Digital Commons Network^™

Myocardial Infarction In Neonatal Mice, A Model Of Cardiac Regeneration, Jessica N. Blom, Xiangru Lu, Paul Arnold, Qingping Feng

Paediatrics Publications

Myocardial infarction induced by coronary artery ligation has been used in many animal models as a tool to study the mechanisms of cardiac repair and regeneration, and to define new targets for therapeutics. For decades, models of complete heart regeneration existed in amphibians and fish, but a mammalian counterpart was not available. The recent discovery of a postnatal window during which mice possess regenerative capabilities has led to the establishment of a mammalian model of cardiac regeneration. A surgical model of mammalian cardiac regeneration in the neonatal mouse is presented herein. Briefly, postnatal day 1 (P1) mice are anesthetized by …

Expression And Function Of Pannexins In The Inner Ear And Hearing, Hong-Bo Zhao

Otolaryngology--Head & Neck Surgery Faculty Publications

Pannexin (Panx) is a gene family encoding gap junction proteins in vertebrates. So far, three isoforms (Panx1, 2 and 3) have been identified. All of three Panx isoforms express in the cochlea with distinct expression patterns. Panx1 expresses in the cochlea extensively, including the spiral limbus, the organ of Corti, and the cochlear lateral wall, whereas Panx2 and Panx3 restrict to the basal cells of the stria vascularis in the lateral wall and the cochlear bony structure, respectively. However, there is no pannexin expression in auditory sensory hair cells. Recent studies demonstrated that like connexin gap junction gene, Panx1 deficiency …

Changes In The Adult Glun2b Associated Proteome Following Adolescent Intermittent Ethanol Exposure, H. Scott Swartzwelder, Mary-Louise Risher, Kelsey M. Miller, Roger J. Colban, Danner G. Winder, Tiffany A. Wills

Biomedical Sciences

Adolescent alcohol use is the strongest predictor for alcohol use disorders. In rodents, adolescents have distinct responses to acute ethanol, and prolonged alcohol exposure during adolescence can maintain these phenotypes into adulthood. One brain region that is particularly sensitive to the effects of both acute and chronic ethanol exposure is the hippocampus. Adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) produces long lasting changes in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and dendritic morphology, as well as in the susceptibility to acute ethanol-induced spatial memory impairment. Given the pattern of changes in hippocampal structure and function, one potential target for these effects is the ethanol sensitive …

Adiponectin Ameliorates The Apoptotic Effects Of Paraquat On Alveolar Type Ⅱ Cells Via Improvements In Mitochondrial Function., Yarong He, Liqun Zou, Yaxiong Zhou, Hai Hu, Rong Yao, Yaowen Jiang, Wayne Bond Lau, Tun Yuan, Wen Huang, Zhi Zeng, Yu Cao

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Previous studies have demonstrated that excessive reactive oxygen/nitrogen species (ROS/RNS)‑induced apoptosis is an important feature of the injury to the lung epithelium in paraquat (PQ) poisoning. However the precise mechanisms of PQ‑induced dysfunction of the mitochondria, where ROS/RNS are predominantly produced, remain to be fully elucidated. Whether globular adiponectin (gAd), a potent molecule protective to mitochondria, regulates the mitochondrial function of alveolar type II cells to reduce PQ‑induced ROS/RNS production remains to be investigated. The current study aimed to investigate the precise mechanisms of PQ poisoning in the mitochondria of alveolar type II cells, and to elucidate the role of …

Suppression Of Progranulin Expression Inhibits Bladder Cancer Growth And Sensitizes Cancer Cells To Cisplatin., Simone Buraschi, Shi-Qiong Xu, Manuela Stefanello, Igor Moskalev, Alaide Morcavallo, Marco Genua, Ryuta Tanimoto, Ruth Birbe, Stephen C. Peiper, Leonard G. Gomella, Antonino Belfiore, Peter C. Black, Renato V. Iozzo, Andrea Morrione

