Exogenous Markers Research Articles

Abstract 4686: Omx a hypoxia modulator reverses the immunosuppressive glioblastoma microenvironment by stimulating T cell infiltration and activation that results in increased number of long-term survivors

Abstract Oxygen is one of the key modulators of tumor microenvironment whereby low oxygen or hypoxia is associated with resistance to chemo- and radio- therapies and poor patient outcomes. Hypoxia favors an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by promoting Treg recruitment and activation and suppressing T cell and NK cell proliferation and effector function and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Therefore, reversing tumor hypoxia could create an immunopermissive microenvironment and improve the efficacy of several immunotherapies. Omniox has developed an oxygen carrier OMX that can specifically deliver oxygen to hypoxic tumor regions without affecting oxygenation of tissues within physiologic oxygen levels. Due to its biochemical features, OMX is well tolerated in small (rats and mice) and large (sheep and dogs) animals. Following intravenous administration, OMX extravasates through leaky tumor vasculature and accumulates within immunocompetent rodent orthotopic glioblastoma models as well as spontaneous canine brain tumors. Consequently, OMX decreases hypoxia levels in the tumor tissue measured directly using oxygen sensor probes and indirectly with exogenous hypoxia markers using ELISA, immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry methods. Here we evaluated OMX’ activity in reversing the immunosupressive tumor microenvironment using a combination of immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry and Luminex methods. Moreover, we investigated the efficacy of OMX in improving mouse survival and effectiveness of checkpoint inhibitors (CPI). Similar to previously published findings, we demonstrated that T lymphocytes are mostly excluded from hypoxic tumor areas in the GL261 model. A single OMX treatment in GL261 tumor-bearing mice reduces tumor hypoxia, enhances T cell localization in previously hypoxic tumor areas, and increases CD8 accumulation by ~4-fold. Specifically, OMX treatment increased the activated cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) fraction by ~2 fold and reduced the immunosuppressive Treg fraction by 2-fold, resulting in a 3-fold increase of Teff/Treg ratio, which indicates a switch from an immunosupressive to an immunopermissive microenvironment. When combined with CPI, OMX reverses the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment by increasing CD8 T cell infiltration, proliferation and cytotoxic activity, and modulating IFNg and IFNg-inducible cytokines that may polarize T cells towards a Th1 phenotype. Furthermore, treatment of late-stage GL261 tumor-bearing mice with the combination of OMX-CPI increases mouse survival by 80%. By delivering oxygen specifically to the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, OMX may restore anti-cancer immune responses in glioblastoma patients and synergize with radiotherapy and immunotherapy to enhance tumor control and improve patient outcomes. Citation Format: Natacha Le Moan, Philberta Leung, Sarah Ng, Tina Davis, Carol Liang, Jonathan W. Winger, Stephen P. Cary, Nicolas Butowski, Ana Krtolica. Omx a hypoxia modulator reverses the immunosuppressive glioblastoma microenvironment by stimulating T cell infiltration and activation that results in increased number of long-term survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4686. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4686

Distribution of Exogenous and Endogenous CYP3A Markers and Related Factors in Healthy Males and Females.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A is an important drug-metabolizing enzyme in humans. Assessing CYP3A activity is necessary for predicting therapeutic outcomes or the potential adverse events of various therapeutics. This study sought to evaluate the distribution of endogenous and exogenous markers reflecting hepatic CYP3A activity and related factors affecting its activity in healthy male and female. Each subject was given a single 1mg dose of midazolam intravenously. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacometabolomics, and pharmacogenomics analyses were performed to evaluate CYP3A activity. Urinary and plasma steroids were quantified with gas chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the concentrations of midazolam and its metabolites were quantified with liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 100 subjects completed this study. Midazolam clearance (MDZ CL) and the metabolic ratio (MDZ MR) were significantly correlated with 6β-OH-cortisol/cortisol and 6β-OH-cortisone/cortisone. MDZ CL, 6β-OH-cortisol/cortisol, and 6β-OH-cortisone/cortisone decreased with increasing age (Pearson r=-0.333, -0.329, and -0.528, respectively; P<0.05). When the markers were compared according to sex, MDZ CL and 6β-OH-cortisol/cortisol showed significant difference between sexes. However, MDZ CL was higher in female group than male group and 6β-OH-cortisol/cortisol was higher in male group than female group. No significant differences in markers were found when comparing progesterone levels. Our results indicate that both exogenous and endogenous markers showed decreased CYP3A activity with increasing age, which suggested that age could be a factor that significantly influences CYP3A activity.

