RECORD, a high-throughput, customizable system that unveils behavioral strategies leveraged by rodents during foraging-like decision-making.

Translational studies benefit from experimental designs where laboratory organisms use human-relevant behaviors. One such behavior is decision-making, however studying complex decision-making in rodents is labor-intensive and typically restricted to two levels of cost/reward. We design a fully automated, inexpensive, high-throughput framework to study decision-making across multiple levels of rewards and costs: the REward-COst in Rodent Decision-making (RECORD) system. RECORD integrates three components: 1) 3D-printed arenas, 2) custom electronic hardware, and 3) software. We validated four behavioral protocols without employing any food or water restriction, highlighting the versatility of our system. RECORD data exposes heterogeneity in decision-making both within and across individuals that is quantifiably constrained. Using oxycodone self-administration and alcohol-consumption as test cases, we reveal how analytic approaches that incorporate behavioral heterogeneity are sensitive to detecting perturbations in decision-making. RECORD is a powerful approach to studying decision-making in rodents, with features that facilitate translational studies of decision-making in psychiatric disorders.

Increased renal elimination of endogenous and synthetic pyrimidine nucleosides in concentrative nucleoside transporter 1 deficient mice.

Concentrative nucleoside transporters (CNTs) are active nucleoside influx systems, but their in vivo roles are poorly defined. By generating CNT1 knockout (KO) mice, here we identify a role of CNT1 in the renal reabsorption of nucleosides. Deletion of CNT1 in mice increases the urinary excretion of endogenous pyrimidine nucleosides with compensatory alterations in purine nucleoside metabolism. In addition, CNT1 KO mice exhibits high urinary excretion of the nucleoside analog gemcitabine (dFdC), which results in poor tumor growth control in CNT1 KO mice harboring syngeneic pancreatic tumors. Interestingly, increasing the dFdC dose to attain an area under the concentration-time curve level equivalent to that achieved by wild-type (WT) mice rescues antitumor efficacy. The findings provide new insights into how CNT1 regulates reabsorption of endogenous and synthetic nucleosides in murine kidneys and suggest that the functional status of CNTs may account for the optimal action of pyrimidine nucleoside analog therapeutics in humans.

Ferret models of alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency develop lung and liver disease.

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is the most common genetic cause and risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but the field lacks a large-animal model that allows for longitudinal assessment of pulmonary function. We hypothesized that ferrets would model human AATD-related lung and hepatic disease. AAT-knockout (AAT-KO) and PiZZ (E342K, the most common mutation in humans) ferrets were generated and compared with matched controls using custom-designed flexiVent modules to perform pulmonary function tests, quantitative computed tomography (QCT), bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) proteomics, and alveolar morphometry. Complete loss of AAT (AAT-KO) led to increased pulmonary compliance and expiratory airflow limitation, consistent with obstructive lung disease. QCT and morphometry confirmed emphysema and airspace enlargement, respectively. Pathway analysis of BAL proteomics data revealed inflammatory lung disease and impaired cellular migration. The PiZ mutation resulted in altered AAT protein folding in the liver, hepatic injury, and reduced plasma concentrations of AAT, and PiZZ ferrets developed obstructive lung disease. In summary, AAT-KO and PiZZ ferrets model the progressive obstructive pulmonary disease seen in AAT-deficient patients and may serve as a platform for preclinical testing of therapeutics including gene therapy.

In silico ADME/Pharmacokinetic and Target Prediction Studies of Ethambutol as Drug Molecule.

BACKGROUND: The conventional approach for the development of any pharmaceutically active molecule is a time-consuming and costly process because the synthesis is followed by laboratory tests which are then followed by long clinical trials. Hence, a faster approach is desired. This article discusses Ethambutol, a frontline anti-tubercular drug that has its properties predicted by the SwissADME tool and the results would be compared with the findings published in the literature. OBJECTIVE: The main objective is to study the predicted and experimental ADME properties, compare them and study the predicted targets and understand the use of SwissADME for designing other drug molecules. METHODS: SwissADME, an online tool for ADME prediction, was used along with Swiss Target Prediction to understand the targets of the drug. Further, experimental data was obtained from the available scientific literature. RESULTS: We found certain similarities between the predicted and experimental data. However, there were some variations, depending on the testing conditions. The results are interpreted ahead in the article. CONCLUSION: Ethambutol's predicted ADME properties are discussed and as per findings from results, it can be concluded that other drug molecules can be similarly predicted using these tools. Also, based on predicted data, we can reformulate and prepare some different preparations of the drug.