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Lucas-Domínguez R, Aragonés González M, Sixto-Costoya A, Ruiz-Martínez E, Alonso-Arroyo A, Valderrama-Zurián JC. The inclusion of the gender perspective in oncology research with Spanish participation. Heliyon 2024; 10:e30043. [PMID: 38756605 PMCID: PMC11096823 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The gender perspective is important for a better diagnosis and treatment of diseases, especially in the field of oncology. This study aimed to analyse the gender approach in scientific articles in the field of oncology by studying the gender composition of the authorship of papers and the gender inclusion in the research carried out. A bibliographic search of articles and reviews signed by at least one Spanish institution published between 2010 and 2019 was carried out using the Science Citation Index Expanded database in the Oncology category. A total of 7523 studies were classified according to the gender composition determined by the author's name and a randomised sample was used to evaluate the inclusion of gender perspectives using a checklist. This study revealed a lack of gender parity in the authorship of oncology publications involving Spanish participation. Papers without author gender parity were eight times higher than papers with parity and showed a greater presence of male than female authorship (58 % versus 31 %). Regarding the introduction of the gender perspective, a negative response of 68 % referring to compliance with the entire checklist was obtained, and only a fifth of the articles presented gender balance in the study sample. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between gender parity in authorship and gender perspective integration in published research. In conclusion, there is a great need to advance the inclusion of gender perspectives in cancer research to overcome gender bias and promote better prevention, detection, and intervention for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rut Lucas-Domínguez
- Grupo UISYS. Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain
- Unidad asociada al Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Avanzada sobre Evaluación de la Ciencia y la Universidad (INAECU), UC3M-UAM3, Spain
- CIBERONC, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Aragonés González
- Universitat d'Alacant, Grupo de Investigación sobre Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales (GITSS), Spain
| | - Andrea Sixto-Costoya
- Grupo UISYS. Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain
- Unidad asociada al Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Avanzada sobre Evaluación de la Ciencia y la Universidad (INAECU), UC3M-UAM3, Spain
- Departamento de Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universitat de València, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Ruiz-Martínez
- Grupo UISYS. Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain
| | - Alonso Alonso-Arroyo
- Grupo UISYS. Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain
- Unidad asociada al Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Avanzada sobre Evaluación de la Ciencia y la Universidad (INAECU), UC3M-UAM3, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Valderrama-Zurián
- Grupo UISYS. Departamento de Historia de la Ciencia y Documentación, Facultad de Medicina y Odontología, Universitat de Valencia, Spain
- Unidad asociada al Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación Avanzada sobre Evaluación de la Ciencia y la Universidad (INAECU), UC3M-UAM3, Spain
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McClain AK, Monteleone PP, Zoldan J. Sex in cardiovascular disease: Why this biological variable should be considered in in vitro models. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3510. [PMID: 38728407 PMCID: PMC11086622 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the world's leading cause of death, exhibits notable epidemiological, clinical, and pathophysiological differences between sexes. Many such differences can be linked back to cardiovascular sexual dimorphism, yet sex-specific in vitro models are still not the norm. A lack of sex reporting and apparent male bias raises the question of whether in vitro CVD models faithfully recapitulate the biology of intended treatment recipients. To ensure equitable treatment for the overlooked female patient population, sex as a biological variable (SABV) inclusion must become commonplace in CVD preclinical research. Here, we discuss the role of sex in CVD and underlying cardiovascular (patho)physiology. We review shortcomings in current SABV practices, describe the relevance of sex, and highlight emerging strategies for SABV inclusion in three major in vitro model types: primary cell, stem cell, and three-dimensional models. Last, we identify key barriers to inclusive design and suggest techniques for overcoming them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. McClain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78751, USA
| | - Peter P. Monteleone
- Ascension Texas Cardiovascular, Austin, TX 78705, USA
- Dell School of Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Janet Zoldan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78751, USA
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3
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Sheen J, Curtin L, Finley S, Konstorum A, McGee R, Craig M. Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into Preclinical, Clinical, and Public Health Mathematical Models. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:56. [PMID: 38625656 PMCID: PMC11021228 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01282-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Mathematical modelling applied to preclinical, clinical, and public health research is critical for our understanding of a multitude of biological principles. Biology is fundamentally heterogeneous, and mathematical modelling must meet the challenge of variability head on to ensure the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integrated into quantitative analyses. Here we provide a follow-up perspective on the DEI plenary session held at the 2023 Society for Mathematical Biology Annual Meeting to discuss key issues for the increased integration of DEI in mathematical modelling in biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Sheen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, USA
| | - Lee Curtin
- Mathematical Neuro-Oncology Lab, Precision Neurotherapeutics Innovation Program, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Stacey Finley
- Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
| | | | - Reginald McGee
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, USA
| | - Morgan Craig
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada.
- Sainte-Justine University Hospital Azrieli Research Centre, Montréal, Canada.
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Zhang X, Wu Y, Smith C, Louch WE, Morotti S, Dobrev D, Grandi E, Ni H. Enhanced Ca2+-Driven Arrhythmias in Female Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Insights from Computational Modeling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.04.583217. [PMID: 38496584 PMCID: PMC10942295 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.04.583217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Substantial sex-based differences have been reported in atrial fibrillation (AF), with female patients experiencing worse symptoms, increased complications from drug side effects or ablation, and elevated risk of AF-related stroke and mortality. Recent studies revealed sex-specific alterations in AF-associated Ca2+ dysregulation, whereby female cardiomyocytes more frequently exhibit potentially proarrhythmic Ca2+-driven instabilities compared to male cardiomyocytes. In this study, we aim to gain a mechanistic understanding of the Ca2+-handling disturbances and Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in males vs females and establish their responses to Ca2+-targeted interventions. METHODS AND RESULTS We incorporated known sex differences and AF-associated changes in the expression and phosphorylation of key Ca2+-handling proteins and in ultrastructural properties and dimensions of atrial cardiomyocytes into our recently developed 3D atrial cardiomyocyte model that couples electrophysiology with spatially detailed Ca2+-handling processes. Our simulations of quiescent cardiomyocytes show increased incidence of Ca2+ sparks in female vs male myocytes in AF, in agreement with previous experimental reports. Additionally, our female model exhibited elevated propensity to develop pacing-induced spontaneous Ca2+ releases (SCRs) and augmented beat-to-beat variability in action potential (AP)-elicited Ca2+ transients compared with the male model. Parameter sensitivity analysis uncovered precise arrhythmogenic contributions of each component that was implicated in sex and/or AF alterations. Specifically, increased ryanodine receptor phosphorylation in female AF cardiomyocytes emerged as the major SCR contributor, while reduced L-type Ca2+ current was protective against SCRs for male AF cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, simulations of tentative Ca2+-targeted interventions identified potential strategies to attenuate Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in female atria (e.g., t-tubule restoration, and inhibition of ryanodine receptor and sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase), and revealed enhanced efficacy when applied in combination. CONCLUSIONS Our sex-specific computational models of human atrial cardiomyocytes uncover increased propensity to Ca2+-driven arrhythmogenic events in female compared to male atrial cardiomyocytes in AF, and point to combined Ca2+-targeted interventions as promising approaches to treat AF in female patients. Our study establishes that AF treatment may benefit from sex-dependent strategies informed by sex-specific mechanisms.
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Forsyth KS, Jiwrajka N, Lovell CD, Toothacre NE, Anguera MC. The conneXion between sex and immune responses. Nat Rev Immunol 2024:10.1038/s41577-024-00996-9. [PMID: 38383754 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-024-00996-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
There are notable sex-based differences in immune responses to pathogens and self-antigens, with female individuals exhibiting increased susceptibility to various autoimmune diseases, and male individuals displaying preferential susceptibility to some viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections. Although sex hormones clearly contribute to sex differences in immune cell composition and function, the presence of two X chromosomes in female individuals suggests that differential gene expression of numerous X chromosome-linked immune-related genes may also influence sex-biased innate and adaptive immune cell function in health and disease. Here, we review the sex differences in immune system composition and function, examining how hormones and genetics influence the immune system. We focus on the genetic and epigenetic contributions responsible for altered X chromosome-linked gene expression, and how this impacts sex-biased immune responses in the context of pathogen infection and systemic autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine S Forsyth
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nikhil Jiwrajka
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Rheumatology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claudia D Lovell
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Natalie E Toothacre
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Montserrat C Anguera
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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6
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Athar F, Karmani M, Templeman N. Metabolic hormones are integral regulators of female reproductive health and function. Biosci Rep 2024; 44:BSR20231916. [PMID: 38131197 PMCID: PMC10830447 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20231916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The female reproductive system is strongly influenced by nutrition and energy balance. It is well known that food restriction or energy depletion can induce suppression of reproductive processes, while overnutrition is associated with reproductive dysfunction. However, the intricate mechanisms through which nutritional inputs and metabolic health are integrated into the coordination of reproduction are still being defined. In this review, we describe evidence for essential contributions by hormones that are responsive to food intake or fuel stores. Key metabolic hormones-including insulin, the incretins (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1), growth hormone, ghrelin, leptin, and adiponectin-signal throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis to support or suppress reproduction. We synthesize current knowledge on how these multifaceted hormones interact with the brain, pituitary, and ovaries to regulate functioning of the female reproductive system, incorporating in vitro and in vivo data from animal models and humans. Metabolic hormones are involved in orchestrating reproductive processes in healthy states, but some also play a significant role in the pathophysiology or treatment strategies of female reproductive disorders. Further understanding of the complex interrelationships between metabolic health and female reproductive function has important implications for improving women's health overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faria Athar
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Muskan Karmani
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
| | - Nicole M. Templeman
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 5C2, Canada
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7
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Tripathi MK, Ojha SK, Kartawy M, Khaliulin I, Hamoudi W, Amal H. Mutations associated with autism lead to similar synaptic and behavioral alterations in both sexes of male and female mouse brain. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10. [PMID: 38177238 PMCID: PMC10766975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50248-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder based on synaptic abnormalities. The estimated prevalence rate of male individuals diagnosed with ASD prevails over females is in a proportion of 4:1. Consequently, males remain the main focus in ASD studies in clinical and experimental settings. Meanwhile, some studies point to an underestimation of this disorder in females. In this work, we studied the sex differences of the synaptic and behavioral phenotypes of ASD mouse models. Juvenile male and female Shank3Δ4-22 and Cntnap2-/- mutant mice and their WT littermates were used in the experiments. The animals were subjected to a Three-Chamber Sociability Test, then euthanized, and the whole cortex was used for the evaluation of the synaptic phenotype. Protein levels of glutamatergic (NR1) and GABAergic (GAD1 and VGAT) neuronal markers were measured. Protein level of synaptophysin (Syp) was also measured. Dendritic spine density in somatosensory neurons was analyzed by Golgi staining methods. Spine Density and GAD1, NR1, VGAT, and Syp levels were significantly reduced in Shank3Δ4-22 and Cntnap2-/- mice compared to the control group irrespective of sex, indicating impaired synaptic development in the mutant mice. These results were consistent with the lack of differences in the three-chamber sociability test between male and female mice. In conclusion, female ASD mice of both mutations undergo similar synaptic aberrations as their male counterparts and need to be studied along with the male animals. Finally, this work urges the psychiatry scientific community to use both sexes in their investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Kumar Tripathi
