Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Endothelin-1 In The Failing Fontan: Pathobiology, Precision Therapeutics, And Future Trial Design, Iman Maiza

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

The Fontan circulation, devised as definitive palliation for single-ventricle congenital heart disease, imposes systemic venous hypertension, loss of pulmonary arterial pulsatility, and restricted preload reserve. These hemodynamic trade-offs progressively injure the pulmonary vasculature, liver, and lymphatic system, producing late morbidities including elevated pulmonary vascular resistance, Fontan-associated liver disease (FALD), protein-losing enteropathy, and arrhythmias. Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a potent vasoconstrictor and profibrotic mediator, plausibly unifies these complications. Mechanistic studies demonstrate ET-1 upregulation in failed Fontan lungs, activating PLC–Ca²⁺, RhoA/ROCK, and MAPK/ERK cascades to drive vasoconstriction and remodeling. In cirrhotic livers, ET-1 localizes to stellate cells, promoting contraction and fibrogenesis, mechanisms biologically relevant …

Vape Counseling At Pediatric Practices: The Rethink Vape Toolkit, Paul T. Harrell, Ann L. Edwards, Natasha K. Sriraman, Rebecca J. Slimak, Anisha S. Vanka, Amy C. Paulson, Kelli J. England

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction:

E-cigarettes (Vapes) represent the most common form of tobacco used by adolescents, with one out of every 29 (3.5%) middle school students and one in every 13 (7.8%) of high school students vaping daily. This project aimed to increase vape screening and prevention education in youth visits at pediatric practices, to increase provider comfort with the topic of vaping, and to evaluate this educational process.

Methods:

A provider training and resource modules (talking points, billing codes, and shareable parent/teen-tailored resources) were developed. Providers (N = 32) completed an anonymous pre/postsurvey regarding their knowledge, comfort levels, barriers, and practices related …

Confessions In Cases Of Child Physical Abuse - A Capnet Study, Margaret R. Russell, Antoinette L. Laskey, Henry T. Puls, Suzanne P. Starling, Joanne N. Wood, Daniel M. Lindberg, Nancy S. Harper, Caitlin R. Mcnamara, Angela N. Bachim, Farah W. Brink, Lori D. Frasier, James D. Anderst, Porcia Vaughn, Kristine A. Campbell

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Objective

Prior research on confessions of physical abuse (PA) has explored mechanisms of injury. Little is known about conditions supporting a confession of abuse or how confessions may influence case outcomes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study of suspected PA in children age < 10 years at 10 centers participating in CAPNET, a multicenter child PA research network, included children with in-person Child Abuse Pediatrics (CAP) consultations between Feb 2021-Dec 2022 and excluded children without injury. Our focus was a confession of inflicted injury known to the CAP during clinical involvement. We compared child and clinical characteristics, out-of-home (OOH) placements, and arrests between cases with and without confessions. Multivariable models using generalized estimating equations (GEE) produced adjusted predicted probabilities (APP) clustering by CAPNET site.

Results

Confessions were known to CAPs in 115/4297 (2.7%) cases, with significant site variability. In a multivariable GEE model, confessions were more likely in cases with injuries with high-specificity for abuse (APP 6.0% vs 1.5%, p< 0.001), near-fatality (APP 5.5% vs 2.3%, p< 0.001), and older children (APP 4.8% vs 2.5%, p = 0.025). OOH placements and arrests were more common in cases with confessions. CAP awareness of confessions, OOH placements, and arrests did not follow racial or ethnic patterns seen in the US child welfare system. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with OOH placements and arrests but not CAP awareness of confessions.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight differences in case characteristics and outcomes where a confession is known to the CAP and raise questions about agency …

Causal Effect Estimates Of Online E-Cigarette Marketing Exposure On Future E-Cigarette Harm Perception And Use, Paul T. Harrell, Nicholas T. Williams, Kara E. Rudolph, Rachel Ayala Guzman, Ateeqa Ijaz, Nicole Rychagov, Aaron Null, Silvia S. Martins

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

Globally, over 10 million youth use e-cigarettes; United States use, in particular, dramatically rose in the late 2010's, exceeding year-over-year increases from any other substance in over four decades. This rise has been partially attributed to youth online e-cigarette marketing exposure, but has not been appropriately studied.

