Reproductive and Urinary Physiology Commons^™

Developmental Origins Of Health And Disease: Current Knowledge And Potential Mechanisms, Daniel J. Hoffman, Rebecca M. Reynolds, Daniel B. Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Epidemiologic and clinical research has provided a large body of evidence supporting the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), but there has been a relative dearth of mechanistic studies in humans due to the complexity of working with large, longitudinal cohorts. Nonetheless, animal models of undernutrition have provided substantial evidence for the potential epigenetic, metabolic, and endocrine mechanisms behind DOHaD. Furthermore, recent research has explored the interaction between the environment and the gastrointestinal system by investigating how the gut microbial ecology may impact the capacity for nutrient processing and absorption in a manner that may limit growth. This review …

Finasteride As A Model For Personalized Medicine, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland, Ioana Păunică, Octavian C. Tănăsescu, Petrişor Banu, Stana Păunică

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

The side effects of Finasteride are currently a subject of controversy. Some studies report minor or acceptable adverse effects, which decrease after a variable period of time so that they do not necessitate terminating Finasteride administration. However, several clinical and neuro-endocrine studies show that some adverse effects persist indefinitely in the form of post-Finasteride syndrome, even after the drug cessation. This paper presents a possible explanation for these inconsistent findings. First, the study design of either informing or not informing patients prior therapy about possible adverse effects can influence the incidence and magnitude of reported adverse effects. Second, structural and …

A Validated Measure For Fertility Awareness: An Essential Step Toward Informed Reproductive Decision-Making, Brennan Peterson

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

"The efforts by Kudesia and colleagues (1) to create and validate a fertility awareness survey is a vital development in the field of reproductive health care. The 29-item Fertility and Infertility Treatment Knowledge Score (FIT-KS) was created to measure fertility awareness and infertility treatment knowledge in the general population and among medical trainees. Using a combination of existing questionnaires, consultation with specialists in test construction, and clinical recommendations of an expert panel of 15 reproductive endocrinologists, the FIT-KS is the first of its kind in the United States. The authors should be commended for their foresight and attempts to address …

Relationship Between Self-Efficacy And Patient Knowledge On Adherence To Oral Contraceptives Using The Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (Mmas-8), Daniel M. Tomaszewski, Benjamin D. Aronson, Margarette L. Kading, Donald E. Morisky

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Background
Preconception care, including family planning, is a vital component of healthcare for women of reproductive age. An average female spends the majority of her reproductive life trying to prevent a pregnancy. In order to prevent unintended pregnancy, women often rely on the use of hormonal contraceptives. In the United States, the majority of hormonal contraceptive users are prescribed oral contraceptive pills (OCPs). Reduced adherence to OCPs decreases their ability to prevent pregnancy. The study aimed to measure OCP adherence among female college students, and explore the relationship between OCP adherence, knowledge, and self-efficacy.

Methods
This cross-sectional study recruited a …

Research Brief: "Reproductive Health Of Active Duty Women In Medically Austere Environments", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about the use of contraceptives, the unintended pregnancy rates, and birth defects among active duty servicewomen as compared to the civilian population. In policy and practice, servicewomen and female veterans should use reproductive and health services provided by local VA medical centers and discuss environmental exposures to their healthcare provider, who should conduct full exams with patients and discuss healthcare needs while the servicemembers are deployed; the DoD should look into the use of portable medical equipment and how to support all servicemembers, and policymakers may consider funding DoD programs for counseling about women's reproductive healthcare options. …

Enduring Chronic Kidney Disease: An Investigation Of Psychosocial Factors And Life Satisfaction In Older Adults Receiving Dialysis Treatment, Bailee Sobotka

Honors Theses

Chronic kidney disease is a condition during which the kidneys begin to shut down and no longer filter blood efficiently. Once the disease has progressed far enough, dialysis treatments are mandatory to sustain life. To further understand how older adults receiving dialysis treatments cope with their disease, psychosocial factors were evaluated to investigate possible correlations with life satisfaction using a Life Satisfaction Index Z (LSI-Z). Expected correlations with life satisfaction were sociability, financial satisfaction, importance of spirituality, and activities of daily living scores. Interviews were conducted with 30 dialysis patients and results were analyzed using various statistical measures. Significant correlations …

Maternal Nicotine Exposure Leads To Decreased Cardiac Protein Disulfide Isomerase And Impaired Mitochondrial Function In Male Rat Offspring., Nicole G Barra, Maria Lisyansky, Taylor A Vanduzer, Sandeep Raha, Alison C Holloway, Daniel B Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Smoking throughout pregnancy can lead to complications during gestation, parturition and neonatal development. Thus, nicotine replacement therapies are a popular alternative thought to be safer than cigarettes. However, recent studies in rodents suggest that fetal and neonatal nicotine exposure alone results in cardiac dysfunction and high blood pressure. While it is well known that perinatal nicotine exposure causes increased congenital abnormalities, the mechanisms underlying longer-term deficits in cardiac function are not completely understood. Recently, our laboratory demonstrated that nicotine impairs placental protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) triggering an increase in endoplasmic reticulum stress, leading us to hypothesize that this may also …