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shashank Kumar Ojha
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maryam Kartawy
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Igor Khaliulin
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Wajeha Hamoudi
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haitham Amal
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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8
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Chen SY, Beretta M, Olzomer EM, Alexopoulos SJ, Shah DP, Byrne FL, Salamoun JM, Garcia CJ, Smith GC, Larance M, Philp A, Turner N, Santos WL, Cantley J, Hoehn KL. Head-to-head comparison of BAM15, semaglutide, rosiglitazone, NEN, and calorie restriction on metabolic physiology in female db/db mice. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:166908. [PMID: 37793464 PMCID: PMC10908303 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2023.166908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, and obesity commonly co-occur but clinical treatment options do not effectively target all disorders. Calorie restriction, semaglutide, rosiglitazone, and mitochondrial uncouplers have all demonstrated efficacy against one or more obesity-related metabolic disorders, but it currently remains unclear which therapeutic strategy best targets the combination of hyperglycaemia, liver fat, hypertriglyceridemia, and adiposity. Herein we performed a head-to-head comparison of 5 treatment interventions in the female db/db mouse model of severe metabolic disease. Treatments included ∼60 % calorie restriction (CR), semaglutide, rosiglitazone, BAM15, and niclosamide ethanolamine (NEN). Results showed that BAM15 and CR improved body weight and liver steatosis to levels superior to semaglutide, NEN, and rosiglitazone, while BAM15, semaglutide, and rosiglitazone improved glucose tolerance better than CR and NEN. BAM15, CR, semaglutide, and rosiglitazone all had efficacy against hypertriglyceridaemia. These data provide a comprehensive head-to-head comparison of several key treatment strategies for metabolic disease and highlight the efficacy of mitochondrial uncoupling to correct multiple facets of the metabolic disease milieu in female db/db mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sing-Young Chen
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Martina Beretta
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Ellen M Olzomer
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Stephanie J Alexopoulos
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Divya P Shah
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Frances L Byrne
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Joseph M Salamoun
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Centre for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Christopher J Garcia
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Centre for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Greg C Smith
- School of Medical Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mark Larance
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Andrew Philp
- Charles Perkins Centre, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Centre for Healthy Ageing, Centenary Institute, Camperdown, NSW 2050, Australia; School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Nigel Turner
- Cellular Bioenergetics Laboratory, Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Darlinghurst, NSW 2010, Australia
| | - Webster L Santos
- Department of Chemistry and Virginia Tech Centre for Drug Discovery, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - James Cantley
- School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, UK
| | - Kyle L Hoehn
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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Llopis-Lorente J, Baroudi S, Koloskoff K, Mora MT, Basset M, Romero L, Benito S, Dayan F, Saiz J, Trenor B. Combining pharmacokinetic and electrophysiological models for early prediction of drug-induced arrhythmogenicity. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2023; 242:107860. [PMID: 37844488 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2023.107860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE In silico methods are gaining attention for predicting drug-induced Torsade de Pointes (TdP) in different stages of drug development. However, many computational models tended not to account for inter-individual response variability due to demographic covariates, such as sex, or physiologic covariates, such as renal function, which may be crucial when predicting TdP. This study aims to compare the effects of drugs in male and female populations with normal and impaired renal function using in silico methods. METHODS Pharmacokinetic models considering sex and renal function as covariates were implemented from data published in pharmacokinetic studies. Drug effects were simulated using an electrophysiologically calibrated population of cellular models of 300 males and 300 females. The population of models was built by modifying the endocardial action potential model published by O'Hara et al. (2011) according to the experimentally measured gene expression levels of 12 ion channels. RESULTS Fifteen pharmacokinetic models for CiPA drugs were implemented and validated in this study. Eight pharmacokinetic models included the effect of renal function and four the effect of sex. The mean difference in action potential duration (APD) between male and female populations was 24.9 ms (p<0.05). Our simulations indicated that women with impaired renal function were particularly susceptible to drug-induced arrhythmias, whereas healthy men were less prone to TdP. Differences between patient groups were more pronounced for high TdP-risk drugs. The proposed in silico tool also revealed that individuals with impaired renal function, electrophysiologically simulated with hyperkalemia (extracellular potassium concentration [K+]o = 7 mM) exhibited less pronounced APD prolongation than individuals with normal potassium levels. The pharmacokinetic/electrophysiological framework was used to determine the maximum safe dose of dofetilide in different patient groups. As a proof of concept, 3D simulations were also run for dofetilide obtaining QT prolongation in accordance with previously reported clinical values. CONCLUSIONS This study presents a novel methodology that combines pharmacokinetic and electrophysiological models to incorporate the effects of sex and renal function into in silico drug simulations and highlights their impact on TdP-risk assessment. Furthermore, it may also help inform maximum dose regimens that ensure TdP-related safety in a specific sub-population of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Llopis-Lorente
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (Ci(2)B), Universitat Politècnica de València, camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Maria Teresa Mora
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (Ci(2)B), Universitat Politècnica de València, camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Lucía Romero
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (Ci(2)B), Universitat Politècnica de València, camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | - Javier Saiz
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (Ci(2)B), Universitat Politècnica de València, camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain
| | - Beatriz Trenor
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (Ci(2)B), Universitat Politècnica de València, camino de Vera, s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain.
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10
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Hellgren KT, Ni H, Morotti S, Grandi E. Predictive Male-to-Female Translation of Cardiac Electrophysiological Response to Drugs. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2023; 9:2642-2648. [PMID: 37768254 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence that women are at higher risk of drug-induced torsade de pointes and sudden cardiac death, female sex is vastly underrepresented in cardiovascular research, thus limiting our fundamental understanding of sex-specific arrhythmia mechanisms and our ability to predict arrhythmia propensity. To address this urgent clinical and preclinical need, we developed a quantitative tool that predicts the electrophysiological response to drug administration in female cardiomyocytes starting from data collected in males. We demonstrate the suitability of our translator for sex-specific cardiac safety assessment and include proof-of-concept application of our translator to in vitro and in vivo data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim T Hellgren
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Haibo Ni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Stefano Morotti
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
| | - Eleonora Grandi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California-Davis, Davis, California, USA.
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11
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Kahnau P, Mieske P, Wilzopolski J, Kalliokoski O, Mandillo S, Hölter SM, Voikar V, Amfim A, Badurek S, Bartelik A, Caruso A, Čater M, Ey E, Golini E, Jaap A, Hrncic D, Kiryk A, Lang B, Loncarevic-Vasiljkovic N, Meziane H, Radzevičienė A, Rivalan M, Scattoni ML, Torquet N, Trifkovic J, Ulfhake B, Thöne-Reineke C, Diederich K, Lewejohann L, Hohlbaum K. A systematic review of the development and application of home cage monitoring in laboratory mice and rats. BMC Biol 2023; 21:256. [PMID: 37953247 PMCID: PMC10642068 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01751-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traditionally, in biomedical animal research, laboratory rodents are individually examined in test apparatuses outside of their home cages at selected time points. However, the outcome of such tests can be influenced by various factors and valuable information may be missed when the animals are only monitored for short periods. These issues can be overcome by longitudinally monitoring mice and rats in their home cages. To shed light on the development of home cage monitoring (HCM) and the current state-of-the-art, a systematic review was carried out on 521 publications retrieved through PubMed and Web of Science. RESULTS Both the absolute (~ × 26) and relative (~ × 7) number of HCM-related publications increased from 1974 to 2020. There was a clear bias towards males and individually housed animals, but during the past decade (2011-2020), an increasing number of studies used both sexes and group housing. In most studies, animals were kept for short (up to 4 weeks) time periods in the HCM systems; intermediate time periods (4-12 weeks) increased in frequency in the years between 2011 and 2020. Before the 2000s, HCM techniques were predominantly applied for less than 12 h, while 24-h measurements have been more frequent since the 2000s. The systematic review demonstrated that manual monitoring is decreasing in relation to automatic techniques but still relevant. Until (and including) the 1990s, most techniques were applied manually but have been progressively replaced by automation since the 2000s. Independent of the year of publication, the main behavioral parameters measured were locomotor activity, feeding, and social behaviors; the main physiological parameters were heart rate and electrocardiography. External appearance-related parameters were rarely examined in the home cages. Due to technological progress and application of artificial intelligence, more refined and detailed behavioral parameters have been investigated in the home cage more recently. CONCLUSIONS Over the period covered in this study, techniques for HCM of mice and rats have improved considerably. This development is ongoing and further progress as well as validation of HCM systems will extend the applications to allow for continuous, longitudinal, non-invasive monitoring of an increasing range of parameters in group-housed small rodents in their home cages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Kahnau
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul Mieske
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Otto Kalliokoski
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Silvia Mandillo
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Sabine M Hölter
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Neuroscience Center, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Adriana Amfim
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Sylvia Badurek
- Preclinical Phenotyping Facility, Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF), member of the Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
| | - Aleksandra Bartelik
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Angela Caruso
- Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Research Coordination and Support Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Maša Čater
- Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Elodie Ey
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, Illkirch, 67400, France
| | - Elisabetta Golini
- Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Research Council CNR, Rome, Italy
| | - Anne Jaap
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dragan Hrncic
- Institute of Medical Physiology "Richard Burian", Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Anna Kiryk
- Laboratory of Preclinical Testing of Higher Standard, Neurobiology Center, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Benjamin Lang
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Natasa Loncarevic-Vasiljkovic
- iNOVA4Health, NOVA Medical School, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NMS, FCM, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Hamid Meziane
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Clinique de La Souris (ICS), CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, 1 Rue Laurent Fries, Illkirch, 67404, France
| | - Aurelija Radzevičienė
- Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Medical Academy, Institute of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Research Institute for Experimental Medicine (FEM) and NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Animal Behaviour Phenotyping Facility, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Research Coordination and Support Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicolas Torquet
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Inserm, IGBMC, Institut Clinique de la Souris (ICS), CELPHEDIA, PHENOMIN, UMR 7104- UMR-S 1258, Illkirch, 67400, France
| | - Julijana Trifkovic
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of East Sarajevo, East Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Brun Ulfhake
- Div. Clinical Physiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christa Thöne-Reineke
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), German Centre for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), Berlin, Germany.
- Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, Marchstr. 23, 10587, Berlin, Germany.
