Publications by authors named "Yu Umeki"

American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) are apex predators and sentinel species in the coastal wetland ecosystem along the Gulf of Mexico. There is concern for alligator exposure and susceptibility to chemical contaminants due to their high trophic level and lower metabolic capability. At present, their hepatic biotransformation capacity to metabolize or detoxify contaminants has not been comprehensively determined.

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Article Synopsis
  • American alligators are important indicators of environmental health, but their responses to stressors need more research.
  • A new liver perfusion system was created to examine the liver function of juvenile alligators, determining an optimal flow rate for effective study.
  • Results showed that the perfused liver maintained proper function under normal conditions but shifted to anaerobic metabolism when exposed to low oxygen levels, indicating its viability and responsiveness to hypoxia.
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Objective: We have previously reported that myeloperoxidase-deficient (MPO(-/-)) neutrophils produce greater amounts of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) upon in vitro stimulation with zymosan than wild-type neutrophils. This study aimed to examine the effect of MPO deficiency on the expression of other cytokines and chemokines.

Methods: Wild-type and MPO(-/-) neutrophils isolated from peritoneal cavity were stimulated with zymosan in vitro.

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Objective And Design: This study examines the role of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a major constituent of neutrophils that generates hypochlorous acid, in neutrophil recruitment into the zymosan-exposed lung of mice.

Methods: Mice were inoculated intranasally with zymosan. The accumulation of neutrophils and other inflammatory cells within the lung was analyzed by flow cytometry.

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