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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Decreased Activity Of Phosphofructokinase-1 In Flight Muscle Cells Of Hawk Moth Manduca Sexta With Age, Owen G. Alvine May 2021

Decreased Activity Of Phosphofructokinase-1 In Flight Muscle Cells Of Hawk Moth Manduca Sexta With Age, Owen G. Alvine

Honors Thesis

The phosphofructokinase-1 (PFK-1) enzyme is important for the catalyzation and regulation of glycolysis, especially in muscle. Investigating age-related changes in PFK-1 activity will provide insights into the metabolism shifts in muscle cells of our muscle aging model. The hawk moth, Manduca sexta, was chosen as the model organism because of its unique endothermic, synchronous flight muscles that are more analogous to vertebrates than invertebrate species. We hypothesized that PFK-1 activity will increase in muscle cells of aged moths due to dysregulation of the mitochondria. This was predicted to change the method of energy production, by hindering oxidative phosphorylation, making glycolysis …


Divergence In Neuronal Calcium Dysregulation In Brain Aging And Animal Models Of Ad, Adam Ghoweri Jan 2020

Divergence In Neuronal Calcium Dysregulation In Brain Aging And Animal Models Of Ad, Adam Ghoweri

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Neuronal calcium dysregulation first garnered attention during the mid-1980’s as a key factor in brain aging, which led to the formulation of the Ca2+ hypothesis of brain aging and dementia. Indeed, many Ca2+-dependent cellular processes that change with age, including an increase in the afterhyperpolarization, a decrease in long-term potentiation, an increased susceptibility to long-term depression, and a reduction in short-term synaptic plasticity, have been identified. It was later determined that increased intracellular Ca2+ with age was due to increased Ca2+ channel density, elevated release from intracellular Ca2+ stores, and decreased Ca2+ buffering …


Investigating The Role Of Pannexin 3 In Intervertebral Disc Health And Disease, Meaghan E. Serjeant Jul 2018

Investigating The Role Of Pannexin 3 In Intervertebral Disc Health And Disease, Meaghan E. Serjeant

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pannexin 3 (Panx3) is a mechanosensitive, channel-forming glycoprotein implicated in the progression of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Despite evidence for Panx3 expression in intervertebral discs (IVDs), its function here remained unknown. Using Panx3-/- mice, this study investigated the role of Panx3 in age-associated and injury-induced models of IVD degeneration. While loss of Panx3 did not significantly impact the progression of age-associated IVD degeneration, it was associated with a protective phenotype in an injury model of IVD degeneration, specifically in the annulus fibrosus (AF). Following IVD injury, WT mice showed an accumulation of enlarged cells that appeared to contribute to disrupted AF …


Extracellular Matrix Remodeling And The Inflammatory Response During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration In Sarcopenic Obese Mice, Lemuel Arthur Brown Dec 2016

Extracellular Matrix Remodeling And The Inflammatory Response During Skeletal Muscle Regeneration In Sarcopenic Obese Mice, Lemuel Arthur Brown

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

AIM: Sarocpenic obesity is a national concern within the United States because this metabolic syndrome is tied with reduced mobility and quality of life. Both obesity and aging are associated with insulin-resistance, chronic low-grade inflammation and muscle weakness. Skeletal muscle regeneration is a process that involves the coordinated effort of myogenic regulatory factors (MRFs), inflammatory signaling, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling for optimal regeneration. It has been demonstrated that obesity and aging have a reduction in muscle regeneration. It has not been examined if sarcopenic obesity will further reduce muscle mass and the regenerative process. The purpose of this study …


Cardioprotective Role Of The Cholinergic System, Mouhamed Dakroub Dec 2015

Cardioprotective Role Of The Cholinergic System, Mouhamed Dakroub

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The process of aging is an irreversible continuum experienced by all individuals. A large number of physiological transformations occur to the cardiovascular system as one ages. These changes result in increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, many of which are frequently seen in geriatric populations. While the exact mechanisms of age-related cardiac dysfunction have not been established, abnormal cholinergic dysfunction has been implicated in the pathology of other age related diseases; therefore, we have hypothesized that age induced cholinergic dysfunction is detrimental to cardiac function and health. This study seeks to identify whether increased cholinergic signaling, either by transgenic overexpression …


Alterations In The Cellular Composition Of The Mouse Bladder Following Ovariectomy, Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction, And Aging, Diane Holly Smith May 2010

Alterations In The Cellular Composition Of The Mouse Bladder Following Ovariectomy, Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction, And Aging, Diane Holly Smith

Honors Scholar Theses

Detrusor underactivity (DU) increases susceptibility to urinary retention and accordingly further complicates the management of urinary incontinence. Bladder muscle stretch, a lack of estrogen, and aging are 3 notable DU risk factors. The aim of this research is to better characterize the changes in cellular composition of the bladder that result from these 3 risk factors to gain a better understanding of DU pathogenesis and pathobiology. This research focuses on the effects of a lack of estrogen while also providing an outline for determining the effects of bladder muscle stretch and aging on the cellular composition of the bladder.