Jia Lu

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antlj@nus.edu.sg


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    Hydrogen sulfide and its possible roles in myocardial ischemia in experimental rats
    (2007) Zhu, Y.Z.; Zhong, J.W.; Ho, P.; Yoke, Y.L.; Chee, S.T.; Moore, P.K.; Shan, H.H.; Whiteman, M.; Yi, C.Z.; Lu, J.; PHARMACOLOGY
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    Polymeric micelles anchored with TAT for delivery of antibiotics across the blood-brain barrier
    (2008) Liu, L.; Venkatraman, S.S.; Yang, Y.-Y.; Guo, K.; Lu, J.; He, B.; Moochhala, S.; Kan, L.; PHARMACOLOGY; ANATOMY
    Polymeric micelles self-assembled from cholesterol-conjugated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and anchored with transcriptional activator TAT peptide (TAT-PEG-b-Col) were fabricated for delivery of antibiotics across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Ciprofloxacin, which demonstrated a high bactericidal effect, was efficiently loaded into the micelles by a membrane dialysis method. The ciprofloxacin-loaded micelles were characterized via dynamic light scattering and SEM. The micelles were spherical in nature, having an average diameter of smaller than 180 nm. Sustained release of ciprofloxacin was achieved over 6 h in phosphate-buffered saline (pH 7.4) at 37°C. Confocal laser scanning microscopy reveals that the uptake of Fluorescein 5-isothiocyanate (FITC)-loaded TAT-PEG-b-Col micelles by human astrocytes was much higher than that of free FITC. Animal studies proved that these micelles crossed the BBB and entered the brain. The TAT-conjugated micelles may be used to deliver antibiotics across the BBB for treatment of brain infections. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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    Induced NG2 expressing microglia in the facial motor nucleus after facial nerve axotomy
    (2010) Zhu, L.; Lu, J.; Tay, S.S.W.; He, B.P.; Jiang, H.; ANATOMY
    Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (NG2) expressing cells, ubiquitously distributed in the CNS respond to injured or diseased neurons; however, their behaviors toward injured neurons have remained to be fully explored. In the present study, along with astrocytic and microglial responses, NG2 expressing cells reacted swiftly and robustly in the facial motor nucleus (FMN) subjected to axotomy. With time, hypertrophic NG2 expressing cells gradually adhered to and enwrapped the axotomized motoneurons. Tight encapsulations around axotomized motoneurons were eventually formed at 7, 14, and 28 days after axotomy. NG2 positive processes appeared to interpose between synapsin-1 immunoreactive nerve terminals and surfaces of axotomized motoneurons. Double labeling results showed that NG2 expressing cells encapsulating axotomized facial motoneurons were mainly microglia marked by OX42 and lectin; only a few of them were positive to platelet-derived growth factor-α receptor and none of them positive to ED-1. No Rhodamine particle was detected in the FMN ipsilateral to axotomy after venous injection of the particles. The results suggest that activated microglia in lesioned FMN were induced to express NG2 molecules. It is concluded that axotomized FMN showed two types of NG2 expressing cells namely constitutive NG2 cells and induced-NG2 expressing microglia. © 2010 IBRO.