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12
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Dzhalilova DS, Zolotova NA, Mkhitarov VA, Kosyreva AM, Tsvetkov IS, Khalansky AS, Alekseeva AI, Fatkhudinov TH, Makarova OV. Morphological and molecular-biological features of glioblastoma progression in tolerant and susceptible to hypoxia Wistar rats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12694. [PMID: 37542119 PMCID: PMC10403616 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39914-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypoxia is a major pathogenetic factor in many cancers. Individual resistance to suboptimal oxygen availability is subject to broad variation and its possible role in tumorigenesis remains underexplored. This study aimed at specific characterization of glioblastoma progression in male tolerant and susceptible to hypoxia Wistar rats. Hypoxia resistance was assessed by gasping time measurement in an 11,500 m altitude-equivalent hypobaric decompression chamber. Based on the outcome, the animals were assigned to three groups termed 'tolerant to hypoxia' (n = 13), 'normal', and 'susceptible to hypoxia' (n = 24). The 'normal' group was excluded from subsequent experiments. One month later, the animals underwent inoculation with rat glioblastoma 101.8 followed by monitoring of survival, body weight dynamics and neurological symptoms. The animals were sacrificed on post-inoculation days 11 (subgroup 1) and 15 (subgroup 2). Relative vessels number, necrosis areas and Ki-67 index were assessed microscopically; tumor volumes were determined by 3D reconstruction from histological images; serum levels of HIF-1α, IL-1β, and TNFα were determined by ELISA. None of the tolerant to hypoxia animals died of the disease during observation period, cf. 85% survival on day 11 and 55% survival on day 15 in the susceptible group. On day 11, proliferative activity of the tumors in the tolerant animals was higher compared with the susceptible group. On day 15, proliferative activity, necrosis area and volume of the tumors in the tolerant to hypoxia animals were higher compared with the susceptible group. ELISA revealed no dynamics in TNFα levels, elevated levels of IL-1β in the susceptible animals on day 15 in comparison with day 11 and tolerant ones. Moreover, there were elevated levels of HIF-1α in the tolerant animals on day 15 in comparison with day 11. Thus, the proliferative activity of glioblastoma cells and the content of HIF-1α were higher in tolerant to hypoxia rats, but the mortality associated with the tumor process and IL-1β level in them were lower than in susceptible animals. Specific features of glioblastoma 101.8 progression in tolerant and susceptible to hypoxia rats, including survival, tumor growth rates and IL-1β level, can become the basis of new personalized approaches for cancer diseases treatment in accordance to individual hypoxia resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Sh Dzhalilova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418.
| | - N A Zolotova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - V A Mkhitarov
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - A M Kosyreva
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
- Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, RUDN University, 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, Russia, 117198
| | - I S Tsvetkov
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - A S Khalansky
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - A I Alekseeva
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
| | - T H Fatkhudinov
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
- Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, RUDN University, 6 Miklukho-Maklaya St, Moscow, Russia, 117198
| | - O V Makarova
- Avtsyn Research Institute of Human Morphology of Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Petrovsky National Research Centre of Surgery", 3 Tsyurupy Street, Moscow, Russia, 117418
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13
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Milchevskaya V, Bugnon P, Ten Buren EBJ, Vanhecke D, Brand F, Tresch A, Buch T. Group size planning for breedings of gene-modified mice and other organisms following Mendelian inheritance. Lab Anim (NY) 2023; 52:183-188. [PMID: 37488410 PMCID: PMC10393774 DOI: 10.1038/s41684-023-01213-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Colony management of gene-modified animals is time-consuming, costly and affected by random events related to Mendelian genetics, fertility and litter size. Careful planning is mandatory to ensure successful outcomes using the least number of animals, hence adhering to the 3R principles of animal welfare. Here we have developed an R package, accessible also through an interactive public website, that optimizes breeding design by providing information about the optimal number of breedings needed to obtain defined breeding outcomes, taking into account specific species, strain, or line properties and success probability. Our software also enables breeding planning for balanced male-to-female ratio or single-sex experiments. We show that, for single-sex designs, the necessary number of breedings is at least doubled compared to the use of all born animals. While the presented tool provides preset parameters for the laboratory mouse, it can be readily used for any other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislava Milchevskaya
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Philippe Bugnon
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Emiel B J Ten Buren
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Vanhecke
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frank Brand
- Quantitative Methods, Department of Business and Economics, Berlin School of Economics and Law, Berlin, Germany
| | - Achim Tresch
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thorsten Buch
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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14
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Hoare M. Mouse models of hepatocyte biology - Known unknowns. J Hepatol 2023; 78:898-900. [PMID: 36781086 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Hoare
- Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0XZ, UK; Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
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15
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Ghasemi A, Jeddi S. Streptozotocin as a tool for induction of rat models of diabetes: a practical guide. EXCLI JOURNAL 2023; 22:274-294. [PMID: 36998708 PMCID: PMC10043433 DOI: 10.17179/excli2022-5720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Streptozotocin (STZ) is the most used diabetogenic chemical for creating rat models of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Despite ~60 years of using STZ in animal diabetes research, some prevailing views about STZ preparation and use are not supported by evidence. Here, we provide practical guides for using STZ to induce diabetes in rats. Susceptibility to the diabetogenic effect of STZ is inversely related to age, and males are more susceptible to STZ than females. Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats, the most commonly-used rat strains, are sensitive to STZ, but some strains (e.g., Wistar-Kyoto rats) are less sensitive. STZ is mostly injected intravenously or intraperitoneally, but its intravenous injection produces more stable hyperglycemia. Despite the prevailing view, no fasting is necessary before STZ injection, and injection of its anomer-equilibrated solutions (i.e., more than 2 hours of dissolving) is recommended. Mortality following the injection of diabetogenic doses of STZ is due to severe hypoglycemia (during the first 24 h) or severe hyperglycemia (24 h after the injection and onwards). Some measures to prevent hypoglycemia-related mortality in rats include providing access to food soon after the injection, administration of glucose/sucrose solutions during the first 24-48 h after the injection, administration of STZ to fed animals, and using anomer-equilibrated solutions of STZ. Hyperglycemia-related mortality following injection of high doses of STZ can be overcome with insulin administration. In conclusion, STZ is a valuable chemical for inducing diabetes in rats, but some practical guides should be considered to perform well-conducted and ethical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asghar Ghasemi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajad Jeddi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- *To whom correspondence should be addressed: Sajad Jeddi, Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, No. 24, Arabi Street, Daneshjoo Blvd, Velenjak, P.O. Box: 19395-4763, Tehran, Iran, E-mail:
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16
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Sharma A, Michels LV, Pitsillides AA, Greeves J, Plotkin LI, Cardo V, Sims NA, Clarkin CE. Sexing Bones: Improving Transparency of Sex Reporting to Address Bias Within Preclinical Studies. J Bone Miner Res 2023; 38:5-13. [PMID: 36301601 PMCID: PMC10099537 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Despite knowledge that sexually dimorphic mechanisms regulate bone homeostasis, sex often remains unreported and unconsidered in preclinical experimental design. Failure to report sex could lead to inappropriate generalizations of research findings and less effective translation into clinical practice. Preclinical sex bias (preferential selection of one sex) is present across other fields, including neuroscience and immunology, but remains uninvestigated in skeletal research. For context, we first summarized key literature describing sexually dimorphic bone phenotypes in mice. We then investigated sex reporting practices in skeletal research, specifically how customary it is for murine sex to be included in journal article titles or abstracts and then determined whether any bias in sex reporting exists. Because sex hormones are important regulators of bone health (gonadectomy procedures, ie, ovariectomy [OVX] and orchidectomy [ORX], are common yet typically not reported with sex), we incorporated reporting of OVX and ORX terms, representing female and male mice, respectively, into our investigations around sex bias. Between 1999 and 2020, inclusion of sex in titles or abstracts was low in murine skeletal studies (2.6%-4.06%). Reporting of OVX and ORX terms was low (1.44%-2.64%) and reporting of OVX and ORX with sex uncommon (0.4%-0.3%). When studies were combined to include both sexes and OVX (representing female) and ORX terms (representing male), a bias toward reporting of female mice was evident. However, when the terms OVX and ORX were removed, a bias toward the use of male mice was identified. Thus, studies focusing on sex hormones are biased toward female reporting with all other studies biased in reporting of male mice. We now call upon journal editors to introduce consistent guidance for transparent and accessible reporting of murine sex in skeletal research to better monitor preclinical sex bias, to diversify development of treatments for bone health, and to enable global skeletal health equity. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Aikta Sharma
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Lysanne V Michels
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Andrew A Pitsillides
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
| | - Julie Greeves
- Army Health and Performance Research, Ministry of Defence, Andover, UK
| | - Lillian I Plotkin
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Valentina Cardo
- Winchester School of Art, University of Southampton, Winchester, UK
| | - Natalie A Sims
- Department of Medicine at St. Vincent's Hospital, St. Vincent's Institute of Medical Research and The University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia
| | - Claire E Clarkin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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17
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Garcia LF, Singh V, Mireles B, Dwivedi AK, Walker WE. Common Variables That Influence Sepsis Mortality in Mice. J Inflamm Res 2023; 16:1121-1134. [PMID: 36941984 PMCID: PMC10024505 DOI: 10.2147/jir.s400115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Sepsis is characterized by a dysregulated host immune response to infection, leading to organ dysfunction and a high risk of death. The cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) mouse model is commonly used to study sepsis, but animal mortality rates vary between different studies. Technical factors and animal characteristics may affect this model in unanticipated ways, and if unaccounted for, may lead to serious biases in study findings. We sought to evaluate whether mouse sex, age, weight, surgeon, season of experiments, and timing of antibiotic administration influenced mortality in the CLP model. Methods We created a comprehensive dataset of C57BL/6J mice that had undergone CLP surgery within our lab during years 2015-2020 from published and unpublished studies. The primary outcome was defined as the time from sepsis induction to death or termination of study (14 days). The Log rank test and Cox regression models were used to analyze the dataset. The study included 119 mice, of which 43% were female, with an average age of 12.6 weeks, an average weight of 25.3 g. 38 (32%) of the animals died. Results In the unadjusted analyses, experiments performed in the summer and higher weight predicted a higher risk of mortality. In the stratified Cox model by sex, summer season (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]=5.61, p=0.004) and delayed antibiotic administration (aHR=1.46, p=0.029) were associated with mortality in males, whereas higher weight (aHR=1.52, p=0.005) significantly affected mortality in females. In addition, delayed antibiotic administration (HR=1.42, p=0.025) was associated with mortality in the non-summer seasons, but not in the summer season. Discussion In conclusion, some factors specific to sex and season have a significant influence on sepsis mortality in the CLP model. Consideration of these factors along with appropriate group matching or adjusted analysis is critical to minimize variability beyond the experimental conditions within a study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiz F Garcia
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Vishwajeet Singh
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Consulting Lab, Office of Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Blake Mireles
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Alok Kumar Dwivedi
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology Consulting Lab, Office of Research, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Wendy E Walker
- Center of Emphasis in Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
- Correspondence: Wendy E Walker, 5001 El Paso Drive, El Paso, TX, 79905, USA, Tel +1 915 215-4268, Fax +1 915 783-1271, Email
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18
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Nasiri R, Zarandi SM, Bayat M, Amini A. Design a protocol to investigate the effects of climate change in vivo. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 212:113482. [PMID: 35609654 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has a variety of effects on communities and the environment, most of which have been directly addressed, such as floods, droughts, and fires. To date, the impacts of climate change on health in in vivo conditions have not been assessed, and no protocol has been developed in this regard. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to develop a protocol as well as design and build a pilot to deal with climate change in vivo to show the direct effects of climate change on health. For this purpose, twenty specialists, comprising ten experts active in field climate and 10 experts in field medicine and anatomy, have been consulted to design the proposed exposure protocol using the Delphi method. According to the prepared protocol, an exposure pilot was then designed and built, which provides the climatic conditions for animal exposure with a fully automatic HMI-PLC system. The results showed the average 12:12-h day/night temperature, humidity, and circadian cycle for three consecutive ten-year periods selected for exposure of 1-month-old male rats. The duration of the exposure period is four months, which is equivalent to a ten-year climatic period. This study is a framework and a starting point for examining the effects of climate change on in vivo conditions that have not yet been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasul Nasiri
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Saeed Motesaddi Zarandi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Bayat
- Biology and Anatomical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Abdollah Amini
- Biology and Anatomical Sciences Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Mieske P, Hobbiesiefken U, Fischer-Tenhagen C, Heinl C, Hohlbaum K, Kahnau P, Meier J, Wilzopolski J, Butzke D, Rudeck J, Lewejohann L, Diederich K. Bored at home?—A systematic review on the effect of environmental enrichment on the welfare of laboratory rats and mice. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:899219. [PMID: 36061113 PMCID: PMC9435384 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.899219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Boredom is an emotional state that occurs when an individual has nothing to do, is not interested in the surrounding, and feels dreary and in a monotony. While this condition is usually defined for humans, it may very well describe the lives of many laboratory animals housed in small, barren cages. To make the cages less monotonous, environmental enrichment is often proposed. Although housing in a stimulating environment is still used predominantly as a luxury good and for treatment in preclinical research, enrichment is increasingly recognized to improve animal welfare. To gain insight into how stimulating environments influence the welfare of laboratory rodents, we conducted a systematic review of studies that analyzed the effect of enriched environment on behavioral parameters of animal well–being. Remarkably, a considerable number of these parameters can be associated with symptoms of boredom. Our findings show that a stimulating living environment is essential for the development of natural behavior and animal welfare of laboratory rats and mice alike, regardless of age and sex. Conversely, confinement and under-stimulation has potentially detrimental effects on the mental and physical health of laboratory rodents. We show that boredom in experimental animals is measurable and does not have to be accepted as inevitable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Mieske
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ute Hobbiesiefken
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Carola Fischer-Tenhagen
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Katharina Hohlbaum
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Pia Kahnau
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jennifer Meier
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Jenny Wilzopolski
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Butzke
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Juliane Rudeck
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
| | - Lars Lewejohann
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Animal Welfare, Animal Behavior and Laboratory Animal Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Kai Diederich
- German Center for the Protection of Laboratory Animals (Bf3R), German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Berlin, Germany
- *Correspondence: Kai Diederich
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20
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Production of a Yogurt Drink Enriched with Golden Berry (Physalispubescens L.) Juice and Its Therapeutic Effect on Hepatitis in Rats. FERMENTATION-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation8030112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Fermented dairy products have been associated with multiple health benefits. The present study aimed to produce a functional yogurt drink fortified with golden berry juice and assess its therapeutic effect on hepatitis rats. Thirty male albino rats were randomly divided into two major groups. The first group included the control (-) animals (six rats) and was fed a standard diet, whereas the second group included 24 rats that were fed a standard diet and injected with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) for 2 weeks to trigger chronic damage of the liver (hepatitis); they were then divided into four groups (six rats/group): Group 2: hepatitis, fed on a standard diet as a positive control group; Group 3: received a basal diet with 5 mL of the yogurt drink; Group 4: received a basal diet with 5 mL of the yogurt drink fortified with 10% golden berry juice. Group 5: received a basal diet with 5 mL of the yogurt drink fortified with 20% golden berry juice. Various biological parameters were determined. Yogurt drink treatments were evaluated for their chemical, phytochemical, and sensory properties, as well as for their effects on hepatoprotective activity by determining various biochemical parameters. We found that the yogurt drinks containing golden berry juice exhibited no significant differences in fat, protein, and ash content compared with the control samples. Moreover, the yogurt drinks containing golden berry juice exhibited the highest content of total phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, and organoleptic scores among all treatments. In addition, rats fed on a diet fortified with yogurt drinks containing golden berry juice for 8 weeks exhibited higher potential hepatoprotective effects compared with the liver injury control group. This improvement was partly observed in the group that received the yogurt drink containing golden berry juice. Therefore, we concluded that golden berry juice can be recommended as a natural additive in the manufacture of functional yogurt drinks, as it showed a potential hepatoprotective effect in rats with hepatitis.
