Life Sciences Commons^™

Age-Related Changes In Sleep-Dependent Consolidation Of Visuo-Spatial Memory, Akshata Sonni

Masters Theses

Healthy aging is associated with a reduction in slow-wave sleep (SWS), crucial for declarative memory consolidation in young adults; consequently, previously observed benefits of sleep on declarative learning in older adults could reflect a passive role of sleep in protecting memories from waking interference, rather than an active, stabilizing effect. To dissociate the passive and active roles of sleep, a visuo-spatial task was administered; memory was probed after a 12 hr interval consisting of either daytime wake or overnight sleep and post-wake/post-sleep stability of the memories was tested following task-related interference. Ninety five older adults (mean=65.43 yrs; SD=7.6 yrs) and …

Longitudinal Trajectories Of Cholesterol From Midlife Through Late Life According To Apolipoprotein E Allele Status, Brian Downer, Steven Estus, Yuriko Katsumata, David W. Fardo

Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: Previous research indicates that total cholesterol levels increase with age during young adulthood and middle age and decline with age later in life. This is attributed to changes in diet, body composition, medication use, physical activity, and hormone levels. In the current study we utilized data from the Framingham Heart Study Original Cohort to determine if variations in apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene involved in regulating cholesterol homeostasis, influence trajectories of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and total: HDL cholesterol ratio from midlife through late life.

Methods: Cholesterol trajectories from midlife through late life were modeled using generalized …

Developmental Expression Of A Candidate Mullerian Inhibiting Substance Type Ii Receptor, Jose Teixeira, Wei He, Paresh Shah, Nobuyuki Morikawa, Mary Lee, Elizabeth Catlin, Peter Hudson, John Wing, David Maclaughlin, Patricia Donahoe

Mary M. Lee

We have isolated a candidate Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) type II receptor complementary DNA from an embryonic rat urogenital ridge library and have studied its binding to MIS, its developmental pattern of expression and tissue distribution. By in situ hybridization with a full-length riboprobe, the receptor is expressed in the mesenchymal cells surrounding the Mullerian duct at embryonic days 14, 15, and 16 and in tubular and follicular structures of the rat fetal gonads. Expression of the messenger RNA was also seen in the granules cells and seminiferous tubules of pubertal gonads. Northern analysis revealed that the MIS type II …

Developmentally Regulated Polyadenylation Of Two Discrete Messenger Ribonucleic Acids For Mullerian Inhibiting Substance, Mary Lee, Richard Cate, Patricia Donahoe, Gerald Waneck

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a 140-kilodalton homodimeric glycoprotein that causes regression of the Mullerian ducts in male embryos, and may also have a role in both males and females in the regulation of germ cell maturation. We examined the ontogeny of MIS messenger RNA (mRNA) in rat testes from midgestation through adulthood and found two discrete MIS mRNA species that are developmentally regulated. The larger 2.0-kilobase species is abundant at embryonic day 14, then decreases in late gestation, and is barely detectable after birth. The smaller 1.8-kilobase species is first noted at embryonic day 18 and is the major …

Predictors Of Serum Dioxin, Furan, And Pcb Concentrations Among Women From Chapaevsk, Russia, Olivier Humblet, Paige Williams, Susan Korrick, Oleg Sergeyev, Claude Emond, Linda Birnbaum, Jane Burns, Larisa Altshul, Donald Patterson, Wayman Turner, Mary Lee, Boris Revich, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

Dioxins, furans, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are persistent and bioaccumulative toxic chemicals that are ubiquitous in the environment. We assessed predictors of their serum concentrations among women living in a Russian town contaminated by past industrial activity. Blood samples from 446 mothers aged 23-52 years were collected between 2003-2005 as part of the Russian Children's Study. Serum dioxin, furan, and PCB concentrations were quantified using high-resolution gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Potential determinants of exposure were collected through interviews. Multivariate linear regression models were used to identify predictors of serum concentrations and toxic equivalencies (TEQs). The median total PCB concentrations and total …

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance Ontogeny And Its Modulation By Follicle-Stimulating Hormone In The Rat Testes, Tatsuo Kuroda, Mary Lee, Christopher Haqq, David Powell, Thomas Manganaro, Patricia Donahoe

