bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Taste Receptor Gene Repertoire in Salmonids
Authors: Gomes Ana Silva , Lai Floriana , Taché Yvette , Rønnestad Ivar
Published: June 2021

In vertebrates, G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) detect the sweet, umami and bitter tastes. The sweet and umami GPCRs are encoded by the T1R gene family, whose members heterodimerise to detect molecules associated with sweet (T1R2‐T1R3) and umami (T1R1–T1R3) tastes. The bitter receptors are encoded by the T2R gene family. In mammals, these receptors detect not only nutrients and toxins in the oral cavity but also in the gastrointestinal (GI‐)tract. Here, these receptors are located in enteroendocrine cells facing the lumen that trigger in response to nutrients the release of hormones, enabling the control of many gut physiological functions.

The number of T1R genes is highly conserved among different species except for some lineage‐specific changes, whereas the numbers of T2R genes diverge drastically across the vertebrate lineage. In this context, the additional and relatively recent whole‐genome duplication (WGD) event in the salmonids (salmonid‐specific 4th WGD) offers an excellent model system to study the evolution and adaptation of the taste receptor genes, their functional specialization and their possible role in gut nutrient‐sensing system.

In this study, we analyzed the genome database of five salmonid species, Salmo (S.) salar, Oncorhynchus (O.) tshawytscha, O. mykiss, O. kisutch and Salvelinus (S.) alpinus, and found that only 2 to 4 t2r genes are present in salmonids species, similar to what has been observed for other teleost species (with the exception of Astyanax mexicanus). In O. mykiss and S. alpinus 6 t1r genes were identified, 7 were found in the S. salar and O. kisutch and 9 genes in the O. tshawytscha genoma. The number of t1r3 genes has expanded in all salmonids species (4 genes were found in the O. tshawytscha genome and 2 genes in the other species) compared to most other teleost species (with the exception of carps which also undergone a 4th round of WGD). Phylogenetic and short‐linkage analysis should elucidate the taste receptor gene evolution dynamics in salmonids and across the vertebrate lineages. In addition, we are investigating the mRNA expression levels of the t1r and t2r in S. salar. Preliminary data suggests that t1r transcripts are abundantly expressed in the oropharyngeal area and some t1r transcripts may be present in specific regions of the GI‐tract. This could confirm that the functional role of T1R and T2R in sensing nutrients and bitter components in the GI‐tract observed for mammalian species also exist in the salmonid lineage, however further studies are necessary to proof this hypothesis.

Support or Funding Information

Funded by the Research Council of Norway (NFR 262096 GUTASTE).

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Identifying and Characterizing Hepatic Sensory Receptors
Authors: Kurtz Ryan , Steinberg Lily G , Shepard Blythe D
Published: June 2021

Sensory receptors, including olfactory receptors (ORs), taste receptors (TAS), and orphan G‐protein coupled receptors (GPRs) have recently been found in a variety of non‐sensory tissues where they have important physiological functions. As G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs), these receptors serve as chemosensors by interpreting and responding to chemical cues in their native environment (i.e. blood, urine) and can be activated by naturally occurring metabolites. We reasoned that the liver, the largest metabolic organ in the body, is primed to take advantage of some of these sensory receptors in order to regulate its internal environment. To identify the complete complement of sensory receptors expressed in murine liver, we performed an unbiased screen of whole liver using TaqMan qPCR array cards. This screen identified a total of 16 ORs, 10 TAS, 3 opsins, and 57 GPRs – with 7 of the GPRs expressed at levels equal to well‐characterized hepatic GPCRs. In order to understand the functions of these sensory receptors, it is imperative to determine where they localize within the liver and their ligand profile. Unfortunately, due to the lack of reliable antibodies for most sensory receptors, localizing these receptors and resolving their binding profiles can be challenging. To begin, we focused initially on the hepatic ORs. Using gene‐specific primers and RT‐PCR, we successfully confirmed the presence of 16 ORs consistently expressed in male and female murine liver. The majority of the identified hepatic ORs are orphan receptors with no known ligands. This is due, in part, to the inability to functionally express ORs in heterologous cell systems. To examine functional expression of Olfr99 and Olfr267, the two highest expressing liver ORs, we cloned the full length ORs from the liver into an expression system containing an N‐terminal Flag tag and expressed them in HEK293T cells. Using live‐cell surface labeling for the extracellular Flag epitope, we were able to identify conditions that promoted functional expression of Olfr99, but not Olfr267, using a cleavable LUCY tag as well as two chaperone proteins, RTP1s and Ric8b. With expression conditions established, we began a large‐scale ligand screen using a cAMP driven Dual‐Luciferase assay. To date, we have screened Olfr99 against a total of 49 compounds and mixtures including small odorant molecules that cover a wide odorant space and physiologically‐relevant molecules including hepatic metabolites and bile acids. Although a strong activator has yet to be found for Olfr99, our results have uncovered the identification of novel sensory receptors in the liver. Efforts are currently underway to determine the localization and physiological function of these receptors to better understand how the liver responds to its immediate environment.