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

We have recently demonstrated a critical role for progranulin in bladder cancer. Progranulin contributes, as an autocrine growth factor, to the transformed phenotype by modulating Akt-and MAPK-driven motility, invasion and anchorage-independent growth. Progranulin also induces F-actin remodeling by interacting with the F-actin binding protein drebrin. In addition, progranulin is overexpressed in invasive bladder cancer compared to normal tissue controls, suggesting that progranulin might play a key role in driving the transition to the invasive phenotype of urothelial cancer. However, it is not established whether targeting progranulin could have therapeutic effects on bladder cancer. In this study, we stably depleted urothelial …

Radiation-Enhanced Therapeutic Targeting Of Galectin-1 Enriched Malignant Stroma In Triple Negative Breast Cancer, Meenakshi Upreti, Amar Jyoti, Sara E. Johnson, Elden P. Swindell, Dana L. Napier, Pallavi Sethi, Ryan Chan, Jonathan M. Feddock, Heidi L. Weiss, Thomas V. O'Halloran, B. Mark Evers

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Currently there are no FDA approved targeted therapies for Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). Ongoing clinical trials for TNBC have focused primarily on targeting the epithelial cancer cells. However, targeted delivery of cytotoxic payloads to the non-transformed tumor associated-endothelium can prove to be an alternate approach that is currently unexplored. The present study is supported by recent findings on elevated expression of stromal galectin-1 in clinical samples of TNBC and our ongoing findings on stromal targeting of radiation induced galectin-1 by the anginex-conjugated arsenic-cisplatin loaded liposomes using a novel murine tumor model. We demonstrate inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis …

Ubr3, A Novel Modulator Of Hh Signaling Affects The Degradation Of Costal-2 And Kif7 Through Poly-Ubiquitination, Tongchao Li, Junkai Fan, Bernardo Blanco-Sánchez, Nikolaos Giagtzoglou, Guang Lin, Shinya Yamamoto, Manish Jaiswal, Kuchuan Chen, Jie Zhang, Wei Wei, Michael T. Lewis, Andrew K. Groves, Monte Westerfield, Jianhang Jia, Hugo J. Bellen

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates multiple aspects of metazoan development and tissue homeostasis, and is constitutively active in numerous cancers. We identified Ubr3, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a novel, positive regulator of Hh signaling in Drosophila and vertebrates. Hh signaling regulates the Ubr3-mediated poly-ubiquitination and degradation of Cos2, a central component of Hh signaling. In developing Drosophila eye discs, loss of ubr3 leads to a delayed differentiation of photoreceptors and a reduction in Hh signaling. In zebrafish, loss of Ubr3 causes a decrease in Shh signaling in the developing eyes, somites, and sensory neurons. However, not all tissues that require …

World Allergy Organization-Mcmaster University Guidelines For Allergic Disease Prevention (Glad-P): Vitamin D, Juan José Yepes-Nuñez, Alessandro Fiocchi, Ruby Pawankar, Carlos A. Cuello-Garcia, Yuan Zhang, Gian Paolo Morgano, Kangmo Ahn, Suleiman Al-Hammadi, Arnav Agarwal, Shreyas Gandhi, Kirsten Beyer, Wesley Burks, Giorgio W. Canonica, Motohiro Ebisawa, Rose Kamenwa, Bee Wah Lee, Haiqi Li, Susan Prescott, John J. Riva, Lanny Rosenwasser, Hugh Sampson, Michael Spigler, Luigi Terracciano, Andrea Vereda, Susan Waserman, Holger J. Schünemann, Jan L. Brożek

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: The prevalence of allergic diseases is approximately 10 % in infants whose parents and siblings do not have allergic diseases and 20–30 % in those with an allergic first-degree relative. Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of the immune system and it may play a role in the development, severity and course of asthma and other allergic diseases.

Objective: The World Allergy Organization (WAO) convened a guideline panel to develop evidence-based recommendations addressing the use of vitamin D in primary prevention of allergic diseases.