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) production in rat testes from the late fetal to the adult period and its modulation by gonadotropins in neonatal testes were studied using immunohistochemistry, northern analysis, and a graded organ culture bioassay for MIS. The intense immunohistochemical staining for MIS seen in fetal and newborn testes began to decrease gradually after the third postnatal day, then decreased dramatically on the fifth postnatal day. MIS immunohistochemical activity was then present at a low level until about the 20th postnatal day, after which it was barely detectable. The testes from rats treated with FSH at birth showed a …

Androgen Profiles During Pubertal Leydig Cell Development In Mice, Xiufeng Wu, Ramamani Arumugam, Ningning Zhang, Mary Lee

Mary M. Lee

Postnatal Leydig cell (LC) development in mice has been assumed empirically to resemble that of rats, which have characteristic hormonal profiles at well-defined maturational stages. To characterize the changes in LC function and gene expression in mice, we examined reproductive hormone expression from birth to 180 days, and quantified in vivo and in vitro production of androgens during sexual maturation. Although the overall plasma androgen and LH profiles from birth through puberty were comparable to that of rats, the timing of developmental changes in androgen production and steroidogenic capacity of isolated LCs differed. In mice, onset of androgen biosynthetic capacity, …

Developmental Changes In Mullerian Inhibiting Substance In The Cynomolgus Monkey, Macaca Fascicularis, Mary Lee, M. Gustafson, Etsuji Ukiyama, Patricia Donahoe, David Maclaughlin, Michael Wexler, Hugh Keeping

Mary M. Lee

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) is a glycoprotein hormone produced in Sertoli cells of the fetal and postnatal testis, and granulosa cells of the pubertal ovary. We examined MIS expression in a nonhuman primate, the cynomolgus macaque monkey (Macaca fascicularis), to define an animal model for studying MIS gene regulation. Changes in testicular MIS mRNA with age were assessed by in situ hybridization of prepubertal to adult testes, Northern analysis of pubertal and adult specimens, and determination of serum MIS concentrations from infancy to adulthood. We found that MIS expression was highest in the youngest animals and decreased progressively with increasing …

Decreased Peak Muscle Power Is Associated With Motor Unit Loss In The Lower Limb Of Older Adults, Neal B. Mckinnon

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated the relationship between motor unit (MU) properties and the strength and power of two lower limb muscles in healthy young and old adults. Twelve older adults (mean age, 77 ± 5 yrs) and twelve young adults (mean age, 24 ± 3 yrs) were studied. MU properties of the tibialis anterior (TA) and vastus medialis (VM) muscles were determined using decomposition-enhanced spike-triggered averaging (DE-STA). Motor unit number estimates (MUNE) of the TA were significantly reduced (p>0.05) in older adults (102 ± 76) compared to young adults (234 ± 109), primarily as a result of significantly larger surface-detected …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cognitive Reserve And Cognitive Function In Healthy Older Women, Katie Marie Becofsky

Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive reserve theory suggests that physical activity may protect individuals from cognitive decline. At the brain level, greater cognitive reserve may manifest as greater neural network efficiency. Our purpose was to investigate 1) whether participation in a 16-week walking program increased brain efficiency, and 2) whether increased brain efficiency correlated with change in fitness and task performance. Our secondary purpose was to investigate whether exercise training improved performance on a battery of cognitive tasks, particularly executive functioning performance. Seventeen healthy but sedentary women aged 60-75 years participated in a supervised walking program; eighteen women served as a non-randomized control group. …

The Effects Of Arthritis Foundation’S “Walk With Ease” Program On Cognitive Function, Ryan S. Falck

Theses and Dissertations

Physical activity (PA) is believed to improve cognitive function, particularly executive function, in older adults. However, few interventions in community settings have been performed to improve executive function through PA. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a community-based walking program on executive function in older adults (60+ years). Older adults from senior centers throughout Lexington County, SC were recruited for participation in this intervention. Exclusion criteria included currently exercising >30 minutes and exercising ≥2x/week or scoring ≤25 on the Mini-Mental State Exam. The intervention consisted of an evidenced-based community walking program, the Arthritis Foundation ’ …

