Experimental AnimalsPub Date : 2024-10-23Epub Date: 2024-06-07DOI: 10.1538/expanim.24-0035
Dan Li, Le Wang, Shufeng Shi, Xiaofeng Deng, Xuehan Zeng, Yunong Li, Shulin Li, Peng Bai
{"title":"Ubiquitin-like 4A alleviates the progression of intracerebral hemorrhage by regulating oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage.","authors":"Dan Li, Le Wang, Shufeng Shi, Xiaofeng Deng, Xuehan Zeng, Yunong Li, Shulin Li, Peng Bai","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0035","DOIUrl":"10.1538/expanim.24-0035","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Acupuncture has obvious therapeutic effect on intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). miR-34a-5p regulated by acupuncture was found to attenuate neurological deficits in ICH. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Ubiquitin-like 4A (UBL4A) has not been studied in ICH. SD rats were injected with autologous blood to induce ICH and treated with Baihui-penetrating-Qubin acupuncture. Acupuncture resulted in an increase in forelimb placing test scores, and a decrease in corner test scores and brain water content of ICH rats. Histopathological examination showed that acupuncture inhibited ICH-induced inflammation, decreased damaged neurons and increased UBL4A expression. UBL4A overexpression increased cell viability, inhibited apoptosis, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and increased manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity, mitochondrial membrane potential and mtDNA level in rat embryonic primary cortical neurons. miR-34a-5p knockdown increased UBL4A expression, apoptosis rate and ROS level in hemin-treated neurons. Dual luciferase assays showed that miR-34a-5p bound to UBL4A. Apoptotic cells and ROS level were increased in hemin-treated neurons with UBL4A and miR-34a-5p knockdown. We firstly demonstrate the inhibitory effect of UBL4A on neuronal apoptosis, and the regulation relationship between UBL4A and miR-34a-5p. This study provides a new candidate target for ICH treatment and more basis for elucidating the molecular mechanism of acupuncture. In the future, we will conduct a deeper exploration of the effects of UBL4A on ICH.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":"421-432"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11534490/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141295853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing the neural differentiation capabilities of genetically asymmetric mouse F1 hybrid embryonic stem cell lines.","authors":"Ayaka Saito, Hidemasa Kato, Hidenori Kiyosawa","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0094","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Allele-specific, monoallelic expression in diploid organisms represents an extreme case of allelic imbalance resulting from incompatibility between cis- and trans-elements. Due to haploinsufficiency, such monoallelic expression can lead to sporadic genetic diseases. In mice, allelic imbalances can be introduced into F1 offspring from inbred strains. Previously, we established F1 hybrid embryonic stem (ES) cell lines derived from four different mouse strains, each belonging to a different subspecies with substantial genetic polymorphisms. In this study, we investigated the neural differentiation capacity of the established ES cell lines. By introducing different culture conditions, which kept the ES cells undifferentiated under various pluripotencies, we succeeded in differentiating the majority of ES cell lines (eight out of eleven) with our default neural differentiation paradigm. Still, three lines exhibited insufficient differentiation despite combining culture conditions promoting undifferentiated as well as differentiated status. In addition, Ube3a imprinting was seen in two lines. Our findings contribute to the methodological understanding of mouse ES cell pluripotency and lead to the practical utility of F1 hybrid ES cells as a model for studying phenotypes resulting from gene locus interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142461307","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Identification of gene mutations associated with the phenotype of short-limb mice emerging from a foundation colony of severely immunodeficient mice.","authors":"Yui Kaneko, Kayo Tomiyama, Masahiko Yasuda, Yuji Komaki, Tomoyuki Ogura, Riichi Takahashi, Masafumi Yamamoto","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0045","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Here, we report the identification of causative genes for limb-shortening in individuals repeatedly found in a population of severely immunodeficient NOG mice maintained via sibling mating. First, we conducted a pedigree survey to determine whether limb-shortening was a recessive genetic trait and then identified it using a crossing test. Simultaneously, the symptoms were identified in detail using pathological analysis. Accordingly, a mouse strain exhibiting a recessive trait caused by a single gene trait and similar symptoms was identified, suggesting growth differentiation factor 5 (Gdf5) as a causative gene. Genome walking via PCR and sequence analysis of Gdf5 revealed a deletion of approximately 1.1 kb from the latter half of exon 2 of Gdf5. Furthermore, we established NOG-Gdf5<sup>bpJic</sup> by removing other modified genes and confirmed that the inheritance pattern was reconfirmed semi-dominant. In recent years, regenerative medicine research using immunodeficient mice has been actively conducted, and this murine strain is expected to contribute to niche stem cell analysis and transplantation research.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142282552","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mao Sato, Chiaki Sugiura, Nobuaki Okumura, Akira Terao
