The incidence of congenital diaphragmatic hernia is approximately 1 in 2,000 to 4,000 births in humans. Newborns with congenital diaphragmatic hernia often have severe respiratory distress which can be life-threatening unless treated appropriately. The incidence of congenital diaphragmatic hernia in animals has not been reported in detail. We encountered a case of Bochdalek hernia with multiple malformations in a fetal pig specimen used for anatomical training. The subject was a male fetal pig with a crown-rump length of 35 cm. A defect measuring 20 mm anteroposterior and 39 mm horizontally was observed at the posterior border of the left posterolateral portion of the diaphragm. The stomach, spleen, cecum, and distal 3/5 of the small intestine (ileum) were displaced through this defect into the thoracic cavity, posterior to the heart and esophagus. Both lungs were approximately one-tenth of their normal size. The horseshoe kidney was in the pelvis and shares a common renal pelvis and ureter. The narrow end of the ureter connected to the left side of the bladder. Furthermore, the right tests and spermatic cord were absent. Given the hypoplasia of both lungs in this case, the chances of survival after birth are considered extremely low. There have been few clinical reports of such simultaneous multiple malformations in humans. The complex presentation in this case corresponds to Fryns syndrome in humans.

Intrapancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) is associated with pancreatic diseases, such as pancreatitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and pancreatic cancer, and so on. Although non-invasive imaging has been used to quantify IPFD in clinical settings, this approach does not fully reflect the incidence and prevalence of IPFD, especially its occurrence in a cohort of elderly individuals, which is difficult to determine from routine medical visits. This study aims to systematically evaluate IPFD in elderly individuals, classify its subtypes, and assess their relationship with other pancreatic lesions. In the present study, 85 cadaveric pancreatic specimens (median age 88.0 years) without any known pancreatic diseases or prior abdominal surgery were subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses as needed. IPFD was classified into three predominant types: fatty infiltration of the pancreas (FIP), fatty replacement of the pancreas (FRP), and irregular intralobular fatty degeneration (IIFD), with 81

BACKGROUND:In recent years, elucidating the actual state of the liver nervous system has attracted attention, owing to clinical needs, such as liver transplantation. Conventional methods for studying the intrahepatic nerve distribution mostly use liver tissue sections, specific markers for immunohistological studies, or anterograde/retrograde tracing in animals. However, knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of intrahepatic innervation is vague or speculative. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this study, Suncus murinus (n = 10) were perfused and fixed, the livers were excised, and the liver parenchyma was carefully removed, leaving only the intrahepatic vasculature. Specimens were prepared to study the three-dimensional structure of Suncus murinus intrahepatic and hilar innervation by whole-mount immunohistochemical staining using a neurofilament protein antibody. RESULTS:After the nerves running along the intrahepatic arterial system entered the liver parenchyma from the hepatic hilum, they maintained a relatively rich distribution along the interlobular arteries until the distal end. The innervation of the portal system began to decrease after entering the liver parenchyma and decreased significantly after reaching the deep parts. By the time it reached the end of the interlobular vein, there was very little left. The number of nerves running along the intrahepatic bile duct system was significantly reduced after entering the porta hepatis, and innervation was difficult to observe after completely entering the liver parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS:Whole-mount immunohistochemical analyses with an anti-NFP antibody showed that intrahepatic innervation mainly accompanied the hepatic interlobular arteries and extended to their terminal ends. Neuronal regulation is very important in the functional regulation of intrahepatic nutritional vessels. However, there were very few NFP-immunoreactive nerves accompanying the intrahepatic bile duct system, possibly suggesting that the functional regulation of the intrahepatic biliary system mainly relies on hormones and neuropeptides.

BACKGROUND:Pancreatic neuroendocrine microtumors (PNEMTs) are small (< 5 mm), non-functioning, well-differentiated neuroendocrine neoplasms. Although they are rare, they are not invariably benign. PNEMTs are typically discovered incidentally during autopsy. However, data regarding the occurrence of PNEMTs in the elderly population, particularly those identified incidentally in cadaveric studies, remain limited. AIM:To investigate the prevalence and histopathological characteristics of PNEMTs in elderly individuals by analyzing cadaveric pancreatic tissues. METHODS:We conducted a retrospective analysis of 85 pancreatic specimens (age range: 58-109 years) obtained from cadavers for anatomical education and research at the Department of Life Dentistry, Nippon Dental University. Paraffin sections of the pancreatic head, body, and tail were prepared for histological and immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS:Five cases with PNEMTs (5/85, 5.9%; male, n = 33; female, n = 52; mean age: 85.8 ± 12.1 years) were identified. The tumors were solitary, well circumscribed, and located within the pancreatic parenchyma (body: n = 4; tail: n = 1), and all were < 5 mm (range: 0.54-2.20 mm) in size. All tumors showed strong chromogranin A and synaptophysin positivity, and were predominantly glucagon (GLU)-positive. Ki-67 immunostaining indicated minimal proliferative activity; therefore, these tumors were considered non-functioning, GLU-producing, well-differentiated grade 1 PNEMTs. CONCLUSION:Small, predominantly low-grade, GLU-secreting PNEMTs were present in 5.9% of elderly individuals, highlighting the prevalence of subclinical PNEMTs and the need for careful follow-up.

