Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Acute Lps-Induced Immune Activation And Brain Insulin Signaling Disruption In A Diabetic Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Andrew Scott Murtishaw

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by progressive cognitive impairments and pathological hallmarks that include amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and neuronal loss. Several well-known mutations exist that lead to early-onset familial AD (fAD). However, these cases only account for a small percentage of total AD cases. The vast majority of AD cases are sporadic in origin (sAD) and are less clearly influenced by a single mutation but rather some combination of genetic and environmental risk.

The etiology of sAD remains unclear but numerous risk factors have been identified that increase the chance of developing AD. Among these risk …

The Role Of C-Kit Receptor Tyrosine Kinase In Beta-Cell Proliferation, Function And Survival, Zhi Chao Feng

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

c-Kit, a receptor tyrosine kinase, interacts with Stem Cell Factor (SCF), mediating cell differentiation, function, and survival. c-Kit is critical for the development and maintenance of beta-cell function in both rodents and humans. The mutation of c-Kit at W locus (c-Kit^Wv/+) in mice results in an early onset of diabetes. However, the underlying mechanisms by which c-Kit deficiency leads to beta-cell failure are unknown. Therefore, studying SCF/c-Kit downstream signaling pathways is essential to understanding the precise mechanism by which c-Kit regulates beta-cell survival and function in vivo.

We identified that dysregulated Akt/Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (Gsk3β)/cyclin …

Islet Regenerative Properties Of Ex Vivo Expanded Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells, Ayesh K. Seneviratne

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Human umbilical cord blood (UCB) progenitor cells with high aldehyde dehydrogenase activity (ALDH^hi), can stimulate endogenous islet regeneration after transplantation into mice with steptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. However, UCB ALDH^hi cell are extremely rare, and expansion will be required to develop cell-mediated strategies to treat patients with diabetes. To increase the number of progenitor cells available for clinical application, we expanded ALDH^hi UCB cells under clinically applicable, serum-free hematopoietic-restricted conditions. 6 day expansion resulted in a 15-fold increase in total cell number, and a 3-fold increase in the number of HPC retaining high ALDH (ALDH^hi HPC) …

The Role Of Integrins In Support Of Pancreatic Function, Survival And Maturation, Matthew Riopel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The pancreas is a glandular organ composed of endocrine and exocrine compartments. Integrins are cell adhesion molecules that connect cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Integrins modulate a variety of cellular effects, yet their mechanism of action in the developed pancreas is not well understood. Fibrin is a provisional ECM protein that contains ligands for integrin receptors. Fibrin is capable of supporting islet health, but it is unclear how fibrin exerts its effects. The objective of this thesis is to understand the role of integrin receptors on in vivo pancreatic cell function, survival, and proliferation. In addition, this thesis investigates …

The Role Of Obesity, Diabetes, And Hypertension In Cleft Lip And Cleft Palate Birth Defects, Hebah Alawi Kutbi

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Orofacial clefts (OFCs) are birth defects characterized by immediately recognizable disruption of normal facial structure caused by abnormal facial development during the first six to eight weeks of gestation, causing a cleft in the lip or the palate. OFCs are among the most common structural birth defects and a public health problem. Some studies have found that maternal obesity, diabetes, hypertension, or the underlying metabolic abnormalities known as the metabolic syndrome, might be associated with the risk of OFCs, though other studies have been inconsistent. Data of mothers who have had children with OFCs were compared to those of children …

Isolation And Characterization Of Natural Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors From Antioxidant Rich Red Wine Grapes (Vitis Vinifera), Hoda Chaouki Kadouh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Diabetes is currently a global public health problem affecting people at all ages. Dietary antioxidants have been associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Grape pomace contains considerable amounts of polyphenols and it has been reported to exhibit an inhibitory activity against alpha- glucosidases. Alpha-glucosidases, in turn, play a major role in controlling starch digestion and therefore postprandial blood glucose, a target for diabetes management.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the anti-diabetes potential of a selection of six grape pomaces and prepare and purify active components in the active variety that specifically inhibit intestinal alpha-glucosidases. The …

Investigation Into The Cellular Actions Of Carnosine And C-Peptide, Emma H. Gardner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Carnosine is a dipeptide composed of beta-alanine and histidine found exclusively in long-lived animal tissues. The cellular action of carnosine is still under extensive investigation; however, it has been proposed to have a role as an anti-oxidant and oxygen free radical scavenger, a physiological buffer, a heavy metal chelator, and has been implicated as an anti-aging agent.^2,4 Our lab has been studying the interaction between carnosine and heme by analyzing both the effect carnosine has on the glycation of the heme containing protein cytochrome c and the interaction of carnosine with free hemin. We have observed that the addition …

Leptin Resistance Induced Obesity And Diabetes Promote Neuropathological Changes In The Aging Brain, Thomas Platt

Theses and Dissertations--Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry

The aging brain is prone to the development of pathology and dementia. With a rapidly growing elderly population diagnoses of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and Parkinson’s disease are on the rise. Additionally, diabetes and obesity are linked to an increased risk of dementia. The convergence of this increasingly aged population with the obesity and diabetes epidemic give rise to new concerns regarding the future of prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Our lab has previously shown that leptin, an adipokine involved in signaling satiety to the hypothalamus, can modulate the generation of the amyloid …

Sleep Duration And Diabetes In An Adult Population Of Rural Upstate New York, Tarak Shrestha

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Introduction: Within the past five decades, there has been a rapid increase in the number of diabetic cases in the US. The number of diabetic cases increased from 1.5 million in 1959 to 25.8 million in 2011. Around the same time period, the average sleep duration per night decreased from 8 hours to 6.9 hours.

Is Marital Status A Determinant Of Self-Monitoring Of Blood Glucose?, Jasmine Evelyn Dixon Jones

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Glycemic control is one of the most important aspects of diabetes management and is necessary for the prevention or delay of complications associated with diabetes mellitus (DM). Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is a technique used achieve glycemic control by revealing day-to-day changes in blood glucose levels. Since marriage protective effects have been shown for mortality, especially for men, it is useful to determine whether a similar relationship is found between marriage and SMBG. The purpose of this study is to examine whether marital status is a determinant of SMBG, when controlling for other variables, and whether marital status determines …

The Modulatory Role Of Circulating Microvesicles In Endothelial Progenitor Cell Function Is Altered In T2dm, Hala Mustafa Ammar

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Circulating microvesicles (cMVs) are the extracellular MVs released from the cells in the blood and on the vascular wall. Our previous study demonstrates that cMVs of diabetic mouse are detrimental to endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are known to be very important for maintaining normal endothelial function and structure. In this study, we compared the levels of circulating EPCs and EPC-derived MVs (EPC-MVs) in diabetic and healthy subjects. Also, the migration ability, apoptosis rate and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production of EPCs cultured from diabetic and healthy subjects were determined. More importantly, we evaluated whether cMVs from healthy subjects (ch-MVs) …

Increased Urinary Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (Ace2) And Neprilysin (Nep) In Type 2 Diabetic Patients, Sridevi Gutta

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has reached epidemic proportions affecting more than 20 million adults in the US. CKD is routinely diagnosed and defined as reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR), increased urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) or both. Diabetes, hypertension and obesity share a major part in causing CKD. Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang (1-7)) is a vasodilator that plays an important renoprotective role in the renin angiotensin system, counteracting the vasoconstrictor and proliferative effects of Ang II. ACE2 and NEP which form Ang (1-7) by degrading Ang II and Ang I, respectively. A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase (ADAM) 17, which is responsible for …