Patterning of the primitive foregut promotes appropriate organ specification along its anterior-posterior axis. However, the molecular pathways specifying foregut endoderm progenitors are poorly understood. We show here that Wnt2/2b signaling is required to specify lung endoderm progenitors within the anterior foregut. Embryos lacking Wnt2/2b expression exhibit complete lung agenesis and do not...

In early embryogenesis, the posteroventral foregut endoderm gives rise 22 to the budding endodermal organs including the liver, ventral pancreas and gallbladder 23 during early somitogenesis. Despite the detailed fate maps of the liver and pancreatic 24 progenitors in the mouse foregut endoderm, the exact location of the gallbladder 25 progenitors remains unclear. In this study, we performed a ...

Temporally and spatially dynamic Wnt and BMP signals are essential to pattern foregut endoderm progenitors that give rise to the liver, pancreas and lungs, but how these two signaling pathways are coordinated in the extracellular space is unknown. Here we identify the transmembrane heparan sulphate proteoglycan Syndecan-4 (Sdc4), as a key regulator of both non-canonical Wnt and BMP signaling in...

We examined the role of the foregut in the resorption of molting fluid (MF) from the exuvial space during the last larval-larval molt of the moth Manduca sexta. In intermolt larvae, the activity of the foregut is characterized by robust peristaltic contractions. With the onset of the molt, MF is secreted into the exuvial space where it digests and weakens the old cuticle. The appearance of MF i...

There are several congenital lung lesions that result in severe pulmonary hypoplasia and neonatal death. These malformations include congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), oligohydramnios induced pulmonary hypoplasia, and congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung. Severely affected newborns are not salvageable by current surgical techniques or medical treatment, although one new ex...

BACKGROUND Sequestration with associated cystic adenomatoid malformation is rare. A study was undertaken to determine whether pulmonary sequestration associated with congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation has a more favourable natural history than that of sequestration without associated cystic adenomatoid malformation. METHODS An outline of the postnatal work up leading to the management...

Beating of cilia lining the foregut of gastropods facilitates the swallowing of food and, therefore, plays a role in feeding behavior. Despite the fact that neural control of feeding is well studied in mollusks, no neurons controlling ciliary beating in the foregut have been identified to date. Here we describe for the first time a pair of buccal neurons innervating the foregut of Clione. Intra...

In the moth, Manduca sexta, anterior foregut motility is modulated during the larval-larval molts in order to control the timing of molting fluid (MF) ingestion. MF is the enzymatic mixture that destroys the outer cuticle so that it can be shed at the end of the molt. The onset of the larval-larval molt is characterized by a dramatic decline in the amplitude of the anterior foregut contractions...

BACKGROUND In children, acute affectation of the thorax is presented during pleuropulmonary infection, bronchopulmonary malformation and malignant tumors. We had the opportunity to treat patients with malignant tumors in the thorax and we present our findings. CLINICAL CASES We studied three patients with the diagnosis of pleuropulmonary blastoma. All patients were being treated with surgical...