Methods

We examined youth data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) spanning the dramatic increase period (Waves 4, 4.5, and 5; 2016-2019). We estimated average risk differences (RD) for Wave 5 e-cigarette harmfulness perception and use comparing all youth versus no youth reporting past-month online e-cigarette marketing exposure in …

Bortezomib And Vorinostat In Combination With Mitoxantrone, Dexamethasone, And Pegasparaginase During Induction And Reinduction For Infants With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia: A Multicentre Single-Arm Phase 1/2 Study, Tanja A. Gruber, Sima Jeha, Rebecca J. Deyell, Victor Lewis, Bill H. Chang, Eric J. Lowe, Jamie Frediani, Catherine Vezina, Bruno Michon, Michael Richards, Erin H. Breese, Thai-Hoa Tran, Norman Lacayo, Christine Bolen, Sunil Desai, Jennifer L. Pauley, Minxuan Huang, Emily Ashcraft, Cheng Cheng, Kirk R. Schultz, Linda Stork, Krysta Schlis, Van T. Huynh, Nathan Gossai, Yoav H. Messinger, Henrique Bittencourt, Terzah M. Horton, Uma Athale, Duncan Stearns, Deborah Schiff, Paul S. Gaynon

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in infants remains a therapeutic challenge. In preclinical studies we previously identified bortezomib and vorinostat as active agents against KMT2A rearranged (KMT2Ar) leukaemia. The aim of this study was to determine the tolerability of incorporating bortezomib and vorinostat into an acute lymphoblastic leukaemia-chemotherapy backbone for newly diagnosed infants with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia both with and without KMT2Ar.

Methods: In this single-arm phase 1/2 study conducted at 18 hospitals in the USA and Canada, we enrolled patients aged 1 year or younger at the time of diagnosis with newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or undifferentiated leukaemia (with …

Incorporating New Guidelines Into School-Based Asthma Management, Jessica Michala Jindra, Angela Duff Hogan

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Purpose of the Review

The aim of this review is to identify barriers and provide solutions to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroid-formoterol as rescue therapy within schools.

Recent findings

GINA guidelines in 2019 and NAEPP in 2020 recommended inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler over the traditional short-acting beta-agonist.

Summary

The findings discussed in this article describe the barriers to the implementation of inhaled corticosteroids combined with formoterol for a rescue inhaler in school systems. Traditional asthma action plans, school nursing and parental education, and differences in dosing are some barriers identified. This paper provides solutions for …

35 Individuals With Huwe1-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder And Suggested Clinical Evaluations, Mindy H. Li, Deziree L. Coleman, Kelsey Hogan, Danielle Luz, Lindsay Bhandari, Newell Belnap, Tiffany Busa, Charles Coutton, Klaus Dieterich, Svetlana Gorokhova, Clara Hildebrandt, Rachel Logan, Milena Mariani, Manuela Morleo, Vincenzo Nigro, John Pappas, Rachel Rabin, Kelly Schoch, Angelo Selicorni, Vandana Shashi, Rebecca Spillman, Jennifer Sullivan, Charlotte Tardy, Samantha A. Schrier Vergano, Brock Grill, Kristin Baranano

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

HUWE1 (HECT, UBA, and WWE Domain Containing E3 Ubiquitin Protein Ligase1, OMIM 300697), located at Xp11.22, encodes a ubiquitin ligase that is highly conserved across species. Genetic variants in HUWE1 described in multiple independent studies cause X-linked intellectual disability, including in the patients identified by Juberg, Marsidi, and Brooks. This report describes 35 additional cases of individuals with variants in HUWE1 and suggested guidelines for clinical management. Our study includes several female cases, which have not been widely reported previously. Our findings confirm earlier reported clinical features including developmental delay, autism, hypotonia, short stature, and dysmorphic facial features as well …

