Altered Chief Cell Morphology in the Gastric Gland of Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats

SUMMARY: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder with rising incidences worldwide. Gastric symptoms of DM have been reported, including nausea, vomiting, bloating, and epigastric pain. Moreover, acute to chronic gastritis and atrophic gastritis occur in DM can affect the chief cells of the gastric gland. Chief cells are vital because of their ability to digest and separate vitamin B12 from protein. Lack of vitamin B12 leads to impaired DNA synthesis and abnormal metabolism in red blood cells, and eventually leading to pernicious anemia. Furthermore, decreased vibratory and positional senses, numbness, ataxia with subacute combined degeneration, and dementia are present in pernicious anemic patients. Twenty-four male adult Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The rats were divided into control (n = 12) and diabetic (n = 12) groups. The rats were further separated into two categories: short-term (4 weeks) and long-term (24 weeks) groups. DM model was induced by manually injecting intraperitoneally with streptozotocin in citrate buffer at a dose of 60 mg/kg body weight. The same amount of buffer was injected into the control group. After sacrifice, three regions of the stomach (the cardia, body, and pylorus) were dissected. Histopathology was performed by staining with toluidine blue. Image analysis was used to quantify the zymogen granule accumulation in chief cells. The data were compared between the control and DM rats in each period using Student's t-test. In addition, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also used to examine the ultrastructures. There was a significant decrease in the percentage of zymogen granules in DM rats. Under TEM, the destructions of mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum, and Golgi apparatus in the DM rat were observed in the chief cells. In rats with uncontrolled diabetes, there is damage to the chief cells all over the area of the stomach, affecting digestion and malabsorption of vitamin B12. Therefore, this result helps clinicians recognize that diabetic patients with gastric symptoms may have hidden pernicious anemia.

La diabetes mellitus (DM) es un trastorno metabólico con incidencia creciente a nivel mundial. Se han informado síntomas gástricos de DM, que incluyen náuseas, vómitos, distensión abdominal y dolor epigástrico. Además, la gastritis aguda a crónica y la gastritis atrófica que ocurren en la DM pueden afectar las células principales de la glándula gástrica. Las células principales son vitales debido a su capacidad para digerir y separar la vitamina B12 de las proteínas. La falta de vitamina B12 conduce a una síntesis de ADN deteriorada y un metabolismo anormal en los glóbulos rojos, lo que eventualmente conduce a una anemia perniciosa. Además, los pacientes con anemia perniciosa presentan disminución de los sentidos vibratorio y posicional, entumecimiento, ataxia con degeneración combinada subaguda y demencia. En este estudio se usaron 24 ratas Sprague-Dawley macho adultas. Las ratas se dividieron en grupos control (n = 12) y diabéticas (n = 12). Las ratas se separaron además en dos categorías: grupos a corto plazo (4 semanas) y a largo plazo (24 semanas). El modelo de DM se indujo inyectando manualmente por vía intraperitoneal estreptozotocina en tampón de citrato a una dosis de 60 mg/kg de peso corporal. Se inyectó la misma cantidad de tampón en el grupo control. Después del sacrificio, se disecaron tres regiones del estómago (cardias, cuerpo y píloro). La histopatología se realizó mediante tinción con azul de toluidina. El análisis de imágenes se utilizó para cuantificar la acumulación de gránulos de zimógeno en las células principales. Los datos se compararon entre las ratas control y DM en cada período utilizando la prueba t de Student. Además, se utilizó microscopía electrónica de transmisión (TEM) para examinar la ultraestructura celular. Hubo una disminución significativa en el porcentaje de gránulos de zimógeno en ratas DM. Bajo TEM, se observaron en las células principales las destrucción de las mitocondrias, del retículo endoplásmico rugoso y del complejo golgiense en la rata DM. En ratas con diabetes no controlada, hay daño en las células principales de toda el área del estómago, lo que afecta la digestión y la malabsorción de vitamina B12. Por lo tanto, este resultado ayuda a los médicos a reconocer que los pacientes diabéticos con síntomas gástricos pueden tener una anemia perniciosa oculta.

