Digestive System Diseases Commons^™

Ganglioside Alters Phospholipase Trafficking, Inhibits Nf-Κb Assembly, And Protects Tight Junction Integrity, John J. Miklavcic, Qun Li, Jordan Skolnick, Alan B. R. Thomson, Vera C. Mazurak, Michael Tom Clandinin

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Aims: Dietary gangliosides are present in human milk and consumed in low amounts from organ meats. Clinical and animal studies indicate that dietary gangliosides attenuate signaling processes that are a hallmark of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Gangliosides decrease pro-inflammatory markers, improve intestinal permeability, and reduce symptoms characteristic in patients with IBD. The objective of this study was to examine mechanisms by which dietary gangliosides exert beneficial effects on intestinal health.

Methods: Studies were conducted in vitro using CaCo-2 intestinal epithelial cells. Gangliosides were extracted from milk powder and incubated with differentiated CaCo-2 cells after exposure to pro-inflammatory stimuli. …

Crohn’S Disease And Omega 3: Can It Decrease Crp? A Literature Review, Ariana L. Vyvjala

Bachelors of Science in Nursing

The Crohn’s and Colitis foundation of America estimates that 70,000 Americans are diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) each year (2021). Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease characterized by periods of remission and exacerbation triggered by an increase in stress (Mackner et al., 2020). Patients can experience debilitating abdominal pain, diarrhea, fatigue, blood in the stool, and reduced appetite during an exacerbation period, all of which can lead to life-threatening complications (Mayo Clinic, 2020). In most cases, patients are diagnosed in their late teens or early adulthood years, and are prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs (Mayo Clinic, 2020). As there is …

Identification And Characterization Of Butyrate-Producing Species In The Human Gut Microbiome, Grace Maline

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) including ulcerative colitis, indeterminate colitis, and Crohn’s disease are increasingly common conditions that places a high physical and financial burden on individuals and global healthcare systems. Though many treatments exist for these conditions, their unpredictable nature and causation make them difficult to manage across the variety of IBD patients. Additionally, many of these treatments come with undesirable side effects or modes of delivery. Therefore, it is worthwhile to explore the use of Short Chain Fatty Acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate whose affects in the human gut include decreased inflammation and decreased risk of colorectal cancer. As …

Ctrp3 And Alcoholic Liver Disease In Female Mice, Callie Root

Undergraduate Honors Theses

C1q TNF Related Protein 3 (CTRP3), is a cytokine that is primarily secreted from adipose tissue, which classifies it as an adipokine. Our previous research has shown that CTRP3 prevents alcoholic fatty liver disease (ALD) in male mice. However, even when accounting for confounding factors such as absolute and relative alcohol intake, females are more sensitive to the effects of consumption compared to male mice. Therefore, the goal of this project was to determine whether CTRP3 prevented ALD in female mice. Methods: Female wild type (WT) and female CTRP3 transgenic over expressing (Tg) mice were fed an ethanol containing liquid …

A Systematic Search And Review On The Efficacy, Safety, And Cost-Effectiveness Of Utilizing Lactobacillus Probiotics In Concurrence With Prescribing Antibiotics To Reduce Clostridium Difficile Infection Rates In Hospitalized Patients, Laura Sheehan

Nursing Masters Papers

Incidence of Clostridium difficile infection, (CDI) in patients receiving antibiotics is significant. In 2017, there were approximately 223,900 cases of CDI in hospitalized patients alone (Center for Disease Control [CDC], 2017). Despite enhanced infection control measures, CDI rates remain prevalent and are associated with increased costs to healthcare. An integrative literature review and synthesis was performed. Studies were analyzed to delineate if Lactobacillus containing probiotics, when administered concurrently with high risk antibiotics, decrease CDI rates for patients in the inpatient hospital setting. Additional analysis of probiotic safety and a cost versus benefit analysis was researched. The purpose of the review …

Elucidating The Complex Signaling Events Driving Intestinal Stem Cell Plasticity Following Injury, Evan Lynch

Theses and Dissertations--Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics

Signaling events governing intestinal stem cell (ISC) homeostasis maintain the delicate balance of active self-renewal and passive differentiation to replenish intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) every 3-5 days. However, under certain contexts, ISC function is irreversibly compromised—requiring committed IEC lineages to dedifferentiate and regain “stemness”. In the current studies, we examine the signaling events driving epithelial cell responses to injury to expose pathologic failures in the healing response. Our specific goal is to tease out the cellular contexts that promote dedifferentiation to design effective therapeutics for disease conditions compromising ISC function.

