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PubMed2003

Adhesion contact dynamics of HepG2 cells on galactose-immobilized substrates.

The specific recognition between asialoglycoprotein receptor and galactose ligand at cell-substrate interfaces has been shown to mediate hepatocyte adhesion and maintain liver specific functions of hepatocytes. Conventionally, the success of hepatocyte attachment on engineered tissue scaffold is inferred from the degree of two-dimensional cell spreading that is measured by transmitted light microscopy. However, the actual contact mechanics and adhesion strength of hepatocytes during two-dimensional cell spreading has not been elucidated due to lack of biophysical probe. In this study, a novel biophysical technique known as confocal reflectance interference contrast microscopy (C-RICM) in conjunction with phase contrast microscopy is utilized to probe the adhesion dynamics, contact mechanics and two-dimensional spreading kinetics of HepG2 cells on galactose immobilized and collagen gel coated substrates. C-RICM demonstrates that HepG2 cells form strong adhesion contacts with both galactose-immobilized surfaces and collagen gel coated substrates. Moreover, HepG2 cells maintain their compact shapes in the presence of asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated recognition while they become exceedingly spread under integrin-mediated adhesion on collagen gel coated substrate. The initial rate of adhesion contact formation and the steady-state adhesion energy of HepG2 cell population are highest on substrate conjugated with galactose ligand via a longer spacer. The adhesion dynamics and final adhesion energy of HepG2 cells depends both on the type of ligand-receptor interaction and the length of spacer between the ligand and substrate. Most importantly, new biophysical insights into the initial hepatocyte attachment that are critical for hepatocyte culture are provided through the decomposition of two-dimensional spreading and adhesion contact formation on bio-functional substrates.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Encapsulation of catalase and PEG-catalase in erythrocyte.

Reactive partially reduced oxygen species such as superoxide anion (O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and hydroxyl radical (OH) are produced in aerobically growing organisms during normal cellular respiration. To provide an effective defense against these reactive species, many aerobic organisms have evolved a multienzyme defense which includes superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase. The superoxide anion may cause appreciable cellular damage by oxidizing aminoacids or by causing DNA strand breakage. Catalase was covalently immobilized on activated methoxypolyethyleneglycol-5000 and catalase and PEG-catalase were encapsulated in erythrocyte. Enzyme activity, encapsulation yield and hemograme analysis were determined for each sample. The erythrocyte shape of the samples were investigated by using phase contrast microscopy.

Catalase↗
PubMed2002

[Acanthocyturia is more efficient in to differentiate glomerular from non-glomerular hematuria then dysmorphic erythrocytes].

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine which was the most reliable method for differentiating glomerular from non-glomerular (lower urinary tract) hematuria by microscopic examination of urinary red blood cells: dysmorphic red cell count or acanthocyte count. The latter is a special type of dysmorphic red cell specific to glomerular hematuria. METHODS: Urine samples of 170 patients with hematuria [73 had renal and 97 non-renal (urological) pathology] were analyzed. Urinary sediment phase-contrast microscopy was performed to determine the percentage of dysmorphic red cells and acanthocytes in each patient. Data were correlated with the diagnosis. RESULTS: Glomerular hematuria defined as dysmorphic red cell count > 35% showed a sensitivity and specificity of 69% and 100%, respectively. Glomerular hematuria defined as acanthocytes > 5% showed a sensitivity and specificity of 88% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Phase-contrast microscopy urinary sediment acanthocyte count is more effective than dysmorphic red cell count in the diagnosis of glomerular hematuria.

Acanthocytes↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The method used in purification of nuclei from three variant cell lines of the Shionogi mouse mammary carcinoma alters their uptake of dihydrotestosterone.

Modifications of three isolation methods were used to purify nuclei from an androgen-dependent cell line (AD) and two androgen-independent cell lines (AI1 and AI2) of the Shionogi mouse mammary carcinoma. Yields of nuclei, contamination of the nuclei by whole cells, monitoring of cytoplasmic tags by phase-contrast microscopy, and biochemical analyses were used to compare the methods. Purification with the cationic detergent cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) resulted in greater yields of nuclei than purification of nuclei using Triton N-101. Purification by glycerol loading followed by hypotonic shock, although resulting in somewhat less whole cell contamination of the nuclei, yielded fewer nuclei per gram wet weight starting tissue. Phase-contrast microscopy showed the relative absence of cytoplasmic tags when nuclei were prepared by either the Triton N-101 or CPC methods. However, the yield of protein per nucleus was less when nuclei were prepared using CPC. Androgen uptake by nuclei of three cell lines was markedly reduced in those nuclei prepared by the CPC method as compared with those prepared by the Triton N-101 method. In the case of the AD tumour cell line nuclei prepared by the CPC method, both the affinity of the nuclei for dihydrotestosterone and the number of uptake sites were reduced when compared with AD tumour cell line nuclei prepared by the modified Triton N-101 method.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Protein synthesis in astrocytes: 'spontaneous' and cyclic AMP-induced differentiation.

