Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

[6]-Gingerol: A Novel At1 Antagonist For The Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease (Abstract), Qing Liu, Jinjin Liu, Haili Guo, Shengnan Sun, Shifeng Wang, Yanling Zhang, Shiyou Li, Yanjiang Qiao

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Linking Environmental Toxicant Exposure To Diabetes Susceptibility, Jannifer Beth Tyrrell

Wayne State University Dissertations

An important and unresolved question in the environmental health field is whether exposure to common environmental toxicants, such as dioxin and heavy metals like Pb, increase the risk of developing diabetes, especially in combination with other common metabolic stressors such as obesity.

Previous studies suggested that dioxin exposure increased peripheral insulin resistance but did not appear to cause fasting hyperglycemia or elevated hepatic glucose output. In concordance with those findings we observed that dioxin treatment caused a strong suppression of the expression of the key hepatic gluconeogenic genes PEPCK and G6Pase. However, this suppression was not solely mediated by the …

Psychologists And Medications In The Era Of Interprofessional Care: Collaboration Is Less Problematic And Costly Than Prescribing, William N. Robiner, Tim R. Tumlin, Tanya Tompkins

Faculty Publications

Increasing emphasis on interprofessionalism and teamwork in healthcare renders psychologists’ collaborations critical and invites reexamination of psychologists’ roles related to medications. The Collaboration Level outlined by the APA’s Ad Hoc Task Force is more achievable and in synch with health reform than prescription privileges (RxP). RxP remains controversial due to training and safety concerns, lacking support from health professionals, psychologists, and consumers. Differences in educational preparation of psychologists relative to prescribing professionals are discussed. Enactment of only three of 170 RxP initiatives reveals RxP to be a costly, ineffectual agenda. Alternatives (e.g., integrated care, collaboration, telehealth) increase access without risks …

Determinación Del Efecto Teratogénico En El Desarrollo Del Tejido Óseo En Rattus Norvegicus Cepa Wistar, Inducido Por La Presencia De Arsénico A Concentraciones Encontradas En Aguas De Zimapán, Hidalgo, México, Mireya Quiterio-Pérez, Juan Carlos Gaytán-Oyarzún, Scott Monks, Alberto José Gordillo-Martínez, Francisco Prieto-García

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

En el presente trabajo se evaluaron los posibles efectos teratogénicos del Arsénico (As) de las mismas concentraciones registradas en aguas de Zimapán, Hidalgo, empleando ejemplares de Rattus norvegicus de la cepa Wistar, preñadas. Las cuales se sometieron a diferentes concentraciones de Arsenato de Sodio (1887.91 mg/l, 943.95 mg/l y 0.5 mg/l), la concentración 0.5 mg/l corresponde a la registrada en agua de Zimapán, Hidalgo, así como Trióxido de Cromo (166.0 mg/l) utilizado como control positivo y Sacarosa al 5% como un control negativo. Los ejemplares se expusieron del día 7º al 15º de gestación, y se sacrificaron el día 19º …

Androgen Receptor-Target Genes In African American Prostate Cancer Disparities, Bi-Dar Wang, Qi Yang, Kristin Ceniccola, Fernando Bianco, Ramez Andrawis, Thomas W. Jarrett, Harold A. Frazier, Steven R. Patierno, Norman H. Lee

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

The incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are higher in African American (AA) compared to Caucasian American (CA) men. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying PCa disparities, we employed an integrative approach combining gene expression profiling and pathway and promoter analyses to investigate differential transcriptomes and deregulated signaling pathways in AA versus CA cancers. A comparison of AA and CA PCa specimens identified 1,188 differentially expressed genes. Interestingly, these transcriptional differences were overrepresented in signaling pathways that converged on the androgen receptor (AR), suggesting that the AR may be a unifying oncogenic theme in AA PCa. Gene promoter …

