rat

Bisphenol A Exposure in Early Age May Damage Enamel

by

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical compound that is used to make up resins and plastics. For example, bisphenol A is used in bottles, inside drink cans, and inside food tins. Research has shown that bisphenol A has been found in human blood and urine hence indicting that it has been ingested. Other research has shown that bisphenol A has adverse effects on the development and reproduction of lab animals. Bisphenol A has already been banned from being used in the manufacturing process of baby bottles in Europe. A recent study set out to determine if teeth of rats when treated with low daily doses of bisphenol A are damaged. The researchers showed that the teeth of rats treated with low daily doses of bisphenol A are in fact damaged and that the characteristics present are similar to what has … Read more

Long Term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

by

An interesting article appears in the journal PLOS ONE looking at the consequences of traumatic brain injury (TBI) using rate models. The researchers used rat models and found that overtime TBI results in progressive brain deterioration characterized by elevated inflammation and suppressed cell regeneration. Long-term neurological deficits from TBI related to inflammation may cause more severe secondary injuries and even predispose people to neurodegenerative diseases later in life. Traumatic brain injuries are important to study since troops in the U.S. military have increasingly suffered TBI from improvised explosive devices. One of the coauthors from the journal article (Dr. Paul R. Sanberg) says “Progressive injury to hippocampal, cortical and thalamic regions contributes to long-term cognitive damage post-TBI. Both military and civilian patients have shown functional and cognitive deficits resulting from TBI.” In the study researchers looked at different parts of the … Read more