Increased Incidence Of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Male Rat Offspring Exposed To Fluoxetine During Fetal And Neonatal Life Involves The Nlrp3 Inflammasome And Augmented De Novo Hepatic Lipogenesis., Nicole E De Long, Daniel B Hardy, Noelle Ma, Alison C Holloway

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Up to 10% of women take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) during pregnancy. Children exposed to SSRIs in utero have an increased risk of being overweight suggesting that fetal exposure to SSRIs can cause permanent metabolic changes. We have previously shown in rats that fetal and neonatal exposure to the SSRI antidepressant fluoxetine results in metabolic perturbations including increased hepatic triglyceride content; a hallmark of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the mechanism(s) underlying the fluoxetine-induced increase in intrahepatic triglyceride content. Female nulliparous Wistar rats were given vehicle or fluoxetine (10 mg/kg/day) …

Connective Tissue, Glial And Neuronal Expressions In Testis Of The African Giant Rat (Cricetomys Gambianus), T. E. Falade, Matthew A. Olude, Oluwaseun A. Mustapha, Ejikeme F. Mbajiorgu, Amadi O. Ihunwo, F. E. Olopade, B. O. Oke

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction:

This study was carried out to investigate the expression of connective tissue (Collagens I and III), glia and neuronal markers in the testis of the African giant rat using histology and immunohistochemistry techniques.

Materials and Methods:

Eight (8) apparently healthy wild male African giant rats were used for this experiment, divided into 2 groups (juvenile and adult) of 4 animals each. The testes were harvested following intracardial perfusion of the rats and histology was performed using Haematoxylin-Eosin stain and Mallory-Heideinhain rapid one- step staining for connective tissue. Immunohistochemical identification was achieved using the following antibodies: anti-collagen type …

Maternal Undernutrition And Long-Term Effects On Hepatic Function, Daniel B. Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Undernutrition in utero, regardless of the source, can impair proper liver development leading to long-term metabolic dysfunction. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying how nutritional deficits during perinatal life lead to permanent alterations in hepatic gene expression will provide better therapeutic strategies to alleviate the undernourished liver in postnatal life. This chapter addresses the different experimental models of undernutrition in utero, and highlights the direct and indirect mechanisms involved leading to metabolic diseases in the liver. These include hypoxia, oxidative stress, epigenetic alterations, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. In addition, promising perinatal nutritional and pharmaceutical interventions are highlighted which …

Perinatal Malnutrition And Epigenetic Regulation Of Long-Term Metabolism In The Liver And Adipose Tissue, Daniel B. Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

Maternal malnutrition in perinatal life can have long-lasting adverse effects on glucose and lipid homeostasis in the offspring, culminating in dyslipidemia, insulin resistance and obesity. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying how these nutritional deficits during perinatal life lead to permanent changes in hepatic and adipose function will provide efficacious therapeutic strategies to mitigate these metabolic defects short- and long-term. This chapter addresses how epigenetic mechanisms mediate alterations in hepatic and adipose gene expression identified from clinical studies and different experimental models of maternal malnutrition. These include DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and microRNAs.

Effects Of Protein Deficiency On Perinatal And Postnatal Health Outcomes, Shelby L. Oke, Daniel B. Hardy

Physiology and Pharmacology Publications

There are a variety of environmental insults that can occur during pregnancy which cause low birth weight and poor fetal health outcomes. One such insult is maternal malnutrition, which can be further narrowed down to a low protein diet during gestation. Studies show that perinatal protein deficiencies can impair proper organ growth and development, leading to long-term metabolic dysfunction. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie how this deficiency leads to adverse developmental outcomes is essential for establishing better therapeuticstrategies that may alleviate or prevent diseases in later life. This chapter reviews how perinatal protein restriction in humans and animals leads …

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 …

A Longitudinal Study Of Peripubertal Serum Organochlorine Concentrations And Semen Parameters In Young Men: The Russian Children's Study, Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, Oleg Sergeyev, Jane S. Burns, Paige L. Williams, Mary M. Lee, Susan A. Korrick, Luidmila Smigulina, Boris Revich, Russ Hauser

Mary M. Lee

BACKGROUND: Exposures to endocrine disrupting chemicals during critical phases of testicular development may be related to poorer semen parameters. However, few studies have assessed the association between childhood organochlorine (OC) exposure and adult semen parameters.

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether peripubertal serum OC concentrations are associated with semen parameters among young Russian men.

