Capsule Formation Research Articles

3D-PRINTED HYBRID SCAFFOLDS FOR CARTILAGE REGENERATION

For chondral damage in younger patients, surgical best practice is microfracture, which involves drilling into the bone to liberate the bone marrow. This leads to a mechanically inferior fibrocartilage formed over the defect as opposed to the desired hyaline cartilage that properly withstands joint loading. While some devices have been developed to aid microfracture and enable its use in larger defects, fibrocartilage is still produced and there is no clear clinical improvement over microfracture alone in the long term. Our goal is to develop 3D printed devices, which surgeons can implant with a minimally invasive technique. The scaffolds should match the functional properties of cartilage and expose endogenous marrow cells to suitable mechanobiological stimuli in-situ, in order to promote healing of articular cartilage lesions before they progress to osteoarthritis, and rapidly restore joint health and mobility. Importantly, scaffolds should direct a physiological host reaction, instead of a foreign body reaction, associated with chronic inflammation and fibrous capsule formation, negatively influencing the regenerative outcome.Our novel silica/polytetrahydrofuran/polycaprolactone hybrids were prepared by sol-gel synthesis and scaffolds were 3D printed by direct ink writing. 3D printed hybrid scaffolds with pore channels of ~250 µm mimic the compressive behaviour of cartilage. Our results show that these scaffolds support human bone marrow stem/stromal cell (hMSC) differentiation towards chondrogenesis in vitro under hypoxic conditions to produce markers integral to articular cartilage-like matrix evaluated by immunostaining and gene expression analysis. Macroscopic and microscopic evaluation of subcutaneously implanted scaffolds in mice showed that scaffolds caused a minimal resolving inflammatory response. Our findings show that 3D printed hybrid scaffolds have the potential to support cartilage regeneration.Acknowledgements: Authors acknowledge funding provided by EPSRC grant EP/N025059/1.

Exploring therapy transport from implantable medical devices using experimentally informed computational methods.

Implantable medical devices that can facilitate therapy transport to localized sites are being developed for a number of diverse applications, including the treatment of diseases such as diabetes and cancer, and tissue regeneration after myocardial infraction. These implants can take the form of an encapsulation device which encases therapy in the form of drugs, proteins, cells, and bioactive agents, in semi-permeable membranes. Such implants have shown some success but the nature of these devices pose a barrier to the diffusion of vital factors, which is further exacerbated upon implantation due to the foreign body response (FBR). The FBR results in the formation of a dense hypo-permeable fibrous capsule around devices and is a leading cause of failure in many implantable technologies. One potential method for overcoming this diffusion barrier and enhancing therapy transport from the device is to incorporate local fluid flow. In this work, we used experimentally informed inputs to characterize the change in the fibrous capsule over time and quantified how this impacts therapy release from a device using computational methods. Insulin was used as a representative therapy as encapsulation devices for Type 1 diabetes are among the most-well characterised. We then explored how local fluid flow may be used to counteract these diffusion barriers, as well as how a more practical pulsatile flow regimen could be implemented to achieve similar results to continuous fluid flow. The generated model is a versatile tool toward informing future device design through its ability to capture the expected decrease in insulin release over time resulting from the FBR and investigate potential methods to overcome these effects.

Dapansutrile OLT1177 suppresses foreign body response inflammation while preserving vascularisation of implanted materials.

