Project description:Whole blood, stool samples, and questionnaire data were collected from participants in the DRIFT2 trial at baseline and at a 3 month follow-up visit to analyze relationships between DNA methylation, gut microbes, and diet data. 128 total whole blood samples were collected .
Project description:We conducted proteome analysis of basilar (cerebral) arteries from three control baboon fetuses and four fetuses that were exposed to alcohol in utero. Three alcohol-exposure episodes took place during second trimester-equivalent of human pregnancy, while fetal arteries were harvested during cesarean sections performed near-term. Supernatants from whole artery lysates were processed for TMT-labeling, fractionated, and subjected to LC/MS analysis.
Project description:Complex oligosaccharides found in human milk play a vital role in gut microbiome development for the human infant. Bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) have similar structures with those derived from human milk, but have not been well studied for their effects on the healthy adult human gut microbiome. Healthy human subjects consumed BMO over two-week periods at two different doses and provided fecal samples. Metatranscriptomics of fecal samples was conducted to determine microbial and host gene expression in response to the supplement. Fecal samples were also analyzed by mass spectrometry to determine levels of undigested BMO. No changes were observed in microbiome activity across all participants. Repeated sampling enabled subject-specific analyses: four of six participants had minor, yet statistically significant, changes in microbial activity. No significant change was observed in the gene expression of host cells in stool. Levels of BMO excreted in feces after supplementation were not significantly different from placebo and were not correlated with dosage or expressed microbial enzyme levels. Collectively, these data suggest that BMO is fully digested in the human gastrointestinal tract prior to stool collection. Participants’ gut microbiomes remained stable but varied between individuals. Additionally, the unaltered host transcriptome provides further evidence for the safety of BMO as a dietary supplement or food ingredient.
Project description:We sought to determine how gene expression changes during the first two years of HIV-1 infection among participants from HIV-1 serodiscordant couple cohorts from sub-Saharan Africa. This study included whole blood samples from 26 participants who did not have HIV-1 at study enrollment, had a steady sexual relationship with a partner with HIV-1 and acquired HIV-1 during follow-up. Most participants had samples from before and after infection.
Project description:Oral cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OCSCC) is a common form of head and neck cancer through the developed and developing world. However, the etiology of OCSCC is still unclear. To explore whether smoking, HPV and/or other underlying genetic and transcriptomic changes could be responsible for the oncogenesis events for OCSCC. A prospective observational study of fresh tissue biopsy from 45 participants with OCSCC collected from Brisbane Head and Neck Clinics between 2013 to 2015. Exploration of the genetic and transcriptomic landscape was performed using RNA sequencing and whole exome sequencing. Identification of HPV was to be performed using DNA PCR genotyping and RNA sequencing. Patient medical records were retrieved and the patient demographics were used to correlate with genomic and transcriptomics analyses, including the location of the tumor within the oral cavity, smoking and alcohol histories.
Project description:Rats were trained to orally self-administer alcohol in a concurrent, two-lever, free-choice contingency using a modification of the sweet solution fading procedure (O'Dell et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2000; Vendruscolo et al., 2012). Following acquisition of self-administration, rats were allowed to self-administer unsweetened alcohol (10%) for 4 weeks and were then assigned to two groups matched by levels of responding: one group (dependent group) was exposed to chronic, intermittent ethanol vapors for 4 weeks to induce dependence; the other group (nondependent group) was not exposed to ethanol vapor. After a month of vapor exposure, rats were again tested during acute withdrawal (6-8 hours after removal from the vapor chambers) until stable levels of alcohol intake were achieved. As expected, alcohol vapor-exposed rats self-administered significantly greater amounts of alcohol than control rats not exposed to alcohol vapor during acute withdrawal. Rats were sacrificed during protracted abstinence (3 weeks after the end of alcohol vapor exposure) along with age-matched alcohol naive rats. 96 gene expression profiles (GEP) were obtained from 8 brain regions believed to be relevant in alcoholM-bM-^@M-^Ys reinforcing properties using the Affymetrix RN230.2 platform. Specifically, the following brain regions were microdissected and analyzed from nondependent and dependent alcohol self-administering rats as well as age-matched alcohol naive rats: (a) medial prefrontal cortex (MPF), (b) shell and (c) core NAc sub-regions, (d) central nucleus (CeA) and (e) basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA), (f) dorsolateral and (g) ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and (h) ventral tegmental area (VTA).