First, we generated a novel transgenic animal using the epithelial-specific …

Targeted Inhibition Of Histone Deacetyltransferases For Pancreatic Cancer Therapy, Richard Laschanzky

Theses & Dissertations

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease with a dismal five-year survival rate of less than 10%. One major obstacle in PDAC treatment is acquired drug resistance. Pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors (pan-HDACi) are a relatively new class of anti-cancer drugs, with demonstrated ability to overcome drug resistance and re-sensitize PDAC tumors to Gemcitabine (Gem). These agents target HDACs, a family of 18 enzymes (divided into four classes, I-IV) that catalyze the deacetylation of histones and other cellular proteins and have multiple effects on cell growth, differentiation, survival, and tumorigenesis. Although pan-HDACi have shown significant efficacy in preclinical analysis, and some …

Doxycycline-Induced Acute Pancreatitis: A Likely Source Rarely Seen, Paul Hoffman Do, Wilco Civil Sr, Jung Yoon Do, Gurjeet Kang Do, Christopher Lozano Orpiano Do, Michael Quinn Do, Joseph Staffetti Md, Dilip Ghanekar Md, Lakshminarasimhan Venu Md, Lily N. Jones Do, Ji Kwon Do, Shaival Thakore Md

Gastroenterology

No abstract provided.

Arachidin 3 Modulation Of Lipid Metabolism In Rotavirus Infections, Stormey Wisdom

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rotavirus (RV) can cause severe and deadly gastroenteritis in young children, infants, and immunocompromised individuals. Previous studies have shown that arachidin 3 (A3) inhibits RV replication, and that RV replication is dependent on the presence of lipids. This study investigated the alteration of lipid metabolism by A3 in RV infected HT29.f8 cells. A decrease in the RV regulation of lipid biosynthesis genes was observed with the addition of A3 using qRT-PCR. Also, immunofluorescent and histochemical staining for neutral fats, a major component of cellular lipid droplets, revealed an increased accumulation with both RV and RV+A3 when compared to no virus …

A Nsqip Analysis Of Post-Operative Antibiotic Utilization In Uncomplicated Appendicitis, Charlene Dekonenko, Robert M. Dorman, Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell, Tolulope A. Oyetunji

Posters

APSA 2010 recommendations do not support antibiotic use post-operatively following appendectomy for uncomplicated appendicitis, but compliance varies by institution. This study determined the rate of post-operative antibiotic use in uncomplicated appendicitis and found that 10% of patients were discharged on antibiotics, using the NSQIP files.

The Pharmabiotic For Phenylketonuria: Development Of A Novel Therapeutic, Chloé Elizabeth Lebegue

Senior Theses

Phenylketonuria, now known as phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) deficiency, is a genetic disorder of metabolism affecting approximately one in every 15,000 infants born in the United States. Patients have nonfunctional PAH enzyme secondary to one or more genetic mutations. The enzyme deficit results in destructive supraphysiologic blood phenylalanine levels upon consumption of the essential dietary amino acid phenylalanine. Current standards of care mitigate signs and symptoms of the disorder, but do not approach a cure. The methods for creating a prototype pharmabiotic as an innovative treatment strategy for PAH deficiency are described herein.

DNA molecular cloning techniques were utilized to engineer …

Inhibition Of Cancer Stem Cells By Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics, Connor P. O'Hara

Theses and Dissertations

Connor O’Hara July 29, 2019

Inhibition of Cancer Stem Cells by Glycosaminoglycan Mimetics

In the United States cancer is the second leading cause of death, with colorectal cancer (CRC) being the third deadliest cancer and expected to cause over 51,000 fatalities in 2019 alone.¹ The current standard of care for CRC depends largely on the staging, location, and presence of metastasis.² As the tumor grows and invades nearby lymph tissue and blood vessels, CRC has the opportunity to invade not only nearby tissue but also metastasize into the liver and lung (most commonly).³ The 5-year survival rate …

Radical Social Ecology As Deep Pragmatism: A Call To The Abolition Of Systemic Dissonance And The Minimization Of Entropic Chaos, Arielle Brender

