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Assessment Of Presumed Sterility Of The Human Placenta And Maternal Bladder, Ali Alhousseini

Wayne State University Dissertations

Introduction

Preterm birth is the number one cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. A causal link has been established between infection and preterm birth. Urinary tract infection is the number one infection in pregnancy. Evaluating the existence of a placental and maternal bladder microbiome is a major scientific and clinical milestone in perinatal medicine.

Methodology and Results

Chapter 2: This is a prospective case control study. 69 placentas were collected in a sterile fashion from six groups of women without infection: Term cesarean not in labor (n=18), term cesarean in labor (n=9), term vaginal (n=21), preterm cesarean not in labor …

Stress-Dependent Regulation Of A Major Node Of The Insulin-Like Peptide Network That Modulates Survival, Rashmi Chandra

Wayne State University Dissertations

Chronic stress disrupts insulin signaling, predisposing human populations to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, and other metabolic and neurological disorders, including post-traumatic disorders (PTSD). Thus, efficient recovery from stress optimizes survival. However, stress recovery in humans is difficult to study, but is much easier to dissect in model organisms. The worm genetic model Caenorhabditis elegans can switch between stressed and non-stressed states, and this switch is largely regulated by insulin signaling. Previously, the Alcedo lab proposed that insulin-like peptides (ILPs), which exist as multiple members of a protein family in both C. elegans and humans, implements a combinatorial coding strategy …

Molecular Mechanisms In Cftr-F508del Degradation And The Functional Defect Of Cftr Absence In Rabbits, Carthic Rajagopalan

Wayne State University Dissertations

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common, lethal autosomal recessive disorder, and is caused by mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR), an anion channel that is found in most epithelial cells lining the airway and gut. The most common mutation of CFTR is deletion of phenylalanine at position 508 (CFTR-F508del), which produces a misfolded protein. Through the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), this misfolded protein is ubiquitinated and signaled for degradation via the cytosolic proteasome. Previous studies demonstrating experimental restoration of F508DEL-CFTR trafficking to the plasma membrane showed partial function of the chloride channel, raising therapeutic speculations. …

Molecular Machinery For The ‘Kiss And Run’ Mechanism Of Insulin Secretion, Akshata Ramesh Naik

Wayne State University Dissertations

The insulin secreting porosome is a supramolecular lipo-protein complex that

measures roughly 100 – 120 nm in diameter. Porosomes allow transient fusion of insulin

secretory granules to the cell plasma membrane and mediates partial release of secretory

contents. Post secretion, the secretory granule reseals and re-enters to the cell interior.

This is in contrast to the ‘total fusion’ phenomenon, where secretory vesicles completely

fuse at the cell plasma membrane and release all of the contents to the cell exterior. This

study involved a deeper understanding of the transient or ‘kiss-and-run’ mechanism of

cell secretion that involves the insulin secreting porosome …

The Balance Between Prostaglandin E2 Ep3 And Ep4 Receptors Determines Severity Of Cardiac Damage In Myocardial Infarction And An Angiotensin Ii-Induced Model Of Hypertension, Timothy Dean Bryson

Wayne State University Dissertations

According to the center for disease control about 610,000 people die every year in the United States from heart disease, of which, coronary heart disease is the most common form. One major risk factor for heart attack is hypertension, which affects nearly half of all Americans [472, 473]. PGE2 plays an important role in regulating cardiovascular function and mediating inflammation, both of which contribute to the development of hypertension and/or heart disease. Prostaglandin E2 can act as a vasodilator or vasoconstrictor depending on which of its receptor subtypes are activated.

In general, activation of the EP1 and EP3 receptors is …