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Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a short-term life-threatening condition that, if survived, can lead to renal insufficiency and development of chronic kidney disease. The pathogenesis of AKI and chronic kidney disease involves direct effects on the heart and the development of hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy. Methods: We used mouse models of ischemia/reperfusion AKI and unilateral ureteral obstruction to investigate the role of IL-33 (interleukin-33) and its receptor-encoding gene Il1rl1 (also called ST2L [suppression of tumorigenicity 2]) in cardiac remodeling after AKI. Mice with cell type–specific genetic disruption of the IL-33/ST2L axis were used, and IL-33 monoclonal antibody, adeno-associated virus encoding IL-33 or ST2L, and recombinant IL-33, as well. Results: Mice deficient in Il33 were refractory to cardiomyopathy associated with 2 models of kidney injury. Treatment of mice with monoclonal IL-33 antibody also protected the heart after AKI. Moreover, overexpression of IL-33 or injection of recombinant IL-33 induced cardiac hypertrophy or cardiomyopathy, but not in mice lacking Il1rl1 . AKI-induced cardiomyopathy was also reduced in mice with cardiac myocyte–specific deletion of Il1rl1 but not in endothelial cell- or fibroblast-specific deletion of Il1rl1 . Last, overexpression of the ST2L receptor in cardiac myocytes recapitulated induction of cardiac hypertrophy. Conclusions: These results indicate that IL-33 released from the kidney during AKI underlies cardiorenal syndrome by directly signaling to cardiac myocytes, suggesting that antagonism of IL-33/ST2 axis would be cardioprotective in patients with kidney disease.

BACKGROUND: The regenerative capacity of the heart after myocardial infarction (MI) is limited. Our previous study showed that ectopic introduction of Cdk1/CyclinB1 and Cdk4/CyclinD1 complexes (4F) promotes cardiomyocyte proliferation in 15-20% of infected cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo and improves cardiac function after MI in mice. METHODS: Here, using temporal single-cell RNAseq we aimed to identify the necessary reprogramming stages during the forced cardiomyocyte proliferation with 4F on a single cell basis. Also, using rat and pig models of ischemic heart failure, we aimed to start the first preclinical testing to introduce 4F gene therapy as a candidate for the treatment of ischemia-induced heart failure. RESULTS: Temporal bulk and single-cell RNAseq and further biochemical validations of mature hiPS-CMs treated with either LacZ or 4F adenoviruses revealed full cell cycle reprogramming in 15% of the cardiomyocyte population at 48 h post-infection with 4F, which was mainly associated with sarcomere disassembly and metabolic reprogramming (n=3/timepoint/group). Transient overexpression of 4F, specifically in cardiomyocytes, was achieved using a polycistronic non-integrating lentivirus (NIL) encoding the 4F; each is driven by a TNNT2 promoter (TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL). TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL or control virus was injected intramyocardially one week after MI in rats (n=10/group) or pigs (n=6-7/group). Four weeks post-injection, TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL treated animals showed significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction and scar size compared with the control virus treated animals. At four months after treatment, rats that received TNNT2-4Fpolycistronic-NIL still showed a sustained improvement in cardiac function and no obvious development of cardiac arrhythmias or systemic tumorigenesis (n=10/group). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides mechanistic insights into the process of forced cardiomyocyte proliferation and advances the clinical feasibility of this approach by minimizing the oncogenic potential of the cell cycle factors thanks to the use of a novel transient and cardiomyocyte-specific viral construct.

SummaryEntry of enveloped viruses into cells is mediated by fusogenic proteins that form a complex between membranes to drive rearrangements needed for fusion. Skeletal muscle development also requires membrane fusion events between progenitor cells to form multinucleated myofibers. Myomaker and Myomerger are muscle-specific cell fusogens, but do not structurally or functionally resemble classical viral fusogens. We asked if the muscle fusogens could functionally substitute for viral fusogens, despite their structural distinctiveness, and fuse viruses to cells. We report that engineering of Myomaker and Myomerger on the membrane of enveloped viruses leads to specific transduction of skeletal muscle. We also demonstrate that locally and systemically injected virions pseudotyped with the muscle fusogens can deliver micro-Dystrophin (μDys) to skeletal muscle of a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Through harnessing the intrinsic properties of myogenic membranes, we establish a platform for delivery of therapeutic material to skeletal muscle.

Tropical Cyclones that occur over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) are warm cored, highly devastating and short-lived compared to other oceanic basins. Numerical prediction of these cyclones is mainly an initial value problem. Accuracy of the initial position largely depends on forecasting model, density & quality of observations and data assimilation scheme. State of the art numerical modeling systems are able to predict the genesis of most cyclonic systems reasonably well, but often, they fail to maintain the correct position and intensity. Satellite observations play an important role in cyclone prediction as they also cover data sparse open ocean. Often intensity and structural characteristics of these systems need to be inferred from the remotely sensed data. Satellite observations are increasingly being used to better initialize the tropical cyclones' location and intensity in the NWP systems. This study highlights India's efforts in the reception and assimilation of satellite and various other observations from different sources. The impacts of these observations are studied by carrying out Observing System Experiment (OSE) and through Forecast Sensitivity Observation Impact (FSOI) studies. Some of the recent OSEs on Tropical Cyclones over the NIO and a list of more beneficial observations through FSOI are presented in this paper.

Muscle cell fusion is a multistep process where the final step of the reaction drives progression beyond early hemifusion events to complete fusion. This step requires activity of the muscle-specific fusogen Myomerger, a single-pass transmembrane protein containing 84 amino acids with an ectodomain that includes two α-helices. Previous studies have demonstrated that Myomerger acts by destabilizing membranes through generation of elastic stresses in the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane. An obvious question is how such destabilizing activity might be regulated to avoid membrane and cellular damage, and how the two juxtaposed helices cooperate in fusion. Using cellular fusion assays and in vitro liposome assays, we report that the two helices possess unique characteristics, both of which are needed for full activity of the protein. We demonstrate that externalized phosphatidylserine (PS), a lipid previously implicated in myoblast fusion, has a determinant role in the regulation of Myomerger activity. The membrane-proximal, amphipathic Helix-1 is normally disordered and its α-helical structure is induced by PS, making membrane interactions more efficacious. The distal, more hydrophobic Helix-2 is intrinsically ordered, possesses an ability to insert into membranes, and augments the membrane-stressing effects of Helix-1. These data reveal that Myomerger fusogenic activity is an exquisitely orchestrated event involving its two ectodomain helices, which are controlled by membrane lipid composition, providing an explanation as to how its membrane-stressing activity is spatially and temporally regulated during the final step of myoblast fusion.

