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Physiology Commons

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Neuroscience and Neurobiology

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

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Full-Text Articles in Physiology

Microglial Response To Glucocorticoids During Chronic Sleep Fragmentation, Christian Chelson Aug 2023

Microglial Response To Glucocorticoids During Chronic Sleep Fragmentation, Christian Chelson

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Sleep is one of the body’s greatest and most basic needs. Chronic sleep loss (<6 hours a day) is linked to many cardiovascular issues, diabetes, and inflammatory conditions and has been shown to lower life expectancy. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a complication that causes sleep fragmentation in >8% of adults from developed countries, and many with OSA may be unaware of their condition. Having long-term OSA is linked to neuroinflammation caused by activated microglia in the brain, but the mechanics of this inflammation are not well understood. It is known that glucocorticoids, steroid hormones produced and released from the adrenal glands, have a suppressive effect on microglia. The purpose of this study is to explore the role that glucocorticoids have upon microglia activation induced by chronic sleep fragmentation (SF). C57BL/6J mice were …


Regulation Of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase In Pulmonary Myofibroblasts, Jonathan David Faughn Aug 2011

Regulation Of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase In Pulmonary Myofibroblasts, Jonathan David Faughn

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an interstitial lung disease leading to decreased lung volume and eventual respiratory failure. At present, the median post-diagnosis lifespan is between three and six years. Myofibroblasts are collagen-secreting cells essential for wound healing, but also implicated in the fibroproliferation and extra cellular matrix deposition commonly seen in IPF. The nitric oxide (NO) signaling pathway is implicated in protomyofibroblast to myofibroblast transition and regulation. Previous work has shown that in pulmonary myofibroblasts, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is the primary NOS isoform expressed. The current study used cultured rat pulmonary myofibroblasts between passages two and five …