The inhibitory effect of nicotine on Lumbriculus variegatus stereotypical movements and locomotor activity.

Nicotine has been shown to induce profound physiological and behavioural responses in invertebrate model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Lumbriculus variegatus is an aquatic oligochaete worm which we have previously demonstrated has application within pharmacological research. Herein, we demonstrate the presence of endogenous acetylcholine and cholinesterase activity within L.

Concentration- and time-dependent behavioural effects of ethanol on Lumbriculus variegatus.

Ethanol is one of the most widely used drugs in the world. Ethanol induces profound physiological and behavioural responses in invertebrate model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster. Lumbriculus variegatus (Annelida, Oligochaete) is an aquatic worm which shows behavioural responses to common drugs and thus is potentially useful in pharmacological research.

The E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch regulates death receptor and cholesterol trafficking to affect TRAIL-mediated apoptosis.

The activation of apoptosis signalling by TRAIL (TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) through receptor binding is a fundamental mechanism of cell death induction and is often perturbed in cancer cells to enhance their cell survival and treatment resistance. Ubiquitination plays an important role in the regulation of TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, and here we investigate the role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase Itch in TRAIL-mediated apoptosis in oesophageal cancer cells. Knockdown of Itch expression results in resistance to TRAIL-induced apoptosis, caspase-8 activation, Bid cleavage and also promotes cisplatin resistance.

Co-created in vivo pharmacology practical classes using the novel organism Lumbriculus variegatus.

Co-creation within higher education emphasizes learner empowerment to promote collaboration between the students and staff, enabling students to become active participants in their learning process and the construction of resources with academic staff. Concurrently, a diminishing number of higher education institutions offer in vivo practical classes, resulting in an in vivo skills shortage. To address this, and to actively engage students in their own learning, we describe the co-creation of a student-led drug trial using Lumbriculus variegatus.

Lumbriculus variegatus: A novel organism for in vivo pharmacology education.

Pharmacology graduates require an understanding of both in vitro and in vivo drug responses but there has been a decline in animal use in pharmacology education over the last 30 years. To address this, we present the novel invertebrate model, Lumbriculus variegatus, for in vivo testing of drugs in a teaching environment. We have developed two novel behavioral assays: the stereotypical movement assay, which measures the effect of drugs on the ability of L.