Publications by authors named "Zelma Cason"

The goals of this study are to evaluate the ability of the multicomponent collagen-elastin-like polypeptide (ELP)-Bioglass scaffolds to support osteogenesis of rat mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs), demonstrate in vivo biocompatibility by subcutaneous implantation in Sprague-Dawley rats, monitor degradation noninvasively, and finally assess the scaffold's ability in healing critical-sized cranial bone defects. The collagen-ELP-Bioglass scaffold supports the in vitro osteogenic differentiation of rMSCs over a 3 week culture period. The cellular (rMSC-containing) or acellular scaffolds implanted in the subcutaneous pockets of rats do not cause any local or systemic toxic effects or tumors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The impact of retinoic acid (All Trans Retinoic Acid; ATRA) and Mold spores (MLD) in the development of lung pathology and tissue remodeling have not been well established in the literature. In addition, the role of citral (inhibitor of retinoid function) in the improvement of lung pathology has not been ascertained in animal studies. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ATRA and Mold (MLD) exposure will sensitize lung tissues leading to lung tissue pathology and that Citrals (C1 and C2) will reverse, ameliorate or improve the associated pathological damage to lung tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The impact of retinoic acid (All Trans Retinoic Acid; ATRA) and Mold spores (MLD) in the development of lung pathology and in vivo tissue remodeling have not been well established in the literature. In addition, the role of citral (inhibitor of retinoid function) in the improvement of lung pathology has not been ascertained in animal studies. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ATRA and Mold (MLD) exposure will sensitize lung tissues leading to lung tissue pathology and that Citrals (C1 and C2) will reverse, ameliorate or improve the associated pathological damage to lung tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The health impact of retinoic acid (All Trans Retinoic Acid; ATRA) in the development of lung pathology and tissue remodeling has not been well established in the literature. Equally, the role of Citral (inhibitor of retinoid function) in the improvement of lung pathology has not been ascertained in vivo. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ATRA and Ovalbumin (Egg albumin; OVA) exposure will sensitize lung tissues leading to lung tissue pathology and that citrals (C1 and C2) will reverse or ameliorate the related pathological damage to lung tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Demineralized bone matrix protein (DBM) was considered highly effective in stimulating bone healing. The objective of the study was to explore the use of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) delivery system to continuously deliver DBM in an osteoporotic condition and to evaluate changes in bone density and preservation of the spine. Ovariectomized Sprague Dawley rats were divided into three equal groups (n=16 per group).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The impact of retinoic acid (All Trans Retinoic Acid; ATRA) in the development of lung pathology and tissue remodeling are not well established in the literature. As well, the role of citral (inhibitor of retinoid function) in the improvement of lung pathology was not ascertained under an in vivo setting. Therefore, it is hypothesized that ATRA and ovalbumin exposure will sensitize lung tissues leading to lung tissue pathology and that citrals (C1 and C2) will reverse or ameliorate the related pathological damage to lung tissues.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The experimental impact of retinoic acid (All Trans Retinoic Acid; ATRA), citrals, ovalbumin and mold spores in the development of lung pathology and tissue remodeling are not well established in the literature. As well, the role of these agents in lung pathology was not ascertained under an in vivo setting. Therefore, it is hypothesized that citrals, ATRA, ovalbumin and mold-spore exposure will sensitize lung tissues and will lead to the development of lung tissue pathology in these animals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glucocorticoids have long been recognized to have beneficial effects in rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Numerous clinical trials show the efficacy of short term low dose treatment to resolve inflammation. Despite the success of short term use, there is concern regarding chronic use of glucocorticoids because of the development of exogenous Cushing’s syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Osteoporosis affects over ten million persons within the United States and is estimated to cost the healthcare system $18 billion dollars a year. Approximately 1.5 million persons will be diagnosed with an osteoporotic fracture and the epidemiological data reflects that prevalence of the osteoporotic fractures is four times more common than having a stroke.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Several investigations have documented that sustained delivery of estrogen can modulate or sustain normal female reproductive functions. However, the literature is lacking scientific evidence regarding the mechanism of estrogen and neuropeptide Y antagonist (NPY) effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The objective of this study was to explore the role of sustained delivery of estrogen and its effects on reproductive unction compared to an antagonist such as NPY.