Mitigating inflammation associated with the foreign body response (FBR) remains a significant challenge in enhancing the performance of implantable medical devices. Current anti-inflammatory approaches aim to suppress implant fibrosis, the major outcome of the FBR, but also inadvertently inhibit beneficial immune signalling necessary for tissue healing and vascularization. In a previous study, we demonstrated the feasibility of 'selective' immunosuppression targeting the NLRP3 inflammasome using the small molecule inhibitor MCC950, leading to reduced implant fibrosis without compromising healing and leading to enhanced vascularization. However, the clinical potential of MCC950 is severely limited due to its failure to pass Phase I clinical safety trials. This has triggered substantial efforts to develop safer analogues of NLRP3 inhibitors. Dapansutrile (OLT1177) is emerging as a leading candidate amongst current NLRP3 inhibitors, demonstrating both safety and effectiveness in a growing number of clinical indications and Phase 2 trials. While the anti-inflammatory effects of OLT1177 have been shown, validation of these effects in the context of implanted materials and the FBR have not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we show OLT1177 possesses beneficial effects on key cell types which drive FBR outcomes, including macrophages, fibroblasts, and smooth muscle cells. Evaluation of OLT1177 in a 28 day subcutaneous implantation model showed OLT1177 reduced fibrotic capsule formation while promoting implant vascularization. Mechanistic studies revealed that this occurred through activation of early pro-angiogenic markers while suppressing late-stage anti-angiogenic markers. These findings establish OLT1177 as a promising therapeutic approach for mitigating implant fibrosis while supporting vascularisation, suggesting a highly promising selective immunosuppressive strategy for the FBR warranting further research to explore its optimal integration into medical materials and devices.

Development of technology for obtaining encapsulated probiotics

One of the priority areas of the modern food industry is the development of functional food products that have a regulatory effect on physiological functions, biochemical reactions and psychosocial behavior of a person through the normalization of his microecological status. Scientists assign a special role in functional nutrition to fermented milk products with probiotics, which have a more pronounced functional effect on the human body, due to the complex action of probiotics. However today traditional production technologies face some problems, in particular, the problem of preserving and delivering viable probiotic cells to the gastrointestinal tract in order to display therapeutic properties. In this regard, the use of methods for encapsulating probiotics to obtain capsules and their application in the technology of fermented milk products for functional purposes is relevant. This article discusses the technology for obtaining encapsulated probiotics. To obtain encapsulated probiotics, several types of biopolymers were used: amidated pectin, sodium alginate, and gelatin. To substantiate the selected encapsulating materials, experimental studies were carried out to determine the possibility of capsule formation of amidated pectin, sodium alginate and gelatin at a concentration of 1 %, 2 %, 3 %, as well as the ratio of gelatin and sodium alginate 1/1 %, 2/1 %, 3/1 %, 4/1 %.

Effect of different organic inputs on agronomic and economic performance of sesame under rainfed conditions of North Maharashtra

A field experiment was conducted at Oilseeds Research Station, MPKV, Jalgaon to assess the performance of most suitable organic source for sesame production and its economics during the kharif season of 2021. Application of FYM on N equivalent basis + foliar application of 3% Panchgavya at flowering and capsule formation stage + Foliar application of Pseudomonas and Azotobactor 2 lit /ha both + soil application of Pseudomonas and Azotobactor (2.5 lit /ha + 200 kg FYM) recorded numerically higher seed yield ( 568 kg/ ha) over rest of the treatments, whereas higher net returns ( 26078/ha) and B: C ratio of 2.13 was obtained under application of RDF ( 50 % N as basal and remaining 50 % in 2 split doses) over rest of the organic sources.

Special Nuclear Structures in the Germinal Vesicle of the Common Frog with Emphasis on the So-Called Karyosphere Capsule.