Changes in optical properties of electroporated cells as revealed by digital holographic microscopy.

Changes in optical and shape-related characteristics of B16F10 cells after electroporation were investigated using digital holographic microscopy (DHM). Bipolar rectangular pulses specific for electrochemotherapy were used. Electroporation was performed in an "off-axis" DHM set-up without using exogenous markers. Two types of cell parameters were monitored seconds and minutes after pulse train application: parameters addressing a specifically defined area of the cell (refractive index and cell height) and global cell parameters (projected area, optical phase shift profile and dry mass). The biphasic behavior of cellular parameters was explained by water and mannitol dynamics through the electropermeabilized cell membrane.

Studies of HVC Plasticity in Adult Canaries Reveal Social Effects and Sex Differences as Well as Limitations of Multiple Markers Available to Assess Adult Neurogenesis.

In songbirds, neurogenesis in the song control nucleus HVC is sensitive to the hormonal and social environment but the dynamics of this process is difficult to assess with a single exogenous marker of new neurons. We simultaneously used three independent markers to investigate HVC neurogenesis in male and female canaries. Males were castrated, implanted with testosterone and housed either alone (M), with a female (M-F) or with another male (M-M) while females were implanted with 17β-estradiol and housed with a male (F-M). All subjects received injections of the two thymidine analogues, BrdU and of EdU, respectively 21 and 10 days before brain collection. Cells containing BrdU or EdU or expressing doublecortin (DCX), which labels newborn neurons, were quantified. Social context and sex differentially affected total BrdU+, EdU+, BrdU+EdU- and DCX+ populations. M-M males had a higher density of BrdU+ cells in the ventricular zone adjacent to HVC and of EdU+ in HVC than M-F males. M birds had a higher ratio of BrdU+EdU- to EdU+ cells than M-F subjects suggesting higher survival of newer neurons in the former group. Total number of HVC DCX+ cells was lower in M-F than in M-M males. Sex differences were also dependent of the type of marker used. Several technical limitations associated with the use of these multiple markers were also identified. These results indicate that proliferation, recruitment and survival of new neurons can be independently affected by environmental conditions and effects can only be fully discerned through the use of multiple neurogenesis markers.

Autofluorescence Spectroscopy for Monitoring Metabolism in Animal Cells and Tissues.

Excitation of biological substrates with light at a suitable wavelength can give rise to a light emission in the ultraviolet (UV)-visible, near-infrared (IR) spectral range, called autofluorescence (AF). This is a widespread phenomenon, ascribable to the general presence of biomolecules acting as endogenous fluorophores (EFs) in the organisms of the whole life kingdom. In cytochemistry and histochemistry, AF is often an unwanted signal enhancing the background and affecting in particular the detection of low signals or rare positive labeling spots of exogenous markers. Conversely, AF is increasingly considered as a powerful diagnostic tool because of its role as an intrinsic biomarker directly dependent on the nature, amount, and microenvironment of the EFs, in a strict relationship with metabolic processes and structural organization of cells and tissues. As a consequence, AF carries multiple information that can be decrypted by a proper analysis of the overall emission signal, allowing the characterization and monitoring of cell metabolism in situ, in real time and in the absence of perturbation from exogenous markers. In the animal kingdom, AF studies at the cellular level take advantage of the essential presence of NAD(P)H and flavins, primarily acting as coenzymes at multiple steps of common metabolic pathways for energy production, reductive biosynthesis and antioxidant defense. Additional EFs such as vitamin A, porphyrins, lipofuscins, proteins, and neuromediators can be detected in different kinds of cells and bulk tissues, and can be exploited as photophysical biomarkers of specific normal or altered morphofunctional properties, from the retinoid storage in the liver to aging processes, metabolic disorders or cell transformation processes. The AF phenomenon involves all living system, and literature reports numerous investigations and diagnostic applications of AF, taking advantage of continuously developing self-assembled or commercial instrumentation and measuring procedures, making almost impossible to provide their comprehensive description. Therefore a brief summary of the history of AF observations and of the development of measuring systems is provided, along with a description of the most common EFs and their metabolic significance. From our direct experience, examples of AF imaging and microspectrofluorometric procedures performed under a single excitation in the near-UV range for cell and tissue metabolism studies are then reported.

