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Advanced stage neuroblastoma is a very aggressive pediatric cancer with limited treatment options and a high mortality rate. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) is a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Using immunohistochemical staining, we observed positive GSK-3β expression in 67% of human neuroblastomas (34 of 51 cases). Chemically distinct GSK-3 inhibitors (AR-A014418, TDZD-8, and 9-ING-41) suppressed the growth of neuroblastoma cells, whereas 9-ING-41, a clinically relevant small-molecule GSK-3β inhibitor with broad-spectrum preclinical antitumor activity, being the most potent. Inhibition of GSK-3 resulted in a decreased expression of the antiapoptotic molecule XIAP and an increase in neuroblastoma cell apoptosis. Mouse xenograft studies showed that the combination of clinically relevant doses of CPT-11 and 9-ING-41 led to greater antitumor effect than was observed with either agent alone. These data support the inclusion of patients with advanced neuroblastoma in clinical studies of 9-ING-41, especially in combination with CPT-11.

Background: The initiation of primate embryo invasion into the endometrium and the formation of the placenta from trophoblasts, fetal mesenchyme, and vascular components are essential for the establishment of a successful pregnancy. The mechanisms which direct morphogenesis of the chorionic villi, and the interactions between trophectoderm-derived trophoblasts and the fetal mesenchyme to direct these processes during placentation are not well understood due to a dearth of systems to examine and manipulate real-time primate implantation. Here we describe an in vitro three-dimensional (3-D) model to study implantation which utilized IVF-generated rhesus monkey embryos cultured in a Matrigel explant system., Methods: Blastocyst stage embryos were embedded in a 3-D microenvironment of a Matrigel carrier and co-cultured with a feeder layer of cells generating conditioned medium. Throughout the course of embryo co-culture embryo growth and secretions were monitored. Embedded embryos were then sectioned and stained for markers of trophoblast function and differentiation., Results: Signs of implantation were observed including enlargement of the embryo mass, and invasion and proliferation of trophoblast outgrowths. Expression of chorionic gonadotropin defined by immunohistochemical staining, and secretion of chorionic gonadotropin and progesterone coincident with the appearance of trophoblast outgrowths, supported the conclusion that a trophoblast cell lineage formed from implanted embryos. Positive staining for selected markers including Ki67, MHC class I, NeuN, CD31, vonWillebrand Factor and Vimentin, suggest growth and differentiation of the embryo following embedding., Conclusions: This 3-D in vitro system will facilitate further study of primate embryo biology, with potential to provide a platform for study of genes related to implantation defects and trophoblast differentiation.

Tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) as one of the most versatile organic compounds is involved in various chemical reactions with electron transfer. Charge transfer complexes (CTCs) of a few antioxidants, nitrogen containing thioamides [pyrrolidine-2-thione (I), 1,3-H-imidazolidine-2-thione (II), 1,3-H-Imidazoline-2-thione (III), pyridine-2-thione (IV), 5-trifluoromethylpyridine-2-thione (V), 4-trifluoromethylpyrimidine-2-thione (VI), quinoline-2-thione (VII), 3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine-2-thione (VIII)] as π-donors and TCNE as π-acceptor were studied. The DFT PCM/UB3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) and SA-CASSCF quantum chemical calculations were used to study the structures and relative stabilities of these complexes in the ground and lowest excited electronic states. The formation of a weak molecular associates in the chloroform and acetonitrile solutions was confirmed by UV/vis and IR absorption spectroscopy. The stability constants and molar extinction coefficients were estimated by UV/vis spectroscopy. The highest stability in acetonitrile is found for associates formed by quinoline-2-thione and pyridine-2-thione with TCNE, the lowest one is found for CTC formed by imidazolidine-2-thione. Molecular associate formed by pyridine-2-thione and TCNE has the greatest stability in the chloroform solution. 5-Trifluoromethylpyridine-2-thione and 4-trifluoromethylpyrimidine-2-thione do not form CTC in CH 3 CN due to the presence of an electron acceptor group in the molecules. The molar extinction values of CTC vary within the range of 0.4 × 10 3 to 1.0 × 10 4 M -1 cm -1 . An analytical strategy of thioamides identification based on wavelength and intensity of CTCs absorption band has been suggested.