BACKGROUND:That the peroneus tertius muscle (PT) is a separate entity has been long debated. PT has been variously reported to be part of the extensor digitorum longus muscle, part of the extensor digitorum brevis, or a separate muscle. While pigs have a PT as well as primates, there are no reports of its association with the extensor digitorum longus muscle or extensor digitorum brevis. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this study, we used gross dissection and Sihler's staining to determine the origin, course, insertion, and innervation of the pig PT. RESULTS:The PT and extensor digitorum longus muscles jointly originated from the femur and ran between the tibialis cranialis and peroneus longus muscles. The PT was inserted at the retinaculum of the metatarsal extensors, tarsal bone, and second metatarsal bone. The branches of the common fibular nerve to the extensor digitorum longus muscle were distributed to the PT. CONCLUSIONS:The innervations suggest that the PT and extensor digitorum longus muscles of the pig were derived from the same muscle mass during development, but were named separately due to differences in their morphology. Furthermore, morphological features suggest that pig PT and human PT are probably different muscles.

The musk shrew, Suncus murinus, is a unique animal model for the study of female behavioral endocrinology, and by utilizing the physiological characteristics of ovulation during mating of S. murinus, key progress has been made in the study of the endocrine regulatory function of the ovary. The study of innervation of the ovary of S. murinus is particularly important. In the present study, the 3-dimensional structure of the neural innervation of the internal genital organs of S. murinus (n=11, female) was studied using whole-mount immunohistochemical staining with neurofilament protein antibodies. The innervation of the ovary in S. murinus contains the superior ovarian nerve, which runs along the suspensory ligament of the ovary, and the ovarian plexus nerve, which runs along the ovarian artery and vein. The innervation of the uterus originates from the lower hypogastric plexus running in the pelvic peritoneum and along the uterine artery and vein. There was abundant communication between the ovarian plexus nerve and the lower hypogastric plexus of the pelvic peritoneum. The present study is the first to visualize the (NFP-positive) innervation of the female internal genital organs of the experimental animal S. murinus by the whole-mount immunohistochemistry method. The abundant communication between the ovarian plexus nerve and the lower hypogastric plexus of the pelvic peritoneum provides an additional pathway for the neural regulation of the ovary.

BackgroundPacinian corpuscles (PCs) are pressure- and vibration-sensitive mechanoreceptors found in hairless skin, external genitalia, joints, ligaments, lymph nodes, prostate, bladder, etc. While they are documented in the pancreas of cats, their presence in the normal pancreas remains speculative.PurposeThe present study therefore investigated the distribution of PCs in the normal human pancreas and compared the findings with those in several other animal species.MethodsThe study subjects included 74 human cadaver specimens, 3 Cynictis penicillata, 2 Saguinus mystaxs, 1 Felis domesticus, and 10 Suncus murinus. Pancreatic tissues were prepared as paraffin sections for histological and immunohistochemical analyses of the main constituents of PCs (central axon, inner core, and outer core capsule).ResultsPCs were found in the pancreas of five human cadavers (7%), as well as in one C. penicillata, one S. mystax and one F. domesticus but not in S. murinus. The PCs varied in size, with the largest in the human pancreas measuring up to 1,106 μm—far exceeding those in animal pancreata, but less numerous than those in animals. Morphologically, animal PCs were mainly typical oval shapes, whereas PCs in the human pancreas were mostly irregular in shape. In addition, we found that PCs in animals and human pancreata had similar structures, with consistent expression of protein gene product 9.5, in axonic profiles, and diffuse vimentin immunoreactivity in the inner core, outer core, and capsule.ConclusionThis study confirmed the presence of PCs in a small number of healthy humans and some animal pancreata. The number, distribution characteristics, and morphology of PCs in the pancreata of animals and humans are quite different; however, their structures and immunohistochemical profiles are similar. The presence of PCs in the normal human pancreas is also a mystery, and the physiological role of PCs in the human pancreas requires further clarification.

