Structural and functional response of toad urinary bladder to LiCl

AbstractStructural and functional response of toad urinary bladder to LiCl. The physiological and morphological response of toad urinary bladder was examined during mucosal exposure of LiCl both with and without vasopressin (VP). With 20 or 100 mU/ml of VP in the serosal bath there was a decrease in Jv between the first and second VP stimulation in LiCl-treated bladders (VP20, -14 ± 6%; VP100, -16 ± 5%) that was not different from that observed without LiCl (VP20, -8 ± 3%, P = NS). However, with 1 mU/ml of VP, a significant decrease in Jv was evident in LiCl-treated (-30 ± 10%) versus control sacs (+6 ± 8%; P < 0.02). At all VP concentrations tested, a significant decrease in SCC and PD was observed between the first stimulation without LiCl and the second stimulation with LiCl. Both osmotic (Pf) and diffusional water permeability (Pd) were increased significantly with 11 mM LiCl only, while neither basal nor VP-stimulated urea permeability (Pu) was affected. Morphological changes paralleled the physiological alterations induced by LiCl. These data demonstrate that LiCl interferes with the osmotic response of the toad bladder to low concentrations of VP, and increases both Pf and Pd while leaving Pu unaffected. These findings coupled with the cell swelling and intracellular vacuolization suggest the presence of a defect in transepithelial water movement somewhere beyond the apical membrane of the granular cell exposed to LiCl.Réponse structurelle et fonctionnelle de la vessie de crapaud au LiCl. La réponse physiologique et morphologique de la vessie de crapaud a été examinée pendant exposition de la muqueuse à du LiCl en présence ou en l'absence de vasopressine (VP). Pour 20 ou 100 mU/ml de VP dans le bain séreux, il y avait une diminution de Jv entre la première et la seconde stimulation par VP dans les vessies traitées par le LiCl (VP20, -14 ± 6%; VP100, -16 ± 5%), qui n'étaient pas différentes de celles observées sans LiCl (VP20, -8 ± 3%; P = NS). Cependant, avec 1 mU/ml de VP, une diminution significative de Jv était évidente dans les sacs traités au LiCl (-30 ± 10%) par rapport aux sacs contrôles (+6 ± 8%; P < 0,02). Pour toutes les concentrations de VP testées, une diminution significative du SCC et de PD a été observée entre la première stimulation sans LiCl, et la seconde stimulation avec LiCl. Les perméabilités osmotiques (Pf) et diffusionnelles (Pd) à l'eau étaient augmentées significativement avec 11 mM de LiCl seulement tandis que la perméabilité à l'urée basale ou stimulée par la VP (Pu) n'était pas affectée. Des modifications morphologiques allaient de pair avec les altérations physiologiques induites par le LiCl. Ces données démontrent que LiCl interfère avec la réponse osmotique de la vessie de crapaud pour de faibles concentrations de VP, augmente Pf et Pd, mais laisse Pu inchangé. Ces résultats, couplés avec le gonflement cellulaire et la vacuolisation intracellulaire suggèrent la présence d'un défaut du mouvement transépithélial d'eau quelque part au delà de la membrane apicale de la cellule granulaire exposée au LiCl

Setting a Local Research Agenda for Women's Health: The National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health

Although women's health research expanded greatly in the past 10 years, significant gaps in knowledge remain. Prioritization and promotion of research will help assure continuing progress in closing such gaps and improving the health of women. Although a comprehensive agenda for the new millennium has been developed at the national level, the process for establishing a local research agenda is not well defined. The purpose of this study was to describe criteria for and barriers to establishing a local research agenda in women's health. A secondary aim was to describe mechanisms for identifying women's health researchers and for facilitating multidisciplinary research. Directors of Research at National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health (CoEs) (n = 18) were surveyed by mail for this information. The results indicate that the local research agenda should emphasize health issues that are prevalent in women, research that is likely to establish treatment, psychosocial/cultural factors, and quality of life issues. The process of setting a research agenda should include input from the communities served as well as from scientists. Critical evaluation of scientific strengths and weaknesses is an essential preliminary step in prioritizing research opportunities in order to implement and evaluate a research agenda in women's health.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/63225/1/152460901317193512.pd

Effects of summer internship and follow-up distance mentoring programs on middle and high school student perceptions and interest in health careers

