African-American women have a maternal mortality rate approximately three times higher than European-American women. This is partially due to hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia. Fetal high-risk genotype increases preeclampsia risk, although mechanisms remain elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its development into nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are challenging health concerns globally. Clinically, the prevalence and severity of NAFLD/NASH are higher in men than in premenopausal women. NAFLD is strongly correlated with obesity, both of which are tied to high-fat/fructose-rich western diets.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Neonatal and early-life gut microbiome changes are associated with altered cardiometabolic and immune development. In this study, we explored Cesarean delivery effects on the gut microbiome in our high-risk, under-resourced Bronx, NY population.
Results: Fecal samples from the Bronx MomBa Health Study (Bronx MomBa Health Study) were categorized by delivery mode (vaginal/Cesarean) and analyzed via 16 S rRNA gene sequencing at four timepoints over the first two years of life.
The protein, N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), a tumor suppressor, is significantly decreased or absent in many types of cancer. There is a significant negative correlation between the levels of NDRG2 and the development and progression of cancer tumor recurrence and tumor invasion, in different cancers. In contrast, the and overexpression of the NDRG2 protein decreases the proliferation, growth, adhesion and migration of many types of cancer cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Editorial Office retracts the article, "Palmitic Acid Impedes Extravillous Trophoblast Activity by Increasing MRP1 Expression and Function" [...
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic disease later in life and has been shown to affect female and male offspring differently, but the mechanisms remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify proteomic differences and metabolic risk markers in IUGR male and female neonates when compared to appropriate for gestational age (AGA) babies that will provide a better understanding of IUGR pathogenesis and its associated risks. Our results revealed alterations in IUGR cord plasma proteomes with most of the differentially abundant proteins implicated in peroxisome pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBabies born to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-infected mothers are at greater risk for perinatal morbidity and more likely to receive a neurodevelopmental diagnosis in the first year of life. However, the effect of maternal infection on placental function and neonatal outcomes varies depending upon the patient population. We set out to test our hypothesis that maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection in our underserved, socioeconomically disadvantaged, mostly unvaccinated, predominantly African American and Latina population in the Bronx, NY would have effects evident at birth.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic degenerative brain disorder with no clear pathogenesis or effective cure, accounting for 60-80% of cases of dementia. In recent years, the importance of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders has come into focus. Previously, we made the serendipitous discovery that the widely used drug excipient N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA) attenuates endotoxin-induced inflammatory responses in vivo.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol
June 2023
Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of infant morbidity and mortality in the world. In 2020, 1 in 10 infants were born prematurely in the United States. The World Health Organization estimates that a total of 15 million infants are born prematurely every year.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNormal function of placental extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs), which are responsible for uteroplacental vascular remodeling, is critical for adequate delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the developing fetus and normal fetal programming. Proliferation and invasion of spiral arteries by EVTs depends upon adequate levels of folate. Multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1), which is an efflux transporter, is known to remove folate from these cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPreterm birth accounts for the majority of perinatal mortality worldwide, and there remains no FDA-approved drug to prevent it. Recently, we discovered that the common drug excipient, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), delays inflammation-induced preterm birth in mice by inhibiting NF-κB. Since we reported this finding, it has come to light that a group of widely used, structurally related aprotic solvents, including DMA, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) and dimethylformamide (DMF), have anti-inflammatory efficacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects almost 7 million people worldwide and is increasing in incidence. While the precise pathogenesis of IBD remains unknown, the production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines play a central role. We have previously found that N, N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), a widely used non-toxic drug excipient, suppresses cytokine and chemokine secretion and prevents inflammation-induced preterm birth .
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA novel treatment strategy by co-targeting c-Myc and tumor stroma was explored in vemurafenib-resistant melanoma. BRD4 proteolysis targeting chimera (ARV-825) and nintedanib co-loaded PEGylated nanoliposomes (ARNIPL) were developed to incorporate a synergistic cytotoxic ratio. Both the molecules have extremely poor aqueous solubility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for 60-70% of dementia and is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. The pathogenesis of this debilitating disorder is still not completely understood. New insights into the pathogenesis of AD are needed in order to develop novel pharmacologic approaches.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThere has been a growing and evolving research to find a treatment or a prevention against coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). Though mass vaccination will certainly help in reducing number of COVID-19 patients, an effective therapeutic measure must be available too. Intravenous remdesivir (RDV) was the first drug receiving Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of COVID-19.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn adverse maternal in utero and lactation environment can program offspring for increased risk for metabolic disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an anti-inflammatory antioxidant, attenuates programmed susceptibility to obesity and insulin resistance in offspring of mothers on a high-fat diet (HFD) during pregnancy. CD1 female mice were acutely fed a standard breeding chow or HFD.
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