The karyosphere (karyosome) is a structure that forms in the oocyte nucleus-germinal vesicle (GV)-at the diplotene stage of meiotic prophase due to the assembly of all chromosomes in a limited portion of the GV. In some organisms, the karyosphere has an extrachromosomal external capsule, the marker protein of which is nuclear F-actin. Despite many years of theories about the formation of the karyosphere capsule (KC) in the GV of the common frog Rana temporaria, we present data that cast doubt on its existence, at least in this species. Specific extrachromosomal strands, which had been considered the main elements of the frog's KC, do not form a continuous layer around the karyosphere and, according to immunogold labeling, do not contain structural proteins, such as actin and lamin B. At the same time, F-actin is indeed noticeably concentrated around the karyosphere, creating the illusion of a capsule at the light microscopy/fluorescence level. The barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF) and one of its functional partners-LEMD2, an inner nuclear membrane protein-are not localized in the strands, suggesting that the strands are not functional counterparts of the nuclear envelope. The presence of characteristic strands in the GV of R. temporaria late oocytes may reflect an excess of SMC1 involved in the structural maintenance of diplotene oocyte chromosomes at the karyosphere stage, since SMC1 has been shown to be the most abundant protein in the strands. Other characteristic microstructures-the so-called annuli, very similar in ultrastructure to the nuclear pore complexes-do not contain nucleoporins Nup35 and Nup93, and, therefore, they cannot be considered autonomous pore complexes, as previously thought. Taken together, our data indicate that traditional ideas about the existence of the R. temporaria KC as a special structural compartment of the GV are to be revisited.

Week-long normoglycaemia in diabetic mice and minipigs via a subcutaneous dose of a glucose-responsive insulin complex.

Glucose-responsive formulations of insulin can increase its therapeutic index and reduce the burden of its administration. However, it has been difficult to develop single-dosage formulations that can release insulin in both a sustained and glucose-responsive manner. Here we report the development of a subcutaneously injected glucose-responsive formulation that nearly does not trigger the formation of a fibrous capsule and that leads to week-long normoglycaemia and negligible hypoglycaemia in mice and minipigs with type 1 diabetes. The formulation consists of gluconic acid-modified recombinant human insulin binding tightly to poly-L-lysine modified by 4-carboxy-3-fluorophenylboronic acid via glucose-responsive phenylboronic acid-diol complexation and electrostatic attraction. When the insulin complex is exposed to high glucose concentrations, the phenylboronic acid moieties of the polymers bind rapidly to glucose, breaking the complexation and reducing the polymers' positive charge density, which promotes the release of insulin. The therapeutic performance of this long-acting single-dose formulation supports its further evaluation and clinical translational studies.

Guided bone regeneration in long-bone defect with a bilayer mineralized collagen membrane

Bone regeneration for large, critical-sized bone defects remains a clinical challenge nowadays. Guided bone regeneration (GBR) is a promising technique for the repair of multiple bone defects, which is widely used in oral and maxillofacial bone defects but is still unsatisfied in the treatment of long bone defects. Here, we successfully fabricated a bilayer mineralized collagen/collagen (MC/Col)-GBR membrane with excellent osteoinductive and barrier function by coating the MC particles prepared via in situ biomimetic mineralization process on one side of a sheet-like pure collagen layer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the physicochemical properties and biological functions of the MC/Col film, and to further evaluate its bone regeneration efficiency in large bone defect repair. Fourier-transform infrared spectra and X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the presence of both hydroxyapatite and collagen phase in the MC/Col film, as well as the chemical interaction between them. stereo microscope, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscope showed the uniform distribution of MC particles in the MC/Col film, resulting in a rougher surface compared to the pure Col film. The quantitative analysis of surface contact angle, light transmittance and tensile strength demonstrated that the MC/Col film have better hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, light-barrier properties, respectively. In vitro macrophage co-culture experiments showed that the MC/Col film can effectively inhibit macrophage proliferation and fusion, reducing fibrous capsule formation. In vivo bone repair assessment of a rabbit critical segmental radial defect proved that the MC/Col film performed better than other groups in promoting bone repair and regeneration due to their unique dual osteoinductive/barrier function. These findings provided evidence that MC/Col film has a great clinical potential for effective bone defect repair.Graphic abstract

Optimization of diffuse Raman spectroscopy for in-vivo quantification of foreign body response in a small animal model.

