Medical Physiology Commons^™

Peripheral Immune Cell Pro- And Anti-Nociceptive Gene Expression In Chronicbinge Alcohol Administered Siv-Infected Rhesus Macaques, Michael Dubic, Liz Simon, Patricia Molina

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

People living with HIV (PLWH) have a 2-fold higher prevalence of chronic pain compared to the general population. Reports in the literature indicate that alcohol consumption to self-medicate pain may increase the incidence of at-risk alcohol use. Chronic alcohol use, HIV infection, and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) all independently lead to altered pain states, yet the underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore the utility of peripheral blood mono nuclear cells (PBMCs) as indicators of alcohol-, ART-, and HIV- associated alterations in pro and anti- nociceptive pathways in a relevant preclinical model of HIV-infection. Four- …

Impaired Aicd In Senescent Cd8 T-Cells: Cell Death Pathwayselectivity & The Effects Of Alcohol, Nabil Essajee, I Welsh, Pm Mcternan, David A. Welsh, Robert W. Siggins

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Background: Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is prevalent in People Living with HIV (PLWH). Chronic alcohol use and HIV infections are both stressors that can accelerate the onset of cellular senescence, a pro-inflammatory phenotype associated with unhealthy ageing and contributor to the phenomenon known as “inflamm-aging.” Furthermore, it has been observed that in senescent cells, there is an impairment of Activation-Induced Cell Death (AICD). The mechanism of impairment of AICD in senescent cells remains unknown. The goal of our research is to investigate by which pathway of cell death (apoptosis, pyroptosis, necroptosis) senescent cells are susceptible by analyzing markers of senescence …

Neurobiological Consequences Of Chronic Binge Alcohol Exposure And Ovariectomy On Markers Of Hippocampal Plasticity In Siv-Infected Rhesus Macaques, Taylor Fitzpatrick-Schmidt, Larry B. Coleman, Kimberly N. Edwards, Liz Simon, Patricia E. Molina, Scott Edwards

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection has profound impacts on the central nervous system, including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND). HIV-associated cognitive deficits can be further exacerbated by alcohol consumption1 . With the rising prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) in females, understanding the neurobiological impact of AUD and HIV infection in this population is increasingly important 2 . The hippocampus is part of the brain’s limbic system and plays prominent roles in both cognition and affective regulation. Thus, investigating hippocampal neuroadaptations in the context of comorbid HIV infection and AUD is critical for understanding the mechanisms of neurocognitive and affective impairment …

Short-Term High Fat, High Sucrose Diet Increases Markers Associated With Hepaticlipid Accumulation In Rhesus Macaques, Eden Gallegos, Liz Simon, Patricia Molina

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Self-reported data collected from our clinical cohort, the New Orleans Alcohol Use in HIV (NOAH), shows that a significant number of people living with HIV (PLWH) consume a suboptimal diet as determined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Consumption of a high fat, high sucrose diet (HFSD), known as a Western Diet contributes to metabolic dyshomeostasis and development of metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. At-risk alcohol consumption, HIV-infection, and consumption of a HFSD independently can lead to liver disease. Thus, PLWH with at risk alcohol consumption and consuming a HFSD may have increased risk for liver pathology. Alcoholic …

Female Mice Are Protected From Chronic Inhaled Nicotine-Induced Pulmonaryhypertension Via A Sex Hormone-Independent Mechanism, Idanis Z. Garcia, Nicholas D. Fried, Anna K. Whitehead, Eric Lazartigues, Xinping Yue, Jason D. Gardner

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Introduction: Cigarette smoking has declined in the United States, but e-cigarettes use increased by 46.2% in young adults and 77.8% in high school students between 2017-2018. Little is known about the long-term health implications of these nicotine-containing devices, but cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, which are the primary cause of death in industrialized countries. Our group previously demonstrated that chronic inhaled nicotine induces pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricular (RV) remodeling in male mice, but female mice exposed to nicotine failed to develop PH, suggesting a sex difference. This led us to hypothesize …

Role Of Lymph From Alcohol-Treated Animals On Naïve Perilymphaticadipose Tissue Immunomodulation, Kourtney Weaver, Flavia Souza-Smith

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Alcohol impairs innate and adaptive immune responses, harming host defense against infections. Chronic alcohol administration has also been shown to impact early manifestations of metabolic dysfunction such as insulin resistance in rodent models. In our previous studies, we found that alcohol induces mesenteric lymphatic leakage and perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) immunometabolic dysregulation. Whether the lymph from alcohol-treated animals is directly causing PLAT immunometabolic dysregulation is still to be determined. We hypothesize that lymph contents from alcohol-treated animals will immunomodulate naïve PLAT explants. To test this hypothesis, male Fischer 344 rats received Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 36% of calories from alcohol …

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome And Obesity (Flo) Study, Bethany S. Acosta, Kyle V. Acosta, Stefany D. Primeaux

Medical Student Research Poster Symposium

Floppy Eyelid Syndrome (FES) was first described in 1981 by Culbertson and Ostler. Often under-diagnosed, the reported incidence ranges from 0.5-31.5% with an average age of 51 years. A patient will typically present with a soft, rubbery tarsus that folds in on itself, a loose upper eyelid that everts easily with manual manipulation, and papillary conjunctivitis. Studies indicate that patients with FES are often diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and have high rates of obesity (Body Mass Index (BMI) > 30). Patients with FES exhibit a diminished quantity of elastin fibers throughout the pretarsal orbicularis oculi muscle and tarsus. Interestingly, …

The Effects Of Estrogen In The Glucoregulatory Response To Exercise In Type 1 Diabetes, Mitchell James Sammut

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

Regular exercise has shown to benefit the health of individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). However, a barrier to regular exercise for this population is the fear of low blood glucose (BG) levels, also known as hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia can result in short and long-term side-effects, such as recurring loss of consciousness or in severe cases death.

In non-diabetics, sex-related differences in fuel selection during exercise are well established. Women shift towards using fats as fuel whereas men rely mostly on sugars (i.e., carbohydrates) for energy production. Exercise during the luteal phase of the female menstrual cycle, where estrogen levels …

Point Substitutions In G Protein-Coupled Receptors, Jessica Brown

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are proteins that are important in physiological regulatory processes within the body, and for this reason are important drug targets. When bound to an agonist, such as neurotransmitters or hormones, the receptor adopts an active state to allow these biochemical pathways to occur. However, mutations can arise within the receptor that affect its ability to bind its agonist. This natural variation found within the genome can make it difficult to design pharmaceuticals to target the receptors.

To see the effects of these point substitutions on agonist-induced receptor activation, mutations were made within a negative allosteric site …