June 2021 Member Publications

  1. Reynolds LM, Zamora C, Lee UJ, Stokes AC, Benjamin EJ, Bhatnagar A, Payne TJ, Rodriguez CJ. Tobacco Use Prevalence and Transitions From 2013 to 2018 Among Adults With a History of Cardiovascular Disease. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021 Jun 9:e021118. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.021118. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34102851.
    Impact Statement: This study shows that even though it is well known that smoking is bad for your heart, even those with heart disease continue to smoke. Less than 10% of those with heart disease enroll in tobacco cessation programs, although some switch to e-cigarette.
  2. Wang X, Chen XX, Yu HT, Tan Y, Lin Q, Keller BB, Zheng Y, Cai L. Engineered cardiac tissues: a novel in vitro model to investigate the pathophysiology of mouse diabetic cardiomyopathy. Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2021 Jun;42(6):932-941. doi: 10.1038/s41401-020-00538-8. Epub 2020 Oct 9. PMID: 33037406; PMCID: PMC8149662.
    Impact Statement: Rodent diabetic models, used to understand the pathophysiology of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM), remain several limitations. Engineered cardiac tissue (ECT) with 3D in vitro heart model was used to investigate the structural and functional effect of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), as the most important pathogenic factor for DCM’s development; This study shows the first time that AGEs-treated murine ECTs recapitulate the key features of DCM's functional, structural, cellular, and molecular pathogenesis as observed in the heart of diabetic mice. This approved that this ex vivo model can be used to investigate cellular structure-function relationships, signaling pathways relevant to DCM and pharmaceutical intervention strategies.
  3. Gozal E, Jagadapillai R, Cai J, Barnes GN. Potential Crosstalk between Sonic Hedgehog-Wingless-related Integration Site Signaling and Neurovascular Molecules: Implications for Blood Brain Barrier Integrity in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Neurochem. 2021 Jun 25. doi: 10.1111/jnc.15460. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34169527.
    Impact Statement: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease and its pathogenesis may be attributed to gene-environment interactions. There are no definitive mechanisms explaining how environmental triggers can lead to ASD although brain inflammation, immunity, and oxidative stress are involved. The blood brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical role in controlling brain homeostasis and immune response. The permissive BBB opens the ‘gate’ for environmental ‘saboteurs’ and trigger the pathological events in ASD. In this review, the authors examined the current knowledge on Sonic Hedgehog/Wingless-related integration site (Shh/Wnt) pathways and their roles in BBB function in ASD. The interactions between Wnt-b-catenin and Shh pathways are critical to maintain BBB integrity in the mature brain to prevent influx of pathogens and inflammatory cells. Disruption of the Shh/Wnt crosstalk may compromise the BBB development and function. The ASD patients with genetic mutations of key components of these pathways show severe ASD symptoms. Mechanisms involving ASD-related mutations of Shh/Wnt signaling cause BBB leaks and neuroinflammation, suggesting the BBB integrity plays a vital role in gene-environment interactions in ASD pathogenesis.
  4. Lei C, Teng Y, He L, Sayed M, Mu J, Xu F, Zhang X, Kumar A, Sundaram K, Sriwastva MK, Zhang L, Chen SY, Feng W, Zhang S, Yan J, Park JW,Merchant ML, Zhang X, Zhang HG. Lemon exosome-like nanoparticles enhance stress survival of gut bacteria by RNase P-mediated specific tRNA decay. iScience. 2021 May 5;24(6):102511. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102511. PMID: 34142028; PMCID: PMC8188359.
    Impact Statement: Since most of the probiotic bacteria currently available in the market belong to the genera Lactobacillus and overcoming bile salt damage to probiotics is a great challenge. In this study, a tiny nanoparticle called exosomes-like nanoparticles (ELNs) isolated from lemon significantly increased the percentage of lactobacillaceae in the presence of bile. This finding is significant because we daily consume a variety of plant-derived products which contain ELNs in our diet. Our findings provide a foundation to further determine whether other types of ELNs also contribute to enhance the survivability of probiotics in gut in general.
  5. Lin Q, Huang Z, Cai G, Fan X, Yan X, Liu Z, Zhao Z, Li J, Li J, Shi H, Kong M, Zheng MH, Conklin DJ, Epstein PN, Wintergerst KA, Mohammadi M, Cai L, Li X, Li Y, Tan Y. Activating Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Mediates Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 Protection From Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Mice. Hepatology. 2021 Jun;73(6):2206-2222. doi: 10.1002/hep.31568. PMID: 32965675; PMCID: PMC8082952.
