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Pharmacology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Pharmacology

Diuretic And Natriuretic Activity Of Faah Inhibition In The Renal Medulla: A Proposed Role Of Palmitoylethanolamide And Its Regulation By Renal Medullary Interstitial Cells, Sara Dempsey Jan 2019

Diuretic And Natriuretic Activity Of Faah Inhibition In The Renal Medulla: A Proposed Role Of Palmitoylethanolamide And Its Regulation By Renal Medullary Interstitial Cells, Sara Dempsey

Theses and Dissertations

Hypertension is a critical public health issue worldwide, and in the United States, it is the leading cause of heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure, contributing to more than 1,100 deaths per day. It is proposed that the renal medulla combats increased blood pressure by releasing a neutral lipid from the lipid droplets of medullary interstitial cells, termed medullipin, which induces diuresis- natriuresis and vasodepression. The renal medulla is enriched with fatty acid lipid ethanolamides including the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA), palmitoylethanolamide (PEA), and oleoylethanolamide (OEA), along with their primary hydrolyzing enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Our lab is investigating …


Molecular Targets Of Psychedelics And Their Role In Behavioral Models Of Hallucinogenic Action, Hiba Z. Vohra Jan 2019

Molecular Targets Of Psychedelics And Their Role In Behavioral Models Of Hallucinogenic Action, Hiba Z. Vohra

Theses and Dissertations

Psychedelics are a subset of hallucinogenic drugs that exert their characteristic effects through agonist activity at the serotonin receptor 2A (5-HT2A). In this study, I aimed to characterize the modulatory role of the metabotropic glutamate subtype 2 receptor (mGluR2) in the 5-HT2A-specific rodent model of hallucinogenic action, head-twitch response (HTR). Secondly, I aimed to explore if 5-HT2A agonist-induced deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response, an additional model of hallucinogenic action, could be produced in mice. Though 5-HT2A agonist-induced PPI deficits, which represent interruptions in normal sensorimotor gating, have been described in …