Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
The Mechanical Properties Of Non-Failing And Failing Human Myocardium, Cheavar A. Blair
The Mechanical Properties Of Non-Failing And Failing Human Myocardium, Cheavar A. Blair
Theses and Dissertations--Physiology
Heart failure is a clinical syndrome that manifests when there are structural and functional impairments to the heart that reduces the ability of the ventricles to fill or eject blood. The syndrome affects ~6 million Americans and is responsible for nearly 300,000 deaths annually. At the core of the syndrome are dysfunctional sarcomeres, the machinery that drives cardiac contraction and relaxation. By assessing the mechanical properties of human cardiac tissue, the information provided in this dissertation will provide data that demonstrates how sarcomeric dysfunction contributes to heart failure in the left and right ventricles. Additionally, these data will supply information …
The Effects Of Perinatal Oxycodone Exposure On The Stress Axis And Neurobehavior, Thitinart Sithisarn
The Effects Of Perinatal Oxycodone Exposure On The Stress Axis And Neurobehavior, Thitinart Sithisarn
Theses and Dissertations--Physiology
Opiate addiction is now a major public health problem. Pregnant women continue to use opiates during gestation; up to 5.4% of pregnant women report using illicit drugs during pregnancy. Previous studies have shown that perinatal insults and exposure to opiates such as morphine in utero can affect the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis of the offspring and are associated with higher risk of developing neurobehavioral problems. Oxycodone, a semisynthetic putative kappa opioid receptor and partial mu opioid receptor agonist is now one of the most frequently abused pain killers during pregnancy, however limited data are available regarding whether and how …
Mitochondrial Transplantation After Spinal Cord Injury: Effects On Tissue Bioenergetics And Functional Neuroprotection, Jenna L. Gollihue
Mitochondrial Transplantation After Spinal Cord Injury: Effects On Tissue Bioenergetics And Functional Neuroprotection, Jenna L. Gollihue
Theses and Dissertations--Physiology
Contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) results in devastating life-long debilitation in which there are currently no effective treatments. The primary injury site presents a complex environment marked by subsequent secondary pathophysiological cascades involving excessive reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) production, glutamate-induced excitotoxicity, calcium dysregulation, and delayed neuronal apoptosis. Many of these cascades involve mitochondrial dysfunction, thus a single mitochondrial-centric therapy that targets a variety of these factors could be far reaching in its potential benefits after SCI. As such, this dissertation examines whether transplantation of exogenous mitochondria after SCI can attenuate secondary injury cascades to decrease the spread and …