VND6-induced Xylem Cell Differentiation in Arabidopsis Cell Cultures.

In vitro xylem differentiation is a powerful technique that can be used to elucidate the process of xylem development that occurs deep inside plant tissues in nature. The experimental procedure described here is designed to induce metaxylem vessel differentiation at exceptionally high frequency and synchronicity using genetically engineered Arabidopsis cell suspensions. By triggering a transcriptional switch, over 80 % of the cells synchronously differentiate into xylem cells within 32 h of treatment with estradiol. Exogenous marker genes can be transiently introduced into the cells by coculturing them with transformed Agrobacterium before inducing xylem differentiation. This system is fast, easy to handle, and highly compatible with molecular and cell biology techniques used to explore xylem cell differentiation.

Detecting Neuronal Differentiation Markers in Newborn Cells of the Adult Brain.

Adult neurogenesis is the lifelong generation of new neurons that occurs into restricted regions of the adult mammalian brain, namely the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. In this chapter, we describe the procedures aimed to investigate adult neurogenesis in the murine brain. Specifically, we explain how to inject into animals exogenous markers of proliferation (i.e., BrdU) and prepare brain tissues to perform immunofluorescence reactions for neuronal markers in combination with BrdU staining. As BrdU is incorporated in the DNA during the S-phase of the cell cycle of proliferating cells and is then inherited by daughter cells, by coupling BrdU-immunoreactivity together with the immunolabeling for neuronal markers, we provide the general procedures that can be applied to identify adult-born neurons and to characterize their specific phenotypes in different brain regions, under physiological condition or in pathological states.

Seeing the Invisible: Revealing Atrial Ablation Lesions Using Hyperspectral Imaging Approach.

BackgroundCurrently, there are limited means for high-resolution monitoring of tissue injury during radiofrequency ablation procedures.ObjectiveTo develop the next generation of visualization catheters that can reveal irreversible atrial muscle damage caused by ablation and identify viability gaps between the lesions.MethodsRadiofrequency lesions were placed on the endocardial surfaces of excised human and bovine atria and left ventricles of blood perfused rat hearts. Tissue was illuminated with 365nm light and a series of images were acquired from individual spectral bands within 420-720nm range. By extracting spectral profiles of individual pixels and spectral unmixing, the relative contribution of ablated and unablated spectra to each pixel was then displayed. Results of spectral unmixing were compared to lesion pathology.ResultsRF ablation caused significant changes in the tissue autofluorescence profile. The magnitude of these spectral changes in human left atrium was relatively small (< 10% of peak fluorescence value), yet highly significant. Spectral unmixing of hyperspectral datasets enabled high spatial resolution, in-situ delineation of radiofrequency lesion boundaries without the need for exogenous markers. Lesion dimensions derived from hyperspectral imaging approach strongly correlated with histological outcomes. Presence of blood within the myocardium decreased the amplitude of the autofluorescence spectra while having minimal effect on their overall shapes. As a result, the ability of hyperspectral imaging to delineate ablation lesions in vivo was not affected.ConclusionsHyperspectral imaging greatly increases the contrast between ablated and unablated tissue enabling visualization of viability gaps at clinically relevant locations. Data supports the possibility for developing percutaneous hyperspectral catheters for high-resolution ablation guidance.

Measuring Residual Renal Function in Hemodialysis Patients without Urine Collection.

Many patients on hemodialysis retain significant residual renal function (RRF) but currently measurement of RRF in routine clinical practice can only be achieved using inter-dialytic urine collections to measure urea and creatinine clearances. Urine collections are difficult and inconvenient for patients and staff, and therefore RRF is not universally measured. Methods to assess RRF without reliance on urine collections are needed since RRF provides useful clinical and prognostic information and also permits the application of incremental hemodialysis techniques. Significant efforts have been made to explore the use of serum based biomarkers such as cystatin C, β-trace protein and β2 -microglobulin to estimate RRF. This article reviews blood-based biomarkers and novel methods using exogenous filtration markers which show potential in estimating RRF in hemodialysis patients without the need for urine collection.