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Xian F, Sondermann JR, Gomez Varela D, Schmidt M. Deep proteome profiling reveals signatures of age and sex differences in paw skin and sciatic nerve of naïve mice. eLife 2022; 11:81431. [PMID: 36448997 PMCID: PMC9711526 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The age and sex of studied animals profoundly impact experimental outcomes in biomedical research. However, most preclinical studies in mice use a wide-spanning age range from 4 to 20 weeks and do not assess male and female mice in parallel. This raises concerns regarding reproducibility and neglects potentially relevant age and sex differences, which are largely unknown at the molecular level in naïve mice. Here, we employed an optimized quantitative proteomics workflow in order to deeply profile mouse paw skin and sciatic nerves (SCN) - two tissues implicated in nociception and pain as well as diseases linked to inflammation, injury, and demyelination. Remarkably, we uncovered significant differences when comparing male and female mice at adolescent (4 weeks) and adult (14 weeks) age. Our analysis deciphered protein subsets and networks that were correlated with the age and/or sex of mice. Notably, among these were proteins/biological pathways with known (patho)physiological relevance, e.g., homeostasis and epidermal signaling in skin, and, in SCN, multiple myelin proteins and regulators of neuronal development. Extensive comparisons with available databases revealed that various proteins associated with distinct skin diseases and pain exhibited significant abundance changes in dependence on age and/or sex. Taken together, our study uncovers hitherto unknown sex and age differences at the level of proteins and protein networks. Overall, we provide a unique proteome resource that facilitates mechanistic insights into somatosensory and skin biology, and integrates age and sex as biological variables - a prerequisite for successful preclinical studies in mouse disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xian
- Systems Biology of Pain, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Julia Regina Sondermann
- Systems Biology of Pain, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - David Gomez Varela
- Systems Biology of Pain, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Manuela Schmidt
- Systems Biology of Pain, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of ViennaViennaAustria
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Dirnagl U, Bannach-Brown A, McCann S. External validity in translational biomedicine: understanding the conditions enabling the cause to have an effect. EMBO Mol Med 2021; 14:e14334. [PMID: 34927359 PMCID: PMC8819306 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202114334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A spectre is haunting biomedical research: It appears that a substantial fraction of published research results cannot be reproduced, while spectacularly successful novel treatments developed in experimental models of disease too often fail in clinical trials. A reproducibility crisis has been proclaimed, and bench‐to‐bedside translation appears to be lost in a “valley of death”. Both predicaments, non‐reproducibility and translational roadblocks, are connected: Why should we expect to successfully “trans‐late” results to humans, if already “cis‐lation”—that is, the generalization from one experimental setting to an identical or fairly similar one—often fails?
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Dirnagl
- Department of Experimental Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,QUEST Center for Responsible Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandra Bannach-Brown
- QUEST Center for Responsible Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sarah McCann
- QUEST Center for Responsible Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
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Sil A, Erfani A, Lamb N, Copland R, Riedel G, Platt B. Sex Differences in Behavior and Molecular Pathology in the 5XFAD Model. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 85:755-778. [PMID: 34864660 DOI: 10.3233/jad-210523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is greater in women compared to men, but the reasons for this remain unknown. This sex difference has been widely neglected in experimental studies using transgenic mouse models of AD. OBJECTIVE Here, we studied behavior and molecular pathology of 5-month-old 5XFAD mice, which express mutated human amyloid precursor protein and presenilin-1 on a C57BL/6J background, versus their wild-type littermate controls, to compared both sex- and genotype-dependent differences. METHODS A novel behavioral paradigm was utilized (OF-NO-SI), comprising activity measures (Open Field, OF) arena, followed by Novel Object exploration (NO) and Social Interaction (SI) of a sex-matched conspecific. Each segment consisted of two repeated trials to assess between-trial habituation. Subsequently, brain pathology (amyloid load, stress response and inflammation markers, synaptic integrity, trophic support) was assessed using qPCR and western blotting. RESULTS Female 5XFAD mice had higher levels of human APP and amyloid-β and heightened inflammation versus males. These markers correlated with hyperactivity observed in both sexes, yet only female 5XFAD mice presented with deficits in object and social exploration. Male animals had higher expression of stress markers and neurotrophic factors irrespective of genotype, this correlated with cognitive performance. CONCLUSION The impact of sex on AD-relevant phenotypes is in line with human data and emphasizes the necessity of appropriate study design and reporting. Differential molecular profiles observed in male versus female mice offer insights into possible protective mechanisms, and hence treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annesha Sil
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Arina Erfani
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Nicola Lamb
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Rachel Copland
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Gernot Riedel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | - Bettina Platt
- Institute of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Foresterhill, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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Gkrouzoudi A, Tsingotjidou A, Jirkof P. A systematic review on the reporting quality in mouse telemetry implantation surgery using electrocardiogram recording devices. Physiol Behav 2021; 244:113645. [PMID: 34774869 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Telemetric monitoring is used in many scientific fields, such as cardiovascular research, neurology, endocrinology, animal welfare research and many more. Nowadays, implanted electrocardiogram (ECG) radiotelemetry units are the gold standard for monitoring ECG traces, heart rate and heart rate variability in freely moving mice. This technology can be a valuable tool when studies utilise it adequately, while also prioritizing animal welfare. Recently, concerns about the reproducibility of research findings have been raised in many scientific fields with insufficient reporting being one of the underlying causes. A systematic review was performed in three literature databases to include all published studies until 31.12.2019 using surgery that involves the placing of ECG recording telemetry devices in adult mice. Data extracted from the publications included selected items recommended by the ARRIVE guidelines and SYRCLE`s tool for assessing risk of bias. We focused on aspects related to quality of reporting, risk of bias reduction measures and ECG measurements characteristics. In general, the quality of reporting was low to moderate in the 234 analyzed publications regarding the animal, husbandry, statistics, and risk of bias related items, but good for more specific telemetry study characteristics. Based on our analyses we assume that there is no or only slight improvement in the reporting quality since 2010, when the ARRIVE guidelines were published.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Gkrouzoudi
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Anastasia Tsingotjidou
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Division for Surgical Research, University Hospital Zurich, University Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Office of Animal Welfare and 3Rs, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Ghasemi A, Jeddi S, Kashfi K. The laboratory rat: Age and body weight matter. EXCLI JOURNAL 2021; 20:1431-1445. [PMID: 34737685 PMCID: PMC8564917 DOI: 10.17179/excli2021-4072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Animal experimentation helps us to understand human biology. Rodents and, in particular, rats are among the most common animals used in animal experiments. Reporting data on animal age, animal body weight, and animal postnatal developmental stages is not consistent, which can cause the failure to translate animal data to humans. This review summarizes age-related postnatal developmental stages in rats by addressing age-related changes in their body weights. The age and body weight of animals can affect drug metabolism, gene expression, metabolic parameters, and other dependent variables measured in animal studies. In addition, considering the age and the body weight of the animals is of particular importance in animal modeling of human diseases. Appropriate reporting of age, body weight, and the developmental stage of animals used in studies can improve animal to human translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asghar Ghasemi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sajad Jeddi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khosrow Kashfi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, USA
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Abbas TO, Elawad A, Pullattayil S. AK, Pennisi CP. Quality of Reporting in Preclinical Urethral Tissue Engineering Studies: A Systematic Review to Assess Adherence to the ARRIVE Guidelines. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2456. [PMID: 34438913 PMCID: PMC8388767 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 08/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Preclinical research within the area of urethral tissue engineering has not yet been successfully translated into an efficient therapeutic option for patients. This gap could be attributed, in part, to inadequate design and reporting of the studies employing laboratory animals. In this study, a systematic review was conducted to investigate the quality of reporting in preclinical studies utilizing tissue engineering approaches for urethral repair. The scope was on studies performed in rabbits, published between January 2014 and March 2020. Quality assessment of the data was conducted according to the Animal Research: Reporting of in Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines by the scoring of a 38-item checklist in different categories. A total of 28 articles that fulfilled the eligibility criteria were included in the study. The range of ARRIVE score was from 0 to 100, taking into consideration having reported the item in question or not. The mean checklist score was 53%. The items that attained the highest scores included the number of animals utilized, the size of control and experimental groups, and the definition of experimental outcomes. The least frequently reported items included the data regarding the experimental procedure, housing and husbandry, determination and justification of the number of animals, and reporting of adverse events. Surprisingly, full disclosure about ethical guidelines and animal protocol approval was missing in 54% of the studies. No paper stated the sample size estimation. Overall, our study found that a large number of studies display inadequate reporting of fundamental information and that the quality of reporting improved marginally over the study period. We encourage a comprehensive implementation of the ARRIVE guidelines in animal studies exploring tissue engineering for urethral repair, not only to facilitate effective translation of preclinical research findings into clinical therapies, but also to ensure compliance with ethical principles and to minimize unnecessary animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tariq O. Abbas
- Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark;
- Pediatric Urology Section, Sidra Medicine, Doha 26999, Qatar;
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
- Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar, Doha 24144, Qatar
| | - Abubakr Elawad
- Pediatric Urology Section, Sidra Medicine, Doha 26999, Qatar;
| | | | - Cristian Pablo Pennisi
- Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark;