Project description:Purpose: To determine whether previously observed behavioral differences in alcoholic human patients after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could be transferred to mice. Methods: Fecal microbiota samples from a previously published phase 1, double-blind, randomized clinical trial of AUD-related cirrhosis patients were used to colonize germ-free mice. Fecal material was transferred to 10-15-week-old GF C57BL/6 male mice by daily gavage for 3 day. The mice were housed in sterile individually filtered cages for 15 days after which stool was collected and then they underwent the alcohol preference experiment using 2-bottle choice drinking (water and 20% ethanol v/v). Microbial DNA was isolated from stool samples by sequencing the V1 and V2 variable regions of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene were sequenced using Multitag fusion primers and sequenced on an Ion Torrent PGM next-generation sequencer. Intestinal mucosa, liver, and prefrontal cortex tissue was collected from mice at time of sacrifice. RNAseq was used to measure gene expression in pre-FMT and post-FMT samples. RNAseq data were aligned to the mouse genome (GRCm39) using STAR (version 2.7.9a) and counts were generated with HTSeq (version 0.13.5). Genes with very low counts across the study (defined as fewer than 10 counts in more than 2 samples) were eliminated before differential expression analysis. Low count genes were determined separately for each tissue type. The DESeq2 package for R was then used to measure differential expression between pre-FMT and post-FMT mice in the intestine, liver, and PFC. Benjamini and Hochberg False Discovery Rate (FDR) was used to correct for multiple testing with FDR ≤ 0.2 considered significant. Results: Mice colonized with post-FMT stool significantly reduced ethanol acceptance, intake and preference versus pre-FMT colonized mice. Microbial taxa that were higher in post-FMT humans were also associated with lower alcohol intake and preference in mice. RNAseq further showed that differential gene expression, post-FMT, occurred in the intestine rather than the liver and prefrontal cortex. Conclusions: FMT leads to significant change in gut microbiome population, which in turn alters gene expression in the intestine. FMT also significantly affects alcohol consumption. The microbiotal-intestinal interface may alter gut-liver-brain axis and reduce alcohol consumption in humans.
Project description:Talemi2014 - Arsenic toxicity and
detoxification mechanisms in yeast
The model implements arsenite (AsIII)
transport regulation, its distribution within main cellular AsIII
pools and detoxification. The intracellular As pools considered are
free AsIII (AsIIIin), protein-bound AsIII (AsIIIprot), glutathione
conjugated AsIII (AsGS3) and vacuolar sequestered AsIII (vAsGS3).
This model is described in the article:
Mathematical modelling of
arsenic transport, distribution and detoxification processes in
yeast.
Talemi SR, Jacobson T, Garla V,
Navarrete C, Wagner A, Tamás MJ, Schaber J.
Mol. Microbiol. 2014 Jun; 92(6):
1343-1356
Abstract:
Arsenic has a dual role as causative and curative agent of
human disease. Therefore, there is considerable interest in
elucidating arsenic toxicity and detoxification mechanisms. By
an ensemble modelling approach, we identified a best
parsimonious mathematical model which recapitulates and
predicts intracellular arsenic dynamics for different
conditions and mutants, thereby providing novel insights into
arsenic toxicity and detoxification mechanisms in yeast, which
could partly be confirmed experimentally by dedicated
experiments. Specifically, our analyses suggest that: (i)
arsenic is mainly protein-bound during short-term (acute)
exposure, whereas glutathione-conjugated arsenic dominates
during long-term (chronic) exposure, (ii) arsenic is not stably
retained, but can leave the vacuole via an export mechanism,
and (iii) Fps1 is controlled by Hog1-dependent and
Hog1-independent mechanisms during arsenite stress. Our results
challenge glutathione depletion as a key mechanism for arsenic
toxicity and instead suggest that (iv) increased glutathione
biosynthesis protects the proteome against the damaging effects
of arsenic and that (v) widespread protein inactivation
contributes to the toxicity of this metalloid. Our work in
yeast may prove useful to elucidate similar mechanisms in
higher eukaryotes and have implications for the use of arsenic
in medical therapy.
This model is hosted on
BioModels Database
and identified by:
BIOMD0000000547.
To cite BioModels Database, please use:
BioModels Database:
An enhanced, curated and annotated resource for published
quantitative kinetic models.
To the extent possible under law, all copyright and related or
neighbouring rights to this encoded model have been dedicated to
the public domain worldwide. Please refer to
CC0
Public Domain Dedication for more information.
Project description:FITFATTWIN study identified from the FinnTwin16 Cohort, which is a population based, longitudinal study of Finnish twins born between October 1974 and December 1979. The participants had no chronic disease affecting the ability to exercise, no acute disease, and no drug or alcohol abuse.
Project description:Rats were trained to orally self-administer alcohol in a concurrent, two-lever, free-choice contingency using a modification of the sweet solution fading procedure (O'Dell et al., 2004; Roberts et al., 2000; Vendruscolo et al., 2012). Following acquisition of self-administration, rats were allowed to self-administer unsweetened alcohol (10%) for 4 weeks and were then assigned to two groups matched by levels of responding: one group (dependent group) was exposed to chronic, intermittent ethanol vapors for 4 weeks to induce dependence; the other group (nondependent group) was not exposed to ethanol vapor. After a month of vapor exposure, rats were again tested during acute withdrawal (6-8 hours after removal from the vapor chambers) until stable levels of alcohol intake were achieved. As expected, alcohol vapor-exposed rats self-administered significantly greater amounts of alcohol than control rats not exposed to alcohol vapor during acute withdrawal. Rats were sacrificed during protracted abstinence (3 weeks after the end of alcohol vapor exposure) along with age-matched alcohol naive rats.