β-Aminopropionitrile Induces Distinct Pathologies in the Ascending and Descending Thoracic Aortic Regions of Mice.

Background: β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) is a pharmacological inhibitor of LOX (lysyl oxidase) and LOXLs (LOX-like proteins). Administration of BAPN promotes aortopathies, although there is a paucity of data on experimental conditions to generate pathology. The objective of this study was to define experimental parameters and determine whether equivalent or variable aortopathies were generated throughout the aortic tree during BAPN administration in mice.

Predicting Tacrolimus Concentrations in the Skin of Adult Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Feasibility Study.

Solid organ transplant recipients are at an increased risk of developing skin cancers due to chronic immunosuppression, particularly with calcineurin inhibitors. Tacrolimus is the most prescribed calcineurin inhibitor in this patient cohort, and understanding tacrolimus concentrations in the skin will facilitate the development of anti-cancer preventive and therapeutic strategies. Here, we show that in mice, tacrolimus blood levels peaked rapidly ∼1 h post last oral dose while skin levels rose more slowly and remained high for at least 6 h.

Technology-Based Smoking Cessation for Youth Exiting Foster Care: A Pilot Randomized Trial.

Despite high rates of cigarette use, little attention has been paid to screening and cessation services for youth in foster care. Study aims were to test the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a technology-based smoking cessation intervention. Study enrollment, satisfaction, and engagement were high in the intervention arm, where readiness to change also significantly increased over time.

β-aminopropionitrile Induces Distinct Pathologies in the Ascending and Descending Thoracic Aortic Regions of Mice.

Background: β-aminopropionitrile (BAPN) is a pharmacological inhibitor of lysyl oxidase and lysyl oxidase-like proteins. Administration of BAPN promotes aortopathies, although there is a paucity of data on experimental conditions to generate pathology. The objective of this study was to define experimental parameters and determine whether equivalent or variable aortopathies were generated throughout the aortic tree during BAPN administration in mice.

Association of NOTCH3 With Elastic Fiber Dispersion in the Infrarenal Abdominal Aorta of Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Background: The regional heterogeneity of vascular components and transcriptomes is an important determinant of aortic biology. This notion has been explored in multiple mouse studies. In the present study, we examined the regional heterogeneity of aortas in nonhuman primates.

Association of NOTCH3 with Elastic Fiber Dispersion in the Infrarenal Abdominal Aorta of Cynomolgus Monkeys.

Background: The regional heterogeneity of vascular components and transcriptomes is an important determinant of aortic biology. This notion has been explored in multiple mouse studies. In the present study, we examined the regional heterogeneity of aortas in non-human primates.

Attitudes and Beliefs of a Sample of Australian Dog and Cat Owners towards Pet Confinement.

Most cats and dogs entering Australian animal shelters and municipal facilities are classed as strays, typically from low socio-economic areas. Contemporary practices increasingly focus on proactively reducing the number of stray animals, which requires further understanding of factors associated with straying animals, including pet confinement. Australian cat and dog owners ( = 2103) were surveyed to investigate attitudes towards four types of pet confinement and how these were influenced by social norms, demographics and concerns about pet quality of life and potential wildlife predation.

The RpoH (σ) Regulon and Its Role in Essential Cellular Functions, Starvation Survival, and Antibiotic Tolerance.

The bacterial heat-shock response is regulated by the alternative sigma factor, σ (RpoH), which responds to misfolded protein stress and directs the RNA polymerase to the promoters for genes required for protein refolding or degradation. In , RpoH is essential for viability under laboratory growth conditions. Here, we used a transcriptomics approach to identify the genes of the RpoH regulon, including RpoH-regulated genes that are essential for .

Rescue therapy for symptomatic spinal cord ischemia after thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Objective: Spinal cord ischemia (SCI) after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) can cause permanent neurologic deficits and poor long-term survival. Targeted treatment of new SCI symptoms after TEVAR (rescue therapy [RT]) might improve/resolve neurologic symptoms but few data characterize the association of specific interventions with SCI outcomes. We evaluated the effectiveness of post-TEVAR RT at our tertiary aortic center.

