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Kinesiology Commons

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Medicine and Health Sciences

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Muscular dystrophy

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Full-Text Articles in Kinesiology

Zebrafish As A Model To Understand The Impact Of Inactivity And Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Elisabeth Kilroy Aug 2020

Zebrafish As A Model To Understand The Impact Of Inactivity And Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation On Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Elisabeth Kilroy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle plasticity is imperative for functional adaptation to changing demands in activity. Although a great deal is known about the structural and functional plasticity of healthy skeletal muscle, far less is known about plasticity in diseased muscle. Here, we combined the power of the zebrafish model with the adaptability of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to study the basic mechanisms of plasticity in the zebrafish model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Four NMES paradigms, defined by their frequency, delay, and voltage, were designed to emulate the repetition and load schemes of human resistance training programs. Additionally, two inactivity paradigms were …


Cell-Matrix Adhesion In Muscle Development And Disease, Michelle F. Goody Aug 2012

Cell-Matrix Adhesion In Muscle Development And Disease, Michelle F. Goody

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A variety of diseases, both inherited and acquired, affect muscle tissues in humans. The anchoring of muscle fibers to their surrounding environment is critical for muscle homeostasis. Muscle fibers attach to their microenvironment through cell-matrix adhesion complexes. These anchoring complexes are placed under repeated stress during muscle contraction. Genetic mutations in these complexes weaken the attachment between muscle fibers and their microenvironment, making fibers more susceptible to damage and death. This increased fiber degeneration eventually leads to progressive muscle wasting diseases, known as congenital muscular dystrophies. Although clinical trials are ongoing, there is presently no way to cure the loss …