Search results for "Genetically modified mouse"

Fatal neuroinvasion and SARS-CoV-2 tropism in K18-hACE2 mice is partially independent on hACE2 expression

2022

ABSTRACTAnimal models recapitulating distinctive features of severe COVID-19 are critical to enhance our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. Transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2) represent a lethal model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The precise mechanisms of lethality in this mouse model remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the spatiotemporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection for up to 14 days post-infection. Despite infection and moderate pneumonia, rapid clinical decline or death of mice was invariably associated with viral neuroinvasion and direct neuronal injury (including brain and spinal neurons). Neuroinv…

2015

Objective The Hepatitis B virus genome persists in the nucleus of virus infected hepatocytes where it serves as template for viral mRNA synthesis. Epigenetic modifications, including methylation of the CpG islands contribute to the regulation of viral gene expression. The present study investigates the effects of spontaneous age dependent loss of hepatitis B surface protein- (HBs) expression due to HBV-genome specific methylation as well as its proximate positive effects in HBs transgenic mice. Methods Liver and serum of HBs transgenic mice aged 5–33 weeks were analyzed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, serum analysis, PCR, and qRT-PCR. Results From the third month of age hepatic loss …

Granulocyte–Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor Is Essential for Normal Wound Healing

2006

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a multipotent growth factor, which plays an important role during the process of wound healing. In clinical settings it has occasionally been employed in the treatment of cutaneous wounds of diverse etiologies. In a previous study, we have shown the positive influence of GM-CSF on full thickness excisional wounds in transgenic mice overexpressing GM-CSF in the basal layer of the epidermis. Direct GM-CSF action as well as indirect processes through the induction of secondary cytokines were proposed to contribute towards the beneficial effects. In this study, we analyzed the process of wound healing in transgenic mice overexpressing…

G6PD protects from oxidative damage and improves healthspan in mice

2016

S.N.-P. and P.J.F.-M. have been funded by the Spanish Association Against Cancer(aecc). Work in the laboratory of M.S. is funded by the CNIO and by grants from the Spanish Ministry of Economy co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund(SAF project), the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant), the Regional Government of Madrid co-funded by the European Social Fund (ReCaRe project), the European Union (RISK-IR project), the Botin Foundation and Banco Santander(Santander Universities Global Division), the Ramon Areces Foundation, and the AXA Foundation. Work in the laboratory of J.V. was supported by grants SAF2013-44663-R,from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (MEC…

Exercise and probiotics attenuate the development of Alzheimer's disease in transgenic mice: Role of microbiome

2018

Abstract It has been suggested that exercise training and probiotic supplementation could decelerate the progress of functional and biochemical deterioration in APP/PS1 transgenic mice (APP/PS1TG). APP/PS1TG mice were subjected to exercise training and probiotic treatments and functional, biochemical and microbiome markers were analyzed. Under these conditions the mice significantly outperformed controls on The Morris Maze Test, and the number of beta-amyloid plaques decreased in the hippocampus. B. thetaiotaomicron levels correlated highly with the results of the Morris Maze Test (p

The Anti-amyloid Compound DO1 Decreases Plaque Pathology and Neuroinflammation-Related Expression Changes in 5xFAD Transgenic Mice

2018

Self-propagating amyloid-β (Aβ) aggregates or seeds possibly drive pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Small molecules targeting such structures might act therapeutically in vivo. Here, a fluorescence polarization assay was established that enables the detection of compound effects on both seeded and spontaneous Aβ42 aggregation. In a focused screen of anti-amyloid compounds, we identified Disperse Orange 1 (DO1) ([4-((4-nitrophenyl)diazenyl)-N-phenylaniline]), a small molecule that potently delays both seeded and non-seeded Aβ42 polymerization at substoichiometric concentrations. Mechanistic studies revealed that DO1 disrupts preformed fibrillar assemblies of synthetic Aβ42 peptides …

Acitretin, an Enhancer of Alpha-Secretase Expression, Crosses the Blood-Brain Barrier and Is Not Eliminated by P-Glycoprotein

2011

<i>Background:</i> ADAM10 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase 10) has been demonstrated to act as the main physiological α-secretase. Enzymatic activity of the α-secretase on the one hand prevents the formation of toxic Aβ peptides and on the other hand promotes the secretion of a neurotrophic and neuroprotective amyloid precursor protein fragment (APPs-α) by cleaving the amyloid precursor protein within its Aβ sequence. Enhancement of ADAM10’s gene expression may therefore present a valuable therapeutic approach for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), where Aβ peptides are severely involved in the pathogenesis. <i>Objective:</i> In cell culture and in a tran…

Hepatocellular expression of a dominant-negative mutant TGF-β type II receptor accelerates chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis

2001

The potent growth-inhibitory activity of cytokines of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily and their widespread expression in epithelia suggest that they may play an important role in the maintenance of epithelial homeostasis. To analyse TGF-beta mediated tumor suppressor activity in the liver, we generated transgenic mice overexpressing a dominant negative type II TGF-beta receptor in hepatocytes under control of the regulatory elements of the human C-reactive protein gene promoter. Transgenic animals exhibited constitutive and liver-specific transgene expression. The functional inactivation of the TGF-beta signaling pathway in transgenic hepatocytes was shown by redu…

Neuroprotective effect of Fn14 deficiency is associated with induction of the granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) pathway in experimental s…

2010

Using a transgenic mouse model of ischemic stroke we checked for a possible interaction of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) which often cause thromboses as well as central nervous system (CNS) involvement under non-thrombotic conditions and the TWEAK/Fn14 pathway known to be adversely involved in inflammatory and ischemic brain disease. After 7 days, infarct volumes were reduced in Fn14 deficient mice and were further decreased by aPL treatment. This was associated with strongest increase of the endogenous neuroprotective G-CSF/G-CSF receptor system. This unexpected beneficial action of aPL is an example for a non-thrombogenic action and the double-edged nature of aPL.

4-Epidoxycycline: an alternative to doxycycline to control gene expression in conditional mouse models

2004

Since the pioneering work by Gossen and Bujard in 1992 demonstrating the usefulness of the Escherichia coli derived tet resistance operon for regulating gene expression a large collection of doxycycline-controlled transgenic mice has been established. Gene switching in eukaryotic tissue culture cells or mice requires administration of tetracycline, anhydrotetracycline or doxycycline to efficiently inactivate the transactivator protein tTA (TET-OFF system) or alternatively to activate the reverse transactivator protein rtTA (TET-ON system). However, the antibiotic activity of doxycycline can create an imbalance of the intestinal flora, resulting in diarrhoea and in a smaller number of animal…