Tuling Wendan Decoction combined with flunarizine in the treatment of migraine patients and the effect of intervention on serum cyclooxygenase-2, endothelin-1 and nitric oxide.

This experiment aimed to explore the curative effect of Tuling Wendan Decoction combined with flunarizine on migraine patients and the intervention effect on serum cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitric oxide(NO) levels. For this purpose, from January 2019 to January 2020, 96 patients with migraine in our hospital were selected as the research object. Using a simple randomization method, patients who meet the criteria were assigned 1:1, and each patient was assigned a random number, of which the number 1 to 48 were the observation group, and the number 49 to 96 were the control group. The control group was treated with flunarizine, and the observation group was treated with Tuling Wendan Decoction combined with flunarizine. Comparing the efficacy, incidence of adverse reactions, the incidence of headache, cerebral blood flow rate [basal artery (BA), vertebral artery (VA), middle cerebral artery (MCA)], vascular endothelial function (serum COX-2, ET-1, NO levels), neurological function [5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)] before treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after treatment between the two groups. The results for efficacy showed that after 8 weeks of treatment, the total effective rate of the observation group (93.75%) was higher than that of the control group (77.08%, P<0.05). In regards to the situation of headache attack, the number of headache attacks, duration, pain degree and accompanying symptom scores of the observation group after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of treatment were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). Results of cerebral blood flow velocity showed that the blood flow velocity of BA, VA, MCA in the observation group was lower than that in the control group after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment (P<0.05). Vascular endothelial function results indicated that the serum COX-2 and ET-1 levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of treatment, and the serum NO levels were higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The serum BDNF and CGRP levels of the observation group were lower than those of the control group after 4 weeks and 8 weeks of treatment, and the serum 5-HT levels were higher than the control group (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). It was concluded that Tuling Wendan Decoction combined with flunarizine is the first treatment for migraine, with definite curative effect and can effectively improve the onset of headache, reduce the speed of cerebral blood flow, regulate vascular endothelial function and nerve function, and ensure safety.

Stapled peptides: providing the best of both worlds in drug development.

Peptide-based drug discovery has experienced a remarkable resurgence within the past decade due to the emerging class of inhibitors known as stapled peptides. Stapled peptides are therapeutic protein mimetics that have been locked within a specific conformational structure by hydrocarbon stapling. These peptides are highly important in selectively impairing disease-relevant protein-protein interactions and exhibit significant pharmacokinetic advantages over other forms of therapeutics in terms of affinity, specificity, size, synthetic accessibility and resistance to proteolytic degradation. A series of stapled peptides are currently in development, and the potential successes of these peptides, either as single-agent treatments or as combinational treatments with other therapeutic modalities, could potentially change the landscape of protein therapeutic development. Here, we provide examples of successful discovery efforts to illustrate the research strategies of stapled peptides in drug design and development.

Suppression of breast cancer metastasis through the inactivation of ADP-ribosylation factor 1.

Metastasis is the major cause of cancer-related death in breast cancer patients, which is controlled by specific sets of genes. Targeting these genes may provide a means to delay cancer progression and allow local treatment to be more effective. We report for the first time that ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) is the most amplified gene in ARF gene family in breast cancer, and high-level amplification of ARF1 is associated with increased mRNA expression and poor outcomes of patients with breast cancer. Knockdown of ARF1 leads to significant suppression of migration and invasion in breast cancer cells. Using the orthotopic xenograft model in NSG mice, we demonstrate that loss of ARF1 expression in breast cancer cells inhibits pulmonary metastasis. The zebrafish-metastasis model confirms that the ARF1 gene depletion suppresses breast cancer cells to metastatic disseminate throughout fish body, indicating that ARF1 is a very compelling target to limit metastasis. ARF1 function largely dependents on its activation and LM11, a cell-active inhibitor that specifically inhibits ARF1 activation through targeting the ARF1-GDP/ARNO complex at the Golgi, significantly impairs metastatic capability of breast cancer cell in zebrafish. These findings underline the importance of ARF1 in promoting metastasis and suggest that LM11 that inhibits ARF1 activation may represent a potential therapeutic approach to prevent or treat breast cancer metastasis.

ARF1 promotes prostate tumorigenesis via targeting oncogenic MAPK signaling.