Problems Associated With A Lipofuscin Extraction Method Used To Age Blue Crabs Callinectes Sapidus Cultured In Florida, Usa, Claire E. Crowley, Ryan L. Gandy, Kendra L. Daly, Edward S. Van Vleet

Marine Science Faculty Publications

The blue crab Callinectes sapidus is an ecologically and economically important component of marine and estuarine ecosystems of the western Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Current stock assessments lack a clear understanding of the age structure of blue crab populations in Florida (USA). Blue crabs and other crustaceans are especially difficult to age because of the complex nature of their discrete, rather than continuous, growth patterns. Chesapeake Bay researchers developed a method of aging blue crabs by assaying the aging pigment lipofuscin extracted from eyestalk nerve tissue. Here we investigated the usefulness of that method in determining the age of …

Diet Alters Delayed Selfing, Inbreeding Depression, And Reproductive Senescence In A Freshwater Snail, Josh R. Auld, John F. Henkel

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Cross-Bridge Mechanisms Of Skeletal Muscle Fatigue: Effects Of Hydrogen Ion, Inorganic Phosphate, And Age, Cassandra Rae Nelson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Intense muscle contraction induces high rates of glycolysis and ATP hydrolysis with resulting increases in inorganic phosphate (Pi) and H+, factors thought to induce fatigue by interfering with steps in the cross-bridge cycle. Force inhibition is less at physiological temperatures; thus the role of low pH in fatigue has been questioned. Effects of pH 6.2 and collective effects with 30 mM Pi on the pCa-force relationship were assessed in skinned fast and slow rat skeletal muscle fibers at low (15°C) and near-physiological temperatures (30°C). At Ca2+ levels characteristic of fatigue, low pH significantly depressed force at both temperatures and in …

Regeneration Of New Neurons Is Preserved In Aged Vomeronasal Epithelia, Jessica H. Brann, Stuart Firestein

Jessica Brann

During normal and diseased aging, it is thought the capacity for tissue regeneration and repair in neuronal tissues diminishes. In the peripheral olfactory system, stem cell reservoirs permit regeneration of olfactory and vomeronasal sensory neurons, a unique capacity among neurons. Following injury, a large number of new neurons can be regenerated in a young animal. However, it is unknown whether this capacity for renewal exists in aged proliferative populations. Here, we report that neuronal replacement-associated proliferation continues in the vomeronasal organ of aged (18-24 months) mice. In addition, the potential for the aged stem cell to yield a mature neuron …

Quantifying The Effect Of Age And Contraction Mode On The Force-Velocity-Power Relationship In The Knee Extensors, Justin R. Paturel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

PURPOSE: To assess and compare the force-velocity-power relationship (F-V-P) using isotonic and isokinetic knee extensions in 11 younger (19-30y) and 11 older (69-81y) men. METHODS: The construction of the F-V-P curves were attained with each participant performing maximal, explosive knee extensions at 8 different loads (isotonic) and 8 different velocities (isokinetic) on a Cybex HUMAC NORM dynamometer. Maximal voluntary contraction (MVC or P_o), maximal shortening velocity (V_max), maximum power, optimal torque (P_opt) and velocity (V_opt) were assessed and compared. RESULTS: The older men were 43% weaker, 18% slower and ~54% less powerful …

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

University Scholar Projects

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

Understanding How Honey Bee Flight And Senescence Are Connected Through Oxidative Stress., Joseph Margotta

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The goal of this dissertation was to exploit the tractability of the honey bee (Apis mellifera) to understand how the physiological and cellular mechanisms that determine the onset and duration of senescence are shaped by behavioral development and behavioral intensity. These data reveal how behavior can damage cells and consequently limit lifespan. The honey bee represents the ideal model to address these factors because age, behavior, functional senescence, and lifespan are easily manipulated independently of each other while in its natural environment. I determined if there was a cause-effect relationship between honey bee flight and oxidative stress by comparing damage …

Modeling The Adaptive Immune Response To Mutation-Generated Antigens, Rory J. Geyer

