A comparative study of Western, high-carbohydrate, and standard lab diet consumption throughout adolescence on metabolic and anxiety-related outcomes in young adult male and female Long-Evans rats.

Anxiety and obesity are prevalent health concerns that are affected by diet in rodents and humans. How diet influences the development and maintenance of anxiety and obesity has been challenging to characterize, in part, due to methodological differences in chosen experimental and control diets. Within the same experiment, anxiety- and obesity-related effects were characterized in rats fed a Western diet (WD) relative to two control diets.

Effect of caffeine on resting-state alpha activity across the human menstrual cycle.

Rationale: Caffeine is the most consumed stimulant worldwide, and there is great interest in understanding its neurophysiological effects. Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) studies suggest that caffeine enhances arousal, which suppresses the spectral power of alpha frequencies associated with reduced alertness. However, it is unclear whether caffeine's neurophysiological effects vary across the human menstrual cycle.

Ex Vivo High Salt Activated Tumor-Primed CD4+T Lymphocytes Exert a Potent Anti-Cancer Response.

Cell based immunotherapy is rapidly emerging as a promising cancer treatment. A modest increase in salt (sodium chloride) concentration in immune cell cultures is known to induce inflammatory phenotypic differentiation. In our current study, we analyzed the ability of salt treatment to induce ex vivo expansion of tumor-primed CD4 (cluster of differentiation 4)+T cells to an effector phenotype.

Supplementation with Combined R0052 and R0175 Across Development Reveals Sex Differences in Physiological and Behavioural Effects of Western Diet in Long-Evans Rats.

The gut microbiome affects various physiological and psychological processes in animals and humans, and environmental influences profoundly impact its composition. Disorders such as anxiety, obesity, and inflammation have been associated with certain microbiome compositions, which may be modulated in early life. In 62 Long-Evans rats, we characterised the effects of lifelong R0175 and R0052 administration-along with Western diet exposure-on later anxiety, metabolic consequences, and inflammation.

Guidelines for best practice in placebo-controlled experimental studies on probiotics in rodent animal models.

In the absence of established best practice standards in the probiotic field for reducing the risk of bacterial transfer between experimental groups, we developed protocols and methods to ensure the highest quality and interpretability of results from animal studies, even when performed in non-conventional animal care facilities. We describe easily implementable methods for reducing cross-contamination during animal housing, behavioural testing, and euthanasia, along with highlighting protocols for contamination detection in experimental subjects and laboratory areas using qPCR. In light of the high cross-contamination risks between animals during experiments involving probiotics, constant vigilance in animal care and research protocols is critical to ensure valid and reliable research findings.

Phospho Tensin Homolog in Human and Lipid Peroxides in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Following Exposure to Flavonoids.

Studies have shown that human and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are mostly used for research purposes to study several biochemical endpoints. The effects of the flavonoids, genistein, kaempferol, and quercetin on phospho tensin homolog (PTEN) levels in cancer cells (i.e.

Oligodeoxynucleotides ODN 2006 and M362 Exert Potent Adjuvant Effect through TLR-9/-6 Synergy to Exaggerate Mammaglobin-A Peptide Specific Cytotoxic CD8+T Lymphocyte Responses against Breast Cancer Cells.

Mammaglobin-A (MamA) is overexpressed in 40-80% of all human breast cancers. Recent phase I clinical trials of the MamA DNA vaccine showed encouraging safety outcomes. However, this vaccine elicited only a modest increase in MamA specific CD8+T lymphocyte (CTL) activation.

Critical role of SIK3 in mediating high salt and IL-17 synergy leading to breast cancer cell proliferation.

Chronic inflammation is a well-known precursor for cancer development and proliferation. We have recently demonstrated that high salt (NaCl) synergizes with sub-effective interleukin (IL)-17 to induce breast cancer cell proliferation. However, the exact molecular mechanisms mediating this effect are unclear.

Sodium channel γENaC mediates IL-17 synergized high salt induced inflammatory stress in breast cancer cells.

Chronic inflammation is known to play a critical role in the development of cancer. Recent evidence suggests that high salt in the tissue microenvironment induces chronic inflammatory milieu. In this report, using three breast cancer-related cell lines, we determined the molecular basis of the potential synergistic inflammatory effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) with interleukin-17 (IL-17).

Violacein induces p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase-mediated solid tumor cell death and inhibits tumor cell migration.

Microbial secondary metabolites have emerged as alternative novel drugs for the treatment of human cancers. Violacein, a purple pigment produced by Chromobacterium violaceum, was investigated in the present study for its anti-tumor properties in tumor cell lines. Clinically applicable concentrations of violacein were demonstrated to inhibit the proliferative capacity of tumor cell lines according to a crystal violet proliferation assay.

Synergistic effect of pro-inflammatory TNFα and IL-17 in periostin mediated collagen deposition: potential role in liver fibrosis.

Background: The pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interleukin (IL)-17, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis. In this study, we investigated the role of TNFα and IL-17 toward induction of profibrotic factor, periostin.

Methods: HepG2 cells were cultured and treated with inflammatory cytokines, TNFα and IL-17.

Violacein inhibits matrix metalloproteinase mediated CXCR4 expression: potential anti-tumor effect in cancer invasion and metastasis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and -9) play an important role in the tumor metastasis through cleavage of proinflammatory cytokines. Violacein a small molecule produced by Chromobacterium violaceum and has been implicated with anti-cancer effects. In this study we investigated the molecular basis of violacein mediated downregulation of CXCL12/CXCR4, chemokine-receptor ligand interaction.

In vitro anticancer screening of 24 locally used Nigerian medicinal plants.

Background: Plants that are used as traditional medicine represent a relevant pool for selecting plant candidates that may have anticancer properties. In this study, the ethnomedicinal approach was used to select several medicinal plants native to Nigeria, on the basis of their local or traditional uses. The collected plants were then evaluated for cytoxicity.

Novel fluorinated acridone derivatives. Part 1: synthesis and evaluation as potential anticancer agents.

We report on the synthesis of a novel series of fluorinated acridones from 5-trifluoromethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione. The cytotoxic activities of the compounds were studied in several cancer cells. Compounds 9a, 9c, 9e, 9f, and 9h exhibited significant anticancer activities in selected cell lines.

Cross-talking between calcium and histamine in the expression of MAPKs in hypertensive vascular smooth muscle cells.

Histamine (HA) is one of many neurotransmitters that have been implicated in cardiovascular functioning. Alterations in vascular smooth muscle due to the effects of histamine have been suggested. We investigated the modulatory effect of HA on mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) expression, specifically extracellular regulating kinase (ERK) 1 & 2 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) from both spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and control Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats.

Heterogeneity of histamine H3 receptor genomic expression in the cerebral cortex of spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Specific binding of [3H]-N-alpha-methylhistamine to homogenates from cerebral cortex tissue was analyzed in aged Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR). Scatchard plot analysis of [3H]-N-alpha-methylhistamine binding of the H3 receptor in the cerebral cortex from aged (6, 9, 12, and 16 week) SHR animals indicated that Bmax increased, respectively, 38.05 +/- 1.

Protein Kinase C- alpha/betaII, delta, and zeta/lambda involvement in ethanol-induced MAPK expression in vascular smooth muscle cells.

Protein Kinase C (PKC) exists as one of twelve serine/threonine isoforms and has been found to mediate ethanol-induced activation of the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway. The aim of this study was to determine the PKC isoform(s) that are mediators of ethanol-induced MAPK activity (ERK 1 and 2) and to verify the necessity of calcium in this activation process using cell culture in the presence and absence of ethanol, and other agents that modulate PKC expression. Western blotting analysis was used to assess the effect of ethanol on activating classical (alpha/ssII), novel (delta) and atypical (zeta/lambda) PKC isoforms in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs).

Cadmium toxicity on arterioles vascular smooth muscle cells of spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Cadmium (Cd) is frequently used in various industrial applications and is a ubiquitous environmental toxicant, also present in tobacco smoke. An important route of exposure is the circulatory system whereas blood vessels are considered to be main stream organs of Cd toxicity. Our previous results indicate that cadmium chloride (CdCl2) affects mean arterial blood pressure in hypertensive rats.

Human health implications of environmental contaminants in Arctic Canada: A review.

The objectives of this paper are to: assess the impact of exposure to current levels of environmental contaminants in the Canadian Arctic on human health; identify the data and knowledge gaps that need to be filled by future human health research and monitoring; examine how these issues have changed since our first assessment [Van Oostdam, J., Gilman, A., Dewailly, E.

Immunoreactivity for the Fas ligand in the mammalian enteric nervous system.

The Fas ligand induces apoptosis in activated immunocytes that express the Fas receptor. Fas-ligand transcripts have been found previously in murine intestine but the intestinal tissues that express Fas ligand have not been identified. We used immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of the Fas ligand in the enteric nervous system of rats, mice, guinea-pigs, ferrets and humans.

Infertility in a patient with abnormal spermatogenesis and in utero DES exposure.

A young azoospermic patient is described whose spermatogenesis reflected an abnormality of meiosis. A diagnosis of asynapsis of chromosomes during early spermatogenesis was made by cytogenetic examination of a testicular biopsy. Standard histologic examination gave no indication of this abnormality.

Reinforcement control of severe dysfunctional behavior of blind, multihandicapped students.

The effectiveness of reinforcement-based programs with blind, multihandicapped students was examined. In Study 1 the aggressive behavior of a deaf/blind adolescent was eliminated through a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) procedure that was combined with a reinforcer cueing technique and brief time-out. In Study 2 DRO was utilized to reduce stereotypic eye-pressing by a young blind child who was also hearing-impaired.

Analysis of a reinforcement/time-out treatment package to control severe aggressive and destructive behaviors in a multihandicapped, rubella child.

The display of acting-out behaviors in the form of aggression and property destruction represent serious management problems displayed by many developmentally disabled persons. The present study evaluated the application of reinforcement and isolation time-out procedures to treat severe aggressive/destructive behavior of a 15-year-old multi-impaired rubella child. In addition to documenting intervention effects, this study provided a component analysis of the reinforcement and time-out procedures, evaluated maintenance of treatment gains, and obtained measures of staff acceptability.