Life Sciences Commons^™

The Efficacy Of Tgfβ Inhibition Via Sgi-1252 In The Prevention And Reversal Of Diet-Induced Obesity And Diabetes, Blake Dallon, Benjamin Bikman

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The growing worldwide incidence of obesity and its associated pathologies, like type 2 diabetes, has received much deserved attention. However, despite this attention and substantial research efforts, little meaningful progress has been made in slowing or reversing the growing cost and trends of obesity worldwide.

As of 2008, almost 10% of medical costs in the United States were incurred due to obesity or other obesity-related diseases¹, with a substantial amount of this cost stemming from the dramatically increased risk of diabetes with excess fat mass². According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more …

The Role Of Receptors For Advanced Glycation End-Products (Rage) And Ceramide In Cardiovascular Disease, Michael Bruce Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes and cigarette smoke exposure are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular complications. The role of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) is already well-established in numerous comorbidities including cardiomyopathy. Given the role of AGEs and their receptor, RAGE, in activating inflammatory pathways, we sought to determine whether ceramides could be a mediator of RAGE-induced altered heart mitochondrial function. Using an in vitro model, we treated H9C2 cardiomyocytes with carboxy-methyl lysine-BSA, followed by mitochondrial respiration assessment. We found that mitochondrial respiration was significantly impaired in AGE-treated cells, but not when co-treated with myriocin, an inhibitor of de novo …