E-cigarette vapor exposure in utero causes long-term pulmonary effects in offspring.

The in utero environment is sensitive to toxicant exposure, altering the health and growth of the fetus, and thus sensitive to contaminant exposure. Though recent clinical data suggest that e-cigarette use does no further harm to birth outcomes than a nicotine patch, this does not account for the effects of vaping during pregnancy on the long-term health of offspring. Pregnant mice were exposed to: ) e-cigarette vapor with nicotine (PV + Nic 2% Nic in 50:50 propylene glycol: vegetable glycerin), ) e-cigarette vapor without nicotine [PV; (50:50 propylene glycol:vegetable glycerin)], or ) HEPA filtered air (FA).

Molecular signature of cardiac remodeling associated with Polymerase Gamma mutation.

Aims: Metabolic function/dysfunction is central to aging biology. This is well illustrated by the Polymerase Gamma (POLG) mutant mouse where a key residue of the mitochondrial DNA polymerase is mutated (D257A), causing loss of mitochondrial DNA stability and dramatically accelerated aging processes. Given known cardiac phenotypes in the POLG mutant, we sought to characterize the course of cardiac dysfunction in the POLG mutant to guide future intervention studies.

Uterine fibroid incidence and growth in an ultrasound-based, prospective study of young African Americans.

Background: Uterine fibroids are common. Symptoms are debilitating for many, leading to high medical and societal costs. Indirect data suggest that compared with white women, African Americans develop fibroids at least 10 years earlier on average, and their higher health burden has been well documented.