OBJECTIVES Arterial pressure induced vein graft injury can result in endothelial loss, accelerated atherosclerosis and vein graft failure. Inflammation, including complement activation, is assumed to play a pivotal role herein. Here, we analyzed the effects of C1-esterase inhibitor (C1inh) on early vein graft remodeling. METHODS Human saphenous vein graft segments (n=8) were perfused in vitro...

Abstract Background and Aims Renal complement expression has been observed in both experimental human kidney diseases. We have previously reported massive tubular C3 fibrotic TGF-beta1 transgenic mice (Nephrol Dial Transpl 2015, 30; S3:FP301). Still, little is known whether this intra-renal only an inflammatory marker of renal fibrosis or also exerts direct pro-fibrotic effects the pathogenesis...

Background: Rodents with short reproductive cycle length are the best model for investigation of physiology and molecular aspects of reproductive biology. This study aimed to establish a correlation between histological changes of uterus and ovaries with the vaginal smear. Materials and Methods: 6-8 weeks old virgin Female NMRI mice were submitted to the vaginal smear collection and observed us...

Blood brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and neuroinflammation are key events in ischemic stroke morbidity and mortality. The present study investigated the effects of mast cell deficiency and stabilization on BBB breakdown and neutrophil infiltration in mice after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo). Adult male C57BL6/J wild type (WT) and mast cell-deficient (C57BL6/J Kit(Wsh/Wsh) (W...

Feature Open access, freely available online A rmed with billions of cells, elaborate circuitry, and a seemingly animate anatomy, capable of growing as it learns, the brain is a marvelously enigmatic organ. Much to the chagrin of those that study it, the brain remains perhaps too mysterious. Although genetic information exploded out of the Human Genome Project, it has been of little consequence...

Although previous studies have revealed a role for the voltage-gated K+ channel alpha-subunit Kv1.5 (KCNA5) in the generation of the 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)-sensitive component of delayed rectification in mouse ventricles (IK,slow1), the phenotypic consequences of manipulating IK,slow1 expression in vivo in different (mouse) models are distinct. In these experiments, point mutations were introdu...

PURPOSE To develop a serum-free mass culture system for mouse keratocytes. METHODS Corneas of C57BL6/J mice were enzyme digested after the epithelium and endothelium were removed. Stromal cells were cultured in serum-free DMEM/F12 (1:1) containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and B27 supplement. Primary spheres were dissociated by trypsin and subcultured a...

To maximize the sensitivity of detecting affects of genetic variants in mice, variables have been minimized through the use of inbred mouse lines, by eliminating infectious organisms and controlling environmental variables. However, the impact of standard animal husbandry and experimental procedures on the validity of experimental data is under appreciated. In this study we monitored the impact...