BACKGROUND:Morphological and functional studies of the human cavo-hepatic junction have been widely reported. The unique spiral structure of the wall of the canine hepatic venous system, which is formed by smooth muscle bundles, and the ultrastructure of the hepatic venous sphincter of animals, especially dogs, have also received a great deal of attention. However, studies on the innervation of the hepatic vein in this structure have rarely been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this study, experimental animals Suncus murinus (n = 9) were subjected to pressurized perfusion and fixation. The liver was removed, and the liver parenchyma was carefully removed, leaving only the intrahepatic vasculature. Whole-mount immunohistochemical staining with a neurofilament protein antibody was performed to identify the nerves of the hepatic vein. RESULTS:Abundant NFP-positive nerves were present near the hepatic venous outflow tract, which were connected to the IHC nerves. However, no NFP-positive nerve fibers were found in the deep hepatic, sublobular, or collecting veins. CONCLUSIONS:Our studies on Suncus murinus, have shown that the nerve distribution of the hepatic vein is quite different from that of the hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct system entering and exiting the liver portal. The nerve distribution of the latter can extend to deeper layers of the intrahepatic artery, portal vein, and intrahepatic bile duct system. Innervation of the hepatic vein was mainly observed at the entrance of the hepatic vein into the IVC. These nerves may innervate the hepatic sphincter and control the outflow of hepatic veins.

BACKGROUND Surgical intervention involving the pancreas can lead to impaired glucose tolerance and other types of endocrine dysfunction. The scope of pancreatectomy and whether it includes the ventral pancreas are the key factors in the development of postoperative diabetes. The ventral and dorsal pancreases are almost separated in Suncus murinus (S. murinus ). AIM To investigate the effects of different extents of pancreatic resection on endocrine function in S. murinus . METHODS Eight-week-old male S. murinus shrews were randomly divided into three experimental groups according to different pancreatic resection ranges as follows: ventral pancreatectomy (VPx) group; partial pancreatectomy (PPx) group; subtotal pancreatectomy (SPx) group; and a sham-operated group. Postprandial serum insulin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), pancreatic polypeptide (PP), and somatostatin (SST) levels, as well as food intake, weight, blood glucose, and glucose tolerance were regularly measured for each animal. RESULTS S. murinus treated with PPx and SPx suffered from varying degrees of impaired glucose tolerance, but only a small proportion of the SPx group developed diabetes. Only S. murinus in the SPx group showed a significant decrease in food intake accompanied by severe weight loss, as well as a significant increase in postprandial serum GLP-1 levels. Postprandial serum PP levels decreased in both the VPx and PPx groups, but not in the SPx group. Postprandial serum SST levels decreased in both VPx and PPx groups, but the decrease was marginal. CONCLUSION Severe weight loss after pancreatectomy may be related to loss of appetite caused by compensatory elevation of GLP-1. PP and GLP-1 may play a role in resisting blood glucose imbalance.

BACKGROUND/AIM:Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women worldwide. The 5-year relative survival rate for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is 10%, which is the lowest among all cancers. This study aimed to find more effective targets to improve the diagnosis, prognostic prediction, and treatment of PDAC. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Three datasets were selected from the GEO database. Correlation analysis was used to screen the datasets and samples. Differentially expressed genes were identified using GEO2R. Metascape was used to perform pathway and process enrichment analysis. Survival analysis using the GEPIA2 and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases was conducted to filter hub genes. Principal component analysis and LASSO regression analyses were used to further filter the key genes. Gene expression in PDAC and normal tissues and in different pathological stages was analyzed using the GEPIA2 database. Thereafter, gene expression was detected in three PDAC and HPDE cell lines using real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS:LPAR5, CYP2C18, SERPINH1, ACSL5, and HCAR3 exhibited higher transcription levels in PDAC tissues compared to matched normal tissues, whereas the PNLIP expression was lower. LPAR5, CYP2C18, SERPINH1 and ACSL5 were markedly upregulated in stage IV PDAC. LPAR5, CYP2C18, SERPINH1 and ACSL5 were upregulated in PDAC cell lines. Further verification suggested that the expression levels of these four genes were closely related to histological type, pathologic stage, therapeutic effects and prognosis of pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSION:LPAR5, CYP2C18, SERPINH1 and ACSL5 may serve as potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic targets for PDAC.

