Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Synthetic Cannabinoids Versus Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol: Abuse-Related Consequences Of Enhanced Efficacy At The Cannabinoid 1 Receptor, Travis Grim

Theses and Dissertations

In the past ten years, synthetic cannabinoids (SC) have emerged as drugs of abuse. Unlike D⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), many SCs are associated with serious health complications and death. One way in which THC and SCs differ lies with their enhanced potency and efficacy at the CB₁ receptor. No current methods exist to measure efficacy at the CB₁ receptor in vivo, and the abuse-related properties of SC cannabinoids are not well explored. Here, we utilized CB₁ wild type (WT), heterozygous (HET), and knockout (KO) mice. By employing CB₁ ligands which differ in efficacy we have …

Developing Proteomic And Cytokine Biomarkers For Vulvodynia, Ashvin Iyer

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Vulvodynia is a chronic, heterogeneous, and multifactorial disease. This condition may affect up to 18 percent of the female population including Caucasians, African Americans, Africans and Hispanics particularly those sexually active at child bearing age. The etiology of this condition is complex and multifactorial and it is frequently accompanied by physical disabilities, psychological distress and sexual dysfunction. Clinically, vulvodynia can be generalized or localized and pain can be provoked or unprovoked. Patients may also describe vulvar paresthesias or dysesthesias that may last hours. The International Society for the Study of Vulvar Disease (ISSVD) recognizes vulvar pain related to a specific …

Expression Of Aquaporins In Mouse Choroid Plexus And Ependymal Cells, Pankaj Patyal

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The choroid plexuses (CPs) are highly vascularized epithelial structures lying in the brain ventricles, forming the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier. CPs are composed of a monolayer of cuboidal epithelial cells, derived from ependymal cells (EPCs), joined by tight junctions, and surrounding a core of fenestrated capillaries. Choroid plexus epithelial cells (CPECs) secrete most of the CSF through poorly understood mechanisms that involve aquaporins (AQPs) and various solute transport proteins like the Na+-K+-2Cl- cotransporter 1 (NKCC1). It is thought that the concerted action of these membrane proteins directs the transepithelial movement of solutes and water across CPECs. Net water movement across …

Effect Of Progesterone, Terbutaline And Leptin On The Function Of Alveolar Type Ii Cells, Shamili Sammohi

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The "surfactant" produced by type II pneumonocytes is deficient in term and preterm infants born and diagnosed with Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Corticosteroids such as dexamethasone or betamethasone are clinically used as the primary line of treatment to stimulate the production of surfactant. The steroidal hormone, progesterone appears to play a role in the fetal lung development and also appears to increase the expression of inflammatory markers in both term and preterm infants. However, the impact of progesterone on surfactant production remains unknown. Like progesterone, the tocolytic drug terbutaline has also been implicated in phosphatidylcholine production in the pneumonocytes of …

Na+/K+ Pump And Cl--Coupled Na+ And K+ Co-Transporters In Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts Lacking The Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Tsc1 And Tsc2 Genes., Jasser Ali S. Alzhrani

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The tuberous sclerosis complex 1 and 2 (TSC1 and TSC2) genes and their products hamartin and tuberin, respectively, are involved in several regulatory cellular mechanisms, including the mTOR pathway that is important for proliferation, cell migration, and protein synthesis. In addition, it has been suggested that this pathway plays a role in regulating Na+-K+-2Cl- and K+-Cl- cotransporters (NKCC and KCC, respectively) [41, 42, 43]. Therefore, the TSC1 and TSC2 genes are expected to play a significant role in regulating cell volume, and K+ and Cl- homeostasis. This study tests the hypothesis that the TSC1 and TSC2 genes, which control cell …

Role Of Angiotensin Ii Type 1a Receptors On Renal And Urinary Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2) And Neprilysin (Nep) In The Two-Kidney One-Clip (2k1c) Model Of Renovascular Hypertension, Laale F. Alawi

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Activation of the renin angiotensin system (RAS) and increased formation of angiotensin (Ang) II contribute to the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Ang II, the major biologically active peptide of RAS, acts mainly as a vasoconstrictor through binding to the Ang II type 1 receptor (AT1R), which leads to increased blood pressure, fluid retention, and aldosterone secretion. The actions of Ang II are antagonized by its conversion to the vasodilator Ang (1-7), partly generated by the action of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and/or neprilysin (NEP). The metalloprotease ADAM17 has a crucial role in the shedding of renal ACE2 …

Identification And Quantification Of The Collagen Type I, Iii And V In Rabbit Patellar Tendons, Mahesh Chandra Kodali

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Tendon injuries pose a great clinical challenge to orthopedic surgeons. Over 200,000 patients undergo tendon repair every year in the United States alone. The role of progression of a tendon injury is multifactorial as a lot of factors come into play during and after the injury at various phases of healing process. There is a still a vast requirement for thorough elucidation and understanding of the pathophysiology and the factors involved in the progression of tendon injury. Although the degenerative role of several MMPs and ADAMTs have been reported, yet there is very less information on the actual role and …

Interaction Between Na/ K-Atpase And Bcl-2 Proteins Bclxl And Bak, Tariq M. Alqahtani

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In silico analysis predicts interaction between the Na/ K-ATPase (NKA) and Bcl-2 protein canonical motifs BH3 and BH1. Such interaction is consistent with NKA inhibition by the benzo-phenanthridine alkaloid chelerythrine (CHE), a BH3 mimetic, in human lens epithelial cells (HLEC). This report establishes proof of concept: co-immuno-precipitation and immuno-colocalization showed unequivocal and direct interaction between NKA and Bcl-2 proteins. Particularly, NKA-antibodies co-immunoprecipitated BclXl and BAK in three different epithelial cell lines, HLECs and A549 lung cancer cells, whereas anti-Bcl-2 antibodies failed to pull down NKA. The molecular mass of the BAK proteins pulled down by antibodies against NKA and BclXl …

Endothelial Cell Derived Mvs And Exosomes: Release And Functional Study, Langni Liu

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Extracellular vesicles are membrane derived vesicles exists in all organs. The two major functioning extracellular vesicles are exosomes (EXMs) and microvesicles (MVs). EXMs released from cell membranes via exocytosis with size between 30-150 nm in diameter and MVs directly budded from plasma membrane and size between 100-1000 nm. Ceramide is one of the most important factor in lipid mechanism for EXM release and also associated with MV release. Ceramide generated from breakdown of sphingomyelin by neutral sphingomyelinase (nSMase). In this study, we used an nSMase inhibitor (GW4869) and an analogue of ceramide (C6-ceramide) to modulate the release of MVs and …

Differential Effects Of The Ahr On Immunoglobulin Gene Expression In Human B Cells, Naga Lakshmi Kaulini Burra

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2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is a potent and persistent environmental toxin known to inhibit immunoglobulin (Ig) gene expression in various animal models. TCDD is thought to modulate gene expression through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and thereby a subsequent alteration in gene expression. The AhR is a ligand-activated transcription factor that regulates xenobiotic-metabolizing enzymes. The mouse 3'Ig heavy chain regulatory region (3'IghRR) is a sensitive transcriptional target of TCDD that may mediate, in an AhR-dependent manner, the inhibitory effect of TCDD on Ig expression. Human B cells could also be a sensitive target of TCDD. The current study focuses on determining the …

Developing A Site Specific Understanding Of The Toxicity Of Rare Earth Elements, Cerium And Dysprosium, To Daphnia Pulex And Hyalella Azteca, Oliver Vukov

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of similarly reactive metals that are divided into two groups; the light (LREEs) and heavy (HREEs) rare earths. These metals are used in a variety of industries and are critical to the function of modern society. The demand for REEs is expected to increase and as a result new mining projects are being developed with a potential for future mining in Canada. The toxicological understanding of these metals in the aquatic environment is very limited. The objective of this research is to compare the toxicological effect of REEs to the freshwater invertebrates Daphnia …