Methods: Our WAO guideline panel identified the most relevant clinical questions and performed a …

Interaction Of Tau With The Rna-Binding Protein Tia1 Regulates Tau Pathophysiology And Toxicity, Tara Vanderweyde, Daniel J. Apicco, Katherine Youmans-Kidder, Peter E. A. Ash, Casey Cook, Edroaldo Lummertz Da Rocha, Karen Jansen-West, Alissa A. Frame, Allison Citro, John D. Leszyk, Pavel Ivanov, Jose F. Abisambra, Martin Steffen, Hu Li, Leonard Petrucelli, Benjamin Wolozin

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Dendritic mislocalization of microtubule associated protein tau is a hallmark of tauopathies, but the role of dendritic tau is unknown. We now report that tau interacts with the RNA-binding protein (RBP) TIA1 in brain tissue, and we present the brain-protein interactome network for TIA1. Analysis of the TIA1 interactome in brain tissue from wild-type (WT) and tau knockout mice demonstrates that tau is required for normal interactions of TIA1 with proteins linked to RNA metabolism, including ribosomal proteins and RBPs. Expression studies show that tau regulates the distribution of TIA1, and tau accelerates stress granule (SG) formation. Conversely, TIA1 knockdown …

Revealing The Quality Of Movement: A Meta-Analysis Review To Quantify The Thresholds To Pathological Variability During Standing And Walking, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Neuromotor processes are inherently noisy, which results in variability during movement and fluctu-ations in motor control. Although controversial, low levels of variability are traditionally considered healthy, while increased levels are thought to be pathological. This systematic review and meta-analysisof the literature investigates the thresholds between healthy and pathological task variability.

After examining 13,195 publications, 109 studies were included. Results from over 3000 healthy sub-jects and 2775 patients revealed an overall positive effect size of pathology on variability of 0.59 forwalking and 0.80 for sway. For the coefficient of variation of stride time (ST) and sway area (SA), upperthresholds of 2.6% …

Interventions For Treating Hyperemesis Gravidarum., Rupsa Boelig, Samantha J Barton, Gabriele Saccone, Anthony J Kelly, Steve J Edwards, Vincenzo Berghella

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Hyperemesis gravidarum is a severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy affecting 0.3% to 1.0% of pregnancies, and is one of the most common indications for hospitalization during pregnancy. While a previous Cochrane review examined interventions for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, there has not yet been a review examining the interventions for the more severe condition of hyperemesis gravidarum.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effectiveness and safety, of all interventions for hyperemesis gravidarum in pregnancy up to 20 weeks' gestation.

SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register and the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field's …

Tau And Aβ Imaging, Csf Measures, And Cognition In Alzheimer's Disease, Matthew R. Brier, Brian Gordon, Karl Friedrichsen, John E. Mccarthy, Ari Stern, Jon Christensen, Christopher Owen, Patricia Aldea, Yi Su, Jason Hassenstab, Nigel J. Cairns, David M. Holtzman, Anne M. Fagan, John C. Morris, Tammie L.S. Benzinger, Beau M. Ances

Mathematics Faculty Research

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by two molecular pathologies: cerebral β-amyloidosis in the form of β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and tauopathy in the form of neurofibrillary tangles, neuritic plaques, and neuropil threads. Until recently, only Aβ could be studied in humans using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging owing to a lack of tau PET imaging agents. Clinical pathological studies have linked tau pathology closely to the onset and progression of cognitive symptoms in patients with AD. We report PET imaging of tau and Aβ in a cohort of cognitively normal older adults and those with mild AD. Multivariate analyses identified unique …

Pharmacological Interventions For Painful Sickle Cell Vaso-Occlusive Crises In Adults, Tess E. Cooper, Ian R. Hambleton, Samir K. Ballas, Philip J. Wiffen

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows: To assess the analgesic efficacy, and adverse events, of pharmacological interventions used to treat acute painful sickle cell vaso-occlusive crises in adults, aged 18 and over, in any setting.

Estrogen Regulates Mirna Expression: Implication Of Estrogen Receptor And Mir-124/Akt2 In Tumor Growth And Angiogenesis., Cheng-Fei Jiang, Dong-Mei Li, Zhu-Mei Shi, Lin Wang, Min-Min Liu, Xin Ge, Xue Liu, Ying-Chen Qian, Yi-Yang Wen, Lin-Lin Zhen, Jie Lin, Ling-Zhi Liu, Bing-Hua Jiang

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

It is currently known that estrogen plays an important role in breast cancer (BC) development, but the underlying molecular mechanism remains to be elucidated. Accumulating evidence has revealed important roles of microRNAs in various kinds of human cancers, including BC. In this study, we found that among the microRNAs regulated by estrogen, miR-124 was the most prominent downregulated miRNA. miR-124 was downregulated by estradiol (E2) treatment in estrogen receptor (ER) positive BC cells, miR-124 overexpression suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in BC cells; while the suppression of miR-124 using Anti-miR-124 inhibitor had opposite cellular functions. Under the E2 treatment, …

Investigating The Use Of Chloroquine As Antineoplastic Therapy, Catherine E. Herron, Alexandra E. Mason

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Chloroquine (CQ) is an oral lysosomotropic agent routinely used as an anti-malarial drug (Espina & Liotta, 2013). In recent years, it has been discovered that CQ also possesses anticancer effects, potentially due to the drug’s inhibition of autophagy (Kimura, Takabatake, Takahashi, & Isaka, 2012). Autophagy is a normal cellular pathway that allows for the degradation of cytoplasmic contents. In cancer cells autophagy can also serve as a pro-survival pathway under stressful metabolic conditions, ultimately promoting the survival of malignant cells (Sui et al., 2013). Therefore, in recent years CQ has been speculated as a potential antineoplastic therapy. When administered in …

Speech At The Reception For Dr. Frazier At The Ishlt 2016. Remarks For O.H. Frazier, M.D., Edwin C. Mcgee Jr

The VAD Journal

No abstract provided.

Vitamin D Supplementation: Preventing Fractures, Courtney L. Carn, Michael S. Doherty

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To assess the ability of vitamin D supplementation in preventing musculoskeletal fractures. Methods: Systematic literature review using Google Scholar search terms “vitamin D supplementation” and “preventing hip fractures” from 2006-2015. Only RCTs, meta-analysis, and clinical guidelines were included. Results: Our search resulted in one meta-analysis and two randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The summation of our investigation into vitamin D deficiency and the presence of musculoskeletal fractures has proven to be relatively inconclusive. The resulting data from our three studies did not provide any definitive proof that improved vitamin D levels correlates with better bone health.

The Tnfα-Transgenic Rat: Hippocampal Synaptic Integrity, Cognition, Function, And Post-Ischemic Cell Loss, L. Creed Pettigrew, Richard J. Kryscio, Christopher M. Norris

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The cytokine, tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), is a key regulator of neuroinflammation linked to numerous neurodegenerative conditions and diseases. The present study used transgenic rats that overexpress a murine TNFα gene, under the control of its own promoter, to investigate the impact of chronically elevated TNFα on hippocampal synaptic function. Neuronal viability and cognitive recovery in TNFα Tg rats were also determined following an ischemic insult arising from reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Basal CA3-CA1 synaptic strength, recorded in acute brain slices, was not significantly different between eight-week-old TNFα Tg rats and non-Tg rats. In contrast, slices from …

Lasers In Tattoo And Pigmentation Control: Role Of The Picosure(®) Laser System., Richard Torbeck, Richard Bankowski, Sarah Henize, Nazanin Saedi

Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The use of picosecond lasers to remove tattoos has greatly improved due to the long-standing outcomes of nanosecond lasers, both clinically and histologically. The first aesthetic picosecond laser available for this use was the PicoSure(®) laser system (755/532 nm). Now that a vast amount of research on its use has been conducted, we performed a comprehensive review of the literature to validate the continued application of the PicoSure(®) laser system for tattoo removal.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted using the term "picosecond" combined with "laser", "dermatology", and "laser tattoo removal".

