Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Ogilvie's Syndrome: Acute Colonic Pseudoobstruction. A Review For Residents., Tyler Bayliss, Caleb Clark, Errington C. Thompson

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Ogilvie's syndrome (acute colonic pseudoobstruction) was first described in 1948. Acute colonic pseudoobstruction can occur in a variety of clinical settings, including postsurgical, obstetrics, pelvic surgery, critical care and sepsis. Clinicians need to recognize the syndrome early. Colonic distention without evidence of obstruction can be seen on plain films of the abdomen or CT scan. Successful therapies, including bowel rest, neostigmine and colonoscopic decompression, have been used. Avoiding respiratory compromise from abdominal distention and colonic perforation of the primary goals of treatment. Surgical intervention should be reserved for patients who are refractory to medical treatment or develops signs and symptoms …

Modulation Of Diet-Induced Gut Inflammation In Slowing Initiation Of Hematologic Malignancies, Esther Nyarkoa Mensah

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The intestinal tract serves as a host to an extremely complex microbial system. Microbes in the gut regulate their metabolism in response to chemicals generated by other microorganisms as well as nutrition supply from dietary intake. Alterations in gut bacteria have been implicated in the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity and the progression of diseases such as Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Although the cause of obesity is multifactorial, the consumption of high-fat or sugar-rich diets (Western diets) has been proposed as a significant contributor to this global epidemic. Obesity is a major public health concern that has been extensively …

Management Of Asymptomatic Hypertension In The Inpatient Setting., Charles Meadows, Mehiar Elhamdani, Dial Larry, Murad Kheetan, Khaled Al-Baqain

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Hypertension is common in hospitalized patients and is most often asymptomatic. While there are no guidelines for management of such patients, aggressive blood pressure treatment, including the use of intravenous antihypertensives, is often undertaken. While evidence of benefit is lacking, emerging data suggest that treatment of asymptomatic hypertension in the inpatient setting is associated with adverse outcomes, including acute kidney injury and ischemic stroke. In addition, the intensification of a preexisting antihypertensive regimen at hospital discharge significantly increases the risk of readmission without significant improvement in outpatient hypertension control. Such a combination of a common problem with the demonstrable benefit …

Effects Of Disulfiram On The Metabolome Of Mrsa, Surya Teja Naidu

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Disulfiram, known as Antabuse®, is an oral drug for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Previous studies have indicated that disulfiram (DSF) exhibits antibacterial effects, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Our study delves into the antibacterial mechanism of DSF in MRSA through High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) metabolomics, investigating the underlying mechanism of DSF effects on thiamine and amino acid metabolism. Thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) plays a crucial role as a cofactor for critical enzymes such as transketolase, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase. These enzymes are integral to the carbohydrate metabolism process within bacterial cells. TPP also contributes …

High Body Mass Index Changes Peri-Tumor Adipose Tissue Which In Turn Promotes Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Cora Elizabeth Miracle

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, responsible for over half a million deaths each year. There are multiple risk factors associated with the development of cancer. Some of these risks include genetics, smoking, and most recently, obesity (Lewandowska et al., 2019) (De Pergola & Silvestris, 2013). Research has shown that obesity is linked to the promotion of fourteen different cancers, including aggressive triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients that are obese are more likely to develop cancer (Park et al., 2014). In addition, if the patient is obese at the time of a cancer diagnosis, they …

Prenatal Buprenorphine Exposure Reduces Expression Of Myelin Proteins In Neonatal Longs-Evans Rat, Christopher James Grahe

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In the USA and especially in WV, there has been a surge in the rise of opioid use disorder (OUD), and with it a rise in neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). What makes this rise in NAS so unfortunate is that the Medications for OUD (MOUD) do not prevent the development of NAS. Although the relationship between MOUD and NAS is still unclear, it is thought that buprenorphine, one of the main substances used to treat OUD in pregnant women, may feed into the development of NAS, which may affect mental and physiological development and cause other health problems. Via understanding …

Elucidating The Impact Of Western Diet On Bone Marrow Cytokine Signatures: Understanding Poor Outcomes In Susceptibility To Infection And Progression Of Cancer, Lahari Kondeti

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Among other disease outcomes, obesity is associated with 1) reduction in long-lasting immune protection and 2) acquisition of cancer. Given our interest in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) dynamics, we questioned if similar mechanisms in the bone marrow microenvironment contribute to obesity-induced HSPC alterations responsible for 1) decreased immune protection and 2) transformation of HSPCs in the pathogenesis of hematologic malignancies. The negative effects of obesity on immune protection are most notably established in influenza models. Influenza infection susceptibility is increased and influenza vaccine-induced immunity wains in obese individuals. Ongoing studies aim to define mechanisms for waning immunity at …

Adolescence, Alcohol, And Astrocytes: The Impact Of Adolescent Alcohol Use On Astrocyte-Synaptic Interactions, Structure, Function, And Behavior, Christopher Douglas Walker

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Alcohol is the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States and has substantial social and economic burdens. Excessive alcohol consumption in the form of binge drinking is highly prevalent among adolescents and emerging adults. Binge drinking is a form of excessive drinking, defined as consuming enough alcohol on a single occasion to result in blood alcohol concentrations above 0.08%. Approximately 55% of full-time college students aged 18- 22 years old have reported consuming alcohol in a binge manner. Furthermore, studies have shown that approximately 20% of college students meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD). …

Examining The Effects Of Exercise-Induced, Physical Stress Overtraining On Stress Biomarkers In Adolescent, C57bl/6 Mice, Curtis Scotty Davis

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Exercise has long been established as a therapeutic modality to improve health and related physical fitness, sports performance, and injury/risk reduction in both adults and adolescents (Haff & Triplett, 2015; Kaminsky, 2010). Nonetheless, there is a lack of research investigating the negative effects of exercise overstress (i.e., overtraining syndrome) in these populations, particularly adolescents (Brenner & American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, 2007; Matos & Winsley, 2007). The objective of this study was to examine hormone biochemical markers, anthropometric markers, and behavioral traits, which are associated with overtraining syndrome, in adolescent C57BL/6 mice. A total of …

Current And Novel Neuroregenerative Therapies, Arrin Brooks

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Underlying the physical and cognitive deficits consequent of many neuropathologies is one common factor, the loss of neurons. While neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, and traumatic brain injury arise from a variety of etiologies, they all ultimately result in injury and/or death of neuronal cells and concomitant functional deficits. In the present work we primarily focus on current and potential treatments for localized lesions, particularly those in the striatum of Parkinson’s disease (PD) or the cortex as in stroke. First, we discuss a new surgical technique for deep brain stimulator (DBS) placement, as DBS is a mainstay treatment for movement disorders including …

A Systems Approach To Dissecting The Role Of The Mucosal Microbiome In Disease, Lexie Christine Blalock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The microbial community harbored by the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, collectively called the gut microbiota, plays a critical role in host health, metabolism, and immunity. Quantifiable changes in the gut microbiota have been implicated in a myriad of pathologies, including autoimmune, metabolic, and neurodegenerative diseases. Because of the gut microbiota’s plasticity, manipulating this community for therapeutic benefit presents as a novel strategy to combat modern diseases. Yet, only a fraction of the total microbial diversity that exists within the gut has been successfully cultured in a laboratory, leaving the clinical implications and functional attributes of many gut microbes undetermined. To address …

Factors Associated With Mutations: Their Matching Rates To Cardiovascular And Neurological Diseases, Hannah B. Lucas, Ian Mcknight, Regan Raines, Abdullah Hijazi, Christoph Hart, Chan Lee, Do-Gyoon Kim, Wei Li, Peter H. U. Lee, Joon W. Shim

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research

Monogenic hypertension is rare and caused by genetic mutations, but whether factors associated with mutations are disease-specific remains uncertain. Given two factors associated with high mutation rates, we tested how many previously known genes match with (i) proximity to telomeres or (ii) high adenine and thymine content in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) related to vascular stiffening. We extracted genomic information using a genome data viewer. In human chromosomes, 64 of 79 genetic loci involving >25 rare mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms satisfied (i) or (ii), resulting in an 81% matching rate. However, this high matching rate was no longer observed as …

Non-Selective Primary Human Tumor Cell Line Generation From Surgical Resections To Be Paired With Flash Frozen And Paraffin Embedded Tissue: Advancements In Democratizing Translational Research Materials To Rural Institutions, Jennifer Hawkins, Rebecca Russell, Logan M. Lawrence, Amrita Valluri, Jessica Wellman, Krista Denning

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Translational cancer research relies on the availability of human patient tissue demonstrating the specific disease process under investigation. Biobanks of human tissue have historically been and remain to date the primary access point for cancer research samples. Biorepositories routinely supply researchers with varying sample types for use in biomedical studies; most commonly formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, or fresh snap-frozen tissue. In conjunction with preserved tissue samples, viable tumor cell lines derived from patient tissue have emerged to be a new gold standard in cancer research particularly in drug discovery and functional prognostic assays. Tissue banks providing these samples are …

Crippling Rapid Evolution Of Metastasis And Drug Resistance In A549 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells With The Clinically Relevant Hsp90 Inhibitor Auy922, Nickolas Anthony Bacon

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The ability for species to evolve new features in response to changing circumstances in order to survive and propagate is a ubiquitous observation on both the macroscopic and microscopic levels of living systems. It should be no surprise, then, that diseases such as cancer utilize their own forms of adaptation to perpetuate themselves when exposed to external threats. Indeed, concepts drawn from Darwinian evolution are now widely accepted to help explain certain aspects of carcinogenesis and malignant progression, the sum of which have come to be known as the theory of tumor evolution. Since metastasis and drug resistance are features …

The Effect Of Upper-String Musician Practice Session On Scapular Kinematics, Connor James Brown

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background: Shoulder pain is common in the upper-string musician population. [43,49] Pain has been linked with injury and impairments. Altered scapular kinematics has been associated with patients diagnosed with shoulder injury or impairment. Fatigue of the shoulder complex through repeated arm motions has been shown to alter scapular kinematics, resulting in shoulder pathologies, including rotator cuff impingement syndrome. [12,15,28] Upper string musicians have been documented with practicing multiple hours in a day and it could be inferred those practice sessions could be fatiguing. [24,49]

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of upper string musician practice session …

Drug Delivery Systems: Exploring Rheological Properties And Therapeutic Effect Of 5-Fu Chitosan Gel For Topical Wound Healing, Samuel Tetteh-Quarshie

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Diabetic skin wound is a common complication of diabetes that occurs in about 15% of diabetic patients and often requires prolonged hospitalization for its management and treatment. Natural polymers are used for wound dressing due to their biological adhesiveness, non-toxicity, and biodegradable nature. 5-Fluorouracil (FU) has been shown to alter adipokine expression which is implicated in cutaneous wound repair. Thus, our overall objective was to investigate the utility of chitosan (CS) gel for topical delivery of 5-FU to treat diabetic wounds. We prepared chitosan gel (2% w/w) in serial dilutions of 5-FU (25μg/mL, 2.5μg/mL, 0.25μg/mL, and 0.025μg/mL) and evaluated their …

Role Of Thymidine Phosphorylase In Type 2 Diabetes-Associated High-Risk Of Thrombosis, Adam Belcher

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), such as ischemic heart disease and stroke, are the leading causes of death globally that disproportionally affects patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at a 2-4-fold rate compared to non-diabetic patients. These CVDs result from a blood clot, also known as a thrombus, formed in arteries that can block blood flow resulting in tissue damage and death. Antiplatelet drugs, such as aspirin and clopidogrel, used to prevent thrombosis have been found to be less effective in diabetics and increase the risk of hemorrhagic events. The T2DM epidemic has made it imperative to find therapies that decrease …

Ankle Muscle Activation And Mechanics During The Ebbet's Foot Drills, Quentin Adam Archuleta

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Introduction: The ankle is a complex structure of three joints that allow multiplanar motion (Brockett & Chapman, 2016). Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are the most common injury seen today in both the general and athletic populations and have a high recurrence rate. When left untreated or mistreated, it often leads to developing chronic ankle instability or osteoarthritis, which a lower quality of life. Dr. Russ Ebbets created a set of foot drills with the claim that they can strengthen the muscles of the lower leg, lessen lower leg aliments, and the chances of a severe ankle sprain (Ebbets, 2011a). …

