The placenta plays a critical role in nutrient and oxygen exchange during pregnancy, yet the effects of medicinal drugs on this selective barrier remain poorly understood. To overcome this, this study presents a cost-effective bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) system to assess tight junction integrity and monolayer formation in BeWo b30 cells, a widely used model of the multinucleated maternal-fetal exchange surface of the placental barrier. Cells were cultured on collagen-coated porous membranes and treated with forskolin to induce controlled syncytialization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMalignant catarrhal fever (MCF), caused by alcelaphine herpesvirus-1 (AIHV-1) transmitted from wildebeest, is a lethal cattle disease with significant impacts on East African pastoralists. Development of a live attenuated MCF vaccine has prompted research into its use in communities at risk. This study reports results from the first utilisation of the MCF vaccine in locally-owned cattle under field conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHistorically, xylazine has been utilized in veterinary medicine for decades as an anesthetic and analgesic sedative to facilitate safe handling, diagnostic testing, and surgical procedures in large animals. Currently, xylazine is an emerging threat to human health. It has been detected in the illicit drug supply chain, often as an adulterant.
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