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Is Laughter The Best Medicine? An Evaluation Of The Physiological Effects Of Laughter, Annette Dalezman

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Laughter directly affects one’s physiology. Laughter causes various muscle contractions which, in turn, affect body systems. Specifically, the cardiovascular, immune, and respiratory systems are impacted by laughter. Stress levels and pain tolerance thresholds are also directly impacted by laughter. Research has been done on the effects of laughter in patients with cancer, dementia, and atopic dermatitis. Based on the review of multiple experiments, a direct correlation between laughter and multiple body systems and diseases seems to exist.

Effects Of Lycopene On Plasma Glucose, Insulin Levels, Oxidative Stress, And Body Weights Of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats, Muhsi̇n Aydin, Sefa Çeli̇k

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To determine possible therapeutic effects of oral lycopene supplementation on plasma insulin levels, lipid peroxidation, blood glucose levels, and the antioxidant defense system of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Materials and methods: Classical biochemical methods were used to determine plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione (GSH) levels. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine plasma insulin levels and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the levels of brain antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px). Results: It was found that the diabetes-related increase in blood glucose levels was reduced by supplementation …

Impacts Of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals On Hybrid Striped Bass: Altered Predation Behavior As A Function Of Changes In Brain Chemistry, Joseph Bisesi

All Dissertations

Advances in Analytical Chemistry have led to the detection of low concentrations of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in wastewater treatment plant effluents as well as their receiving waters. Antidepressants are routinely found among these contaminants, but have been shown to be relatively non-toxic at environmentally measured concentrations using traditional toxicity testing techniques. The neurochemical mode of action of antidepressants warrants investigation of the effects these chemicals may have on fish behavior due to the highly conserved nature of neurotransmitter transporter targets. Using a predator prey bioassay designed in our laboratory, previous studies has shown that the antidepressant fluoxetine …

Ischemia Impairs Vasodilation In Skeletal Muscle Resistance Artery, Kyle Remington Struthers

Master's Theses

Functional vasodilation in arterioles is impaired with chronic ischemia. We sought to examine the impact of chronic ischemia and age on skeletal muscle resistance artery function. To examine the impact of chronic ischemia, the femoral artery was resected from young (2-3mo) and adult (6-7mo) mice and the profunda femoris artery diameter was measured at rest and following gracilis muscle contraction 14 days later using intravital microscopy. Functional vasodilation was significantly impaired in ischemic mice (14.4±4.6% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p<0.0001 n=8) and non-ischemic adult mice (103.0±9.4% vs. 137.8±14.3%, p=0.05 n=10). In order to analyze the cellular mechanisms of the impairment, a protocol was developed to apply pharmacological agents to the experimental preparation while maintaining tissue homeostasis. Endothelial and smooth muscle dependent vasodilation were impaired with ischemia, 39.6 ± 13.6% vs. 80.5 ± 11.4% and 43.0 ± 11.7% vs. 85.1 ± 10.5%, respectively. From this data, it can be supported that smooth muscle dysfunction is the reason for the observed impairment in arterial vasodilation.

Lysophosphatidic Acid Production And Signaling In Platelets, Zachary Bennett Fulkerson

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) belongs to a class of extracellular lipid signaling molecules. In the vasculature, LPA may regulate platelet activation and modulate endothelial and smooth muscle cell function. LPA has therefore been proposed as a mediator of cardiovascular disease.

The bulk of circulating LPA is produced from plasma lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) by autotaxin (ATX), a secreted lysophospholipase D (lysoPLD). Early studies suggest that some of the production of circulating LPA is platelet-dependent. ATX possesses an N-terminal somatomedin B-like domain suggesting the hypothesis that ATX interacts with platelet integrins which may localize ATX to substrate in the membrane and/or alter the catalytic …

Role Of The Cardiomyocyte Circadian Clock In Modulating Myocardial Physiology And Pathophysiology, David Joseph Durgan

All ETDs from UAB

It is well established that multiple parameters of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology exhibit diurnal variations. For example, human heart rate and blood pressure peak during the morning and trough in the evening. Similarly, there is a morning prevalence for the onset of multiple adverse cardiovascular events, including myocardial ischemia, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. Traditionally these rhythms have been attributed to rhythms in neurohumoral stimulation. However recent identification of the circadian clock mechanism in cardiovascular relevant cell types, including the cardiomyocyte, has prompted investigation into its role in modulating myocardial physiology and pathophysiology over the course of the day. Preliminary …

Cortisol Exerts Bi-Phasic Regulation Of Inflammation In Humans, Mark P. Yeager, Patricia Pioli, Paul M. Guyre

Dartmouth Scholarship

Natural and synthetic glucocorticoids (GCs) have been used for decades to suppress inflammation. In this paper, we re-examine the role of the endogenous GC, cortisol, as a primary homeostatic regulator of the human inflammatory response to injury. Our data show that cortisol regulation of innate immunity can be both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory. Using a human model of in vivo cortisol depletion, we first show that baseline (diurnal) cortisol concentrations do not exert an anti-inflammatory effect. This is the first clue that cortisol regulation of inflammation is not represented by a linear dose-response relationship. We next show in surgical patients that …