ADP-ribosylation factor 1 (ARF1) is a crucial regulator in vesicle-mediated membrane trafficking and involved in the activation of signaling molecules. However, virtually nothing is known about its function in prostate cancer. Here we have demonstrated that ARF1 expression is significantly elevated in prostate cancer cells and human tissues and that the expression levels of ARF1 correlate with the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) ERK1/2. Furthermore, we have shown that overexpression and knockdown of ARF1 produce opposing effects on prostate cancer cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth and tumor growth in mouse xenograft models and that ARF1-mediated cell proliferation can be abolished by the Raf1 inhibitor GW5074 and the MEK inhibitors U0126 and PD98059. Moreover, inhibition of ARF1 activation achieved by mutating Thr48 abolishes ARF1's abilities to activate the ERK1/2 and to promote cell proliferation. These data demonstrate that the aberrant MAPK signaling in prostate cancer is, at least in part, under the control of ARF1 and that, similar to Ras, ARF1 is a critical regulator in prostate cancer progression. These data also suggest that ARF1 may represent a key molecular target for prostate cancer therapeutics and diagnosis.

The promise of zebrafish as a chemical screening tool in cancer therapy.

Cancer progression in zebrafish recapitulates many aspects of human cancer and as a result, zebrafish have been gaining popularity for their potential use in basic and translational cancer research. Human cancer can be modeled in zebrafish by induction using chemical mutagens, xenotransplantation or by genetic manipulation. Chemical screens based on zebrafish cancer models offer a rapid, powerful and inexpensive means of evaluating the potential of suppression or prevention on cancer. The identification of small molecules through such screens will serve as ideal entry points for novel chemical therapies for cancer treatment. This article outlines advances that have been made within the growing field of zebrafish cancer models and presents their advantages for chemical drug screening.

Evaluating human cancer cell metastasis in zebrafish.

BACKGROUND: In vivo metastasis assays have traditionally been performed in mice, but the process is inefficient and costly. However, since zebrafish do not develop an adaptive immune system until 14 days post-fertilization, human cancer cells can survive and metastasize when transplanted into zebrafish larvae. Despite isolated reports, there has been no systematic evaluation of the robustness of this system to date. METHODS: Individual cell lines were stained with CM-Dil and injected into the perivitelline space of 2-day old zebrafish larvae. After 2-4 days fish were imaged using confocal microscopy and the number of metastatic cells was determined using Fiji software. RESULTS: To determine whether zebrafish can faithfully report metastatic potential in human cancer cells, we injected a series of cells with different metastatic potential into the perivitelline space of 2 day old embryos. Using cells from breast, prostate, colon and pancreas we demonstrated that the degree of cell metastasis in fish is proportional to their invasion potential in vitro. Highly metastatic cells such as MDA231, DU145, SW620 and ASPC-1 are seen in the vasculature and throughout the body of the fish after only 24-48 hours. Importantly, cells that are not invasive in vitro such as T47D, LNCaP and HT29 do not metastasize in fish. Inactivation of JAK1/2 in fibrosarcoma cells leads to loss of invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo, and in zebrafish these cells show limited spread throughout the zebrafish body compared with the highly metastatic parental cells. Further, knockdown of WASF3 in DU145 cells which leads to loss of invasion in vitro and metastasis in vivo also results in suppression of metastasis in zebrafish. In a cancer progression model involving normal MCF10A breast epithelial cells, the degree of invasion/metastasis in vitro and in mice is mirrored in zebrafish. Using a modified version of Fiji software, it is possible to quantify individual metastatic cells in the transparent larvae to correlate with invasion potential. We also demonstrate, using lung cancers, that the zebrafish model can evaluate the metastatic ability of cancer cells isolated from primary tumors. CONCLUSIONS: The zebrafish model described here offers a rapid, robust, and inexpensive means of evaluating the metastatic potential of human cancer cells. Using this model it is possible to critically evaluate whether genetic manipulation of signaling pathways affects metastasis and whether primary tumors contain metastatic cells.

COP1 and GSK3ß cooperate to promote c-Jun degradation and inhibit breast cancer cell tumorigenesis.