    Impact statement: Although fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) protects against nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in type 2 diabetic and obese mice, but its clinically translational study was limited mainly because its hyperproliferation has potentially tumorigenic risk, to overcome which, we engineered an FGF1 (i.e., FGF1ΔHBS) that dramatically diminished it’s proliferative potential, yet maintains full metabolic activity of wild-type FGF1. This new FGF1ΔHBS is approved effective for preventing and reversing liver steatosis and steatohepatitis by activating AMPK via hepatocyte FGFR4, and also potentially applied towards clinical use.
  6. Saha S, Roy P, Corbitt C, Kakar SS. Application of Stem Cell Therapy for Infertility. Cells. 2021 Jun 28;10(7):1613. doi: 10.3390/cells10071613. PMID: 34203240.
    Impact statement: Infertility affects about 15% of couples globally. Conventional therapies and assisted reproductive technologies (e.g., in vitro fertilization) are effective for many but not all cases. This review explains new fertility treatment possibilities using stem cell therapies, many of which are in clinical trials now.
  7. Tang W, Liu H, Wei P, Huang J, Lyu W, Zhou H, Zhou J, Li Y, Li J. Decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation and the increase in heart rate is a prewarning window of hypotension after spinal anesthesia for cesarean section: A pilot observational study. J Clin Anesth. 2021 Jun 1;73:110360. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinane.2021.110360. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34087657.
    Impact Statement: We identified that decrease in cerebral oxygen saturation and increase in heart rate can predict hypotension after spinal anesthesia in pregnant patients for C Section.
  8. Tibi P, McClure RS, Huang J, Baker RA, Fitzgerald D, Mazer CD, Stone M, Chu D, Stammers AH, Dickinson T, Shore-Lesserson L, Ferraris V, Firestone S, Kissoon K, Moffatt-Bruce S. STS/SCA/AmSECT/SABM Update to the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Patient Blood Management. Ann Thorac Surg. 2021 Jun 8:S0003-4975(21)00556-7. doi: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2021.03.033. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34217505.
    Impact Statement: A multidisciplinary panel of experts was convened by STS, which includes members of the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (SCA), the American Society of ExtraCorporeal Technology (AmSECT), and the Society for the Advancement of Blood Management (SABM), to review the latest data on patient blood management and to update the 2011 Update to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Blood Conservation Clinical Practice Guidelines.
  9. Dukka H, Byrd P, Qian C, Baughman G, Butt S, Rai SN. Occupational percutaneous injuries and exposures in a dental teaching environment: A 10-year report. J Dent Educ. 2021 Jun 27. doi: 10.1002/jdd.12731. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34180052.
    Impact statement: Occupational percutaneous injuries (PIs) are an ongoing issue that occurs globally, especially in an academic environment and are woefully underreported. Our results showed that uncovered dental burs and needlesticks continue to be the predominant cause of PIs in a teaching environment. Collection and reporting of such events could be useful in observing any trends and implementation of corrective actions to prevent such injuries, which could lead to potential cross infections.
  10. Zierold KM, Myers JV, Brock GN, Sears CG, Sears LL, Zhang CH. Nail Samples of Children Living near Coal Ash Storage Facilities Suggest Fly Ash Exposure and Elevated Concentrations of Metal(loid)s. Environ Sci Technol. 2021 Jul 6;55(13):9074-9086. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01541. Epub 2021 Jun 16. PMID: 34132542.
    Impact statement: The effect of coal ash exposure on children's health is not known but is a concern due to the potential toxins contained in the coal-power-plant byproduct. The study found an increased heavy metal body burden in children living near coal ash storage sites indicating an increased risk for potential neurotoxic exposure from metals contained in coal ash.
  11. Bushau-Sprinkle AM, Barati MT, Zheng Y, Watson WH, Gagnon KB, Khundmiri SJ, Kitterman KT, Clark BJ, Siskind LJ, Doll MA, Brier ME, Coventry S, Lederer ED. Na/H Exchange Regulatory Factor 1 Deficient Mice Show Evidence of Oxidative Stress and Altered Cisplatin Pharmacokinetics. Antioxidants (Basel). 2021 Jun 28;10(7):1036. doi: 10.3390/antiox10071036. PMID: 34203453.
    Impact statement: Cisplatin is an effective cancer treatment drug, but up to one third of patients must stop taking this drug because of kidney toxicity. This paper identifies NHERF1 as a protein that protects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity by altering the redox environment of the kidney.
  12. Karimi SM, Majbouri M, DuPré N, White KB, Little BB, McKinney WP. Weather and COVID-19 Deaths During the Stay-at-Home Order in the United States. J Occup Environ Med. 2021 Jun 1;63(6):462-468. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000002160. PMID: 34048380; PMCID: PMC8168671.