Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

With Love, ; An Interdisciplinary And Intersectional Look At Why Creativity Is Essential, Theo Starr Gardner

Whittier Scholars Program

My Whittier Scholars Program self-designed major, Teaching Creativity, is a mixture of Art, Literature, and Education classes. My research and praxis classes have been focused on the ‘how?’s and 'why?’s of creativity, so it felt only right that my project should be a constructivist, generative project. The project I have been working on throughout my time at Whittier, and that has just fully come to fruition on April 11th, 2024, was a solo art gallery/open mic event entitled ‘With Love,’. With Love, was conceptually inspired by the research I’ve conducted on creativity and creative arts education over the past few …

Toxicological Effects And Treatment Of Accidental Ingestion Of Simparica Trio® In Felis Catus: An Investigative Review, Aussia Stander

Honors Theses

Simparica TRIO^®, a canine endectocide manufactured by Zoetis, contains sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel pamoate salt in an orally administered chewable tablet. These compounds are all toxic to both cats and dogs in sufficient amounts. As Simparica TRIO^® rises in popularity among pet owners, Felis catus (felines, cats) in multi-pet households (households with both cats and dogs) are at increased risk of overdosage and toxicosis from accidental ingestion of Simparica TRIO^® due to their smaller weight.

Simparica TRIO^® is not for feline use and little literature exists on the symptoms of and treatment for accidental ingestion …

The Effect Of The Glucocorticoid Receptor Modulator, Safit, On Acute Stress Reactivity In A Rat Model Of Abusive Head Trauma, Brielle Coe

Tower Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

The Revolutionary St. Louis Insane Asylum, Julia Talbert

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Even with its grand structure on Arsenal Street towering over the city below, few residents of St. Louis and surrounding areas are aware of the grand history or even existence of the St. Louis Insane Asylum. The building is over 150 years old and was a place of hope, failure, strife, and empathy. The asylum had a large impact on St. Louis and provided revolutionary outlooks, unique perspectives, and curious therapies.

In Silico Identification Of Small Molecule Agonist Binding Sites On Kcc2, Kenyon Mitchell, Alfred Amendolara, Ruth Hunter, Jaden Miner, Andrew Payne

Annual Research Symposium

Purpose: Potassium-Chloride Cotransporter 2 (KCC2) is a neuronal membrane protein specific to the central nervous system. It is responsible for removing Cl- ions from the intracellular space, maintaining a normal Cl- gradient essential for proper function at inhibitory synapses. Dysregulation causes an upward shift in the Cl- reversal potential resulting in a hyperexcitable state of the postsynaptic neuron. Existing literature indicates that KCC2 may be involved in the addiction pathway of a variety of drugs of abuse, including opioids and alcohol. This makes KCC2 an attractive potential drug target when treating substance use disorders. A novel direct KCC2 agonist, VU0500469, …

Analyzing Trends In Ground-Level Ozone, Keily Hart

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

In the last few decades, concerns regarding air pollution have led to many new laws and regulations being put into place to mitigate the e↵ects of pollution on the environment and humanity as a whole. This paper analyzes several decades’ worth of ground-level ozone readings in six of the largest metropolitan areas in Texas, using data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These regions include the Austin-Round Rock area, Corpus Christi, the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area, El Paso, the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area, and the San Antonio-New Braunfels area. We identify trends in these readings using the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. …

The Interaction Of Sodium Fluoride And Sodium Selenate On The Developmental Toxicity To Xenopus Laevis And Ambystoma Maculatum Embryos, Shelby Wolfram

Theses

Amphibians play critical roles in the environment's wellness. Fluoride (F) is a widely existing environmental pollutant. It is commonly known for being added to drinking water and as a topical dose on teeth. Selenium (Se) can be found in organic and inorganic forms in nature. Many different fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, and fungicides contain sodium selenate in them. The range selenium has between deficiency and toxicity is narrow, meaning excess exposure could cause various adverse effects in aquatic organisms. Xenopus laevis is a standard model for developmental toxicity due to being minimal maintenance, cost efficient, and having transparent embryos. Xenopus makes …

Safety Of Potentised Dilutions Of Rhus Toxicodendron In Wistar Albino Rats, Abanti Goswami, Narasimha Kumar Gv, Vara Prasad Saka, Pankaj Gupta, Bibaswan Biswas, Digvijay Verma

