SFB flagellin mediates cell adhesion, endocytosis and immune regulation in germ-free mice.

Introduction: Segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB) colonization dynamics are crucial for host immune regulation. Given this, the present study specifically examined the functions of SFB flagellin in bacterial adhesion, cellular internalization, and immune modulation.

Methods: and were engineered to express murine and rat SFB flagellin genes.

The role and mechanism of the NLRP3-IL-1β/IL-18 signaling axis in the progression of sepsis under an aging phenotype.

Aims: To investigate the impact of age on sepsis outcomes and explore potential therapeutic targets using the mouse model.

Materials And Methods: Sepsis was induced via cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in naturally aged mice (18 months) and young mice (3 months). Sepsis severity, mortality rates, bacterial loads, and cytokine levels (IL-18 and IL-1β) were compared between the two groups.

TIMP-2 Modulates 5-Fu Resistance in Colorectal Cancer Through Regulating JAK-STAT Signalling Pathway.

The main reason for the failure of chemotherapy therapies based on 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) is the development of resistance to 5-Fu in cancer patients, particularly those with colorectal cancer. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 2 (TIMP-2) has been shown to be associated with colorectal cancer (CRC), but its correlation with 5-Fu resistance in colorectal cancer has not been thoroughly studied. We screen the expression of different cytokines through Cytokine array.

Trajectory reconstruction identifies dysregulation of perinatal maturation programs in pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

A limitation in the application of pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) is the failure of these cells to achieve full functional maturity. The mechanisms by which directed differentiation differs from endogenous development, leading to consequent PSC-CM maturation arrest, remain unclear. Here, we generate a single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) reference of mouse in vivo CM maturation with extensive sampling of previously difficult-to-isolate perinatal time periods.

TIMP-2 as a predictive biomarker in 5-Fu-resistant colorectal cancer.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the value of tissue inhibitors of MMPs-2 (TIMP-2) to indicate 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu) resistance status in colorectal cancer.

Methods: The 5-Fu resistance of colorectal cancer cell lines was detected using Cell-Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and calculated using IC. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect TIMP-2 expression level in the culture supernatant and serum.

Bibliometric review of carbon neutrality with CiteSpace: evolution, trends, and framework.

The concept of carbon neutrality has been promoted and implemented in increasing countries since the twenty-first century. In-depth research on carbon neutrality has helped improve the environmental conditions and played a particular role in sustaining economic and social development. However, there is a less comprehensive review of the status in this field; therefore, this article uses the information visualization software CiteSpace to thoroughly analyze carbon neutrality research from multiple perspectives.

PGC1/PPAR drive cardiomyocyte maturation at single cell level via YAP1 and SF3B2.

Cardiomyocytes undergo significant structural and functional changes after birth, and these fundamental processes are essential for the heart to pump blood to the growing body. However, due to the challenges of isolating single postnatal/adult myocytes, how individual newborn cardiomyocytes acquire multiple aspects of the mature phenotype remains poorly understood. Here we implement large-particle sorting and analyze single myocytes from neonatal to adult hearts.

Electrophysiological characterization of drug response in hSC-derived cardiomyocytes using voltage-sensitive optical platforms.

Introduction: Voltage-sensitive optical (VSO) sensors offer a minimally invasive method to study the time course of repolarization of the cardiac action potential (AP). This Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) cross-platform study investigates protocol design and measurement variability of VSO sensors for preclinical cardiac electrophysiology assays.

Methods: Three commercial and one academic laboratory completed a limited study of the effects of 8 blinded compounds on the electrophysiology of 2 commercial lines of human induced pluripotent stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes (hSC-CMs).

Contribution of potassium channels to action potential repolarization of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Background And Purpose: The electrophysiological properties of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs) have not yet been characterized in a syncytial context. This study systematically characterized the contributions of different repolarizing potassium currents in human embryonic stem cell-derived CMs (hESC-CMs) during long-term culture as cell monolayers.

Experimental Approach: The H9 hESC line was differentiated to CMs and plated to form confluent cell monolayers.

Functional Properties of Engineered Heart Slices Incorporating Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) hold great promise for cardiac studies, but their structural and functional immaturity precludes their use as faithful models of adult myocardium. Here we describe engineered heart slices (EHS), preparations of decellularized porcine myocardium repopulated with hiPSC-CMs that exhibit structural and functional improvements over standard culture. EHS exhibited multicellular, aligned bundles of elongated CMs with organized sarcomeres, positive inotropic responses to isoproterenol, anisotropic conduction of action potentials, and electrophysiological functionality for more than 200 days.

Engineered Heart Slice Model of Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy Using Plakophilin-2 Mutant Myocytes.

Genetic heart diseases such as arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (AC), a common genetic cause of sudden cardiac death, can be modeled using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes (CMs). However, it is important to culture these cells in a multicellular syncytium with exposure to surrounding matrix cues to create more accurate and robust models of the disease due to the importance of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The engineered heart slice, constructed by seeding CMs on intact decellularized matrix slices, allows molecular and functional studies on an aligned multilayered syncytium of CMs.

Gene cloning and expression of fungal lignocellulolytic enzymes from the rumen of gayal (Bos frontalis).