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper aims to shed light on the dissonance caused by the superimposition of Dominant Human Systems on Natural Systems. I highlight the synthetic nature of Dominant Human Systems as egoic and linguistic phenomenon manufactured by a mere portion of the human population, which renders them inherently oppressive unto peoples and landscapes whose wisdom were barred from the design process. In pursuing a radical pragmatic approach to mending the simultaneous oppression and destruction of the human being and the earth, I highlight the necessity of minimizing entropic chaos caused by excess energy expenditure, an essential feature of systems that aim …

Studies Of Amino Acid Mutations In Drug Resistance Of The Smo Protein, Eunice Wintona

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Smoothened receptor (SMO) is a protein that in humans, is encoded by the SMO gene. A systemic mutation in its binding pocket helps predict the sensitivity of mutant proteins to different drugs. Known as a GPCR-like receptor, it is a component of the hedgehog signaling pathway; a pathway involved in body patterning and the regulation of adult stem cells. An uncontrolled or inappropriate activation of the Hedgehog pathway drives tumor progression in cancers and a number of birth defects. To achieve these goals, the molecular modeling software MOE was used to build small molecules and drug molecules like Vismodegib and …

Anti-Inflammatory And Immune-Modulating Effects Of Rice Callus Suspension Culture And Blueberry Extract On An In-Vitro Inflammatory Bowel Disease Model, Kyle Michael Driscoll

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Rice Callus Suspension Culture (RCSC) has been shown to exhibit potent anticancer activity in vitro. In this study we aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and immune-modulating properties of RCSC on three inflamed normal colon epithelial cell lines, InEpC, NCM 356, and CCD 841 CoN. As a comparative, we additionally analyzed the anti-inflammatory effects of Highbush blueberries on two inflamed colon cell cultures, NCM 356 and CCD 841 CoN. Furthermore, we sought to characterize the bioactive compounds in RCSC responsible for anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and immune-modulating effects. This work will be an essential starting point for understanding and identifying possible bioactive …

There Is A Trend Favoring Vancomycin Vs. Metronidazole In Treating Severe C. Difficile Infection, Dean D. Fouchia

Clinical Research in Practice: The Journal of Team Hippocrates

A critical appraisal and clinical application of Johnson S, Louie TJ, Gerding DN, et al. Vancomycin, metronidazole, or tolevamer for Clostridium difficile infection: results from two multinational, randomized, controlled trials. Clin Infect Dis. 2014;59(3):345-354. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciu313

Investigation Of Stilbenoids As Potential Therapeutic Agents For Rotavirus Gastroenteritis, Judith M. Ball, Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, Katelyn D. Defrates, Emily Hambleton, Megan E. Hurlburt, Lingling Fang, Tianhong Yang, Luis Nopo-Olazabal, Richard L. Atwill, Pooj Ghai, Rebecca D. Parr

Faculty Publications

Rotavirus (RV) infections cause severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide. Vaccines are available but cost prohibitive for many countries and only reduce severe symptoms. Vaccinated infants continue to shed infectious particles, and studies show decreased efficacy of the RV vaccines in tropical and subtropical countries where they are needed most. Continuing surveillance for new RV strains, assessment of vaccine efficacy, and development of cost effective antiviral drugs remain an important aspect of RV studies. This study was to determine the efficacy of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory stilbenoids to inhibit RV replication. Peanut (A. hypogaea) hairy root cultures were induced …

Effects Of Pringle Maneuver And Partial Hepatectomy On The Pharmacokinetics And Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability Of Sodium Fluorescein In Rats, Mohammad K. Miah, Imam H. Shaik, Ulrich Bickel, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Liver diseases are known to affect the function of remote organs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of Pringle maneuver, which results in hepatic ischemia–reperfusion (IR) injury, and partial hepatectomy (Hx) on the pharmacokinetics and brain distribution of sodium fluorescein (FL), which is a widely used marker of blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. Rats were subjected to Pringle maneuver (total hepatic ischemia) for 20 min with (HxIR) or without (IR) 70% hepatectomy. Sham-operated animals underwent laparotomy only. After 15 min or 8 h of reperfusion, a single 25-mg/kg dose of FL was injected intravenously and serial …

