Effects of Salt Concentration on Tetrahymena thermophila Growth and CRP1 Gene Expression

The use of salt to remove ice from roads has resulted in increased salinity in many freshwater lakes in North America. For this project, we wanted to explore how environmental salt concentrations influence the rate of growth of Tetrahymena thermophila and expression of the CRP1 gene. We hypothesized that if the sodium concentration is increased in the media, Tetrahymena growth would decrease and expression of the CRP1 gene would increase. The CRP1 gene encodes a protein that helps regulate calcium concentrations within a cell based on the concentration of sodium ions. The media of the experimental group was treated with sodium concentrations reflective of the increasing salt concentration of freshwater lakes. Cultures were randomly assigned to either the control group, containing no added sodium, or to the experimental group. The course of treatment lasted for 3 days and growth of the Tetrahymena was measured every 24 hours during the treatment period. Immediately following the 72-hour treatment, RNA extraction procedures were followed and gene-specific Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reactions (RT-PCRs) were performed on both the control and experimental groups to measure expression of CRP1. Increased sodium concentration in the media was predicted to decrease Tetrahymena thermophila growth and increase CRP1 expression in order to help regulate ion concentrations within the cell

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Is Mesenchymal Stem Cell Personalized Therapy the Future?

Autism and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders. They are enigmatic conditions that have their origins in the interaction of genes and environmental factors. ASDs are characterized by dysfunctions in social interaction and communication skills, in addition to repetitive and stereotypic verbal and nonverbal behaviours. Immune dysfunction has been confirmed with autistic children. There are no defined mechanisms of pathogenesis or curative therapy presently available. Indeed, ASDs are still untreatable. Available treatments for autism can be divided into behavioural, nutritional, and medical approaches, although no defined standard approach exists. Nowadays, stem cell therapy represents the great promise for the future of molecular medicine. Among the stem cell population, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show probably best potential good results in medical research. Due to the particular immune and neural dysregulation observed in ASDs, mesenchymal stem cell transplantation could offer a unique tool to provide better resolution for this disease

The Overlapping Area of Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and Wheat-Sensitive Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): An Update

Gluten-related disorders have recently been reclassified with an emerging scientific literature supporting the concept of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). New research has specifically addressed prevalence, immune mechanisms, the recognition of non-immunoglobulin E (non-IgE) wheat allergy and overlap of NCGS with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)-type symptoms. This review article will provide clinicians with an update that directly impacts on the management of a subgroup of their IBS patients whose symptoms are triggered by wheat ingestion

Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification

A decade ago celiac disease was considered extremely rare outside Europe and, therefore, was almost completely ignored by health care professionals. In only 10 years, key milestones have moved celiac disease from obscurity into the popular spotlight worldwide. Now we are observing another interesting phenomenon that is generating great confusion among health care professionals. The number of individuals embracing a gluten-free diet (GFD) appears much higher than the projected number of celiac disease patients, fueling a global market of gluten-free products approaching $2.5 billion (US) in global sales in 2010. This trend is supported by the notion that, along with celiac disease, other conditions related to the ingestion of gluten have emerged as health care concerns. This review will summarize our current knowledge about the three main forms of gluten reactions: allergic (wheat allergy), autoimmune (celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and gluten ataxia) and possibly immune-mediated (gluten sensitivity), and also outline pathogenic, clinical and epidemiological differences and propose new nomenclature and classifications

Divergence of gut permeability and mucosal immune gene expression in two gluten-associated conditions: celiac disease and gluten sensitivity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by the ingestion of gluten. Gluten-sensitive individuals (GS) cannot tolerate gluten and may develop gastrointestinal symptoms similar to those in CD, but the overall clinical picture is generally less severe and is not accompanied by the concurrence of tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies or autoimmune comorbidities. By studying and comparing mucosal expression of genes associated with intestinal barrier function, as well as innate and adaptive immunity in CD compared with GS, we sought to better understand the similarities and differences between these two gluten-associated disorders.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CD, GS and healthy, gluten-tolerant individuals were enrolled in this study. Intestinal permeability was evaluated using a lactulose and mannitol probe, and mucosal biopsy specimens were collected to study the expression of genes involved in barrier function and immunity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Unlike CD, GS is not associated with increased intestinal permeability. In fact, this was significantly reduced in GS compared with controls (<it>P </it>= 0.0308), paralleled by significantly increased expression of claudin (CLDN) 4 (<it>P </it>= 0.0286). Relative to controls, adaptive immunity markers interleukin (IL)-6 (<it>P </it>= 0.0124) and IL-21 (<it>P </it>= 0.0572) were expressed at higher levels in CD but not in GS, while expression of the innate immunity marker Toll-like receptor (TLR) 2 was increased in GS but not in CD (<it>P </it>= 0.0295). Finally, expression of the T-regulatory cell marker FOXP3 was significantly reduced in GS relative to controls (<it>P </it>= 0.0325) and CD patients (<it>P </it>= 0.0293).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study shows that the two gluten-associated disorders, CD and GS, are different clinical entities, and it contributes to the characterization of GS as a condition associated with prevalent gluten-induced activation of innate, rather than adaptive, immune responses in the absence of detectable changes in mucosal barrier function.</p

Put Your Phone Down: Effects of Cellular Radiation on Drosophila Melanogaster

In this project, we aimed to answer the question: Does cellular radiation affect offspring production and expression of the Rad51 gene in the organism Drosophila melanogaster? It was hypothesized that if Drosophila larvae were exposed to cellular radiation, the total offspring production would decrease, along with a corresponding increase in Rad51 expression. The Rad51 protein is crucial to the propagation of strand invasion and exchange steps in homologous recombination, resulting in the repair of double stranded DNA breaks. To test our hypothesis, we exposed the experimental group of Drosophila larvae to doses of cellular radiation emitted from an iPhone 6 or 7. Exposure to cellular radiation occurred for 6-minute durations, twice daily, for 3 consecutive days. At the end of the treatment period, RNA extraction from larvae and complimentary Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) was performed on both control and treatment groups. Further studies were performed to look at the fertility of Drosophila larvae that were exposed to cellular radiation. Due to prior research on cellular radiation exposure and its connection to DNA and sperm damage, it was predicted that expression of the Rad51 gene would show an increase in our treatment groups, along with a corresponding decrease in reproductive ability

Invasion in the Nation: How Does Temperature During Dormancy Influence Germination Rates of Humulus japonicus

Humulus japonicus is currently in the Eastern United States, but is rapidly migrating West and heading straight for Montana. The effects of climate change have already been seen in Montana, and more changes are expected to occur in the future. These shifts could produce a climate that would allow H. japonicus to thrive on our open lands. H. japonicus is an annual invasive species that can out compete native species in riparian and floodplain habitats, altering ecosystem function. Previous studies have shown that H. japonicus seeds need some kind of cold stratification in order to break seed dormancy. For our study we aimed to answer the following question: Does the environmental temperature Humulus japonicus seeds are stored in prior to germination influence seed germination and growth? Groups of seeds were exposed to a designated range of different temperatures for 4 weeks and then placed in the greenhouse to evaluate germination. It was hypothesized that the seeds stored at cold (approx.4°C) temperature will germinate once placed in an ideal growing environment. The growth rates of the seeds that successfully germinated were recorded and evaluated from each temperature range. If H. japonicus does require cold stratification, we expect that colder seed treatments will result in greater and more rapid seed germination. The seeds that have the ability to grow after sitting in adverse temperature conditions indicate the invasive species, H. japonicus, have the ability to grow in the state of Montana if spread to the region