Fluorescently Labeled Cyclodextrin Derivatives as Exogenous Markers for Real-Time Transcutaneous Measurement of Renal Function.

Evaluation of renal function is crucial for a number of clinical situations. Here, we reported a novel exogenous fluorescent marker (FITC-HPβCD) to real-time assess renal function by using a transcutaneous fluorescent detection technique. FITC-HPβCD was designed based on the principle of renal clearance of designed drugs. It displays favorable fluorescent properties, high hydrophilicity, low plasma protein binding, and high stability in porcine liver esterase as well as in plasma and nontoxicity. More importantly, FITC-HPβCD can be efficiently and rapidly filtered by glomerulus and completely excreted into urine without proximal tubular reabsorption or secretion in rat models. Additionally, the marker was well-tolerated, with nearly 100% urinary recovery of the given doses, and no metabolism were found. Relying on this novel kidney function marker and transcutaneous devices, we demonstrate a rapid, robust, and convenient approach for real-time assessing renal function without the need of time-consuming blood and urine sample preparation. Our work provides a promising tool for noninvasive real-time monitoring of renal function in vivo.

How to use… serum creatinine, cystatin C and GFR

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best overall measure of kidney function. The GFR is relatively low at birth but increases through infancy and early childhood to reach adult levels...

New families of single integration vectors and gene tagging plasmids for genetic manipulations in budding yeast.

The tractability of the budding yeast genome has provided many insights into the fundamental mechanisms regulating cellular life. With the advent of synthetic biology and single-cell measurements, novel tools are required to manipulate the yeast genome in a more controlled manner. We present, here, a new family of yeast shuttle vectors called single integration vectors (pSIV). Upon transformation in yeast, these plasmids replace the entire deficient auxotrophy marker locus by a cassette containing an exogenous marker. As shown using flow cytometry, this complete replacement results in a unique integration of the desired DNA fragment at the marker locus. In addition, a second transcriptional unit can be inserted to achieve the simultaneous integration of two constructs. The selection marker cassettes, present in the pSIV, were also used to generate a complete set of gene tagging plasmids (pGT) encompassing a large palette of fluorescent proteins, from a cyan fluorescent protein to a near-infrared tandem dimer red fluorescent protein. These tagging cassettes are orthogonal to each other thanks to the use of different TEF promoter and terminator couples, thereby avoiding marker cassette switching and favoring integration in the desired locus. In summary, we have created two sets of robust molecular tools for the precise genetic manipulation of the budding yeast.

Phase correlation imaging of unlabeled cell dynamics.

We present phase correlation imaging (PCI) as a novel approach to study cell dynamics in a spatially-resolved manner. PCI relies on quantitative phase imaging time-lapse data and, as such, functions in label-free mode, without the limitations associated with exogenous markers. The correlation time map outputted in PCI informs on the dynamics of the intracellular mass transport. Specifically, we show that PCI can extract quantitatively the diffusion coefficient map associated with live cells, as well as standard Brownian particles. Due to its high sensitivity to mass transport, PCI can be applied to studying the integrity of actin polymerization dynamics. Our results indicate that the cyto-D treatment blocking the actin polymerization has a dominant effect at the large spatial scales, in the region surrounding the cell. We found that PCI can distinguish between senescent and quiescent cells, which is extremely difficult without using specific markers currently. We anticipate that PCI will be used alongside established, fluorescence-based techniques to enable valuable new studies of cell function.

Autofluorescence hyperspectral imaging of radiofrequency ablation lesions in porcine cardiac tissue.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a widely used treatment for atrial fibrillation, the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Here, we explore autofluorescence hyperspectral imaging (aHSI) as a method to visualize RFA lesions and interlesional gaps in the highly collagenous left atrium. RFA lesions made on the endocardial surface of freshly excised porcine left atrial tissue were illuminated by UV light (365nm), and hyperspectral datacubes were acquired over the visible range (420-720nm). Linear unmixing was used to delineate RFA lesions from surrounding tissue, and lesion diameters derived from unmixed component images were quantitatively compared to gross pathology. RFA caused two consistent changes in the autofluorescence emission profile: a decrease at wavelengths below 490nm (ascribed to a loss of endogenous NADH) and an increase at wavelengths above 490nm (ascribed to increased scattering). These spectral changes enabled high resolution, in situ delineation of RFA lesion boundaries without the need for additional staining or exogenous markers. Our results confirm the feasibility of using aHSI to visualize RFA lesions at clinically relevant locations. If integrated into a percutaneous visualization catheter, aHSI would enable widefield optical surgical guidance during RFA procedures and could improve patient outcome by reducing atrial fibrillation recurrence.