RESULTS: A total …

Acth Prevents Deficits In Fear Extinction Associated With Early Life Seizures, Andrew T. Massey, David K. Lerner, Gregory L. Holmes, Rod C. Scott, Amanda Hernan

Dartmouth Scholarship

Objective: Early life seizures (ELS) are often associated with cognitive and psychiatric comorbidities that are detrimental to quality of life. In a rat model of ELS, we explored long-term cognitive outcomes in adult rats. Using ACTH, an endogeneous HPA-axis hormone given to children with severe epilepsy, we sought to prevent cognitive deficits. Through comparisons with dexamethasone, we sought to dissociate the corticosteroid effects of ACTH from other potential mechanisms of action.

Results: Although rats with a history of ELS were able to acquire a conditioned fear learning paradigm and controls, these rats had significant deficits in their ability to extinguish …

Calpain-5 Expression In The Retina Localizes To Photoreceptor Synapses, Kellie A. Schaefer, Marcus A. Toral, Gabriel Velez, Allison J. Cox, Sheila A. Baker, Nicholas C. Borcherding, Diana F. Colgan, Vimala Bondada, Charles B. Mashburn, Chen Guang Yu, James W. Geddes, Stephen H. Tsang, Alexander G. Bassuk, Vinit B. Mahajan

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Purpose: We characterize calpain-5 (CAPN5) expression in retinal and neuronal subcellular compartments.

Methods: CAPN5 gene variants were classified using the exome variant server, and RNA-sequencing was used to compare expression of CAPN5 mRNA in the mouse and human retina and in retinoblastoma cells. Expression of CAPN5 protein was ascertained in humans and mice in silico, in mouse retina by immunohistochemistry, and in neuronal cancer cell lines and fractionated central nervous system tissue extracts by Western analysis with eight antibodies targeting different CAPN5 regions.

Results: Most CAPN5 genetic variation occurs outside its protease core; and searches …

Providing Pediatric Patients With A Voice : Understanding How Children Want To Live Before They Die, Nina Friedman

Graduate Student Independent Studies

This paper explores what quality of life is for pediatric patients and how health care professionals, a certified child life specialist in particular, can help the patient, family, and medical team to navigate treatment options and decisions regarding end-of-life.

A Conserved Dna Repeat Promotes Selection Of A Diverse Repertoire Of Trypanosoma Brucei Surface Antigens From The Genomic Archive., Galadriel Hovel-Miner, Monica R Mugnier, Benjamin Goldwater, George A M Cross, F Nina Papavasiliou

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine Faculty Publications

African trypanosomes are mammalian pathogens that must regularly change their protein coat to survive in the host bloodstream. Chronic trypanosome infections are potentiated by their ability to access a deep genomic repertoire of Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) genes and switch from the expression of one VSG to another. Switching VSG expression is largely based in DNA recombination events that result in chromosome translocations between an acceptor site, which houses the actively transcribed VSG, and a donor gene, drawn from an archive of more than 2,000 silent VSGs. One element implicated in these duplicative gene conversion events is a DNA repeat …

Characterization Of Bacterial Pathogens Involved In Aerobic Vaginitis: Prevalence, Strain Characterization And Sequelae, Leslie A. Lafferty

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Theses and Dissertations

Aerobic vaginitis (AV) is a more recently defined infection that involves aerobic pathogenic bacteria that replace the normal flora of the vaginal tract. It is commonly mistaken for other vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), because they share many common symptoms. AV leads to complications during pregnancy, such as premature delivery and amnion infection, and is diagnosed by indications that range from vaginal discharge to inflammation. Because this infection is difficult to diagnose differentially from other vaginal infections, it is important to determine what pathogens are involved in AV so that we may have the ability to detect them. …

Changes In Physical Functioning And Muscle Strength In Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer: A Controlled Comparison, Brian D. Gonzalex, Heather S. L. Jim, Brent J. Small, Mayer N. Fishman, Babu Zachariah, Randy V. Heysek, Paul B. Jacobsen

Aging Studies Faculty Publications

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine changes in muscle strength and self-reported physical functioning in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer compared to matched controls.