Diffuse Raman spectroscopy (DRS) allows subsurface molecular analysis of optically turbid samples. Numerical modeling of light propagation was used as a method for improving the design of an DRS instrument to maximize the signal to noise ratio (SNR) while ensuring safe laser exposure parameters required for in-vivo measurements. Experimental validation of the model was performed on both phantom samples and disks implanted postmortem to mimic the typical response to foreign bodies (formation of a fibrotic capsule around an implant). A reduction of laser exposure of over 1500-fold was achieved over previous studies whilst maintaining the same Raman collection rates and reaching the safe power density of 3 mW/mm2. The validation of this approach in a subcutaneous implant in a mouse cadaver showed a further improvement of 1.5-fold SNR, with a thickness limit of detection for the fibrotic layer of 23 µm, under the same acquisition times. In the animal body, a thickness limit of detection of 16 µm was achieved. These results demonstrate the feasibility of numerical model-based optimization for DRS, and that the technique can be improved sufficiently to be used for in-vivo measurement of collagenous capsule formation as a result of the foreign body response in murine models.

Intermittent actuation attenuates fibrotic behaviour of myofibroblasts

The foreign body response (FBR) to implanted materials culminates in the deposition of a hypo-permeable, collagen rich fibrotic capsule by myofibroblast cells at the implant site. The fibrotic capsule can be deleterious to the function of some medical implants as it can isolate the implant from the host environment. Modulation of fibrotic capsule formation has been achieved using intermittent actuation of drug delivery implants, however the mechanisms underlying this response are not well understood. Here, we use analytical, computational, and in vitro models to understand the response of human myofibroblasts (WPMY-1 stromal cell line) to intermittent actuation using soft robotics and investigate how actuation can alter the secretion of collagen and pro/anti-inflammatory cytokines by these cells. Our findings suggest that there is a mechanical loading threshold that can modulate the fibrotic behaviour of myofibroblasts, by reducing the secretion of soluble collagen, transforming growth factor beta-1 and interleukin 1-beta, and upregulating the anti-inflammatory interleukin-10. By improving our understanding of how cells involved in the FBR respond to mechanical actuation, we can harness this technology to improve functional outcomes for a wide range of implanted medical device applications including drug delivery and cell encapsulation platforms. Statement of significanceA major barrier to the successful clinical translation of many implantable medical devices is the foreign body response (FBR) and resultant deposition of a hypo-permeable fibrotic capsule (FC) around the implant. Perturbation of the implant site using intermittent actuation (IA) of soft-robotic implants has previously been shown to modulate the FBR and reduce FC thickness. However, the mechanisms of action underlying this response were largely unknown. Here, we investigate how IA can alter the activity of myofibroblast cells, and ultimately suggest that there is a mechanical loading threshold within which their fibrotic behaviour can be modulated. These findings can be harnessed to improve functional outcomes for a wide range of medical implants, particularly drug delivery and cell encapsulation devices.

Human-Mimic Submuscular and Premuscular Irradiated Rat Model: Histologic Characteristics of the Capsule Tissue in Contact with the Breast Implant.

In this study, we established two rat models that mimic human submuscular and premuscular breast reconstruction. We analyzed the capsule formation according to surgical techniques and adjacent tissues, including the chest wall tissues, such as the ribs and acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) that come in contact with silicone implants. This study consisted of experiments on 12 Sprague-Dawley rats that underwent implant reconstruction using ADM. They were divided into two groups: rats that underwent dual-plane implantation (n = 6; group 1) and those that underwent premuscular implant insertion (n = 6; group 2). All rats were irradiated with 35 Gy of fractionated radiation. Three months after surgery, the histology and immunochemistry of the capsule tissues of the ADM, muscle, and chest wall were analyzed. Overall capsule thickness was thicker in group 1. Based on the tissue in contact with the silicone implant, ADM had a thinner capsule, less inflammation, less fibrosis, and less vascularization than the muscle and chest wall tissues. This study described two rat models of clinically relevant implant-based breast reconstruction using a submuscular and premuscular plane, ADM, and irradiation. Overall, the premuscular implantation rat model was associated with a thinner capsule. The ADM in contact with the silicone implant, even after irradiation, had superior protection from radiation compared with the other tissues.