Osteopontin And Cadherin 11 Are Novel Mediators And Drug Targets For Chronic Lung Diseases, Daniel J. Schneider

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Chronic lung diseases (CLDs) are a considerable source of morbidity and mortality and are thought to arise from dysregulation of normal wound healing processes. An aggressive, feature of many CLDs is pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and is characterized by excess deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins from myofibroblasts in airways. However, factors regulating myofibroblast biology are incompletely understood. Proteins in the cadherin family contribute epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), a suggested source of myofibroblasts. Cadherin 11 (CDH11) contributes to developmental and pathologic processes that parallel those seen in PF and EMT. Utilizing Cdh11 knockout (Cdh11 -/-) mice, the goal of this …

Tamoxifen: Mechanisms Of Resistance, Cyrus Mccoy Adams

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

The role of estrogen in breast cancer has been recognized for decades. The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen was the first targeted therapy for the treatment of breast cancer. It was also the first drug approved by the FDA for the reduction of breast cancer risk. While tamoxifen has extended the lives of countless patients with breast cancer, resistance to tamoxifen remains a significant clinical problem. Work over the last two decades has greatly enhanced our understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which breast cancer cells may become resistant to tamoxifen treatment. Here I review our current understanding of the …

4 Part Research Project: Cholecystokinin, Marcie Tasker

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

This 4 part research paper contains information on the biological molecule Cholecystokinin. The following research discusses and presents evidence of the name, history and structure of the hormone. It also discusses the different chemical reactions Cholecystokinin has in the body, the biological roles of Cholecystokinin and the importance of Cholecystokinin focusing specifically on the unexplained obesity issue of our world.

Development Of Novel Ahr Antagonists, Hyosung Lee

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a sensor protein, activated by aromatic chemical species for transcriptionally regulating xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes. AHR is also known to be involved in a variety of pathogenesis such as cancer, diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis, asthma, etc. The AHR signaling induced by xenobiotics has been intensively studied whereas its physiological role in the absence of xenobiotics is poorly understood. Despite a number of ligands of AHR have been reported thus far, further applications are still hampered by the lack of specificity and/or the partially agonistic activity. Thus, a pure AHR antagonist is needed for deciphering the AHR cryptic …

A Truncation Mutation In Tbc1d4 In A Family With Acanthosis Nigricans And Postprandial Hyperinsulinemia, Satya Dash, Hiroyuki Sano, Justin J. Rochford, Robert K. Semple

Dartmouth Scholarship

Tre-2, BUB2, CDC16, 1 domain family member 4 (TBC1D4) (AS160) is a Rab-GTPase activating protein implicated in insulin-stimulated glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation in adipocytes and myotubes. To determine whether loss-of-function mutations in TBC1D4 might impair GLUT4 translocation and cause insulin resistance in humans, we screened the coding regions of this gene in 156 severely insulin-resistant patients. A female presenting at age 11 years with acanthosis nigricans and extreme postprandial hyperinsulinemia was heterozygous for a premature stop mutation (R363X) in TBC1D4. After demonstrating reduced expression of wild-type TBC1D4 protein and expression of the truncated protein in lymphocytes from the proband, …

The Potential For Nutrigenomics In Prevention Of Metabolic Syndrome, J. David Gangemi, Dana King

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Molecular Processes That Handle — And Mishandle — Dietary Lipids, Kevin Jon Williams

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Overconsumption of lipid-rich diets, in conjunction with physical inactivity, disables and kills staggering numbers of people worldwide. Recent advances in our molecular understanding of cholesterol and triglyceride transport from the small intestine to the rest of the body provide a detailed picture of the fed/fasted and active/sedentary states. Key surprises include the unexpected nature of many pivotal molecular mediators, as well as their dysregulation — but possible reversibility — in obesity, diabetes, inactivity, and related conditions. These mechanistic insights provide new opportunities to correct dyslipoproteinemia, accelerated atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and other deadly sequelae of overnutrition and underexertion.

Metabolism Of Neutrophil-Deprived Chlorinated Isoflavones, Tracy Lyn D'Alessandro

All ETDs from UAB

Despite medical advances in both drug therapy and surgical techniques, Americans mostly die from heart disease. Many belong to the low- and middle-class families who do not have sufficient access to medical care due to its high costs. An alternative is the development of healthier lifestyles such as diet which may play a positive role in chronic disease management. Epidemiological and migratory studies suggest that soy plays a pivotal role in the decreased incidence of heart disease in East Asian countries, such as China, Japan, and Korea. The role of soy in cardiovascular disease progression has been the subject of …

Adenovirus As A Platform For Assembly And Targeted Delivery Of Gold Nanoparticles To Tumor Cells, Vaibhav Saini

