Publications by authors named "Andrew Gigliotti"

Article Synopsis
  • Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound gaining popularity for its potential health benefits, is usually consumed through ingestion and inhalation, but the effects of inhaling CBD are less understood compared to oral consumption.
  • In a study involving Sprague Dawley rats, researchers evaluated the effects of CBD inhalation at significantly higher doses than typically consumed by humans, finding that high doses led to inflammation and necrosis in the nasal area, while lower doses showed no adverse effects in other organs.
  • The study suggests that when using over-the-counter vape products (which contain much lower doses of CBD), there is a substantial safety margin, indicating that typical use is much safer than the higher doses tested.
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As a regulator of alveolo-capillary barrier integrity, Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) antagonism represents a promising strategy for reducing pulmonary edema secondary to chemical inhalation. In an experimental model of acute lung injury induced by exposure of anesthetized swine to chlorine gas by mechanical ventilation, the dose-dependent effects of TRPV4 inhibitor GSK2798745 were evaluated. Pulmonary function and oxygenation were measured hourly; airway responsiveness, wet-to-dry lung weight ratios, airway inflammation, and histopathology were assessed 24 h post-exposure.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe blood loss resulting in hemorrhagic shock (HS) are each leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, and present additional treatment considerations when they are comorbid (TBI+HS) as a result of competing pathophysiological responses. The current study rigorously quantified injury biomechanics with high precision sensors and examined whether blood-based surrogate markers were altered in general trauma as well as post-neurotrauma. Eighty-nine sexually mature male and female Yucatan swine were subjected to a closed-head TBI+HS (40% of circulating blood volume;  = 68), HS only ( = 9), or sham trauma ( = 12).

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A 5-year-old female Beagle Dog was euthanized following ten days of inappetence, lethargy, and pain in the left cervical region that was not responsive to steroids or antibiotics. At necropsy, there were multiple soft dark red to tan nodules throughout all lung lobes, abundant purulent subdural exudate over the right temporal lobe of the brain, and minimally enlarged submandibular and tracheobronchial lymph nodes. Impression smear of the subdural pus and histologic section of the lung and meninges demonstrated small aggregates of rod-shaped to filamentous bacteria often surrounded by Splendori-Hoeppli material.

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Remdesivir (RDV) is a nucleotide analog prodrug with demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In October 2020, the US FDA approved intravenous (IV) RDV as the first treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, RDV has been approved or authorized for emergency use in more than 50 countries.

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Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe blood loss resulting in hemorrhagic shock (HS) represent leading causes of trauma-induced mortality, especially when co-occurring in pre-hospital settings where standard therapies are not readily available. The primary objective of this study was to determine if 17α-ethinyl estradiol-3-sulfate (EE-3-SO) increases survival, promotes more rapid cardiovascular recovery, or confers neuroprotection relative to Placebo following TBI + HS.

Methods: All methods were approved by required regulatory agencies prior to study initiation.

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Acceleration parameters have been utilized for the last six decades to investigate pathology in both human and animal models of traumatic brain injury (TBI), design safety equipment, and develop injury thresholds. Previous large animal models have quantified acceleration from impulsive loading forces (i.e.

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Trifluoroiodomethane (CFI) is a fire suppressant gas with potential for use in low global-warming refrigerant blends. Data from studies in rats suggest that the most sensitive health effect of CFI is thyroid hormone perturbation, but the rat is a particularly sensitive species for disruption of thyroid homeostasis. Mice appear to be less sensitive than rats but still a conservative model with respect to humans.

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The use of vaping pens for inhalation of cannabinoid derived products is rising and has become a popular alternative to smoking combustible products. For efficient product delivery, additives are sometimes added and vaping pens often may include compounds like Phytol or Propylene Glycol as thinning agents. This study aimed at comparing Phytol and Propylene Glycol with respect to potential toxicity and safe use in vaping products.

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Introduction: The pathology resulting from concurrent traumatic brain injury (TBI) and hemorrhagic shock (HS; TBI+HS) are leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide following trauma. However, the majority of large animal models of TBI+HS have utilized focal/contusional injuries rather than incorporating the types of brain trauma (closed-head injury caused by dynamic acceleration) that typify human injury.

Objective: To examine survival rates and effects on biomarkers from rotational TBI with two levels of HS.

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This study evaluated the antineoplastic and immunostimulatory effects of inhaled (IH) submicron particle paclitaxel (NanoPac) in an orthotopic non-small cell lung cancer rodent model. Male nude rats were whole body irradiated, intratracheally instilled with Calu-3 cancer cells and divided into six treatment arms ( = 20 each): no treatment (Group 1); intravenous nab-paclitaxel at 5.0 mg/kg once weekly for 3 weeks (Group 2); IH NanoPac at 0.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and severe blood loss (SBL) frequently co-occur in human trauma, resulting in high levels of mortality and morbidity. Importantly, each of the individual post-injury cascades is characterized by complex and potentially opposing pathophysiological responses, complicating optimal resuscitation and therapeutic approaches. Large animal models of poly-neurotrauma closely mimic human physiology, but a systematic literature review of published models has been lacking.