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Iseppe AF, Ni H, Zhu S, Zhang X, Coppini R, Yang PC, Srivatsa U, Clancy CE, Edwards AG, Morotti S, Grandi E. Sex-Specific Classification of Drug-Induced Torsade de Pointes Susceptibility Using Cardiac Simulations and Machine Learning. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2021; 110:380-391. [PMID: 33772748 PMCID: PMC8316283 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Torsade de Pointes (TdP), a rare but lethal ventricular arrhythmia, is a toxic side effect of many drugs. To assess TdP risk, safety regulatory guidelines require quantification of hERG channel block in vitro and QT interval prolongation in vivo for all new therapeutic compounds. Unfortunately, these have proven to be poor predictors of torsadogenic risk, and are likely to have prevented safe compounds from reaching clinical phases. Although this has stimulated numerous efforts to define new paradigms for cardiac safety, none of the recently developed strategies accounts for patient conditions. In particular, despite being a well-established independent risk factor for TdP, female sex is vastly under-represented in both basic research and clinical studies, and thus current TdP metrics are likely biased toward the male sex. Here, we apply statistical learning to synthetic data, generated by simulating drug effects on cardiac myocyte models capturing male and female electrophysiology, to develop new sex-specific classification frameworks for TdP risk. We show that (i) TdP classifiers require different features in females vs. males; (ii) male-based classifiers perform more poorly when applied to female data; and (iii) female-based classifier performance is largely unaffected by acute effects of hormones (i.e., during various phases of the menstrual cycle). Notably, when predicting TdP risk of intermediate drugs on female simulated data, male-biased predictive models consistently underestimate TdP risk in women. Therefore, we conclude that pipelines for preclinical cardiotoxicity risk assessment should consider sex as a key variable to avoid potentially life-threatening consequences for the female population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Fogli Iseppe
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Haibo Ni
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Sicheng Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Xianwei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Raffaele Coppini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Sciences and Child Health (NeuroFarBa), University of Florence, Italy
| | - Pei-Chi Yang
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Uma Srivatsa
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Colleen E. Clancy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Andrew G. Edwards
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Stefano Morotti
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Eleonora Grandi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Bobrov AG, Getnet D, Swierczewski B, Jacobs A, Medina-Rojas M, Tyner S, Watters C, Antonic V. Evaluation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa pathogenesis and therapeutics in military-relevant animal infection models. APMIS 2021; 130:436-457. [PMID: 34132418 DOI: 10.1111/apm.13119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Modern combat-related injuries are often associated with acute polytrauma. As a consequence of severe combat-related injuries, a dysregulated immune response results in serious infectious complications. The gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that often causes life-threatening bloodstream, lung, bone, urinary tract, and wound infections following combat-related injuries. The rise in the number of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa strains has elevated its importance to civilian clinicians and military medicine. Development of novel therapeutics and treatment options for P. aeruginosa infections is urgently needed. During the process of drug discovery and therapeutic testing, in vivo testing in animal models is a critical step in the bench-to-bedside approach, and required for Food and Drug Administration approval. Here, we review current and past literature with a focus on combat injury-relevant animal models often used to understand infection development, the interplay between P. aeruginosa and the host, and evaluation of novel treatments. Specifically, this review focuses on the following animal infection models: wound, burn, bone, lung, urinary tract, foreign body, and sepsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G Bobrov
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Derese Getnet
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Brett Swierczewski
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Anna Jacobs
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Maria Medina-Rojas
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Stuart Tyner
- US Army Medical Research and Development Command Military Infectious Diseases Research Program, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Chase Watters
- Naval Medical Research Unit-3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
| | - Vlado Antonic
- Wound Infections Department, Bacterial Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Inglis A, Ubungen R, Farooq S, Mata P, Thiam J, Saleh S, Shibin S, Al-Mohanna FA, Collison KS. Strain-based and sex-biased differences in adrenal and pancreatic gene expression between KK/HlJ and C57BL/6 J mice. BMC Genomics 2021; 22:180. [PMID: 33711921 PMCID: PMC7953684 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-021-07495-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The ever-increasing prevalence of diabetes and associated comorbidities serves to highlight the necessity of biologically relevant small-animal models to investigate its etiology, pathology and treatment. Although the C57BL/6 J model is amongst the most widely used mouse model due to its susceptibility to diet-induced obesity (DIO), there are a number of limitations namely [1] that unambiguous fasting hyperglycemia can only be achieved via dietary manipulation and/or chemical ablation of the pancreatic beta cells. [2] Heterogeneity in the obesogenic effects of hypercaloric feeding has been noted, together with sex-dependent differences, with males being more responsive. The KK mouse strain has been used to study aspects of the metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. We recently conducted a study which characterized the differences in male and female glucocentric parameters between the KK/HlJ and C57BL/6 J strains as well as diabetes-related behavioral differences (Inglis et al. 2019). In the present study, we further characterize these models by examining strain- and sex-dependent differences in pancreatic and adrenal gene expression using Affymetrix microarray together with endocrine-associated serum analysis. Results In addition to strain-associated differences in insulin tolerance, we found significant elevations in KK/HlJ mouse serum leptin, insulin and aldosterone. Additionally, glucagon and corticosterone were elevated in female mice of both strains. Using 2-factor ANOVA and a significance level set at 0.05, we identified 10,269 pancreatic and 10,338 adrenal genes with an intensity cut-off of ≥2.0 for all 4 experimental groups. In the pancreas, gene expression upregulated in the KK/HlJ strain related to increased insulin secretory granule biofunction and pancreatic hyperplasia, whereas ontology of upregulated adrenal differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to cell signaling and neurotransmission. We established a network of functionally related DEGs commonly upregulated in both endocrine tissues of KK/HlJ mice which included the genes coding for endocrine secretory vesicle biogenesis and regulation: PCSK2, PCSK1N, SCG5, PTPRN, CHGB and APLP1. We also identified genes with sex-biased expression common to both strains and tissues including the paternally expressed imprint gene neuronatin. Conclusion Our novel results have further characterized the commonalities and diversities of pancreatic and adrenal gene expression between the KK/HlJ and C57BL/6 J strains as well as differences in serum markers of endocrine physiology. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-021-07495-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Inglis
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rosario Ubungen
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sarah Farooq
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Princess Mata
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Jennifer Thiam
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Soad Saleh
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sherin Shibin
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Futwan A Al-Mohanna
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Kate S Collison
- Department of Cell Biology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, PO BOX 3354, Riyadh, 11211, Saudi Arabia.
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Franco NH, Miranda SB, Kovács N, Nagy A, Thiện BQ, Reis F, Varga O. Assessing Scientific Soundness and Translational Value of Animal Studies on DPP4 Inhibitors for Treating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:155. [PMID: 33669354 PMCID: PMC7920304 DOI: 10.3390/biology10020155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Although there is a wide range of animal models of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) used in research; we have limited evidence on their translation value. This paper provides a) a comparison of preclinical animal and clinical results on the effect of five dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) inhibitors by comparing the pharmaceutical caused glucose changes, and b) an evaluation of methodological and reporting standards in T2DM preclinical animal studies. DPP4 inhibitors play an important role in the clinical management of T2DM: if metformin alone is not sufficient enough to control the blood sugar levels, DPP4 inhibitors are often used as second-line therapy; additionally, DPP-4 inhibitors are also used in triple therapies with metformin and sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors or with metformin and insulin. In our analysis of 124 preclinical studies and 47 clinical trials, (1) we found no evidence of species differences in glucose change response to DPP4 inhibitors, which may suggest that, for this drug class, studies in mice and rats may be equally predictive of how well a drug will work in humans; and (2) there is good reporting of group size, sex, age, euthanasia method and self-reported compliance with animal welfare regulations in animal studies but poor reporting of justification of group size, along with a strong bias towards the use of male animals and young animals. Instead of the common non-transparent model selection, we call for a reflective and evidenced-based assessment of predictive validity of the animal models currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Henrique Franco
- Laboratory Animal Science Group, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (N.H.F.); (S.B.M.)
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sonia Batista Miranda
- Laboratory Animal Science Group, IBMC—Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (N.H.F.); (S.B.M.)
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação da Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nóra Kovács
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Kassai út 26, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Attila Nagy
- Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Kassai út 26, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Bùi Quốc Thiện
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Egyetem Square 1, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Flávio Reis
- Institute of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, and Coimbra Institute for Clinical and Biomedical Research (iCBR), Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
- Clinical Academic Center of Coimbra (CACC), 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Orsolya Varga
- Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Kassai út 26, 4028 Debrecen, Hungary;
- Office for Research Groups Attached to Universities and Other Institutions, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1051 Budapest, Hungary
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Plevkova J, Brozmanova M, Harsanyiova J, Sterusky M, Honetschlager J, Buday T. Various aspects of sex and gender bias in biomedical research. Physiol Res 2021; 69:S367-S378. [PMID: 33464920 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The main role of research in medicine is to provide relevant knowledge which, after successful translation to clinical practice, improves the quality of healthcare. The sex bias which is still present in the majority of research disciplines prefers male subjects despite legislation changes in the US grant agencies and European research programme Horizon 2020. Male subjects (cells, animals) still dominate in preclinical research and it has detrimental consequences for women's health and the quality of science. Opposite bias exists for data obtained mainly in animal models utilizing female subjects (e.g. research in multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis) with skewed outcomes for men affected by these diseases. Either way, scientists are producing results which compromise half of the population. Assumptions that females as cohorts are more variable and another assumption that the oestrous cycle should be tracked in case the females are enrolled in preclinical studies were proven wrong. Variability of male versus female cohorts are comparable and do not only stem from hormonal levels. The widespread prevalence of sex differences in human diseases ultimately requires detailed experiments performed on both sexes, unless the studies are specifically addressing reproduction or sex-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Plevkova
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic.