Fabrication of core–shell beads, hollow capsules, and AuNP-embedded catalytic beads from an ultrasmall peptide hydrogel

Hydrogel beads have emerged as a new class of soft materials that infuse the noble properties of macro-dimensional hydrogels in tiny, easily operable, and robust droplets. Usually, polymeric hydrogels are used in the production of hydrogel beads due to their high structural rigidity and durability, and low molecular weight hydrogel beads are relatively uncommon. Herein, we employed an ultra-short peptide (Pyrene-Lys-Cys, PyKC) based low molecular weight injectable hydrogel, that remains insoluble in bulk solvents, to create stable hydrogel beads using a simple extrusion technique. To enhance durability and applicability, the beads are coated with a polymeric shell, resulting in a core–shell configuration. The shell of the core–shell beads can be modified through a variety of organic conjugation reactions. Also, the core (hydrogel) can be sacrificed using DMSO, resulting in the formation of hollow organic capsules. Furthermore, the core–shell beads enabled the in-situ synthesis and stabilization of gold nanoparticles on the bead surface. The gold-loaded beads demonstrated remarkable catalytic efficiency in the reduction of p-nitrophenol and hazardous azo dyes. In a nutshell, the extremely modular and customizable nature of the PyKC-based core–shell hydrogel bead may allow it to function as a unified platform for multifaceted applications.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts actively compress cancer cells and modulate mechanotransduction

During tumor progression, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) accumulate in tumors and produce an excessive extracellular matrix (ECM), forming a capsule that enwraps cancer cells. This capsule acts as a barrier that restricts tumor growth leading to the buildup of intratumoral pressure. Combining genetic and physical manipulations in vivo with microfabrication and force measurements in vitro, we found that the CAFs capsule is not a passive barrier but instead actively compresses cancer cells using actomyosin contractility. Abrogation of CAFs contractility in vivo leads to the dissipation of compressive forces and impairment of capsule formation. By mapping CAF force patterns in 3D, we show that compression is a CAF-intrinsic property independent of cancer cell growth. Supracellular coordination of CAFs is achieved through fibronectin cables that serve as scaffolds allowing force transmission. Cancer cells mechanosense CAF compression, resulting in an altered localization of the transcriptional regulator YAP and a decrease in proliferation. Our study unveils that the contractile capsule actively compresses cancer cells, modulates their mechanical signaling, and reorganizes tumor morphology.

Biofilm formation and cell plasticity drive diazotrophy in an anoxygenic phototrophic bacterium.

The contribution of non-cyanobacterial diazotrophs (NCDs) to total N2 fixation in the marine water column is unknown, but their importance is likely constrained by the limited availability of dissolved organic matter and low O2 conditions. Light could support N2 fixation and growth by NCDs, yet no examples from bacterioplankton exist. In this study, we show that the phototrophic NCD, Rhodopseudomonas sp. BAL398, which is a member of the diazotrophic community in the surface waters of the Baltic Sea, can utilize light. Our study highlights the significance of biofilm formation for utilizing light and fixing N2 under oxic conditions and the role of cell plasticity in regulating these processes. Our findings have implications for the general understanding of the ecology and importance of NCDs in marine waters.

CARD9-Mediated Macrophage Responses and Collagen Fiber Capsule Formation Caused by Textured Breast Implants.

An increasing number of women are undergoing breast implantation for cosmetic purposes or for reconstructive purposes after breast excision. The surface morphology of the breast implant is a key factor associated with the induction of capsule contraction. The effect of surface morphology on the inflammatory response after implant insertion remains unclear, however. The authors conducted comparative analyses to determine the effect of the textured and smooth surface morphology of silicone sheets. Each type of silicone sheet was inserted into the subcutaneous pocket below the panniculus carnosus in C57BL/6 mice and mice with genetic disruption of CARD9 , Dectin-1 , Dectin-2 , or Mincle . The authors analyzed collagen fiber capsule thickness, histologic findings, and macrophage inflammatory response, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β synthesis. The authors found that textured surface morphology contributed to the formation of collagen fiber capsules and the accumulation of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, and was accompanied by the accumulation of TGF-β-expressing macrophages and foreign-body giant cells. CARD9 deficiency attenuated collagen fiber capsule formation, macrophage responses, and TGF-β synthesis, although the responsible C-type lectin receptors remain to be clarified. These results suggest that CARD9 may have a strong impact on silicone sheet morphology through the regulation of macrophage responses. Silicone breast implants have been widely used for postmastectomy and cosmetic augmentation mammaplasty breast reconstruction. The authors sought to elucidate the surface morphology of the breast implant as one of the key factors associated with the formation of collagen fiber capsules. Therapeutic, V.