Abstract 4166: Role of calreticulin in the spontaneous development of lung adenocarcinoma: Evidence from a novel transgenic mouse model

Abstract Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer related deaths in both men and women worldiwide. The overall 5 year survival rate of lung cancer ranges between 5-15% (depending on the subtype). Based on histopathological criteria, lung cancer is subdivided into two main subtypes: small cell lung cancer (15%) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC 85%). Adenocarcinoma a subtype of NSCLC is the most common type in both sexes, and it has a poor response to chemotherapy. We recently developed a transgenic mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma by overexpressing calreticulin (CRT) under the control of Tie2-promotor. The main phenotype of these mice is high incidence of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma similar to human patients. Immunohistological analysis showed these tumors to be SP-C+ve and CC10-ve phenotype. At the initial stages most of cells in the hyperplegic area and adenoma stained positive for exogenous CRT and HSCs markers, and as the tumor differentiated to carcinoma there were a significant loss of exogenous CRT and HSCs markers and increased expression of SP-C. The aim of our current project was therefore to identify the mechanism of development of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma in this mouse model. To address this objective we carried out microarray and quantitative proteomic analysis of tissue and cell lines isolated from lungs of this transgenic mouse model. Microarray analysis showed activation of cluster of genes involved in cellular development, growth and proliferation. Some of these pathways include genes invlved in VEGF signal transduction pathways and Epherin receptor signaling, at the same time there were decreased expression of cell-cell interaction and communication (needed for metastasis). At the protein level we observed a significant increase in proteins involved in tumor progression, invasion and metastasis. In addition we observed a significant change in the expression of genes invloved in lipid metabolism (both at protein and RNA level) in the lung of these mice. The change in the expression of lipid metabolizing genes suggest the metabolic shift needed during tumor progression. In conclusion, our data suggests that CRT as an endoplasmic reticulum chaperone and a regulator of intracellular calcium homeostasis affects multiple genes invivo resulting in the development of tumor. This research was funded by Qatar National Research Fund (NPRP4-043-3-016). Citation Format: Nasrin Mesaeli, Hamid Massaeli, Divya Viswanathan, Dhanya Pillai, Mercy Anna Thomas. Role of calreticulin in the spontaneous development of lung adenocarcinoma: Evidence from a novel transgenic mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 4166.

Measuring and estimating glomerular filtration rate in children.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the best index for kidney function in health and disease. Knowledge of the GFR is essential for the detection (diagnosis) and monitoring of renal function during disease progression and for ensuring correct medication doses. Inulin clearance (plasma or urine) is currently considered to be the gold standard for measuring GFR, but in clinical practice the measurement of other exogenous filtration markers from the plasma often replaces that of inulin clearance. Different protocols can be used to determine the area under the plasma disappearance curve, and an understanding of these methods is important. GFR can also be estimated by GFR equations (eGFR), which are most often used in clinical practice because they only require a knowledge of the serum creatinine or cystatin C level and demographic information. eGFR equations are easy to use but they do have their limitations, and it is important to know how these equations were derived and in which circumstances they can be used most accurately. The aim of this review is to explain how GFR can be measured using the renal clearance and the plasma clearance method and which eGFR equations can be applied to children, as well as how and when these equations can be used in clinical practice.