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Stress has been shown to impair reproduction in many species and the hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) has been shown to be the target. Most of the literature evaluated the effects of acute stress and focused solely on the HPA. The literature is lacking in the area of chronic administration of corticosteroid use and effects on the estrous cycle and long term effects on the ovary.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Unlabelled: Reactive oxygen species cause cytotoxic effects. The body requires the uptake of exogenous compounds with antioxidant potential. Black seed (BS) is a plant that contains at least one active lipid soluble antioxidant, thymoquinone.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Inositol 6-phosphate (IP-6) has demonstrated novel anti-cancer activity using several different tumor models. IP-6, a phytoestrogen, has estrogen receptor (ER) binding capabilities that are not known to cause cellular proliferation in hormone sensitive cells. It is hypothesized that IP6 can induce competitive inhibition with estrogen for estrogenic binding sites on cancer cells resulting in decreased proliferation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Genistein is a phytoestrogen that has shown potential as a chemotherapeutic agent, which acts by inhibiting protein-tyrosine kinase and topoisomerase II enzymes. These particular enzymes are crucial for cellular proliferation. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of genistein concentration (0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Androgens may play an important role in promoting the growth of laryngeal carcinomas. The aims of this investigation were to investigate the effects of (testosterone (T) and androstendione (AED)) in the presence of the anti-androgen, spironolactone (S), n Hep-2 cellular proliferation and damage after 24, 48 and 72 hours. Hep-2 cells were divided into six groups (n = 5) control, S, T, AED, S+T, and S+AED, respectively.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The specific aim of this investigation was to utilize TCPL delivery system as a model for estrogen (E) plus progesterone (P) replacement therapy in post-ovariectomized adult rats mimicking a postmenopausal condition. A total of 20 adult female rats were used in this study. The animals were randomly divided into four different groups: groups II, III and IV were ovariectomized (OVX), OVX plus E (40 mg loaded TCPL), and OVX plus E (TCPL, 40 mg) plus P (TCPL, 80 mg) treatment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glucocorticoids such as cortisol are potent immunosuppressive agents that act on many cells of the body, including macrophages. Macrophages express CD14 in response to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) extracted from bacterial coats. The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine if pretreatment of macrophages with cortisol for 30 minutes prior to challenging the cells with endotoxin results in increased cell loss, cell damage (MDA), and suppression of CD14 receptors; and (2) to determine if CD14 receptor expression is able to recover with time.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The quality of tissue repair and the speed with which that repair can be accomplished are the two major variables in the healing of any injury. Today, magnetic field exposure to traumatized areas has shown to be a promising tool in the healing process. The exact mode of action by which radiating and unchanging magnetic fields still has to be elucidated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Most natural estrogens are short-lived, do not accumulate in tissue and are easily broken down in the liver. In contrast to natural estrogens, estrogenic drugs such as ethynylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol, synthetic environmental estrogens such as beta-hexachlorocyclohexane, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and phytoestrogens, are more stable and remain in the body longer than natural estrogens. Because most of these compounds are lipophilic, they tend to accumulate within the fat and tissue of animals and humans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

For centuries, people in the Middle East and Southeast Asia have used Nigella sativa, also known as black seed (BS), for its homeopathic effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the role BS might have on the metabolic biomarkers of the Hep-2 cell line. The experimental design entailed six groups of five wells each (50,000 cells).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nigella sativa (Black seed, BS) has been used to promote health and fight disease for centuries. The objectives of this investigation were: (1) to study whether agents such as cortisol and LPS alone or in combination induce cellular (Hep-2, laryngeal carcinoma) damage with time in culture (24, 48, and 72 hours) using apoptosis as a marker, (2) to determine if an immune stimulant such as BS, can protect Hep-2 cells from insult and ultimately thwart the programmed cells death mechanism. A total of 54 Hep-2 cell/tubes (50,000 cells per tube) were divided into six equal groups.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Recent research in our laboratories has been directed towards the development of ionomeric polymers and monomers for use in biomedical applications such as adhesives, drug delivery matrices and tissue scaffolds. The chemical Hydroquinone (HQ) aids as a stabilizer and represents a major component in the development of the ionomers. However, hydroquinone in high concentration has the potential to initiate carcinogenic effects on cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF