Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications Commons^™

Sexual Dimorphism Of Glomerular Capillary Morphology In Rats, Zackarias Coker

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) progresses faster in males than females; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Sex differences in glomerular capillary morphology has been hypothesized to contribute, in part, to the increased susceptibility to hypertension-induced renal injury and CKD progression in males, but this has not been investigated. The goal of the present study was to assess glomerular capillary morphology in male vs. female rats with intact kidneys and after uninephrectomy (UNX). We hypothesized that glomerular capillary radii (R_CAP) and length (L_CAP) would be greater in male rats.

Male (n=4) and female (n=4) with intact …

Diagnosis Of Urinary Tract Infections And Rapid Molecular Characterization Of Antibiotic Resistance, Mohammed Harris

All Dissertations

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common infectious clinical entities in both community and hospital settings. They have a broad range of clinical severity yet inflict large epidemiological burden of morbidity and mortality on patients and the healthcare system with billions of dollars in cost of treatment. Understanding what methods are optimal for diagnosing UTIs are critical to mitigate the marked impact and cost of these infections.

Chapter 1 and 2 in this work surveys the broad array of diagnostic modalities for UTIs and highlights their advantages and limitations in the context of the current standard of …

Effects That The Methylenetetrahydrofolate Gene Mutation (Both The C677t And A1298c Polymorphisms) Have On Both Men And Women’S Fertility Abilities And Subsequent Fetal Development, As Well As What Nutritional Changes Can Possibly Do To Aid In Reversing These Supposed Negative Effects., Elizabeth Simkanin

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This study discusses the perceived negative effects of variants (C677T and A1298C) of the methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) gene on male and female fertility and fetal development, as well as the potential for nutrition changes to aid in reversing these negative effects. This research project was completed in order to discuss the possible association with and connection between nutrition and fertility in both male and female individuals who have either of the two most common MTHFR gene polymorphisms, 677C>T and 1298A>C. These two polymorphisms are of particular interest because they are associated with the most decreased activity of the MTHFR …

Role Of Decorin At The Fetal-Maternal Interface, Chidambra D. Halari

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The human placenta is an invasive tumor-like structure, this invasion being physiological. A subset of placental trophoblast called extra-villous trophoblast invades the uterine decidua and remodels uterine arteries into low-resistance, high-flow tubes to permit adequate flow of maternal blood to nourish the fetus. A poor extra-villous trophoblast invasion and uterine arterial remodeling can lead to fetal growth restriction and a serious pregnancy-associated maternal disease preeclampsia. Decorin, a leucine-rich proteoglycan produced by uterine decidual cells restrains multiple trophoblast functions: self-renewal and differentiation of trophoblast stem cells, migration, invasion, proliferation and endovascular differentiation. Additionally, decidual overproduction of decorin was associated with preeclampsia, …

Genital Chlamydia Infection Is Influenced By The Female Sex Hormones Estrogen And Progesterone In Vivo, Amy Gail Gravitte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infection in the United States and worldwide. It often goes unnoticed due to lack of symptoms and left untreated it can ascend the female genital tract to cause sequelae like pelvic inflammatory disease and irreversible tubal infertility. In reproductive-aged women, female sex hormones estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations fluctuate during the menstrual cycle and are influenced by hormonal contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy. E2 and P4 influence genital Chlamydia infection in women and mice, but these multifactorial interactions are not entirely mapped out. The complex interplay of E2 and P4 with …

The Effects Of Progesterone Induced Blocking Factor And 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate On The Pathophysiology Of Preeclampsia, Kyleigh M. Comley

Honors Theses

Preeclampsia (PE) is responsible for about 20% of the 13 million preterm births each year worldwide, including 100,000 cases annually in the United States. Despite being a leading cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity, the mechanisms of pathogenesis are still largely unknown. PE is progesterone deficient state characterized by hypertension, chronic immune activation, endothelial dysfunction and severe forms can lead to seizures. Treatment of seizures includes the administration of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) though not all PE patients are responsive, and it does not decrease PE-associated hypertension. To resolve these conditions, PE patients are delivered early thereby making PE the leading …

