Life Sciences Commons^™

Characterization Of Alcohol-Mediated Promotion Of Breast Cancer Stem Cells, Mckenna Below

Master's Theses

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in women globally, and one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in her life. Alcohol consumption has been linked to increase breast cancer risk and increased risk of tumor recurrence. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of modifiable lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption will help to lower these risks and design more effective therapeutic approaches. Estrogen Receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer comprises approximately 70% of all breast cancers, and these tumors are effectively targeted by endocrine therapy in the form of estrogen deprivation with aromatase inhibitors, …

The Role Of Alveolar Macrophages In Pulmonary Inflammation After Intoxication And Burn Injury, Jill Ann Shults

Dissertations

A positive blood alcohol concentration is detected in nearly half of burn patients admitted to the emergency room. The combined insult of being intoxicated at the time of burn injury results in more clinical complications, in comparison to non-intoxicated burn patients. Severe burn, with or without inhalation injury, is a common predisposing factor for the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Exacerbated pulmonary inflammation and a net result of insufficient gas exchange underlie the large percentage of burn fatalities due to pulmonary complications. Previous studies in our laboratory indicate a drastic elevation in pulmonary inflammation in a mouse model …

The Gut-Liver Axis Regulates Pulmonary Inflammation After Intoxication And Burn Injury, Michael M. Chen

Dissertations

The increasing prevalence of binge drinking and its high association with traumatic injury warrant further investigation into the mechanisms underlying the worsened clinical outcomes associated with this combined injury. Existing literature suggests the liver is at the center of the postburn systemic response with crosstalk between the intestinal microbiome and the liver playing an important role after injury. There is a paucity in the literature, however, regarding the role of the gut-liver axis in the common clinical scenario of burns preceded by alcohol intoxication. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated intoxication potentiates postburn hepatic damage and IL-6 production in a …

Effects Of Binge Alcohol Exposure On Canonical Wnt Signaling During Fracture Repair, Kristen Leigh Lauing

Dissertations

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with increased fracture risk, delayed bone healing and fracture non-union. Binge alcohol consumption has occurred in 25-40% of all orthopaedic trauma cases. The canonical Wnt pathway, through tight regulation of stabilized beta-catenin, plays an essential and pivotal role in the formation of new bone and cartilage to initiate bone repair. We sought to determine the molecular mechanisms behind alcohol-related fracture complications by testing the hypothesis that binge alcohol exposure deregulates canonical Wnt signaling in the fracture callus, leading to impaired healing.

To test this, C57BL/6 or beta-catenin/TCF-reporter male mice were exposed to intraperitoneal alcohol or …