High abundance of c-Jun is detected in invasive breast cancer cells and aggressive breast tumor malignancies. Here, we demonstrate that a major cause of high c-Jun abundance in invasive breast cancer cells is prolonged c-Jun protein stability owing to poor poly-ubiquitination of c-Jun. Among the known c-Jun-targeting E3 ligases, we identified constitutive photomorphogenesis protein 1 (COP1) as an E3 ligase responsible for c-Jun degradation in less invasive breast cancer cells because depletion of COP1 reduced c-Jun poly-ubiquitination leading to the stabilization of c-Jun protein. In a panel of breast cancer cell lines, we observed an inverse association between the levels of COP1 and c-Jun. However, overexpressing COP1 alone was unable to decrease c-Jun level in invasive breast cancer cells, indicating that efficient c-Jun protein degradation necessitates an additional event. Indeed, we found that glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3) inhibitors elevated c-Jun abundance in less invasive breast cancer cells and that GSK3ß nonphosphorylable c-Jun-T239A mutant displayed greater protein stability and poorer poly-ubiquitination compared to the wild-type c-Jun. The ability of simultaneously enforced expression of COP1 and constitutively active GSK3ß to decrease c-Jun abundance in invasive breast cancer cells allowed us to conclude that c-Jun is negatively regulated through the coordinated action of COP1 and GSK3ß. Importantly, co-expressing COP1 and active GSK3ß blocked in vitro cell growth/migration and in vivo metastasis of invasive breast cancer cells. Gene expression profiling of breast tumor specimens further revealed that higher COP1 expression correlated with better recurrence-free survival. Our study supports the notion that COP1 is a suppressor of breast cancer progression.

Silencer-delimited transgenesis: NRSE/RE1 sequences promote neural-specific transgene expression in a NRSF/REST-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: We have investigated a simple strategy for enhancing transgene expression specificity by leveraging genetic silencer elements. The approach serves to restrict transgene expression to a tissue of interest - the nervous system in the example provided here - thereby promoting specific/exclusive targeting of discrete cellular subtypes. Recent innovations are bringing us closer to understanding how the brain is organized, how neural circuits function, and how neurons can be regenerated. Fluorescent proteins enable mapping of the 'connectome', optogenetic tools allow excitable cells to be short-circuited or hyperactivated, and targeted ablation of neuronal subtypes facilitates investigations of circuit function and neuronal regeneration. Optimally, such toolsets need to be expressed solely within the cell types of interest as off-site expression makes establishing causal relationships difficult. To address this, we have exploited a gene 'silencing' system that promotes neuronal specificity by repressing expression in non-neural tissues. This methodology solves non-specific background issues that plague large-scale enhancer trap efforts and may provide a means of leveraging promoters/enhancers that otherwise express too broadly to be of value for in vivo manipulations. RESULTS: We show that a conserved neuron-restrictive silencer element (NRSE) can function to restrict transgene expression to the nervous system. The neuron-restrictive silencing factor/repressor element 1 silencing transcription factor (NRSF/REST) transcriptional repressor binds NRSE/repressor element 1 (RE1) sites and silences gene expression in non-neuronal cells. Inserting NRSE sites into transgenes strongly biased expression to neural tissues. NRSE sequences were effective in restricting expression of bipartite Gal4-based 'driver' transgenes within the context of an enhancer trap and when associated with a defined promoter and enhancer. However, NRSE sequences did not serve to restrict expression of an upstream activating sequence (UAS)-based reporter/effector transgene when associated solely with the UAS element. Morpholino knockdown assays showed that NRSF/REST expression is required for NRSE-based transgene silencing. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that the addition of NRSE sequences to transgenes can provide useful new tools for functional studies of the nervous system. However, the general approach may be more broadly applicable; tissue-specific silencer elements are operable in tissues other than the nervous system, suggesting this approach can be similarly applied to other paradigms. Thus, creating synthetic associations between endogenous regulatory elements and tissue-specific silencers may facilitate targeting of cellular subtypes for which defined promoters/enhancers are lacking.

Zebrafish rest regulates developmental gene expression but not neurogenesis.