Gender Differences In The Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And Drug Use: Findings From A Community-Based Survey In China, Hongyun Fu, Elizabeth Monk-Turner, Xiushi Yang

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background

While adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are widely recognized risk factors for behavioral health problems, including drug use, prior research has largely been conducted in Western countries, focused primarily on males, and relied on convenience samples without comparison groups of nonusers. Limited work has examined the impact of ACEs on drug use in non-Western contexts. This study examines gender differences in the relationship between ACEs and drug use in China, using data from a population-based probability sample survey.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data were collected in 2019 from one city in Yunnan Province in Southwest China and one city in Guangdong Province …

Empowering Caregivers, Protecting Patients: An Ambulatory Central Line Quality Improvement Initiative For Education And Follow-Up, Elizabeth Martinez, Belinda Bordeaux, Stephanie Langevin, Cristina Herrera, Mary Smith, Merissa Doyle, Barbara Stein, Kimberly Poshar, Marissa Dunlap, Allison Silva, Eric Werner

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Preventing ambulatory central line-associated bloodstream infections (A-CLABSIs) is challenging due to inconsistent education, follow-up, and home care practices. Pediatric intestinal failure (IF) patients are particularly vulnerable. This institution aimed to decrease its IF A-CLABSI rate by 25% within 2 years through a standardized, step-by-step central line care education program.

Methods: Using the Toyota problem-solving method, the team reviewed data and performed a root cause analysis of the prioritized problem, implementing a 2-phase education program. Phase 1 delivered in-hospital education using videos, handouts, and hands-on teaching with skill demonstration. The existing pediatric central line skills class was expanded and offered …

Type 2-Low Asthma: Epidemiology, Multiomics, And Emerging Therapies, Philip Mendez, Alanis Rosado, Juan Carlos Cardet

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Purpose of Review

Type 2-low (T2-low) asthma, characterized by low blood and sputum eosinophils and low fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), remains a major unmet need because of frequent corticosteroid insensitivity and a lack of targeted therapies. This review summarizes recent advances in its epidemiology, multiomics, and therapeutic landscape.

Recent findings

T2-low inflammation is highly prevalent, affecting approximately 14%-39% of adults with current asthma and up to 60% of children. Its pathogenesis reflects complex non-T2 mechanisms, including IL-17 signaling, innate immune activation through IL-1β and IL-33, and neutrophilic inflammation. Heterogeneity is further shaped by systemic factors such as obesity and …

The Effect Of In-Game Cervical Exercises On Shoulder Internal Rotation Range Of Motion And External Rotator Strength In Baseball Pitchers, Vincent Ceasrine, Christine Ferraro, Jason K. Grimes

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background

Consensus is lacking regarding the underlying cause of two prevalent risk factors for shoulder and elbow pain in overhead throwing athletes: loss of shoulder internal rotation (IR) range of motion (ROM) and strength of the external rotators (ER). Consideration of cervical spine contribution may have important implications for rehabilitation and coaching of overhead throwers.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of performing active cervical retraction and retraction with extension exercises between innings of pitching a simulated game on shoulder IR ROM and ER strength following completion of the game.

Study Design

Randomized controlled study …

Planning A Clinical Practice Guideline Revision For A Core Set Of Outcome Measures In Adults Undergoing Neurologic Physical Therapy, Part 1: Assessing Dissemination And Scholarly Uptake, Jennifer Moore, Jane E. Sullivan, Marghuretta D. Bland, Wendy Romney, Elizabeth Anderl, Zeynep Gulen Erkoc, Kristen Potter

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Introduction

Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) facilitate evidence-based decision-making and standardising care, yet their dissemination and scholarly uptake vary widely. The Core Set of Outcome Measures for Adults With Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation CPG (Core Set) has been broadly referenced within neurologic physical therapy. As the next revision approaches, understanding its scholarly influence, citation patterns, and published feedback is essential. This study evaluated the dissemination and use of the Core Set across the peer-reviewed literature and identified areas for refinement.

