Physiology Commons^™

Characterization Of The Whale Shark (Rhincodon Typus) Melanocortin-2 Receptor, Brianne Hoglin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Among bony vertebrates, the melanocortin-2 receptor ortholog is unique among the family of five melanocortin receptors on the basis that it is dependent on its accessory protein, MRAP1, for trafficking and activation, and is selective for activation by ACTH alone. Previous studies on the MC2R orthologs of select cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii) and the red stingray (Dasyatis akajei), revealed divergent traits in a less obligatory relationship on MRAP1 and its ability to be activated by ACTH or the MSH-sized peptides. However, observed traits were not consistent between these two cartilaginous fish species, posing …

Monitoring Relationships Between Corticosterone And Snake Fungal Disease In Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus) In Western Kentucky, John Bromley Hewlett

Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Over the past four decades, emergent fungal diseases have been the most devastating relative to species declines and extinctions. While most research has focused on fungal diseases affecting amphibians and bats, less has focused on diseases like snake fungal disease (SFD), caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola (Oo). SFD was first described in 2006 in North America within a Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) population in New Hampshire. Since then SFD has been documented in 19 US states, one US territory (Puerto Rico), and Europe. SFD causes high mortality in some species, including the Eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes (Sistrurus …

Transcriptional Programming By Thyroid Hormone Receptor Beta Maintains Normal Cell Identity And Suppresses Tumor Growth, Noelle Elizabeth Gillis

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The overall incidence of thyroid cancer has more than tripled over the past several decades, as has aggressive disease and mortality. The direct relationship between thyroid disease, thyroid hormone levels, and development of thyroid cancer is incomplete. Recent meta-analyses have indicated a higher risk of thyroid cancer for patients with thyroid diseases that reflect an altered thyroid-pituitary signaling axis, which can have profound impacts on the physiology of the thyroid gland. These largely unanswered questions regarding altered thyroid hormone signaling and its consequences for thyroid tumor growth present a significant clinical challenge. This dilemma may come from a lack of …

Estrogen Disruption Of Hypothalamic Neural Activity, Princess Dickson

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The brain is highly dependent on the endocrine system for proper neurodevelopment, as it plays a key role in many biological processes. Bisphenol A is a chemical found in plastics that has the potential to mimic the effects of Estrogen in the body, at least weakly. People interact with plastic that contains BPA regularly, and people are at risk for exposure even before being born. The abundance of BPA, along with other exogenous estrogens, makes examining the relationship between early exposure and changes in brain activity imperative. The current study aims to establish a relationship between disrupted estrogen function and …

The Effects Of Food Supply On Reproductive Hormones And Timing Of Reproduction In An Income-Breeding Seabird, Shannon Whelan, Scott A. Hatch, Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks, Charline Parenteau, Olivier Chastel, Kyle Elliott

Faculty Journal Articles

Current food supply is a major driver of timing of breeding in income-breeding animals, likely because increased net energy balance directly increases reproductive hormones and advances breeding. In capital breeders, increased net energy balance increases energy reserves, which eventually leads to improved reproductive readiness and earlier breeding. To test the hypothesis that phenology of income-breeding birds is independent of energy reserves, we conducted an experiment on food-supplemented (“fed”) and control female black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla). We temporarily increased energy costs (via weight handicap) in a 2 × 2 design (fed/unfed; handicapped/unhandicapped) during the pre-laying period and observed movement …

Influence Of Testosterone On Male-Male Competition In The Red-Sided Garter Snake, Thamnophis Sirtalis Parietalis, Isabella M. G. Bukovich

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Female mimicry in the red-sided garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis, is described in several well-studied evolutionary advantages, but an aspect that remains elusive is how reproductive traits are linked to the 3-fold higher circulating androgens in males with this phenotype. In this study, we implanted male garter snakes (n=15 per group) with either a blank implant (SHAM; control) or a T implant, the latter simulating the female mimic phenotype. Following simulated low-temperature dormancy, males were scored for courtship intensity over three days of behavioral trials with females housed in the same facility. Males were sacrificed, and sperm were collected …