Support or Funding Information

NIDDK

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Differential DNA Methylation Between African Americans And European Americans: the Role of Childhood Socioeconomic Status and Relations to Health Disparity
Authors: Pan Yue , Wang Xiaoling , Treiber Frank , Harshfield Gregory , Su Shaoyong
Published: June 2021

Rationale

Different DNA methylation patterns between ethnic groups may reflect the impact of social and environmental factors and contribute to health disparity. Increasing evidence indicates the importance of low socioeconomic status (SES), particularly in childhood, as a partial explanation for poor health outcomes in African Americans (AAs) compared to European Americans (EAs). This study aims to identify ethnicity‐related methylation patterns and their relationship with health disparities, and further determine to what extent the identified signals could be explained by potential difference in childhood SES between AAs and EAs.

Methods

Genome wide DNA methylation data from leukocytes of 224 AAs (58% females) and 244 EAs (46% females), aged 18–37, were obtained from Georgia Stress and Heart study using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Childhood SES was assessed using parental Hollingshead score.

Results

By comparing AAs and EAs, 1671 differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) (p<1×10−7) were identified. Gene ontology analysis using DAVID showed that the genes harboring these DMCs were significantly enriched (FDR<0.05) in disease terms of chem dependency, tobacco use, body weight, cardiovascular, metabolic and developmental disorders, which were complex traits with known racial disparities. Furthermore, the ethnicity‐related DMCs showed significant enrichment in DMCs identified by epigenome‐wide association studies for obesity (p<7×10−28), hypertension (p<0.01), and type 2 diabetes (p<2.4×10−5), supporting the role of ethnicity‐related DMCs in explaining the health disparity in metabolic health between AAs and EAs. In addition, AAs showed significant lower childhood SES compared to EAs (37.8±13.4 vs. 45.2±12.2, p<0.001). Moreover, among the 1671 ethnicity related DMCs, 766 were significantly associated with childhood SES (FDR<0.05). Mediation analysis further revealed that childhood SES could partially explain the ethnicity differences in DNA methylation levels in 193 out of the 766 DMCs (mediation effects: 7%–22%, p<0.05).

Conclusions

We found significant differences in DNA methylation levels between AAs and EAs, and these differences were highly enriched with respect to DMCs related to metabolic traits, suggesting that epigenetics underlying the ethnicity difference may partially explain the health disparity in metabolic health between AAs and EAs. We also found that ethnicity related differential methylation may be partially mediated through disproportionately lower childhood SES in AAs relative to EAs.

Support or Funding Information

HL125577, HL069999

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Metabolic Influences of Bisphenol F Exposure in Population‐based Heterogeneous Stock Rats
Authors: Wagner Valerie A , Clark Karen C , Velez‐Bermudez Miriam , Wang Kai , Carrillo‐Saenz Leslie , Dai Susie , Solberg Woods Leah C , Lehmler Hans , Kwitek Anne E
Published: June 2021

Bisphenol F (BPF) is marketed as a ‘safe’ substitute for bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor associated with obesity and heart disease (i.e. cardiometabolic disease), in manufacturing polycarbonates and in common consumer products (e.g. food packaging). BPF's environmental presence is growing rapidly and is detected in over 85% of U.S. adults and children. There is evidence of individual variation in bisphenol levels, suggesting that genetic variation or gene x environment (GxE) interactions influence risk of cardiometabolic disease due to bisphenol exposure.

Characterizing the cardiometabolic effects of BPF in either humans or an animal model has not been performed, and the health risks associated with BPF exposure are vastly unknown. Traditional in vivo toxicity studies are performed in genetically undefined, outbred rats or genetically homogeneous, inbred mice, leading to conflicting results possibly due to GxE interactions. The N/NIH Heterogeneous Stock (HS) rats are a genetically heterogeneous rat population that is amenable to genetic study. The overall hypothesis of this project is that BPF‐induced cardiometabolic disease is based on underlying genetic susceptibility which can be identified using the HS rat model.

The goal of this pilot project was to determine if BPF exposure influences growth and adiposity in HS rats. Weanling littermate pairs of male HS rats were randomly selected for exposure to either vehicle (0.1% Ethanol) or 1.125 mg/L BPF in 0.1% Ethanol (average dose 154 μg BPF/kg body weight/day) for five weeks in drinking water. Cardiometabolic measures, tissues, urine, and feces were taken.