RationaleCardiomyocytes and fibroblasts in the heart communicate through both secreted growth factors as well as through sensing the structural properties of the extracellular matrix that each helps generate. Previous studies have shown that defects in fibroblast activity during disease stimulation result in altered cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, although the role that collagen might play in this communication is unknown.ObjectiveHere we investigated how type I collagen maturation and disease-responsive matrix expansion in the heart by cardiac fibroblasts impacts cardiac fibrosis and cardiomyocyte hypertrophy.Methods and ResultsWe generated and characterized Col1a2-/- mice using standard gene-targeting. Col1a2-/- mice were viable, although by young adulthood their hearts showed alterations in extracellular matrix mechanical properties, as well as an unanticipated activation of cardiac fibroblasts and induction of a progressive fibrotic response. This included increases in fibroblast number and a progressive cardiac hypertrophy, with reduced functional performance by 9 months. Col1a2-loxP targeted mice were also generated and crossed with the tamoxifen-inducible Postn-MerCreMer knock-in mice to delete the Col1a2 gene in myofibroblasts post-pressure overload injury, to more specifically implicate fibroblasts as effectors of cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in vivo. Opposite to the gradual induction of cardiac hypertrophy observed in germline Col1a2-/- mice as they matured developmentally, adult fibroblast-specific deletion of Col1a2 during pressure overload protected these mice from cardiac hypertrophy in the first week with a delayed fibrotic response. However, this reduction in hypertrophy due to myofibroblast-specific Col1a2 deletion was gradually lost over 2 and 6 weeks of pressure overload as augmented fibrosis returned.ConclusionsDefective type I collagen in the developing heart alters the structural integrity of the extracellular matrix that leads to fibroblast expansion, activation, fibrosis and hypertrophy with progressive cardiomyopathy in adulthood. However, acute deletion of type I collagen production for the first time in the adult heart during pressure overload prevents ECM expansion and inhibits cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, while gradual restoration of fibrosis again permitted hypertrophy comparable to controls.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major cardiovascular risk factor, regardless of the severity or the origin of the AKI. Among this risk, AKI imparts an array of signals and long-term physiologic alterations that can precipitate heart insufficiency and hypertrophy. However, few direct molecular mechanisms have been identified that show how AKI leads to cardiac disease and maladaptation. The aims of this project are to assess the role of IL33 in remote cardiac damage after AKI. METHOD AKI was induced in mice by ischemia–reperfusion injury of both right and left kidneys by 30min of reversible artery occlusion. To examine the role of renal inflammation more specifically, we used the unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model, which does not cause acute injury. For UUO, an incision was made in the lower left quadrant of the abdomen and the left ureter was isolated and ligated permanently. Mice were treated to manipulate select signaling pathways with either Adenovirus-associated virus 9 (AAV9) or recombinant proteins. We generated AAV9 carrying the IL33 gene or an empty vector (EV) under a CMV promoter and injected 1012 viral particles intrathoracically in 6 to 9 days old pups. Recombinant IL33 (rIL33) or vehicle were injected intraperitoneally in IL33 KO adult mice after AKI (at D0, D1 and D2). Echocardiography was performed either at baseline or after 28 days of surgery. Hearts were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde overnight and paraffin-embedded for fibrosis (picrosirius staining) and cardiomyocyte area measurement (WGA staining and ImageJ software). IL33 citrine reporter mice (IL33cit) in the heterozygous state were used to show IL33 expression. RESULTS Our data showed that UUO and AKI were strong inducers of cardiac dysfunction after 28 days in adult mice, measured with echocardiography (mean ejectional fraction (EF): 58, 46, 47% in Sham, AKI and UUO group respectively, P < .05). Cardiac pathology was also present such as increased fibrosis in hearts from WT mice after AKI compared with Sham (2.3%, 4.5%, 8.3% of fibrosis area in Sham, AKI and UUO respectively, P < 0.05) and an increased mean cardiomyocyte area indicative of hypertrophy (333, 597, 1246 µm2 in Sham, AKI and UUO respectively, P < .05). However, cardiac function and architecture were preserved either after 28 days of AKI or UUO in IL33 KO mice. In parallel, WT mice injected with AAV9-CMV-IL33 showed impaired cardiac function compared with mice injected with a control AAV9-empty vector after 8 weeks (EF 58% versus 42% in AAV-EV and AAV-IL33 respectively, P < .05). After AKI, AAV9-IL33 mice had even more impaired cardiac function compared to AAV-empty control mice (EF 42% versus 35% in AAV-EV and AAV-IL33 respectively). In IL33 KO mice, the injection of 1 µg of rIL33 in the early days of AKI restored cardiac dysfunction and fibrosis after 28 days of AKI (EF 59 versus 43% in Sham and AKI respectively, P < .05), yet vehicle injected mice were still protected. IL33 expression viewed with the Citrine reporter mice showed that it was locally downregulated in the heart after AKI, which was strictly localized in pericytes in the heart (PDGFRß+ cells). ELISA for protein levels of IL33 confirmed the reduction of this cytokine in hearts from WT AKI and UUO mice after 28 days compared with Sham (29.6, 4.2 and 2.7 fg of IL33/µg of protein in Sham, AKI and UUO hearts respectively, P < .05). CONCLUSION IL33 seems to exert toxicity in the heart as secreted by renal inflammation, which is against some previous reports in the literature where it was suggested to be a protective factor to the heart (whether released from the kidney or from within the heart).