Infection with Listeria monocytogenes during pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, preterm birth, and neonatal complications, including sepsis and meningitis. While the risk of these conditions is thought to be greatest during the third trimester of pregnancy, the determinants of fetoplacental susceptibility to infection, the contribution of gestational age, and the in vivo progression of disease at the maternal-fetal interface are poorly understood. We developed a nonhuman primate model of listeriosis to better understand antecedents of adverse pregnancy outcomes in early pregnancy. Four pregnant cynomolgus macaques ( Macaca fascicularis ) received a single intragastric inoculation between days 36 and 46 of gestation with 10 7  CFU of an L. monocytogenes strain isolated from a previous cluster of human listeriosis cases that resulted in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Fecal shedding, maternal bacteremia, and fetal demise were consistently noted within 7 to 13 days. Biopsy specimens of maternal liver, spleen, and lymph node displayed variable inflammation and relatively low bacterial burden. In comparison, we observed greater bacterial burden in the decidua and placenta and the highest burden in fetal tissues. Histopathology indicated vasculitis, fibrinoid necrosis, and thrombosis of the decidual spiral arteries, acute chorioamnionitis and villitis in the placenta, and hematogenous infection of the fetus. Vascular pathology suggests early impact of L. monocytogenes infection on spiral arteries in the decidua, which we hypothesize precipitates subsequent placentitis and fetal demise. These results demonstrate that L. monocytogenes tropism for the maternal reproductive tract results in infection of the decidua, placenta, and the fetus itself during the first trimester of pregnancy. IMPORTANCE Although listeriosis is known to cause significant fetal morbidity and mortality, it is typically recognized in the third trimester of human pregnancy. Its impact on early pregnancy is poorly defined. Here we provide evidence that exposure to L. monocytogenes in the first trimester poses a greater risk of fetal loss than currently appreciated. Similarities in human and nonhuman primate placentation, physiology, and reproductive immunology make this work highly relevant to human pregnancy. We highlight the concept that the maternal immune response that protects the mother from serious disease is unable to protect the fetus, a concept relevant to classic TORCH ( t oxoplasmosis, o ther, r ubella, c ytomegalovirus, and h erpes) infections and newly illuminated by current Zika virus outbreaks. Studies with this model, using the well-understood organism L. monocytogenes , will permit precise analysis of host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface and have broad significance to both recognized and emerging infections in the setting of pregnancy., (Copyright © 2017 Wolfe et al.)

Problem: Throughout the reproductive cycle and into early pregnancy, the normal endometrium undergoes changes in a range of leukocytes, epithelia, stromal fibroblasts, and vascular structures caused by intersecting effects of hormone balance and embryo implantation. The direct investigation in humans of reproductive tract responses during normal and physiologically altered cycles is not practical or feasible. METHOD AND STUDY: The aim of this study was to define immunological and morphological changes through immunohistological and morphometric evaluation of the endometrium throughout the menstrual cycle and the decidua during early gestation in the rhesus monkey, a tractable experimental animal model., Results: A zone-dependent method for the immunohistological description of the rhesus uterine mucosa was established and showed that leukocyte infiltration, stromal cell decidualization, glandular and vascular responses were zone- and cell type-dependent, and changed throughout the cycle and early pregnancy. Morphological heterogeneity of uterine natural killer cells in the cycling endometrium and gestational decidua were consistent with the recent characterization of phenotypic subsets., Conclusions: These data establish a morphological platform upon which to further study the regulation of endometrial responses to the hormonal mileau of pregnancy, the control of local leukocyte populations, and the responses to threatened pregnancy, infection, and inflammation., (© 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.)

The charge-transfer complexes (CTC) of few thioamide: 1-methylimidazoline-2-thione (MMI), 3-methyl-1-ethoxycarbonilimidazoline-2-thione (Carb), 5-methylbenzimidazoline-2-thione (BIZ), benzothiazoline-2-thione (BTZ), benzoxazoline-2-thione (BOZ) as σ-donors and diiodine as σ-acceptor were studied by spectroscopic methods (UV/Vis, (1)H NMR). CTC formation constants of thioamides with diiodine were determined using the function of the average-iodine number. The charge-transfer complexes of thioamides as π-donors with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) as π-electron acceptor, were studied by UV-spectroscopy in dichloromethane and chloroform solutions. The mechanism of interaction MMI and Carb with TCNE have been studied by EPR spectroscopy. Spectral characteristics and formation constants are discussed in the terms of electron donor affinity of thioamides and the nature of the organic solvent used. The ionization potentials of donors were estimated from the CT transition energies of their complexes. The photolytic equilibrium constants of five thioamides are determined using pH-metric titrations., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The transcriptional regulation of neuroectoderm (NE) specification is unknown. Here we show that Pax6 is uniformly expressed in early NE cells of human fetuses and those differentiated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). This is in contrast to the later expression of Pax6 in restricted mouse brain regions. Knockdown of Pax6 blocks NE specification from hESCs. Overexpression of either Pax6a or Pax6b, but not Pax6triangle upPD, triggers hESC differentiation. However, only Pax6a converts hESCs to NE. In contrast, neither loss nor gain of function of Pax6 affects mouse NE specification. Both Pax6a and Pax6b bind to pluripotent gene promoters but only Pax6a binds to NE genes during human NE specification. These findings indicate that Pax6 is a transcriptional determinant of the human NE and suggest that Pax6a and Pax6b coordinate with each other in determining the transition from pluripotency to the NE fate in human by differentially targeting pluripotent and NE genes., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

