High-Throughput Patch Clamp Screening in Human α6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

Nicotine, the addictive component of tobacco products, is an agonist at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain. The subtypes of nAChR are defined by their α- and β-subunit composition. The α6β2β3 nAChR subtype is expressed in terminals of dopaminergic neurons that project to the nucleus accumbens and striatum and modulate dopamine release in brain regions involved in nicotine addiction.

Electrophysiology-Based Assays to Detect Subtype-Selective Modulation of Human Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-31) gave the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the responsibility for regulating tobacco products. Nicotine is the primary addictive component of tobacco and its effects can be modulated by additional ingredients in manufactured products. Nicotine acts by mimicking the neurotransmitter acetylcholine on neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which function as ion channels in cholinergic modulation of neurotransmission.

Electronic cigarettes in the USA: a summary of available toxicology data and suggestions for the future.

Objective: To review the available evidence evaluating the toxicological profiles of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) in order to understand the potential impact of e-cigarettes on individual users and the public health.

Methods: Systematic literature searches were conducted between October 2012 and October 2013 using five electronic databases. Search terms such as 'e-cigarettes' and 'electronic delivery devices' were used to identify the toxicology information for e-cigarettes.

Biomarkers of tobacco smoke exposure.

Diseases and death caused by exposure to tobacco smoke have become the single most serious preventable public health concern. Thus, biomarkers that can monitor tobacco exposure and health effects can play a critical role in tobacco product regulation and public health policy. Biomarkers of exposure to tobacco toxicants are well established and have been used in population studies to establish public policy regarding exposure to second-hand smoke, an example being the nicotine metabolite cotinine, which can be measured in urine.

Systematic review and evaluation of web-accessible tools for management of diabetes and related cardiovascular risk factors by patients and healthcare providers.

Objective: To identify and evaluate the effectiveness, clinical usefulness, sustainability, and usability of web-compatible diabetes-related tools.

Data Sources: Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, world wide web.

Study Selection: Studies were included if they described an electronic audiovisual tool used as a means to educate patients, care givers, or clinicians about diabetes management and assessed a psychological, behavioral, or clinical outcome.

Validation of electronic urinary incontinence questionnaires.

Objective: To investigate whether there is any significant difference between the electronic and the paper-based version of Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 questionnaire (UDI-6) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 questionnaire (IIQ-7).

Materials And Methods: An electronic questionnaire and clinical tool was developed using a combination of open source questionnaire software and custom programming that closely replicated the paper version of the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 questionnaires. Ethics were reviewed and approved by the University Health Network of Toronto.

The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project shows inter- and intraplatform reproducibility of gene expression measurements.

Over the last decade, the introduction of microarray technology has had a profound impact on gene expression research. The publication of studies with dissimilar or altogether contradictory results, obtained using different microarray platforms to analyze identical RNA samples, has raised concerns about the reliability of this technology. The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) project was initiated to address these concerns, as well as other performance and data analysis issues.

Evaluation of external RNA controls for the assessment of microarray performance.

External RNA controls (ERCs), although important for microarray assay performance assessment, have yet to be fully implemented in the research community. As part of the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC) study, two types of ERCs were implemented and evaluated; one was added to the total RNA in the samples before amplification and labeling; the other was added to the copyRNAs (cRNAs) before hybridization. ERC concentration-response curves were used across multiple commercial microarray platforms to identify problematic assays and potential sources of variation in the analytical process.

Toxicogenomics and cross-species biomarker discovery: applications in drug discovery and safety assessment.

Toxicogenomics has evolved into a useful technique for providing greater mechanistic insights into adverse effects that will spur the development of novel approaches for identifying and understanding toxicity issues. The ability to capture a snapshot of the transcriptome at any given time during the development of an adverse phenotype allows unprecedented molecular views into the dynamic physiological changes that are occurring on either time or dose continuum for a toxicology study of interest advancing our basic knowledge of adverse events, and providing the necessary scientific framework for developing new strategies and tools for safety assessment programs. The development of an effective subset of cost effective devices for identifying toxicity earlier in the drug development process will help identify the most promising candidate compounds to move forward leading to a reduction in compound attrition due to toxicity.