Our studies determined BPF treatment in HS rats significantly increases body growth (Table 1). Heritability estimates of gain in body weight at eight weeks of age were 0.90±0.13 for vehicle‐treated males and 0.67±0.25 for BPF‐treated males (median±SEM). BPF treatment alters body composition seen in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements by increasing % fat and decreasing % lean, mirroring the increase in gonadal white adipose tissue (GWAT) mass and the significant increase in perirenal white adipose tissue (PWAT) mass in BPF‐treated males at eight weeks of age (Table 1). Our data suggest that BPF treatment increases body growth and adiposity, which are risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Future studies will determine if the response to BPF is genetically regulated.

Support or Funding Information

University of Iowa Environmental Health Sciences Research Center (NIH P30 ES005605); National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Training Grant T32GM008629, PI Daniel Eberl.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Revitalization of a Dental Physiology Course Using Active and Online Learning
Authors: Metz Cynthia J , Metz Michael J
Published: June 2021

In the Health Sciences, many programs are undergoing significant revisions to improve student learning. Over the past 5 years, A Dental Physiology course at the University of Louisville has been revitalized to include modern active and online learning strategies. A new learning modality was added each year, and the effectiveness of these strategies was assessed via the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Year 1: In engaging lectures, also referred to as broken or interactive lectures, students are given short periods of lecture, followed by “breaks” that can consist of minute papers, problem sets, brainstorming sessions, or open discussion. Over 125 active learning modules were developed and the use of engaging lectures led to higher averages on unit exams compared to traditional didactic lectures (8.6% higher, p<.05, n=120). Furthermore, students demonstrated an improved long‐term retention of information via higher scores on the comprehensive final exam (22.9% higher, p<.05).

Year 2: Online modules were produced in order to help students review basic physiological concepts prior to lecture. Students exhibited a significant increase in post‐test scores with the use of online review modules (46% increase, p<.0001). Eight videos have been developed with over 1.5 hours of instructional information.

Year 3: A YouTube channel was created to provide students with solutions for difficult physiology problems. Using a SmartBoard, problem solutions were recorded in order to help students determine how to appropriately approach problems in a systematic fashion. The channel contains more than 30 videos, with over 400,000 views.

Year 4: Team‐based Learning (TBL) modules were implemented into the course. In TBLs, students take a quiz individually and then retake the quiz in small groups, given time to discuss each of the questions. Following this discussion, students then complete another individual quiz over similar content. TBLs improved student scores on the post‐test quizzes (10% increase, p<.05). Five TBLs are now utilized in the course.

Year 5: A series of Clinical Scenario videos were created, which showcase the physiological basis of medical emergencies in the dental office. The videos resulted in a significant increase in exam performance on clinical application questions (6.2% increase, p<.05).

While each of these pedagogies has been shown to be individually effective, the creation of an extensive teaching toolbox has resulted in significant gains for the course as a whole. The teaching evaluations have been extremely positive and the faculty have received several awards during this time. The results of these studies demonstrate that methodical implementation of modern teaching methods can revitalize existing courses in the Health Sciences and improve student perceptions and comprehension.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
From the Community to the Laboratory: Field Research to Advance Student Learning
Authors: Guerrier Richardson , Doherty Cathleen , Smith L. Cody , Pivnick Elyse , Aleksunes Lauren , Buckley Brian , Laskin Debra
Published: June 2021

Fieldwork is an integral component of learning science, but is often overlooked while performing laboratory research. During the summer, a community outreach project for undergraduate students to learn about exposure to heave metals was developed. Together with 12 undergraduate students and faculty who are members of the Rutgers Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, we selected and visited four sampling sites in Trenton, NJ, a community that has long industry history and concerns regarding the consequences of heavy metal contamination. The purpose of this Frontiers in Physiology Research Teacher activity was to evaluate soil and street dust levels of lead (Pb), which affects the central nervous system and may lead to development delays in children. Four teams of students, postdocs, teachers (high school and middle school) and a member of Isles, Inc., a New Jersey based community development and environmental organization collected street dust and soil at a former smelter, an abandoned park and children playground. Each team kept field notes on sample characteristics and drew maps of each sample location with proximity to roads, schools, and public parks. Upon return to the laboratory, samples of street dust and soil were dissolved in acids, vented, centrifuged, and microwaved to extract heavy metals. ICP‐MS analysis revealed widespread elevated Pb levels (>125 ppm) above naturally occurring levels (~10–50 ppm) throughout the study region. Mean Pb levels in soil were 155 ppm (range: 19–566 ppm, n=24) and dust, 125 ppm (range: 14–533 ppm, n=22). The highest levels of Pb (>500 ppm) were observed in in land around the former Magic Marker/Philco Battery site. Participants rated the activity highly (mean rating = 4.0, SD 0.6) on a Likert scale of 1–5. Overall, fieldwork provides an opportunity for students and teachers to participate in relevant research and assist a community.