Mammalian cells exhibit remarkable diversity in cell size, but the factors that regulate establishment and maintenance of these sizes remain poorly understood. This is especially true for skeletal muscle, comprised of syncytial myofibers that each accrue hundreds of nuclei during development. Here, we directly explore the assumed causal relationship between multinucleation and establishment of normal size through titration of myonuclear numbers during mouse neonatal development. Three independent mouse models, where myonuclear numbers were reduced by 75, 55, or 25%, led to the discovery that myonuclei possess a reserve capacity to support larger functional cytoplasmic volumes in developing myofibers. Surprisingly, the results revealed an inverse relationship between nuclei numbers and reserve capacity. We propose that as myonuclear numbers increase, the range of transcriptional return on a per nuclear basis in myofibers diminishes, which accounts for both the absolute reliance developing myofibers have on nuclear accrual to establish size, and the limits of adaptability in adult skeletal muscle., Skeletal muscle is composed of syncytial myofibres, each containing hundreds of nuclei. Through genetic reduction of the number of nuclei per myofibre, the authors confirm that more nuclei produce larger cells but myofibres with fewer nuclei adaptively compensate leading to larger and functional myonuclear domains.

Objectives Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is an immune-mediated complication that occurs in a small percentage of patients exposed to heparin. Concerns of HIT are particularly high in patients undergoing cardiac procedures requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, as they are exposed to high doses of heparin intraoperatively. Our aim was to identify and assess the hospital courses of patients who were diagnosed with HIT during readmission following cardiac surgery. Methods A retrospective review of patients who underwent open cardiac surgical procedures from June 2017 through October 2019 was performed. Of these, we identified patients who were newly diagnosed with HIT upon readmission. HIT positivity was defined as a positive anti-PF4 antibody screening test, plus a positive serotonin release assay. Results Of the 2496 patients identified, 13 patients were HIT positive on index admission and were excluded. Of the remaining 2483 patients, 351 were readmitted within 30 days. Six were newly diagnosed with HIT during readmission, 5 of whom presented with thrombotic complications. One patient was readmitted with thrombocytopenia and was started on argatroban; the remaining 5 did not have a significantly lower platelet count on readmission. Of the 12 patients readmitted for venous thromboembolism, 4 tested positive for HIT. Conclusions HIT can have a delayed appearance following open heart surgery. Venous thromboembolism appears to be a significant indicator for HIT during readmission, even in the absence of thrombocytopenia. This may support the use of non-heparin anticoagulation for cardiac surgery patients readmitted with thromboembolism until HIT status is determined.

BACKGROUND Hans Christian Gram, a Danish pathologist originally devised the Gram staining method in 1882 for identification of Gram positive and Gram-negative bacteria and is the gold standard method for preliminary detection before inoculating for culture and sensitivity for better treatment outcome. In the present era, use of irrational antimicrobials has led to antimicrobial resistance which can be resolved by routine usage of Gram stain. METHODS This is a cross sectional study of 2 months duration (May 2020 - June 2020) with 172 subjects. Institutional ethical clearance and pharmaco-vigilance program of India permission was obtained. All interns and post-graduates who were available at the time of interview, and who gave written informed consent were included in the study. Those who did not give written informed consent and those who were absent or unavailable were excluded. Pre tested questionnaire was validated using Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency and was filled voluntarily. Data was collected, compiled and analysed for results. RESULTS Among 172 subjects who participated in the study, 99 (57 %) are females and 73 (43 %) are males. 88 (51 %) are post-graduates and 84 (49 %) are interns. 100 % had knowledge about Gram stain, 47 (27 %) participants knew about procedure timing as 5 minutes for Gram staining and 26 (15 %) participants thought that test can be done at bedside. 90 (52 %) knew that test can be done for all specimens. 169 (98 %) had knowledge on the Gram stain which could help for provisional diagnosis. 119 (69 %) agreed that test was very cost effective. 28 (16 %) agreed that Gram stain was a better test for provisional diagnosis. 63 (36.6 %) were practicing regularly and 10 (6 %) were practicing Gram stain for appropriate antimicrobial use. CONCLUSIONS The present study concluded 100 % of the study participants had knowledge with regard to Gram staining, 27 % knew that the time taken was 5 minutes to perform test. 15 % knew that it can be done at bedside. 63 (36.6 %) were practicing regularly and 10 (6 %) were practicing as initial step for all clinical confirmations for appropriate antimicrobial treatment for better outcome. KEYWORDS Gram Stain, Preliminary Test, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Evidence Based Medicine, Better Clinical Approach

BACKGROUND Present pandemic COVID-19 outbreak in China is spreading globally. WHO confirmed 8.126 million cases and deaths were 445K globally. India recorded 377974 confirmed cases and 14240 deaths and Andhra Pradesh 7071 confirmed cases and 90 deaths, with a mortality of 3.3 % according to sources of health ministry and from updates 18th June 2020 news bulletin. METHODS This is a prospective cross sectional observational, study conducted in Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh. 1734 participants (384 general population, 250 doctors, 450 nurses, 550 class IV staff, 50 pharmacists and 50 police personnel) were included and modified predesigned WHO Questionnaire was used to collect the data. 1350 participants frontline healthcare personnel, pharmacists and police were enrolled for hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis; 384 participants used preventive measures like masks, social distancing, hand washing, staying at home, and usage of Aarogya Setu App. The collected data was analysed using SPSS version-22 software. Results were tabulated for demographic details, knowledge, attitude, practice analysis and statistical analysis. RESULTS 39.6 % had knowledge, 68 % had attitude to adopt measures and 72.7 % were following preventive measures and 3.1 % were using Aarogya Setu App to protect themselves from COVID-19. 1350 participants were HCQ prophylaxis for 7 weeks; in these participants, pre- and post-tests were done and were found to be negative for corona infection; 1.6 % had mild ADRs. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, 100 % awareness among the community is required. CONCLUSIONS Though general population had 39.6 % knowledge on preventive measures for corona, 72.7 % were following them. On the other hand, frontline healthcare professionals and workers who were on hydroxychloroquine prophylaxis were found to be negative for corona infection. KEYWORDS COVID-19, Face Masks, Hand Washing, Social Distancing, Aarogya Setu App, HCQ Prophylaxis

