Aminopeptidase N (APN, CD13; EC 3.4.11.2) is a transmembrane metalloprotease with several functions, depending on the cell type and tissue environment. In tumor vasculature, APN is overexpressed in the endothelium and promotes angiogenesis. However, there have been no reports of in vivo inactivation of the APN gene to validate these findings. Here we evaluated, by targeted disruption of the APN gene, whether APN participates in blood vessel formation and function under normal conditions. Surprisingly, APN-null mice developed with no gross or histological abnormalities. Standard neurological, cardiovascular, metabolic, locomotor, and hematological studies revealed no alterations. Nonetheless, in oxygen-induced retinopathy experiments, APN-deficient mice had a marked and dose-dependent deficiency of the expected retinal neovascularization. Moreover, gelfoams embedded with growth factors failed to induce functional blood vessel formation in APNnull mice. These findings establish that APN-null mice develop normally without physiological alterations and can undergo physiological angiogenesis but show a severely impaired angiogenic response under pathological conditions. Finally, in addition to vascular biology research, APN-null mice may be useful reagents in other medical fields such as malignant, cardiovascular, immunological, or infectious diseases.CD13 ͉ knockout mice ͉ retinopathy ͉ vasculogenesis T he aminopeptidases are a large family of proteolytic enzymes that affect protein maturation, degradation, and regulation (1, 2). Aminopeptidase N (APN) is a membrane-bound zincdependent metalloprotease originally identified as a surface marker in myeloid cells (3,4). APN is widely distributed in many cell types, and its role in hydrolyzing unsubstituted N-terminal residues with neutral side chains varies in different locations. In the epithelium of the renal proximal tubule, APN cleaves its only known natural substrate, angiotensin (ang) III, to ang IV; in synaptic membranes, APN metabolizes enkephalins and endorphins; in the heart, it is an integral component of cardiac remodeling postmyocardial infarction (5-10); and in the respiratory system, APN is the cell surface receptor for certain human coronaviruses and potentially for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus (11-13). Additionally, APN functions in signal transduction, cell cycle control, and differentiation (14, 15).We have developed an in vivo system by using ligand peptides displayed on the surface of phage to study organ-and tumorspecific vascular homing; this methodology enables the identification of vascular markers (16,17). We have isolated phage displaying an asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR)-containing peptide in a tumor-homing selection and have shown that these phage bind selectively to angiogenic blood vessels. When coupled to a cytotoxic drug (18) or fused to a proapoptotic peptide (19) or to tumor necrosis factor (20), NGR-targeted compounds were more effective and less toxic than the respective controls. The cell surface receptor fo...

Human tumor xenograft models do not replicate the human immune system and tumor microenvironment. We developed an improved humanized mouse model, derived from fresh cord blood CD34 þ stem cells (CD34 þ HSC), and combined it with lung cancer cell line-derived human xenografts or patient-derived xenografts (Hu-PDX). Fresh CD34 þ HSCs could reconstitute detectable mature human leukocytes (hCD45 þ ) in mice at four weeks without the onset of graftversus-host disease (GVHD). Repopulated human T cells, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells, dendritic cells (DC), and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) increased in peripheral blood, spleen, and bone marrow over time. Although cultured CD34 þ HSCs labeled with luciferase could be detected in mice, the cultured HSCs did not develop into mature human immune cells by four weeks, unlike fresh CD34 þ HSCs. Ex vivo, reconstituted T cells, obtained from the tumor-bearing humanized mice, secreted IFNg upon treatment with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or exposure to human A549 lung tumor cells and mediated antigen-specific CTL responses, indicating functional activity. Growth of engrafted PDXs and tumor xenografts was not dependent on the human leukocyte antigen status of the donor. Treatment with the anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors pembrolizumab or nivolumab inhibited tumor growth in humanized mice significantly, and correlated with an increased number of CTLs and decreased MDSCs, regardless of the donor HLA type. In conclusion, fresh CD34 þ HSCs are more effective than their expanded counterparts in humanizing mice, and do so in a shorter time. The Hu-PDX model provides an improved platform for evaluation of immunotherapy.