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus tox.) is a well-known homoeopathic medicine used to treat inflammatory disorders supported by historical and modern scientific evidence. Objective: The safety testing of 6C, 30C and 200C potencies of Rhus tox. through acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests as per the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development test guidelines. Methods: For the acute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (2000 μL/kg) was administered to rats and observed for 14 days. For the subacute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (200 μL/kg) was administered for 28 days and additional recovery groups were included to monitor reversibility, persistence, or delayed …

Toxicity Of Three Species Of The Solanaceae Family Growing In Algeria Against Culiseta Longiareolata Mosquitos 4th Stage Larvae, Saliha Benhissen, Abdelmaddjid Yagoub Asloum, Nora Belkhiri, Zakaria Hedjouli, Siham Bounadji, Wafa Habbachi, Khellaf Rebbas

Journal of Bioresource Management

Mosquitoes have always been considered a source of harm to humans and animals mainly because they can be vectors of disease. This work represents a study on the effect of aqueous extract of three plants (Hyoscyamus albus, Solanum elaeagnifolium, Solanum nigrum) of the Solanaceae family on the mortality of 4th stage larvae of Culiseta longiareolata larvae. Extract of the high impact is of S. nigrum followed by H. albus and S. elaeagnifolium, respectivley of C. longiareolata larvae.

Pediatric Beta Blocker Therapy: A Comprehensive Review Of Development And Genetic Variation To Guide Precision-Based Therapy In Children, Adolescents, And Young Adults., Mollie Walton, Jonathan B. Wagner

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Beta adrenergic receptor antagonists, known as beta blockers, are one of the most prescribed medications in both pediatric and adult cardiology. Unfortunately, most of these agents utilized in the pediatric clinical setting are prescribed off-label. Despite regulatory efforts aimed at increasing pediatric drug labeling, a majority of pediatric cardiovascular drug agents continue to lack pediatric-specific data to inform precision dosing for children, adolescents, and young adults. Adding to this complexity is the contribution of development (ontogeny) and genetic variation towards the variability in drug disposition and response. In the absence of current prospective trials, the purpose of this comprehensive review …

An Acute Herb-Drug Interaction Of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex With Methotrexate Via Inhibiting Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 2, Chung-Ping Yu, Pei-Ying Li, Szu-Yu Chen, Shiuan-Pey Lin, Ying-Chen Chen, Lu-Ching Ho, Yow-Wen Hsieh, Yu-Chi Hou

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex (MOC), an herbal drug, contains polyphenolic lignans mainly magnolol (MN) and honokiol (HK). Methotrexate (MTX), a critical drug for cancers and autoimmune deseases, is a substrate of multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP). This study investigated the effect of coadministration of MOC on the pharmacokinetics of MTX and relevant mechanisms. Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered MTX alone and with single dose (2.0 and 4.0 g/kg) and repeated seven doses of MOC (2.0 g/kg thrice daily for 2 days, the 7th dose given at 0.5 h before MTX). The serum concentrations of MTX …

An Auxiliary Strategy Of Partial Least Squares Regression In Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Studies: A Case Of Application Of Guhong Injection In Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Rats, Hai-Yang Chen, Chang Li, Chong-Yu Shao, Yu-Jia Wu, Hai-Tong Wan, Yu He

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Guhong injection (GHI) has been applied in the therapy of cardio-cerebrovascular disease in clinic, but there is no report about the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) research on GHI treating myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury in rats. In this study, eight compounds of GHI in plasma, including N-acetyl-L-glutamine (NAG), chlorogenic acid (CGA), hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), p-coumaric acid (pCA), rutin, hyperoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside, were quantified by LC-MS/MS. We discovered that the values of t_1/2β, k₁₂, V₂, and CL₂ were larger than those of t_1/2α, k₂₁, V₁, and …

Ionizable Copolymer Functionalized Magnetic Nanocomposite As An Adsorbent For Boosting The Extraction Selectivity Of Aristolochic Acids, Qi-Yue Xie, Yang Chen, Chang-Jun Li, Jia-Bin Zhang, Xiu-Jun Cao, Jun Lu