The Analgesic And Anticonvulsant Effects Of Piperine In Mice, I A. Bukhari, M S. Alhumayyd, A L. Mahesar, A H. Gilani

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Piperine, is the major active principal of black pepper. In traditional medicine, black pepper has been used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory agent and in the treatment of epilepsy. This study was conducted to evaluate the in vivo analgesic and anticonvulsant effects of piperine in mice. The analgesic and anticonvulsant effects of piperine were studied in mice using acetic acid-induced writhing, tail flick assay, pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)- and picrotoxin (PIC)-induced seizures models. The intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of piperine (30, 50 and 70 mg/kg) significantly inhibited (P<0.01) the acetic acid-induced writhing in mice, similar to the effect of indomethacin (20 mg/kg i.p.). In the tail flick assay, piperine (30 and 50 mg/kg, i.p.) and morphine (5 mg/kg, i.p.) caused a significant increase (P<0.01) in the reaction time of mice. Pre-treatment of animals with naloxone (5 mg/kg i.p.), reversed the analgesic effects of both piperine and morphine in the tail flick assay. Piperine (30, 50 and 70 mg/kg, i.p.) and standard drugs, valproic acid (200 mg/kg, i.p.), carbamazepine (30 mg/kg, i.p.) and diazepam (1 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly (P<0.01) delayed the onset of PTZ-and PIC-induced seizures in mice. These findings indicate that piperine exhibits analgesic and anticonvulsant effects possibly mediated via opioid and GABA-ergic pathways respectively. Moreover, piperine being the main constituent of black pepper, may be contributing factor in the medicinal uses of black pepper in pain and epilepsy

Polymeric Nanocarriers And Their Oral Inhalation Formulations For The Regional Delivery Of Nucleic Acids To The Lungs, Denise Santos Conti

Wayne State University Dissertations

Gene therapy has attracted attention in the fields of medicine, pharmacy, and bionanotechnology due to the potential for treating a large number of medically relevant diseases. Oral inhalation (OI) is a promising route for the administration of therapeutics, including small molecules and biomacromolecules, such as nucleotides, peptides, and proteins, to (locally) and through (systemically) the lungs. The use of OI is especially attractive for the delivery of nucleic acids as it provides a direct and non-invasive route for targeting the lungs. Pressurized metered-dose inhalers (pMDIs), are the most commonly used OI in treatment of lung diseases and are thus promising …

El Uso De Helmintos Parásitos Como Bioindicadores En La Evaluación De La Calidad Del Agua: Lago De Tecocomulco Vs. Laguna De Metztitlán, Hidalgo, México, Scott Monks, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Christian E. Bautista-Hernández, Berenice Alemán-García, Jorge Falcón-Ordaz, Juan Carlos Gaytán-Oyarzún

Estudios científicos en el estado de Hidalgo y zonas aledañas

Como parte integral de la evaluación de la calidad ambiental del estado de Hidalgo, este estudio tiene énfasis en los helmintos parásitos de los peces y su uso como bioindicadores de la calidad de agua en Lago de Tecocomulco y Laguna de Metztitlán. Como parte del estudio, se obtuvieron los parámetros ecológicos de la infección para cada especie. En Lago Tecocomulco se registraron dos especies de digéneos (larvas), Posthodiplostomum sp. y Diplostomum sp. en el cerebro, los ojos y el mesenterio de dos especies de peces nativos de la zona (Chirostoma jordani y Girardinicthys viviparus); un céstodo (larva), …

The Effects Of Acute Nicotine Administration On Memory Formation And Neural Activity In The Hippocampus, Perirhinal Cortex, And Medial Septum: Implications For Neurodegenerative Disorders, Matthew Wishnoff

Behavioral Neuroscience Honors Papers

Within the general public, nicotine is commonly thought of as a harmful molecule due to its role in tobacco addiction. However, nicotinic stimulation of the cholinergic system has also been shown to enhance cognitive functioning. This enhancement is thought to be caused by an increase in the release of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine (ACh), which is responsible for mediating a variety of cognitive processes, such as REM sleep and memory formation. Recent research by Melichercik and colleagues shows that systemic nicotine administration enhances memory acquisition for both object location and object recognition memory in rats, as assessed by a modified version …

