A silent pandemic, chronic, non-healing wounds are a major cause of morbidity, with treatment and management representing significant health burdens. The opportunistic pathogens Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are the most common species isolated from chronic wounds. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a biocompatible and, inexpensive to fabricate polymer, can undergo various modifications. The ability of the produced polymers to attract S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, either from the planktonic state, or while sessile in biofilms on ex vivo skin, was investigated using flat (FL) or patterned (PT) PDMS with or without 1% or 10% triclosan Patterned PDMS + 10% triclosan (PT 10%) attracted significantly more live S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, as determined using Colony Forming Unit (CFU) analysis (*p<0.01), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) (*p<0.01) and Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy (CSLM) (*p<0.01). The released triclosan was not cytotoxic against either bacteria or primary cultures of human dermal fibroblasts using Water Soluble Tetrazolium Salts (WST-1) assay. High performance liquid chromatography analysis highlights low level of triclosan release from the PDMS. Bacterial infection in co-culture using the Boyden chamber assay increased fibroblast viability in the presence of PDMS (*p<0.05). PT 10% demonstrated superior biofilm transfer from epidermis (*p<0.05), in comparison to all other analysed polymers. In summary, the unique topography of PDMS combined with triclosan attracted bacteria most efficiently. This promising data suggests potential for engineering a patterned polymer to physically transfer biofilms from wounds, and importantly lacks bactericidal properties which is vital in the quest to combat antimicrobial resistance.

Thesis (M.Sc.), Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1998. / Restricted until June 1999. Bibliography: leaves 85-97.

No description available.

Distraction Osteogenesis (DO) is a technique for bone lengthening and filling of bone defects following trauma, infection or resection of tumors. DO consists of an osteotomy of the bone to be lengthened, followed by controlled distraction of the bone segments with an external fixator until the desired lengthening is obtained (distraction phase). This is followed by the consolidation phase, during which the external fixator is kept in place until the newly formed bone in the distracted zone consolidates. This phase is long and may cause numerous problems. Ongoing research aims at finding a method to accelerate the consolidation of the newly formed bone. / Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGF) play a significant role in bone development and repair. FGF 18 has been shown to be the only FGF member to be expressed throughout both the distraction and the consolidation phases of DO. It was also reported that FGF18 is the physiological ligand of FGFR3. Therefore, we hypothesized that FGF18 and FGFR3 may have an important role in DO. / To test this hypothesis, we investigated DO in FGFR3 deficient mice (FGFR3-/-). (FGF18 deficient mice are not viable). A miniaturized DO apparatus was applied to the tibia followed by an osteotomy. Distraction began after a 5-day latency period at a rate of 0.2 mm/12 hours for 12 days. / Samples were collected at 3 time points comparing the mutants (FGFR3-/-) to their wild type litter' sates: end of distraction (17 days post-surgery), mid-consolidation (34 days post-surgery), and end of consolidation (51 days post surgery). The samples were analyzed using X-ray, DEXA, microCT, histology, biomechanical testing and Real-Time PCR. / Our results revealed that FGFR3 deficient mice showed accelerated bone formation compared to the W.T. littermates at mid-consolidation where the parameters measured revealed increased bone mineral density, bone mineral content and trabecular number in the mutant tibial samples. The newly regenerated bone consolidated faster in the FGFR3 knock-out mice and the bone was of better quality as revealed by biomechanical tests in which more force was needed to break the mutant bone because it exhibited higher resistance than the age matched wild-type sample. The marker gene expression patterns revealed an up-regulation of chondrogenic markers that suggest that the knock-out mice follow the endochondral ossification pathway during DO. All results were statistically significant. / These results show that signaling through FGFR3 acts to decrease bone formation during DO. Consequently, blocking FGFR3 may lead to accelerated bone formation in DO. This may have important clinical implications in attempts to improve the functional outcome of DO by decreasing the long duration that the external fixator has to be kept on.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 86 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-117).

No description available.