The transcriptional repressor Rest (Nrsf) recruits chromatin-modifying complexes to RE1 'silencer elements', which are associated with hundreds of neural genes. However, the requirement for Rest-mediated transcriptional regulation of embryonic development and cell fate is poorly understood. Conflicting views of the role of Rest in controlling cell fate have emerged from recent studies. To address these controversies, we examined the developmental requirement for Rest in zebrafish using zinc-finger nuclease-mediated gene targeting. We discovered that germ layer specification progresses normally in rest mutants despite derepression of target genes during embryogenesis. This analysis provides the first evidence that maternal rest is essential for repression of target genes during blastula stages. Surprisingly, neurogenesis proceeds largely normally in rest mutants, although abnormalities are observed within the nervous system, including defects in oligodendrocyte precursor cell development and a partial loss of facial branchiomotor neuron migration. Mutants progress normally through embryogenesis but many die as larvae (after 12 days). However, some homozygotes reach adulthood and are viable. We utilized an RE1/NRSE transgenic reporter system to dynamically monitor Rest activity. This analysis revealed that Rest is required to repress gene expression in mesodermal derivatives including muscle and notochord, as well as within the nervous system. Finally, we demonstrated that Rest is required for long-term repression of target genes in non-neural tissues in adult zebrafish. Our results point to a broad role for Rest in fine-tuning neural gene expression, rather than as a widespread regulator of neurogenesis or cell fate.

Complete sequence of a viral nervous necrosis virus (NNV) isolated from red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) in China.

A nodavirus isolated from red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus akaara) larvae in China has been subjected to genome analysis. The full-length genome sequences of RNA1 and RNA2 were determined, and the 5'-non-coding region (NCR) and 3'NCR sequences were determined by 5' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) and 3'RACE. RNA1 is 3,103 nt in length and contains a 982-amino-acid open reading frame (ORF) encoding protein A with a calculated molecular mass of 110.74 kDa. RNA2 is 1,433 nt long and contains a 338-amino-acid major ORF encoding coat protein with a calculated molecular mass of 37.059 kDa. Multiple alignment and phylogenetic analysis clearly supported including this virus in the species Redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus, genus Betanodavirus, family Nodaviridae.

Automated reporter quantification in vivo: high-throughput screening method for reporter-based assays in zebrafish.

Reporter-based assays underlie many high-throughput screening (HTS) platforms, but most are limited to in vitro applications. Here, we report a simple whole-organism HTS method for quantifying changes in reporter intensity in individual zebrafish over time termed, Automated Reporter Quantification in vivo (ARQiv). ARQiv differs from current "high-content" (e.g., confocal imaging-based) whole-organism screening technologies by providing a purely quantitative data acquisition approach that affords marked improvements in throughput. ARQiv uses a fluorescence microplate reader with specific detection functionalities necessary for robust quantification of reporter signals in vivo. This approach is: 1) Rapid; achieving true HTS capacities (i.e., >50,000 units per day), 2) Reproducible; attaining HTS-compatible assay quality (i.e., Z'-factors of ≥0.5), and 3) Flexible; amenable to nearly any reporter-based assay in zebrafish embryos, larvae, or juveniles. ARQiv is used here to quantify changes in: 1) Cell number; loss and regeneration of two different fluorescently tagged cell types (pancreatic beta cells and rod photoreceptors), 2) Cell signaling; relative activity of a transgenic Notch-signaling reporter, and 3) Cell metabolism; accumulation of reactive oxygen species. In summary, ARQiv is a versatile and readily accessible approach facilitating evaluation of genetic and/or chemical manipulations in living zebrafish that complements current "high-content" whole-organism screening methods by providing a first-tier in vivo HTS drug discovery platform.

Loss of zebrafish lgi1b leads to hydrocephalus and sensitization to pentylenetetrazol induced seizure-like behavior.

Mutations in the LGI1 gene predispose to a hereditary epilepsy syndrome and is the first gene associated with this disease which does not encode an ion channel protein. In zebrafish, there are two paralogs of the LGI1 gene, lgi1a and lgi1b. Knockdown of lgi1a results in a seizure-like hyperactivity phenotype with associated developmental abnormalities characterized by cellular loss in the eyes and brain. We have now generated knockdown morphants for the lgi1b gene which also show developmental abnormalities but do not show a seizure-like behavior. Instead, the most striking phenotype involves significant enlargement of the ventricles (hydrocephalus). As shown for the lgi1a morphants, however, lgi1b morphants are also sensitized to PTZ-induced hyperactivity. The different phenotypes between the two lgi1 morphants support a subfunctionalization model for the two paralogs.