While there is broad agreement that interactions of the human maternal immune system with the tissues and cells of the implanting embryo are likely to be critical contributors to pregnancy success, there remains a dearth of information which directly confirms this expectation. Although animal models of reproductive function often provide opportunities for confirming such hypotheses, progress in this area has been sporadic due to limitations of traditional laboratory or agricultural animal models, such as rodents, sheep, pigs and cattle. Many of these limitations derive from divergent modes of implantation and placentation across mammalian species. Over the past decade there has been progress in the development of the nonhuman primate as a model in which to address questions of pregnancy success in the area of immunology. The purpose of this review is to compare available model species, summarize current knowledge and recent progress with an emphasis on experimental in vivo manipulations, and suggest areas available for additional study and growth.

Nonhuman primates are important animal models for the study of the maternal immune response to implantation within the decidua. The objective of this study was to define the placental expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules in the cynomolgus (Macaca fascicularis) and vervet (African green) (Chlorocebus aethiops) monkeys. Early pregnancy (d36-42) cynomolgus and vervet placentas were obtained by fetectomy and prepared for histological evaluation. A pan-MHC class I monoclonal antibody demonstrated MHC class I expression in both vervet and cynomolgus placental trophoblasts, with particularly high expression in the villous syncytium, as previously shown in the rhesus and baboon. Placental cytotrophoblasts were isolated by enzymatic dispersion and gradient centrifugation and cultured, and multicolor flow cytometry was used to phenotype cell populations. Culture of isolated villous cytotrophoblasts demonstrated that MHC class I expression was linked to syncytiotrophoblast differentiation. A monoclonal antibody against Mamu-AG, the nonclassical MHC class I homolog of HLA-G in the rhesus monkey, demonstrated intense immunostaining and cell surface expression in cynomolgus placental trophoblasts; however, staining with vervet placenta and cells was low and inconsistent. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to clone MHC class I molecules expressed in cynomolgus and vervet placentas. While Mafa-AG messenger RNA (mRNA) was readily detectable in cynomolgus placental RNA and was >99% identical at the amino acid level with Mamu-AG, 7/8 Chae-AG complementary DNAs had an unusual 16 amino acid repeat in the alpha1 domain, and all clones had an unexpected absence of the early stop codon at the 3'-end of the mRNA diagnostic for rhesus, cynomolgus, and baboon AG mRNAs, as well as HLA-G. We conclude that while the vervet monkey has retained the placental expression of a primate-specific nonclassical MHC class I locus, diversity is also revealed in this locus expressed at the maternal-fetal interface, thought to participate in placental regulation of the maternal immune response to embryo implantation and pregnancy.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) catalyzes the initial and rate-limiting step of tryptophan degradation along the kynurenine pathway, and is hypothesized to limit tryptophan availability at embryo implantation and prevent maternal T cell activation at the maternal-fetal interface. To determine if nonhuman primates are suitable models for investigating the role of IDO during pregnancy, we defined the expression of IDO in the rhesus monkey and common marmoset with particular attention to the female reproductive tract and placenta. IDO mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in the rhesus monkey term placenta, lung, small intestine, spleen, lymph node and nonpregnant uterus, and also in the common marmoset placenta. Immunohistochemical analysis of rhesus monkey tissues localized IDO to glandular epithelium of nonpregnant endometrium and first trimester decidua, vessel endothelium of nonpregnant myometrium, first trimester decidua and term decidua, and villous vessel endothelium and syncytiotrophoblast of term placenta. Western blot analysis confirmed IDO in rhesus monkey term placenta. In the common marmoset, IDO was detected in glandular epithelium of the nonpregnant uterus and in the decidua at day 60 and day 128 of gestation. IDO activity was higher in rhesus monkey and common marmoset decidua and placentas than in other tissues. Confirmation of IDO expression in rhesus monkey and common marmoset uterine and placental tissues supports the hypothesis that this enzyme regulates immune activation at the maternal-fetal interface and demonstrates that nonhuman primates may provide models with distinct similarities to human placentation to study the role of IDO in maternal-fetal immune dialogue.