Primary cultures of mouse astrocytes have been used to study astroglial protein synthesis during 'in vitro' differentiation. Spontaneous age-related differentiation was compared to the effect of DBcAMP or forskolin, a drug which directly stimulates the adenylate cyclase and induces 'morphological differentiation' in these cells. Cell differentiation was followed in parallel by phase contrast microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques. Two antisera, one raised against GFA, the other against microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) were used. Anti-GFA serum labelled the cells as early as 7 days in vitro. Anti-MAP2 serum revealed a dense fibrous network at later stages of the culture, whereas the dividing astroblasts appeared poorly stained by this antibody. Both phase contrast microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques suggested that most of the cells spontaneously differentiate after 3 weeks of culture even in the absence of DBcAMP or forskolin. Forskolin, while accelerating differentiation after 7 days of culture, produced smaller cells than DBcAMP and had biphasic effects on cell morphology. Mono- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis of the 35S-methionine labelled cells also showed that the major changes in protein synthetic activity occur spontaneously during the time course of the culture. Whatever the stage of the culture, DBcAMP or forskolin induced changes in the synthesis of only a few proteins. However, depending on the culture stage the proteins, which were positively or negatively controlled by these drugs, were not the same.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Morphology of renal parenchymal culture in collagen gels.

Explants of rabbit renal parenchyma have been grown in primary tissue culture suspended within hydrated collagen gels. Light and phase contrast microscopic analysis of the first 17 days in culture is described. Pieces of NZW rabbit renal parenchyma were suspended in collagen gels and bathed in supplemented RPMI 1640 medium and incubated at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 in air. Tubules demonstrated a fine granularity by phase contrast microscopy and glomeruli appeared as red spheres. Blebs formed at the sides and ends of the explant and a monolayer outgrowth of tightly packed polygonal cells occurred from day 4. Histologically an immediate phase of necrosis was followed by regeneration whereby tubules became lined with a confluent epithelium composed of a single layer of flat to cuboidal-shaped cells sitting on an intact tubular basement membrane (TBM). Intraluminal casts of organized cellular debris as well as material presumed to be Tamm Horsfall protein were present. Glomeruli demonstrated collapsed capillary loops. The interstitium became widened by eosinophilic material. The tissue surface contained epithelial cells arranged in places into sac-like structures enclosing a space.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Applications of a rapid endospore viability assay for monitoring UV inactivation and characterizing arctic ice cores.

We have developed a rapid endospore viability assay (EVA) in which endospore germination serves as an indicator for viability and applied it to (i) monitor UV inactivation of endospores as a function of dose and (ii) determine the proportion of viable endospores in arctic ice cores (Greenland Ice Sheet Project 2 [GISP2] cores; 94 m). EVA is based on the detection of dipicolinic acid (DPA), which is released from endospores during germination. DPA concentrations were determined using the terbium ion (Tb3+)-DPA luminescence assay, and germination was induced by L-alanine addition. The concentrations of germinable endospores were determined by comparison to a standard curve. Parallel EVA and phase-contrast microscopy experiments to determine the percentage of germinable spores yielded comparable results (54.3% +/- 3.8% and 48.9% +/- 4.5%, respectively), while only 27.8% +/- 7.6% of spores produced CFU. EVA was applied to monitor the inactivation of spore suspensions as a function of UV dose, yielding reproducible correlations between EVA and CFU inactivation data. The 90% inactivation doses were 2,773 J/m2, 3,947 J/m2, and 1,322 J/m2 for EVA, phase-contrast microscopy, and CFU reduction, respectively. Finally, EVA was applied to quantify germinable and total endospore concentrations in two GISP2 ice cores. The first ice core contained 295 +/- 19 germinable spores/ml and 369 +/- 36 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 79.9% +/- 9.3%), and the second core contained 131 +/- 4 germinable spores/ml and 162 +/- 17 total spores/ml (i.e., the percentage of germinable endospores was 80.9% +/- 8.8%), whereas only 2 CFU/ml were detected by culturing.

Arctic Regions↗
PubMed1994

Cytokines modulate terminal differentiation and the expression of predesquamin in cultured keratinocytes.