The progressively increasing prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) has emerged as a major global health concern since the MetS is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Central obesity represents a key feature of the MetS and is strongly related to all MetS comorbidities. Dysregulation of adipose tissue-derived proteins, so called adipokines, has been implied to partially contribute to these effects. Recently, fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) has been introduced as a novel insulin sensitizing and weight reducing adipokine with potential therapeutic properties. However, data on FGF-21 elimination are rather limited. Therefore, FGF-21 regulation in relation to renal function has been investigated in a patient population with chronic kidney disease (CKD, study population 1), as well as one with acute kidney impairment (study population 2). In study population 1 (n = 499), patients were distributed into five CKD subgroups according to estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Median FGF-21 serum concentrations progressively increased from CKD stage 1 to stage 5 and highest values of FGF-21 were detected in stage 5 (1: 86.4 ng/l; 2: 206.4 ng/l; 3: 289.8 ng/l; 4: 591.3 ng/l; 5: 1918.1 ng/l). Furthermore, eGFR remained the strongest predictor for FGF-21 levels in multivariate analysis. For study population 2 (n = 32), blood samples were obtained before elective unilateral partial or total nephrectomy, as well as within 30 hours after surgery. In this population FGF-21 levels significantly increased after surgery (325.0 ng/l) as compared to before surgery (255.5 ng/l). Furthermore, relative changes of FGF-21 were independently and positively predicted by relative changes of creatinine in this cohort. These results are in accordance with the hypothesis that FGF-21 is eliminated by the kidneys and that the extent of kidney dysfunction substantially contributes to serum FGF-21 levels. However, additional animal experiments and prospective clinical studies are needed to further elucidate the role of the kidneys in FGF-21 physiology.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2004. / Bibliography: leaves 130-141.

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde der Einfluss des Fibroblast Growth Factor 9 (FGF-9) auf die Remyelinisierung in einem Modell der Multiplen Sklerose untersucht. Dafür wurde ein Mausmodell benutzt, bei dem es durch Fütterung von Cuprizon zu Oligodendrozytentod und Demyelinisierung kommt sowie nach Absetzen des Kupferchelators zu Remyelinisierung. FGF-9 wurde zum Zeitpunkt des Absetzens des toxischen Futters stereotaktisch in den Balken der Tiere injiziert. Der Fortschritt der Remyelinisierung wurde an zwei Zeitpunkten analysiert, weshalb eine Hälfte der Tiere nach 3 Tagen und die andere Hälfte nach 6 Tagen perfundiert und histologisch untersucht wurde. Die Beeinflussung von Remyelinisierung durch FGF-9 wurde auf 3 Ebenen beurteilt. (1) Die lichtmikroskopische Analyse der Remyelinisierung zeigte keinen Einfluss einer Behandlung mit FGF-9. (2) Auch in der elektronenmikroskopischen Untersuchung zeigte sich keine Beeinflussung der Anzahl remyelinisierter Fasern durch eine FGF-9- Behandlung. (3) Durch die Antikörper-vermittelte Anfärbung und Quantifizierung verschiedener Oligodendroglia-Populationen konnten folgende Beobachtungen gemacht werden: Während fortlaufender Remyelinisierung kam es zu einer Vermehrung von Oligodendrozyten-Vorläuferzellen. Dies zeigte sich an einer signifikant höheren Zahl von NG-2-markierten Zellen in Tieren, die 6 Tage nach Absetzen von Cuprizon untersucht wurden. Außerdem konnte ein Einfluss von FGF-9 auf die Population myelinbildender Zellen nachgewiesen werden. Die Dichte von Zellen, die das Myelinprotein PLP exprimierten, war bei FGF-9-behandelten Präparaten signifikant niedriger. Die Dichte reifer, Nogo-A-exprimierender Zellen war in der FGF-9- behandelten Versuchsgruppe an Tag 6, jedoch nicht an Tag 3 erniedrigt. Dass FGF-9 einen Einfluss auf Oligodendroglia in vitro hat, ist vorbeschrieben. Dabei gibt es jedoch keine übereinstimmende Aussage, ob der Wachstumsfakor proliferationshemmend oder -fördernd auf die Oligodendrogliagenese wirkt. Zudem fehlt der Nachweis, ob dies auch die Remyelinisierung beeinflusst. In dem hier durchgeführten in-vivo-Experiment konnte dieser Schritt ebenfalls nicht nachgewiesen werden. Die Zellzählungen lassen jedoch vermuten, dass FGF-9 einen hemmenden Einfluss auf die Entwicklung von Oligodendrozyten zu myelinbildenen Oligodendrozyten hat. Somit ist FGF-9 ein möglicher Induktor eines Differenzierungsblockes. In der Literatur wird eine solche Hemmung der Ausreifung von Oligodendrozyten als Ursache für die bei MS-Patienten unvollständig ablaufende Remyelinisierung postuliert. Unzureichende Remyelinisierung gilt als Korrelat der nicht vollständigen Kompensation von Behinderungen, die im Verlauf der autoimmunen Entzündungsschübe bei Multipler Sklerose entstehen.