Cystic fibrosis patients display multi-organ system dysfunction (e.g. pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, and lung) with pathogenesis linked to a failure of Cl secretion from the epithelial surfaces of these organs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedical education programs in the United States or Canada comply with the Liaison Committee on medical education standards to ensure their graduates provide proficient medical care. One standard includes student development as a lifelong learner. The competency of lifelong learning is developed through self-directed activities such as students evaluating their learning objectives and resources without external help.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedical students have difficulty understanding the mechanisms underlying hyperkalemia-mediated local control of blood flow. Such control mechanisms are crucial in the brain, kidney, and skeletal muscle vasculature. We aimed to identify medical students' misconceptions via assessment of students' in-class knowledge and, subsequently, improve future teaching of this concept.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenetic variants associated with asthma pathogenesis and altered response to drug therapy are discussed. Many studies implicate polymorphisms in genes encoding the enzymes responsible for leukotriene synthesis and intracellular signaling through activation of seven transmembrane domain receptors, such as the cysteinyl leukotriene 1 (CYSLTR1) and 2 (CYSLTR2) receptors. The leukotrienes are polyunsaturated lipoxygenated eicosatetraenoic acids that exhibit a wide range of pharmacological and physiological actions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMethods Mol Biol
September 2011
Mutation of the CFTR chloride channel was identified as the genetic basis of cystic fibrosis over 20 years ago; however, correlation of the pathophysiological changes occurring in CF lung disease with the mutation of a chloride channel is ongoing. The failure of innate lung defense in CF, and the subsequent cyclical microbial colonization of airways, explains the gross anatomical changes that occur in CF pathophysiology. However, ongoing research is focused on how the lack of the CFTR channel explains the failure of innate lung defense.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Discov Today Dis Mech
January 2007
Cystic fibrosis patients exhibit lung disease consistent with a failure of innate airway defense mechanisms. The link between abnormal ion transport and disease initiation and progression is not fully understood, but airway mucus dehydration seems paramount in the initiation of CF lung disease. New therapies are currently in development that target the ion transport defects in CF with the intention of rehydrating airway surfaces.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough cystic fibrosis (CF) patients display multiorgan dysfunction (e.g. pancreas, gut, and lung) it is lung disease that is the leading cause of premature death in these patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdenosine (ADO) signaling is altered in both asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and the A(2B) adenosine receptor (A(2B)-R) may drive pulmonary inflammation. Accordingly, it has been proposed that specific inhibition of the A(2B)-R could treat inflammatory lung diseases. However, stimulation of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) by ADO may be crucial in permitting the superficial epithelium to maintain airway surface liquid (ASL) volume, which is required to ensure hydrated and clearable mucus.
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