Circadian Regulation Of The Timing Of Pre-Ovulatory Luteinizing Hormone Surge In Mice And Hamsters, Ajay Kumar

Doctoral Dissertations

Endogenous daily (circadian) oscillators ensure the proper timing of physiological and behavioral processes that are essential to health. A set of core clock genes and their protein products function in transcriptional/translational feedback loops (TTFLs) that time and coordinate vital homeostatic, cognitive, and hormonal processes. A master pacemaker in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) coordinates circadian function throughout the organism. Investigating the causal role of genetically defined cell types in the suprachiasmatic nucleus for circadian rhythms is essential to understand how an animal’s physiology is temporally organized. This thesis explores the role of molecular clocks within particular cell types in regulating physiology. …

Sexually Dimorphic Oxytocin Receptor-Expressing Neurons In The Anteroventral Periventricular Nucleus Regulates Maternal Behavior, Kaustubh Sharma

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The neurohypophysial hormone oxytocin is involved in the regulation of social behaviors, including social recognition, pair bonding, and sex-specific parental behaviors in a variety of species. Oxytocin triggers these social behaviors by binding to oxytocin receptors (OXTR) in various parts of the brain. Oxytocin-induced sex-typical behavior, therefore, suggests a sexual dimorphic distribution of OXTR in the brain. In recent years, the oxytocin system in the brain received tremendous attention as a potential pharmacological target for treatment of many psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, autism spectrum disorders, and even sex-specific psychiatric disorder like postpartum depression (PPD). An important problem and a …

Stochastic Modeling Of Ovarian Follicle Growth In Adult Female Rats, Zhaozhi Li

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown: Black Men’S Perspective On Harmful Effects Of Hair Product Use And Breast Cancer Risk, Dede K. Teteh, Marissa Chan, Bing Turner, Brian Hedgeman, Marissa Ericson, Phyllis Clark, Eudora Mitchell, Emily Barrett, Adana Llanos, Rick Kittles, Susanne Montgomery

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Racial disparities in breast cancer are well-documented, and Black women assume a disproportionate burden of breast cancer mortality. Black women also commonly use hair products containing endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) more often at an increased rate, as compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Emerging findings have reported the use of hair and other personal care products containing EDCs may contribute to breast cancer risk. While some sociocultural perspectives about hair and identity have been explored, the role of beauty expectations upheld by males has not been studied. Through a community-based participatory methodology, we explored perceptions and beliefs held by Black men …

Assessing Well-Being Of Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) Through Major Events And Transitions, With Development And Aging, And Husbandry Changes, Sharon Stuart Glaeser

Dissertations and Theses

In this body of research, reproductive and adrenal hormones and behavior were used to evaluate individual and group responses to physiological, social, and environmental changes in zoo-housed Asian elephants, considering factors of sex, age, and life stage. Animals experience physiological, social, and environmental changes as part of their natural history and individual life experience. Measures of both positive and negative states are needed to assess the impact of these changes at the individual and group level. Such measures can help us better understand how animals cope with a changing environment, and can help inform management decisions. Through longitudinal analyses of …

Physiology Of A Basal Vertebrate, The Sea Lamprey (Petromyzon Marinus): Osmoregulation And Corticosteroid Action, Ciaran A. S. Shaughnessy

Doctoral Dissertations

Lamprey represent the most basal living example of a vertebrate animal which regulates its internal fluid and ion homeostasis. This phylogenetic position among vertebrates makes lamprey an important model organism for understanding the basal state, and thus the evolution, of physiological systems such as the mechanisms of osmo- and ionoregulation and the endocrine factors controlling them. Sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) are an anadromous fish, migrating from freshwater (FW) to seawater (SW) as juveniles, then returning back upstream as mature adults to spawn. Surviving this transition from a solute-poor FW environment to a solute-concentrated SW environment requires many changes …

How Do Adult Songbirds Learn New Sounds? Using Neuromodulators To Probe The Function Of The Auditory Association Cortex, Matheus Macedo-Lima

