Bite Force and Masticatory Muscle Architecture Adaptations in the Dietarily Diverse Musteloidea (Carnivora)

Dietary ecology and its relationship with both muscle architecture and bite force potential has been studied in many mammalian (and non-mammalian) taxa. However, despite the diversity of dietary niches that characterizes the superfamily Musteloidea, the masticatory muscle fiber architecture of its members has yet to be investigated anatomically. In this study, we present myological data from the jaw adductors in combination with biomechanical data derived from craniomandibular measurements for 17 species representing all four families (Ailuridae, Mephitidae, Mustelidae, and Procyonidae) of Musteloid. These data are combined to calculate bite force potential at each of three bite points along the dental row. Across our sample as a whole, masticatory muscle mass scaled with isometry or slight positive allometry against both body mass and skull size (measured via a cranial geometric mean). Total jaw adductor physiological cross-sectional area scaled with positive allometry against both body mass and skull size, while weighted fiber length scaled with negative allometry. From a dietary perspective, fiber length is strongly correlated with dietary size such that taxa that exploit larger foods demonstrated myological adaptations toward gape maximization. However, no consistent relationship between bite force potential and dietary mechanical resistance was observed. These trends confirm previous findings observed within the carnivoran family Felidae (as well as within primates), suggesting that the mechanisms by which masticatory anatomy adapts to dietary ecology may be more universally consistent than previously recognized. Anat Rec, 302:2287–2299, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Scaling and Accommodation of Jaw Adductor Muscles in Canidae

The masticatory apparatus amongst closely related carnivoran species raises intriguing questions about the interplay between allometry, function, and phylogeny in defining interspecific variations of cranial morphology. Here we describe the gross structure of the jaw adductor muscles of several species of canid, and then examine how the muscles are scaled across the range of body sizes, phylogenies, and trophic groups. We also consider how the muscles are accommodated on the skull, and how this is influenced by differences of endocranial size. Data were collected for a suite of morphological metrics, including body mass, endocranial volume, and muscle masses and we used geometric morphometric shape analysis to reveal associated form changes. We find that all jaw adductor muscles scale isometrically against body mass, regardless of phylogeny or trophic group, but that endocranial volume scales with negative allometry against body mass. These findings suggest that head shape is partly influenced by the need to house isometrically scaling muscles on a neurocranium scaling with negative allometry. Principal component analysis suggests that skull shape changes, such as the relatively wide zygomatic arches and large sagittal crests seen in species with higher body masses, allow the skull to accommodate a relative enlargement of the jaw adductors compared with the endocranium. Anat Rec, 299:951–966, 2016. © 2016 The Authors The Anatomical Record: Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effective Mechanical Advantage Allometry of Felid Elbow and Knee Extensors

Larger terrestrial mammals have generally been found to use more extended limb postures, a mechanism which maintains muscular requirements at larger sizes by improving the effective mechanical advantage (EMA) of limb musculature. Felids, however, have been documented to maintain joint angles across body sizes. If felid morphology scales isometrically, it would mean larger felids have relatively weaker muscles, compromising locomotor activities. Here, we examine the allometric relationships between the EMA of the elbow and knee extensors and body mass, finding that the EMA of the triceps brachii and quadriceps muscles scale with positive allometry. When species-specific joint angles were used rather than felid-average joint angles, EMA scales to body mass with more positive allometry. When the scaling of the muscle and ground reaction force (GRF) lever arms were investigated individually the allometric signal was lost; however, the muscle lever arms generally have allometric slope coefficients that are consistent with positive allometry, while the GRF lever arms demonstrate negative allometric slope coefficients. This suggests there are subtle alterations to limb morphology allowing different felid species to achieve an increased EMA via distinctive mechanisms. The quadriceps EMA was found to scale with sufficient positive allometry to compensate for increases in size without alteration in muscular anatomy; however, this is not the case for the triceps brachii EMA. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 302:775–784, 2019. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

DiceCT Analysis of the Extreme Gouging Adaptations Within the Masticatory Apparatus of the Aye-Aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis)

