To clarify mechanisms of salivary gland dysfunction, we identified a signaling pathway involved in the dedifferentiation of primary cultures of parotid acinar cells. We reported previously that the expression pattern of claudins changes during culture, is related to the three-dimensional organization of the cells, and reflects their ability to function as acinar cells. In this study, we found that this change of claudin expression is a process of dedifferentiation, because expression of other differentiation markers also changes during culture. The expression levels of claudins-4 and -6, cytokeratin

14, and vimentin are increased, and those of claudin-10, aquaporin check details 5, and amylase are decreased. Inhibitors of Src and p38 MAP kinases suppress these changes and increase the

expression of acinar marker proteins. Differences in extracellular matrix components have no effect. Activation of p38 MAP kinase occurs during cell isolation from the parotid glands and is retained up to 6 h after the isolation. In contrast, activation of Src kinases does not increase during the cell isolation. The Src inhibitor PP1 suppresses the activation of p38 MAP kinase. Therefore, cellular stresses induced during cell isolation cause dedifferentiation and transition to duct-like cells through activation of p38 MAP kinase and constitutively active Src kinases.”
“We examined the development of the nervous system in the rhopalium, a medusa-specific sensory selleckchem structure, in Aurelia sp.1 (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa) using confocal microscopy. The rhopalial nervous system appears primarily ectodermal and contains neurons immunoreactive to antibodies against tyrosinated tubulin, taurine, GLWamide, and FMRFamide. The rhopalial nervous system develops in an ordered manner: the presumptive gravity-sensing organ, consisting of the lithocyst and the touch plate, differentiates first; the “marginal center,” which controls swimming activity, second; and finally, the ocelli,

the presumptive photoreceptors. At least seven bilaterally arranged neuronal clusters consisting of sensory and ganglion cells and their neuronal processes became evident in the rhopalium during metamorphosis to the medusa stage. Our analysis provides an anatomical framework for future gene click here expression and experimental studies of development and functions of scyphozoan rhopalia.”
“In vivo assay to evaluate anti-cancer immunotherapy at the pre-clinical phase is eagerly needed. We currently established xenotransplantation-based method to analyze in vivo priming of cancer-antigen-specific human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). We transplanted human peripheral T cells and analyzed priming of CTLs in NOG mice. Half of the mice engrafted with bulk lymphocytes including CD4(+) T cells died before analysis probably due to xenoreactive graft versus host disease.