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) has drawn increasing public attention. Organic anion transporters (OATs) are considered to be responsible for mediating nephrotoxicity of aristolochic acids (AAs), as AAs are typical OAT1 substrates that exhibit anionic properties and contain one hydrophobic domain. Inspired by the OAT1 three-dimensional structure or substrate/protein interactions involved in transport, we designed a magnetic polymeric hybrid, mimicking the effect of basic and aromatic residues of OAT1, for efficient enriching aristolochic acid I (AA I) and aristolochic acid II (AA II) in Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPM). N, N-dimethylaminopropyl acrylamide (DMAPAm) was used as a cationic monomer and copolymerized …

Effect Of Indian Gooseberry Extract On Improving Methylglyoxal-Associated Leptin Resistance In Peripheral Tissues Of High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats, Sheng-Yi Chen, Yue-Ning Huang, Jer-An Lin, Gow-Chin Yen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Increased leptin resistance and methylglyoxal (MG) levels are observed in obese patients. However, whether MG deposits contribute to leptin resistance, oxidative stress, and inflammation in peripheral tissues remains unclear. In addition, the edible fruit of Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica L.) contains abundant bioactive components such asvitamin C, β-glucogallin (β-glu), gallic acid (GA), and ellagic acid (EA). Water extract of Indian gooseberry fruit (WEIG) and GA has been shown to improve cognitive decline by suppressing brain MG-induced insulin resistance in rats administered a high-fat diet (HFD). Accordingly, this study investigated the functions of WEIG and GA in inhibiting MG-induced leptin …

Pomelo (Citrus Grandis (L.) Osbeck) Sponge Layers As A Potential Source Of Soluble Dietary Fiber: Evaluation Of Its Physicochemical, Structural And Functional Properties, Xiaowei Chen, Jiajia Chen, Jian Peng, Yuanshan Yu, Jijun Wu, Jing Wen, Zhiying Kang, Yanhui Wang, Yujuan Xu, Lu Li

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Pomelo sponge layer (PSL) had been considered as a potential source of soluble dietary fiber (SDF), while they were mostly disposed of as waste. To promote high-value utilization of pomelo wastes, this study extracted SDF from PSL of six varieties of pomelo, and their physicochemical, structural and functional properties were investigated. Results indicated that all PSL-SDFs showed good physicochemical and functional properties. Among them, PSL-SDF from grapefruit (GRSDF) showed better water holding capacity and swelling capacity, whereas Shatian pomelo PSL-SDF and Guanxi pomelo PSL-SDF had the highest thermal stability and oil holding capacity, respectively. Furthermore, compared with other PSL-SDFs, GRSDF …

Trans-2-Nonadecyl-4-(Hydroxymethyl)-1,3-Dioxolane (Tnhd) Purified From Freshwater Clams Markedly Alleviates Dimethylnitrosamine-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis, Ya-Ru Kuo, Chen-Yu Tsai, Wei-Sheng Lin, Chi-I Chang, Ching-Shu Lai, Min-Hsiung Pan

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Liver fibrosis occurs due to injury or inflammation, which results in the excessive production of collagen and the formation of fibrotic scar tissue that impairs liver function. Despite the limited treatment options available, freshwater clams may hold promise in the treatment of liver fibrosis. In this study, we demonstrated the effects of ethanol extract of freshwater clam (FCE), ethyl acetate extract of FCE (EA-FCE), and trans-2-nonadecyl-4-(hydroxymethyl)-1,3-dioxolane (TNHD) on liver fibrosis induced by dimethylnitrosamine (DMN). Administration of FCE and TNHD alleviated liver injury, including tissue damage, necrosis, inflammation scores, fibrosis scores, serum enzymes, and triglyceride levels. Furthermore, we analyzed the expression …

Environmental Health Assessments For Foodborne Illness Outbreaks In The United States From 2017- 2019, Alyssa Shontel Woods

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Individual cases of foodborne illness can lead to outbreaks that result in severe morbidity and fatality. As the United States’ food scene continues to evolve and diversify, there is a need to consider cultural variations and how they may affect food safety practices. This quantitative study, based on the National Environmental Assessment Reporting System (NEARS) data, grounded in the socio-ecological model, examined the prevalence and factors associated with salmonella outbreaks in ethnic versus non-ethnic food service establishments (FSEs) in the U.S. from 2017 to 2019. The research questions involved understanding the relationship between the primary language spoken, food safety training, …