Honors Scholar Theses

Somatic mutations may drive tumorigenesis or lead to new, immunogenic epitopes (neoantigens). The immune system is thought to represses neoplastic growths through the recognition of neoantigens presented only by tumor cells. To study mutations as well as the immune response to mutation-generated antigens, we have created a conditional knockin mouse line with a gene encoding, 5’ to 3’, yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), ovalbumin (which is processed to the immunologically recognizable peptide, SIINFEKL), and cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), or, YFP-ovalbumin-CFP. A frame shift mutation has been created at the 5’ end of the ovalbumin gene, hence YFP should always be expressed, …

The Effects Of Age And Long-Term Endurance Training On Vo2 Kinetics, Tyler M. Grey

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The kinetics of the adjustment of pulmonary oxygen uptake (VO₂) was examined during step transitions from 20 W to moderate-intensity cycling in young (Y), middle-aged (M), and older (O) endurance trained and untrained men. VO_2p was measured breath-by-breath and changes in deoxygenated hemoglobin ([HHb]) were measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. VO_2p and [HHb] were modeled with a monoexponential model. The kinetic time constant for VO₂ (τVO_2p) was not different across age-groups (P > 0.05) in the trained group (17 ± 8, 18 ± 5, and 20 ± 5 s, in Y, M, and O, respectively). …

Development Of A Prediction Equation For Vertical Power In Masters Level Basketball Athletes, Jordan M. Glenn, Jennifer Vincenzo, Michelle Gray, Ashley Binns

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 7(2) : 119-127, 2014. Performance factors such as power, agility, and speed are important in sport-based competition for older individuals. Prediction models that assess these factors in masters level competitors are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine physical field measures of agility and speed and their ability to predict vertical power (VP) among basketball masters athletes(MA). Thirty-eight competitive MA from a Midwest Senior Olympic basketball tournament performed vertical jump, 20-yard dash (20-D), 40-yard dash (40-D), and T-test (TT) assessments. Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship (p = .002) using TT and …

Increased Mitochondrial Biogenesis Preserves Intestinal Stem Cell Homeostasis And Contributes To Longevity In Indy Mutant Flies, Ryan P. Rogers, Blanka Rogina

UCHC Articles - Research

The Drosophila Indy (I'm Not Dead Yet) gene encodes a plasma membrane transporter of Krebs cycle intermediates, with robust expression in tissues associated with metabolism. Reduced INDY alters metabolism and extends longevity in a manner similar to caloric restriction (CR); however, little is known about the tissue specific physiological effects of INDY reduction. Here we focused on the effects of INDY reduction in the Drosophila midgut due to the importance of intestinal tissue homeostasis in healthy aging and longevity. The expression of Indy mRNA in the midgut changes in response to aging and nutrition. Genetic reduction of Indy expression increases …

Dietary Antiaging Phytochemicals And Mechanisms Associated With Prolonged Survival, Hongwei Si, Dongmin Liu

Human Sciences Faculty Research

Aging is well-known an inevitable process that is influenced by genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the aging process are not well understood. Increasing evidence shows that aging is highly associated with chronic increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), accumulation of a low-grade proinflammatory phenotype and reduction in age-related autophagy, suggesting that these factors may play important roles in promoting aging. Indeed, reduction of ROS and low-grade inflammation and promotion of autophagy by calorie restriction or other dietary manipulation can extend lifespan in a wide spectrum of model organisms. Interestingly, recent studies show that some food-derived …

The Effects Of Aging On Skeletal Muscle Ampk Activation And An Analysis Of Chronic Aicar Treatment On The Aging Phenotype, Shalene E. Hardman

Theses and Dissertations

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a metabolic regulator, acts in opposition to many of the effects of aging and may provide insights into the development of sarcopenia. However, the effect of aging on AMPK activation is unclear. The purpose of this dissertation was to: 1) clarify the controversy concerning the activation of AMPK in response to endurance-like exercise in aged skeletal muscle; 2) address mechanisms for the age-associated alterations in AMPK activation; and 3) address the known benefits of chronic AICAR treatment in aged skeletal muscle. First, to clarify the effect of age on AMPK activation, young adult (YA) (8 mo.) …

Role Of Erk1, 2, And 5 In Dopamine Neuron Survival During Aging, Mayur S. Parmar, Juliann D. Jaumotte, Stephanie L. Wyrostek, Michael J. Zigmond, Jane E. Cavanaugh