Support or Funding Information

Supported by the APS, SOT Intern Program, R25ES020721, P30ES005022, and T32007148

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
A Visual and Intuitive Comparison of Experimental Designs in the Health Sciences
Authors: Hummel Ruth M
Published: June 2021

Many students and practitioners struggle to understand experimental designs and their implications in appropriate modeling. Full factorial designs and hierarchical designs are commonly used, but less commonly well‐understood. Then, when a full factorial design is not an option due to limited time or resources, how do you choose between potential reduced designs? What are the implications from various design choices on what you can learn from your experiment? How will the analysis change when the design is changed? If you find additional resources after the experiment is run, how do you most effectively augment the original design?

In this talk, we will explore some visualizations of experimental designs that can help students to explore these questions and grasp the experimental design options much more intuitively than in the traditional treatment of these topics. We will discuss the need to have a sense of the variability you anticipate in your experiment, and how this translates to simulations of the power and sample size relationship and comparisons of power over various design options.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Engagement and Higher Order Skill Proficiency of First and Second Year Medical Students: A Comparison between IUSM's Legacy and Reformed Curricula
Authors: Francis Brandon K , Hopper Mari K
Published: June 2021

A large, multicampus, public medical school underwent curricular renewal emphasizing a student‐centered approach with 50% of all course contact time devoted to active learning. Determining the impact of active learning on student engagement and higher order skill (HOS) proficiency was the primary aim of this study. The study compared levels of engagement and HOS between 1) students participating in the legacy curriculum (LC) to those in the renewed curriculum (RC); 2) students in their first year (MS1) of medical school to their second year (MS2). Engagement was determined using a validated Survey of Student Engagement (Ahlfeldt, 2005). HOS proficiency was assessed using the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), professionally developed and validated by the Council for Aid to Education (https://cae.org/flagship‐assessments‐cla‐cwra/cla/). Results indicated that MS1 students in the RC demonstrated significantly higher engagement than LC students (39.0±7.0 vs 36.3±5.3), and continued to increase engagement significantly from MS1 to MS2 (40.8±5.3). However, there were no differences in HOS proficiency when comparing RC to LC, or MS1 to MS2. Interestingly, RC MS1 students in the lowest HOS quartile (1688.8±53.1) demonstrated significantly increased HOS when re‐tested during MS2 (1809.5±86.8). This phenomenon was not seen in LC students. Implementation of RC resulted in higher levels of student engagement than LC, but no differences in HOS were found. These results may be explained by a “ceiling” effect present in this group of highly developed learners.

Support or Funding Information

NA

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The Improvisation of Flipped Teaching Methodology and Student Performance
Authors: Ruholl Hannah Olivia , Fentem Andrea , Gopalan Chaya
Published: June 2021

Flipped teaching (FT) has gained educators' attention in recent years as a promising teaching strategy designed to increase student engagement in the classroom. We compared two modes of FT with that of traditional (lecture style) teaching (TT) in an undergraduate course titled Biology of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases (KIN412). Scores from major exams were compared between four teaching formats: a TT format, a FT format with three in‐class sessions per week (FT3X), a FT format with two in‐class sessions and one session as dedicated preparation time (FT1X), and FT1X but with a focus on retrieval practice (FT1X‐RP). The average exam grade in the TT was 70.13 percent, 74.89 percent in FT3X, 75.37 percent in FT1X, and 74.45 percent in FT1X‐RP. Students reported that FT3X was difficult for them due to the increased time demand. All three flipped teaching approaches were significantly better than the traditional face‐to‐face teaching.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Experimental and Mathematical Modeling of Intracellular Calcium Dynamics for Anticancer Effects Evaluation in Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Chang Yan , Funk Marah , Lafci Mehtap , Stephenson Elizabeth , Kojouharov Hristo , Chen Benito , Pan Zui
Published: June 2021

Targeting dysregulated Ca2+ signaling in cancer cells is an emerging chemotherapy approach. This group previously reported that store‐operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) blocker, such as RP4010, could effectively inhibit intracellular Ca2+ oscillations and cell proliferation in esophageal cancer, a leading cancer worldwide with low 5‐year survival rate. While many current clinical chemotherapy drugs, such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can induce intracellular Ca2+ release, it is not known whether combination of SOCE blockers and TKIs could achieve better chemotherapy effects. The present study employed both experimental and mathematical models to evaluate the effect of RP4010 and TKI (Afatinib) on intracellular Ca2+ oscillation periods in KYSE‐150 cells, an esophageal cancer cell line. The intracellular Ca2+ oscillation period in KYSE‐150 cells was measured as ~32.8 sec; both Afatinib and RP4010 could reduce intracellular Ca2+ and prolong the period in a dose‐dependent manner. Using a modified canonical model with variables of SOCE channel and IP3 receptor affected by RP4010 and Afatinib receptively, the intracellular Ca2+ oscillation dynamics were simulated. The theoretical data of the combined implementations of drugs also fitted well with experimental data. Both results demonstrated a synergetic effect of RP4010 and Afatinib on inhibiting intracellular Ca2+ oscillation period, which was further confirmed by cell proliferation analysis. This study suggests that experimental and mathematical modeling of intracellular Ca2+ dynamics could be used as a rapid and cost‐effective tool for evaluation of combined chemotherapy drugs.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Mathematical Modelling of Uterine Natural Killer Intracellular Mechanisms in Pregnancy
Authors: Ismail Nurul Izza , Nickerson David , Clark Alys
Published: June 2021