Relative to all other primates, the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) exists at the extremes of both morphology and behavior. Its specialized anatomy—which includes hypselodont incisors and highly derived manual digits—reflects a dietary niche, unique among primates, which combines tap-foraging with gouging to locate and extract wood-boring larvae. Here, we explore the impact of this extreme dietary ecology upon the masticatory musculature of this taxon with reference to a second, similarly sized but highly generalist lemuriform—the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz). Using non-destructive, high-resolution diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography techniques, we reconstruct the three-dimensional volumes of eight masticatory muscles, and, for the first time in strepsirrhines, isolate and visualize their constituent muscle fascicles in situ and in three dimensions. Using these data, we report muscle volumes, forces, and fascicle lengths from each muscle portion, as well as their orientation relative to two standardized anatomical planes. Our findings demonstrate the overbuilt nature of the aye-aye's masticatory apparatus, in which each muscle possesses an absolutely and relatively larger muscle volume and PCSA than its counterpart in the mongoose lemur. Likewise, for several adductor muscles, aye-ayes also possess relatively greater fascicle lengths. Finally, we note several unusual features within the lateral pterygoid of the aye-aye—the muscle most responsible for jaw protrusion—that relate to force maximization and reorientation. As this jaw motion is critical to gouging, we interpret these differences to reflect highly specific specializations that facilitate the aye-aye's extreme subsistence strategy. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:282–294, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Bite Force Estimation and the Fiber Architecture of Felid Masticatory Muscles

Increasingly, analyses of craniodental dietary adaptations take into account mechanical properties of foods. However, masticatory muscle fiber architecture has been described for relatively few lineages, even though an understanding of the scaling of this anatomy can yield important information about adaptations for stretch and strength in the masticatory system. Data on the mandibular adductors of 28 specimens from nine species of felids representing nearly the entire body size range of the family allow us to evaluate the influence of body size and diet on the masticatory apparatus within this lineage. Masticatory muscle masses scale isometrically, tending toward positive allometry, with body mass and jaw length. This allometry becomes significant when the independent variable is a geometric mean of cranial variables. For all three body size proxies, the physiological cross‐sectional area and predicted bite forces scale with significant positive allometry. Average fiber lengths (FL) tend toward negative allometry though with wide confidence intervals resulting from substantial scatter. We believe that these FL residuals are affected by dietary signals within the sample; though the mechanical properties of felid diets are relatively similar across species, the most durophagous species in our sample (the jaguar) appears to have relatively higher force production capabilities. The more notable dietary trend in our sample is the relationship between FL and relative prey size: felid species that predominantly consume relatively small prey have short masticatory muscle fibers, and species that regularly consume relatively large prey have relatively long fibers. This suggests an adaptive signal related to gape. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Masticatory Apparatus Performance and Functional Morphology in the Extremely Large Mice from Gough Island

Since their arrival approximately 200 years ago, the house mice (Mus musculus) on Gough Island (GI) rapidly increased in size to become the largest wild house mice on record. Along with this extreme increase in body size, GI mice adopted a predatory diet, consuming significant quantities of seabird chicks and eggs. We studied this natural experiment to determine how evolution of extreme size and a novel diet impacted masticatory apparatus performance and functional morphology in these mice. We measured maximum bite force and jaw opening (i.e., gape) along with several musculoskeletal dimensions functionally linked to these performance measurements to test the hypotheses that GI mice evolved larger bite forces and jaw gapes as part of their extreme increase in size and/or novel diet. GI mice can bite more forcefully and open their jaws wider than a representative mainland strain of house mice. Similarly, GI mice have musculoskeletal features of the masticatory apparatus that are absolutely larger than WSB mice. However, when considered relative to body size or jaw length, as a relevant mechanical standard, GI mice show reduced performance, suggesting a size-related decrease in these abilities. Correspondingly, most musculoskeletal features are not relatively larger in GI mice. Incisor biting leverage and condylar dimensions are exceptions, suggesting relative increases in biting efficiency and condylar rotation in GI mice. Based on these results, we hypothesize that evolutionary enhancements in masticatory performance are correlated with the extreme increase in body size and associated musculoskeletal phenotypes in Gough Island mice. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2018 American Association for Anatomy.     

Klebsiella pneumoniae Redistributes Katanin Severing Proteins and Alters Astral Microtubules during Mitosis

Klebsiella pneumoniae has become a growing concern within hospitals due to multidrug resistant strains and increasing mortality rates. Recently, we showed that at the subcellular level, K. pneumoniae compromises the integrity of the epithelia by disassembling the microtubule networks of cells through the actions of katanin microtubule severing proteins. In this study, we report on the observation that mitotic cells are targeted by K. pneumoniae and that during infections, the katanin proteins are excluded from the microtubule organizing centers of dividing cells, resulting in the alteration of the microtubule cytoskeleton. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1859–1864, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Skull Anatomy and Pneumaticity of the Enigmatic Coelurosaurian Theropod Bicentenaria argentina.

The enigmatic basal coelurosaur Bicentenaria argentina is a small theropod that comes from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. It is constituted by more than 130 elements, including cranial remains. These are represented by an incomplete snout, palate, dermatocranium, and lower jaws still in articulation. The skull material of Bicentenaria was preliminarily studied by previous authors. In this study, we conducted a CT scan of the holotype of Bicentenaria, which allowed us to fully describe all preserved skull bones, including some previously unknown elements. The morphological analysis indicates that Bicentenaria shares many cranial features with other basal coelurosaurs as compsognathids, Ornitholestes, and tyrannosauroids. Otherwise, results of this analysis show that Bicentenaria exhibits a set of traits unique to this taxon. Furthermore, several pneumatic recesses were closely matched with those pneumatic features present in many derived coelurosaurs, particularly tyrannosauroids. This new information, together with future discoveries, will improve our knowledge about the muscular correlates of Bicentenaria and other coelurosaurs, and may shed light about the phylogenetic relationships of this group. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1884–1900, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Ontogeny of Orbit Orientation in Primates

Orbit orientation in primates has been linked to adaptive factors related to activity pattern and size-related variation in structural influences on orbit position. Although differences in circumorbital form between anthropoids and strepsirrhines appear to be related to interspecific disparities in levels of orbital convergence and orbital frontation, there is considerable overlap in convergence between suborders. Unfortunately, putative links between convergence and frontation across primates, and consequent arguments about primate and anthropoid origins, are likely to be influenced by allometry, the size range of a respective sample, and adaptive influences on encephalization and activity patterns. Such a multifarious system is less amenable to interspecific treatment across higher-level clades. An ontogenetic perspective is one way to evaluate transformations from one character state to another, especially as they pertain to allometric effects on phenotypic variation. We characterized the ontogeny of orbital convergence and frontation in 13 anthropoid and strepsirrhine species. In each suborder, correlation and regression analyses were used to test hypotheses regarding the allometric bases of variation in orbital orientation. Growth trajectories were analyzed intra- and inter-specifically. Frontation decreased postnatally in all taxa due to the negative scaling of brain vs. skull size. Further, interspecific variation in relative levels of frontation was linked to corresponding ontogenetic transpositions in encephalization that differed within both suborders. In strepsirrhines, postnatal increases in convergence were largely due to the negative allometry of orbit vs. skull size. In contrast, convergence in anthropoids varied little during growth, being unrelated to ontogenetic variation in either relative orbit or interorbit size. Anat Rec, 302:2093–2104, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Extreme Anatomy: The Lottery Winners,Specialists, and Extreme Adaptations That Are No More

This special issue of The Anatomical Record explores extravagant adaptions that vertebrates have evolved from their base groups to survive in the most challenging environments. It stems from a symposium entitled “Extreme Anatomy: Living beyond the edge,” which was held April 23, 2017, at the annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy, in Chicago, IL. In Part 1 of this issue, we examined extreme morphologies that allow exploration of new niches. In this issue, we return to the evolution of terrestriality by digging deeply into the fossil history of the piscine antecedent of tetrapods. These were truly “lottery winners” among vertebrates. This issue also bears on extreme specialists that once thrived but are now long extinct and some extant species that thrive in the hottest terrestrial niches. Herein, several contributions discuss developmental strategies that facilitate later demanding locomotor regimens and feeding strategies for accessing nutrients from less than ideal food sources. From mole-rats to short-faced breeds of domestic dogs, we encounter another host of the most unusual of earth's creatures, who have much to teach us about our world. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:214–217, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Morphological and Histochemical Description of Quail Feather Development