HPD Articles

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) 1, 2, and 5 have been shown to play distinct roles in proliferation, differentiation, and neuronal viability. In this study, we examined ERK1, 2, and 5 expression and activation in the substantia nigra (SN), striatum (STR), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) during aging. An age-related decrease in phosphorylated ERK5 was observed in the SN and STR, whereas an increase in total ERK1 was observed in all 3 regions. In primary cultures of the SN and VTA, inhibition of ERK5 but not ERK1 and 2 decreased dopamine neuronal viability significantly. These data suggest that ERK5 is essential …

Aged Rats Are Hypo-Responsive To Acute Restraint: Implications For Psychosocial Stress In Aging, Heather M. Buechel, Jelena Popovic, Kendra Staggs, Katie L. Anderson, Olivier Thibault, Eric M. Blalock

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Cognitive processes associated with prefrontal cortex and hippocampus decline with age and are vulnerable to disruption by stress. The stress/stress hormone/allostatic load hypotheses of brain aging posit that brain aging, at least in part, is the manifestation of life-long stress exposure. In addition, as humans age, there is a profound increase in the incidence of new onset stressors, many of which are psychosocial (e.g., loss of job, death of spouse, social isolation), and aged humans are well-understood to be more vulnerable to the negative consequences of such new-onset chronic psychosocial stress events. However, the mechanistic underpinnings of this age-related shift …

Long Term Recall Of Memory Cd8 T Cells In Mice To First And Third Generation Smallpox Vaccines, Sharone Green, Francis Ennis, Anuja Mathew

Sharone Green

Since long-term immunity is a critical component of any effective vaccine, we compared over a 15-month period, the strength, durability and specificity of immunity of an attenuated smallpox vaccine Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) to the New York City Board of Health (NYCBH) vaccine. The frequencies of CD8(+) T cells to an immunodominant CD8 T cell epitope B8R(20-27) remained remarkably stable in mice given either MVA or NYCBH. Both groups were also protected from a lethal intranasal challenge with Western Reserve strain of vaccinia virus (VACV-WR). Cytokine responses to virus-specific peptides were detectable with significant boosting upon challenge. Expression of most …

Effect Of Long Term Rapamycin Treatment On Mtor Signalling Network In Colon And Liver Of C57bl/6 Mice, John Sorge

Wayne State University Theses

Many studies have investigated the effects of rapamycin on aging and cancer. However, the effects of long-term rapamycin supplementation on a cancer model have not been performed. This is the first study that investigates the effects of long-term supplementation of rapamycin in a cancer model. ACF analysis of colon tissues in mice showed no significant difference between controls and those supplemented with rapamycin. Factors such as energy balance, cellular environment, PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, and more have been assessed in this study. The duration of rapamycin supplementation seems to play an important role in the protection against cancer. Ultimately, this study suggests …

Age And Practice Effects On Inter-Manual Performance Asymmetry, Karen Francis, P G. Macrae, Waneen Spirduso, Tim Eakin

Kinesiology (Formerly Exercise and Sport Science)

Manual dexterity declines with increasing age, however, the way in which inter-manual asymmetry responds to aging is unclear. Our purpose was to determine the effect of age and practice on inter-manual performance asymmetry in an isometric force pinch line tracing task that varied in difficulty within segments. Thirty right-handed participants, five males and five females in each of three age groups, young (Y20), young–old (O70), and old–old (O80), practiced an isometric force pinch task for 10 trials with each hand on each of five consecutive days. Inter-manual performance asymmetry of the right and left hands was analyzed with a repeated …

Effects Of Altering The Peroxisomal Redox State In Models Of Degenerative Disease, Courtney Rose Giordano

Wayne State University Dissertations

Peroxisomes are important regulators of cellular redox balance and function as a signaling platform to regulate anti-aging metabolic and communication networks. In addition the organelle has emerged as a major player in maintaining cellular ROS at an optimal level. At such levels, these ROS are involved in initiation of signaling cascades and that produce an array of anti-aging and disease processes. However, as cells age over time, ROS amass within the peroxisome and elsewhere in the cell. This leads to an imbalance in oxidative homeostasis and results in compromised signaling networks. The goal of this dissertation was to treat disease …