Pregnancy success is critically dependent on remodelling of maternal uterine arteries (spiral arteries) by placental cells (trophoblasts). There is strong evidence that this process is modulated by immune cells, specifically uterine natural killer (uNK) cells. Natural killer (NK) cell action on aberrant cells by secretion of cytotoxins is locally inhibited during pregnancy to promote implantation. The mother's 'tolerant' response to invading trophoblasts may be key to a successful pregnancy, but this immune tolerance is incompletely understood. We hypothesize that differential expression of key activation and inhibition receptors in uNK compared with peripheral natural killer cells (pNK) may play an important role in this process.

This study employs mathematical modelling to investigate the downstream effects of NK cells' activation and inhibition receptors after stimulation by various levels of ligands. Our model is based on a comprehensive qualitative description of the intracellular signalling pathways leading to chemokine and cytotoxin release from pNKs obtained from the KEGG database (https://www.genome.jp/kegg‐bin/show_pathway?hsa04650). From this qualitative description we built a novel quantitative model, reusing existing curated models where possible and implementing new models as needed. This approach was enabled through the availability of these models in standard formats in publicly accessible repositories. This is the first model to incorporate a comprehensive description of the pathways between activation and inhibition receptors and the secretion of IFNγ, TNFα and GM‐CSF cytokines, which aims to predict pNK function with the necessary detail to match existing literature data.

We then used our model to investigate whether changes in relative receptor expression between pNK and uNK can be sufficient to change cell behaviour as expected in pregnancy. The model reveals the relative importance of different reactions for molecules in the NK intracellular pathways on secretion of IFNγ, TNFα and GM‐CSF cytokines for both types of NK cells. This model provides important steps toward understanding how differential receptor expression between these two classes of NK cells impacts their function. In particular, we demonstrate model predictions of how the increased expression of receptors for human leukocyte antigens (HLA‐C, ‐E, and ‐G) and decreased expression of receptors typically expressed by pNK (e.g. ITG, NKG2D and KIR3) contribute to altered cytokine secretion in uNKs. Ultimately, this new knowledge will help us to define the interaction between placental trophoblast and uNKs in humans.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Influence of heart failure on biomechanical properties during left ventricular passive diastolic filling
Authors: Yin Zhongjie , Huo Yunlong
Published: June 2021

Objective

Heart failure (HF) results in changes of the function of left ventricular (LV) which can be reflected by the variation of the biomechanical properties, such as fiber stress and strain. Finite element (FE) method is often seen as an effective way to analysis biomechanical properties of the heart. Our requirement is to build an accurate patient‐specific LV FE model and analyze its biomechanical behavior.

Method

Six patients from Peking University First Hospital are divided in two groups, infarcted (n=3) and normal (n=3). All these patients are scanned by the magnetic resonance (MR). Three‐dimensional LV geometries are segmented from cardiac MR images at end‐diastolic from their hearts. By developing non‐linear finite element model as well as the algorithm based on the multiplicative decomposition of the deformation gradient tensor, we find the unloaded configuration with zero pressure. To determine regional stress and strain distributions in ventricular myocardium, transversely isotropic constitutive law is taken. To better describe different stiffness of LV with HF, it is divided into three regions, respectively called infarcted region, border zone and remote region. For three patients with HF, the stress scaling coefficient of constitutive law at the infarcted region is defined to be ten times stiffer than two other areas while the stiffness of the whole LV remains the same for three normal patients.

Results

As can be shown from Fig. 1, fiber stresses of three infracted patients are 8.748±5.733kPa, 9.488±6.566kPa, 6.170±5.622kPa, compared with 2.722±1.596kPa, 1.929±1.122kPa, 1.918±1.175kPa of three normal patients. As can be shown from Fig. 2, fiber strains of three infracted patients are 0.424±0.028, 0.422±0.025, 0.431±0.028, compared with 0.439±0.018, 0.447±0.018, 0.447±0.017 of three normal patients.

Conclusions

Fiber stresses of infracted group are significantly higher than the normal one while there are no obvious distinctions of the figure of fiber strain between two groups.