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases In Travelers, Edith Mirzaian, Jeffery A. Goad, Ani Amloian, Fady Makar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Travel to the developing world is increasing among those from developed countries, placing them at risk for vaccine preventable and non-vaccine preventable diseases. From 2007-2011, the GeoSentinel Network reported 737 returned travelers with a vaccine preventable disease. While it is essential that clinicians use vaccines when available for a disease of risk, they should also be aware that the vast majority of diseases acquired by travelers are non-vaccine preventable. The vaccine preventable diseases can be divided into routine travel vaccines, special travel vaccines and routine vaccines used for travel. The routine travel vaccines include Hepatitis A and B, typhoid; special …

Are Proton Pump Inhibitors A Safe And Effective Treatment For Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease In Infants Less Than Twelve Months Old?, Mariah Smith

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not proton pump inhibitors are a safe and effective treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease in infants less than twelve months old.

Is Opt-80 A Safe And Effective Treatment For Patients With C.Difficile Infection?, Heather A. Shupp

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: Objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not OPT-80 is a safe and effective treatment for patients with C.difficile infection.

Is Esomeprazole (Nexium) More Effective Than Omeprazole (Prilosec) In Reducing Heartburn And In Increasing The Rate Of Esophageal Healing In Adults With Endoscopically Diagnosed Erosive Esophagitis (Ee)?, Shawn P. Mahoney

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether Esomeprazole (Nexium) is more safe and effective than Omeprazole (Prilosec) in reducing Heartburn and in increasing the rate of esophageal healing in adults with endoscopically diagnosed Erosive Esophagitis (EE)

How Safe And Effective Is Infliximab In The Treatment Of Children With Moderate To Severe Crohn’S Disease?, Jackie Linh

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

Objective: The objective of this systematic review is to determine whether or not “how safe and effective is infliximab in treatment of children with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease?”

Pegylated Interferon Α-2b Up-Regulates Specific Cd8+ T Cells In Patients With Chronic Hepatitis B, Ji Chen, Yan Wang, Jun Li, Feng-Qin Hou, Gui-Qiang Wang

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

AIM: To investigate the effect of pegylated interferon (IFN) α-2b on specific CD8+ T lymphocytes in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). METHODS: Twenty-one patients with CHB were treated with pegylated IFN α-2b. Periphery blood mononuclear cells were isolated from fresh heparinized blood by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation (density: 1.077 g/L, Pharmingen) at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12, and 24, respectively. Frequency of circulating hepatitis B virus (HBV) epitope-specific CD8 T cells was detected by flow cytometry. Cytokines were detected by cytometric bead assay. RESULTS: The frequency of circulating HBV core or env-specific CD8 T cells was higher (P …

Baseline Predictors Of Virological Response For Chronic Hepatitis B Patients, Xue-Jie Wu, Yan Wang, Ji Chen, Gui-Qiang Wang

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

AIM: To determine which baseline factors of chronic hepatitis B patients are predictive of virological response to Peginterferon α-2b therapy. METHODS: A total of 21 HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients treated with Peginterferon α-2b were recruited. They were treated with Peginterferon α-2b (0.5-1.0 µg/kg per week) for 24 wk and followed up for 24 wk. Clinical and laboratory data of the patients were determined at pretreatment and at week 12, at 24 during treatment, and at week 48 during follow up. RESULTS: Ten patients achieved a virological response at the end of treatment. Their baseline serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), …

Hepatoma Cells Up-Regulate Expression Of Programmed Cell Death-1 On T Cells, Ji Chen, Gui-Qiang Wang

Pharmacology and Toxicology Faculty Publications

AIM: To investigate the effect of hepatoma cells on up-regulation of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), and the function of PD-1 on T cells. METHODS: HepG2 or HepG2.2.1.5 cells were co-cultured with a lymphoma cell line-Jurkat cells. PD-1 expression was detected by flow cytometry. IL-2, INF-γ and IL-10 in culture supernatant were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cytotoxic action of T cells was determined by MTT reduction assay-direct mononuclear cell cytotoxicity assay. RESULTS: The PD-1 expression on Jurkat cells increased by 16.17% ± 2.5% and 17.43% ± 2.2% after HepG2 or HepG2.2.1.5 cells were co-cultured for 48 h. The levels …