Surface Topography of PLA Implants Defines the Outcome of Foreign Body Reaction: An In Vivo Study.

The formation of a dense fibrous capsule around the foreign body and its contracture is the most common complication of biomaterial implantation. The aim of our research is to find out how the surface of the implant influences the inflammatory and fibrotic reactions in the surrounding tissues. We made three types of implants with a remote surface topography formed of polylactide granules with different diameters: large (100-200 µm), medium (56-100 µm) and small (1-56 µm). We placed these implants in skin pockets in the ears of six chinchilla rabbits. We explanted the implants on the 7th, 14th, 30th and 60th days and performed optical coherence tomography, and histological, immunohistochemical and morphometric studies. We examined 72 samples and compared the composition of immune cell infiltration, vascularization, the thickness of the peri-implant tissues, the severity of fibrotic processes and α-SMA expression in myofibroblasts. We analyzed the scattering coefficient of tissue layers on OCT scans. We found that implants made from large granules induced a milder inflammatory process and slower formation of a connective tissue capsule around the foreign body. Our results prove the importance of assessing the surface texture in order to avoid the formation of capsular contracture after implantation.

Role of prophenoloxidase 1 from the beetle Octodonta nipae in melanized encapsulation of a wasp egg

Exploring the function of the host immune system can help to understand the host-parasitoid interaction. Prophenoloxidase (PPO) is crucial in defensive melanization during the encapsulation of wasp eggs. However, the existence of multiple PPO sequences increases the difficulty of exploring the specific functions of individual PPOs. We previously identified three PPOs in the nipa palm hispid beetle, Octodonta nipae. Our current work showed that OnPPO1 and OnPPO2 possessed the typical characteristics of the type III copper family, but OnPPO3 lacked the conserved histidine residues, and its active sites were substituted with Gln. OnPPOs showed the highest expression in hemocytes, but OnPPO3 presented extremely low abundance compared with that of OnPPO1 and OnPPO2, and only OnPPO1 showed a quick response after wasp infection. OnPPO1 knockdown decreased the encapsulation index and inhibited melanization, whereas silencing of OnPPO3 appeared to have no adverse effect on encapsulation and melanization, and silencing of OnPPO2 presented low RNAi efficiency. Moreover, the cleavage of recombinant OnPPO1 produced a 62 kDa fragment with high PO activity. OnPPO1 could be produced by oenocytoids, granulocytes and plasmatocytes, and was distributed around wasp eggs during capsule formation. Overall, our results indicate that proteolytic cleavage of OnPPO1 plays key roles in the melanized encapsulation of wasp eggs. This finding illuminates the mechanism of PPO activation in this invasive beetle and provides guidance for its biological control.