Co-Crystallization Of Urea Granules For Slower Dissolution, Vidya Nagaraju, Carl Wassgren, Kingsly Ambrose

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Co-crystals are multicomponent crystals formed through hydrogen bond interactions. Co-crystallization, the process of developing cocrystals, serves as a versatile approach for discovering new solid forms of active ingredients (AIs) that can alter physical properties such as solubility, dissolution rates, and stability. These co-crystals can be produced through three main methods: solid-state methods, solution-based methods, and supercritical fluid methods. Recently, the solid-state (mechanochemical) method of developing cocrystals has gained more attention from researchers in the development of slow-release urea fertilizers. This technique can also be applied to the development of urease inhibitors. These multicomponent crystals present a potential solution to the …

Human Mitragynine And 7-Hydroxymitragynine Pharmacokinetics After Single And Multiple Daily Doses Of Oral Encapsulated Dried Kratom Leaf Powder, Marilyn A. Huestis, Martin A. Brett, John Bothmer, Ramsey Atallah

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

Kratom leaves, consumed by millions worldwide as tea or ground leaf powder, contain multiple alkaloids, with mitragynine being the most abundant and responsible for most effects. Mitragynine is a partial µ-opioid receptor agonist and competitive antagonist at κ- and δ-opioid receptors; however, unlike morphine, it does not activate the β-arrestin-2 respiratory depression pathway. Due to few human mitragynine data, the largest randomized, between-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation study of 500–4000 mg dried kratom leaf powder (6.65–53.2 mg mitragynine) was conducted. LC-MS/MS mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine plasma concentrations were obtained after single and 15 daily doses. Mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine C_max increased dose …

Evaluation Of Novel Therapeutic Agents For The Treatment Of Chronic Dry Eyes, Lilian Huynh, Evonie Villarete, Surajit Dey

Annual Research Symposium

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular condition, where disrupted tear film stability and ocular surface inflammation affected between 5% to 34% of the worldwide population in 2015 and posed a challenge to conventional ophthalmic treatments. Recent advances have led to potential novel therapeutics aiming to alleviate symptoms and improve patient outcomes.

Metabolic Stability And Metabolite Identification Of N-Ethyl Pentedrone Using Rat, Mouse And Human Liver Microsomes, Alexandre Barcia Godoi, Natalícia De Jesus Antunes, Kelly Francisco Cunha, Aline Franco Martins, Marilyn A. Huestis, Jose Luiz Costa

Institute of Emerging Health Professions Faculty Papers

New Psychoactive Substances (NPSs) are defined as a group of substances produced from molecular modifications of traditional drugs. These molecules represent a public health problem since information about their metabolites and toxicity is poorly understood. N-ethyl pentedrone (NEP) is an NPS that was identified in the illicit market for the first time in the mid-2010s, with four intoxication cases later described in the literature. This study aims to evaluate the metabolic stability of NEP as well as to identify its metabolites using three liver microsomes models. To investigate metabolic stability, NEP was incubated with rat (RLM), mouse (MLM) and human …

The Effect Of Caffeine On Bee Behavior: A Progressive Ratio Study, Kayle Cohen, Becky Hansis-O'Neill, Aimee Dunlap Dr

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This presentation focuses on the effect of caffeine on bee behavior using behavioral pharmacology methodologies. Researchers trained bumblebees to drink out of artificial flowers, then administered sucrose nectar or caffeinated sucrose nectar during a schedule of progressive and fixed ratios. The finding suggests that caffeine did increase the number of rewards during the fixed ratio, but not in the progressive ratio. However, research is still ongoing as bees continue to be tested..

Comparing Effects Of Atrazine Exposure On Neuroendocrine Molecular Targets At Two Developmental Exposure Periods In The Zebrafish, Jenna Swihart

The Journal of Purdue Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Fostering Environmental Sustainability Through Early Childhood Education(Ece)., Tahira Jabeen, Fozia Parveen, Nasima Shakeel

Books

No abstract provided.