Transcutaneous Assessment of Renal Function in Conscious Rodents.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard to assess overall kidney function. However, traditional methods to evaluate GFR are cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, serial blood or urine samples are required, with the associated stress for the experimental animals. A recent technique significantly reduces the investment in time and resources, minimizing the invasiveness and the animal stress, but being equally valid as the traditional approaches. The method measures transcutaneously renal function. Using an optical device and the exogenous renal marker fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-sinistrin, this technique is capable of measuring the elimination kinetics of the marker through the skin. With neither blood nor urine samples nor the associated laboratory assays needed, the results of the transcutaneous measurement are almost instantaneously available. The method has been already validated in different species and successfully applied in several models of renal pathology. Moreover, due to its minimally invasive characteristics, it is suitable for sequential measurements within the same animal. Here is provided a detailed protocol to carry out the transcutaneous assessment of renal function in rodents.

Transcutaneous Assessment of Renal Function in Conscious Rodents

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the gold standard to assess overall kidney function. However, traditional methods to evaluate GFR are cumbersome and time-consuming. In addition, serial blood or urine samples are required, with the associated stress for the experimental animals. A recent technique significantly reduces the investment in time and resources, minimizing the invasiveness and the animal stress, but being equally valid as the traditional approaches. The method measures transcutaneously renal function. Using an optical device and the exogenous renal marker fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-sinistrin, this technique is capable of measuring the elimination kinetics of the marker through the skin. With neither blood nor urine samples nor the associated laboratory assays needed, the results of the transcutaneous measurement are almost instantaneously available. The method has been already validated in different species and successfully applied in several models of renal pathology. Moreover, due to its minimally invasive characteristics, it is suitable for sequential measurements within the same animal. Here is provided a detailed protocol to carry out the transcutaneous assessment of renal function in rodents.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging of the Hypoxia Marker Pimonidazole in a Breast Tumor Model.

Although tumor hypoxia is associated with tumor aggressiveness and resistance to cancer treatment, many details of hypoxia-induced changes in tumors remain to be elucidated. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a technique that is well suited to study the biomolecular composition of specific tissue regions, such as hypoxic tumor regions. Here, we investigate the use of pimonidazole as an exogenous hypoxia marker for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MSI. In hypoxic cells, pimonidazole is reduced and forms reactive products that bind to thiol groups in proteins, peptides, and amino acids. We show that a reductively activated pimonidazole metabolite can be imaged by MALDI-MSI in a breast tumor xenograft model. Immunohistochemical detection of pimonidazole adducts on adjacent tissue sections confirmed that this metabolite is localized to hypoxic tissue regions. We used this metabolite to image hypoxic tissue regions and their associated lipid and small molecule distributions with MALDI-MSI. We identified a heterogeneous distribution of 1-methylnicotinamide and acetylcarnitine, which mostly colocalized with hypoxic tumor regions. As pimonidazole is a widely used immunohistochemical marker of tissue hypoxia, it is likely that the presented direct MALDI-MSI approach is also applicable to other tissues from pimonidazole-injected animals or humans.

Distribution and characteristics of slow-cycling cells in rat vocal folds.

Stem cells are known to proliferate at a slow rate in adult organs, and thus slow-cycling cells exhibiting pluripotency are considered tissue-specific stem cells in some organs. Slow-cycling cells in the vocal fold (VF) have not been well documented. Here we sought to clarify the distributions and characteristics of slow-cycling cells in rat VFs. We applied double-labeling technique to detect the distribution of slow-cycling cells. We injected the exogenous proliferation marker 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) into Sprague-Dawley rats. After a chasing period, VFs were immunostained with antibodies to BrdU and the second endogenous proliferation marker, Ki-67. BrdU (+) Ki-67(+) cells were regarded as slow-cycling cells and counted by VF regions. To reveal slow-cycling cells' characteristic, their immunophenotypes were histologically investigated and their kinetics in injured VFs were evaluated. Most slow-cycling cells were detected in the basal layer of the epithelium. Slow-cycling cells in the epithelium displayed a low positive ratio of E-cadherin and CK5 and a high positive ratio of vimentin and CD31 as compared with the other epithelial cells. The expression of S100A4 was low in slow-cycling cells of the lamina propria and the macula flava. FGFR1, HAS1, HAS2, and HAS3 were not detected in the slow-cycling cells. A time-dependent reduction of slow-cycling cells was observed in injured VFs. Most slow-cycling cells resided in the epithelium, exhibiting various phenotypes in a relatively undifferentiated condition, and they are suspected to contribute to the tissue repair of the injured VFs. N/A.