Combined Effects Of Rearing Environment And Lead (Pb2+) Exposure On Visuospatial Learning And Memory In Rats, Nicholas Tolman

Behavioral Neuroscience Honors Papers

Critical periods of neural development occur during early postnatal life that correspond with increases in synaptic plasticity and the formation of neural circuits needed for learning and memory. This development can be profoundly influenced by experience and negatively affected by environmental toxins. Environmental enrichment and lead exposure inversely affect mediators of synaptic plasticity, which suggests that enrichment may have an attenuating effect on lead induced cognitive deficits. A wealth of evidence has indicated that exposure to excessive amounts of inorganic Pb2+ during early development can produce long lasting cognitive deficits in humans. Evidence also suggests that children raised in an …

Chlomid, Niki Smith

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

This poster details the use of Clomid and provides a chemical analysis.

Fine Tuning A Well-Oiled Machine: Influence Of Nk1.1 And Nkg2d On Nkt Cell Development And Function, Sunil K. Joshi, Mark L. Lang

Bioelectrics Publications

Natural killer T cells (NKT) represent a group of CD1d-restricted T-lineage cells that provide a functional interface between innate and adaptive immune responses in infectious disease, cancer, allergy and autoimmunity. There have been remarkable advances in understanding the molecular events that underpin NKT development in the thymus and in the complex array of functions in the periphery. Most functional studies have focused on activation of T cell antigen receptors expressed by NKT cells and their responses to CD1d presentation of glycolipid and related antigens. Receiving less attention has been several molecules that are hallmarks of Natural Killer (NK) cells, but …

Perspectives On Ethanol Toxicity In Medaka Embryogenesis And Possible Protection By Asian Ginseng (Panax Ginseng): Histological And Biochemical Analysis, Mona Hamdi Haron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol is recognized as a classic teratogen capable of inducing a wide range of developmental abnormalities. Alcohol consumption during pregnancy may produce permanent brain damage in the fetus and is associated with the development of a life-long behavioral, social, and cognitive disorder now known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The most clinically recognizable form of FASD is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) which is characterized by specific features including facial dysmorphogenesis, mental dysfunction, growth retardation, and cardiovascular and limb defects. Due to ethical constraints, human studies of FASD are very limited. Therefore our current understanding of FASD is mainly based …

Exposure To Persistent Organic Pollutants And Metabolic Diseases, Zafar Zayirovich Aminov

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a group of diseases that tend to occur together, including diabetes, hypertension, central obesity, cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia. Exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) have been associated with increased risk of development of several of the components of the MetS.

Development And Assessment Of Analytical Methods For Monitoring Current And Historical Exposures To Manganese : Blood, Urine, And Teeth, Meredith Lyn Praamsma

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Manganese, as an essential trace element, is a cofactor in numerous enzymes that aid in bone growth, cholesterol synthesis, and carbohydrate metabolism. Manganese can become toxic with overexposure, potentially leading to neurodegenerative effects and the disease manganism. Manganese concentrations in blood and urine have been widely used in monitoring current exposure and now there is interest in using manganese concentrations in teeth for monitoring historical exposure, especially in utero and in early childhood.

Function And Regulation Of Intestinal P450 Enzymes : Insights From Conditional Cytochrome P450 Reductase Knockout Mouse Models, Yi Zhu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall goal of this thesis work was to investigate the function and regulation of intestinal P450 enzymes (P450s). The central hypotheses are that 1) small intestinal (SI) P450s play an important role in the first-pass clearance of oral drugs and in bioactivation of chemicals that cause intestinal toxicity, 2) endogenous regulatory compounds produced by intestinal P450s are important for protection against chemical-induced colon inflammation, and 3) there is a cross talk between the liver and the SI that helps to maintain the overall xenobiotic-metabolism capacity of the digestive tract.