Evaluation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid diagnosis of soft-shelled turtle iridovirus.

Softshelled turtle iridovirus (STIV) is the first Asian iridovirus isolated from reptiles, which infects soft-shelled turtles severely and leads to "Red neck disease" associated with high mortality. A set of four specific primers was designed by targeting the STIV Thymidine kinase (TK) gene and amplified STIV DNA specifically under optimized amplification conditions at 63°C for 60 min. The sensitivity of the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was found to be 20 copies/µl of STIV DNA. To evaluate the application of the LAMP assay for detection of STIV in clinical samples, 223 samples suspected of STIV infection from turtle tissues were tested by the LAMP assay and by cell-based virus isolation. A 78.5% concordance was observed between the results of the two methods. In this study, a robust and simple LAMP assay for rapid detection of STIV was developed and evaluated, which is the first suitable for potential diagnosis and helping to monitor STIV infections in the aquaculture industry.

Knockdown of zebrafish Lgi1a results in abnormal development, brain defects and a seizure-like behavioral phenotype.

Epilepsy is a common disorder, typified by recurrent seizures with underlying neurological disorders or disease. Approximately one-third of patients are unresponsive to currently available therapies. Thus, a deeper understanding of the genetics and etiology of epilepsy is needed to advance the development of new therapies. Previously, treatment of zebrafish with epilepsy-inducing pharmacological agents was shown to result in a seizure-like phenotype, suggesting that fish provide a tractable model to understand the function of epilepsy-predisposing genes. Here, we report the first model of genetically linked epilepsy in zebrafish and provide an initial characterization of the behavioral and neurological phenotypes associated with morpholino (MO) knockdown of leucine-rich, glioma-inactivated 1a (lgi1a) expression. Mutations in the LGI1 gene in humans have been shown to predispose to a subtype of autosomal dominant epilepsy. Low-dose Lgi1a MO knockdown fish (morphants) appear morphologically normal but are sensitized to epilepsy-inducing drugs. High-dose Lgi1a morphants have morphological defects which persist into adult stages that are typified by smaller brains and eyes and abnormalities in tail shape, and display hyperactive swimming behaviors. Increased apoptosis was observed throughout the central nervous system of high-dose morphant fish, accounting for the size reduction of neural tissues. These observations demonstrate that zebrafish can be exploited to dissect the embryonic function(s) of genes known to predispose to seizure-like behavior in humans, and offer potential insight into the relationship between developmental neurobiological abnormalities and seizure.

Development of a sensitive and quantitative assay for spring viremia of carp virus based on real-time RT-PCR.

A one-step real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a TaqMan probe to quantitatively detect spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) is described. In this assay, a pair of primers amplifying an 81-bp DNA fragment and a TaqMan probe was designed targeting the conserved region at the SVCV glycoprotein (G) gene. To avoid the disadvantages arising from plasmids, an extension adding a T7 phage polymerase promoter to the 5' end of the antisense primer was carried out to obtain viral cRNA. Standardized cycle threshold (Ct) values for 10-fold serial dilutions of SVCV cRNA were achieved by real-time RT-PCR and used to create standard curves. A regression line between the mean Ct values and viral template concentrations over a 1:10(7) dilution range with an r(2) value (0.9916) and a slope (-3.36) and the coefficient of variation (intra- or inter-assay is <2% and <4%, respectively) indicated that the assay was highly reproducible. The assay was specific to SVCV and there was no cross-reactivity with other fish viruses (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, VHSV; infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, IPNV; grass carp reovirus, GCRV; epizootic haematopoietic necrosis virus, EHNV). The standard curve allows precise absolute quantitation and shows that the detection limit of the assay is 40 copies of the viral RNA. This one-step RT-PCR assay was evaluated using 60 clinical common carp samples collected during the year 2006, indicating such technology offers considerable advantages over conventional RT-PCR methods in current routine use for SVCV surveillance. This is the first report of the development of a one-step TaqMan RT-PCR for SVCV detection.

Reproduction and fertility in wild-type and transgenic mice after orthotopic transplantation of cryopreserved ovaries from 10-d-old mice.

