Cell and Tissue Research

In this study, we aimed to promote the maturation of cardiomyocytes-like cells by mechanical stimulation, and evaluate their therapeutic potential against myocardial infarction. The cyclic tensile strain was used to induce the maturation of cardsiomyocyte-like cells from P19 cells in vitro. Western blot and qPCR assays were performed to examine protein and gene expression, respectively. High-resolution respirometry was used to assay cell function. The induced cells were then evaluated for their therapeutic effect...

The Kupffer cell was first discovered by Karl Wilhelm von Kupffer in 1876, labeling them as "Sternzellen." Since their discovery as the primary macrophages of the liver, researchers have gradually gained an in-depth understanding of the identity, functions, and influential role of Kupffer cells, particularly in infection. It is becoming clear that Kupffer cells perform important tissue-specific functions in homeostasis and disease. Stationary in the sinusoids of the liver, Kupffer cells have a high phagocytic capacity and are adept in clearing the bloodstream of foreign material, toxins, and pathogens...

Sustained or chronic inflammation in the placenta can result in placental insufficiency, leading to adverse reproductive outcomes such as pregnancy loss. Branched-chain amino acid transaminase 1 (BCAT1) expresses in the placenta and is involved in the pathological inflammatory response, but its role in recurrent miscarriage (RM) has not been fully investigated. In the present study, we delved into the effects of BCAT1 on trophoblast inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a mouse model of pregnancy loss induced by LPS...

Although the liver of the lamprey, a group of cyclostomes that diverged the earliest among vertebrates, has abundant bile ducts in the larval stage, which degenerate during metamorphosis, there is no comparative study on its architecture with other early diverged vertebrates in terms of the morphological evolution of vertebrate livers. The present study was undertaken to compare the characteristics of the brook lamprey liver with those of the hagfish and banded houndshark, which have the portal triad type liver architecture, and to discuss its evolution...

The olfactory organ of tetrapods, with few exceptions, comprises the main and accessory organs: olfactory epithelium (OE) and vomeronasal organ (VNO). Unlike tetrapods, teleost fish lack a VNO. However, lungfish, a type of sarcopterygian fish closely related to tetrapods, possesses a lamellar OE similar to the OE of teleosts and a recess epithelium (RecE) resembling the amphibian VNO. The RecE has been hypothesized as a primordial VNO. Olfactory receptors in tetrapods are distinctively expressed in the OE and VNO...

This article commemorates the 100th anniversary of the first issue of Cell & Tissue Research (CTR), the longest-running active journal dedicated to cell biology. Reflecting the significant contributions of spermatology and embryology to the early days of cell biology, the majority of articles in CTR's inaugural issue centered on plant and animal sperm cells. A brief synopsis of these articles provides a launching point for revisiting 100 years of research on the male germ cells and fertility in humans and animals and offers a perspective on the current state and future directions of the andrology field...

This contribution highlights the scientific development of two intertwined disciplines, photoneuroendocrinology and circadian biology. Photoneuroendocrinology has focused on nonvisual photoreceptors that translate light stimuli into neuroendocrine signals and serve rhythm entrainment. Nonvisual photoreceptors first described in the pineal complex and brain of nonmammalian species are luminance detectors. In the pineal, they control the formation of melatonin, the highly conserved hormone of darkness which is synthesized night by night...

The innervation of the antennal heart of the cockroach Periplaneta americana was studied with immunocytochemical techniques on both the light and electron microscopic levels. The antennal heart is innervated by two efferent systems, both using one biogenic amine in combination with neuropeptides. In one, we found co-localization of serotonin with proctolin and allatostatin. These fibers most likely originate from paired neurons located in the suboesophageal ganglion. In the second system, we found octopamine co-localized with the short neuropeptide F...

Odor detection in insects is largely mediated by structures on antennae called sensilla, which feature a strongly conserved architecture and repertoire of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and various support cell types. In Drosophila, OSNs are tightly apposed to supporting cells, whose connection with neurons and functional roles in odor detection remain unclear. Coupling mechanisms between these neuronal and non-neuronal cell types have been suggested based on morphological observations, concomitant physiological activity during odor stimulation, and known interactions that occur in other chemosensory systems...

Infections are common in patients with diabetes. Moreover, increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance impedes the complete bacterial clearance and calls for alternative treatment strategies. Along with antibacterial resistance, compromised host conditions create a favorable condition for the disease progression. In particular, cell junction proteins are of major importance as they contribute to a tight cell barrier, protecting against invading pathogens. However, the impact of high glucose on cell junction proteins has received little attention in the urinary bladder but merits closer investigation...