Histomorphogenesis of sublingual salivary gland of Indian sheep

ABSTRACT The primordial anlage of sublingual gland was first noticed as a solid epithelial bud from oral epithelium at the 24th day of foetal development. The terminal buds were arranged in the form of clusters with undifferentiated epithelial cells and terminated in a bulb-like structure in the 30-day-old sheep foetus. On the 37th day, lumenization and branching of the main cord was noticed. The primary septa were observed from the 55th day onwards which resulted in the formation of lobulation on the 60th day. The capsule formation was initiated by aggregation of mesenchymal tissue on the 63rd day. On the 100th day, terminal tubules differentiated to form secretory end pieces. Tubular portions formed intercalated and striated ducts. Predominantly mucous type of acinar cells was seen from the 110th day onwards with myoepithelial cells. The number of lobules increased with increase in parenchyma from 130th day onwards. Micrometrical studies revealed that the mean diameter of acini, intercalated, striated and large ducts was increased with advancement of age and significant differences were observed between groups. Localization of acidic and neutral mucopolysaccharides were observed in mucous and goblet cells. Fine lipid droplets were observed in intralobular and interlobular connective tissue however, phospholipids were observed in cell membrane of acini and ducts. The current investigation provides microstructural standards for the organogenesis of the sublingual gland of miniature sheep and can lay the foundation for further studies in the morphological investigation of salivary gland development.

Trichinella spiralis-Secreted Products Promote Collagen Capsule Formation through TGF-β1/Smad3 Pathway.

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) muscle larvae colonize in the host's skeletal muscle cells, which are surrounded by collagen capsules. The mechanism underlying muscle stage larva-induced collagen capsule formation remains unknown. To clarify the mechanism, a T. spiralis muscular-infected mouse model was established by a single lateral tail vein injection with 20,000 T. spiralis newborn larvae (NBL). The infected mice were treated with or without SB525334 (TGF-β1 receptor type I inhibitor). Diaphragms were obtained post-infection, and the expression levels of the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway-related genes and collagen genes (type IV and VI) were observed during the process of collagen capsule formation. The changes in myoblasts under stimulation of the excretory-secretory (ES) products of NBL with or without SB525334 were further investigated. Results showed that the expression levels of type IV collagen gene, type VI collagen gene, Tgfb1, and Smad3 were significantly increased in infected mice muscle cells. The expression levels of all the above genes were enhanced by the products of NBL in myoblast cells. These changes were reversed by co-treatment with SB525334 in vivo and in vitro. In conclusion, the TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway can be activated by T. spiralis infection in muscle cells. The activated TGF-β1/Smad3 pathway can stimulate the secretion of collagens by myocytes and plays a promoting role in the process of collagen capsule formation. The research has the limitation that the protein identification of the products of NBL has yet to be performed. Therefore, the specific components in the T. spiralis ES products that induce collagen synthesis should be further investigated.

Source-Sink Relationsionship Studies in Multicapsule Genotypes of Sesame

A study was conducted to determine the source and sink relationship in multicapsule genotypes of sesame. Thirty-six multicapsule genotypes along with two single capsule genotypes as checks were used in this study. Data on source characters such as number of leaf axils, leaf area, SPAD chlorophyll, photosynthetic rate, plant height, stem girth was recorded at capsule formation stage. Similarly, data on sink related characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil, capsule length, breadth, seed weight, seed yield per plant, and oil content were recorded. There were 1 to 3 capsules per axil, genotypes, SC-500-1, PI-154298, JCS-1020, exhibited 3 capsules at every axil. The results indicated the source characters such as number of leaf axils per plant was significantly positively correlated with seed yield per plant, leaf area was significantly positively correlated with number of flowers per main stem, total capsule number per main stem and seed weight of the right capsule in the bunch of the capsules. SPAD chlorophyll was positively associated with, number of flowers per axil, number of capsules per axil and seed yield per plant. Photosynthetic rate was significantly associated with total number of capsules per main stem of the plant, oil content and test weight. There were 7 principal components which explained 80 of the variation presents in the genotypes. Characters such as number of flowers per axil, number of leaf axils per plant, number of capsules per axil in the main stem and capsule length, weight, seed weight of left and right capsules contributed for the variation. Variation in these characters distributed the genotypes across the axis in the PCA biplot. Genotypes such as SC-500, PI-154298 exhibited high capsules number per plant, capsules per axil, capsule length and capsule seed weight. This study indicated that the genotypes showing more than 1 capsules per axil have high leaf area, stem girth. These genotypes are potential source for utilization in yield improvement programmes.