Ovary cryopreservation and subsequent transplantation can enable researchers to preserve valuable transgenic animal strains. Some studies have indicated, however, that this process may impair ovary viability and recipient fertility. The authors investigated the effects of ovary vitrification followed by orthotopic transplantation in five strains of mice. They grafted fresh and frozen ovaries of 10-d-old mice into 4-week-old ovariectomized recipients. In addition to using wild-type strains (BALB/cAn and ICR/JCL), the authors used a transgene system that enabled them to identify whether offspring derived from the ovary of the recipient or that of the donor: they transplanted ovaries from one transgenic strain (LAP/rtTA) into wild-type C57BL/6J mice and into mice from a second transgenic strain (pTet/Cd226). The authors then determined the origin of the offspring born to these recipients using PCR. Ovary cryopreservation seemed to have no effect on the long-term fertility and reproductive characteristics of recipients and their offspring.

Whole-genome transcriptional profiles of a novel marine fish iridovirus, Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) in virus-infected grouper spleen cell cultures and in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephulus coioides.

A DNA microarray containing all Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) open reading frames (ORFs) was constructed to map the viral gene transcriptional profiles in virus-infected grouper spleen (GS) cells and in spleen tissues of virus-infected grouper. The results showed that viral genes started to be transcribed as early as 1 h postinfection (p.i.), and followed by a rapid increasing gene expression along with virus infection in cell cultures. The three temporal kinetic classes (15 immediate-early, 89 early and 53 late transcripts) were classified during an in vitro infection by their dependence on de novo protein synthesis and viral DNA replication inhibitors. In SGIV-infected grouper, Epinephulus coioides, most of the viral genes were expressed between 1 and 4 d p.i., and the number and expression levels started to decrease after 5 d p.i. These data were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. This study provides an experimental basis for investigation of virus-host interactions and the development of control strategies against SGIV infection.

Simultaneous detection of three fish rhabdoviruses using multiplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR assay.

Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) are three important fish rhabdoviruses, causing serious Office International des Epizooties (OIE) classified diseases in wild and farmed fish. Here, a new multiplex real-time quantitative RT-PCR (mqRT-PCR) assay was developed for simultaneous detection, identification and quantification of these three rhabdoviruses. The sets of primers and probes were targeted to conserved regions of glycoprotein (G) gene of SVCV, nucleoprotein (N) gene of IHNV and G gene of VHSV and used to amplify. The sensitivity, specificity and interference test of mqRT-PCR assay was analyzed. It was shown that the detection levels of 100 copies of SVCV, 220 copies of IHNV and 140 copies of VHSV were achieved, and there was no non-specific amplification and cross-reactivity using RNA of pike fry rhabdovirus (PFRV), infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) and grass carp reovirus (GCRV). A total of 80 clinical fish samples were tested using the mqRT-PCR assay and the results were confirmed by antigen-capture ELISA and cell culture assay. This assay has the potential to be used for both research applications and diagnosis.

Two allogeneic descendents derived from the high-dose busulfan-treated infertile mouse model after freeze-thawed spermatogonial stem cell transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate restoration of spermatogenesis and fertility of the recipients who underwent high-dose ablative treatment before freeze-thawed spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) allotransplantation. DESIGN: Prospective experimental study. SETTING: University-based teaching hospital. ANIMAL(S): Adult busulfan-treated BALB/c nude mice as recipients of C(57)BL/6 pup SSCs, oocytes of 4-to 6-week-old F(1) hybrid mice for IVF, adult closed group ICR mouse as pseudopregnant female. INTERVENTION(S): Isolation, purification, and fresh and freeze-thawed transplantation, IVF, embryo transplantation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Cell viability, Western blot, real-time fluorescence quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (PCR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), outcome of IVF, and embryo transplantation. RESULT(S): Western blot, real-time fluorescence quantitative-PCR, and SEM revealed different spermatogenesis where the fresh groups were uniquely higher than the freeze-thawed groups. A total of six developed two-cell embryos obtained by IVF were transplanted into the oviduct of a pseudopregnant ICR mouse, which resulted in a birth of two paternally different pups. Two female offspring grew into healthy adults with no apparent abnormalities. CONCLUSION(S): The results provide the first solid evidence that spermatozoa generated from the busulfan-treated recipient and donor cryopreserved SSCs were both fertile. Ultimate evaluation of the SSC cryopreservation and transplantation technology rests on their functional capacity to generate desirable donor spermatogenesis and fertility in the recipient.