The aim of this study was to characterize the expression of the rhesus HLA-E ortholog Mamu-E, particularly at the maternal-fetal interface. Mamu-E expression was confirmed by locus-specific RT-PCR in the placenta as well as in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and other organs. We evaluated the utility of antibodies recognizing HLA-E (MEM-E/06 against native HLA-E, MEM-E/02 against denatured HLA-E) to detect Mamu-E by flow cytometry/immunofluorescence, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Western blot analysis of cells and selected transfectants confirmed the recognition of Mamu-E but not Mamu-AG by antibodies MEM-E/06 and HC10 but not MEM-E/02. Immunohistochemical staining of frozen sections of rhesus placenta with the MEM-E/06 antibody demonstrated expression in most populations of rhesus monkey trophoblast cells, including villous cytotrophoblasts (strong positive staining), apical membrane of syncytiotrophoblasts (light to moderate staining) and extravillous cytotrophoblasts (moderate to strong staining, especially endovascular trophoblasts in early pregnancy). Expression was not trophoblast cell-specific, especially at term, when endothelial cells in both the chorionic plate and placental villi showed strong staining for Mamu-E. Staining of rhesus extravillous trophoblast cells suggested the co-expression of Mamu-E and Mamu-AG (the rhesus HLA-G homolog) on these cells. MEM-E/06 was shown also to react with differentiating rhesus placental syncytiotrophoblasts in primary culture, detecting intracellular and weak surface expression of Mamu-E. We conclude that the gestation-dependent co-expression of Mamu-E with Mamu-AG in villous and extravillous trophoblast cells suggests important and perhaps complementary but distinct roles of these two non-classical MHC class I loci in pregnancy at the maternal-fetal interface. In addition, the MEM-E/06 antibody will be useful for the detection of Mamu-E at the maternal-fetal interface in the rhesus monkey.

The unique MHC phenotype of the human and nonhuman primate placenta has suggested a potential role in maternal-fetal immune tolerance, pregnancy success, and maternal as well as fetal well-being. In the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) a nonclassical MHC class I molecule, Mamu-AG, is a putative homologue of HLA-G and is hypothesized to play a role in maternal-fetal immune interactions during pregnancy. Rhesus monkeys were passively immunized during the second week after implantation with a mAb against Mamu-AG. Passive immunization altered the growth and vascularization of the fetal placenta, the placental modification of maternal endometrial vessels, the maternal leukocyte response to implantation, and the differentiation of epithelial and stromal cells in the endometrium. These data are the first to demonstrate in vivo the importance of MHC class I molecules expressed on primate trophoblasts in establishing an important environment for pregnancy success through coordinated interactions between endometrial and fetal tissues.

To promote the use of the nonhuman primate model for the study of the cellular and molecular biology of maternal-fetal interactions and placental development during early pregnancy, we have developed protocols for the isolation and characterization of placental trophoblasts and decidual immune cells from the rhesus monkey. In this chapter, we provide protocols for trophoblast and decidual immune cell isolation, phenotyping of isolated cells by flow cytometry, and analysis of placental and decidual tissues by immunohistochemistry. Information on antibodies for these analyses are also provided, which is an important consideration when attempting to use anti-human antibodies for the study of nonhuman primates.

Problem: There is increasing evidence that decidual lymphocytes play a major role in local interactions at the fetomaternal interface., Method: In this paper we use two-color flow cytometry to delineate the phenotype of lymphocytes obtained from human early decidua by mechanical dispersal technique., Results: The most abundant decidual lymphocytes expressed CD7, CD38, CD56, and CD2 markers, relatively small proportions of CD3+, CD8+, CD4+, CD16+, CD45RA+, CD11b+, and Leu8+ cells were also present. The vast majority of decidual CD7+ lymphocytes expressed CD38, CD2, and CD56 markers and were CD3-, CD8-, CD16-, and CD57-. Decidual CD3+ lymphocytes were weakly staining for TCR alpha/beta, lacked T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma/delta molecules, and approximately 40% of them expressed HLA-DR. All decidual CD8+ lymphocytes were CD2+ and the majority of them expressed CD38, CD56, and CD7 markers and were CD3- at the same time CD8+CD7- lymphocytes were found in decidua. According to the expression of the CD45RA marker, decidual CD8+ lymphocytes could be divided into two subsets: CD8+CD45RA+CD56+ and CD8+CD45RA-., Conclusions: These data clearly demonstrate that decidual lymphocytes display phenotypical features different from those of their counterparts in peripheral blood.