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 …

An Investigation Of Treatments For The Prevention Of Metabolic Complications For Women Suffering From Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Diet, Exercise, Weight Reduction And Herbal Remedies, Brenda Martinez-Puente

Nursing | Senior Theses

The purpose of this research study is to compare the views of traditional versus alternative treatments available to women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) suffering from metabolic complications. Alternative treatments include diet, exercise, herbal remedies, or any combination of the three. Pharmacological interventions for the conditions associated with PCOS such as metformin, used to control glucose levels, and clomiphene, used to treat infertility. Through the literature review, articles show herbs and plant products to have similar mechanisms of actions as the pharmacological interventions, but with less side effects. For example, cinnamon was shown to increase insulin sensitivity and pomegranate juice …

Potential Role Of Extracellular Atp Released By Bacteria In Bladder Infection And Contractility, Behnam Abbasian

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), the result of conditions such as overactive bladder (OAB), could potentially be influenced by both commensal and urinary tract infection-associated bacteria. The sensing of bladder filling involves interplay between various parts of the nervous system eventually resulting in contraction of the detrusor muscle during micturition. Here we model host responses to various urogenital bacteria, firstly by using urothelial bladder cell lines and then with myofibroblast contraction assays. To measure responses, we examined calcium influx, gene expression and alpha smooth muscle actin deposition assays. We found that organisms such as Escherichia coli IA2 and Gardnerella vaginalis ATCC …

The Role Of Non-Neuronal Acetylcholine In Urogenital Chlamydial Infection, Jessica R. Lockhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatiscauses a bacterial sexually transmitted infection, Chlamydia, that is often chronic and casues reproductive complications in women. We hypothesized that Chlamydia infection increases local acetylcholine (ACh) production, which regulates the host’s inflammatory response to the infection. Female mice infected with C. muridarumwere sacrificed at days 3, 9, 15, and 21 post-infection, genital tract tissues harvested, and immunohistochemistry performed to enumerate ACh-producing cells. Infection increased the number of ACh-producing cells in cervical tissue at days 3,15, and 21 post-infection (pi), uterine tissue at day 3 and 9 pi, and ovarian tissue day 3, 15, and 21 pi. These …

A Functional Algorithm For Weight Loss And Obesity Practice: Guide For Clinical Decision-Making For Treating Women, Jennifer A. Tice Williams

Dissertations

ABSTRACT

Background

Overweight and obesity have significant impact and consequences on women leading to reduced quality of life, comorbid conditions and premature mortality. Many healthcare providers lack adequate training and the time to properly treat overweight and obesity. Algorithms have been shown to improve clinical knowledge and save time.

Objectives

To develop an algorithm for weight loss assessment and treatment to aid in the clinical decision-making process while improving the quality of care for overweight and obese clients in an efficient manner that can be replicated.

Methods

After an extensive literature review to identify best-practice guidelines for weight loss a …

Chat Expression In Chlamydia Muridarum-Infected Female Murine Genital Tract, Hallie Sartain

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent agent of bacterial sexually transmitted infections in the world. However, a profuse number of cases are unreported, as the infection is often asymptomatic. Sequelae such as pelvic inflammatory disease, an increased risk of cervical cancer, premature birth, and perinatal infections in pregnant women can occur. Inflammation occurs in the body in response to infection or injury. Although inflammation can lead to some unwanted secondary effects, such as pain, it serves to return the body to homeostasis by restoring injured tissues and eliminating pathogens. One recently identified connection between the central nervous system and the …

Genetic And Epigenetic Mechanisms Of Complex Reproductive Disorders, Bhavi P. Modi

Theses and Dissertations

Common, complex disorders are polygenic and multifactorial traits representing interactions between environmental, genetic and epigenetic risk factors. More often than not, contributions of these risk factors have been studied individually and this is especially true for complex reproductive traits where application of genomic technologies has been challenging and slow to progress. This thesis explores the potential of genetic and epigenetic components contributing to a better understanding of the biological pathways underlying disease risk in two specific female complex reproductive traits - polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM). The PCOS projects focus on characterization of a …