Role Of Na/K-Atpase Non-Enzymatic Signaling In Renal Proximal Tubule Sodium Transport, Shreya Tapan Mukherji

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The renal proximal tubule (RPT) is the center stage for renal handling of Na+ , a potent determinant of systemic Na+ and volume homeostasis in health and disease. In the RPT, through its classic ion-pumping function, Na + /K+ -ATPase (NKA) generates the Na+ gradient that drives apical Na+ absorption, mostly through Na+ /H+ exchanger (NHE3). In contrast, pharmacological evidence suggests that the activation of the NKA non-enzymatic signaling function, through Src and other signaling partners, triggers a cellular redistribution of NKA and NHE3 that decreases transcellular Na+ flux in cultured RPT cells. However, the physiological relevance of the nonenzymatic …

Na/K-Atpase Alphα1 Regulates Adipogenesis Via Its Conserved Caveolin Binding Motif, Minqi Huang

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Na/K-ATPase (NKA) was identified in 1957 by Dr. Jens C. Skou. It belongs to the P-type ATPase family, which can actively transport ions across cell membranes by using the energy from adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis. During the second half of the 20th century, the molecular mechanism of the NKA catalytic cycle was clarified, and the isoform diversity of NKA in different species and organs was identified. The active ion transport through NKA generates cell membrane ion gradients and the electric potential. Hence, the enzymatic function of NKA is critical for cell viability as well as multiple physiological processes including …

Potential Counter Regulatory Effects Of A Gut Microbiota Metabolite In Alleviating Down-Regulation Krüppel-Like Factor 4 In Intestinal Inflammation, Ylva Forslund

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a medical condition characterized by chronic inflammation of the intestinal epithelium. Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4), a zinc finger transcription factor, is vital for maintaining intestinal epithelial homeostasis. KLF4 promotes differentiation of goblet cells that generate the protective mucus layer. Reduced goblet cell number and defective mucus layer are associated with IBD. Shortchain fatty acids (SCFA) are known to play an important role in the maintenance of a strong and healthy intestinal epithelial layer and also in goblet cell differentiation. However, whether the positive effects of SCFAs on goblet cells are mediated, at least partly, via …

Targeting Epigenetic Mechanisms In Endometriosis, Sarah Elizabeth Brunty

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Endometriosis is a complex and elusive gynecological disease in which the inner lining of the uterus grows in locations outside of the uterus and forms lesions. It is known to affect 1 in 9 women of reproductive age worldwide. Symptoms of endometriosis include severe pain, heavy periods, and infertility. While multiple theories of origin exist, none fully encompass all aspects of the disease, although all theories agree that this is an inflammation-driven disease. Due to this, many researchers are turning towards epigenetics to explain the initiation and progression of endometriosis. However, what is causing these epigenetic changes is still a …

The Epigenetic Effects Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids In Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Tanner Jeffrey Bakhshi

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of lymphoma. It is an aggressive cancer, with 50-70% of patients diagnosed at an advanced stage and 30-50% of patients not cured by chemoimmunotherapy. DLBCL is almost always caused by genetic damage sustained during the germinal center (GC) reaction. The mechanisms that govern the GC reaction bear a striking resemblance to those that drive DLBCL. Genomic studies have shown that some of its most common mutations occur in genes that encode epigenetic modifiers, including the lysine (histone) acetyltransferases CREBBP and p300. These mutations prevent the acetylation of multiple histone residues, …

Genetic And Epigenetic Determinants Of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, Tanner Bakhshi, Philippe T. Georgel

Biomedical Sciences

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of lymphoma and is notorious for its heterogeneity, aggressive nature, and the frequent development of resistance and/or relapse after treatment with standard chemotherapy. To address these problems, a strong emphasis has been placed on researching the molecular origins and mechanisms of DLBCL to develop effective treatments. One of the major insights produced by such research is that DLBCL almost always stems from genetic damage that occurs during the germinal center (GC) reaction, which is required for the production of high-affinity antibodies. Indeed, there is significant overlap between the mechanisms that …

