Publications by authors named "Andrew Pilling"

. We describe a patient with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) of several years whose management was complicated by the presence of a giant internal carotid-ophthalmic artery aneurysm. .

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There is considerable interest in biomedical applications of quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles, in particular their use as imaging agents for diagnostic applications. In order to investigate the in vivo biodistribution and the potential toxicity of quantum dots (QDs), it is crucial to develop pharmacokinetic (PK) models as basis for prediction of QDs exposure profiles over time. Here, we investigated the in vivo biodistribution of novel indium-based QDs in mice for up to three months after intravenous administration and subsequently developed a translational population PK model to scale findings to humans.

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Quantum dot (QD) nanoparticles are highly promising contrast agents and probes for biomedical applications owing to their excellent photophysical properties. However, toxicity concerns about commonly used cadmium-based QDs hinder their translation to clinical applications. In this study we describe the in vivo biodistribution and toxicology of indium-based water soluble QDs in rats following intravenous administration.

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To safeguard patients, regulatory authorities require that new drugs that are to be given by the intravitreal (IVT) route are assessed for their safety in a laboratory species using the same route of administration. Due to the high similarity of ocular morphology and physiology between humans and nonhuman primates (NHPs) and due to the species specificity of many biotherapeutics, the monkey is often the only appropriate model. To this end, intravitreal administration and assessment of ocular toxicity are well established in cynomolgus monkeys ().

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GABAergic signaling is involved in modulating the reinforcing properties of alcohol, and GABA receptors have been proposed as a potential target for clinical treatment of alcoholism. The orthosteric GABA receptor agonist baclofen has been shown to suppress operant self-administration of alcohol in animals and alcohol use in alcohol-dependent patients, but its utility is limited by a narrow therapeutic index. We tested the effects of ADX71441, a novel GABA receptor positive allosteric modulator, on alcohol-related behaviors in rats.

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In inhalation toxicity studies, drug-induced lesions are frequently reported in the larynx and sometimes at the tracheal bifurcation (carina) in the rat, but less so in the dog or monkey, bringing into question the relevance of these rodent findings for humans. The rat larynx is widely considered to be more sensitive than that of the dog and monkey in its response to inhaled xenobiotics, although we could find no published data to support this. In this review, data from 52 inhalation studies involving rodent and nonrodent species were collated and reviewed.

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Bimagrumab (BYM338) is a novel fully human monoclonal antibody that exerts strong promyogenic effects on skeletal muscle by blocking activin type II receptors (ActRII). We investigated whether such blockade of ActRII by bimagrumab manifests any detrimental effect on outcomes of bone healing in a rat fibula osteotomy model. Animals (n = 150) were divided into 11 groups and received weekly treatment with either bimagrumab (10 or 100 mg/kg) or vehicle.

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Escalation of voluntary alcohol consumption is a hallmark of alcoholism, but its neural substrates remain unknown. In rats, escalation occurs following prolonged exposure to cycles of alcohol intoxication, and is associated with persistent, wide-ranging changes in gene expression within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Here, we examined whether induction of microRNA (miR) 206 in mPFC contributes to escalated alcohol consumption.

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Liraglutide and exenatide are glucagon-like peptide receptor (GLP-1R) agonists used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Both molecules have been associated with the development of thyroid C-cell tumors after lifetime exposure in rodents. Previously, it has been reported that these tumors are preceded by increased plasma calcitonin and C-cell hyperplasia.

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This paper examines the reductions in care costs that result from inpatient multidisciplinary rehabilitation for younger people with acquired brain injury. Thirty-five consecutive patients admitted following a stroke over one year were recruited to this observational study. Physical ability, dependency and potential community care costs were measured on admission and discharge.

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Capillaria hepatica is a nematode parasite of wild rodents and other mammals. Adult worms inhabit the liver. Recently, during the necropsy examination of a group of 160 rabbits from a commercial supplier, firm pale or cystic areas (1-5 mm) were noted on the liver in thirteen animals.

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Large eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusions (ECIs) are occasionally seen in untreated rat Clara cells. Following inhalation exposure to a corticosteroid, the number of ECIs was increased. This is the first histopathological description of rat ECIs and attempted characterization by immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and electron microscopy.

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Azathioprine (AZA) is a cytotoxic immunosuppressive drug used in the prevention of rejection in organ transplants and the treatment of auto-immune diseases. However, AZA is haemotoxic causing significant bone marrow depression. The present studies were to characterize the haemotoxicity of AZA in the female CD-1 mouse.

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Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells (PNEC) are found as clusters called neuroepithelial bodies (NEB) or as single cells scattered in the respiratory epithelium. Pulmonary neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia is recorded in humans and experimentally manipulated rodents. The objectives of this work were to identify the optimal immunohistochemical markers for PNEC in the rat for use on paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed material and to provide the first comparative incidence of PNEC hyperplasia in untreated 2-year-old rats of different strains.

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Spontaneous follicular and C-cell tumors of the thyroid gland in the Han Wistar rat were examined using two morphologic procedures. Firstly, in situ hybridization (ISH) was used to localize thyroglobulin (TG) and calcitonin (CT) mRNAs. Secondly, the proteins for these markers were detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC).

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The aim of this study was to develop an immunohistochemical (IHC) method for calbindin D-28 (CB-28) and microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP-2) and evaluate their expression as markers in the detection, characterisation and grading of unexpected cerebellar toxicity in the rat. High power examination of H&E-stained brain sections of treated rats 2 days following a single oral dose of a novel compound revealed irregular vacuolation of the molecular layer and Purkinje cell degeneration. Animals killed after 14 days recovery showed Purkinje cell degeneration but vacuolation of the molecular layer was absent.

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Aplastic anaemia (AA) in man is an often fatal disease characterized by pancytopenia of the peripheral blood and aplasia of the bone marrow. AA is a toxic effect of many drugs and chemicals (e.g.

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Mitomycin (MMC), like many antineoplastic drugs, induces a predictable, dose-related, bone marrow depression in man and laboratory animals; this change is generally reversible. However, there is evidence that MMC may also cause a late-stage or residual bone marrow injury. The present study in female CD-1 mice investigated the haematological and bone marrow changes induced by MMC in a repeat dose study lasting 50 days.

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The aim of this study was to use immunohistochemistry with morphometry to investigate COX-1 and COX-2 expression in the normal rat gastrointestinal (GI) tract and examine if sites of ulceration previously observed with long-term COX-2 inhibitor administration in mice correlate with differential COX-1/COX-2 expression. COX-2 positive cells were observed predominantly in the apical lamina propria of intestinal villi with fewer cells in the mucosal epithelium. The highest level of COX-2 expression was observed at the ileocaecal junction (ICJ).

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C-cell tumours of the thyroid gland are among the most common spontaneous neoplasms of the laboratory rat. With the exception of calcitonin, little attention has been paid to the secretory peptides of C cells during the development of neoplasia. Of these peptides, somatostatin (SS) is of particular interest because it has been shown to have a direct anti-secretory effect on both thyroid follicular and C cells in vitro.

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Particle-mediated DNA delivery was used to administer a DNA vaccine against Hepatitis B to minipigs. The study represented one arm of the safety evaluation program for this product and was designed to assess local tolerance, acute toxicity, and biodistribution of the DNA plasmid. The vaccine was given to 4 groups of minipigs that were sacrificed at 2, 28, 56, or 141 days after treatment.

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