BACKGROUND:We observed the phenomenon of pancreatic islet cell loss (ICL) in our previous histopathological study. Multiple studies have reported that a decrease in β-cells is correlated with diabetes or chronic pancreatitis. Few studies have reported ICL in a healthy population. METHODS:Thirty-three pancreatic tissue samples were obtained from cadavers (age: 65-104 years) who had never been diagnosed with any pancreatic diseases before death. The pancreatic body sections were used for an immunohistochemical study of pancreatic islet cells, and area calculations were performed using ImageJ to determine the degree of ICL and islet cell proportions. RESULTS:The proportion of β-cells showed a downward trend as the degree of ICL increased (r=-0.414, P = 0.011), and the proportion of women with severe ICL was significantly higher than that of men with severe ICL (P = 0.016). The probability of severe ICL decreased with age in the population over 70 years of age (P = 0.069, linear correlation). Severe ICL may be associated with higher pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia lesions (P = 0.059). CONCLUSION:The phenomenon of ICL in the elderly population was mainly due to pancreatic β-cell reduction. It may be one of the direct causes of age-related diabetes.

BackgroundThe global population of obese individuals is increasing, affecting human health. High-fat diets are a leading cause of this epidemic, and animal models, such as mice, are often used in related research. Obese individuals have a different gut microbiota composition from non-obese ones, characterized by a sizeable population of certain bacteria associated with fat storage. The gut microbiome plays a significant role in regulating human physiological and metabolic functions. Links between obesity, high-fat diets and gut microbiota have become hot topics of discussion. Recently, research on the modulation of the gut microbiota has focused on fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), which has been recognized as an effective method of studying the function of gut microbiota.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to investigate how the gut microbiota of Suncus murinus, a naturally obesity-resistant animal, through FMT, affected the ecology of the gut microbiota of high-fat diet induced obese mice.MethodsIn this study, Suncus murinus was used as a donor for FMT. High-fat diet induced C57BL/6NCrSIc mice were used as recipients, the body weight changes were measured and changes in their gut flora were analyzed using a 16S rRNA gene analysis.ResultsThe study found that, after the FMT procedure, the FMT group tended to have a lower body weight than the control group. At the phylum level, the most predominant phyla in all groups were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, while Deferribacteres was not detected in the FMT or antibiotic administration groups, and Bacteroidetes was not present in the antibiotic administration group. At the genus level, the FMT group had significantly lower OTU richness than the control group but greater diversity than the control group.ConclusionsThese results indicate that FMT from Suncus murinus can help reorganize and improve the gut microbiota of mice in a balanced and diverse ecosystem.

The knee joint capsules composed of a fibrous layer and a synovial layer. The knee meniscus consists of the superficial network, lamellar layer, tie fibre and circumferential bundles. However, the continuous structure of the knee joint capsule and meniscus has not been reported. Fetal and adult pigs were used to investigate the structural relationship between the stifle joint capsule and meniscus based on the gross anatomy and histological findings. In the gross anatomical examination, the joint capsule appeared to have separated attachments to the meniscus, except for the lower aspect of the popliteal hiatus. Histologically, the lower half of the popliteal hiatus was found to have separated attachments, with vessels running between the attachments of the joint capsules. The synovial layer of the joint capsule continued to the superficial network, and the fibrous layer of the joint capsule continued to the lamellar layer and tie fibres. There were two routes of arterial entry into the meniscus: intracapsular and intercapsular. It appeared that the presence of separated attachments of the joint capsule was necessary to allow the intercapsular route. This study clarified for the first time the routes of feeding vessels entering the meniscus and proposed to call this entry point the meniscus hilum. We consider that this detailed anatomical information is important for understanding the continuation between the joint capsule and the meniscus.

BACKGROUND:Some reports have used pigs to establish models of meniscus injury. However, accurate information on the origin, course, and access of the arteries supplying the menisci remains unclear. This information is important to avoid damaging vital arteries when creating the meniscus injury model. MATERIALS AND METHODS:In this study, fetal and adult pigs were employed to investigate the arterial supply of the menisci in pigs using gross anatomical and histological methods. RESULTS:Macro-anatomically, the anterior horn, body, and posterior horn of the medial meniscus were found to be supplied by the medial superior genicular artery, medial inferior genicular artery, and posterior middle genicular artery. The anterior and posterior horns of the lateral meniscus were supplied by the cranial tibial recurrent artery and the middle genicular artery, respectively. Anastomosis was observed in some cases, but appeared to be infrequent and too thin to expect the anastomotic branches to provide adequate blood flow. The histological examination showed that the arteries entered the meniscus along the tie-fibre. The access process of the artery was the same irrespective of whether it was in fetal or mature pigs, the medial or lateral meniscus, or the anterior horn or body or posterior horn. The medial inferior genicular artery ran along the medial meniscus in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the clinical longitudinal incision should take into account the characteristics of the vessel course in order to protect the blood vessels from damage. CONCLUSIONS:Based on the results of this study, the protocol for creating a pig meniscus injury model should be reconsidered.