Doctoral Dissertations

The ability to associate sounds and outcomes is vital in the life history of many species. Animals constantly assess the soundscape for cues associated with threats, competitors, allies, mates or prey, and experience is crucial for those associations. For vocal learning species such as humans and songbirds, learning sounds (i.e. perception and association learning) is also the first step in the process of vocal learning. Auditory learning is thought to depend on high-order cortical brain structures, where sounds and meaning are bound. In songbirds, the caudomedial nidopallium (NCM) is part of the auditory association cortex and is known to be …

The Effect Of Intensified Illuminance And Artificial Light At Night On Fitness And Susceptibility To Abiotic And Biotic Stressors, Grascen Shidemantle

Biological Sciences Student Scholarship

Changing light conditions due to human activities represents an important emerging environmental concern. Although changes to natural light conditions can be independently detrimental, in nature, organisms commonly face multiple stressors. To understand the consequences of altered light conditions, we exposed a model amphibian (wood frog; Lithobates sylvaticus) to a control and two anthropogenic light conditions: intensified daytime illuminance and artificial light at night - ALAN (intensified daytime illuminance + extended photoperiod). We measured (1) metrics of fitness (hatching success as well as survival to, size at, and time to metamorphosis) (2) susceptibility (time to death) to a commonly cooccurring anthropogenic …

Mixed-Lineage Kinase-3 (Mlk3) Plays A Negative Modulatory Role In Insulin Secretion From The Pancreatic Β-Cell, Tyler Russeth, Vijayalakshmi Thamilselvan, Anjaneyulu Kowluru

Medical Student Research Symposium

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from the pancreatic β-cell in response to elevated levels of glucose is controlled by a variety of signals including intracellular calcium and nucleotides such as cAMP, ATP and GTP. These cellular signals are responsible for activation of specific kinases that mediate phosphorylation of key exocytotic proteins that lead to GSIS. In the context of protein kinases, mixed-lineage kinases (MLKs) have been implicated in an assortment of cellular functions, including cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, very little is known on potential regulatory roles of MLKs in islet β-cell function, including GSIS. The goal of this study is …

Estrogen Regulation Of Mir-9-5p And Mir-9-3p Stability And Localization In The Aging Female Brain, Chun Kim

Dissertations

In females, levels of estrogens fluctuate across the lifespan and rapidly decline during menopause. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been introduced as a clinical alternative to replenish systemic levels of 17β-estradiol (E2), the primary estrogen in circulation. However, studies from the Women's Health Initiative revealed a critical period immediately following the onset of menopause where HRT is efficacious. Here, we identified the differential regulation of miRNAs, small non-coding RNAs that inhibit translation, as a potential mechanism for this temporal switch in estrogen action. Specifically, early - but not late - E2 administration following ovariectomy in a rat model of menopause …

Impact Of Nacl Tolerance On The Stress Physiology And Fitness Of Larval Wood Frogs (Rana Sylvatica), Grascen Shidemantle, Nicholas Buss, Jessica Hua

Biological Sciences Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Mercury Exposure And Chronic Food Stress Elevate Corticosterone In Blood But Not Feathers, Casey Lee Mclaughlin

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

Bird abundance in North America has declined by almost 30% in just the past 50 years. It is crucial that we understand the many factors contributing to declines, including the impacts of environmental contaminants. Mercury is a persistent and global neurotoxic contaminant of aquatic systems that will continue to increase in the environment as anthropogenic activities and climate change accelerate its emission. The impact of mercury on songbirds, a large and diverse but declining taxon, is not well understood. I sought to better understand the effects of mercury exposure on songbirds by studying its impact on the environmentally sensitive hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal …

Testosterone And Interpersonal Attraction: A Placebo-Controlled Design, Stefan M. Goetz