The Hormonal Regulation Of The Claudin Genes In The Ovary, Sean Gadson, April Binder, Kenneth Korach, Katherine Hamilton

All Master's Theses

The ovary is a dynamic organ that responds to many hormonal signals. When these hormonal signals are disrupted, ovarian dysfunction can occur. One such example is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). PCOS patients suffer from high levels of testosterone. Excess testosterone may misregulate genes in the ovary and disrupt ovarian function. The Claudin (Cldn) 3 and Cldn11 genes have been shown to be regulated by androgens in the testis, while studies in ovarian cancer cells suggests a coregulatory mechanism for the expressions of Cldn3 and Cldn4 in the ovary. The objective of this study was to characterize the hormonal …

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Tameka Todd

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

The main goal of this project was to educate peers on the pathophysiology of a disease or disorder of choice. The topic to be discussed is Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). This topic was chosen based on personal interest in women’s health issues. PCOS is a metabolic disease affecting 5-10 percent of women of childbearing age (Morgan, 2013). Characteristics of PCOS include enlarged ovaries consisting of multiple small cysts surrounding the outer ovary, with unknown cause (Morgan, 2013). Leading to the ovaries producing an increased amount of androgen (male hormones) (Morgan, 2013).

Identification Of Transcription Factors Gzf3, Rfx1, Orf19.3928 As Being Implicated In Candida-Bacterial Interactions., Joni Watson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Candida albicans is an opportunistic pathogen that is present in the normal flora in a majority of individuals. One key factor in C. albicans virulence is the ability to change its morphology from yeast to an elongated or hyphal form. The regulation of this morphogenesis relies in part upon quorum sensing (QS) molecules. C. albicans often exists as part of a mixed culture alongside other microbes and is influenced by their presence as well as the presence of QS molecules that they produce. In this study, a library of diploid homozygous transcriptional regulator knockout (TRKO) mutants were screened to identify …

Is Transdermal Glyceryl Trinitrate A Safe And Effective Treatment For Primary Dysmenorrhea?, Sarah E. Visich

PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective evidence based medicine review is to determine whether or not transdermal glyceryl trinitrate is a safe and effective treatment for primary dysmenorrhea.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of two English language randomized control trials (RCTs) published in 1996 and 1999 and one English language pilot study in 1997.

DATA SOURCES: Two double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled cross-over studies and one pilot study comparing transdermal glyceryl trinitrate to placebo were found using PubMed, Medline and OVID.

OUTCOME MEASURED: Outcomes measured were based on pain intensity scores (PID) assessed on a visual analog scale and the …

Characterization Of The Sigma Factor Proteins And The Dna Binding Protein Euo Of Chlamydia, Cory L. Blackwell

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Chlamydia spp. are prokaryotic obligate intracellular pathogens with a unique, biphasic developmental cycle in which an infectious, extracellular form termed the elementary body (EB) interconverts with a metabolically active intracellular reticulate body (RB) within host cells. Subsets of genes are differentially expressed during the developmental cycle, and these genes are believed to be responsible for the transitions between the EB and RB forms. The goal of these studies was to explore two potential mechanisms that may function in regulating developmental cycle stage‑specific gene expression in chlamydiae: a cascade of sigma factor expression and the binding of the early stage protein …

Novel Binding Domains Mediate Binding Of Hpv 16 E6 To Fadd And Procaspase 8, Sandy S. Tungteakkhun

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

To evade the host response to infection, viruses have developed means to survive and propagate. HPV 16, a causative agent of cervical cancer and of some cases of oropharyngeal cancers, is one example. We have reported that the early viral protein E6 binds to proteins necessary for propagation of the apoptotic signal following receptor/ligand interactions, such as those mediated by FADD DED and procaspase 8 DED. E6 expression leads to the dose-dependent accelerated degradation of FADD and the protection of E6-expressing cells from Fas-induced apoptosis. Surprisingly, the splice isoforms of E6, E6_large and E6*, affect the stability of procaspase …