Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) protects against mitoxantrone-induced cardiac injury in mice.

Mitoxantrone (MXT) is an androstenedione that is used to treat cancers and progressive forms of multiple sclerosis; however, its use is limited by its cardiotoxicity. Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a member of the secretin/growth hormone-releasing hormone/vasoactive intestinal peptide family and has many functions, including cytoprotection and immunosuppression. We tested the hypothesis that PACAP can protect against MXT-induced cardiotoxicity in mice.

4,4'-Methylenedianiline Alters Serotonergic Transport in a Novel, Sex-Specific Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Rats.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a cardiovascular disorder characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure as a result of arterial wall thickening. Patients are 3-4 times more likely to be women than men. This gender discrepancy demonstrates a need for an animal model with similar sex differences.

Environmentally persistent free radicals compromise left ventricular function during ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Increases in airborne particulate matter (PM) are linked to increased mortality from myocardial ischemia. PM contains environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) that form as halogenated hydrocarbons chemisorb to transition metal oxide-coated particles, and are capable of sustained redox cycling. We hypothesized that exposure to the EPFR DCB230 would increase cardiac vulnerability to subsequent myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (MI/R) injury.

Regulation of early Xenopus development by the PIAS genes.

Originally identified as cytokine inhibitors, protein inhibitors of activated STAT (PIAS) are shown to regulate activities of a plethora of proteins and influence diverse processes such as immune response, cancer formation, and cell cycle progression. However, the roles of PIAS during vertebrate embryogenesis are less understood. In this study, we report isolation and initial characterization of all four PIAS genes from Xenopus laevis.