Wayne State University Dissertations

Testosterone has long been implicated as a neuroendocrinological mechanism in the expression of reproductive strategies. Humans the world over form and maintain pair-bonds suggesting that pair-bonds may serve to enhance reproductive fitness. However, infidelity is a perennial threat to these bonds. The data in humans suggests that testosterone is associated with mate-seeking but may be detrimental to relationship maintenance. However, past work has relied on correlational studies and additional findings from nonhuman animal models suggest that acute changes rather than baseline concentrations in testosterone may in fact protect extant pair-bonds. The present research sought to test the causal role of …

Characterization Of Deiodinase Expression In The Hypothyroid Developing Cochlea, Maria A. Uscategui Calderon

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Thyroid hormone (TH) is essential for cochlear development and normal auditory function. Considering the importance of TH in mediating cochlear development, understanding the degree to which developing tissues can adapt to perturbations in thyroid hormone signaling is extremely important. The deiodinases (D2 and D3) are enzymes that tightly control TH availability at the tissue level and have been proposed to function as adaptive mechanisms that maintain tissue TH homeostasis. D2 converts thyroxine (T4) to a biologically active ligand triiodothyronine (T3); locally amplifying a T3 signal. Conversely, Dio3 inactivates T3 and T4 by converting these iodothyronines to the inactive metabolites diiodothyronine …

Prenatal Aromatase Inhibition Alters Postnatal Immunity In Domestic Chickens (Gallus Gallus), Jeff W. Simkins, Abby E. Joseph, Frances Bonier, Z. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks

Faculty Journal Articles

In birds, exposure to exogenous testosterone during embryonic development can suppress measures of immune function; however, it is unclear whether these effects are due to direct or indirect action via aromatization. Estradiol (E2) is synthesized from testosterone by the enzyme aromatase, and this conversion is a necessary step in many signaling pathways that are ostensibly testosterone-dependent. Many lines of evidence in mammals indicate that E2 can affect immune function. We tested the hypothesis that some of the immunomodulatory effects observed in response to in ovo testosterone exposure in birds are mediated by conversion to E2 by aromatase, by using fadrozole …

Non-Invasive Method For Leptin Supplementation In Zebrafish (Danio Rerio), Regan Mcnamara

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I tested the hypothesis that recombinant leptin protein can be introduced to zebrafish in vivo through non-invasive soaking in a solution containing the protein. One way to study various molecules’ effects in vivo is through intraperitoneal or intracerebroventricular injections during the embryonic or larval stage, which is invasive, difficult to administer, and can have a high mortality rate. 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) zebrafish were soaked in a His-tagged recombinant leptin protein solution at 10 nM and 100 nM concentrations (produced by Genscript). After soaking, zebrafish larvae were washed extensively to remove all recombinant protein on their exterior before homogenization. …

Developing Tools To Understand Stress And Nest Abandonment In Birds, Hannah Elena Beyl

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Potential Health Risks Linked To Emerging Contaminants In Major Rivers And Treated Waters, James Kessler, Diane Dawley, Daniel Crow, Ramin Garmany, Philippe T. Georgel

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

The presence of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in our local waterways is becoming an increasing threat to the surrounding population. These compounds and their degradation products (found in pesticides, herbicides, and plastic waste) are known to interfere with a range of biological functions from reproduction to differentiation. To better understand these effects, we used an in silico ontological pathway analysis to identify the genes affected by the most commonly detected EDCs in large river water supplies, which we grouped together based on four common functions: Organismal injuries, cell death, cancer, and behavior. In addition to EDCs, we included the opioid buprenorphine …

The Black Identity, Hair Product Use, And Breast Cancer Scale, Dede Teteh, Marissa Ericson, Sabine Monice, Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, Nasim Bahadorani, Phyllis Clark, Eudora Mitchell, Lindsey S. Treviño, Adana Llanos, Rick Kittles, Susanne Montgomery

Health Sciences and Kinesiology Faculty Articles

Introduction
Across the African Diaspora, hair is synonymous with identity. As such, Black women use a variety of hair products, which often contain more endocrine-disrupting chemicals than products used by women of other races. An emerging body of research is linking chemicals in hair products to breast cancer, but there is no validated instrument that measures constructs related to hair, identity, and breast health. The objective of this study was to develop and validate the Black Identity, Hair Product Use, and Breast Cancer Scale (BHBS) in a diverse sample of Black women to measure the social and cultural constructs associated …