Inhibition of the Renin-Angiotensin System Fails to Suppress β-Aminopropionitrile-Induced Thoracic Aortopathy in Mice-Brief Report.

Background: Cross-linking of lysine residues in elastic and collagen fibers is a vital process in aortic development. Inhibition of lysyl oxidase by BAPN (β-aminopropionitrile) leads to thoracic aortopathies in mice. Although the renin-angiotensin system contributes to several types of thoracic aortopathies, it remains unclear whether inhibition of the renin-angiotensin system protects against aortopathy caused by the impairment of elastic fiber/collagen crosslinking.

Fludrocortisone Induces Aortic Pathologies in Mice.

Background And Objective: In an experiment designed to explore the mechanisms of fludrocortisone-induced high blood pressure, we serendipitously observed aortic aneurysms in mice infused with fludrocortisone. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether fludrocortisone induces aortic pathologies in both normocholesterolemic and hypercholesterolemic mice.

Methods And Results: Male adult C57BL/6J mice were infused with either vehicle (85% polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) and 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); = 5) or fludrocortisone (12 mg/kg/day dissolved in 85% PEG-400 and 15% DMSO; = 15) for 28 days.

Second Heart Field-Derived Cells Contribute to Angiotensin II-Mediated Ascending Aortopathies.

Background: The ascending aorta is a common location for aneurysm and dissection. This aortic region is populated by a mosaic of medial and adventitial cells that are embryonically derived from either the second heart field (SHF) or the cardiac neural crest. SHF-derived cells populate areas that coincide with the spatial specificity of thoracic aortopathies.

Do Pet Cats Deserve the Disproportionate Blame for Wildlife Predation Compared to Pet Dogs?

Concerns about the impact of pet dogs and cats on native wildlife populations have shaped pet control legislation, despite there being scant research of their impact in urban areas. Using an online questionnaire, we obtained data from 662 Australian dog and cat owners who had observed their pets capture prey in the previous 6 months. Of the pets observed to catch prey, dogs caught a median of 2 mammals, 2 birds, 2 reptiles, and 3 amphibians, whereas cats caught a median of 3 mammals, 2 birds, 4 reptiles, and 2 amphibians.

Renal Angiotensinogen Is Predominantly Liver Derived in Nonhuman Primates.

[Figure: see text].

Deletion of AT1a (Angiotensin II Type 1a) Receptor or Inhibition of Angiotensinogen Synthesis Attenuates Thoracic Aortopathies in Fibrillin1 Mice.

Objective: A cardinal feature of Marfan syndrome is thoracic aortic aneurysm. The contribution of the renin-angiotensin system via AT1aR (Ang II [angiotensin II] receptor type 1a) to thoracic aortic aneurysm progression remains controversial because the beneficial effects of angiotensin receptor blockers have been ascribed to off-target effects. This study used genetic and pharmacological modes of attenuating angiotensin receptor and ligand, respectively, to determine their roles on thoracic aortic aneurysm in mice with fibrillin-1 haploinsufficiency (Fbn1C1041G/+).

A Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network Can Differentiate Between Helicobacter Pylori Gastritis and Autoimmune Gastritis With Results Comparable to Gastrointestinal Pathologists.

Context.—: Pathology studies using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have focused on neoplasms, while studies in inflammatory pathology are rare. We previously demonstrated a CNN that differentiates reactive gastropathy, Helicobacter pylori gastritis (HPG), and normal gastric mucosa.

Authentication of In Situ Measurements for Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms in Mice.

[Figure: see text].

Appendiceal Goblet Cell Adenocarcinoma Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Acute appendicitis is a common presentation to the emergency department. The common pathogenesis thereof relates to obstruction of the appendiceal lumen by an appendicolith, which leads to an increase in intraluminal and intramural pressure. This is followed by distension of the appendix, subsequent small vessel occlusion and lymphatic stasis, and appendiceal wall ischemia and necrosis, eventually leading to rupture if not treated.