METHODS: From 2003 to 2005, 516 boys were enrolled at age 8-9 years and followed for up to ten years. Serum OCs were measured in the enrollment samples using high-resolution mass spectrometry. At age 18-19 years, 133 young men provided one or two semen samples (256 samples) collected …

Ethical Concerns For Assisted Reproductive Technologies, Olga Najera

Dialogue & Nexus

The development of assisted reproductive technologies has provided new options for infertile couples in their pursuit of parenthood. As a result of the successful implementation of in vitro fertilization (IVF), gestational surrogacy is now an alternative. Other technology, such as genetic enhancement, could potentially become available for human beings soon; however, numerous ethical concerns have been raised by the fact that it requires germline engineering. The concerns brought about by these new reproductive technologies will be addressed in light of the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and of the following ethical theories: Kantian, evolutionary, utilitarian, and virtue ethics.

Informational Dichotomy Of The Mind; The Role Of Sexual Neuromodulators, Ion G. Motofei, David L. Rowland

Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences

Many basic physiological mechanisms of sexuality were initially studied on animal subjects and conclusions regarding human subjects extrapolated afterward. These ancestral reflexes are assumed to have ascended during human evolution to the cerebral level, where cognition would intermediate (being an environmental operator) both sexual and mental processes. Accordingly, the study of human sexuality suggests an additional/ particular documentation regarding mental existence and its implication, phenomena that are not characteristic of animals.

In a previously published paper we presented ideas regarding the structural dichotomy of the mind and its subsequent implications to sexuality. In this paper we present a general perspective …

Cystatin C And Cardiac Measures In Children And Adolescents With Ckd., Tammy M. Brady, Kelly Townsend, Michael F. Schneider, Christopher Cox, Thomas Kimball, Peace Madueme, Bradley A. Warady, Susan Furth, Mark Mitsnefes

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent among children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cystatin C is an established marker of kidney function and an emerging biomarker for CVD events. We quantified the relationship between cystatin C level and cardiac structure and function over time among children with CKD and assessed whether cystatin C level and diastolic function retained an association after accounting for kidney function.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 678 children and adolescents with mild to moderate CKD enrolled in the CKD in Children (CKiD) Study with 1,228 echocardiographically obtained cardiac structure and function measurements. …

Breed Quality Scores For Post-Cervical Artificial Insemination And The Effects On Farrowing Rate And Total Born At A Commercial Swine Facility In The Southern United States, Kathryn R. Prus

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this experiment was to determine the possible relationship between a sow’s ease of breeding on the first service and the farrowing rate and total born. This study was conducted in a commercial farrowing unit in the Southern United States utilizing pen gestation with stock of 6,000 head. Five hundred ninety-seven sows were bred between the months of April and May 2017 were selected for this study. All animals were inseminated using a post-cervical artificial insemination catheter unless insertion of the inner catheter was impossible. The semen dose fell within the following parameters: concentration of 1.5 x 10 …

Role Of Fgf23 In Pediatric Hypercalciuria., Maria Goretti Moreira Guimarães Penido, Marcelo De Sousa Tavares, Uri S. Alon

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Background: This study explored the possible role of FGF23 in pediatric hypercalciuria.

Methods: Plasma FGF23 was measured in 29 controls and 58 children and adolescents with hypercalciuria: 24 before treatment (Pre-Treated) and 34 after 6 months of treatment (Treated). Hypercalciuric patients also measured serum PTH hormone, 25(OH)vitD, phosphate, calcium, creatinine, and 24 h urine calcium, phosphate, and creatinine.

Results: There were no differences in age, gender, ethnicity, or body mass index either between controls and patients, or between Pre-Treated and Treated patients. Median plasma FGF23 in controls was 72 compared with all patients, 58 RU/mL (p = 0.0019). However, …

Why Baby Markets Aren’T Free, Dorothy E. Roberts

All Faculty Scholarship

Creating families in the twenty-first century increasingly happens in markets where the buying and selling of reproductive goods and services are facilitated by advanced technologies, the internet, contracts, and state laws and policies. Thus, the title of this international congress—“Baby Markets”—aptly captures a key aspect of modern reproduction. The ability of potential parents to engage in market transactions involving children enhances parents’ autonomy over their family lives. The free market seems to liberate us from the constraints of biology and state control.

This Essay argues, however, that baby markets aren’t free. Three aspects of the way reproductive goods and services …

Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome In First Trimester Pregnancy Successfully Treated With Eculizumab, Gabriela Andries, Michael Karass, Srikanth Yandrapalli, M Karass, Delong Liu, John Nelson, R Pawar, Savneek Chugh

NYMC Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is a rare disorder which is known to cause acute thrombotic microangiopathy during pregnancy with poor maternal and fetal outcomes. Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome is caused mostly by dysregulation of alternative complement pathway secondary to genetic mutations. Most of the cases reported have been in the post-partum period. We report a rare case of a patient who presents with thrombotic microangiopathy in the first trimester of her eleventh pregnancy and was successfully treated with eculizumab. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old woman presented at 10 weeks of gestation with hypertension, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute kidney injury, …