Introduction. Requirement of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation is a known and common postoperative consequence of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The Emory risk score has been recently developed to help risk stratify the need for PPM insertion in patients undergoing TAVR with SAPIEN 3 valves. Our aim was to assess the validity of this risk score in our patient population, as well as its applicability to patients receiving self-expanding valves. Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of 479 TAVR patients without preoperative pacemakers from November 2016 through December 2018. Preoperative risk factors included in the Emory risk score were collected for each patient: preoperative QRS, preoperative right bundle branch block (RBBB), preoperative syncope, and degree of valve oversizing. Multivariable analysis of the individual variables within the scoring system to identify predictors of PPM placement was performed. The predictive discrimination of the risk score for the risk of PPM placement after TAVR was assessed with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results. Our results demonstrated that, of the 479 patients analyzed, 236 (49.3%) received balloon-expandable valves and 243 (50.7%) received self-expanding valves. Pacemaker rates were higher in patients receiving self-expanding valves than those receiving balloon-expandable valves (25.1% versus 16.1%, p = 0.018 ). The Emory risk score showed a moderate correlation with pacemaker requirement in patients receiving each valve type, with AUC for balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves of 0.657 and 0.645, respectively. Of the four risk score components, preoperative RBBB was the only predictor of pacemaker requirement with an AUC of 0.615 for both balloon-expandable and self-expanding valves. Conclusion. In our cohort, the Emory risk score had modest predictive utility for PPM insertion after balloon-expandable and self-expanding TAVR. The risk score did not offer better discriminatory utility than that of preoperative RBBB alone. Understanding the determinants of PPM insertion after TAVR can better guide patient education and postoperative management.

Skeletal muscle can repair and regenerate due to resident stem cells known as satellite cells. The muscular dystrophies are progressive muscle wasting diseases underscored by chronic muscle damage that is continually repaired by satellite cell-driven regeneration. Here we generate a genetic strategy to mediate satellite cell ablation in dystrophic mouse models to investigate how satellite cells impact disease trajectory. Unexpectedly, we observe that depletion of satellite cells reduces dystrophic disease features, with improved histopathology, enhanced sarcolemmal stability and augmented muscle performance. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that satellite cells initiate expression of the myogenic transcription factor MyoD, which then induces re-expression of fetal genes in the myofibers that destabilize the sarcolemma. Indeed, MyoD re-expression in wildtype adult skeletal muscle reduces membrane stability and promotes histopathology, while MyoD inhibition in a mouse model of muscular dystrophy improved membrane stability. Taken together these observations suggest that satellite cell activation and the fetal gene program is maladaptive in chronic dystrophic skeletal muscle.

The non-contractile cytoskeleton in cardiomyocytes is comprised of cytoplasmic actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments. In addition to providing mechanical support to these cells, these structures are important effectors of tension-sensing and signal transduction and also provide networks for the transport of proteins and organelles. The majority of our knowledge on the function and structure of these cytoskeletal networks comes from research on proliferative cell types. However, in recent years, researchers have begun to show that there are important cardiomyocyte-specific functions of the cytoskeleton. Here we will discuss the current state of cytoskeletal biology in cardiomyocytes, as well as research from other cell types, that together suggest there is a wealth of knowledge on cardiac health and disease waiting to be uncovered through exploration of the complex signaling networks of cardiomyocyte non-sarcomeric cytoskeletal proteins.

Hemodynamic stress on the mammalian heart results in compensatory hypertrophy and activation of the unfolded protein response through activating transcription factor 6α (ATF6α) in cardiac myocytes, but the roles of ATF6α or the related transcription factor ATF6β in regulating this hypertrophic response are not well-understood. Here we examined the effects of loss of ATF6α or ATF6β on the cardiac response to pressure overload. Mice gene-deleted for Atf6 or Atf6b were subjected to 2 weeks of transverse aortic constriction, and each showed a significant reduction in hypertrophy with reduced expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-associated proteins compared with controls. However, with long-term pressure overload both Atf6 and Atf6b null mice showed enhanced decompensation typified by increased heart weight, pulmonary edema and reduced function compared to control mice. Our subsequent studies using cardiac-specific transgenic mice expressing the transcriptionally active N-terminus of ATF6α or ATF6β revealed that these factors control overlapping gene expression networks that include numerous ER protein chaperones and ER associated degradation components. This work reveals previously unappreciated roles for ATF6α and ATF6β in regulating the pressure overload induced cardiac hypertrophic response and in controlling the expression of genes that condition the ER during hemodynamic stress.

Skeletal muscle cells are noteworthy for their syncytial nature, with each myofiber accumulating hundreds or thousands of nuclei derived from resident muscle stem cells (MuSCs). These nuclei are accrued through cell fusion, which is controlled by the two essential fusogens Myomaker and Myomerger that are transiently expressed within the myogenic lineage. While the absolute requirement of fusion for muscle development has been known for decades, the underlying need for the magnitude of multinucleation in muscle remains mysterious. Possible advantages of multinucleation include the potential it affords for transcriptional diversity within these massive cells, and as a means of increasing DNA content to support optimal cell size and function. In this article, we review recent advances that elucidate the relationship between myonuclear numbers and establishment of myofiber size, and discuss how this new information refines our understanding of the concept of myonuclear domains (MND), the cytoplasmic volumes that each resident myonucleus can support. Finally, we explore the potential consequences and costs of multinucleation and its impacts on myonuclear transcriptional reserve capacity, growth potential, myofiber size regulation, and muscle adaptability. We anticipate this report will not only serve to highlight the latest advances in the basic biology of syncytial muscle cells but also provide information to help design the next generation of therapeutic strategies to maintain muscle mass and function.

Background: Although c-Kit + adult progenitor cells were initially reported to produce new cardiomyocytes in the heart, recent genetic evidence suggests that such events are exceedingly rare. However, to determine if these rare events represent true de novo cardiomyocyte formation, we deleted the necessary cardiogenic transcription factors Gata4 and Gata6 from c-Kit–expressing cardiac progenitor cells. Methods: Kit allele–dependent lineage tracing and fusion analysis were performed in mice following simultaneous Gata4 and Gata6 cell type–specific deletion to examine rates of putative de novo cardiomyocyte formation from c-Kit + cells. Bone marrow transplantation experiments were used to define the contribution of Kit allele–derived hematopoietic cells versus Kit lineage–dependent cells endogenous to the heart in contributing to apparent de novo lineage-traced cardiomyocytes. A Tie2 CreERT2 transgene was also used to examine the global impact of Gata4 deletion on the mature cardiac endothelial cell network, which was further evaluated with select angiogenesis assays. Results: Deletion of Gata4 in Kit lineage–derived endothelial cells or in total endothelial cells using the Tie2 CreERT2 transgene, but not from bone morrow cells, resulted in profound endothelial cell expansion, defective endothelial cell differentiation, leukocyte infiltration into the heart, and a dramatic increase in Kit allele–dependent lineage-traced cardiomyocytes. However, this increase in labeled cardiomyocytes was an artefact of greater leukocyte-cardiomyocyte cellular fusion because of defective endothelial cell differentiation in the absence of Gata4 . Conclusions: Past identification of presumed de novo cardiomyocyte formation in the heart from c-Kit + cells using Kit allele lineage tracing appears to be an artefact of labeled leukocyte fusion with cardiomyocytes. Deletion of Gata4 from c-Kit + endothelial progenitor cells or adult endothelial cells negatively impacted angiogenesis and capillary network integrity.

