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The Aspergillus fumigatus mouse model of asthma mimics the characteristics of human fungal asthma, including local and systemic inflammation. Monocyte/macrophage lineage cells direct innate immune responses and guide adaptive responses. To identify gene expression changes in peripheral blood monocytes in the context of fungal allergy, mice were exposed to systemic and intranasal inoculations of fungal antigen (sensitized), and naive and sensitized animals were challenged intratracheally with live A. fumigatus conidia. Microarray analysis of blood monocytes from allergic versus non-allergic mice showed ≥ twofold modulation of 45 genes. Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed a network of these genes involved in antigen presentation, inflammation, and immune cell trafficking. These data show that allergen sensitization and challenge affects gene expression in peripheral monocytes.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is a potent chemoattractant for immune cells that is delivered by the peripheral nervous system to immune organs. However, the molecular mechanism regulating VIP’s chemoattractant properties is not known. Previously, our group published the VIP transcriptome in resting CD4 T cells, which identified a chemoattractant gene set (e.g. EGFR, Snail and syt XIII) that was coordinately upregulated. We hypothesize that these gene products control the chemoattractant activity of VIP in immune cells. Moreover, we propose that this chemoattractant gene set is transcriptionally upregulated by the transactivation of EGFR by VIP as is observed in non-immune cells, including breast and colon cancer cells. This research will utilize primary mouse splenocytes treated +/- VIP over various time intervals in an attempt to identify which FACS-sorted splenocyte subpopulations are sensitive to VIP and the extent to which the chemoattractant gene set is upregulated. Optimal conditions will be r...

Agricultural workers and farming communities are repeatedly exposed to grain dust during harvest, transport, and storage. The recognition that this complex mixture of particulates can trigger acute...

Organic matter in sediment is derived from many sources, including dead plants and animals, fecal matter, and flocculated colloidal organic matter. Chemical partitioning and toxicity of nonpolar organic contaminants is strongly affected by the quantity of sediment organic matter. The purpose of the study was to determine whether the quality of sediment organic matter affects partitioning and bioavailability of such contaminants. A base substrate, amended to a consistent organic carbon level (nominally 0.4%, measured 0.35% + or - 0.11 sd POC (particulate organic carbon)) with five types of organic matter (a macrophyte, fecal matter of two invertebrate species, suspended particulate organic matter, and an organic-rich mud), was spiked with serial concentrations of the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon, fluoranthene. After a five-week equilibration period, the toxicity of the spiked substrates to an infaunal amphipod, Rhepoxynius abronius, was measured, and the distribution of fluoranthene between particulate and interstitial water phases (including total and freely dissolved interstitial water phases) was determined.