Methods

A medical librarian conducted comprehensive searches of Web of Science, CINAHL, and Scopus to identify peer-reviewed English-language articles citing the …

Planning A Clinical Practice Guideline Revision For A Core Set Of Outcome Measures In Adults Undergoing Neurologic Physical Therapy, Part 2: Determining Stakeholders' Uptake And Recommendations, Jane E. Sullivan, Kristen Potter, Marghuretta D. Bland, Elizabeth Anderl, Wendy Romney, Zeynep Gulen Erkoc, Jennifer Moore

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Objective: To determine the uptake and recommendations for revision of the 2018 Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG): Core Set Outcome Measures for Adults with Neurologic Conditions Undergoing Rehabilitation.

Design: Online Survey

Setting: Online with participants from multiple settings.

Participants: Licensed physical therapists (PT) or physical therapist assistants (PTA) or a non-PT supervisor of PTs and/or PTAs.

Interventions: N/A.

Main Outcome Measures:  An online survey was developed to determine respondents' knowledge, perceived benefits, challenges, gaps, and modifications made to the 2018 CPG as well as to ascertain respondents' recommendations for the CPG revision. Data were analyzed descriptively by respondent role (clinician, educator/researcher, …

Beyond Weight Loss: Effects Of Trx Suspension Training Combined With Caloric Restriction On Thyroid Function And Mental Well-Being In Obese Hypothyroid Women, Siavash Naddafha, Christopher Taber

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background

The rate of metabolism decreases in hypothyroid patients; hypothyroidism is associated with body mass increases; due to this and other factors, depression, anxiety, and stress increase, which, alongside the disease state and psychological problems, causes the quality of life to suffer.

Objectives

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of caloric restriction along with TRX exercise on body mass, thyroid hormones, and psychological measures in obese and overweight women with hypothyroidism.

Methods

34 women aged 18–50 with hypothyroidism and a body mass index above 25 participated in this study. They were divided into three groups: a …

A High-Stakes Landing: Traumatic Innominate Artery Injury After A Skydiving Accident, Claire G. Lewis Ms, Sarah Burki Md, Mahmound Alhusseini Md, Caroline K. Scruggs Md, Margaret L. Jackson Md, Steven Eisenberg Md, Anthony Estrera Md

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Use Of Sonorheometry To Treat Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy, Dawson L. Weiss, Gabrielle E. Hatton, Miranda E. Wood, Oscar I. Estrada Munoz, David H. Kim, John A. Harvin

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Educational Attainment And Symptom Improvement In Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Longitudinal Cohort Analysis Across Treatment Modalities, Marjorie Harrison, Giselli Scaini Msc, Phd, Aspen Viamontes

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Quantifying Hemodynamics In Implantable Cardiac And Renal Support Devices Using Computational Modeling, Alexander D. De Oliveira

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Reference-Point Indentation Captures Age-Related Material-Quality Changes In Human Infant Rib Cortical Bone, Kush Patel

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Neurodevelopmental Outcomes After Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus Of Prematurity, Mekal S. Mathew, Rene Leal, Caroline L. Hanan, David J. Sun, Hasan K. Mubarak, Amelie D. Perrier, William E. Johnson, Micolette R. Mardik, Trevor R. Alwell, Christian Amezquita Contreras, Chance E. Hatfield, Peter H. Yang

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

The Best Practice Guide For Early Childhood Education And Care Food Environment: Module 1: Mealtime Environment And Practices (Version 1.0), Ros Sambell, Audrey Elford, Connie N. Ihlein, Lochie Clark, Amanda Devine, Helen Alexiou, Lennie Barblett, Rebecca Byrne, Fiona Champion, Laine Chilman, Penelope Clark, Kathy Cologon, Wendy Cook, Kirsty Elliott, Leanne Elliston, Amanda Ferguson, Ricky Gelman, Jodie Gray, Natalie Gulberti, Shae Haylen, Judith Howard, Karen Krist, Deana Leahy, Eloise Litterbach, Jodie Mcgough, Stacey Mckenzie, Merryn Netting, Ciara O’Flaherty, Gabrielle Orr, Asha Rojahn, Hilary Smith, Aimee Sullivan, Suzanne Tamone, Henry Tan, Sandra Vale, Jill Whelan, Sally Whitaker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Mealtimes in early learning settings are more than a routine to help children eat. They are important opportunities for connection, learning and development, and for supporting children’s confidence and comfort around food and eating. At the same time, services must balance safety, regulatory requirements, diverse developmental and cultural needs, family expectations and practical constraints such as time and staffing.