Predesquamin is a glycoprotein that we have isolated from human epidermis. Its monospecific polyclonal antibody immunolocalizes to the lower stratum corneum. We have previously found that it is not expressed in primary keratinocyte cultures unless both interferon-gamma and serum are added to the culture media. We now show similar results with interleukin-1 alpha substituted for interferon-gamma (but not with retinoic acid). Predesquamin is expressed in media supplemented with both cytokines (with or without serum), accompanied by the observation of larger outer squames and a more mature pattern of desquamation. As both cytokines are naturally present in the epidermis, this suggests that they contribute to desquamation in vivo. The predesquamin expression is demonstrated by Western blots of cell extracts with the specific antibody. Corresponding morphological changes are illustrated by phase-contrast microscopy.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1990

Reversible mitochondrial swelling in cultured rat hepatocytes exposed to 1,2-dimethylhydrazine.

The early structural changes of F344 rat hepatocytes exposed to the hepatocarcinogen 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) were characterized in short-term monolayer cultures. Continuous exposure of monolayers to DMH (2-16 mM) caused cytoplasmic vacuoles visible by phase-contrast microscopy in all hepatocytes within 6 hr of exposure. These changes preceded maximal release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) which occurred after 48 hr of continuous exposure to cytocidal concentrations of DMH (8-16 mM). Ultrastructurally, hepatocytes exposed to DMH (4 mM, 6 hr) showed a twofold increase in mitochondrial diameter from 340 +/- 70 nm in control hepatocytes to 800 +/- 140 nm in DMH-exposed cells. Hepatocyte monolayers exposed to DMH (4 mM, 6 hr) with subsequent removal of DMH attained normal phase-contrast appearance within 6 hr. Ultrastructural studies showed no significant differences when compared with control hepatocytes and mitochondrial diameters (330 +/- 70 nm) were comparable with control hepatocytes. Pretreatment of hepatocytes with depletors of cellular reduced glutathione concentration, including 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (40 microM) and diethyl maleate (160 microM), did not potentiate hepatocellular vacuolation nor release of LDH from hepatocytes exposed to DMH (0-16 mM, 48 hr). These studies demonstrate a distinctive form of reversible high-amplitude mitochondrial swelling that can be monitored by phase-contrast microscopy of cultured hepatocytes in monolayers. Since DMH-induced mitochondrial swelling and its progression to irreversible injury are not potentiated by depletors of reduced thiols, this response appears distinct from prelethal mitochondrial swelling in hepatocytes subjected to oxyradical-mediated mechanisms of injury.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗
PubMed2004

Phase behavior of the palmitic acid/palmitin system. A 2H NMR study.

The phase behavior of mixtures of palmitic acid (PA) and 1-monohexadecanoyl-rac-glycerol, palmitin, was studied by phase contrast microscopy and deuterium solid-state NMR. At pH 5, mixtures remained precipitated as lumps in solution. The NMR spectrum of the perdeuterated PA (PAd31) at 300 K exhibited a shape and quadrupolar splittings, deltav, characteristic of lipids embedded in a gel phase. The alkyl chains remained in a trans conformation with their long molecular axis oriented at about 15 degrees with respect to the bilayer normal. However, gauche defects were shown to occur at the end of the alkyl chain. At 330 K, the system underwent a phase transition to a hexagonal phase followed by an isotropic phase at 340 K. Upon cooling to 330 K, the spectrum in the hexagonal phase was oriented at 0 degrees showing that the cylinders were oriented with their long axis parallel to the field. Up to 11 positions (from 15) of PAd31 could be assigned. At pH 7 and 9 at room temperature, the mixtures were fully dispersed in a viscous solution of vesicles. The system underwent a phase transition at 320 K from a gel phase to a fluid phase with the bilayer normal oriented at 90 degrees with respect to the field. Analogous experiments performed with PA selectively labeled on carbon C2 allowed for the assignment of deltav for that position and suggested different conformations of the headgroup in the gel and fluid or hexagonal phases. The implications of these findings for the bio-availability of these fatty acids, in the understanding of the contribution of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups in the membrane formation, and for the production of simple self-oriented systems are discussed.

Glycerides↗
PubMed1981

Cytotoxic effects of dental cements on two cell culture systems.

Four dental cements and one bis-GMA composite were tested in cultures of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts and mouse 3T3 fibroblasts. It was found that these cell types reacted to the cements with different intensities, and that there were differences in evaluation by phase contrast microscopy and succinic dehydrogenase histochemistry.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Characterizations of critical processes in liquid-liquid phase separation of the elastomeric protein-water system: microscopic observations and light scattering measurements.