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    Biologically active core/shell nanoparticles self-assembled from cholesterol-terminated PEG-TAT for drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier
    (2008) Liu, L.; Yang, Y.-Y.; Venkatraman, S.S.; Guo, K.; Lu, J.; Ling, E.-A.; Ng, K.C.; Moochhala, S.; Luo, D.; PHARMACOLOGY; ANATOMY
    Biologically active polymer core/shell nanoparticles (i.e. micelles) self-assembled from TAT-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-b-cholesterol (TAT-PEG-b-Chol) were fabricated and used as carrier for targeted blood-brain barrier delivery of antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin as a model antibiotic was efficiently loaded into the nanoparticles by a membrane dialysis method. The actual loading level of ciprofloxacin was dependent on initial loading of ciprofloxacin and fabrication temperature. The blank and ciprofloxacin-loaded nanoparticles were characterized using dynamic light scattering and SEM. The nanoparticles were spherical in nature, having an average size lower than 200 nm. The uptake of nanoparticles with TAT by human brain endothelial cells was greater than that of the nanoparticles without TAT. Most importantly, the nanoparticles with TAT were able to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and located around the cell nucleus of neurons. These nanoparticles may provide a promising carrier to deliver antibiotics across the BBB for the treatment of brain infection. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    Effect of blast exposure on the brain structure and cognition in Macaca fascicularis
    (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., 2012) Lu J.; Ng K.C.; Ling G.; Wu J.; Poon D.J.F.; Kan E.M.; Tan M.H.; Wu Y.J.; Li P.; Moochhala S.; Yap E.; Lee L.K.H.; Teo M.; Yeh I.B.; Sergio D.M.B.; Chua F.; Kumar S.D.; Ling E.-A.; PHARMACOLOGY; ANATOMY; BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
    Blast injury to the brain is one of the major causes of death and can also significantly affect cognition and physical and psychological skills in survivors of blast. The complex mechanisms via which blast injury causes impairment of cognition and other symptoms are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of varying degrees of primary blast overpressure (BOP; 80 and 200 ?Pa) on the pathophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and neurocognitive performance as assessed by the monkey Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (mCANTAB) in non-human primates (NHP). The study aimed to examine the effects of neurobehavioral and histopathological changes in NHP. MRI and histopathology revealed ultrastructural changes in the brain, notably in the Purkinje neurons in the cerebellum and pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus, which were most vulnerable to the blast. The results correlated well with the behavioral changes and changes in motor coordination and working memory of the affected monkeys. In addition, there was white matter damage affecting myelinated axons, astrocytic hypertrophy, and increased aquaporin-4 (AQP-4) expression in astrocytes, suggesting cerebral edema. Increased apoptosis appeared to involve astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in the animals following blast exposure. The small sample size could have contributed to the non-significant outcome in cognitive performance post-blast and limited quantitative analyses. Nevertheless, the study has provided initial descriptive changes for establishing a primary BOP threshold for brain injury to serve as a useful platform for future investigations that aim to estimate brain injury potential and set safe limits of exposure. ? 2012 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
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    Effects of polycaprolactone-based scaffolds on the blood-brain barrier and cerebral inflammation
    (Mary Ann Liebert Inc., 2015) Nga, Vincent Diong Weng; Lim, Jing; Choy, David; Nyein, Mya Aye; Lu, Jia; Chou, Ning; Yeo, Tsengtsai; Teoh, Sweehin; ANATOMY
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    Synergism between hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and nitric oxide (NO) in vasorelaxation induced by stonustoxin (SNTX), a lethal and hypotensive protein factor isolated from stonefish Synanceja horrida venom
    (2007) Liew, H.C.; Khoo, H.E.; Moore, P.K.; Bhatia, M.; Moochhala, S.M.; Lu, J.; PHARMACOLOGY; COMMUNICATIONS AND NEW MEDIA; BIOCHEMISTRY
    Stonustoxin (SNTX) is a 148 kDa, dimeric, hypotensive and lethal protein factor isolated from the venom of the stonefish Synanceja horrida. SNTX (10-320 ng/ml) progressively causes relaxation of endothelium-intact, phenylephrine (PE)-precontracted rat thoracic aortic rings. The SNTX-induced vasorelaxation was inhibited by l-NG-nitro arginine methyl ester (l-NAME), suggesting that nitric oxide (NO) contributes to the SNTX-induced response. Interestingly, d, l-proparglyglycine (PAG) and β-cyano-l-alanine (BCA), irreversible and competitive inhibitors of cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) respectively, also inhibited SNTX-induced vasorelaxation, indicating that H2S may also play a part in the effect of SNTX. The combined use of l-NAME with PAG or BCA showed that H2S and NO act synergistically in effecting SNTX-induced vasorelaxation. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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    Genotypic anomaly in ebola virus strains circulating in magazine wharf Area, Freetown, Sierra Leone, 2015
    (2015) Smits, S.L; Pas, S.D; Reusken, C.B; Haagmans, B.L; Pertile, P; Cancedda, C; Dierberg, K; Wurie, I; Kamara, A; Kargbo, D; Caddy, S.L; Arias, A; Thorne, L; Lu, J; Jah, U; Goodfellow, I; Koopmans, M.P; ANATOMY
    The Magazine Wharf area, Freetown, Sierra Leone was a focus of ongoing Ebola virus transmission from late June 2015. Viral genomes linked to this area contain a series of 13 T to C substitutions in a 150 base pair intergenic region downstream of viral protein 40 open reading frame, similar to the Ebolavirus/H.sapienswt/ SLE/2014/Makona-J0169 strain (J0169) detected in the same town in November 2014. This suggests that recently circulating viruses from Freetown descend from a J0169-like virus. @ 2015, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). All rights reserved.