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Plevkova J, Brozmanova M, Harsanyiova J, Sterusky M, Honetschlager J, Buday T. Various aspects of sex and gender bias in biomedical research. Physiol Res 2020; 69. [PMID: 33464920 PMCID: PMC8603716 DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934593 10.33549/physiolres.934593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The main role of research in medicine is to provide relevant knowledge which, after successful translation to clinical practice, improves the quality of healthcare. The sex bias which is still present in the majority of research disciplines prefers male subjects despite legislation changes in the US grant agencies and European research programme Horizon 2020. Male subjects (cells, animals) still dominate in preclinical research and it has detrimental consequences for women's health and the quality of science. Opposite bias exists for data obtained mainly in animal models utilizing female subjects (e.g. research in multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis) with skewed outcomes for men affected by these diseases. Either way, scientists are producing results which compromise half of the population. Assumptions that females as cohorts are more variable and another assumption that the oestrous cycle should be tracked in case the females are enrolled in preclinical studies were proven wrong. Variability of male versus female cohorts are comparable and do not only stem from hormonal levels. The widespread prevalence of sex differences in human diseases ultimately requires detailed experiments performed on both sexes, unless the studies are specifically addressing reproduction or sex-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Plevkova
- Department of Pathophysiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine in Martin, Comenius University in Bratislava, Martin, Slovak Republic.
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Park CJ, Shaughnessy MP, Cowles RA. Mucosal characteristics vary across developmental stages in the small intestine of C57BL/6J mice. Life Sci 2020; 260:118428. [PMID: 32931798 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AIMS The benefits of utilizing laboratory mice include low cost, ease of maintenance, and accessibility of molecular tools. However, the ages of experimental mice in the literature vary drastically. We hypothesized that there exists age-related variation in the murine small intestine across developmental stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS Segments of small intestine were harvested from C57BL/6J mice of varying ages (E17 to 24 weeks; n = 3-4/group). Slides were analyzed for morphometric parameters, cell types, and crypt proliferation index (CPI). Secondary analysis comparing age-matched males and females (n = 4/group) was performed. Means were compared with Student's t-test and variance of proportions with the Chi-squared test to a significance of p < 0.05. KEY FINDINGS There were small but significant differences including regional variation in villus height, which abolished when examining the small intestine as a whole. Sexually immature mice had increased CPI compared to mature animals. The most dramatic differences were seen in mice at weaning, which demonstrated shallower crypts, increased CPI, fewer Paneth and goblet cells, and more enterochromaffin cells. Examination of embryonic intestine revealed an underdeveloped mucosa lacking differentiated cells. There were minimal differences when comparing age-matched males and females. SIGNIFICANCE Small, but statistically significant differences in villus height, crypt depth, and crypt proliferation are present in mice across early developmental stages. Mice at weaning exhibit variation in crypt-villus cell composition compared to older animals, which may explain the propensity for certain intestinal conditions in the very young. Investigators studying the GI mucosa should employ consistent age-matching in order to allow direct comparison between studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine J Park
- Department of Surgery, Divison of Pediatric Surgery at Yale University, 330 Cedar St., FMB 131, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Matthew P Shaughnessy
- Department of Surgery, Divison of Pediatric Surgery at Yale University, 330 Cedar St., FMB 131, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Robert A Cowles
- Department of Surgery, Divison of Pediatric Surgery at Yale University, 330 Cedar St., FMB 131, New Haven, CT, United States of America.
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Hunter H, de Gracia Hahn D, Duret A, Im YR, Cheah Q, Dong J, Fairey M, Hjalmarsson C, Li A, Lim HK, McKeown L, Mitrofan CG, Rao R, Utukuri M, Rowe IA, Mann JP. Weight loss, insulin resistance, and study design confound results in a meta-analysis of animal models of fatty liver. eLife 2020; 9:56573. [PMID: 33063664 PMCID: PMC7647398 DOI: 10.7554/elife.56573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical drug development pipeline necessitates studies using animal models of human disease to gauge future efficacy in humans, however there is a low conversion rate from success in animals to humans. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a complex chronic disease without any established therapies and a major field of animal research. We performed a meta-analysis with meta-regression of 603 interventional rodent studies (10,364 animals) in NAFLD to assess which variables influenced treatment response. Weight loss and alleviation of insulin resistance were consistently associated with improvement in NAFLD. Multiple drug classes that do not affect weight in humans caused weight loss in animals. Other study design variables, such as age of animals and dietary composition, influenced the magnitude of treatment effect. Publication bias may have increased effect estimates by 37-79%. These findings help to explain the challenge of reproducibility and translation within the field of metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harriet Hunter
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dana de Gracia Hahn
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amedine Duret
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Yu Ri Im
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Qinrong Cheah
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jiawen Dong
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Madison Fairey
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alice Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hong Kai Lim
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Lorcan McKeown
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Raunak Rao
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mrudula Utukuri
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ian A Rowe
- Leeds Institute for Medical Research & Leeds Institute for Data Analytics, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Jake P Mann
- Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Bahadoran Z, Mirmiran P, Kashfi K, Ghasemi A. Importance of Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses of Animal Studies: Challenges for Animal-to-Human Translation. JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE : JAALAS 2020; 59:469-477. [PMID: 32727637 PMCID: PMC7479780 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-19-000139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Results of animal experiments are used for understanding the pathophysiology of diseases, assessing safety and efficacy of newly developed drugs, and monitoring environmental health hazards among others. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal data are important tools to condense animal evidence and translate the data into practical clinical applications. Such studies are conducted to explore heterogeneity, to generate new hypotheses about pathophysiology and treatment, to design new clinical trial modalities, and to test the efficacy and the safety of the various interventions. Here, we provide an overview regarding the importance of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal data and discuss common challenges and their potential solutions. Current evidence highlights various problems and challenges that surround these issues, including lack of generalizability of data obtained from animal models, failure in translating data obtained from animals to humans, poor experimental design and the reporting of the animal studies, heterogeneity of the data collected, and methodologic weaknesses of animal systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of animal studies can catalyze translational processes more effectively if they focus on a well-defined hypothesis along with addressing clear inclusion and exclusion criteria, publication bias, heterogeneity of the data, and a coherent and well-balanced assessment of studies' quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Bahadoran
- Nutrition and Endocrine Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parvin Mirmiran
- Department of Clinical Nutrition and Human Dietetics, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Khosrow Kashfi
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City University of New York School of Medicine, New York, New York
| | - Asghar Ghasemi
- Endocrine Physiology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran,Corresponding author.
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Michel N, Narayanan P, Shomroni O, Schmidt M. Maturational Changes in Mouse Cutaneous Touch and Piezo2-Mediated Mechanotransduction. Cell Rep 2020; 32:107912. [PMID: 32697985 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The age of studied animals has a profound impact on experimental outcomes in animal-based research. In mice, age influences molecular, morphological, physiological, and behavioral parameters, particularly during rapid postnatal growth and maturation until adulthood (at 12 weeks of age). Despite this knowledge, most biomedical studies use a wide-spanning age range from 4 to 12 weeks, raising concerns about reproducibility and potential masking of relevant age differences. Here, using mouse behavior and electrophysiology in cultured dorsal root ganglia (DRG), we reveal a decline in behavioral cutaneous touch sensitivity and Piezo2-mediated mechanotransduction in vitro during mouse maturation but not thereafter. In addition, we identify distinct transcript changes in individual Piezo2-expressing mechanosensitive DRG neurons by combining electrophysiology with single-cell RNA sequencing (patch-seq). Taken together, our study emphasizes the need for accurate age matching and uncovers hitherto unknown maturational plasticity in cutaneous touch at the level of behavior, mechanotransduction, and transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Michel
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pratibha Narayanan
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Orr Shomroni
- NGS Integrative Genomics, Department of Human Genetics at the University Medical Center Goettingen (UMG), 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Manuela Schmidt
- Max-Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine and University of Goettingen, Somatosensory Signaling and Systems Biology Group, 37075 Goettingen, Germany.
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Percie du Sert N, Ahluwalia A, Alam S, Avey MT, Baker M, Browne WJ, Clark A, Cuthill IC, Dirnagl U, Emerson M, Garner P, Holgate ST, Howells DW, Hurst V, Karp NA, Lazic SE, Lidster K, MacCallum CJ, Macleod M, Pearl EJ, Petersen OH, Rawle F, Reynolds P, Rooney K, Sena ES, Silberberg SD, Steckler T, Würbel H. Reporting animal research: Explanation and elaboration for the ARRIVE guidelines 2.0. PLoS Biol 2020; 18:e3000411. [PMID: 32663221 PMCID: PMC7360025 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 933] [Impact Index Per Article: 233.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving the reproducibility of biomedical research is a major challenge. Transparent and accurate reporting is vital to this process; it allows readers to assess the reliability of the findings and repeat or build upon the work of other researchers. The ARRIVE guidelines (Animal Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) were developed in 2010 to help authors and journals identify the minimum information necessary to report in publications describing in vivo experiments. Despite widespread endorsement by the scientific community, the impact of ARRIVE on the transparency of reporting in animal research publications has been limited. We have revised the ARRIVE guidelines to update them and facilitate their use in practice. The revised guidelines are published alongside this paper. This explanation and elaboration document was developed as part of the revision. It provides further information about each of the 21 items in ARRIVE 2.0, including the rationale and supporting evidence for their inclusion in the guidelines, elaboration of details to report, and examples of good reporting from the published literature. This document also covers advice and best practice in the design and conduct of animal studies to support researchers in improving standards from the start of the experimental design process through to publication.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amrita Ahluwalia
- The William Harvey Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
- Barts Cardiovascular CTU, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sabina Alam
- Taylor & Francis Group, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc T. Avey
- Health Science Practice, ICF, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Monya Baker
- Nature, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | | | - Innes C. Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Ulrich Dirnagl
- QUEST Center for Transforming Biomedical Research, Berlin Institute of Health & Department of Experimental Neurology, Charite Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Emerson
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Garner
- Centre for Evidence Synthesis in Global Health, Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen T. Holgate
- Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - David W. Howells
- Tasmanian School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | | | - Natasha A. Karp
- Data Sciences & Quantitative Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Malcolm Macleod
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ole H. Petersen
- Academia Europaea Knowledge Hub, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Penny Reynolds
- Statistics in Anesthesiology Research (STAR) Core, Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America
| | - Kieron Rooney
- Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Emily S. Sena
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Shai D. Silberberg
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | | | - Hanno Würbel
- Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Malatras A, Michalopoulos I, Duguez S, Butler-Browne G, Spuler S, Duddy WJ. MyoMiner: explore gene co-expression in normal and pathological muscle. BMC Med Genomics 2020; 13:67. [PMID: 32393257 PMCID: PMC7216615 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-020-0712-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND High-throughput transcriptomics measures mRNA levels for thousands of genes in a biological sample. Most gene expression studies aim to identify genes that are differentially expressed between different biological conditions, such as between healthy and diseased states. However, these data can also be used to identify genes that are co-expressed within a biological condition. Gene co-expression is used in a guilt-by-association approach to prioritize candidate genes that could be involved in disease, and to gain insights into the functions of genes, protein relations, and signaling pathways. Most existing gene co-expression databases are generic, amalgamating data for a given organism regardless of tissue-type. METHODS To study muscle-specific gene co-expression in both normal and pathological states, publicly available gene expression data were acquired for 2376 mouse and 2228 human striated muscle samples, and separated into 142 categories based on species (human or mouse), tissue origin, age, gender, anatomic part, and experimental condition. Co-expression values were calculated for each category to create the MyoMiner database. RESULTS Within each category, users can select a gene of interest, and the MyoMiner web interface will return all correlated genes. For each co-expressed gene pair, adjusted p-value and confidence intervals are provided as measures of expression correlation strength. A standardized expression-level scatterplot is available for every gene pair r-value. MyoMiner has two extra functions: (a) a network interface for creating a 2-shell correlation network, based either on the most highly correlated genes or from a list of genes provided by the user with the option to include linked genes from the database and (b) a comparison tool from which the users can test whether any two correlation coefficients from different conditions are significantly different. CONCLUSIONS These co-expression analyses will help investigators to delineate the tissue-, cell-, and pathology-specific elements of muscle protein interactions, cell signaling and gene regulation. Changes in co-expression between pathologic and healthy tissue may suggest new disease mechanisms and help define novel therapeutic targets. Thus, MyoMiner is a powerful muscle-specific database for the discovery of genes that are associated with related functions based on their co-expression. MyoMiner is freely available at https://www.sys-myo.com/myominer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apostolos Malatras
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, U974, Center for Research in Myology, 47 Boulevard de l’hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Ioannis Michalopoulos
- Centre of Systems Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens, 4 Soranou Ephessiou St., 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Stéphanie Duguez
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, U974, Center for Research in Myology, 47 Boulevard de l’hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, C-TRIC, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Glenshane Road, Ulster University, Derry/Londonderry, BT47 6SB UK
| | - Gillian Butler-Browne
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, U974, Center for Research in Myology, 47 Boulevard de l’hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Simone Spuler
- Muscle Research Unit, Experimental and Clinical Research Center – a joint cooperation of the Charité Medical Faculty and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Lindenberger Weg 80, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - William J. Duddy
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, U974, Center for Research in Myology, 47 Boulevard de l’hôpital, 75013 Paris, France
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, C-TRIC, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Glenshane Road, Ulster University, Derry/Londonderry, BT47 6SB UK
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Mamlouk GM, Dorris DM, Barrett LR, Meitzen J. Sex bias and omission in neuroscience research is influenced by research model and journal, but not reported NIH funding. Front Neuroendocrinol 2020; 57:100835. [PMID: 32070715 PMCID: PMC7225067 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2020.100835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience research has historically demonstrated sex bias that favors male over female research subjects, as well as sex omission, which is the lack of reporting sex. Here we analyzed the status of sex bias and omission in neuroscience research published across six different journals in 2017. Regarding sex omission, 16% of articles did not report sex. Regarding sex bias, 52% of neuroscience articles reported using both males and females, albeit only 15% of articles using both males and females reported assessing sex as an experimental variable. Overrepresentation of the sole use of males compared to females persisted (26% versus 5%, respectively). Sex bias and omission differed across research models, but not by reported NIH funding status. Sex omission differed across journals. These findings represent the latest information regarding the complex status of sex in neuroscience research and illustrate the continued need for thoughtful and informed action to enhance scientific discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella M Mamlouk
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - David M Dorris
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, United States
| | - Lily R Barrett
- Dept. of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - John Meitzen
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, United States; Center for Human Health and the Environment, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.