FMR1 autosomal homolog 1 (FXR1) is an RNA-binding protein that belongs to the Fragile X-related protein (FXR) family. FXR1 is critical for development, as its loss of function is intolerant in humans and results in neonatal death in mice. Although FXR1 is expressed widely including the brain, functional studies on FXR1 have been mostly performed in cancer cells. Limited studies have demonstrated the importance of FXR1 in the brain. In this review, we will focus on the roles of FXR1 in brain development and pathogenesis of brain disorders...

We have analyzed the organization of the microtubule system in photoreceptor cells and pigment cells within the adult Drosophila compound eye. Immunofluorescence localization of tubulin and of Short stop, a spectraplakin that has been reported to be involved in the anchorage of microtubule minus ends at the membrane, suggests the presence of non-centrosomal microtubule-organizing centers at the distal tip of the visual cells. Ultrastructural analyses confirm that microtubules emanate from membrane-associated plaques at the site of contact with cone cells and that all microtubules are aligned in distal-proximal direction within the photoreceptor cells...

Germline stem cells are a crucial type of stem cell that can stably pass on genetic information to the next generation, providing the necessary foundation for the reproduction and survival of organisms. Male mammalian germline stem cells are unique cell types that include primordial germ cells and spermatogonial stem cells. They can differentiate into germ cells, such as sperm and eggs, thereby facilitating offspring reproduction. In addition, they continuously generate stem cells through self-renewal mechanisms to support the normal function of the reproductive system...

In goldfish, spinal cord injury triggers the formation of a fibrous scar at the injury site. Regenerating axons are able to penetrate the scar tissue, resulting in the recovery of motor function. Previous findings suggested that regenerating axons enter the scar through tubular structures surrounded by glial elements with laminin-positive basement membranes and that glial processes expressing glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are associated with axonal regeneration. How glia contribute to promoting axonal regeneration, however, is unknown...

Chemical communication through olfaction is crucial for fish behaviours, mediating in socio-sexual behaviours as reproduction. Turbot, a flatfish with significant aquaculture production, possesses a well-developed olfactory system from early developmental stages. After metamorphosis, flatfish acquire their characteristic bilateral asymmetry with an ocular side facing the open water column, housing the dorsal olfactory rosette, and a blind side in contact with the sea bottom where the ventral rosette is located...

The complex interactome crucial for successful pregnancy is constituted by the intricate network of endocrine and paracrine signaling pathways, involving gametes, embryos, and the female reproductive tract. Specifically, the oviduct exhibits distinct responses to gametes and early embryos during particular phases of the estrus cycle, a process tightly regulated by reproductive hormones. Moreover, these hormones play a pivotal role in orchestrating cyclical changes within oviductal epithelial cells. To unravel the molecular mechanisms underlying these dynamic changes, our study aimed to investigate the involvement of protein kinase A (PKA) in oviductal epithelial cells throughout the estrus cycle and in advanced pregnancy, extending our studies to oviductal epithelial cell in primary culture...

3D cell culture has emerged as a promising approach to replicate the complex behaviors of cells within living organisms. This study aims to analyze spatiotemporal behavior of the morphological characteristics of cell structure at multiscale in 3D scaffold-free spheroids using chondrogenic progenitor ATDC5 cells. Over a 14-day culture period, it exhibited cell hypertrophy in the spheroids regarding cellular and nuclear size as well as changes in morphology. Moreover, biological analysis indicated a signification up-regulation of normal chondrocyte as well as hypertrophic chondrocyte markers, suggesting early hypertrophic chondrocyte differentiation...

The animal product most used as a stimulatory additive for cell cultivation is still fetal bovine serum (FBS). Besides the ethical concerns regarding serum collection, the main problems of FBS are batch-to-batch variability and the resulting risk of lower reproducibility, the differences between species, the presence of undefined/unknown components, and the risk of contamination. In contrast, pig blood, which is a by-product of slaughter, is a sufficiently available and sustainable resource with a high degree of standardization in terms of donor age, weight, and genetics...

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for the COVID-19, may lead to multiple organ dysfunctions and long-term complications. The induction of microvascular dysfunction is regarded as a main player in these pathological processes. To investigate the possible impact of SARS-CoV-2-induced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) on fibrosis in "long-COVID" syndrome, we used primary cultures of human microvascular cells derived from the lungs, as the main infection target, compared to cells derived from different organs (dermis, heart, kidney, liver, brain) and to the HUVEC cell line...

Erythroid cells, the most prevalent cell type in blood, are one of the earliest products and permeate through the entire process of hematopoietic development in the human body, the oxygen-transporting function of which is crucial for maintaining overall health and life support. Previous investigations into erythrocyte differentiation and development have primarily focused on population-level analyses, lacking the single-cell perspective essential for comprehending the intricate pathways of erythroid maturation, differentiation, and the encompassing cellular heterogeneity...