{"title":"Melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) seed extract for treatment of sleep/wake fragmentation in diet-induced obese mice.","authors":"Mao Sato, Chiaki Sugiura, Nobuaki Okumura, Akira Terao","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0050","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dietary supplementation with melinjo (Gnetum gnemon L.) seed extract (MSE) has been an integral part of an anti-obesity therapeutic regimen. To examine the relationship between anti-obesity and sleep, we explored the effect of MSE on sleep structure in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Although HFD did not alter the total amount of daily sleep, it significantly reduced the average duration of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and wakefulness episodes and significantly increased the number of these episodes. These findings indicate fragmented NREM sleep due to repeated brief awakenings in the HFD-fed mice. When 1% (w/v) MSE was given to HFD-fed mice, their weight or sleep structure were comparable to those of ND-fed mice, proving that dietary MSE completely hindered HFD-induced weight gain and sleep/wake fragmentation. Our data provide compelling evidence that MSE is a novel and promising dietary supplement that restores obesity-induced sleep architecture changes in mice.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142153497","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Endothelial GATA3 is involved in coagulofibrinolytic homeostasis during endotoxin sepsis.","authors":"Moyuru Hayashi, Shin'ya Ohmori, Yoshiko Kawai, Takashi Moriguchi","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sepsis-induced acute lung injury represents a significant threat to human health and is frequently associated with pulmonary thrombosis due to dysregulation of the coagulofibrinolytic system. Plasmin, the major protease that degrades fibrin aggregates, is activated predominantly by tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA), whereas tPA is negatively regulated by plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1). Under septic conditions, the imbalance between coagulation and fibrinolysis results in excessive microthrombosis. Pulmonary capillary endothelial cells serve as a primary source of tPA and PAI-1. The molecular pathways regulating their expression levels depend on the differential activity of transcription factors. In this study, we elucidated the role of the zinc-finger transcription factor GATA3 in response to sepsis-induced pulmonary embolism. Endothelial cell-specific GATA3-deficient mice (G3-ECKO) presented increased susceptibility to bacterial endotoxin-induced pulmonary embolism, which was associated with increased PAI-1 expression levels and decreased tPA expression levels in the lungs. Septic lung extracts from G3-ECKO mice consistently presented decreased plasmin activity, which likely underlies the increased coagulation. These results demonstrate that GATA3 plays a protective role against bacterial endotoxin-induced pulmonary vascular embolism. Our findings will contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms involving GATA3 in preventing pulmonary embolism.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142132233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xiaoqi Chang, Jiping Gao, Junting Yang, Yunhui Ma, Guohua Song
{"title":"The Chinese hamster as an excellent experimental animal model.","authors":"Xiaoqi Chang, Jiping Gao, Junting Yang, Yunhui Ma, Guohua Song","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0029","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hamsters are valuable rodent models that are distinct from mice and rats. Currently, the main hamster species used for experimental research are the Syrian golden hamster and Chinese hamster, in addition to hamster species from other countries. Chinese hamsters are small, easy to run and feed, and inexpensive. They are prominent species found only in China and are part of the experimental animal resources of Chinese specialty. Chinese hamsters are distinguished by a black stripe on their back, short tail, pair of easily retractable cheek pouches, and pair of large drooping testes in males with 22 chromosomes. Due to their unique anatomical structure and biological features, Chinese hamsters have been used as a model in biomedical research. Moreover, the breeding and use of Chinese hamsters was comprehensively studied in 1958, with significant breakthroughs. We present a thorough review of the current developments and applications of Chinese hamsters and support the use of this species as a suitable and innovative experimental research model. With the success of Chinese hamster transgenic technology, this species will become more commonly employed in biological and medical research in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142092562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuki Ikai, Goro A Nagura-Kato, Shinsuke H Sakamoto, Akio Shinohara, Chihiro Koshimoto
{"title":"Optimization of inhaled anesthesia for Octodon degus using electroencephalography.","authors":"Yuki Ikai, Goro A Nagura-Kato, Shinsuke H Sakamoto, Akio Shinohara, Chihiro Koshimoto","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Physiological responses to inhaled anesthetics vary among species. Therefore, a precise anesthetic technique is important for each individual species. In this study, we focused on the degu (Octodon degus), a small herbivorous rodent. Degus have recently begun to be used as laboratory models for brain research because of certain human-like characteristics, such as spontaneous development of Alzheimer's disease. In this study, we evaluated appropriate induction and maintenance anesthesia conditions for isoflurane and sevoflurane in degus by a stimulation test, electroencephalography (EEG), minimum alveolar concentration (MAC), and vital signs. During induction, more rapid time to loss of the righting reflex and deeper anesthesia in degus were observed in isoflurane. The MAC value for degus were 1.75 ± 0.0% in isoflurane and 2.25 ± 0.27% in sevoflurane. Whereas some degus were awake during maintenance anesthesia using both anesthetics at concentrations of ≤2%, no rats were awake when using sevoflurane at a concentration of 2%. The duration of the total flat EEG, a measure of the depth of maintenance anesthesia, was longer for isoflurane than for sevoflurane. Furthermore, higher concentrations of both anesthetics suppressed the respiratory rate in degus. These new findings regarding inhalation anesthesia in degus will contribute to future developments in the fields of laboratory animals and veterinary medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142016861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julio A Almunia, Yoshiko Munesue, Haruka Kawasaki, Kazumichi Takano, Chisato Kayahara, Satoko Noma, Nobuko Morikawa, Shumpei Niida, Noboru Ogiso
