Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Genetics
Session: 3
Room: Exhibit Hall
Aliyah Mansion - Dillard University
Co-Author(s): Emmanuel Tadjuidje, Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, USA
Hypothesis: This project aims to observe the effects of Aripiprazole and Pravastatin on embryonic development using Xenopus laevis as a vertebrate organism. Introduction and Background: Cholesterol helps regulate multiple cellular processes that are important for overall development. Statins like Pravastatin are used to lower unhealthy cholesterol and raise good cholesterol in the blood. Statins inhibit the enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR), which is the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of cholesterol. Aripiprazole is an anti-psychotropic drug used to treat mental and mood disorders like anxiety. In the cholesterol synthesis pathway, psychotropic drugs have been shown to inhibit the enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (7-DHCR), resulting in cholesterol not being synthesized and a buildup of precursors.Methods and Materials: In the present study, the effects of Aripriprozol and Pravastatin were tested on developing Xenopus laevis embryos from the blastula stage to the swimming tadpole stage. Each experimental trial started with thirty embryos with various drug concentrations in each drug. Thirty embryos are placed in the culture medium containing 0.1% DMSO as a control.Results and Conclusions: The tadpoles in Aripriprazole and Pravastatin showed increased pigment variation, either losing pigmentation or gaining pigmentation. On the other hand, the tadpoles in the treated embryos showed increased potential to develop edemas. Future Directions: In future research, the conclusions drawn from experiments such as these can be used to help determine the effects different concentrations of statins and antipsychotics have on pregnant women and the effect on the baby.Key References:Haas, D., & Muenke, M. (2010). Abnormal sterol metabolism in holoprosencephaly. AmericanJournal of Medical Genetics Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics, 154C(1), 102–108. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30243 Ishibashi, S., Saldanha, F. Y. L., & Amaya, E. (2017). Xenopus as a model organism for biomedical research. Basic Science Methods for Clinical Researchers, 263–290. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-803077-6.00022-9 Korade, Ž., Liu, W., Warren, E. B., Armstrong, K., Porter, N. A., & Konradi, C. (2017). Effect of psychotropic drug treatment on Sterol Metabolism. Schizophrenia Research, 187, 74–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.schres.2017.02.001 Tadjuidje, E., & Hollemann, T. (2006). Cholesterol homeostasis in development: The role Ofxenopus 7-Dehydrocholesterol reductase (XDHCR7) in neural development. Developmental Dynamics, 235(8), 2095–2110. https://doi.org/10.1002/dvdy.20860
Funder Acknowledgement(s): Acknowledgments:•This work was supported by an NSF-REU grant (DBI-2050038) to Dr. Komal Vig (PI).•Special thanks to Taryn Hartley, Emily Howe, The Center for Nano biotechnology Research, and the Department of Biological Sciences at Alabama State University
Faculty Advisor: Emmanuel Tadjuidje (summer mentor) Biological Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, and Ruby Broadway, Principal Investigator U-RISE and advisor, rbroadway@dillard.edu
Role: She injected frogs with the hormone, preparing the eggs for the drug treatments, and observing the embryos as they developed into tadpoles.