Biochemistry Commons^™

The Role Of The Striatal Neuropeptide Neurotensin In The Methamphetamine-Induced Neural Injury In Mice, Qingkun Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Methamphetamine (METH) is a widely abused psychostimulant that induces neurotoxicity to several brain regions, including the striatum. Similar to dopamine (DA) in chemical structure, METH can be transported into DA pre-synaptic terminals, evoking the neurodegeneration in DA terminals and post-synaptic striatal neurons. Despite the critical role of DA in METH-induced neurodegeneration, no pharmaceutical therapeutics has been approved for these conditions. It is therefore essential to investigate the endogenous factors regulating the dopaminergic system. The neuropeptide neurotensin has emerged as a potential modulator of METH-induced striatal neurodegeneration mainly due to its intimate interactions with dopamine in the striatum.

In this study, …

Propagation Of Oligomeric Α-Synuclein And Amyloid-Β: Implications For Parkinson's And Alzheimer's Diseases, Matthew Stephen Planchard

Master's Theses

The aggregation of amyloidogenic proteins is a critical event in the pathology of a variety of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The proteins α-synuclein (αS) and amyloid-β (Aβ) are involved in the formation of amyloid lesions observed in PD and AD, respectively. Both PD and AD exhibit a significant amount of co-pathology in clinical settings, and the αS and Aβ proteins have been shown to interact in vitro. Recent experimental consensus has shown oligomeric species to be significant, if not primary, sources of toxicity in these diseases. …

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 …

Mechanisms To Mitigate Neurodegeneration By Maintaining Mitochondrial Health, Parijat Kabiraj

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Cerebral accumulation of amyloidogenic protein aggregates is most frequently observed in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies showed prion like spreading of beta amyloid (A beta) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and alpha synuclein protein in Parkinson's disease (PD) brain. Failure or compromise to the chaperone activity of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is also been reported as a major factor of aggregate formation. Nitrosative stress mediated S-nitrosylation (SNO) of protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), a housekeeping oxidoreductase, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD and AD. Mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is associated …

Characterization Of The Transporter Protein Sodium-Potassium Adenosine Triphosphatase In The Myelin Membrane, Dara E C Schaefer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Sodium-potassium adenosine triphosphatase (Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase) is an integral membrane protein with known involvement in the maintenance of resting membrane potentials, nutrient uptake, cellular signal transduction, and cell-cell adhesion. The functional enzyme contains a catalytic alpha subunit and a glycosylated beta subunit, of which three isoforms of each are known to exist in the central nervous system (CNS). Altered expression and/or activity of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase subunit isoforms has been previously implicated in the pathophysiology of several neurological disorders. This study characterized Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase expression and distribution in the myelin membrane, identified its …