Impact Of Black Carbon On Global Climate : A Half-Century Of Arctic Black Carbon -- Trends And Sources, Anthony Michael Dejulio

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Abstract

Role Of P450 Enzymes In Tobacco Dependence And Lung Tumorigenesis, Lei Li

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

The overall aim of this study is to better define the roles of P450 enzymes, particularly those in the CYP2A, 2B, and 2F gene subfamilies, in the metabolism and actions of tobacco-related chemicals. Tobacco smoke contains numerous compounds that are deleterious to health, including the primary addictive component nicotine and procarcinogenic compounds, such as naphthalene (NA) and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). Our main hypotheses are i) that CYP2A and 2B enzymes are largely responsible for nicotine metabolism, and they can impact nicotine dependence; and ii) that CYP2A, 2B, and 2F enzymes play important and tissue-specific roles in NA and NNK bioactivation, leading …

Assessment Of Human Exposure To Perchlorate And Perfluoroalkyl Substances In The United States : Biomonitoring And Environmental Monitoring Approaches, Qian Wu

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Perchlorate is an oxidant in solid fuels and explosives and is produced in large quantities worldwide. Perchlorate is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant and is present in water, food, indoor environment and humans. Human exposure to perchlorate is a concern due to its ability to disrupt the thyroid gland functions.

Estimating The Effects Of Urbanization On Carbon Emissions: Evidence In The Philippines, Jerome Abesamis, Jumel Carlo Campos, Cecille Castelle

Angelo King Institute for Economic and Business Studies (AKI)

Urbanization, or the social and economic modernization of metropolitan cities (Poumanyvong & Kaveko, 2010), has obtained unprecedented growth. As an inevitable phase of globalization, it has fuelled society’s consumption patterns, alongside incessant technological development. Mass production and industrialization, the primary thrusts of the global market, require consumption of non-renewable resources arising from the increase in energy usage. These centers of production are concentrated in urban, highly populated areas. This phase of progress, however, comes at the expense of environmental quality. Levels of carbon emissions are concentrated in areas with high population density. This hampers the natural flow of the ecosystem …

The Effect Of Alpha-Cyclodextrin On Acute Blood Lipid And Glycemic Responses To A Fat Containg Meal, Evan Neil Fletcher

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and hyperlipidemia have become major concerns in the United States over the past 30 years. Alpha-Cyclodextrin (á-CD), a naturally occurring soluble dietary fiber, has been shown to reduce dietary fat absorption and improve blood lipid levels in an animal model (mouse and rat) and in human studies. In the current double blind study, 34 healthy male and female participants were recruited to test if á-CD had any acute effect on blood lipid and glycemic responses to a fat containing meal. The participants received the á-CD on one occasion and a placebo the other to determine if there was any …

Oligospermines For Non-Viral Sirna Delivery, Maha Elsayed

Wayne State University Theses

In this thesis, delivery systems for siRNA delivery are introduced with special attention to non-viral vectors. Many successful vectors used in vivo were reviewed. Our work focused on the effect of different architectures of oligospermine polmers on their suitability for siRNA delivery in lung cancer cells. Different archituctures showed different polyplex structures and variable transfection efficiencies. Moreover, we presented a review on nanoimprint lithography techniques with an outlook on possible biological applications in the field of gene and drug delivery.

Does The Use Of Varenicline For Smoking-Cessation Therapy Create Or Increase Depression In Patients Without Existing Depressive Illness?, Brett R. Brown

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not the use of varenicline for smoking-cessation therapy creates or increases depression in patients without existing depressive illness.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized controlled trials published in 2011 and one observational cohort study published in 2009, all English language.
DATA SOURCES: Two randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trials comparing varenicline to placebo in smoking cessation, and one observational cohort study comparing varenicline use within subjects. All articles were found using PubMed and EBSCO.

