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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Nasal Toxicity Of The Herbicide 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile : Mechanisms And Biomarkers, Fang Xie Jan 2011

The Nasal Toxicity Of The Herbicide 2,6-Dichlorobenzonitrile : Mechanisms And Biomarkers, Fang Xie

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall goal of this study is to investigate mechanisms of the potent nasal specific toxicity of the herbicide 2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile (DCBN) in rodents, and to determine whether DCBN could induce similar nasal toxicity in humans. The central hypotheses are 1) that the nasal specific toxicity of DCBN in rodents is mediated by its electrophilic intermediates that are formed through metabolic activation catalyzed by target tissue cytochrome P450 enzymes (P450) and can interfere with stem cell regeneration and differentiation in the olfactory epithelium (OE); and 2) that human nasal tissues are also capable of catalyzing bioactivation of DCBN. The specific aims …


Gene And Environment Interactions Modulate Immune System Influences On Social Behavior, Yubin Zhang Jan 2011

Gene And Environment Interactions Modulate Immune System Influences On Social Behavior, Yubin Zhang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown etiology, affecting about 1 in 110 children in the US. Here, we show that developmental exposure to anti-brain Abs impaired mouse social behaviors. BTBR mice, a mouse strain with high serum anti-brain Abs and behaviors that resemble autism, have more activated splenic B cells, CD4+ T cells (Th1, Th2 and Th17 subsets), and CD4+ T cells with expression of Vb6 chains than B6 mice (the control H-2 identical strain). Elevated numbers of activated (CD25+) CD4+Vb6+ cells also were detected in thymic preparations. All of the immunological and behavioral parameters of BTBR mice were …


Regulation Of The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor And The Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 1 By Long-Term Estrogen Exposure In Breast Carcinoma Cells, Neal Englert Jan 2011

Regulation Of The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor And The Signal Transducer And Activator Of Transcription 1 By Long-Term Estrogen Exposure In Breast Carcinoma Cells, Neal Englert

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The risk of developing breast cancer is known to be associated with a woman's lifetime exposure to estrogens, both endogenous and exogenous. Increased exposure to estrogens stimulates cellular proliferation, which is a widely accepted theory of estrogen receptor positive mammary carcinogenesis. The molecular mechanisms of gene expression regulation in response to long-term estrogen exposure (LTEE) of MCF-7 breast cancer cells were addressed in this study, with a focus on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1).


The Role Of Androstane Neurosteroids In Alcohol-Mediated Social Behavior, Jason J. Paris Jan 2011

The Role Of Androstane Neurosteroids In Alcohol-Mediated Social Behavior, Jason J. Paris

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Androgenic steroids, such as testosterone, may influence the propensity for aggression in both people and animals. Some of testosterone's effects on aggression may be due, in part, to its metabolic products that are 5á-reduced and 3á-hydroxylated to form, 3á-androstanediol (3á-diol), which can also enhance aggression in mice. Notably, alcohol (EtOH) consumption facilitates aggression in people and animals, particularly among those predisposed to act aggressively. In rats, EtOH can increase 3á-diol in prefrontal cortex, which may facilitate aggression. The present work aimed to elucidate the role of 3á-diol for EtOH-enhanced aggression. We hypothesized that EtOH would enhance inter-male aggression, social dominance, …