Nonobese Diabetic (NOD) Mouse Dendritic Cells Stimulate Insulin Secretion by Prediabetic Islets

In the Nonobese diabetic (NOD) mouse, a spontaneous model of type 1 diabetes, the pathogenic process is classically thought to start at 3-4 weeks of age with an accumulation of antigen-presenting cells (APC), especially CD11c⁺ dendritic cells (DC), around the pancreatic islets of Langerhans. Concomitantly, hyperinsulinemia and slight hyperglucagonemia are observed, which may be either the cause or consequence of the initial APC infiltration. To determine whether infiltrating DC can affect islet activity in control (C57BL/6) and NOD mice, we performed experiments in which islets and DC were isolated and co-cultured. We first showed that, immediately after isolation, islets from 8-week-old prediabetic NOD mice had significantly higher insulin and glucagon contents than those from C57BL/6 controls. Moreover, as is the case in vivo, prediabetic NOD mouse islets secrete more insulin in vitro at 11.1 mM glucose than C57BL/6 ones. In DC-islet co-cultures, insulin secretion was significantly increased for NOD mice only, while that of glucagon was not significantly affected. These findings indicate that NOD DC are good candidates for stimulating the NOD mouse &#103 -cell hyperactivity that is observed both in vivo and in vitro, and might, consequently, sensitize NOD islets to an autoimmune attack.     

Carboplatin delays mammary cancer 4T1 growth in mice

Carboplatin is commonly used to treat a variety of tumors. We investigated the effects of carboplatin (100 mg/kg) in the development and metastatic dissemination of the 4T1 mice mammary carcinoma. Carboplatin was able to reduce tumor volume and the number of lung metastases in 50% compared to the control animals. Mitotic and apoptotic indices were also decreased by the treatment. Assessment of the vascularization of the tumors revealed a significant decrease in blood vessel formation by carboplatin. A decrease in nuclear positivity of CDC47 and cyclin D1 was observed in the group treated with carboplatin when compared to the control group. Positivity for p53 was observed in the control group (2/28; 5%) and the treated group (5/71; 4%). Carboplatin has been demonstrated to be an efficient regulator of 4T1MMT growth and dissemination. The action of this chemotherapeutic agent seems to be related to the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of angiogenesis and cell proliferation.     

Sperm selection strategies and their impact on assisted reproductive technology outcomes

The application of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has revolutionised the treatment of human infertility, giving hope to the patients previously considered incapable of establishing pregnancy. While semen analysis is performed to access whether a sample has an adequate number of viable, motile and morphologically normal sperm cells able to achieve fertilisation, sperm selection techniques for ART aim to isolate the most competent spermatozoon which is characterised by the highest fertilising potential. Based on the semen analysis results, the correct sperm selection technique must be chosen and applied. In this review, different sperm selection strategies for retrieving spermatozoa with the highest fertilising potential and their impact on ART outcomes are discussed. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of each method and the best suited techniques for each clinical scenario are described.     

Cadmium Accumulation in Tomato Cultivars and Its Effect on Expression of Metal Transport-Related Genes

Cadmium (Cd) content was quantified in the shoot of six tomato cultivars and the Cd effect on the expression of LeNRAMP3, LeFER, LeIRT1 and LeNRAMP1 was evaluated. The six tomato cultivars accumulated high Cd concentrations and were able to transport Cd to the fruits. Among the evaluated genes, the Cd-induced level of LeFER expression appeared to provide an evidence regarding the capacity of foliar Cd accumulation in tomato. The results indicate that tomato represents a possible pathway for Cd entry into the food chain and an attractive model organism for the elucidation of the mechanisms involved in Cd accumulation.