Background: Pancreatic fibrosis has also been found to occur in association with insulin insufficiency and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. It is important to investigate the development, progression and causal factors of fibrosis.Methods: We examined pancreatic fibrosis in 53 postmortem specimens from cadavers without any known pancreatic disease (mean age: 86.6 years; range, 58-104 years), as well as related types of fibrosis and other lesions found in these specimens. Fibrosis was classified as intralobular and interlobular fibrosis, each type of fibrosis was scaled as mild, moderate and marked.Results: Intralobular fibrosis was seen in 51 of 53 (96.2%) cases (mild, 52.9%; moderate, 28.3%; marked, 15.1%). Interlobular fibrosis was seen in 22 of 53 (41.5%) cases (mild, 20.8%; moderate, 17.0%; marked, 3.8%]. Pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), along with other lesions, islet cells loss, and inflammatory cell infiltration were also found in our study. A dependent relationship was found between intralobular fibrosis and interlobular fibrosis, and between intralobular fibrosis and PanIN, IPMN. A higher incidence of interlobular fibrosis was found at the body and tail region of the pancreas, in comparison to the head region.Conclusion: These findings suggested that pancreatic duct obstruction may be an important factor causing fibrosis in this study, and also suggest that some undocumented factors may underlie the formation of fibrosis. Thus, further studies may need to explore uncovered factors to elucidate the reasons the high prevalence of fibrosis among the elderly.

PURPOSE:Total mesopancreas excision has been found to be helpful for increasing no residual tumor resection rate and improving the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. This study analyzed the relationships among the mesopancreas and pancreatic head plexus from the morphological, developmental, and clinical perspectives.METHODS:Twenty-four cadavers were employed. The upper abdominal viscera were resected en-bloc with the hepatoduodenal ligament, abdominal aorta, and nerve plexuses, and the innervation of the pancreas was dissected. Ten additional cadavers were used for histological examination of the pancreatic head and neck, part of the duodenum, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and its surrounding tissues, and the related arteries and veins.RESULTS:As results, cross-sections of the SMA revealed 6-9 layers of membranous structures resembling the layers of an onion, and the nerve fibers of the superior mesenteric plexus ran between the layers. Loose areolar tissue, adipose tissue, and lymphatics existed between the SMA and the pancreatic head/uncinate process, along with abundant thin blood vessels and capillaries, but very few nerves were found approaching the pancreas. Several parallel layers of collagen fibers (so-called Treitz's fusion fascia) existed between the dorsal aspect of the pancreatic head and the aortocaval plane.CONCLUSION:The mesopancreas was continuous and connected with the para-aortic area. It may be better termed the mesopancreatoduodenum than the mesopancreas, as the duodenum-pancreas-SMA forms a complex morphological, developmental, functional, and pathological structure.

Developmentally, the uncinate process of the pancreas is derived from the ventral pancreatic anlagen, supplied by the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and contains pancreatic polypeptide (PP)-rich islets of Langerhans. In contrast, the other parts of the pancreas originate from the dorsal anlagen supplied by the celiac system and contain PP-poor islets. This study was performed to investigate whether morphogenesis of the ventral pancreas anlagen is associated with the pattern of SMA branching. SMA branches to the pancreatic body were dissected in 44 cadavers. The cadavers were divided into two groups: the SMA group in which the SMA gave off branches to the pancreatic body and the General group in which it did not. In the SMA group, the ratio of the diameter of the SMA branch supplying the pancreatic body (SMA branch) to that of the SMA itself was calculated. After dissection was completed, tissues were collected from all pancreatic specimens for HE staining and for immunohistochemistry with PP and insulin antibodies. There were 25 cadavers in the General group and 19 in the SMA group. In 10/19 cadavers from the SMA group, PP-rich islets were confirmed in the pancreatic body. The SMA branch diameter ratio was significantly smaller in the SMA group cadavers with PP-poor islets (n = 9) than in cadavers with PP-rich islets (n = 10) (P < 0.001). These findings suggest a relation between the SMA branching pattern and the distribution of PP cells.

