Question

the following two questions are related to these two articles:

1) Pseuderanthemum palatiferum leaf extract inhibits the proinflammatory cytokines, TNF-a and IL-6 expression in LPS-activated macrophages.

Sittisart P, Chitsomboon B, Kaminski NE

2)Early Weaning Stress in Pigs Impairs Innate Mucosal Immune Responses to Enterotoxigenic E. coli Challenge and Exacerbates Intestinal Injury and Clinical Disease  

            McLamb B, Gibson A,Overman E, Stahl C and Moeser A

Question 1: Summarize research studies using simple equations and graphs to represent experimental design and results

• Read the abstracts and the introduction section (especially the last paragraph) of the research articles indicated above
• 1) Identify the type of samples that were analyzed in the research (for example..did they take biopsies of specific organs/tissue?)
• 2) Determine whether the research involved in vitro and/or in vivo experiments
• 3) Propose a control group and an experimental group (or groups) based on the information provided
• 4) Identify the method used for analyzing samples (or propose a reasonable method based on information provided in the abstract and your own knowledge)
• 5) Propose measurements (y-axis labels) for the data based on information provided
• 6) Summarize the main question being addressed by the research (For example: What effect does ____________have on ____________?   
  • 2. Question 2: Use bar graphs as an alternative representation of various types of data
• Identify the components of samples represented in Figure 3a of the article by Sittisart et al. by filling in the following sentences. More than one word may be needed to fill in certain blanks.
• 1) The negative control group contains _______________(cells) that were treated with ______________
• 2) The positive control group contains ________________(cells) that were treated with ______________.
• 3) One of the experimental groups contains _______________(cells) that were treated with _________________.(remember…a negative control is a group that is expected to provide a low measurement and a positive control is a group that is expected to provide a higher measurement. These insure that the methods used are working properly)
• 4) Convert the data in Figure 6b of the article by Sittisart et al. into a bar graph, similar to the bar graph in Figure 3a. Propose a yaxis label that indicates what is being assessed in the experiment.

Answer 1

1.

1. The study utilized mouse peritoneal macrophages and mouse-derived myeloid cell line.

2.The research involved both in vivo and in vitro studies.

3.Control group include the macrophage cell lines without the addition of EEP extracts and the experimental group includes LPS-activated macrophages treated with EEP.

4. The activation of transcription factors NF-kB, C/EBP and AP-1 was monitored using electrophoretic mobility shift assays. DNA binding activity of transcription factors are studied. DNA footprintinting can be used to study the same.

Ethanol extract of Pseuderanthemum palatiferum(EEP) was analyzed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry(GC-MS) to reveal the presence of b-sitosterol and by HPLC(High Pressure Liquid Chromatography)-DAD(Diode Array Detector)-MSD(Mass Spectrometry Detection) to reveal the presence of polyphenols.

5.Y-axis labels include the concentration of IL-6 and TNF-a in response to EEP extracts.

6. What effect does have Pseuderanthemum palatiferum leaf extract have on proinflammatory cytokines TNF-a and IL-6 expression in LPS activated macrophages?