Methods: Prostate cancer patients scheduled to begin ADT (n = 62) were assessed within 20 days of starting ADT and 6 and 12 months later. Age and geographically matched prostate cancer controls treated with prostatectomy only (n = 86) were assessed at similar time intervals. Grip strength measured upper body strength, the Chair Rise Test measured lower body strength, and the SF-12 Physical Functioning scale measured self-reported physical functioning. …

The Effects Of Pulmonary Hypertension In Diabetic Zucker Rats On Pulmonary Vascular Contraction And Right Ventricular Size, Michael Franzetti

Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening disease that is identified by a resting mean pulmonary arterial pressure over 25 mmHg and established by right heart catheterization (Saglam et al., 2015). The symptoms commonly associated with pulmonary hypertension include fatigue, dyspnea, syncope, and chest pain, which severely limit quality of life in diagnosed patients (Saglam et al., 2015). According to recent studies in patients with pulmonary hypertension, the one, three and five year mortality rates are 8%, 25%, and 34%, respectively (Burudpakdee, Shah, Joish, Divers, & Yaldo, 2014). Although some advances have been made in therapies for pulmonary hypertension, the prognosis is …

A Study On Automated Process For Extracting White Blood Cellular Data From Microscopic Digital Injured Skeletal Muscle Images, Bibek Karki

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Skeletal muscle injury is one of the common injuries caused by high-intensity sports activities, military related works, and natural disasters. In order to discover better therapies, it is important to study muscle regeneration process. Muscle regeneration process tracking is the act of monitoring injured tissue section over time, noting white blood cell behavior and cell-fiber relations. A large number of microscopic images are taken for tracking muscle regeneration process over multiple time instances. Currently, manual approach is widely used to analyze a microscopic image of muscle cross section, which is time consuming, tedious and buggy.

Automation of this research methodology …

Modulation Of Cardiac Kv Currents By Kvbeta2 And Pyridine Nucleotides., Peter Joseph Kilfoil

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Myocardial voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels regulate the resting membrane potential and the repolarization phase of the action potential. Members of the Kv1 and Kv4 family associate with ancillary subunits, such as the Kvβ proteins, that modify channel kinetics, gating and trafficking. Previous investigation into the function of cardiac β subunits demonstrated that Kvβ1 regulates I_to and I_K,slow currents in the heart, but the role of Kvβ2 in the myocardium remains unknown. In heterologous expression systems, Kvβ2 increases surface expression of Kv1 channels, shifts the activation potential of Kv1 channels to more polarized voltages, and increases the inactivation of …

Ips Cell Transplantation For Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury., Miguel Goulao, Angelo C Lepore

Farber Institute for Neuroscience Faculty Papers

A large body of work has been published on transplantation of a wide range of neural stem and progenitor cell types derived from the developing and adult CNS, as well as from pluripotent embryonic stem cells, in models of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, many of these cell-based approaches present practical issues for clinical translation such as ethical cell derivation, generation of potentially large numbers of homogenously prepared cells, and immune rejection. With the advent of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cell technology, many of these issues may potentially be overcome. To date, a number of studies have demonstrated integration, …

Long-Term Effect Of Antiepileptic Drug Switch On Serum Lipids And C-Reactive Protein., Scott Mintzer, Rachael Miller, Krunal Shah, Inna Chervoneva, Maromi Nei, Christopher T. Skidmore, Michael R. Sperling

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have shown that switching patients from inducing antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) to lamotrigine, levetiracetam, or topiramate reduces serum lipids and C-reactive protein (CRP). These studies were all of short duration, and some drugs, such as zonisamide, have not been investigated.

METHODS: We recruited 41 patients taking phenytoin or carbamazepine who were being switched to zonisamide, lamotrigine, or levetiracetam. We measured serum lipids and CRP before the switch, >6weeks after, and >6months after. An untreated control group (n=14) underwent similar measurement. We combined these data with those of our previous investigation (n=34 patients and 16 controls) of a very …