Support or Funding Information

This research is supported in part by the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Institution (China) Grant JCYJ20160427170536358 (Y Huo).

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
An investigation on mechanical property differences of arteries based on structure and morphology analysis of collagen fibers
Authors: Cao Minglu , Huo Yunlong
Published: June 2021

Objective

The structure and morphology of collagen fibers greatly influence the mechanical property of arteries. Cyosection immunofluorescence represents a powerful technique for the direct observation of the structure and morphology of the collagen fibers. The objective of this work is to investigate the mechanical property variation of arteries between elderly and young rats, and to get insight of the mechanical property differences based on the structure and morphology of the collagen fibers using cyosection immunofluorescence method.

Method

Femoral, iliac, carotid and abdominal arteries were obtained from 4 pairs of healthy Sprague Dawley rats with the maturity of 8 weeks (young) and 8 months (elderly). The mechanical properties of the obtained arteries were investigated based on the cross‐section morphology. The structure and morphology of the collagen fibers were evidently observed using cyosection immunofluorescence method.

Results

The abdominal artery segments exhibited greater orientation difference between elderly and young groups compared with those of carotid and femoral arteries. It was observed that elderly rats showed thicker and higher content ratio collagen fibers of abdominal aorta compared with young group using cyosection immunofluorescence method. In addition, the abdominal aorta collagen fiber angle frequency distribution in the median layer exhibited a broad peak (young group: 0°–30°; elderly group: 17°–49°, P value<0.05), while it showed more uniform distribution ranging from −90° to 90° in femoral and carotid arteries.

Conclusions

The abdominal artery in elderly rats shows distinguished variation in the mechanical property compared with young rats in terms of the angle distribution and fiber width than those of femoral artery, carotid artery, and iliac artery. Consequently, this finding reveals the morphological growth and aging laws of arteries to understand microstructure‐based constitutive model in the vascular remodeling and disease.

Support or Funding Information

This research is supported in part by the Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Institution (China) Grant JCYJ20160427170536358 (Y Huo).

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The Use of Educational Games as a Tool in the Teaching of Anatomy and Human Physiology
Authors: Campos Letícia Cavalcante , da Costa Antônio Lima Orcini , Ferreira Rafael Martins , de Sousa Fidelis Lázaro , da Costa Roberta Oliveira , Cerqueira Gilberto Santos , de Souza Emmanuel Prata
Published: June 2021

Educational games are play activities that have specialized pedagogical objectives for the development of students' reasoning and learning. Thus games can be considered an educational resource that allows the integral and dynamic development of the individual, besides favoring the construction of autonomy, creativity, responsibility and cooperation. In this way the present research aims to evaluate the students' learning through an educational game in the teaching of human anatomy and physiology. A transversal, exploratory, descriptive study with a quantitative approach was carried out at a basic education school located in the interior of Brazil. Fifty high school students aged 14 to 19 years participated in the study. As a data collection instrument, a semi‐structured interview was used based on NEVES's work, 2010 containing elements for the identification and characterization of the participants, as well as 10 descriptive questions about games in anatomy teaching. The Mann Whitney test was used to analyze the data. Observed a statistically significant difference in the students' perception of learning after the application of the educational games, the students had a high score 5 (5–4) when compared with the one with low perception of learning 3 (3‐2). It was found that 74% of the students stated that the game was regular, 18% easy, 6% and 2% was classified in a complex context. It was observed that playful interventions proved to be effective as a new teaching proposal, because it favored the fixation and acquisition of knowledge in an atmosphere of playfulness and enthusiasm, becoming a relevant tool for teaching complex subjects such as Anatomy and Physiology Human.

Support or Funding Information

This study received funding of CAPES

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Learner Satisfaction with Peer‐to‐Peer Teaching in Virtual Dissection Laboratories
Authors: Jiang Andy , Forster Bruce B. , Ng Nicole , Nicolaou Savvas , Hu Jeff , Spouge Rebecca , Nugent James P. , Darras Kathryn E.
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Virtual dissection is a novel method for teaching anatomy through radiological images. While the role of peer learning has been studied in cadaveric dissection, not much is known about the role of peer teaching in virtual dissection.

Aim

To determine first year medical students' satisfaction with peer‐to‐peer teaching using this emerging technology.

Methods

Second year medical students prepared and taught virtual dissection laboratories for their first‐year colleagues, which were voluntary and extra‐curricular. The case‐based laboratories were designed to expose participants to clinical radiology images. Participants completed a post‐laboratory survey based on the Kirkpatrick Hierarchy for curriculum evaluation and results were tabulated.