{"title":"Hematological and biochemical characterization of aging farm male rat strains in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology.","authors":"Julio A Almunia, Yoshiko Munesue, Haruka Kawasaki, Kazumichi Takano, Chisato Kayahara, Satoko Noma, Nobuko Morikawa, Shumpei Niida, Noboru Ogiso","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0028","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Laboratory rats, like mice, are a type of animal commonly used in scientific investigations as well as in basic aging and geriatric research. The selection of a rat strain is an important first step in the planning and design of an experiment due to physiological, anatomical, and ethological variations in each strain, which may significantly modify the expected results. In the present study, we characterized age-related changes, from 3 months old (mo) to 24 mo, in three male rat strains commonly used in medical research: RccHan<sup>®️</sup>:WIST (RccHan:WIST), F344/NSlc (F344), and Slc:SD Rat (SD). The body weight, water/food consumption, and survival rate of each strain were physiologically evaluated. Hematological and biochemical values were analyzed every three months. Hematological results showed a decrease in lymphocytes and increases in other leukocytes from 12 mo in F344 and SD rats. The incidence of hematological disorder was 10-15% in F344 and SD rats from 18 mo. Increases in hepatic biochemical parameters (alanine transaminase (GPT/ALT) and aspartate transaminase (GOT/AST)) and cytopathological parameters (creatine phosphokinase (CPK)) were observed in male F344 rats at 12 mo. Triglycerides (TG) serum levels were significantly elevated in the 12 mo RccHan:WIST rats, while Lipase (LIP) levels were significantly reduced in 24 mo. The present results revealed significant variations in hematological and biochemical values in the different laboratory male rat strains due to genetic and nutritional-metabolic factors specific to each strain.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141901411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Daphnetin ameliorates diabetic cardiomyopathy by regulating inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis.","authors":"Xiaolong Zhao, Longqi Shang, Chunjian Shen","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0027","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Daphnetin has been demonstrated to exert beneficial effects on diabetes mellitus and renal complications. However, the role and molecular mechanism of daphnetin in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) remain unclear. In this study, rats were injected with streptozotocin (STZ) to induce diabetes. The diabetic rats were then administered daphnetin (1 and 4 mg/kg) or dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) daily for 12 weeks. The results demonstrated that the diabetic rats exhibited elevated blood glucose levels, which were dose-dependently ameliorated by daphnetin. At 13 weeks following STZ injection, the rats exhibited typical diabetic signs, cardiac dysfunction, and evident pathological alterations in myocardial tissues. The administration of daphnetin to diabetic rats resulted in improvement in cardiac function, reductions in myocardial injury biomarkers, and the inhibition of myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, daphnetin treatment suppressed inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, daphnetin exhibited partial blockade of the activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways induced by diabetes. These findings indicate that daphnetin may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of DCM.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141901410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A novel electroencephalographic evaluation of noxious stimulation during isoflurane anesthesia in dogs.","authors":"Wei-Mao Hung, Hsien-Chi Wang, Julia Chu-Ning Hsu","doi":"10.1538/expanim.24-0036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1538/expanim.24-0036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In veterinary clinical medicine, evaluating the balance between nociception and antinociception presents a great challenge for anesthesiologists during canine surgeries. Heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) are suitable indexes for monitoring noxious stimuli during anesthesia. Frontal electroencephalography (EEG) records, including processed parameters, are recommended for evaluating nociceptive balance in anesthetized unconscious human patients, which is unexplored in veterinary medicine. Therefore, the objective is to explore the response of processed EEG parameters to noxious stimulation and elucidate the impact of noxious stimulation on frontal cortical activity in dogs anesthetized with 1.5% isoflurane. Fourteen dogs were included and underwent frontal EEG monitoring, measuring the patient state index (PSI) and spectral edge frequency (SEF) before and after administering noxious stimulation using the towel clamp method on the tail of each 1.5% isoflurane-anesthetized dog. As the noxious stimulation was applied, there was a simultaneous increase in PSI, HR, and MAP, with PSI exhibiting a drastic response. SEF, especially on the left side, also increased with noxious stimulation. In EEG power spectral analysis, the delta band was decreased, and the alpha and beta bands showed an increase following noxious stimulation, with a more profound elevation of beta bands on the left side. This study suggests that noxious stimulation brings asymmetric frontal cortical arousal, changing brain activity by suppressing delta waves and augmenting alpha and beta waves. Consequently, PSI seems to be a potential indicator for detecting stimuli in canine isoflurane anesthesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":12102,"journal":{"name":"Experimental Animals","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141901408","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}