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40
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Datta U, Schoenrock SE, Bubier JA, Bogue MA, Jentsch JD, Logan RW, Tarantino LM, Chesler EJ. Prospects for finding the mechanisms of sex differences in addiction with human and model organism genetic analysis. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 19:e12645. [PMID: 32012419 PMCID: PMC7060801 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite substantial evidence for sex differences in addiction epidemiology, addiction-relevant behaviors and associated neurobiological phenomena, the mechanisms and implications of these differences remain unknown. Genetic analysis in model organism is a potentially powerful and effective means of discovering the mechanisms that underlie sex differences in addiction. Human genetic studies are beginning to show precise risk variants that influence the mechanisms of addiction but typically lack sufficient power or neurobiological mechanistic access, particularly for the discovery of the mechanisms that underlie sex differences. Our thesis in this review is that genetic variation in model organisms are a promising approach that can complement these investigations to show the biological mechanisms that underlie sex differences in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udita Datta
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - Sarah E. Schoenrock
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, Department of GeneticsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Jason A. Bubier
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - Molly A. Bogue
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - James D. Jentsch
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, PsychologyState University of New York at BinghamtonBinghamtonNew York
| | - Ryan W. Logan
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, PsychiatryUniversity of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburghPennsylvania
| | - Lisa M. Tarantino
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, Department of GeneticsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth Carolina
| | - Elissa J. Chesler
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
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Ketcher D, Trettevik R, Vadaparampil ST, Heyman RE, Ellington L, Reblin M. Caring for a spouse with advanced cancer: similarities and differences for male and female caregivers. J Behav Med 2019; 43:817-828. [PMID: 31845168 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-019-00128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Most caregiving literature has focused on women, who have traditionally taken on caregiving roles. However, more research is needed to clarify the mixed evidence regarding the impact of gender on caregiver/patient psychological outcomes, especially in an advanced cancer context. In this paper, we examine gender differences in caregiver stress, burden, anxiety, depression, and coping styles, as well as how caregiver gender impacts patient outcomes in the context of advanced cancer. Eighty-eight patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers completed psychosocial surveys. All couples were heterosexual and most caregivers were women (71.6%). Female caregivers reported significantly higher levels of perceived stress, depression, anxiety, and social strain compared with male caregivers, and female patients of male caregivers were more likely to use social support as a coping style compared with male patients of female caregivers. These findings highlight the potential differences between male and female caregivers' needs and psychological health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana Ketcher
- Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | - Susan T Vadaparampil
- Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Richard E Heyman
- Family Translational Research Group, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lee Ellington
- College of Nursing, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Maija Reblin
- Health Outcomes and Behavior, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, FL, USA.
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Kurdi G, Leo J, Parsia B, Sattler U, Al-Emari S. A Systematic Review of Automatic Question Generation for Educational Purposes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40593-019-00186-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWhile exam-style questions are a fundamental educational tool serving a variety of purposes, manual construction of questions is a complex process that requires training, experience, and resources. This, in turn, hinders and slows down the use of educational activities (e.g. providing practice questions) and new advances (e.g. adaptive testing) that require a large pool of questions. To reduce the expenses associated with manual construction of questions and to satisfy the need for a continuous supply of new questions, automatic question generation (AQG) techniques were introduced. This review extends a previous review on AQG literature that has been published up to late 2014. It includes 93 papers that were between 2015 and early 2019 and tackle the automatic generation of questions for educational purposes. The aims of this review are to: provide an overview of the AQG community and its activities, summarise the current trends and advances in AQG, highlight the changes that the area has undergone in the recent years, and suggest areas for improvement and future opportunities for AQG. Similar to what was found previously, there is little focus in the current literature on generating questions of controlled difficulty, enriching question forms and structures, automating template construction, improving presentation, and generating feedback. Our findings also suggest the need to further improve experimental reporting, harmonise evaluation metrics, and investigate other evaluation methods that are more feasible.
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43
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Singh G, Brass A, Knight CG, Cruickshank SM. Gut eosinophils and their impact on the mucus-resident microbiota. Immunology 2019; 158:194-205. [PMID: 31433857 PMCID: PMC6797872 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut has the largest commensal bacterial population in the body and its composition can be impacted by host factors such as production of immunoglobulin A (IgA). Eosinophils in the gut have been implicated in the production of antibacterial factors and maintenance of IgA‐secreting plasma cells. We used an eosinophil‐deficient mouse (∆dblGATA‐1−/−) and littermate controls to investigate the role of eosinophils in the regulation of the microbiota, with particular emphasis on mucus‐resident species in the small and large intestine. We found no differences in IgA production or IgA‐expressing plasma cells between naive littermates in the small or large intestine. However, denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis revealed differences in the bacterial communities of the mucus and stools between wild‐type mice and ∆dblGATA‐1−/− mice, with the greatest separation between the mucus microbial communities. Mucus‐resident bacteria in ∆dblGATA‐1−/− mice had reduced diversity in the mucus compared with the stools. A quantitative PCR panel of selected bacteria showed that the most significant differences in the microbiota were between mucus‐resident bacteria and those in stool, such as the abundance of Clostridiales and Bacteroides. Our data implicate eosinophils in the regulation of the microbiota, especially the bacteria most hyperlocal to the gut barrier. Although we see differences between host genotypes in the overall microbial communities, further work is required to establish specifically which bacteria are different between these groups. Most importantly, the data revealed that the mucus and stool microbiota are discrete communities. Stool analysis alone may be insufficient to comprehensively explore and define the role of the gut microbiota in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurdeep Singh
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Brass
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Division of Informatics, Imaging and Data Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Christopher G Knight
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Sheena M Cruickshank
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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Strain and sex-based glucocentric & behavioral differences between KK/HlJ and C57BL/6J mice. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112646. [PMID: 31400379 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Small-animal models are the most widely used preclinical model for studying the etiology, pathology and treatment of diabetes, prediabetes and diabetic comorbidities. Diabetic patients are burdened with higher rates of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline due to inadequate control of blood glucose levels, vascular damage and aberrant CNS insulin signaling. The C57BL/6J model is amongst the most widely used mouse model due to its susceptibility to diet-induced obesity (DIO). This strain has also been well-characterized in behavioral research studies. However the C57BL/6J model has a number of limitations: [1] overt fasting hyperglycemia can only be induced by dietary manipulation and/or chemical ablation of the pancreatic beta cells. [2] There is heterogeneity in the obesogenic response to hypercaloric feeding as well as sex-dependent differences, with males being more responsive. The KK inbred strain has been used to study aspects of the metabolic syndrome and prediabetes due to inherent glucose intolerance, hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance. However KK/HlJ mice are less well-characterized and there have been fewer behavioral studies reported. The aim of this study was to examine differences in male and female glucocentric parameters between KK/HlJ and C57BL/6J mice, and to compare their performance in a variety of standard behavioral tests relating to general, anxiogenic and cognitive paradigms. METHODS Strain differences in male and female KK/HlJ and C57BL/6J mouse adiposity, glucose and insulin parameters were studied together with group differences in standard Open Field, Object Recognition, Elevated Plus Maze, Light-Dark Transition, Porsolt test, Marble Burying, Social Recognition and Morris Water Maze tests. Correlations between behavioral variables were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION In addition to being uniformly larger, hyperinsulinemic and more insulin intolerant than C57BL/6J mice, we observed marked strain and sex-differences in KK/HlJ behavior. KK/HlJ mice exhibited less locomotor and vertical exploratory behavior in comparison to C57BL/6J, whereas object exploration and novel object discrimination were superior in KK/HlJ mice. Female KK/HlJ mice were faster swimmers, whereas the males exhibited greater spatial cognition and place-learning during the MWM test.