AIM To investigate the hypothesis that cardiomyocyte-specific loss of the electrogenic NBCe1 Na+-HCO3- cotransporter is cardioprotective during in vivo ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. METHODS An NBCe1 (Slc4a4 gene) conditional knockout mouse (KO) model was prepared by gene targeting. Cardiovascular performance of wildtype (WT) and cardiac-specific NBCe1 KO mice was analyzed by intraventricular pressure measurements, and changes in cardiac gene expression were determined by RNA Seq analysis. Response to in vivo IR injury was analyzed after 30 min occlusion of the left anterior descending artery followed by 3 h of reperfusion. RESULTS Loss of NBCe1 in cardiac myocytes did not impair cardiac contractility or relaxation under basal conditions or in response to β-adrenergic stimulation, and caused only limited changes in gene expression patterns, such as those for electrical excitability. However, following ischemia and reperfusion, KO heart sections exhibited significantly fewer apoptotic nuclei than WT sections. CONCLUSION These studies indicate that cardiac-specific loss of NBCe1 does not impair cardiovascular performance, causes only minimal changes in gene expression patterns, and protects against IR injury in vivo .

The identity and function of the fibroblast, a highly prevalent cell type in the heart, have remained poorly defined. Recent faithful genetic lineage–tracing studies revealed that during development, the cardiac fibroblasts are derived from the epicardium and the endothelium, whereas in the adult heart, they constitute the cardiac injury–responsive resident fibroblast. In the current issue of the JCI, Molkentin and colleagues decipher the time course and mechanism of the fibroblast in response to myocardial infarction (MI). The model they propose is surprisingly simple and clear. It consists of three major phases. First, fibroblasts in the ischemic area die. Second, surrounding fibroblasts proliferate and migrate into the spaces created by dying cardiomyocytes over a few days. The new fibroblasts in the scar are activated and adopt a smooth muscle actin– and periostin-positive “myofibroblast” phenotype, which appears to last as long as the scar is not mature (~10 days after MI). In the third phase, initially proliferating myofibroblasts lose smooth muscle actin expression and convert to a nonproliferating, matrix-producing phenotype with a newly acquired tendon gene signature. Interestingly, this state appears to differ from that of quiescent fibroblasts in the uninjured heart, as it is resistant to proliferative stimuli. These cells are therefore termed “matrifibrocytes,” a novel category whose study will certainly further advance the field.

Focussed Surveillance of Albendazole Mass Drug Administration This pilot study describes the field experiences of integrated approach of regional Adverse Drug Reactions monitoring centre (AMC) under Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PvPI) and National de worming program in Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh, India in adverse events monitoring associated with albendazole mass drug administration in school children. Though 2% of adverse events (AE) reported as non - serious in nature, found few gap areas in management of children those encountered with such adverse events. Therefore, necessary Standard Operating Procedures and risk management plan to be developed and healthcare workers trained accordingly to minimize the risk

Satellite cells are skeletal muscle resident stem cells that regenerate adult myofibers following an acute injury to muscle. Despite the assumption that the loss of satellite cells would be detrimental in a chronic regeneration-inducing muscle disease such as muscular dystrophy, this assumption has never been tested using mouse genetics. Here we generated a novel model of satellite cell ablation and crossed it with mouse models of muscular dystrophy to directly investigate how critical these cells are in maintaining muscle during a chronic degenerative disorder. Satellite cell deletion in 2-week-old young dystrophic mice provided noticeable improvements in histopathology and function, although at this early timepoint it was utimately detrimental because muscle size was not sufficient to permit survival. However, depletion of satellite cells beginning at 2 months of age in dystrophic mice provided similar histological and functional improvements but without compromising muscle size. The improved profile showed fewer damaged fibers, less myofiber central nucleation, increased sarcolemma integrity, decreased fibrosis and a dramatic size increase in the remaining myofibers. At the functional level, young adult dystrophic mice lacking satellite cells performed significantly better than those with satellite cells when exercised on a treadmill. Thus, loss of satellite cells during early adulthood in dystrophic mice produces an unexpected protective effect.

Aerial images can get distorted due to various factors. During the acquisition of the images, it may get corrupted by distinct types of noises, camera misalignment etc. The restoration of degraded images has been a very important factor in the fields of medical, surveillance etc. Many algorithms in image processing do exist to restore degraded images but the efficiency of those in restoring the images is less. In this work, the aerial images are processed through various stages such as color stabilization, saturation enrichment and contrast improvement. In color stabilization, the color intensities (green, red, and blue) are globally adjusted. In saturation enrichment, to increase the saturation of an input aerial image, color of each pixel is projected onto bisectors of an green, red and blue color cube. And in contrast improvement, it is used to enrich the image quality by using the principle of unsharp masking. Real world aerial images were used to obtain the restored images. This work is verified for various input aerial images and the obtained restored images are verified qualitatively and quantitatively.

Collagen production in the adult heart is thought to be regulated by the fibroblast, although cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells also express multiple collagen mRNAs. Molecular chaperones are required for procollagen biosynthesis, including heat shock protein 47 (Hsp47). To determine the cell types critically involved in cardiac injury–induced fibrosis the Hsp47 gene was deleted in cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, or myofibroblasts. Deletion of Hsp47 from cardiomyocytes during embryonic development or adult stages, or deletion from adult endothelial cells, did not affect cardiac fibrosis after pressure overload injury. However, myofibroblast-specific ablation of Hsp47 blocked fibrosis and deposition of collagens type I, III, and V following pressure overload as well as significantly reduced cardiac hypertrophy. Fibroblast-specific Hsp47-deleted mice showed lethality after myocardial infarction injury, with ineffective scar formation and ventricular wall rupture. Similarly, only myofibroblast-specific deletion of Hsp47 reduced fibrosis and disease in skeletal muscle in a mouse model of muscular dystrophy. Mechanistically, deletion of Hsp47 from myofibroblasts reduced mRNA expression of fibrillar collagens and attenuated their proliferation in the heart without affecting paracrine secretory activity of these cells. The results show that myofibroblasts are the primary mediators of tissue fibrosis and scar formation in the injured adult heart, which unexpectedly affects cardiomyocyte hypertrophy., Deletion of the Hsp47 gene in cardiac myofibroblasts, but not myocytes or endothelial cells, selectively inhibits fibrosis in mice following injury.

