Animal and Pathology Core

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Animal and Pathology Core: Summary/Abstract The Animal and Pathology Core is comprised of 2 sub-Cores. The Animal sub-Core will generate two severe experimental pancreatitis models: i) induced by choline deficient, ethionine-supplemented diet (CDE), and ii) bile-acid (taurolithocholate) pancreatic duct infusion on both wild type and Project-relevant genetically modified mice. Another critical task of this sub-Core is to generate and maintain colonies of knockout and transgenic mice used to address the shared studies as well as topics specific to individual Projects. The Pathology sub-Core will provide each Project with human tissue specimens to validate the relevance of the results obtained in animal and cell models of pancreatitis. The Pathology sub-Core will be also responsible for evaluation of all human tissue histologic sections. Due to potential variability in the quality of human tissues caused by necrosis and fibrosis, a standardized system of human tissue evaluation and quality control will be central to the Program's success. The Pathology sub-Core will also oversee the review and scoring of histopathological changes in experimental mouse models of pancreatitis as well as genetic models. The goals of the Core will be achieved by carrying out the following Specific Aims: Aim 1: To provide standardized animal models of pancreatitis, to maintain and generate colonies of genetically modified mice. 1a. Animal models of pancreatitis 1b. Maintenance of genetically modified mouse colonies 1c. Generation of new genetically modified mouse strains Aim 2: To provide human pancreatic tissues and pathohistologic evaluation of human and mouse pancreas tissues. The cost-reduction will be achieved by sharing among the Projects tissue samples from wild-type and genetically modified mice (both with and without pancreatitis) as well as human tissue specimens.