The current study investigated the macroscopic and microscopic differences between pennaceous and plumulaceous feathers. The morphology of the barbules distinguished pennaceous and plumulaceous feathers, particularly the shape of barbules during their development. In pennaceous feathers, the initial barbules were large and elongated or pyriform in shape, while plumulaceous feathers had small, thin, elongated initial barbules. The spinous barbules were characteristic of pennaceous feathers. The histochemical reactivity of both feather types for Mallory trichrome, orange G, and acridine orange, safranin O, PAS, and methylene blue was determined. Keratin was detected by Mallory trichrome, orange G, and acridine orange. In conclusion, the histochemical properties of pennaceous and plumulaceous feathers of quail, particularly the distribution and nature of keratin during development, should be considered in future studies. The unique morphological features of pennaceous and plumulaceous feathers could be used as a guide for phylogenetic identification. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1865–1883, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

The Role of miR-326 in Adipogenic Differentiation of Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells by Targeting C/EBPα in vitro

The CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein α (C/EBPα) plays an important role in adipogenic differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells (ASC). Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) participate in the regulation of self-renewal, proliferation, and multi-directional differentiation of ASCs. In the present study, we analyzed the targeting miRNAs on C/EBPα and found that miR-326 played an essential role in it. The results of qPCR confirmed that the expression of miR-326 was reduced in adipogenic differentiation. In addition, the dual-luciferase reporter assay system verified binding between miR-326 and the 3′ untranslated region of C/EBPα. Furthermore, transfection of miR-326 into human adipose-derived stem cells caused a significant reduction in C/EBPα. Our results highlight the importance of miR-326 in adipogenic differentiation and provide a reliable basis for clinical treatment of adipose-related diseases. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:2054–2060, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Exceptional Disparity in Australian Agamid Lizards is a Possible Result of Arrival into Vacant Niche

Australia provides abundant examples of continental-scale evolutionary radiations. The collision of two continental shelves around 30 Ma facilitated an influx of squamates and the subsequent squamate radiations resulted in high taxonomic diversity. The morphological disparity seen in these major squamate groups, however, remains underexplored. Here, we examine the major cranial proportions of over 1,000 specimens using 2D linear measurements to explicitly quantify the morphological disparity of Australian agamid lizards (Amphibolurinae) and compare it to that of agamid, acrodont, and iguanian clades from other parts of the world. Our results indicate the Australian Amphibolurinae have exceptionally high cranial disparity, and we suggest that this is linked to the relaxed selective environment that greeted the founders of Amphibolurinae when they first arrived in Australia. Anat Rec, 302:1536–1543, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Can Paraplegia by Disruption of the Spinal Cord Tissue Be Reversed? The Signs of a New Perspective

Central nervous system (CNS) trauma is often related to tissue loss, leading to partial or complete disruption of spinal cord function due to neuronal death. Although generally irreversible, traditional therapeutic efforts, such as physical therapy exercises, are generally recommended, but with a poor or reduced improvement of the microenvironment, which in turn stimulates neuroplasticity and neuroregeneration. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have paracrine, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory effects. Here we use stem cells to see if they can promote not only physical but also the functional regeneration of neuronal tissue in dogs with CNS traumas. Two dogs, one with chronic spinal cord injury and one with subacute spinal cord injury, underwent infusion of autologous MSCs in association with physiotherapy. The two treatments in combination were able to partially or completely recover the dog's walking movement again. The treatment of MSCs in association with physical therapy improved the microenvironment, which could be evidence of a paradigm shift that the CNS is not capable of functional regeneration after aggressive traumas. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1812–1820, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

The Impact of Selection for Facial Reduction in Dogs: Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Canine Cranial Shape

