The Way It Goes

What I should be doing:

1. You suspect that angiotensin II acts in the brain to increase renal nerve activity, and that in heart failure the angiotensin II receptor has increased expression leading to increased sympathetic activity. What experiments could you perform to test this hypothesis using laboratory rats (propose at least 3 experiments)? Briefly describe the experimental strategy and include what control groups you would use. What results would you expect if your hypothesis is correct?

2. Describe the “biosensor” created by Peti-Peterdi et al. (J Clin Invest 112:76-82, 2003). What experiments did they perform to validate the effectiveness of the biosensor? What model did they propose for release of PGE2 from macula densa cells in response to reduced luminal salt content, and what data supported this model? Devise a hypothetical biosensor of your own and describe hypothetical experiments to validate its effectiveness.

3. You just moved into a new area and notice your neighbor’s daughter has detectible expiratory wheezing. You guess that the child must be experiencing some type of an allergic reaction. After all, like you, they live in an older rented apartment close to campus that has not been well maintained; there is a faint, yet detectible tobacco odor and visible dust (dust mites and pet dander present). You rightfully guess the child has chronic, stable asthma. Describe the pathology of the child’s condition including associated mechanisms involved in inflammation of the airway wall, leukocyte accumulation, elaboration of inflammatory mediators and other products. Limit to 1 page. 

What I just did instead:

(Link you should *DEFINITELY* click.)