Therapeutic Efficacy Of Antioxidants In Ameliorating Obesity Phenotype And Associated Comorbidities, Steven Tun, Caleb James Spainhower, Cameron Lee Cottrill, Hari Vishal Lakhani, Sneha S. Pillai, Anum Dilip, Hibba Chaudhry, Joseph I. Shapiro, Komal Sodhi

Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology

Obesity has been a worldwide epidemic for decades. Despite the abundant increase in knowledge regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of obesity, the prevalence continues to rise with estimates predicting considerably higher numbers by the year 2030. Obesity is characterized by an abnormal lipid accumulation, however, the physiological consequences of obesity are far more concerning. The development of the obesity phenotype constitutes dramatic alterations in adipocytes, along with several other cellular mechanisms which causes substantial increase in systemic oxidative stress mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). These alterations promote a chronic state of inflammation in the body caused by the redox …

Blocking Serine Protease (Tmprss2) By Bromhexine; Looking At Potential Treatment To Prevent Covid-19 Infection, Ramin Tolouian, Audrey C. Tolouian, Mohammadreza Ardalan

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Not applicable. Manuscript is being submitted under Viewpoints category.

Case Report On Leiomyosarcoma Of The Vulva: A Rare Pathology, Samantha A. Smith, Nadim Bou Zgheib, Andrea M. Vallejos, Jonathan D. Cuda

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) of the vulva is rare. However it is the most common histologic subtype of vulvar sarcoma, accounting for approximately 1% of all vulvar malignancies. ^[1-8] Whether genetics and epigenetics play a role in pathogenesis is unclear. ^[1] The tumor is slow-growing with non-specific symptoms, has high metastatic potential, and follows a bimodal age distribution. ^[1-8] Diagnosis and prognosis are based upon immunohistochemical expression and criteria from early literature. ^[1,3,5-7] The most common therapeutic approach involves radical vulvectomy with lymph node resection. The value of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation remains unknown. ^[1,3,5-8] Our case describes a 46-year-old Caucasian G2P2 …

Clinical And Basic Research Investigations Into The Long‐Term Effects Of Prenatal Opioid Exposure On Brain Development, Taylor Boggess, W. Chris Risher

Biomedical Sciences

Coincident with the opioid epidemic in the United States has been a dramatic increase in the number of children born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a form of withdrawal resulting from opioid exposure during pregnancy. Many research efforts on NAS have focused on short‐term care, including acute symptom treatment and weaning of the infants off their drug dependency prior to authorizing their release. However, investigations into the long‐term effects of prenatal opioid exposure (POE) on brain development, from the cellular to the behavioral level, have not been as frequent. Given the importance of the perinatal period for human brain development, …

Pyrosequencing Analysis Of Irs1 Methylation Levels In Schizophrenia With Tardive Dyskinesia, Yanli Li, Kesheng Wang, Ping Zhang, Junchao Huang, Ying Liu, Zhiren Wang, Yongke Lu, Shuping Tan, Fude Yang, Yunlong Tan

Pharmacology, Physiology and Toxicology

Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a serious side effect of certain antipsychotic medications that are used to treat schizophrenia (SCZ) and other mental illnesses. The methylation status of the insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) gene is reportedly associated with SCZ; however, no study, to the best of the authors' knowledge, has focused on the quantitative DNA methylation levels of the IRS1 gene using pyrosequencing in SCZ with or without TD. The present study aimed to quantify DNA methylation levels of 4 CpG sites in the IRS1 gene using a Chinese sample including SCZ patients with TD and without TD (NTD) and …

Regulation Of Synaptic Development By Astrocyte Signaling Factors And Their Emerging Roles In Substance Abuse, Christopher D. Walker, W. Chris Risher, Mary-Louise Risher

Biomedical Sciences

Astrocytes have critical functions throughout the central nervous system (CNS) and have emerged as regulators of synaptic development and function. With their highly complex morphologies, they are able to interact with thousands of synapses via peripheral astrocytic processes (PAPs), ensheathing neuronal axons and dendrites to form the tripartite synapse. In this way, astrocytes engage in crosstalk with neurons to mediate a variety of CNS processes including the regulation of extracellular matrix protein signaling, formation and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), axon growth and guidance, homeostasis of the synaptic microenvironment, synaptogenesis, and the promotion of synaptic diversity. In this review, …