Lake Water Chemistry And Local Adaptation Shape Nacl Toxicity In Daphnia Ambigua, Mary Alta Rogalski, Elizabeth S. Baker, Clara M. Benadon

Biology Faculty Publications

Increasing application of road deicing agents (e.g., NaCl) has caused widespread salinization of freshwater environments. Chronic exposure to toxic NaCl levels can impact freshwater biota at genome to ecosystem scales, yet the degree of harm caused by road salt pollution is likely to vary among habitats and populations. The background ion chemistry of freshwater environments may strongly impact NaCl toxicity, with greater harm occurring in ion-poor, soft water conditions. In addition, populations exposed to salinization may evolve increased NaCl tolerance. Notably, if organisms are adapted to their natal lake water chemistry, toxicity responses may also vary among populations in a …

Braving The Elements: Loss Of Metals From Mardi Gras Beads Due To Handling And Weathering, Thomas O. Carmichael, Ruth H. Carmichael

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The largest Mardi Gras celebrations in the U.S. are found along the Gulf of Mexico coast. With increasing awareness of and concern for environmental and human health risks due to pollution from Mardi Gras celebrations, there is a need for studies to quantify potential harms. We conducted a 2—part study to determine whether use—related handling and weathering of common Mardi Gras beaded necklaces results in loss of potentially harmful metals to the environment at levels of ecological or human health concern. Our data indicate that weathering and use—related handling can cause metals to be shed from the metallic coating of …

Lead Bioaccessibility And Commonly Measured Soil Characteristics (Detroit, Mi, Usa) – Phase 1, Sabrina R. Good, Allison R. Harris, Patrick Crouch, Conor T. Gowan, William D. Shuster, Shawn P. Mcelmurry

Open Data at Wayne State

Contaminated urban soil is one of the major contributors to child Pb exposure. To gain a better understanding of Pb risk in urban areas, composite samples were collected from 142 residential, privately owned, parcels in Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park, Michigan, with approval from the property owners. The proximity of soil sampling and former smelter locations were also reported. Sample were collected from areas covered with turf grass. Four samples were collected, one from each cardinal direction (north, south, east, and west), 20 cm from an aluminum tent stake driven into the center of the sampling site. Soils were collected …

A Conservation Model: Costa Rican Conservation Strategies Effectively Preserve Their Threatened Primates, Ryan Belmont

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The wildlife of Costa Rica has experienced various anthropogenic threats over the last century including climate change and agricultural expansion. The mantled howler monkey (Alloutta palliata), Central American spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi), white-faced capuchin (Cebus imitator), and the Central American squirrel monkey (Saimiri oerstedii) are Costa Rica’s native primates that face several anthropogenic threats such as deforestation for agriculture and climate change. In response to increased threats to its four native species of non-human primates, Costa Rica has implemented effective governmental conservation tactics such as the Payments for Environmental Services program, ecotourism …

Photoluminescence Switching In Quantum Dots Connected With Fluorinated And Hydrogenated Photochromic Molecules, Ephraiem S. Sarabamoun, Jonathan M. Bietsch, Pramod Aryal, Amelia G. Reid, Maurice Curran, Grayson Johnson, Esther H. R. Tsai, Charles W. Machan, Guijun Wang, Joshua J. Choi

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We investigate switching of photoluminescence (PL) from PbS quantum dots (QDs) crosslinked with two different types of photochromic diarylethene molecules, 4,4'-(1-cyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid] (1H) and 4,4'-(1-perfluorocyclopentene-1,2-diyl)bis[5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic acid] (2F). Our results show that the QDs crosslinked with the hydrogenated molecule (1H) exhibit a greater amount of switching in photoluminescence intensity compared to QDs crosslinked with the fluorinated molecule (2F). With a combination of differential pulse voltammetry and density functional theory, we attribute the different amount of PL switching to the different energy levels between 1H and 2F molecules which result in different potential barrier …

Characterization Of A Pathological Tau Point Mutation, E342v, Implicated In Frontotemporal Dementia, Liam Clancy

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is classified as a Tauopathy, a group of heterogenous neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the abnormal functioning of a microtubule associated protein (MAP), Tau. Microtubules, an integral cytoskeletal component in neurons, are thought to be stabilized by Tau. In disease states such as FTD, a reduction in binding affinity of Tau for the microtubule is believed to lead to intraneural Tau deposition and aggregation, which subsequently causes microtubule instability. Consequently, neuronal health is compromised and an array of brain functions decline creating the symptomology seen in FTD. However, it is now known that Tau has a myriad of …