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Lauer AM, Schrode KM. Sex bias in basic and preclinical noise-induced hearing loss research. Noise Health 2019; 19:207-212. [PMID: 28937014 PMCID: PMC5644379 DOI: 10.4103/nah.nah_12_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Sex differences in brain biochemistry, physiology, structure, and function have been gaining increasing attention in the scientific community. Males and females can have different responses to medications, diseases, and environmental variables. A small number of the approximately 7500 studies of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) have identified sex differences, but the mechanisms and characterization of these differences have not been thoroughly studied. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) issued a mandate in 2015 to include sex as a biological variable in all NIH-funded research beginning in January 2016. Materials and Methods: In the present study, the representation of sex as a biological variable in preclinical and basic studies of NIHL was quantified for a 5-year period from January 2011 to December 2015 prior to the implementation of the NIH mandate. Results: The analysis of 210 basic and preclinical studies showed that when sex is specified, experiments are predominantly performed on male animals. Discussion: This bias is present in studies completed in the United States and foreign institutions, and the proportion of studies using only male participants has actually increased over the 5-year period examined. Conclusion: These results underscore the need to invest resources in studying NIHL in both sexes to better understand how sex shapes the outcomes and to optimize treatment and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Marie Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-HNS and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Katrina Marie Schrode
- Department of Otolaryngology-HNS and Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
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46
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Zelek-Molik A, Costanzi M, Rafa-Zabłocka K, Kreiner G, Roman A, Vetulani J, Rossi-Arnaud C, Cestari V, Nalepa I. Fear memory-induced alterations in the mRNA expression of G proteins in the mouse brain and the impact of immediate posttraining treatment with morphine. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 93:221-231. [PMID: 30953677 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Disturbances in fear-evoked signal transduction in the hippocampus (HP), the nuclei of the amygdala (AMY), and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) underlie anxiety-related disorders. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects remain elusive. Heterotrimeric G proteins (GPs) are divided into the following four families based on the intracellular activity of their alpha subunit (Gα): Gα(s) proteins stimulate cyclic AMP (cAMP) generation, Gα(i/o) proteins inhibit the cAMP pathway, Gα(q/11) proteins increase the intracellular Ca++ concentration and the inositol trisphosphate level, and Gα(12/13) proteins activate monomeric GP-Rho. In the present study, we assessed the effects of a fear memory procedure on the mRNA expression of the Gα subunits of all four GP families in the HP, AMY and PFC. C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to a fear conditioning (FC) procedure followed by a contextual or cued fear memory test (CTX-R and CS-R, respectively). Morphine (MOR, 1 mg/kg/ip) was injected immediately after FC to prevent the fear consolidation process. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of Gα subunits at 1 h after FC, 24 h after FC, and 1 h after the CTX-R or CS-R. In the HP, the mRNA levels of Gα(s), Gα(12) and Gα(11) were higher at 1 h after training. Gα(s) levels were slightly lower when consolidation was stabilized and after the CS-R. The mRNA levels of Gα(12) were increased at 1 h after FC, returned to control levels at 24 h after FC and increased again with the CTX-R. The increase in the Gα(11) level persisted at 24 h after FC and after CTX-R. In the AMY, no specific changes were induced by FC. In the PFC, CTX-R was accompanied by a decrease in Gα(i/o) mRNA levels; however, only Gα(i2) downregulation was prevented by MOR treatment. Hence, the FC-evoked changes in Gα mRNA expression were observed mainly in the HP and connected primarily to contextual learning. These results suggest that the activation of signaling pathways by Gα(s) and Gα(12) is required to begin the fear memory consolidation process in the HP, while signal transduction via Gα(11) is implicated in the maintenance of fear consolidation. In the PFC, the downregulation of Gα(i2) appears to be related to the contextual learning of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Zelek-Molik
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland
| | - Marco Costanzi
- Free University Maria Ss. Assunta (LUMSA), Department of Human Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Katarzyna Rafa-Zabłocka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Kreiner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland
| | - Adam Roman
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland
| | - Jerzy Vetulani
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland
| | | | - Vincenzo Cestari
- Sapienza University Rome, Department of Psychology, Rome, Italy.
| | - Irena Nalepa
- Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Brain Biochemistry, 31-343 Krakow, Smętna Street 12, Poland.
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Nagendrababu V, Kishen A, Murray PE, Nekoofar MH, de Figueiredo JAP, Priya E, Jayaraman J, Pulikkotil SJ, Dummer PMH. Preferred Reporting Items for Animal Studies in Endodontology: a development protocol. Int Endod J 2019; 52:1290-1296. [PMID: 30985938 DOI: 10.1111/iej.13125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The regulated use of animals in endodontic research is often necessary to investigate the biological mechanisms of endodontic diseases and to measure the preclinical efficacy, biocompatibility, toxicology and safety of new treatments, biomaterials, sealers, drugs, disinfectants, irrigants, devices and instruments. Animal testing is most crucial in situations when research on humans is not ethical, practical or has unknown health risks. Currently, there is a wide variability in the quality of manuscripts that report the results of animal studies. Towards the goal of improving the quality of publications, guidelines for preventing disability, pain, and suffering to animals, and enhanced reporting requirements for animal research have been developed. These guidelines are referred to as Animals in Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE). Henceforth, causing any form of animal suffering for research purposes is not acceptable and cannot be justified under any circumstances. The present report describes a protocol for the development of welfare and reporting guidelines for animal studies conducted in the specialty of Endodontology: the Preferred Reporting Items for Animal Studies in Endodontology (PRIASE) guidelines. The PRIASE guidelines will be developed by adapting and modifying the ARRIVE guidelines and the Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publication (CLIP) principles. The development of the new PRIASE guidelines will include a five-step consensus process. An initial draft of the PRIASE guidelines will be developed by a steering committee. Each item in the draft guidelines will then be evaluated by members of a PRIASE Delphi Group (PDG) for its clarity using a dichotomous scale (yes or no) and suitability for its inclusion using a 9-point Likert scale. The online surveys will continue until each item achieves this standard, and a set of items are agreed for further analysis by a PRIASE Face-to-face Consensus Meeting Group (PFCMG). Following the consensus meeting, the steering committee will finalize and confirm the PRIASE guidelines taking into account the responses and comments of the PFCMG. The PRIASE guidelines will be published and disseminated internationally and updated periodically based on feedback from stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Nagendrababu
- Division of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - A Kishen
- University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - P E Murray
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
| | - M H Nekoofar
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - E Priya
- Division of Children and Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - J Jayaraman
- Division of Children and Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - S J Pulikkotil
- Division of Clinical Dentistry, School of Dentistry, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - P M H Dummer
- School of Dentistry, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Buch T, Moos K, Ferreira FM, Fröhlich H, Gebhard C, Tresch A. Benefits of a factorial design focusing on inclusion of female and male animals in one experiment. J Mol Med (Berl) 2019; 97:871-877. [PMID: 30980104 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-019-01774-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Disease occurrence, clinical manifestations, and outcomes differ between men and women. Yet, women and men are most of the time treated similarly, which is often based on experimental data over-representing one sex. Accounting for persisting sex bias in biomedical research is the misconception that the analysis of sex-specific effects would double sample size and costs. We designed an analysis to test the potential benefits of a factorial study design in the context of a study including male and female animals. We chose a 2 × 2 factorial design approach to study the effect of treatment, sex, and an interaction term of treatment and sex in a hypothetical situation. We calculated the sample sizes required to detect an effect of a given magnitude with sufficient power and under different experimental setups. We demonstrated that the inclusion of both sexes in experimental setups, without testing for sex effects, requires no or few additional animals in our scenarios. These experimental designs still allow for the exploration of sex effects at low cost. In a confirmatory instead of an exploratory design, we observed an increase in total sample sizes by 33%, at most. Since the complexities associated with this mathematical model require statistical expertise, we generated and provide a sample size calculator for planning factorial design experiments. For the inclusion of sex, a factorial design is advisable, and a sex-specific analysis can be performed without excessive additional effort. Our easy-to-use calculation tool provides help in designing studies with both sexes and addresses the current sex bias in preclinical studies. KEY MESSAGES: • Both sexes should be included into animal studies. • Exploratory study of sex effects can be conducted with no or small increase in animal number. • Confirmatory analysis of sex effects requires maximum 33% more animals per study. • Our calculation tool supports the design of studies with both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Buch
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Katharina Moos
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Bachemer Str. 86, 50931, Cologne, Germany.,Center for Data and Simulation Science (CDS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Filipa M Ferreira
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, University of Zurich, Wagistrasse 12, 8952 Schlieren, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Holger Fröhlich
- Bonn-Aachen International Center for IT (b-it), University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Catherine Gebhard
- Center for Molecular Cardiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Achim Tresch
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Bachemer Str. 86, 50931, Cologne, Germany. .,Center for Data and Simulation Science (CDS), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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Prager EM, Chambers KE, Plotkin JL, McArthur DL, Bandrowski AE, Bansal N, Martone ME, Bergstrom HC, Bespalov A, Graf C. Improving transparency and scientific rigor in academic publishing. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2019; 2:e1150. [PMID: 32721132 PMCID: PMC7941525 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Progress in basic and clinical research is slowed when researchers fail to provide a complete and accurate report of how a study was designed, executed, and the results analyzed. Publishing rigorous scientific research involves a full description of the methods, materials, procedures, and outcomes. Investigators may fail to provide a complete description of how their study was designed and executed because they may not know how to accurately report the information or the mechanisms are not in place to facilitate transparent reporting. Here, we provide an overview of how authors can write manuscripts in a transparent and thorough manner. We introduce a set of reporting criteria that can be used for publishing, including recommendations on reporting the experimental design and statistical approaches. We also discuss how to accurately visualize the results and provide recommendations for peer reviewers to enhance rigor and transparency. Incorporating transparency practices into research manuscripts will significantly improve the reproducibility of the results by independent laboratories. SIGNIFICANCE: Failure to replicate research findings often arises from errors in the experimental design and statistical approaches. By providing a full account of the experimental design, procedures, and statistical approaches, researchers can address the reproducibility crisis and improve the sustainability of research outcomes. In this piece, we discuss the key issues leading to irreproducibility and provide general approaches to improving transparency and rigor in reporting, which could assist in making research more reproducible.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joshua L. Plotkin
- Department of Neurobiology and BehaviorStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNew YorkUSA
| | - David L. McArthur
- Department of NeurosurgeryDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLALos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anita E. Bandrowski
- Center for Research in Biological SystemsUniversity of California at San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Maryann E. Martone
- Center for Research in Biological SystemsUniversity of California at San DiegoSan DiegoCaliforniaUSA
| | - Hadley C. Bergstrom
- Department of Psychological Science, Program in Neuroscience and BehaviorVassar CollegePoughkeepsieNew YorkUSA
| | - Anton Bespalov
- Partnership for Assessment and Accreditation of Scientific PracticeHeidelbergGermany
- Valdman Institute of PharmacologyPavlov First State Medical UniversitySt. PetersburgRussia
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Characterization of immune cell subtypes in three commonly used mouse strains reveals gender and strain-specific variations. J Transl Med 2019; 99:93-106. [PMID: 30353130 PMCID: PMC6524955 DOI: 10.1038/s41374-018-0137-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of consensus on bone marrow (BM) and splenic immune cell profiles in preclinical mouse strains complicates comparative analysis across different studies. Although studies have documented relative distribution of immune cells from peripheral blood in mice, similar studies for BM and spleen from naïve mice are lacking. In an effort to establish strain- and gender-specific benchmarks for distribution of various immune cell subtypes in these organs, we performed immunophenotypic analysis of BM cells and splenocytes from both genders of three commonly used murine strains (C57BL/6NCr, 129/SvHsd, and BALB/cAnNCr). Total neutrophils and splenic macrophages were significantly higher in C57BL/6NCr, whereas total B cells were lower. Within C57BL/6NCr female mice, BM B cells were elevated with respect to the males whereas splenic mDCs and splenic neutrophils were reduced. Within BALB/cAnNCr male mice, BM CD4+ Tregs were elevated with respect to the other strains. Furthermore, in male BALB/cAnNCr mice, NK cells were elevated with respect to the other strains in both BM and spleen. Splenic CD4+ Tregs and splenic CD8+ T cells were reduced in male BALB/c mice in comparison to female mice. Bone marrow CD4+ T cells and mDCs were significantly increased in 129/SvHsd whereas splenic CD8+ T cells were reduced. In general, males exhibited higher immature myeloid cells, macrophages, and NK cells. To our knowledge, this study provides a first attempt to systematically establish organ-specific benchmarks on immune cells in studies involving these mouse strains.
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