Mcnair Research Journal - Summer 2015, Kelly Abuali, Starr Bailey, Krystal Courtney D. Belmonte, Brittaney Benson-Townsend, Jennifer Bolick, Mihaela A. Ciulei, Ashley Crisp, Daniel N. Erosa, Richard V. Foster, Gisele Braga Goertz, Michael A. Langhardt, Kara Osborne, Julienne Jochel Paraiso, Shawn M. Rosen, Bella V. Smith, Jeevake Attapattu, Ernesto H. Bedoy, Michael G. Curtis, Wanda Inthavong, Marielle Leo, Primrose Martin, Tamieka Meadows, Rosa Perez, Jessica Recarey, Shea Silver, Linda Tompkins

McNair Journal

Journal articles based on research conducted by undergraduate students in the McNair Scholars Program

Table of Contents

Biography of Dr. Ronald E. McNair

Statements:

Dr. Neal J. Smatresk, UNLV President

Dr. Juanita P. Fain, Vice President of Student Affairs

Dr. William W. Sullivan, Associate Vice President for Retention and Outreach

Mr. Keith Rogers, Deputy Executive Director of the Center for Academic Enrichment and Outreach

McNair Scholars Institute Staff

Relationship Between Autophagy, Senescence, And Dna Damage In Radiation Sensitization By Parp Inhibition, Moureq Alotaibi

Theses and Dissertations

Radiotherapy continues to be a primary modality in the treatment of cancer. DNA damage induced by radiation can promote apoptosis as well as both autophagy and senescence, where autophagy and senescence can theoretically function to prolong tumor survival. A primary aim of this work was to investigate the hypothesis that autophagy and/or senescence could be permissive for DNA repair, thereby facilitating tumor cell recovery from radiation-induced growth arrest and/or cell death. In addition, studies were designed to elucidate the involvement of autophagy and senescence in radiation sensitization by PARP inhibitors and the re-emergence of a proliferating tumor cell population. In …

Effect Of Vitamin E Supplementation On Inflammatory Markers And Nutrition Status In Thalassemia Intermedia Patients, Watcharee Prapawatwech, Bunchoo Pongtanakul, Kulwara Meksawan

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Inflammation is a complication found in thalassemic patients. It may be diminished by supplementation of vitamin E. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 12-week vitamin E supplementation on inflammatory markers in patients with tha...

Short Native Α-Helical Cationic Antimicrobial Peptides: Promising Alternative Antibiotics, Jiraphun Jittikoon

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Synthesis And Characterization Of Sodium Alginate Conjugate: Preparation And Evaluation Of Transdermal Patches Of Losartan Potassium Using Sodium Alginate Conjugate, Satheesha Babu Bk, Srinivasa Rao K

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Relationship Between Carbamazepine Concentrations In Serum And Saliva Of Thai Epileptic Patients, Piyaporn Kaewdoung, Chartchai Puripokai, Chartchai Puripokai, Mayuree H. Tantisira, Somsong Laanwprasert

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

This study aims to examine and verify the correlation between serum and saliva carbamazepine concentrations in Thai epileptic patients. The subjects were patients aged 15-60 years old who were under treatment with carbamazepine. Carbamazepine concentrati...

Development And Validation Of A Stability-Indicating Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatographic Method For The Determination Of Rifampicin In Bulk Drug And Capsules, N. Swamy, K. Basavaiah, P. Vamsikrishna, G. Krishnamurthy

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

A rapid method based on ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was developed and validated for the specific determination of anti-tuberculosis drug rifampicin (RIF) in bulk form and capsules. The UPLC determination was carried out on a reversed-p...

Synthesis Of Novel Fused Heterocyclic Pyrazolo-Pyridazine Derivatives As Antimicrobial Agents, M. Alam, M. S. Zaman, K. Arora, A. Ahmad, S. A. Khan, A. Husain

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

A series of pyrazolo-pyridazine derivatives (4a-j) were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activities with an aim to obtain promising antimicrobial agents. In the first step, 6-substituted phenyl-2,3,4,5- tetrahydropyridazin-3-one (2a,b) w...

Application Of Proteoglycans From Fish Cartilage For The Acceleration Of Burn Wound Healing, Sitthiphon Bunman, Pornanong Aramwit, Noppadol Larbcharoensub, Pasarapa Towiwat

The Thai Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Cartilage contains a variety of proteoglycans (PGs) that can accelerate wound healing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of proteoglycans extracted from fish cartilage for the acceleration of burn wound healing. Second degree burn wounds...