Evaluation Of Kidney Injury Molecule-1 As A Disease Progression Biomarker In Diabetic Nephropathy, Fatima Abid Khan, Syeda Sadia Fatima, Ghulam Mustafa Khan, Sana Shahid

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background & Objective: Kidney Injury Molecule-1 (KIM-1) is a peptide whose release into circulation is specific to tubular injury. This study aimed to estimate levels of kidney injury molecule-1 in diabetic patients with and without kidney disease. And evaluate the role of KIM-1 as an early screening marker of progressive kidney injury.
Methods: This follow-up study included n=85 subjects from the diabetic clinic of Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center (JPMC) in collaboration with Aga Khan University from November 2016 till September 2017. They were divided as: i) Group A1 (n=30) participants with diabetes for <5 years without microalbuminuria ii) Group A2 (n= 30) subjects with diabetes for 6-10 years with microalbuminuria; iii) Group B (n=25) subjects as healthy control group. All study participants were followed for 6 months and their blood glucose, urea, creatinine, electrolytes, albuminuria and serum KIM-1 were assayed.
Results: High KIM-1 at baseline was …

Relationship Of Maternal And Infant Cortisol Matrices With Later Infant Behavior And Temperament, Anastasia Perris

Anastasia Perris

The Role Of C-Kit And Insulin Receptor Tyrosine Kinases In Beta Cell Function And Insulin Secretion, Amanda Oakie

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) c-Kit and insulin receptor (IR) initiate similar intracellular signalling pathways in pancreatic beta cells to regulate beta cell proliferation, survival, and insulin secretion. Mice with a c-Kit overexpression specifically in beta cells (c-KitβTg) demonstrated improved beta cell proliferation and insulin secretion compared to control mice, and islets from c-KitβTg mice also demonstrated increased IR expression. The potential interplay between c-Kit and IR and their roles during ageing and metabolic stress are not currently known. This work reports the examination of c-Kit and IR signalling using in vitro and in vivo models to determine their effects …

Serum Apolipoproteins And Apolipopprotein-Defined Lipoprotein Subclasses: A Hypothesis-Generation Prospective Study Of Cardiovascular Events In Type 1 Diabetes, Arpita Basu Phd, Ionut Bebu Phd, Alicia J. Jenkins Md, Julie A. Stoner Phd, Ying Zhang Md; Phd, Richard L. Klein Phd, Maria F. Lopes-Virella Md; Phd, W. Timothy Garvey Md, Matthew J. Budoff Md, Peter Alaupovic Phd, Timothy J. Lyons Md

Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences Faculty Publications

Apolipoproteins and apolipoprotein-defined lipoprotein subclasses have been associated with dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our main objective was to define associations of serum apolipoproteins and ADLS with any CVD and major atherosclerotic cardiovascular events (MACE) in a prospective study of T1D. Serum apolipoproteins and ADLS (14 biomarkers in total) were measured in sera (obtained 1997-2000) from a subset (n=465) of the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) cohort. Prospective associations of any CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, confirmed angina, silent MI, revascularization, or congestive heart failure) and MACE (fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction or stroke), over 5942 and 6180 patient-years …

Stress And Body Composition Of Juvenile Alligator Snapping Turtles (Macrochelys Temminckii), Brandon Scott Tappmeyer

MSU Graduate Theses

The alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii), is a species of conservation concern that is the subject of multiple head-start and reintroduction efforts across its range. In captive propagation programs, producing offspring that are in optimal physiological condition maximizes the likelihood of success after release. The purpose of my study was to compare stress and body composition between one free-ranging reintroduced population and two captive populations. The two captive populations were both housed in southern Oklahoma, but one group was reared indoors whereas the other inhabited outdoor ponds at a national fish hatchery. I used circulating glucocorticoid (corticosterone) concentrations as an …