All ETDs from UAB

Novel combinatorial strategies need to be explored to achieve tumor eradication. In this regard, viral vector based gene therapy and nanotechnology offer unique possibilities for cancer therapy. As an example, multifunctional adenoviral (Ad) vectors capable of targeting, imaging, and successful cancer gene therapy have been advanced into multiple clinical trials. Similarly, novel multifunctional gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been utilized for drug delivery, targeting, imaging, and hyperthermia tumor therapy. Therefore, to accrue the benefits of both gene therapy and nanotechnology for cancer therapy, we proposed to combine Ad vectors and AuNPs in a single multifunctional nanodevice. Towards this goal, herein, we …

Aging Influences Multiple Indices Of Oxidative Stress In The Heart Of The Fischer 344/Nnia X Brown Norway/Binia Rat, Shinichi Asano

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Here we report the influence of aging on multiple markers of oxidativenitrosative stress in the heart of adult (6-month), aged (30-month) and very aged (36- month) Fischer 344/NNiaHSd X Brown Norway/BiNia (F344/NXBN) rats. Compared to 6 month old rat hearts, indices of oxidative (superoxide anion (–O2 ·), 4-hyrdoxy-2- nonenal (4-HNE)) and nitrosative (protein nitrotyrosylation) stress were 34.1 ± 28.1%, 186 ± 28.1% and 94 ± 5.8% higher, respectively, in 36-month hearts and these findings were highly correlated with increases in left ventricular wall thickness (r>0.669; r>0.710 and p<0.01, respectively). Regression analysis showed that increases in cardiac oxidative-nitrosative stress with aging were significantly correlated with changes in the expression and/or regulation of proteins involved in transcriptional (NF-κB) activities, signaling (mitogen activated protein kinases along with Src), apoptotic ( Bcl-2, Traf-2), and cellular stress (HSPs). These results suggest that the aging F344/NXBN heart may be highly suited for unraveling the molecular events that lead to age-associated alterations in cardiac oxidative stress.

Technical Approach To Generate Polyclonalantibodies Against Bacterially Expressed Gst-Pyk-C: Evaluation Of Cross-Reaction Andrecognition In Some Mammalian And Yeast Celllysates, Ayşegül Ayyildiz

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Pyk-2 is a protein tyrosine kinase, highly expressed in human hippocampus, dentate gyrus and olfactory bulb. In this study, polyclonal antibodies against the C-terminal of pyk-2, starting from Pro-759, were generated by injecting rabbits with the bacterially expressed GST fusion construct, generated by cloning the C-terminal domain of pyk-2 into pGEX-3X vector and affinity purification to increase the specificity of recognition. Anti-pyk-C was shown to recognize a 123 kD band in Western Blots of 293 cells transfected with pyk-2, as well as PC-12, COS and 3T3 cells and not to cross-react with FAK transfected Sf-21 lysates, in spite of high …

Physiology And Pharmacology: 1905-1977; Physiology: 1977-1983, Helge Ellis Ederstrom, Stanley J. Brumleve

UND Departmental Histories

This departmental history was written on the occasion of the UND Centennial in 1983.

The Duration Of The Effect Of Different Carbohydrates On Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, Judy L. Reeser

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

In order to determine the duration of the effect of glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, starch, and orange juice on neutrophilic phagocytosis, 10 subjects underwent a complete series of carbohydrate tolerance tests. Blood samples were drawn at specific time periods following ingestion of 100 grams of each carbohydrate. Blood was then analyzed for glucose and phagocytic index (the mean number of bacteria engulfed per leukocyte); a red blood cell and white blood cell count and differential white cell count were done also on about 1/2 of the samples. In addition, 7 other subjects participated in a fasting study in which no …

A Follow-Up Study Of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease And Their Practice Of The Breathing Pattern, A. Theodora Djagia

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this descriptive survey was to do a follow-up study on patients with COPD to find out to what extent these patients have followed instruction to continue exercising the abdominal and diaphragmatic muscles, with the utilization of a breathing pattern. Literature was reviewed which revealed contradictory findings in regard to the physiological benefits of the use of the breathing pattern. Nine patients met the criteria and signed a consent sheet to be visited in their homes. An Observation Data Sheet and Interview Guide were the tools used to collect data. A point system was constructed and used with …

Sex And The Transurethral Prostatectomy, Edward T. Moon

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The purpose of this research was to find out what effects the TURP has on ejaculatory ability, frequency of coitus and the emission of seminal fluid. The sample consisted of 50 men, age 46-65, who were married, and had no cancer or other possible physical causes for impotence. Each man was personally interviewed.

Forty-six patients (92 percent) were able to ejaculate. A decrease in the frequency of coitus was reported by 40 per cent of the men. A normal ejaculation of seminal fluid was experienced by thirteen (26 percent) of the men. Considering all the changes in the sexual function …

Kymographic Recordings Of Muscle And Nerve Tissue From The Rana Pipiens, Guilbert K. Jones

Bachelors’ Theses

This Thesis is the result of several months of work done in the Physiology Laboratory in the Marquette University School of Medicine. The experiments performed will enable one to become familiar with the general principles involved in the recording of reactions of muscle and nerve tissue by Kymographic methods. Especial attention is directed to the results of these experiments.