation of the femoral neck associated with the acquisition of a bipedal gait in humans. Moreover, the precise determination of the three-dimensional orientation has implications in current research involved in developing clinical applications in diagnosis, hip surgery and rehabilitation.

Technical note: Shape variability induced by reassembly of human pelvic bones.

In traditional as well as in geometric morphometric studies, the shape of the pelvis is often quantified after the reassembly of the two hip bones and the sacrum. However, on dry bones, the morphology of the cartilaginous tissues that form the two sacroiliac joints and the pubic symphysis before death remains unknown, leading to potential inaccuracies and errors during the reassembly process. A protocol was established to investigate the effects of reassembly on the quantification of pelvis shape. The shape of fresh pelves obtained after dissection, in which the three bones are in an anatomically relevant position, was compared with the shape of different reassemblies based on the individual dry bones of the same individuals. Our results demonstrated a significant effect of the reassembly. Variation in the reassembly process is likely related, first, to the complete absence of cartilaginous tissues on dry bones and, second, to the morphology of the sacroiliac joint which, in vivo, allows physiological movements, resulting in different potential positions of the two sacroiliac surfaces relative to one another. However, the artificial variation introduced by the reassembly process appears small compared with the biological variation between the different individuals.

Study of the three-dimensional orientation of the labrum: its relations with the osseous acetabular rim.

Understanding the three-dimensional orientation of the coxo-femoral joint remains a challenge as an accurate three-dimensional orientation ensure an efficient bipedal gait and posture. The quantification of the orientation of the acetabulum can be performed using the three-dimensional axis perpendicular to the plane that passes along the edge of the acetabular rim. However, the acetabular rim is not regular as an important indentation in the anterior rim was observed. An innovative cadaver study of the labrum was developed to shed light on the proper quantification of the three-dimensional orientation of the acetabulum. Dissections on 17 non-embalmed corpses were performed. Our results suggest that the acetabular rim is better represented by an anterior plane and a posterior plane rather than a single plane along the entire rim as it is currently assumed. The development of the socket from the Y-shaped cartilage was suggested to explain the different orientations in these anterior and posterior planes. The labrum forms a plane that takes an orientation in between the anterior and posterior parts of the acetabular rim, filling up inequalities of the bony rim. The vectors V(L) , V(A2) and V(P) , representing the three-dimensional orientation of the labrum, the anterior rim and the posterior rim, are situated in a unique plane that appears biomechanically dependent. The three-dimensional orientation of the acetabulum is a fundamental parameter to understand the hip joint mechanism. Important applications for hip surgery and rehabilitation, as well as for physical anthropology, were discussed.

Study of femoral torsion during prenatal growth: interpretations associated with the effects of intrauterine pressure.

The developing fetus is protected from external environmental influences by maternal tissues. However, these structures have a limited elasticity, such that the fetus must grow in a confined space, constraining its size at the end of pregnancy. Can these constraints modify the morphology of the fetal skeleton? The intensity of these constraints increases between 5 months and birth, making it the most appropriate period to address this question. A sample of 89 fetal femora was analyzed, and results provide evidence that during this period, the torsion of the femoral shaft (quantified by means of a new three-dimensional method) increases gradually. Two explanations were considered: this increase could signal effects of constraints induced by the intrauterine cavity, developmental patterning, or some combination of these two. Different arguments tend to support the biomechanical explanation, rather than a programming pattern formation. Indeed, the identification of the femur as a first degree lever, created by the hyperflexion of the fetal lower limbs on the pelvis, could explain the increase in femoral shaft torsion during prenatal life. A comparison with femora of infants is in accordance with this mechanical interpretation, which is possible through bone modeling/remodeling. Although genetic and epigenetic mechanisms may regulate timing of fetal development, our data suggest that at birth, the fetal skeleton also has an intrauterine mechanical history through adaptive bone plasticity.