Reuse of Disposable Isolation Gowns in Rodent Facilities during a Pandemic.

Reuse of disposable personal protective equipment is traditionally discouraged, yet in times of heightened medical applications such as the SARS CoV-2 pandemic, it can be difficult to obtain. In this article we examine the reuse of disposable gowns with respect to still providing personnel protection. XR7, a fluorescent powder, was used to track contamination of gowns after manipulation of rodent cages.

Metabolic shifts modulate lung injury caused by infection with H1N1 influenza A virus.

Influenza A virus (IAV) infection alters lung epithelial cell metabolism in vitro by promoting a glycolytic shift. We hypothesized that this shift benefits the virus rather than the host and that inhibition of glycolysis would improve infection outcomes. A/WSN/33 IAV-inoculated C57BL/6 mice were treated daily from 1 day post-inoculation (d.

Postexposure Liponucleotide Prophylaxis and Treatment Attenuates Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in Influenza-infected Mice.

There is an urgent need for new drugs for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), including those with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). ARDS in influenza-infected mice is associated with reduced concentrations of liponucleotides (essential precursors for phospholipid synthesis) in alveolar type II (ATII) epithelial cells. Because surfactant phospholipid synthesis is a primary function of ATII cells, we hypothesized that disrupting this process could contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of influenza-induced ARDS.

ATP catabolism by tissue nonspecific alkaline phosphatase contributes to development of ARDS in influenza-infected mice.

Influenza A viruses are highly contagious respiratory pathogens that are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide on an annual basis. We have shown previously that influenza infection of mice leads to increased ATP and adenosine accumulation in the airway lumen. Moreover, we demonstrated that A-adenosine receptor activation contributes significantly to influenza-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).