Urinary catheters are widely used for hospitalized patients and are often associated with high rates of urinary tract infection. We evaluated in vitro the antiadherence activity of a novel antiseptic Gendine-coated urinary catheter against several multidrug-resistant bacteria. Gendine-coated urinary catheters were compared to silver hydrogel-coated Foley catheters and uncoated catheters. Bacterial biofilm formation was assessed by quantitative culture and scanning electron microscopy. These data were further correlated to an in vivo rabbit model. We challenged 31 rabbits daily for 4 days by inoculating the urethral meatus with 1.0 ؋ 10 9 CFU streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli per day. In vitro, Gendine-coated urinary catheters reduced the CFU of all organisms tested for biofilm adherence compared with uncoated and silver hydrogel-coated catheters (P < 0.004). Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that a thick biofilm overlaid the control catheter and the silver hydrogel-coated catheters but not the Gendine-coated urinary catheter. Similar results were found with the rabbit model. Bacteriuria was present in 60% of rabbits with uncoated catheters and 71% of those with silver hydrogel-coated catheters (P < 0.01) but not in those with Gendine-coated urinary catheters. No rabbits with Gendine-coated urinary catheters had invasive bladder infections. Histopathologic assessment revealed no differences in toxicity or staining. Gendine-coated urinary catheters were more efficacious in preventing catheter-associated colonization and urinary tract infections than were silver hydrogelcoated Foley catheters and uncoated catheters.In the United States, nosocomial catheter-related urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for almost 1 million cases (24) and approximately 31% of nosocomial infections seen in the intensive care unit each year (16). Approximately 10% to 30% of patients with indwelling bladder catheters develop bacteruria or UTI (24). This contributes not only to increased morbidity and mortality but also to longer hospital stays and increased medical costs (13). Microbiologic cultures of catheter-related UTIs in the intensive care unit reveal several common pathogens. Of these, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa account for over 39%.Several different methods have been used to prevent nosocomial UTIs. Of these, the most common and longest-used method is the sterile closed drainage system, which has substantially reduced the prevalence of catheter-associated UTIs (11). More recently, other preventive methods involving the use of antimicrobial devices, including urinary catheters impregnated with silver, nitrofurazone, and a combination of minocycline and rifampin (rifampicin), have led to a reduced incidence of bacteruria; however, they were not significant at preventing catheter-related UTIs compared to results with uncoated controls (4,12,22).The use of antibiotic (minocycline and rifampin)-impregnated catheters has led to a reduced incidence of gram-positive bacteruria (4). However, given the ...

This study demonstrates (1) that laparoscopic ultrasound can be used to guide placement of BRFA needles in the liver and (2) that BRFA produces focal destruction of liver without significant systemic hemodynamic responses or alterations in liver function. Further studies of this technique to ablate malignant liver tumors are ongoing.

Introduction To facilitate the clinical translation of 18F-fluoroacetate (18F-FACE), the pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, radiolabeled metabolites, radiation dosimetry, and pharmacological safety of diagnostic doses of 18F-FACE were determined in non-human primates. Methods 18F-FACE was synthesized using a custom-built automated synthesis module. Six rhesus monkeys (three of each sex) were injected intravenously with 18F-FACE (165.4± 28.5 MBq), followed by dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of the thoracoabdominal area during 0–30 min post-injection and static whole-body PET imaging at 40, 100, and 170 min. Serial blood samples and a urine sample were obtained from each animal to determine the time course of 18F-FACE and its radiolabeled metabolites. Electrocardiograms and hematology analyses were obtained to evaluate the acute and delayed toxicity of diagnostic dosages of 18F-FACE. The time-integrated activity coefficients for individual source organs and the whole body after administration of 18F-FACE were obtained using quantitative analyses of dynamic and static PET images and were extrapolated to humans. Results The blood clearance of 18F-FACE exhibited bi-exponential kinetics with half-times of 4 and 250 min for the fast and slow phases, respectively. A rapid accumulation of 18F-FACE-derived radioactivity was observed in the liver and kidneys, followed by clearance of the radioactivity into the intestine and the urinary bladder. Radio-HPLC analyses of blood and urine samples demonstrated that 18F-fluoride was the only detectable radiolabeled metabolite at the level of less than 9% of total radioactivity in blood at 180 min after the 18F-FACE injection. The uptake of free 18F-fluoride in the bones was insignificant during the course of the imaging studies. No significant changes in ECG, CBC, liver enzymes, or renal function were observed. The estimated effective dose for an adult human is 3.90–7.81 mSv from the administration of 185–370 MBq of 18F-FACE. Conclusions The effective dose and individual organ radiation absorbed doses from administration of a diagnostic dosage of 18F-FACE are acceptable. From a pharmacologic perspective, diagnostic dosages of 18F-FACE are non-toxic in primates and, therefore, could be safely administered to human patients for PET imaging.

