Effects of Deepwater Horizon oil on feather structure and thermoregulation in gulls: Does rehabilitation work?

Impacts of large-scale oil spills on avian species are far-reaching. While media attention often focuses on lethal impacts, sub-lethal effects and the impacts of rehabilitation receive less attention. The objective of our study was to characterize effects of moderate external oiling and subsequent rehabilitation on feather structure and thermoregulation in gulls.

Cytokine and Chemokine Interactions in Allergic Airway Inflammation.

Allergic airway inflammation is characterized by peribronchial eosinophil accumulation within the submucosa surrounding the airway. The development of appropriate animal models to dissect the critical mechanisms involved in the deleterious responses is crucial for the evolution of proper therapeutic approaches. This article reviews several developed models of allergic airway inflammation induced by intratracheal challenge with parasite (Schistosoma mansoni egg antigen [SEA]), environmental (cockroach), and fungal (Aspergillus) allergens in presensitized mice.