Abstract Background Minorities are underrepresented in health professions and efforts to recruit minority students into health careers are considered a way to reduce health disparities. There is little research about the effectiveness of these programs, other than satisfaction. This study aimed to measure program effects on student understanding of and interest in health careers. Methods Students took a career interest inventory, completed a scale measuring their self-reported understanding and interest in health careers, and wrote essays about health careers before and after completing a 1 week on campus internship on health careers and after a 9 month follow up distance mentoring program where they continued to interact with university faculty by videoconference about career options. Changes in inventory, scale, and essay scores were analyzed for changes over time using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. Results Inventory scores were unchanged over time, but scale and essay scores trended upward significantly post internship and mentoring. Conclusion Health career education and mentoring programs can positively affect student knowledge of health careers and their attitudes about them. The study’s methods extend measures of program impact beyond satisfaction

Involving Minority and Underrepresented Women in Clinical Trials: The National Centers of Excellence in Women's Health

Abstract available at publisher's web site

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) translational research network: Building and sustaining capacity for multi-site basic biomedical, clinical and behavioral research

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program was established by the US Congress to support the development of biomedical research infrastructure at minority-serving institutions granting doctoral degrees in the health professions or in a health-related science. RCMI institutions also conduct research on diseases that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities (ie, African Americans/Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders), those of low socioeconomic status, and rural persons. Quantitative metrics, including the numbers of doctoral science degrees granted to underrepresented students, NIH peer-reviewed research funding, peer-reviewed publications, and numbers of racial and ethnic minorities participating in sponsored research, demonstrate that RCMI grantee institutions have made substantial progress toward the intent of the Congressional legislation, as well as the NIH/NIMHD-linked goals of addressing workforce diversity and health disparities. Despite this progress, nationally, many challenges remain, including persistent disparities in research and career development awards to minority investigators. The continuing underrepresentation of minority investigators in NIH-sponsored research across multiple disease areas is of concern, in the face of unrelenting national health inequities. With the collaborative network support by the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN), the RCMI community is uniquely positioned to address these challenges through its community engagement and strategic partnerships with non-RCMI institutions. Funding agencies can play an important role by incentivizing such collaborations, and incorporating metrics for research funding that address underrepresented populations, workforce diversity and health equity

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Translational Research Network: Building and Sustaining Capacity for Multi-Site Basic Biomedical, Clinical and Behavioral Research.

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program was established by the US Congress to support the development of biomedical research infrastructure at minority-serving institutions granting doctoral degrees in the health professions or in a health-related science. RCMI institutions also conduct research on diseases that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities (ie, African Americans/Blacks, American Indians and Alaska Natives, Hispanics, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders), those of low socioeconomic status, and rural persons. Quantitative metrics, including the numbers of doctoral science degrees granted to underrepresented students, NIH peer-reviewed research funding, peer-reviewed publications, and numbers of racial and ethnic minorities participating in sponsored research, demonstrate that RCMI grantee institutions have made substantial progress toward the intent of the Congressional legislation, as well as the NIH/NIMHD-linked goals of addressing workforce diversity and health disparities. Despite this progress, nationally, many challenges remain, including persistent disparities in research and career development awards to minority investigators. The continuing underrepresentation of minority investigators in NIH-sponsored research across multiple disease areas is of concern, in the face of unrelenting national health inequities. With the collaborative network support by the RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN), the RCMI community is uniquely positioned to address these challenges through its community engagement and strategic partnerships with non-RCMI institutions. Funding agencies can play an important role by incentivizing such collaborations, and incorporating metrics for research funding that address underrepresented populations, workforce diversity and health equity

The Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) Cardiovascular Implementation Study (CVIS): A Research Registry Integrating Social Determinants to Support Care for Underserved Patients

African Americans, other minorities and underserved populations are consistently under- represented in clinical trials. Such underrepresentation results in a gap in the evidence base, and health disparities. The ABC Cardiovascular Implementation Study (CVIS) is a comprehensive prospective cohort registry that integrates social determinants of health. ABC CVIS uses real world clinical practice data to address critical gaps in care by facilitating robust participation of African Americans and other minorities in clinical trials. ABC CVIS will include diverse patients from collaborating ABC member private practices, as well as patients from academic health centers and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). This paper describes the rationale and design of the ABC CVIS Registry. The registry will: (1) prospectively collect socio-demographic, clinical and biospecimen data from enrolled adults, adolescents and children with prioritized cardiovascular diseases; (2) Evaluate the safety and clinical outcomes of new therapeutic agents, including post marketing surveillance and pharmacovigilance; (3) Support National Institutes of Health (NIH) and industry sponsored research; (4) Support Quality Measures standards from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Commercial Health Plans. The registry will utilize novel data and technology tools to facilitate mobile health technology application programming interface (API) to health system or practice electronic health records (EHR). Long term, CVIS will become the most comprehensive patient registry for underserved diverse patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and co morbid conditions, providing real world data to address health disparities. At least 10,000 patients will be enrolled from 50 sites across the United States