The use of portable chemistry analyzers is an attractive option for obtaining clinical pathology panels in mice, because these analyzers require only small volumes of whole blood. However, in studies with other animals, portable analyzers do not always agree with results obtained using standard laboratory equipment. The authors evaluated the use of the i-STAT handheld portable clinical analyzer compared to the use of standard nonportable laboratory instruments in mice. As shown with other species, the i-STAT results did not always agree with standard laboratory instruments; however, the i-STAT does show reliability for certain chemistry assays.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to reduce the time to tumor onset in a diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) swine model via partial liver embolization (PLE) and to characterize the model for use in translational research. Methods: Eight Yucatan miniature pigs were injected intraperitoneally with either saline (n = 2) or DEN (n = 6) solution weekly for 12 weeks. Three of the DEN-treated pigs underwent PLE. The animals underwent periodic radiological evaluation, liver biopsy, and blood sampling, and full necropsy was performed at study termination (∼29 months). Results: All DEN-treated pigs developed hepatic adenoma and HCC. PLE accelerated the time to adenoma development but not to HCC development. Biomarker analysis results showed that IGF1 levels decreased in all DEN-treated pigs as functional liver capacity decreased with progression of HCC. VEGF and IL-6 levels were positively correlated with disease progression. Immunohistochemical probing of HCC tissues demonstrated the expression of several important survival-promoting proteins. Conclusion: To our knowledge, we are the first to demonstrate an accelerated development of hepatic neoplasia in Yucatan miniature pigs. Our HCC swine model closely mimics the human condition (i.e., progressive disease stages and expression of relevant molecular markers) and is a viable translational model.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of postoperative external cobalt-60 beam irradiation on nerve regeneration. Sixty-five 250-gm male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied. Peripheral nerve regeneration was measured by walking track analysis and histomorphology of the proximal, graft, and distal nerve segments. These 65 animals underwent a 1.5-cm interpositional nerve graft into the right posterior tibial nerve. The left leg served as a control. Each animal was then randomly allocated into one of four groups. Group 1 served as control. Groups 2 through 4 were subjected to external cobalt-60 gamma-ray irradiation through a 2.5-cm circular portal for a total fractionated dose of 30, 50, and 70 Gy beginning on postoperative day 3. Radiation was administered in 2-Gy fractions, 5 fractions per week, with a top-up dose of 16 Gy given at the end of the fractionated irradiation. Walking track analysis was performed at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after nerve grafting. At the conclusion of 120 days, sections of the proximal, grafted, and distal nerve were harvested, stained, and examined histomorphologically. Hematoxylin and eosin stains also were obtained. Evaluation of the print-length index demonstrated no statistical difference between the unirradiated controls and the irradiated groups. The total number of axons per square millimeter and nerve fiber density per square millimeter were significantly decreased in the distal segment of all the irradiated groups when compared with controls. Despite the reduction in myelinated regenerating fibers, no reduction in function was observed, as measured by walking track analysis. We would therefore recommend immediate reconstruction of peripheral nerve defects in the face of postoperative irradiation.