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Full-Text Articles in Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology

Re-Engineering Cardio-Oncology Testing Using Biomimetic Heart Slice Cultures., Jessica Miller Dec 2022

Re-Engineering Cardio-Oncology Testing Using Biomimetic Heart Slice Cultures., Jessica Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

28% of drug withdrawal from the market are due to unforeseen disruptions in cardiomyocyte contractility and electrophysiology. The most commonly used platforms for drug testing are in vivo animal models and in vitro cell culture models. While both have been of paramount importance for the discovery and detection of many cardiotoxicities and mechanisms of action, they lack the ability to model an intact human myocardium. This work aims to establish cardiac tissue slices, which are 300-micron thin tissue sections taken from the left ventricular myocardium, as an alternative platform for cardio-oncology studies, specifically cardiotoxicity testing. Additionally, this work aims to …


Amelioration Of Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Dysfunction In Diabetes Mellitus: Delving Into Specialized And Non-Specific Therapeutics For The Ailing Heart, Andrya Jean Durr Jan 2022

Amelioration Of Mitochondrial Bioenergetic Dysfunction In Diabetes Mellitus: Delving Into Specialized And Non-Specific Therapeutics For The Ailing Heart, Andrya Jean Durr

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Morbidity and mortality of the diabetic population is influenced by many confounding factors, but cardiovascular disease (CVD), remains the leading cause of death. Mitochondrial dysfunction is central in the development of cardiac contractile dysfunction, with decreased mitochondrial bioenergetic function, increased dependence on free fatty acid utilization, and a decrease in glucose utilization having been shown to contribute to contractile dysfunction. Strategies targeting the amelioration of mitochondrial bioenergetic function are attractive for limiting diabetes-induced heart failure, and preserving health-span. The goals of this dissertation were to assess two mitochondrial-centric approaches for the amelioration of mitochondrial and cardiac contractile dysfunction in diabetes …


Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Apoptotic, Inflammatory And Oxidative Stress Role Of Galectin-3, Suhail Al-Salam, Satwat Hashmi Oct 2018

Myocardial Ischemia Reperfusion Injury: Apoptotic, Inflammatory And Oxidative Stress Role Of Galectin-3, Suhail Al-Salam, Satwat Hashmi

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background/aims: Myocardial reperfusion has the potential to salvage the ischemic myocardium after a period of coronary occlusion. Reperfusion, however, can cause a wide spectrum of deleterious effects. Galectin-3 (GAL-3), a beta galactoside binding lectin, is closely associated with myocardial infarction (MI), myocardial fibrosis and heart failure. In our study, we investigated its role in ischemia-reperfusion injuries (IR) as this phenomenon is extremely relevant to the early intervention after acute MI.
Methods: C57B6/J wild type (WT) mice and GAL-3 knockout (KO) mice were used for murine model of IR injury in the heart where a period of 30 minutes ischemia was …


Cardiovascular Regulation By Kvβ1.1 Subunit, Jared Tur Oct 2016

Cardiovascular Regulation By Kvβ1.1 Subunit, Jared Tur

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heterologous expression systems such as COS-7 cells have demonstrated the profound effects of KCNAB1-3 or Kvβ1-3 proteins on voltage gated potassium channels (Kv) channels. Indeed, in the presence of these β-subunits transiently expressed Kv channels are often modulated in multiple ways. Kv channel membrane expression is often increased in the presence of β-subunits. In addition, non-inactivating Kv currents suddenly become fast-inactivating and fast-inactivating channels become even faster. While much research has demonstrated the profound effects the β-subunits in particular the Kvβ1 subunit have on transiently expressed Kv currents little to date is known of the physiological role it may play. …


Regulation Of Protein Degradation In The Heart By Amp-Activated Protein Kinase, Kedryn K. Baskin, Kedryn K. Baskin May 2012

Regulation Of Protein Degradation In The Heart By Amp-Activated Protein Kinase, Kedryn K. Baskin, Kedryn K. Baskin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

The degradation of proteins by the ubiquitin proteasome system is essential for cellular homeostasis in the heart. An important regulator of metabolic homeostasis is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). During nutrient deprivation, AMPK is activated and intracellular proteolysis is enhanced through the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS). Whether AMPK plays a role in protein degradation through the UPS in the heart is not known. Here I present data in support of the hypothesis that AMPK transcriptionally regulates key players in the UPS, which, under extreme conditions can be detrimental to the heart. The ubiquitin ligases MAFbx /Atrogin-1 and MuRF1, key regulators of …