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Background: Inhaled chemotherapeutics may enhance pulmonary drug exposure to malignant lesions in the lung without substantially contributing to systemic toxicities. The pharmacokinetic profile of inhaled submicron particle paclitaxel (NanoPac) in healthy rodent plasma and lung tissue is evaluated here to determine administration proof-of-principle.

Methods: Healthy male Sprague Dawley rats received paclitaxel in one of three arms: intravenous nab-paclitaxel at 2.

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Rats poisoned with sarin enter into ahyper-cholinergic crisis characterized by excessive salivation, respiratory distress, tremors, seizures, and death. Through the use of rescue medications and an anticonvulsant, death can be avoided in many animals, with the long-term consequences of poisoning partly ameliorated, especially when countermeasures are made available immediately after exposure. However, when anticonvulsant measures are delayed by as little as 30 min, clinical, neurological, cognitive, and psychiatric abnormalities may persist long after the initial exposure.

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Intravenous (IV) topotecan is approved for the treatment of various malignancies including lung cancer but its clinical use is greatly undermined by severe hematopoietic toxicity. We hypothesized that inhalation delivery of topotecan would increase local exposure and efficacy against lung cancer while reducing systemic exposure and toxicity. These hypotheses were tested in a preclinical setting using a novel inhalable formulation of topotecan against the standard IV dose.

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Animal models play a critical role in the study of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI). One limitation has been the lack of a suitable method for serial assessment of acute lung injury (ALI) in vivo. In this study, we demonstrate the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess ALI in real time in rat models of VILI.

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The Health Effects Institute and its partners conceived and funded a program to characterize the emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines compliant with the 2007 and 2010 on-road emissions standards in the United States and to evaluate indicators of lung toxicity in rats and mice exposed repeatedly to 2007-compliant new-technology diesel exhaust (NTDE*). The a priori hypothesis of this Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) was that 2007-compliant on-road diesel emissions "..

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Background: The lymphatic vasculature has been shown to play important roles in lung injury and repair, particularly in lung fibrosis. The effects of ionizing radiation on lung lymphatic vasculature have not been previously reported.

Methods And Results: C57Bl/6 mice were immobilized in a lead shield exposing only the thoracic cavity, and were irradiated with a single dose of 14 Gy.

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Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) bind and facilitate degradation of RNA and inhibit protein expression in pathways not easily targeted with small molecules or antibodies. Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 potentiate signaling through the shared IL-4 receptor-α (IL-4Rα) subunit of their receptors. ASO targeting of IL-4Rα mRNA in a mouse model of asthma led to attenuation of airway hyperactivity, demonstrating potential benefit in asthma patients.

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The Health Effects Institute and its partners conceived and funded a program to characterize the emissions from heavy-duty diesel engines compliant with the 2007 and 2010 on-road emissions standards in the United States and to evaluate indicators of lung toxicity in rats and mice exposed repeatedly to diesel exhaust (DE*) from 2007-compliant engines. The preliminary hypothesis of this Advanced Collaborative Emissions Study (ACES) was that 2007-compliant on-road diesel emissions ". .

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Context: Coal-fired power plant emissions can contribute a significant portion of the ambient air pollution in many parts of the world.

Objective: We hypothesized that exposure to simulated downwind coal combustion emissions (SDCCE) may exacerbate pre-existing allergic airway responses.

Methods: Mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA).

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Background: The reduced immunogenicity of the H5 hemagglutinin (HA), compared to seasonal HA serotypes, has stimulated searches for effective adjuvants to improve H5 vaccine efficacy. This study examined the immunogenicity and protective efficacy in ferrets immunized with a split-virion H5N1 vaccine combined with Advax™, a novel delta inulin-based polysaccharide adjuvant technology that has previously demonstrated ability to augment humoral and cellular immunity to co-administered antigens.

Methods: Ferrets were vaccinated twice 21 days apart with 7.

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Background: Pre-pandemic development of an inactivated, split-virion avian influenza vaccine is challenged by the lack of pre-existing immunity and the reduced immunogenicity of some H5 hemagglutinins compared to that of seasonal influenza vaccines. Identification of an acceptable effective adjuvant is needed to improve immunogenicity of a split-virion avian influenza vaccine.

Methods And Findings: Ferrets (N = 118) were vaccinated twice with a split-virion vaccine preparation of A/Vietnam/1203/2004 or saline either 21 days apart (unadjuvanted: 1.

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Context: There have been no animal studies of the health effects of repeated inhalation of mixtures representing downwind pollution from coal combustion. Environmental exposures typically follow atmospheric processing and mixing with pollutants from other sources.

Objective: This was the fourth study by the National Environmental Respiratory Center to create a database for responses of animal models to combustion-derived pollutant mixtures, to identify causal pollutants-regardless of source.

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Chronic inhalation studies were conducted to compare the toxicity and potential carcinogenicity of evaporative emissions from unleaded gasoline (GVC) and gasoline containing the oxygenate methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE; GMVC). The test materials were manufactured to mimic vapors people would be exposed to during refueling at gas stations. Fifty F344 rats per gender per exposure level per test article were exposed 6 h/d, 5 d/wk for 104 wk in whole body chambers.

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