MAPK signaling consists of an array of successively acting kinases. ERK1 and -2 (ERK1/2) are major components of the greater MAPK cascade that transduce growth factor signaling at the cell membrane. Here, we investigated ERK1/2 signaling in skeletal muscle homeostasis and disease. Using mouse genetics, we observed that the muscle-specific expression of a constitutively active MEK1 mutant promotes greater ERK1/2 signaling that mediates fiber-type switching to a slow, oxidative phenotype with type I myosin heavy chain expression. Using a conditional and temporally regulated Cre strategy, as well as Mapk1 (ERK2) and Mapk3 (ERK1) genetically targeted mice, MEK1-ERK2 signaling was shown to underlie this fast-to-slow fiber-type switching in adult skeletal muscle as well as during development. Physiologic assessment of these activated MEK1-ERK1/2 mice showed enhanced metabolic activity and oxygen consumption with greater muscle fatigue resistance. In addition, induction of MEK1-ERK1/2 signaling increased dystrophin and utrophin protein expression in a mouse model of limb-girdle muscle dystrophy and protected myofibers from damage. In summary, sustained MEK1-ERK1/2 activity in skeletal muscle produces a fast-to-slow fiber-type switch that protects from muscular dystrophy, suggesting a therapeutic approach to enhance the metabolic effectiveness of muscle and protect from dystrophic disease., ERK1/2 signaling protects muscle from dystrophic disease and induces a slow oxidative fiber-type switch.

Although c-KitKit allele-dependent lineage tracing and fusion analysis were performed in mice following simultaneous Gata4 and Gata6 cell type-specific deletion to examine rates of putative de novo cardiomyocyte formation from c-KitDeletion of Gata4 in Kit lineage-derived endothelial cells or in total endothelial cells using the Tie2Past identification of presumed de novo cardiomyocyte formation in the heart from c-Kit

Normal development requires tight regulation of cell proliferation and cell death. Here, we investigated these control mechanisms in the hyaloid vessels, a temporary vascular network in the mammalian eye that requires a Wnt/β-catenin response for scheduled regression. We investigated whether the hyaloid Wnt response was linked to the oncogene Myc, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor P21 (CDKN1A), both established regulators of cell cycle progression and cell death. Our analysis showed that the Wnt pathway coreceptors LRP5 and LRP6 have overlapping activities mediating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hyaloid vascular endothelial cells (VECs). We also showed that both Myc and Cdkn1a are downstream of the Wnt response and are required for hyaloid regression but for different reasons. Conditional deletion of Myc in VECs suppressed both proliferation and cell death. By contrast, conditional deletion of Cdkn1a resulted in VEC over-proliferation that countered the effects of cell death on regression. When combined with analysis of MYC, and P21 protein levels, this analysis suggests that a Wnt/β-catenin, MYC-P21 pathway regulates scheduled hyaloid vessel regression.

Despite the importance of cell fusion for mammalian development and physiology, the factors critical for this process remain to be fully defined, which has severely limited our ability to reconstitute cell fusion. Myomaker (Tmem8c) is a muscle-specific protein required for myoblast fusion. Expression of myomaker in fibroblasts drives their fusion with myoblasts, but not with other myomaker-expressing fibroblasts, highlighting the requirement of additional myoblast-derived factors for fusion. Here we show that Gm7325, which we name myomerger, induces the fusion of myomaker-expressing fibroblasts. Thus, myomaker and myomerger together confer fusogenic activity to otherwise non-fusogenic cells. Myomerger is skeletal muscle-specific and genetic deletion in mice results in a paucity of muscle fibres demonstrating its requirement for normal muscle formation. Myomerger deficient myocytes differentiate and harbour organized sarcomeres but are fusion-incompetent. Our findings identify myomerger as a fundamental myoblast fusion protein and establish a system that begins to reconstitute mammalian cell fusion., Cellular fusion is fundamental for skeletal muscle development. Here the authors show that myomerger is expressed in myoblasts, is essential for myoblast fusion in mice, and in co-operation with myomaker confers fusogenic ability to non-fusogenic cells.

Normal development requires tight regulation of cell proliferation and cell death. Here, we have investigated these control mechanisms in the hyaloid vessels, a temporary vascular network in the mammalian eye that requires a Wnt/β-catenin response for scheduled regression. We investigated whether the hyaloid Wnt response was linked to the oncogene Myc, and the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor CDKN1A (P21), both established regulators of cell cycle progression and cell death. Our analysis showed that the Wnt pathway co-receptors LRP5 and LRP6 have overlapping activities that mediate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling in hyaloid vascular endothelial cells (VECs). We also showed that both Myc and Cdkn1a are downstream of the Wnt response and are required for hyaloid regression but for different reasons. Conditional deletion of Myc in VECs suppressed both proliferation and cell death. By contrast, conditional deletion of Cdkn1a resulted in VEC overproliferation that countered the effects of cell death on regression. When combined with analysis of MYC and CDKN1A protein levels, this analysis suggests that a Wnt/β-catenin and MYC-CDKN1A pathway regulates scheduled hyaloid vessel regression.

