Dietary zinc deficiency promotes Acinetobacter baumannii lung infection via IL-13 in mice.

Dietary zinc deficiency is a major risk factor for pneumonia. Acinetobacter baumannii is a leading cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia and a critical public health threat due to increasing rates of multidrug resistance. Patient populations at increased risk for A.

Hypoxia inducible factor signaling in breast tumors controls spontaneous tumor dissemination in a site-specific manner.

Hypoxia is a common feature in tumors and induces signaling that promotes tumor cell survival, invasion, and metastasis, but the impact of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) signaling in the primary tumor on dissemination to bone in particular remains unclear. To better understand the contributions of hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF1α), HIF2α, and general HIF pathway activation in metastasis, we employ a PyMT-driven spontaneous murine mammary carcinoma model with mammary specific deletion of Hif1α, Hif2α, or von Hippel-Lindau factor (Vhl) using the Cre-lox system. Here we show that Hif1α or Hif2α deletion in the primary tumor decreases metastatic tumor burden in the bone marrow, while Vhl deletion increases bone tumor burden, as hypothesized.

Progression Toward Decompensated Right Ventricular Failure in the Ovine Pulmonary Hypertension Model.

Decompensated right ventricular failure (RVF) in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) is fatal, with limited treatment options. Novel mechanical circulatory support systems have therapeutic potential for RVF, but the development of these devices requires a large animal disease model that replicates the pathophysiology observed in humans. We previously reported an effective disease model of PH in sheep through ligation of the left pulmonary artery (PA) and progressive occlusion of the main PA.

Urogenital Lesions in Nonhuman Primates at 2 National Primate Research Centers.

Given their genetic and anatomic similarities to humans, nonhuman primates (NHPs) may serve as animal models for urogenital diseases of humans. The purpose of this study was to examine the frequency of spontaneous urogenital lesions occurring over a 30-year period at the Yerkes and Southwest National Primate Research Centers and to compare and contrast lesions occurring in Old World versus New World primates. Lesions occurring in the chimpanzee (), baboon ( spp.

Spontaneous Pituitary Adenomas in Squirrel Monkeys ().

On postmortem examination, 2 geriatric captive male squirrel monkeys () were found to have pituitary masses that were unassociated with previous experimental manipulation. Both animals were euthanized due to apparently unrelated clinical reasons. Histopathology and immunohistochemical staining classified these tumors as thyrotrophic and corticotrophic pituitary adenomas.

Modification of primary amines to higher order amines reduces in vivo hematological and immunotoxicity of cationic nanocarriers through TLR4 and complement pathways.

For decades, cationic polymer nanoparticles have been investigated for nucleic acid delivery. Despite promising in vitro transfection results, most formulations have failed to translate into the clinic due to significant in vivo toxicity - especially when delivered intravenously. To address this significant problem, we investigated the detailed mechanisms that govern the complex in vivo systemic toxicity response to common polymeric nanoparticles.

Marine fish oil is more potent than plant-based n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the prevention of mammary tumors.

Marine-derived n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), have been shown to inhibit mammary carcinogenesis. However, evidence regarding plant-based α-linolenic acid (ALA), the major n-3 PUFA in the Western diet, remains equivocal. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of lifelong exposure to plant- or marine-derived n-3 PUFAs on pubertal mammary gland and tumor development in MMTV-neu(ndl)-YD5 mice.

Long Term Physiologic and Behavioural Effects of Housing Density and Environmental Resource Provision for Adult Male and Female Sprague Dawley Rats.

There is considerable interest in refining laboratory rodent environments to promote animal well-being, as well as research reproducibility. Few studies have evaluated the long term impact of enhancing rodent environments with resources and additional cagemates. To that end, male and female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were housed singly ( = 8/sex), in pairs ( = 16/sex), or in groups of four ( = 16/sex) for five months.

Antenatal exposure to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine leads to postnatal metabolic and endocrine changes associated with type 2 diabetes in Wistar rats.

Hypothesis: 10-15% of women take antidepressant medications during pregnancy. A recent clinical study reported that the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants during pregnancy is linked with an increased risk of postnatal obesity. While obesity is often associated with fatty liver, dyslipidemia and inflammation, to date, the effects of perinatal exposure to SSRIs on these outcomes are unknown.

The POZ-ZF transcription factor Kaiso (ZBTB33) induces inflammation and progenitor cell differentiation in the murine intestine.

Since its discovery, several studies have implicated the POZ-ZF protein Kaiso in both developmental and tumorigenic processes. However, most of the information regarding Kaiso's function to date has been gleaned from studies in Xenopus laevis embryos and mammalian cultured cells. To examine Kaiso's role in a relevant, mammalian organ-specific context, we generated and characterized a Kaiso transgenic mouse expressing a murine Kaiso transgene under the control of the intestine-specific villin promoter.