Biological self-assembly process of tropoelastin in an extracellular space, viewed as a key step of the elastogenesis, can be mimicked by the temperature-dependent coacervation of the elastin-related polypeptide-water system. Early and late stages of the phase separation behavior of the bovine neck ligamental alpha-elastin-water system were examined respectively by the laser light scattering photometry and phase contrast microscopy. Changes in the hydrodynamic size of molecular assemblies and visible microcoacervate droplet size were traced as a function of the concentration of alpha-elastin and temperature. Near the critical point, alpha-elastin concentration of 0.11 mg/mL and temperature of 21.5 degrees C, the phase separation was initiated after fast increase of the hydrodynamic size of primary aggregates as scattering particles and followed by the appearance of larger microcoacervate droplets with a broad size distribution. Whereas in the off-critical region, slow decrease of the hydrodynamic size of primary particles induced phase separation with smaller droplets of a narrow size distribution. Observation of the phase separation processes in the alpha-elastin-water system with metal chlorides and hydrophobic synthetic model polypeptide-water system indicated that the fast and slow molecular assembly processes were based on the fundamental hydrophobic interactions and involvements of electrostatic interactions between charged amino acid residues, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Effects on induction of tyrosine aminotransferase in fetal mouse liver in vitro of prednisolone, insulin and thyroxine.

The hormonal requirements for formation of tyrosine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.5) in fetal mouse liver were investigated in organ culture using chemically defined medium. The hormones tested were insulin, thyroxine and prednisolone. Prednisolone alone resulted in a two-fold increase in tyrosine amino-transferase activity in explanted liver in hormone-free medium on day 6, and its effect was dose dependent, but neither insulin nor thyroxine alone induced the enzyme. Addition of prednisolone plus thyroxine and prednisolone plus insulin increased the enzyme activity 1.4- and 1.3-fold, respectively, over that of explants with prednisolone alone. These three hormones together had the greatest effect, causing induction of 1.5-fold more activity than that with prednisolone plus insulin or plus thyroxine. The three hormones were not all needed continuously during the culture period: prednisolone and insulin were required during the early part of cultivation and thyroxine during the later part. The effects of these hormones were blocked by actinomycin D or puromycin, suggesting that these hormones increase de novo synthesis of tyrosine aminotransferase. Phase-contrast microscopy showed that prednisolone stimulated liver epithelial cell outgrowth, probably acting with insulin.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

[Basic studies on glass ceramics. 3. Influence on calcification of osteogenic cells in vitro].

Two established osteogenic cell lines (NY, MC 3 T3-E 1) were used in vitro to determine the biocompatibility of glass ceramics and their effect on initial calcification of osteogenic cells. Morphological study of the cell under the phase-contrast microscopy and histochemical staining were applied as follows. First, glass ceramic granules were placed in 60 mm dishes, and cells were suspended in the dishes in alpha-MEM supplemented with 10% FBS (basic medium) or medium with 50 micrograms/ml of L-ascorbic acid added. After 8 or 14 day of culturing, calcium formation was tested by von-Kossa's staining. Also, alkaline phosphatase staining was performed by the azo-dye method. As controls, cultures in dishes without glass ceramic granules were stained at the same time. The results obtained in the experimental culture were as follows. 1. Phase contrast microscopy showed that contacts with glass ceramics did not cause cellular death or degeneration. 2. In both cell cultures with the glass ceramics the von-Kossa reaction was positive as early as the 8th day. 3. The alkaline phosphatase reaction on the 8th day occurred only in MC 3 T3-E 1. The reaction was localized on fibroblastic cells which proliferated three-dimensionally around glass ceramics, and on small polyhedral cells situated relatively for apart from the ceramics. 4. On the 14th day, the MC 3 T 3-E 1 formed large nodules around the glass ceramics, and they were stained uniformly positive by von-Kossa's method. The alkaline phosphatase-positive cells extended spoke-like forms. 5. In medium with L-ascorbic acid, growth of NY was inhibited, After being cultured for 14 days, abundant von-Kossa positive reaction was found around glass ceramics in both cells. In MC 3 T 3-E1 on the 8th days, the alkaline phosphatase reaction was stronger with glass ceramics than with basic medium only. On the contrary, in the control cultures of both cells there was negative von-Kossa reaction during the culture period. The above results showed that glass ceramic granules have the biocompatibility needed for bone grafts, and they facilitated calcification of MC 3 T 3-E 1 in culture.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗
PubMed1974

Effects of actinomycin D on the cytopathology induced by poliovirus in HEp-2 cells.

One possible mechanism of virus-induced cell damage is that the redistributed (released) lysosomal enzymes produce the cytopathic effect during cytolytic types of infections such as poliovirus in HEp-2 cells. To determine if the lysosomal enzyme redistribution and cell damage are host-cell directed, we studied sensitivity of these events to the action of actinomycin D. By the use of actinomycin D at concentrations producing the least toxicity but maximal effectiveness in shuting down cell RNA synthesis, it was shown that the cytopathic effect and enzyme redistribution were not inhibited and, therefore, not directly controlled and induced by the cell genome in response to the virus infection. Evaluation of cytopathic effect by a phase contrast microscopy method detected changes earlier than the erythrocin B uptake method.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