The master cytokine TGF-β mediates tissue fibrosis associated with inflammation and tissue injury. TGF-β induces fibroblast activation and differentiation into myofibroblasts that secrete extracellular matrix proteins. Canonical TGF-β signaling mobilizes Smad2 and Smad3 transcription factors that control fibrosis by promoting gene expression. However, the importance of TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling in fibroblast-mediated cardiac fibrosis has not been directly evaluated in vivo. Here, we examined pressure overload-induced cardiac fibrosis in fibroblast- and myofibroblast-specific inducible Cre-expressing mouse lines with selective deletion of the TGF-β receptors Tgfbr1/2, Smad2, or Smad3. Fibroblast-specific deletion of Tgfbr1/2 or Smad3, but not Smad2, markedly reduced the pressure overload-induced fibrotic response as well as fibrosis mediated by a heart-specific, latency-resistant TGF-β mutant transgene. Interestingly, cardiac fibroblast-specific deletion of Tgfbr1/2, but not Smad2/3, attenuated the cardiac hypertrophic response to pressure overload stimulation. Mechanistically, loss of Smad2/3 from tissue-resident fibroblasts attenuated injury-induced cellular expansion within the heart and the expression of fibrosis-mediating genes. Deletion of Smad2/3 or Tgfbr1/2 from cardiac fibroblasts similarly inhibited the gene program for fibrosis and extracellular matrix remodeling, although deletion of Tgfbr1/2 uniquely altered expression of an array of regulatory genes involved in cardiomyocyte homeostasis and disease compensation. These findings implicate TGF-β-Smad2/3 signaling in activated tissue-resident cardiac fibroblasts as principal mediators of the fibrotic response.

Despite the importance of cell fusion for mammalian development and physiology, the factors critical for this process remain to be fully defined1. This lack of knowledge has severely limited our ability to reconstitute cell fusion, which is necessary to decipher the biochemical mechanisms driving plasma membrane merger. Myomaker (Tmem8c) is a muscle-specific protein required for myoblast fusion2,3. Expression of myomaker in fibroblasts drives their fusion with myoblasts, but not with other myomaker-fibroblasts, highlighting the requirement of additional myoblast-derived factors for fusion. Here, we demonstrate that Gm7325, named myomerger, induces the fusion of myomaker-expressing fibroblasts. Cell mixing experiments reveal that while myomaker renders cells fusion-competent, myomerger induces fusogenicity. Thus, myomaker and myomerger confer fusogenic activity to normally non-fusogenic cells. Myomerger is skeletal muscle-specific and only expressed during developmental and regenerative myogenesis. Disruption of myomerger in myoblast cell lines through Cas9-mutagenesis generated non-fusogenic myocytes. Genetic deletion of myomerger in mice results in a paucity of muscle fibers demonstrating a requirement for myomerger in normal muscle formation. Myomerger deficient myocytes exhibit an ability to differentiate and harbor organized sarcomeres, however remain mono-nucleated. These data identify myomerger as a fundamental myoblast fusion protein and establishes a system that begins to reconstitute mammalian cell fusion.

To report the incidence and risk factors for contrast material ( CM contrast material )-induced nephropathy ( CIN CM-induced nephropathy ) in patients with no history of chronic kidney disease and estimated glomerular filtration rate that exceeded 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) after a relatively high dose of CM contrast material (≥250 mL) during neuroendovascular procedures.An institutional review board-approved retrospective chart review was performed for all patients who received a dose of CM contrast material 250 mL or greater while they underwent a neuroendovascular procedure between January 2011 and February 2013. The control group consisted of comparable patients who received a CM contrast material dose of 75-249 mL during the same period. Patients with pre-existing estimated glomerular filtration rate of 30 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or less or documented history of chronic kidney disease were excluded. CIN CM-induced nephropathy was defined as an increase in serum creatinine 50% above the baseline or an absolute increase of 0.3 mg/dL at either 24 or 48 hours after the procedure. Statistical analysis was performed with the Student t test, χ(2) analysis, and mixed-model analysis of variance.Clinical characteristics between the control and high-dose group were similar for age (95% confidence interval [CI]: -3.69, 5.48; P = .70), sex (95% CI: 0.28, 0.43; P = .62), and ethnicity (95% CI: 0.42, 0.58; P = .47). The average volume of CM contrast material administered was 172 mL in the control group and 326 mL in the high-dose cohort (95% CI: 131.78, 175.05; P.001). Of the 79 cases in the high-dose cohort, 36 (46%) received a CM contrast material dose between 250 and 299 mL, 29 (37%) received 300-399 mL, nine (11%) received 400-499 mL, and five (6%) received greater than 500 mL. By 48 hours, a statistically significant decrease in serum creatinine was seen in two of the four high-dose CM contrast material dose categories: 250-299 mL (decrease of 24%; [95% CI: 0.04, 0.36]; P = .003) and greater than 500 mL (decrease of 14% [95% CI: -0.33, 0.57]; P = .007). There were four cases (5%) of CIN CM-induced nephropathy : three (4%) at 24 hours and one (1%) at 48 hours. The comorbid rate of diabetes (25% vs 15% [95% CI: -0.01, 0.04]; P.001) was found to be higher among those who developed CIN CM-induced nephropathy compared with those who did not within the high-dose cohort. No cases of CIN CM-induced nephropathy occurred in the control group.Risk of developing CIN CM-induced nephropathy is relatively low in patients who undergo neuroendovascular procedures with CM contrast material doses of 250 mL or greater.

The mechanisms linking the expression of sarcomeric mutant proteins to the development of pathological hypertrophy in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remain poorly understood. We investigated the role of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase PMCA4 in the HCM phenotype using a transgenic model that expresses mutant (Glu180Gly) α-tropomyosin (Tm180) in heart. Immunoblot analysis revealed that cardiac PMCA4 expression was upregulated early in Tm180 disease pathogenesis. This was accompanied by an increase in levels of the L-type Ca(2+)-channel, which is implicated in pathological hypertrophy. When Tm180 mice were crossed with a PMCA4-null line, loss of PMCA4 caused the abrogation of hypertrophy in Tm180/PMCA4-null double mutant mice. RT-PCR analysis of Tm180/PMCA4-null hearts revealed blunting of the fetal program and reversion of pro-fibrotic Col1a1 and Col3a1 gene expression to wild-type levels. This was accompanied by evidence of reduced L-type Ca(2+)-channel expression, and diminished calcineurin activity. Expression of the metabolic substrate transporters glucose transporter 4 and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b was preserved and Tm180-related changes in mRNA levels of various contractile stress-related proteins including the cardiac ankyrin protein CARP and the N2B isoform of titin were reversed in Tm180/PMCA4-null hearts. cGMP levels were increased and phosphorylation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein was elevated in Tm180/PMCA4-null hearts. These changes were associated with a sharp reduction in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure in Tm180/PMCA4-null hearts, which occurred despite persistence of Tm180-related impairment of relaxation dynamics. These results reveal a novel and specific role for PMCA4 in the Tm180 hypertrophic phenotype, with the "protective" effects of PMCA4 deficiency encompassing multiple determinants of HCM-related hypertrophy.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD is closely associated with the dysregulation of lipid homeostasis. Diet-induced hepatic steatosis, which can initiate NAFLD progression, has been shown to be dramatically reduced in mice lacking the electroneutral Na(+)/H(+) exchanger NHE1 (Slc9a1). In this study, we investigated if NHE1 deficiency had effects in liver that could contribute to the apparent protection against aberrant lipid accumulation. RT-PCR and immunoblot analyses of wild-type and NHE1-null livers revealed an expression profile that strongly suggested attenuation of both de novo lipogenesis and hepatic stellate cell activation, which is implicated in liver fibrosis. This included upregulation of the farnesoid X receptor FXR, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor PPARγ, its co-activator PGC1α, and sestrin 2, an antioxidant protein involved in hepatic metabolic homeostasis. Furthermore, expression levels of the pro-lipogenic liver X receptor LXRα, and acetyl CoA carboxylases 1 and 2 were downregulated. These changes were associated with evidence of reduced cellular stress, which persisted even upon exposure to a high-fat diet, and the better preservation of insulin signaling, as evidenced by protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation (Ser473). These results indicate that NHE1 deficiency may protect against NAFLD pathogenesis, which is significant given the availability of highly specific NHE1 inhibitors.