Results

34 first year students (24 females, 10 males) participated in this laboratory. All respondents found the cases were presented an appropriate level of difficulty, with 94% of participants believing the peer tutor facilitated the session effectively. Upon completing the session, the majority of participants felt that they understood the imaging findings (88%) and the clinical cases (91%), perceived the session as a valuable learning experience (97%), and would recommend the peer‐to‐peer virtual dissection laboratory to a colleague (94%). Almost all participants (97%) agreed or strongly agreed that the session was a valuable learning experience.

Conclusion

Students reported that peer‐to‐peer teaching was a valuable learning experience in virtual dissection laboratories. Peer‐to‐peer based virtual dissection laboratories provide an innovative and collaborative mode of learning that can complement more traditional anatomy education methods.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The 3D‐Printed Human Heart: Development of Inexpensive, Versatile, Three‐Dimensional Models of the Human Heart For Medical Education
Authors: Holloway Blake Walter , Ogdon Dorothy Megatron , Barger Bradley Simon , Resuehr David Megatron
Published: June 2021

The human heart is an incredibly complex organ and its anatomical position in the mediastinum gives it a uniquely protected and central position in the thorax. In addition to understanding the general anatomy and physiology of the heart, it is important to understand the three dimensional (3D) position and relationships of the heart to the surrounding viscera as it plays a central role in many aspects of medical training. Preclinical ultrasound education has been shown to enhance the teaching of gross anatomy, which makes it a very useful tool in the UME setting, yet, many learners struggle with understanding the 3D position of the human heart in relation to the surrounding viscera, and often have difficulty envisioning, extrapolating and interpreting medical imaging views of the heart in ultrasound imaging. As the prevalence of ultrasound in UME is steadily increasing in medical colleges nationwide and the heart is a favorite and one of the first organs to be scanned by students. The heart is among the easier organs to locate sonographically, and provides a great deal of clinical information. We have previously shown that homemade, transparent ultrasound trainers often referred to as ballistic gel phantoms help students gain a better understanding of the 3D arrangement of structures in the heart on ultrasound. Our assumption was that a physical model that the learner could hold, rotate, inspect from multiple angles, and approximate in relation to his or her own body would facilitate improved learning by providing a multimodal approach not available through ultrasound alone. Using ideas drawn from our previous work with ballistic gel, we used a 3D printer to create models of, typical echo cardiography views of the heart to use as multimodal teaching tools. These models supplement and enriching the extant didactic materials currently in use for learning cardiac anatomy and cardiac ultrasound image interpretation.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Histology Across the Human Lifespan: A Photographic Atlas Project
Authors: Peterson Dana , Severt Sydney
Published: June 2021

This project continues the development of an educational resource for students of higher education pursuing histology coursework in basic medical science programs. The pivotal design component for “Histology Across the Human Lifespan,” is the presentation of multiple samples of a single tissue type to novice learners. Students examine microscopic samples of the same tissue type from individuals in ten different age categories that include a pediatric exemplar, an adolescent exemplar, plus adult and geriatric samples. Medical science programs typically do not include age progression observations for students in traditional histology courses. However, comparisons made between tissue samples of individuals of different ages can reinforce similarities and highlight differences between tissues and organs. In addition, this atlas project will provide comparisons of adult tissue exemplars from all major organs between individuals with a normal body mass index (BMI) and those with an abnormally high BMI. Individuals with a BMI >40 kg/m2 are considered morbidly obese, and are at risk for serious health complications. Samples that have been analyzed demonstrate that with aging there is a diminished number of parenchymal cells and an increase in stromal cells and collagen deposition. A similar but more dramatic trend in diminished numbers was seen in males and females that were categorized as morbidly obese, even in the youngest age categories for both endocrine glands and heart tissue. Current work is focused on quantifying cell changes in organs of the cardiopulmonary systems. Changes in cell size and numbers have important implications for heart and lung function. Aging individuals of both genders, with normal and abnormal body mass indexes, have shown initial increases in cell numbers as organ size increases until puberty. However, morbidly obese, prepubertal individuals showed diminished cell numbers earlier than the non‐obese exemplars. This trend continues throughout their lifespan at an accelerated rate compared to non‐obese individuals. A systematic histological investigation of remaining organ systems will be completed over the next three years.

