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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Cardiovascular And Hematopoietic Responses To Volatile Benzene Exposure., Wesley Tyler Abplanalp Aug 2016

Cardiovascular And Hematopoietic Responses To Volatile Benzene Exposure., Wesley Tyler Abplanalp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid and recent increase in the global epidemic of diabetes and cardiovascular disease suggests a strong component of the environment is contributing. Benzene is a ubiquitous volatile pollutant generated by cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust, wildfires and industrial activities. Consequently, it is found in almost all urban and rural air samples. Benzene is known to cause hematotoxicity and its metabolism generates oxidative stress. Although, benzene has been studied for many years, few investigations have probed what influence benzene exposure may have on other physiological processes. Here we hypothesize that benzene metabolism by hepatic-CYP450 2E1 generates oxidative stress and inflammation, which …


Role Of Microrna-21 In Atherogenesis., Rihab Hamed-Berair May 2016

Role Of Microrna-21 In Atherogenesis., Rihab Hamed-Berair

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) is an evolutionarily conserved microRNA, abundant in most cardiovascular tissues. It has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular diseases including restenosis, myocardial infarction, and heart failure. However, little is known about the contribution of miR-21 in atherosclerosis. My data show that expression of miR-21 is increased by >1.5-fold in murine atherosclerotic lesions and by 1.5-2.0-fold in the macrophages of Western diet (WD)-fed LDLR-KO mice (for 12-20 weeks). In vitro, LDL, oxidized LDL, acetylated LDL and LPS induced miR-21 by 2-4-fold and down-regulated its target protein, PDCD4, in bone marrow-derived macrophages. Basally, macrophages isolated from miR-21-KO …