Induced pluripotent stem cells derived from the developing striatum as a potential donor source for cell replacement therapy for Huntington disease.

BACKGROUND: Cell replacement therapy (CRT) for Huntington disease (HD) requires a source of striatal (STR) progenitors capable of restoring the function lost due to STR degeneration. Authentic STR progenitors can be collected from the fetal putative striatum, or whole ganglionic eminence (WGE), but these tissues remain impractical for widespread clinical application, and alternative donor sources are required. Here we begin exploring the possibility that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived from WGE may retain an epigenetic memory of their tissue of origin, which could enhance their ability to differentiate into STR cells. RESULTS: We generate four iPSC lines from human WGE (hWGE) and establish that they have a capacity similar to human embryonic stem cells with regard to their ability to differentiate toward an STR phenotype, as measured by expression and demethylation of key STR genes, while maintaining an overall different methylome. Finally, we demonstrate that these STR-differentiated hWGE iPSCs share characteristics with hWGE (i.e., authentic STR tissues) both in vitro and following transplantation into an HD model. Overall, iPSCs derived from human WGE show promise as a donor source for CRT for HD.

Anatomical Variation of the Auriculotemporal Nerve in Thai Cadavers / Variación Anatómica del Nervio Auriculotemporal en Cadáveres Tailandeses

SUMMARY: The auriculotemporal nerve (ATN) is an important structure lying within a limited area of an infratemporal region (ITR). The ATN is originated from the posterior branch of the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (V3). The ATN conveys somatosensory, secretomotor, and parasympathetic fibres of the V3 and gustatory nerve (CN IX). In literature, the most common pattern of the ATN is composed of 2 roots that encloses the middle meningeal artery (MMA). However, in many studies, it has been reported that there are many variations in ATN pattern formation. To study the variation of ATN pattern formation in Thai cadavers, 73 hemifaces from 39 Thai embalmed cadavers were dissected and the relations of the ATN to the MMA were recorded. This study concluded that there were 4 patterns observed in Thai cadavers. The common pattern is 2 roots (67.1 %), 3 roots (15.1 %), 1 root (9.6 %), and 4 roots (8.2 %). Knowledge of this variation in the ATN may be useful in understanding the symptoms of temporo-orofacial pain, paresthesia of temporomandibular joint (TMJ), possible side effects from the TMJ surgery and the efficiency of auriculotemporal nerve block for regional anesthesia of the temporomandibular joint in Thai people.

RESUMEN: El nervio auriculotemporal (NAT) es una estructura importante que se encuentra dentro de la región infratemporal (ITR). El NAT se origina en la rama posterior de la división mandibular del nervio trigémino (V3), y transmite fibras somato sensoriales, secreto motoras y parasimpáticas del V3 y del nervio gustativo (CN IX). En la literatura, se reporta que el patrón más común de NAT está compuesto por 2 raíces que contienen la arteria meníngea media (AMM). Sin embargo, en diversos estudios, se ha informado que existen múltiples variaciones en la for- mación de patrones NAT. Con el objetivo de estudiar la variación de la formación del patrón NAT en cadáveres tailandeses, se disecaron 73 estructuras hemi faciales de 39 cadáveres tailandeses y se registraron las relaciones del NAT con el AMM. En conclusión, se observaron 4 patrones en los cadáveres tailandeses. El patrón común de 2 raíces (67,1 %), 3 raíces (15,1 %), 1 raíz (9,6 %) y 4 raíces (8,2 %). El conocimiento de esta variación en el NAT puede ser útil para comprender los síntomas de dolor temporo-orofacial, parestesia de la articulación temporomandibular (ATM), posibles efectos secundarios de la cirugía de ATM y la eficacia del bloqueo del nervio auriculo-temporal para la anestesia regional de la articulación temporomandibular en Tailandeses.