Support or Funding Information

Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, Ohio; Bio‐Med Science Academy, Rootstown, Ohio

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The Influence of Chemesthesis on Taste Bud Signal Transduction
Authors: Huang Anthony Y , Wu Sandy Y
Published: June 2021

Chemesthesis, the general chemical sensitivity of the skin and mucus membranes in the oronasal cavities and being perceived as pungency, irritation or heat, impacts taste responsiveness. Previously, capsaicin‐mediated modulation of taste nerve responses was thought to be produced indirectly, via stimulation of peripheral sensory nerve terminals that have ability to release stored transmitters, e.g., calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP), onto taste cells. this implies a role in gustatory signaling, by efferent signals from somatosensory neurons. The underlying assumption has been that neuropeptides exert their effects on taste transmitter secretion in taste buds of mice, a well‐accepted model for studying taste bud functions, as theoretically may relate to the processing of the gustatory information. We reported that applying CGRP elicited Type III cells to secrete serotonin (5‐HT), which reduced ATP secretion from Type II cells during the gustatory stimulation. The complex interplay between taste cells and chemosensory neurons, via transmitters, may play an important role during the processing of the complex stimuli involving both spicy and tasty components. Furthermore, to test this assumption, using a combination of Ca2+ imaging with cellular biosensors – genetically‐engineered Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells, transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) in the specific taste cell type and immunostaining, we investigated the net effect of SP reduced taste‐evoked ATP secretion from mouse taste buds. Specifically, SP elicited phospholipase C (PLC) activation‐dependent intracellular Ca2+ transients in taste cells via neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors, most likely on glutamate‐aspartate transporter (GLAST)‐expressing Type I cells. Recently, γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) as well as the associated synthetic enzyme have been identified in Type I cells. Consequently, Type I cells secrete GABA in respond to SP. Combined with the recent findings that GABA provides negative paracrine feedback onto Type II cells by activating GABAA and/or GABAB receptors and reducing taste‐evoked ATP secretion, our results showed that taste‐evoked ATP secretion from intact taste buds, which remain cell‐cell communication intact, was reduced when SP was co‐applied with taste stimuli in the bath medium. We conclude that SP plays a role as an inhibitory transmitter that shapes peripheral taste signals via GABAergic signaling during processing gustatory information in taste buds. This seemingly tangled complex represents a new concept of taste signaling and that neuropeptides released from afferent sensory terminals play a regulatory role in processing taste signals.

Support or Funding Information

AAA FGAP (AAA‐3419) and SIUSOM Research Grants to AYH.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
Sodium Acrylate‐Induced Differential Expansion of Cellular Organelles
Authors: Pernal Sebastian P , Kuhn Eric R , George Kathleen , Formosa Brent , Liyanaarachchi Asiri , Ramos Rafael , Naik Akshata R , Rajagopalan Carthic , Jena Bhanu P
Published: June 2021

The physical expansion of biological samples in 3‐D to obtain nanoscale (~70 nm) resolution using light microscopy employing hydration‐competent polymers, an approach termed expansion microscopy (ExM), has not been applied to assess the extent of expansion between different tissues and subcellular organelles, critical to clinical pathological assessments. Ultrastructure of cellular organelles at the nanoscale using electron microscopy, and the distribution of associated antigens, can reflect cell health and is used in the detection and assessment of a wide range of pathologies. Using light microscopy, we performed organelle‐specific fluorescent immunocytochemistry on formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded human and rabbit tissue slices, and formalin‐fixed primary human muscle cell cultures, to determine the extent of expansion between different tissues and subcellular organelles. Optical evaluation of subcellular expansion of various organelles in the same and in different tissues demonstrate differential expansion, critical to the rapid and inexpensive optical evaluation, as opposed to electron microscopy. The differential expansion of cellular organelles indicates a growing need to better understand the interactions of the polymers with subcellular structures, the composition of different cellular organelles, and the differences of organelle composition between tissues, before ExM can be applied as a replicable clinical tool.

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.
The Exocyst Protein Exo70, but not Sec6, is Recruited to Listeria Protrusions During Cell‐to‐Cell Spreading
Authors: Walker Brittany A , Guttman Julian Andrew
Published: June 2021

Listeria monocytogenes bacteria kill ~25 % of people that they infect. This extends to a mortality rate of ~30% of infected unborn foetuses. Crucial to Listeria's infections are it's ability to move from one cell to its neighboring cells in order to infect entire organ systems while remaining undetectable to the immune system. It does this by hijacking the host cell's actin cytoskeleton, generating actin‐rich structures called comet tails and interacting with the host cell's plasma membrane forming bacterial protrusions referred to as listeriopods to push into their adjacent cells. The exocyst complex of proteins is used by cells to exocytose vesicles. This protein complex utilizes the proteins Exo70, Sec6 as well as six others to accomplish this task. Exo70 is a multifunctional protein that can engage with the actin cytoskeleton to promote branched actin filament formation through interactions with the Arp2/3 complex. To examine whether exocyst components are involved in the cell‐to‐cell spreading of Listeria we examined Exo70 and Sec6 localization. GFP‐Exo70 accumulated at the tip and along the length of growing listeriopods during live cell microscopy, while Sec6, was not found at elevated levels at the Listeria protrusions. This work suggests that Exo70 is independent of the exocyst complex and is recruited to listeriopods.

Support or Funding Information

Funding provided through NSERC. (Grant No. 355316 to J. A. G.)

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.