Through artificial selection, humans have altered the morphology of domestic dogs and created the range of morphological traits present in the diverse dog breeds seen today. This article tests how artificial breeding for extreme facial reduction affects the craniodental complex in domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). These brachycephalic dog breeds allow for a natural experiment on facial reduction, providing additional insight into this well-studied phenomenon associated with the evolutionary history of other animals including primates. We used an existing set of clinically obtained CT scans from dogs representing three brachycephalic breeds and a comparative sample. We recorded three-dimensional coordinate data for 62 cranial and mandibular landmarks that allowed us to analyze differences in shape in the neurocranium, basicranium, and viscerocranium. Through geometric morphometric analysis, we confirmed that most of the cranial shape variance in our sample was associated with cephalic index (cranial width-to-length ratio) and reflects the effects of facial reduction. Shape changes in the cranium and mandible co-vary. We also identified several areas of localized shape change. Whereas the primary shape change seen in the mandible is a uniform shift in proportion involving rostral-caudal shortening and medial-lateral widening, the majority of the shape change in the palate is localized to the maxilla. Here, a pronounced difference in maxillary carnassial orientation relative to the mandibular carnassials results in disruption of the functionally important carnassial complex. These results support previous studies showing integration within the skull and highlight the deleterious effects of artificial selection for extreme facial reduction in domestic dogs. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 303:330–346, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

New Reconstruction of Cranial Musculature in Ornithischian Dinosaurs: Implications for Feeding Mechanisms and Buccal Anatomy

The charismatic and diverse ornithischian dinosaurs exhibited some of the most extreme examples of cranial anatomy, inspiring decades of investigation into their muscular anatomy. Current ornithischian jaw muscle reconstructions, although parsimonious, pose concerns of small adductor muscles and caudally displaced insertions relative to mandibular proportions. Here, craniomandibular material of ornithischian genera spanning all subclades is reexamined for osteological correlates indicative of intracranial and oral soft tissues. M. adductor mandibulae externus (mAME) has traditionally been reconstructed as solely inserting along the caudal margin of the coronoid process for jaw closure. Here, a new mAME reconstruction is proposed in derived ornithischians, with the superficial-most mAME layer reconstructed as a rostrolabial expansion of muscle, exiting the cranium rostroventrally beneath a unique, laterally flaring jugal and inserting along the lateral surface of the coronoid process and its rostrally extending, shelf-like labial dentary ridge (LDR). Through previous dental microwear and morphological studies, ceratopsians, hadrosaurids, and ankylosaurs are known to have implemented a major palinal feeding component in their jaw motions, unlike other primarily basal ornithischians. This rostral fan-like extension of muscle in these derived clades would create a greater mandibular support system and mechanical advantage along the labial margin of the jaw, cradling the entire mandible while lifting it up into occlusion and retracting it. In hadrosaurids and ankylosaurs, this rostrolabially expanding muscle also acts in medial rotation of the dentaries about their long axes. With these new reconstructions, the notion of a novel, unparsimonious “cheek” muscle is rejected, with further discussion of plausible buccal soft tissues. Anat Rec, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 303:347–362, 2020. © 2018 American Association for Anatomy     

Quantitative Analysis of the Timing of Development of the Cerebellum and Precerebellar Nuclei in Monotremes,Metatherians, Rodents,and Humans

We have used a quantitative statistical approach to compare the pace of development in the cerebellum and precerebellar systems relative to body size in monotremes and metatherians with that in eutherians (rodents and humans). Embryos, fetuses, and early postnatal mammals were scored on whether key structural events had been reached in the development of the cerebellum itself (CC—corpus cerebelli; 10 milestones), or the pontine and inferior olivary precerebellar nuclear groups (PC; 4 milestones). We found that many early cerebellar and precerebellar milestones (e.g., formation of Purkinje cell layer and deep cerebellar nuclei) were reached at a smaller absolute body length in both metatherians and eutherians together, compared to monotremes. Some later milestones (e.g., formation of the external granular layer and primary fissuration) were reached at a smaller body length in metatherians than eutherians. When the analysis was performed with proportional body length expressed as a natural log-transformed ratio of length at birth, milestones were reached at a much smaller proportional body length in rodents and humans than in the metatherians or monotremes. The findings are consistent with the slower pace of metabolic activity and embryonic development in monotremes. They also indicate slightly advanced maturation of some early features of the cerebellum in some metatherians (i.e., early cerebellar development in dasyurids relative to body size), but do not support the notion of an accelerated development of the cerebellum to cope with the demands of early birth. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1998–2013, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