Our previous study, demonstrated the obesity-resistant phenomenon in the House musk shrew, Suncus murinus (S. murinus). In order to go further to explore the mechanism of the phenomenon of natural obesity resistance in S. murinus, we focused on the effects of diet on fat accumulation and metabolism. In this study, four-week-old male S. murinus were assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups (n = 6 per group) and fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a normal trout diet (NTD) for 24 weeks. Body weight, food ingestion, visceral fat distribution, blood biochemistry and fecal lipids were monitored and analyzed in the HFD and NTD groups. It was found no differences in the average final body weight or body fat change between the two groups. Although animals fed HFD had similar serum triglyceride concentration to animals fed NTD, they had significantly higher phospholipid and total cholesterol concentrations than the NTD group. Furthermore, fecal lipid levels in the HFD group was significantly higher than those in the NTD group, suggesting that diet composition or energy density of the diet affects blood biochemistry. Although NTD-fed S. murinus had higher food ingestion than HFD-fed S. murinus, caloric intake remained almost the same. We speculated S. murinus may suppress obesity and control fat accumulation by controlling calorie intake. These results suggest that the obesity characteristics of S. murinus are not primarily due to dietary factors but to other mechanisms of regulation.

Our previous study, demonstrated the obesity-resistant phenomenon in the House musk shrew, Suncus murinus (S. murinus). In order to go further to explore the mechanism of the phenomenon of natural obesity resistance in S. murinus, we focused on the effects of diet on fat accumulation and metabolism. In this study, four-week-old male S. murinus were assigned to 1 of 2 experimental groups (n = 6 per group) and fed either a high-fat diet (HFD) or a normal trout diet (NTD) for 24 weeks. Body weight, food ingestion, visceral fat distribution, blood biochemistry and fecal lipids were monitored and analyzed in the HFD and NTD groups. It was found no differences in the average final body weight or body fat change between the two groups. Although animals fed HFD had similar serum triglyceride concentration to animals fed NTD, they had significantly higher phospholipid and total cholesterol concentrations than the NTD group. Furthermore, fecal lipid levels in the HFD group was significantly higher than those in the NTD group, suggesting that diet composition or energy density of the diet affects blood biochemistry. Although NTD-fed S. murinus had higher food ingestion than HFD-fed S. murinus, caloric intake remained almost the same. We speculated S. murinus may suppress obesity and control fat accumulation by controlling calorie intake. These results suggest that the obesity characteristics of S. murinus are not primarily due to dietary factors but to other mechanisms of regulation. Keywords: High fat diet; Mesenteric fat; Obesity-resistant; Suncus murinus

BACKGROUND Tamarix chinensis Lour (TCL) is a shrub that usually grows in arid or semiarid desert areas and saline-alkali fields. It is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine with hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antitumor activities. AIM To investigate the possible protective effects of TCL against liver injury induced by chronic ethanol intake. METHODS C57BL/6J male mice were fed a Lieber-DeCarli lipid diet containing alcohol and received (by gavage) a water-alcohol extract (80%) of TCL (100 and 200 mg/kg BW) or distilled water for 4 wk. After euthanasia, liver tissues were observed histologically with hematoxylin and eosin staining and Oil red O staining, and the levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, hepatic lipids, reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase were measured. In addition, expression of the NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome and downstream proinflammatory cytokines were determined. RESULTS Compared with the ethanol group, mice in the TCL-treated group (200 mg/kg) had significantly lower serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (mean, 34.1 IU/L vs 45.3 IU/L, P < 0.01) and aspartate transaminase (mean, 89.6 IU/L vs 115.7 IU/L, P < 0.01), as well as marked reduction of hepatic tissue reactive oxygen species (decreased by 27.5%, P < 0.01) and malondialdehyde (decreased by 76.6%, P < 0.01) levels, with a significant increase of superoxide dismutase (Increased by 73.2%, P < 0.01). Expression of the NLRP3 inflammasome and its downstream cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL-6], and recruitment of natural killer T cells to the liver, were reduced in the TCL-treated incubation with a Lieber-DeCaril ethanol lipid diet group. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that a TCL extract (200 mg/kg) protects against chronic ethanol-induced liver injury, probably by inhibiting the NLRP3-caspase-1-IL-1β signaling pathway and suppressing oxidative stress.