OUTCOMES MEASURED: Changes in depression was evaluated using the MontgomeryÅsberg Depression Rating Scale …

The Biology And Taxonomy Of Head And Body Lice— Implications For Louse-Borne Disease Prevention, Denise L. Bonilla, Lance A. Durden, Marina E. Eremeeva, Gregory A. Dasch

Environmental Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Sucking lice (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) are obligate blood-feeding ectoparasites of placental mammals including humans. Worldwide, more than 550 species have been described and many are specific to a particular host species of mammal [1]. Three taxa uniquely parasitize humans: the head louse, body louse, and crab (pubic) louse. The body louse, in particular, has epidemiological importance because it is a vector of the causative agents of three important human diseases: epidemic typhus, trench fever, and louse-borne relapsing fever. Since the advent of antibiotics and more effective body louse control measures in the 1940s, these diseases have markedly diminished in incidence. However, …

The Antiinflammatory Action And Pharmacokinetics Of A Novel Glucosamine-Based Di-Peptide Aminosugar, Mohammad H. Gilzad-Kohan, Kamaljit Kaur, Fakhreddin Jamali

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. We have previously shown favorable in vitro gut permeability for three novel dipeptide esters of glucosamine (GlcN) likely facilitated by the peptide transporter 1 (PepT1). Herein, we report the development of a novel assay for the determination of bioavailability of the peptide ester of interest, the anti-inflammatory properties of a glycine-valine ester derivative of GlcN (GVG) as well as its pharmacokinetics under healthy and inflammatory conditions.

Methods. A pre-column derivatization (with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl) HPLC assay was developed to study bioavailability of GVG, GlcN or cleaved GlcN in the rats that were cannulated in their right jugular vein for …

Full Issue: Volume 6, Number 2

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Full Issue: Volume 7, Number 1

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Estimation Of Aerosolized Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria Concentrations From Wastewater Treatment Facilities Using Spatially-Based Dispersion Modeling, Renee Nichole Dickman

Theses and Dissertations

Pathogenic bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics to which they were previously sensitive, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality worldwide [1]. The increase in drug resistance in bacteria is an emerging public health concern. The activated sludge tanks of wastewater treatment plants are known sources of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These resistant bacteria can become aerosolized and disperse downwind. Using previously sampled aerosol concentrations and meteorological data, a Gaussian dispersion model was developed to estimate the concentration downwind from a selected wastewater treatment facility. The emission rate was calculated to be 7,941 CFU/m²/sec ± 2,149 CFU/m²/sec. This value was used in …

Predicting Barriers To Primary Care For Patients With Disabilities: A Mixed Methods Study Of Practice Administrators, Jennifer Renee Pharr, Michelle Chino

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Background. People with disabilities continue to be identified as a group who experience disparate health/health care. They are less likely to engage in some health care services. Structural barriers are often identified as one of the reasons for the underutilization of some health care services by people with disabilities. However, to date no study has been conducted to understand why structural barriers persist twenty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law.

Objectives. We examined the relationship between primary care practice administrators’ knowledge of the ADA and the number of accessibility barriers that patients with mobility disabilities might …

Molecular Mechanisms By Which C-Abl And Arg Mediate Melanoma Invasion And Metastasis, Sourik S. Ganguly

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Metastasis is one of the main causes of death in cancer patients. Metastatic melanoma is a death sentence, as chemotherapeutic agents have a 5% success rate or do not extend survival beyond 10 months. The lack of effective chemotherapeutic agents for treating metastatic melanoma indicates a dire need to identify new drug targets and develop new therapies. Our lab has previously shown that the kinase activity of Abelson family of non-receptor tyrosine kinases (c-Abl and Arg) is elevated in invasive breast cancer cell lines as compared to non-invasive cell lines. Previous studies from our lab have shown that Abl …