A total of 6,219 positive clones were obtained by constructing a BAC library of uncultured ruminal fungi of gayal, and two clones (xynF1 and eglF2) with lignocellulolytic enzyme activity were selected. The sequencing results showed that xynF1 and eglF2 had 903-bp, and 1,995-bp, open reading frames likely to encode β-xylanase (XynF1) and β-glucosidase (EglF2), respectively. The amino acid sequence of XynF1 had 99% coverage and 95% homology to the endo-β-1,4-xylanase encoded by the cellulase gene of Orpinomyces sp.

Functional Coupling with Cardiac Muscle Promotes Maturation of hPSC-Derived Sympathetic Neurons.

Neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are powerful tools for studying human neural development and diseases. Robust functional coupling of hPSC-derived neurons with target tissues in vitro is essential for modeling intercellular physiology in a dish and to further translational studies, but it has proven difficult to achieve. Here, we derive sympathetic neurons from hPSCs and show that they can form physical and functional connections with cardiac muscle cells.

Variability of Action Potentials Within and Among Cardiac Cell Clusters Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.

Electrophysiological variability in cardiomyocytes derived from pluripotent stem cells continues to be an impediment for their scientific and translational applications. We studied the variability of action potentials (APs) recorded from clusters of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) using high-resolution optical mapping. Over 23,000 APs were analyzed through four parameters: APD30, APD80, triangulation and fractional repolarization.

Physical developmental cues for the maturation of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hPSC-CMs) are the most promising source of cardiomyocytes (CMs) for experimental and clinical applications, but their use is largely limited by a structurally and functionally immature phenotype that most closely resembles embryonic or fetal heart cells. The application of physical stimuli to influence hPSC-CMs through mechanical and bioelectrical transduction offers a powerful strategy for promoting more developmentally mature CMs. Here we summarize the major events associated with in vivo heart maturation and structural development.

Automated grouping of action potentials of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes.

Methods for obtaining cardiomyocytes from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are improving at a significant rate. However, the characterization of these cardiomyocytes (CMs) is evolving at a relatively slower rate. In particular, there is still uncertainty in classifying the phenotype (ventricular-like, atrial-like, nodal-like, etc.

Defibrillation success with high frequency electric fields is related to degree and location of conduction block.

Background: We recently demonstrated that high frequency alternating current (HFAC) electric fields can reversibly block propagation in the heart by inducing an oscillating, elevated transmembrane potential (Vm) that maintains myocytes in a refractory state for the field duration and can terminate arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation (VF).

Objectives: To quantify and characterize conduction block (CB) induced by HFAC fields and to determine whether the degree of CB can be used to predict defibrillation success.

Methods: Optical mapping was performed in adult guinea pig hearts (n = 14), and simulations were performed in an anatomically accurate rabbit ventricular model.

Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells as models for normal and diseased cardiac electrophysiology and contractility.

Since the first description of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs), these cells have garnered tremendous interest for their potential use in patient-specific analysis and therapy. Additionally, hiPSC-CMs can be derived from donor cells from patients with specific cardiac disorders, enabling in vitro human disease models for mechanistic study and therapeutic drug assessment. However, a full understanding of their electrophysiological and contractile function is necessary before this potential can be realized.

Electrophysiological and contractile function of cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells.

Human embryonic stem cells have emerged as the prototypical source from which cardiomyocytes can be derived for use in drug discovery and cell therapy. However, such applications require that these cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) faithfully recapitulate the physiology of adult cells, especially in relation to their electrophysiological and contractile function. We review what is known about the electrophysiology of hESC-CMs in terms of beating rate, action potential characteristics, ionic currents, and cellular coupling as well as their contractility in terms of calcium cycling and contraction.

Comparison of the effects of continuous and pulsatile left ventricular-assist devices on ventricular unloading using a cardiac electromechanics model.

Left ventricular-assist devices (LVADs) are used to supply blood to the body of patients with heart failure. Pressure unloading is greater for counter-pulsating LVADs than for continuous LVADs. However, several clinical trials have demonstrated that myocardial recovery is similar for both types of LVAD.

Reversible cardiac conduction block and defibrillation with high-frequency electric field.

Electrical impulse propagation is an essential function in cardiac, skeletal muscle, and nervous tissue. Abnormalities in cardiac impulse propagation underlie lethal reentrant arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation. Temporary propagation block throughout the ventricular myocardium could possibly terminate these arrhythmias.

Dominant bacterial communities in the rumen of Gayals (Bos frontalis), Yaks (Bos grunniens) and Yunnan Yellow Cattle (Bos taurs) revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.

The dominant rumen bacteria in Gayals, Yaks and Yunnan Yellow Cattle were investigated using PCR-DGGE approach. The analysis of DGGE profiles, identification of dominant bands and phylogenetic analysis 16S rDNA sequences in DGGE profiles were combined to reveal the dominant bacterial communities and compared the differences between those cattle species. DGGE profiles revealed that Gayals had the most abundant dominant bacteria and the lowest similarity of intraspecies between individuals than other two cattle species.

Characterization of fermented black soybean natto inoculated with Bacillus natto during fermentation.

Background: To make nutrients more accessible and further increase biological activity, cooked black soybeans were inoculated with Bacillus natto and fermented at 37 degrees C for 48 h. The changes in physiochemical properties of fermented black soybean natto were investigated.

Results: The inoculation procedure significantly increased moisture, viscosity, color, polyphenol compounds and anthocyanin, and significantly decreased hardness after 48 h fermentation.