These findings suggest that TGF-beta1 and IGF-1 are involved in intestinal ECM remodeling in IBD, and their enhanced expression depends on the presence and location of inflammatory infiltrates rather than the type of IBD.

These results suggest the presence of an activated subpopulation of fibroblasts in both UC and CD tissue irrespective of the presence of tissue fibrosis or disease type.

Indomethacin, ibuprofen, and gentamicin are commonly administered to neonates between 24 and 28 wk gestation when glomerulogenesis is still occurring. Indomethacin is known to cause renal failure in up to 25% of infants treated. Possible morphologic effects of these drugs are largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the type of renal changes found on light (LM) and electron microscopy (EM) following administration of indomethacin, ibuprofen, and gentamicin in a neonatal rat model. Rat pups were exposed to indomethacin or ibuprofen and/or gentamicin antenatally for 5 d before birth or postnatally for 5 d from d 1 of life. Pups were killed at 14 d of age. LM examination in all indomethacin-and ibuprofen-treated pups both antenatally and postnatally showed vacuolization of the epithelial proximal tubules, interstitial edema, intratubular protein deposition but no significant glomerular changes. EM examination showed pleomorphic mitochondria and loss of microvilli in the tubules. The glomeruli showed extensive foot process effacement and irregularities of the glomerular basement membrane. EM changes were most marked in pups treated antenatally with ibuprofen, and indomethacin with gentamicin postnatally. Indomethacin, ibuprofen, and gentamicin cause significant change in glomerular and tubular structure in the neonatal rat model. U p to 5% of infants are delivered between 24 and 28 wk gestation, at a time when glomerulogenesis is occurring. Indomethacin and ibuprofen are commonly used in extremely premature neonates to close a patent ductus arteriosus at this time (1,2). Both of these drugs are successful in closing the ductus (3,4), but the morphologic effects these drugs may have on the developing kidney are unknown. Both drugs are known to be nephrotoxic, with indomethacin causing acute renal failure in 25% of premature neonates treated (5). Ibuprofen is considered to have less renal toxicity than indomethacin, but is as efficacious as indomethacin at closing the patent ductus (6). Two animal studies have shown an effect on glomerulogenesis by ibuprofen and a COX-2 selective inhibitor. In both studies, the number and size of glomeruli was decreased (7,8).Gentamicin is frequently administered at the same time as indomethacin or ibuprofen. Gentamicin has been shown in in vitro studies to affect nephron development (9). The combination of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and gentamicin on glomerular development is unknown. The renal effect of indomethacin has not been examined in a neonatal animal model, nor has the combination of both indomethacin or ibuprofen and gentamicin.In the human, glomerulogenesis is complete at 36 wk gestation. The metanephron develops at 5 wk gestation, with vesicular glomeruli development occurring at 18 wk gestation. Glomerular tubular development occurs from 24 wk gestation and is complete at 36 wk (10 -12). In the rat model, glomerulogenesis continues after birth until 14 d of life (13). At birth the neonatal rat kidney is similar to that of a ...

In order to design a feasible somatic cell gene delivery sysgogues. While glucose responsiveness commenced at a tem for the treatment of type I diabetes, a suitable cell type lower concentration than normal islets, a secretion curve needs to be determined. We have previously shown that approaching normal physiological conditions was generthe stable transfection of the full-length insulin cDNA into ated. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed the presence the human liver cell line, (HEP G2ins) resulted in synthesis, of insulin-containing granules, similar in size and appearstorage and acute regulated release of insulin to analogues ance to those of the normal beta cell. These results demof cAMP, but not to the physiological stimulus glucose. In onstrate that while it is most likely that the HEP G2ins/g attempting to explain the lack of glucose responsiveness cell line predominantly secretes insulin via the constitutive of the HEP G2ins cells we have stably transfected these pathway, significant acute regulated release was seen in cells with the human islet glucose transporter GLUT 2 response to glucose, and thus represents significant pro-(HEP G2ins/g cells). The HEP G2ins/g cell clones exhibit gress in the creation of a genetically engineered 'artificial glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and glucose potentibeta cell' from a human hepatocyte cell line. ation of the secretory response to nonglucose secreta-

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