Accurately localizing a spine level in the thoracic spine is often not easily achieved with the existing imaging modalities available in the operating room. The coordination of the preoperative imaging pathology with intraoperative imaging is even more difficult in patients with challenging anatomy. Using standard percutaneous techniques, the authors placed a radiopaque embolization coil into the pedicle of interest under biplanar fluoroscopy in 1 patient. Thoracic spine MRI along with scout MRI was then performed to confirm coil marker placement in relation to the actual spine pathology prior to surgical intervention. No complications were observed during placement of the radiopaque marker. Intraoperatively, the marker was immediately and easily visualized, leading to a confident identification of the correct thoracic spinal level. The preoperative placement of a radiopaque marker into the vertebral pedicle of the identified pathological level combined with postplacement MRI verification provides an advantage over previously proposed techniques in the literature.

Acute inhibition of the NHE1 Na(+)/H(+) exchanger protects against ischemia-reperfusion injury and chronic inhibition attenuates development of cardiac hypertrophy and failure. To determine the cardiac effects of chronic inhibition of NHE1 under non-pathological conditions we used NHE1-null mice as a model of long-term NHE1 inhibition. Cardiovascular performance was relatively normal in Nhe1(-/-) mice although cardiac contractility and relaxation were slightly improved in mutant mice of the FVB/N background. GSH levels and GSH:GSSG ratios were elevated in Nhe1(-/-) hearts indicating an enhanced redox potential. Consistent with a reduced need for antioxidant protection, expression of heat shock proteins Hsp60 and Hsp25 was lower in Nhe1(-/-) hearts. Similarly, expression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 was reduced, with no increase in expression of other ROS scavenging enzymes. GLUT1 levels were increased in Nhe1(-/-) hearts, the number of lipid droplets in myocytes was reduced, and PDK4 expression was refractory to high-fat diet-induced upregulation observed in wild-type hearts. High-fat diet-induced stress was attenuated in Nhe1(-/-) hearts, as indicated by smaller increases in phosphorylation of Hsp25 and α-B crystallin, and there was better preservation of insulin sensitivity, as evidenced by PKB/Akt phosphorylation. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were lower and high-fat diet-induced hepatic lipid accumulation was reduced in Nhe1(-/-) mice, demonstrating extracardiac effects of NHE1 ablation. These data indicate that long-term ablation of NHE1 activity increases the redox potential, mitigates high-fat diet-induced myocardial stress and fatty liver disease, leads to better preservation of insulin sensitivity, and may alter both cardiac and systemic metabolic substrate handling in mice.

We report that a localized intracellular and extracellular Ca(2+) mobilization occurs at the site of microscopic epithelial damage in vivo and is required to mediate tissue repair. Intravital confocal/two-photon microscopy continuously imaged the surgically exposed stomach mucosa of anesthetized mice while photodamage of gastric epithelial surface cells created a microscopic lesion that healed within 15 min. Transgenic mice with an intracellular Ca(2+)-sensitive protein (yellow cameleon 3.0) report that intracellular Ca(2+) selectively increases in restituting gastric epithelial cells adjacent to the damaged cells. Pretreatment with U-73122, indomethacin, 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane, or verapamil inhibits repair of the damage and also inhibits the intracellular Ca(2+) increase. Confocal imaging of Fura-Red dye in luminal superfusate shows a localized extracellular Ca(2+) increase at the gastric surface adjacent to the damage that temporally follows intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization. Indomethacin and verapamil also inhibit the luminal Ca(2+) increase. Intracellular Ca(2+) chelation (1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid/acetoxymethyl ester, BAPTA/AM) fully inhibits intracellular and luminal Ca(2+) increases, whereas luminal calcium chelation (N-(2-hydroxyetheyl)-ethylendiamin-N,N,N'-triacetic acid trisodium, HEDTA) blocks the increase of luminal Ca(2+) and unevenly inhibits late-phase intracellular Ca(2+) mobilization. Both modes of Ca(2+) chelation slow gastric repair. In plasma membrane Ca-ATPase 1(+/-) mice, but not plasma membrane Ca-ATPase 4(-/-) mice, there is slowed epithelial repair and a diminished gastric surface Ca(2+) increase. We conclude that endogenous Ca(2+), mobilized by signaling pathways and transmembrane Ca(2+) transport, causes increased Ca(2+) levels at the epithelial damage site that are essential to gastric epithelial cell restitution in vivo.

Examination of 761 Sphingidae in museum collections revealed infestation of 24 moths by 4 species of the ectoparasitic otopheidomenid mites (Acari: Otopheidomenidae). The infestation rate was 3.2 %. The mites were: Prasadiseius cocytes, P. donahuei, P. kayosiekeri and P. pholusis. Among the sphingid moths, Pachylioides resumens, collected in Guatemala, unusually, was found to be heavily infested with P. kayosiekeri. It had eggs, larvae, nymphs and the adults, many present on the prothorax.