The Mealtime Environment and Practices (MEP) module has been developed to support Early Childhood Education and Care settings (ECEC), for children from birth to 5 years, to create mealtimes that are safe, calm, inclusive and responsive to each child, while reflecting …

Epigenetic Crosstalk In Neuroblastoma Development And Progression, Nathan Drolet, Amber Wolf, Joanna Yi, Eveline Barbieri

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Neuroblastoma (NB), a pediatric malignancy of the peripheral nervous system, accounts for 15% of pediatric cancer deaths and remains a major challenge for cancer therapy. NB originates from sympathoadrenal (SA) progenitors of the neural crest (NC) cell lineage, whose formation and differentiation are controlled by epigenetic mechanisms. Although signaling pathways and epigenetic factors implicated in NB tumorigenesis have been well-described, a holistic understanding of how development and epigenetics overlap to drive NB is lacking. By exploring vital interplays and co-dependencies between key pathways and their epigenetic control in NC development, we have gained novel insights into the mechanisms governing NB …

Trends And Indications For Cesarean Section In The Origins Birth Cohort, Kristjana Einarsdottir, Lisa Gibson, Sarah Whalan, Jacqueline Davis, Laurence Amy Payette, Ravisha Srinivasjois, Desiree T. Silva

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Cesarean section (CS) rates have increased substantially in Australia, with particularly high use observed in private maternity care and for pre-labor CS. The aim of the present study was to describe the CS rates and the clinical indications for pre-labor CS in the ORIGINS birth cohort.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the ORIGINS birth cohort, a large birth cohort in Western Australia, including 9473 births occurring at Joondalup Health Campus between 2016 and 2024. Rates of CS and pre-labor CS were compared across study periods (2016–2020 and 2021–2024) and by facility type (public vs. private). Indications for pre-labor …

Understanding Barriers And Motivators For Fruit And Vegetable Intake In Female Stroke Survivors: A Qualitative Study, Caroline R. Hill, Jack Dalla Via, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Montana Dupuy, Rosanne Freak-Poli, Liezhou Zhong, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Moira Sim, Mandy Stanley, Amanda Devine, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Adequate fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is the foundation of a healthy diet; however, intake is especially low among stroke survivors. This study explores barriers and motivators to FV intake in female stroke survivors and informs strategies to improve well-being.

Methods: Female stroke survivors completed questionnaires and attended either a focus group or an interview, with the resulting transcripts analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Ten female stroke survivors aged (mean [SD]) 66.3 [17.1] years completed the study. Across the focus groups (n = 3) and interviews (n = 2), three themes emerged: (1) “Navigating alone,” reported that survivors …

When Does The Peak Countermovement Jump Performance Occur? Mapping Peak-Trial Timing Across Six Clustered Repetitions, Karol Kruczek, Szymon Karpęcki, Tim Gabbett, Jason Lake, Michał Nowak

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Force-plate countermovement jump (CMJ) testing is widely used to assess neuromuscular status, yet monitoring interpretation often relies on best-trial values from abbreviated protocols, potentially biasing conclusions when the session maximum occurs beyond the sampled attempts. We mapped peak-trial timing across a six-trial clustered (3 + 3) CMJ protocol for seven outcome and strategy force–time metrics, and tested whether this peak-trial pattern was preserved between personal best (PB) and typical state (TS) monitoring sessions, both defined using modified reactive strength index (mRSI) as the primary selection variable. Retrospective dual-force-plate data (1000 Hz; August 2020–December 2025) were analysed from 314 athletes who …

