Simultaneous exposure to chronic irradiation and simulated microgravity differentially alters immune cell phenotype in mouse thymus and spleen.

Deep-space missions may alter immune cell phenotype in the primary (e.g., thymus) and secondary (e.

The use of electronic nicotine delivery systems during pregnancy and the reproductive outcomes: A systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among pregnant women is of great concern. To our knowledge the current literature provides conflicting views regarding the uncertainties of the effects of ENDS use during pregnancy on the health of the fetus.

Methods: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE, for the period 2007 to October 2017 for terms to identify publications on ENDS use during pregnancy and the reproductive outcomes.

Effects of a natural polyphenol on nicotine-induced pancreatic cancer cell proliferation.

Introduction: Resveratrol (-3, 4', 5-trihydroxystilbene), a phytoalexin derived from the skin of grapes and other fruits, has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Its anti-carcinogenic effects are closely associated with its antioxidant activity; thus, the use of resveratrol as a possible cancer chemo-preventive is considered to be an important area of investigation. In this study we have examined the inhibitory effects of resveratrol in nicotine induced proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells.

Aminoguanidine (AG) Induces Induced both Pro- and Antioxidant Effect in AR42J Cells, a Rat Pancreatic Tumor Cell Line.

Unlabelled: Aminoguanidine (AG), a diamine oxidase and a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, was used in diabetes, thyroid follicular carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, pancreatic cancer xenografts and in breast cancer research. The effects of AG on these pathologic conditions may be related to its regulatory effects on cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and expression of antioxidant enzymes. However, its role as pro and/or anti-oxidant affecting signaling and function in pancreatic tumor cell lines has not been studied.

Animal model of simulated microgravity: a comparative study of hindlimb unloading via tail versus pelvic suspension.

The aim of this study was to compare physiological effects of hindlimb suspension (HLS) in tail- and pelvic-HLS rat models to determine if severe stretch in the tail-HLS rats lumbosacral skeleton may contribute to the changes traditionally attributed to simulated microgravity and musculoskeletal disuse in the tail-HLS model. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into suspended and control-nonsuspended groups were subjected to two separate methods of suspension and maintained with regular food and water for 2 weeks. Body weights, food and water consumption, soleus muscle weight, tibial bone mineral density, random plasma insulin, and hindlimb pain on pressure threshold (PPT) were measured.

Effect of nicotine on exocytotic pancreatic secretory response: role of calcium signaling.

Background: Nicotine is a risk factor for pancreatitis resulting in loss of pancreatic enzyme secretion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms of nicotine-induced secretory response measured in primary pancreatic acinar cells isolated from Male Sprague Dawley rats. The study examines the role of calcium signaling in the mechanism of the enhanced secretory response observed with nicotine exposure.

Molecular signaling mechanisms of apoptosis in hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is the second most leading cause of cancer related deaths in the western countries. One of the forms of colorectal cancer is hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), also known as "Lynch syndrome". It is the most common hereditary form of cancer accounting for 5%-10% of all colon cancers.

Attenuation of tissue oxidative stress by dietary restriction in rats on simulated microgravity.

Introduction: Physiologic alterations caused by oxidative stress can be assessed by measuring tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a biomarker for oxidative stress. The goal of this study is to determine the consequences of a twenty percent caloric restriction on the increased oxidative stress documented in tissues from rats exposed to simulated microgravity.

Materials/methods: Three groups of male SD rats (N=6 in each group) were used: Group 1, control; Group 2, food restricted (20% less food than control); and Group 3, food restricted with HLS.

Pressure hyperalgesia in hind limb suspended rats.

Introduction: Spaceflight and simulated microgravity often associate with pain and prediabetes. Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced moderate insulinopenia rat models of prediabetes result in pressure hyperalgesia. The current study was designed to determine whether or not simulated microgravity induced by hind limb suspension (HLS) in rats lead to insulinopenia and pressure hyperalgesia.

Parimal Chowdhury's work on smoking related pancreatic disorders.

Cigarette smoking is a known risk factor for the development of numerous diseases. The role of nicotine in the induction of pancreatic inflammation and pancreatic cancer as a result of cigarette smoking has been recognized and reported in the literature. The mechanism by which nicotine induces such pathologies is as yet unknown.

Effects of aminoguanidine on tissue oxidative stress induced by hindlimb unloading in rats.

We investigated the effects of hindlimb unloading (HLU) on malondialdehyde (MDA), a biomarker for oxidative stress, and glutathione (GSH) levels in tissues of rats. Aminoguanidine (AG), a nucleophilic hydralazine compound and an in vivo antioxidant against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation, was used to confirm the HLU-induced oxidative response. Three groups of rats were used: Group 1 was a loaded control group that was maintained on drinking water only; Groups 2 and 3 were hindlimb unloaded (HLU) groups that were maintained on drinking water and on AG in drinking water, respectively.

A report of the Sixth Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases (ISPTID).

The Sixth meeting of the International Society for the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases (ISPTiD) was held in Little Rock, Arkansas on November 2-4, 2007 and has brought together 140 participants, scientists and experts in this specialized field from 30 countries across the World. The central theme of the conference was the "Translational Approaches to the Prevention of Tobacco Induced Diseases". Discussions held during the three days meeting's sessions (including poster session and platform discussion) promoted a better understanding of the connection between tobacco use and associated medical and health consequences.

Mitogenic and functional responses by nicotine and hydrogen peroxide in AR42J cells: a comparative study.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the oxidative effects of nicotine by examining the mitogenic and functional responses in AR42J cells. As a control and for comparison, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used as a source of known oxidative biomarker. Responses were examined by determining cell proliferation through the activation of ERK signaling, basal and CCK-stimulated cell function and measuring lipid peroxidation.

A cell-based approach to study changes in the pancreas following nicotine exposure in an animal model of injury.

Background: Cigarette smoking is a recognized risk factor for the induction of pancreatic diseases and is suspected to play a major role in the development of pancreatic cancer in smokers.

Materials And Methods: This study was designed to characterize the mechanisms of nicotine-induced injury to the pancreas. AR42Jcells, a stable mutant pancreatic tumor cell line, was chosen for the study because of its stability in culture media and also because of its known secretory capacity, which is like that of a normal pancreatic acinar cell.

L-carnitine influence on oxidative stress induced by hind limb unloading in adult rats.

Introduction: An improvement in the imbalance in the oxidant-antioxidant defense system would lessen the severity of any oxidative stress documented during or after spaceflight. In this study, we investigated the effects of a 14-d hind limb unloading (HLU) of rats on the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative biomarker and also an end-product of lipid peroxidation, in tissues and blood of rats. L-carnitine, a well-known enhancer of activities of the mitochondrial antioxidant system, was used to confirm the HLU-induced oxidative response.

The genetics of nicotine dependence: relationship to pancreatic cancer.

Smoking of tobacco products continues to be a major cause of worldwide health problems. Epidemiological studies have shown that tobacco smoking is the greatest risk factor for the development of pancreatic cancer. Smokers who are able to quit smoking can reduce their risk of pancreatic cancer by nearly 50% within two years, however, their risk of developing pancreatic cancer remains higher than that of non-smokers for 10 years.

Nicotine as a mitogenic stimulus for pancreatic acinar cell proliferation.

Cell proliferation is an important process in life for growth of normal and cancer cells. The signal transduction pathways activated during this process are strictly regulated. This editorial focuses on the role of nicotine, a mitogen, in the induction of signaling pathways resulting in proliferation of pancreatic tumor cells and compares these events with those in normal acinar cells isolated from the rat pancreas.

Pathophysiology of alcoholic pancreatitis: an overview.

Use of alcohol is a worldwide habit regardless of socio-economic background. Heavy alcohol consumption is a potential risk factor for induction of pancreatitis. The current review cites the updated literature on the alcohol metabolism, its effects on gastrointestinal and pancreatic function and in causing pancreatic injury, genetic predisposition of alcohol induced pancreatitis.

Nanocluster model of photothermal assay: application for high-sensitive monitoring of nicotine-induced changes in metabolism, apoptosis, and necrosis at a cellular level.

This study evaluates the capability of a photothermal (PT) assay to monitor the impact of nicotine on pancreatic cancer cells (AR42J). The specific PT response is closely proportional to nicotine concentrations at concentration range 1 nM to 100 microM, while at high concentrations of nicotine ranging from 1 mM to 50 mM, PT response shows dramatic decrease. According to the theoretical model, the mechanism of the PT assay is associated with metabolic and apoptotic-related shrinking of local cellular absorbing nanoscale zones caused by increased local absorption at low nicotine doses, while high doses of nicotine lead to apoptotic release of absorbing component (cytochrome c) into the intracellular space, and necrotic swelling of organelles, thereby causing a decrease in local absorption.

Activation of p-ERK1/2 by nicotine in pancreatic tumor cell line AR42J: effects on proliferation and secretion.

The objectives of the present study were to determine the effect of nicotine on MAPK signaling and on the proliferation of AR42J cells as well as to assess the relationship between MAPK activation and exocrine secretion in these cells. AR42J cells were incubated with nicotine and analyzed for the activation of MAPK by Western blot analysis using their respective antibodies and confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The effect of nicotine on cell proliferation was determined by the spectrophotometric method, and cell function was assessed by cholecystokinin (CCK)-stimulated amylase release into the culture medium.

Photothermal detection of nicotine-induced apoptotic effects in pancreatic cancer cells.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the capability of a photothermal (PT) assay in determining the effects of graded doses of nicotine in a pancreatic acinar cell line (AR42J). The cellular response to nicotine was detected through the monitoring of PT signals from light-absorbing endogenous cellular structures that have been used as natural indicators for nicotine's action. It was demonstrated that introducing nicotine to cultured acinar cells in vitro leads to changes in cellular absorbing structures, thereby altering the microstructure of PT cell images and the temporal shape of PT signals.

Brief communication: Effects of soy-protein diet on elevated brain lipid peroxide levels induced by simulated weightlessness.

The influence of soy-protein diet on brain lipid peroxidation in female rats was studied using a tail-suspension model of weightlessness. The study tested the efficacy of diets containing 0% or 11.1% soy-protein in 4 groups of female Sprague Dawley rats that were maintained with or without tail-suspension for a period of 3 weeks.

Pathophysiological effects of nicotine on the pancreas: an update.

Epidemiological evidence strongly suggests an association between cigarette smoking and pancreatic diseases. It is well recognized that nicotine, a major component in cigarette smoke, is an addictive agent and, therefore, reinforces smoking behavior. The current review update focuses on the genetics of nicotine dependence and its role on the development of pancreatic diseases.

Lipid peroxidation in rat brain is increased by simulated weightlessness and decreased by a soy-protein diet.

This study tested whether or not simulated weightlessness by tail-suspension increases the levels of lipid peroxidation products in rat brain. The brain tissues of rats on a soybean diet were also assayed for lipid peroxidation products to evaluate the possible role of soy-protein as a dietary anti-oxidant. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used.