Publications

The chicken yolk sac (YS) and small intestine are essential for nutrient absorption during the pre-hatch and post-hatch periods, respectively. Absorptive enterocytes and secretory cells line the intestinal villi and originate from stem cells located in the intestinal crypts. Similarly, in the YS, there are absorptive and secretory cells that presumably originate from a stem cell population.

Brain regions that regulate fluid satiation are not well characterized, yet are essential for understanding fluid homeostasis. We found that oxytocin-receptor-expressing neurons in the parabrachial nucleus of mice (OxtrPBN neurons) are key regulators of fluid satiation. Chemogenetic activation of OxtrPBN neurons robustly suppressed noncaloric fluid intake, but did not decrease food intake after fasting or salt intake following salt depletion; inactivation increased saline intake after dehydration and hypertonic saline injection.

The cerebellum undergoes rapid growth during the third trimester and is vulnerable to injury and deficient growth in infants born prematurely. Factors associated with preterm cerebellar hypoplasia include chronic lung disease and postnatal glucocorticoid administration. We modeled chronic hypoxemia and glucocorticoid administration in neonatal mice to study whole cerebellar and cell type-specific effects of dual exposure.

Claudin-2 is a trans-membrane protein-component of tight junctions in epithelial cells. Elevated claudin-2 expression has been reported in colorectal cancer (CRC).

Endothelial cells (ECs) are a key component of the tumor microenvironment. They have abnormal characteristics compared to the ECs in normal tissues.

The gene PTCHD1 is mutated in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disabilities (ID) and has been hypothesized to contribute to Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling and synapse formation. We identify a panel of Ptchd1 interacting proteins that include postsynaptic density proteins and the retromer complex, revealing a link to critical regulators of dendritic and postsynaptic trafficking. Ptchd1knock-out male mice exhibit cognitive alterations, including defects in a novel object recognition task.

Loss of intracellular calcium homeostasis may contribute to the opacification of lens tissue during cortical cataract formation.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:

During active inflammation tissue intraluminal intestinal pH is decreased in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Acidic pH may play a role in IBD pathophysiology. Recently, proton sensing G-protein coupled receptors were identified, including GPR4, OGR1 (GPR68), and TDAG8 (GPR65). We investigated whether GPR4 is involved in intestinal inflammation.

METHODS:

Cervical low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) (aka cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, grade 1 [CIN1]) can present considerable diagnostic challenges and are associated with poor interobserver reproducibility and overdiagnosis. Furthermore, ancillary studies such as p16 immunohistochemistry have shown little utility in resolving the LSIL versus negative/reactive differential.

A large, highly prolific swine farm in Hungary had a 2-year history of neurologic disease among newly weaned (25- to 35-day-old) pigs, with clinical signs of posterior paraplegia and a high mortality rate. Affected pigs that were necropsied had encephalomyelitis and neural necrosis.