Multi-Omics Integration Reveals Vaccine-Specific Molecular Signatures And Temporal Dynamics Of Covid-19 Immune Responses, Anne H. Klein, David J. Beale, Thao V. Nquyen, Jian-Wei Liu, Petrus Jansen Van Vuren, Nagendrakumar B. Singanallur, Carol Lee, Andrew C. Boomer, Jennifer A. Juno, Stephen J. Kent, Adam K. Wheatley, Gough G. Au, Seshadri S. Vasan, Laurence Wilson, Alexander J. Mcauley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Vaccination elicits systemic immune responses that extend beyond antibody and lymphocyte activation, engaging coordinated metabolic and lipid pathways that modulate immune function. Nevertheless, how systemic molecular responses differ across COVID-19 vaccine platforms, including closely related mRNA platforms, remains poorly understood. Here, we performed integrated plasma proteomic, lipidomic, and metabolomic profiling of 53 SARS-CoV-2–naïve adults vaccinated with Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. Samples were analysed across multiple timepoints using differential analysis and DIABLO-based multi-omics integration. Our findings reveal distinct platform-associated multi-omic molecular signatures not captured by unsupervised analyses alone. Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination was associated with widespread increases in immunoglobulin and complement …

Prevalence Of Clinically Relevant Nightmares And Their Differences By Sex And Diagnosis In Psychiatric Inpatients, Katrina A Rufino, Michelle A Patriquin, Courtney B Worley, Michael R Nadorff

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Nightmares have been shown to be associated with numerous forms of psychopathology, but the vast majority of this research has taken place in the general population and very little is known about their relation with psychopathology in those requiring inpatient hospitalization. In a sample of 1170 voluntarily admitted psychiatric inpatients, this study explores the frequency of reported nightmares in psychiatric inpatients with the aim of examining the prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis in those with and without clinically relevant nightmares. Participants completed the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-5) at admission. …

Methodological Approaches To Assessing Clinical Reasoning In Simulation-Based Education: An Integrative Review, Dhanya Anand Anil Kumar, Natasya Raja Azlan, Hugh Davies, Debbie L. Massey, Karen Strickland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: Clinical reasoning is a critical skill for nurses, developing progressively through structured education and clinical experience. Simulation-based learning provides nursing students with a safe, immersive environment to develop this skill if it is thoughtfully designed and rigorously implemented. This review addresses a key gap in nursing education research by exploring methodological trends and key elements to consider for developing simulations to assess clinical reasoning in nursing students. Design: An integrative review using Whittemore and Knafl's framework. Data sources: Six databases (CINAHL, PubMed, ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, PsycInfo and Google Scholar) were searched for studies published from 2014 to September 2025. Review …

Neurotensin Drives Theca Cell Migration During Ovulation In Primates, Jessica S. Miller, Megan A. G. Sage, Thomas E. Curry Jr., Diane M. Duffy

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Theca cells are a critical steroidogenic cell type of the ovarian follicle and corpus luteum. The ovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge (or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)) stimulates theca cell relocation from the stroma surrounding the dominant follicle to full integration into the developing corpus luteum. Luteinizing hormone/human chorionic gonadotropin also stimulates granulosa cells to produce local mediators of ovulation, including the peptide neurotensin (NTS). To determine if hCG-stimulated NTS regulates theca cell relocation within the ovulatory follicle, vehicle or an NTS receptor antagonist was injected into a macaque dominant follicle, and ovaries were removed 48 h after hCG administration. Additional …

P38 Mapk Is Involved In Epigenetic Regulation Of Fibrotic Genes In Replication Induced Senescence In Lung Fibroblasts, Shan Zhu, Jennifer Q. Zhou, Kan Wang, Ming-Lei Guo, Yan Sanders

Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences Faculty Publications

Fibroblast activation is essential for tissue repair following injury; however, prolonged activation drives pathological fibrosis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive and age-associated lung disease, is characterized by aberrant fibroblast activation, with increasing evidence implicating senescent and near-senescent fibroblasts in its pathogenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this study, we investigated whether histone modification is involved in TGF-β1 treated lung fibroblasts and contributes to the fibrotic phenotype. Human IMR90 lung fibroblasts at low and high population doubling levels (LPDL and HPDL), as well as primary IPF fibroblasts, were used in this study. In response to TGF-β1, both …