The Cephalic Osteoderms of Varanus komodoensis as Revealed by High-Resolution X-Ray Computed Tomography

Osteoderms constitute a morphological system that plays an important role in squamate systematics. However, their study and visualization have always been difficult due to their isolated occurrence in the skin, among the first organs to be removed during the skeletonization process. High-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) offers a nondestructive means of visualizing osteoderms both in their natural relationship to each other and to the underlying cranial bones. Although it is often stated that Varanus komodoensis has a “chain mail” of osteoderms, this morphological system was never described in this taxon. Further, given its size, it might be expected that V. komodoensis would present the extreme of osteoderm development in extant varanids, a group that tends to have weakly developed osteoderms or none at all. Indeed, our HRXCT scan of a 19-year-old captive individual reveals an elaborate mesh of cephalic osteoderms that are incredibly numerous and morphologically diverse. We describe this skeletal system and compare it to the cephalic osteoderms in other varanoids. Anat Rec, 302:1675–1680, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy     

Evolutionary Trends in the Jaw Adductor Mechanics of Ornithischian Dinosaurs

Jaw mechanics in ornithischian dinosaurs have been widely studied for well over a century. Most of these studies, however, use only one or few taxa within a given ornithischian clade as a model for feeding mechanics across the entire clade. In this study, mandibular mechanical advantages among 52 ornithischian genera spanning all subclades are calculated using 2D lever arm methods. These lever arm calculations estimate the effect of jaw shape and difference in adductor muscle line of action on relative bite forces along the jaw. Results show major instances of overlap between taxa in tooth positions at which there was highest mechanical advantage. A relatively low bite force is seen across the tooth row among thyreophorans (e.g., stegosaurs and ankylosaurs), with variation among taxa. A convergent transition occurs from a more evenly distributed bite force along the jaw in basal ornithopods and basal marginocephalians to a strong distal bite force in hadrosaurids and ceratopsids, respectively. Accordingly, adductor muscle vector angles show repeated trends from a mid‐range caudodorsal orientation in basal ornithischians to a decrease in vector angles indicating more caudally oriented jaw movements in derived taxa (e.g., derived thyreophorans, basal ornithopods, lambeosaurines, pachycephalosaurs, and derived ceratopsids). Analyses of hypothetical jaw morphologies were also performed, indicating that both the coronoid process and lowered jaw joint increase moment arm length therefore increasing mechanical advantage of the jaw apparatus. Adaptive trends in craniomandibular anatomy show that ornithischians evolved more complex feeding apparatuses within different clades as well as morphological convergences between clades. Anat Rec, 299:271–294, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Retracted: Alpinumisoflavone Inhibits Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Papillary Thyroid Cancer via Upregulating miR-141-3p

Alpinumisoflavone (AIF) as a principal active ingredient of traditional Chinese herb Derris eriocarpa exerts a broad spectrum of anticancer activities against solid tumors. However, little is known about the effect of AIF on papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). Objectives of this study are to investigate the effect of AIF on cell growth, apoptosis, and metastasis of PTC cells and uncover its underlying mechanisms. Results showed that AIF treatment notably suppressed cell viability, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, as well as induced apoptotic cell death. In addition, microarray analysis results revealed that miR-141-3p level was dramatically elevated upon AIF insulation, suggesting that miR-141-3p may mediate the suppressive role of AIF against PTC. Moreover, miR-141-3p knockdown effectively reversed the effects of AIF on cell growth, migration, invasion, and EMT, while promoted PTC cell apoptosis escape. Furthermore, in vivo findings also confirmed that the antigrowth and antimetastasis activities of AIF were, at least partly, mediated by upregulation of miR-141-3p. Overall, AIF could serve as a potential anticancer compound for PTC treatment. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:1842–1850, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy