Type IV pilus glycosylation mediates resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa to opsonic activities of the pulmonary surfactant protein A.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major bacterial pathogen commonly associated with chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis (CF). Previously, we have demonstrated that the type IV pilus (Tfp) of P. aeruginosa mediates resistance to antibacterial effects of pulmonary surfactant protein A (SP-A).

Mycoplasma pneumoniae modulates STAT3-STAT6/EGFR-FOXA2 signaling to induce overexpression of airway mucins.

Aberrant mucin secretion and accumulation in the airway lumen are clinical hallmarks associated with various lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, long appreciated as one of the triggers of acute exacerbations of chronic pulmonary diseases, has recently been reported to promote excessive mucus secretion. However, the mechanism of mucin overproduction induced by M.

Age-dependent differences in the strength and persistence of psychostimulant-induced conditioned activity in rats: effects of a single environment-cocaine pairing.

The aim of the present study was to determine the strength and persistence of cocaine-induced conditioned activity in young and adult rats. A one-trial protocol has proven useful for studying the ontogeny of psychostimulant-induced behavioral sensitization; therefore, a similar procedure was used to examine conditioned activity. On postnatal day (PD) 19 or PD 80, rats were injected with saline or cocaine in either a novel test chamber or the home cage.

Repeated aripiprazole treatment causes dopamine D2 receptor up-regulation and dopamine supersensitivity in young rats.

Aripiprazole is a second-generation antipsychotic that is increasingly being prescribed to children and adolescents. Despite this trend, little preclinical research has been done on the neural and behavioral actions of aripiprazole during early development. In the present study, young male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with vehicle, haloperidol (1 mg/kg), or aripiprazole (10 mg/kg) once daily on postnatal days (PD) 10-20.

Postnatal manganese exposure does not alter dopamine autoreceptor sensitivity in adult and adolescent male rats.

Administering manganese chloride (Mn) to rats on postnatal day (PD) 1-21 causes long-term reductions in dopamine transporter levels in the dorsal striatum, as well as a persistent increase in D1 and D2 receptor concentrations. Whether dopamine autoreceptors change in number or sensitivity is uncertain, although D2S receptors, which may be presynaptic in origin, are elevated in Mn-exposed rats. The purpose of this study was to determine if early Mn exposure causes long-term changes in dopamine autoreceptor sensitivity that persist into adolescence and adulthood.