Physiology Commons^™

Role Of Tlrs, Hippo-Yap1 Signaling, And Micrornas In Cardiac Repair And Regeneration Of Damaged Myocardium During Ischemic Injury, Xiaohui Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Toll-like receptor (TLR)-mediated pathways have been demonstrated to play a role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. We and others have shown that PI3K/Akt signaling is involved in regulating cellular survival and protecting the myocardium from I/R induced injury. In this dissertation, we provide compelling evidence that miR-125b serves to “fine tune” TLR mediated NF-kB responses by repressing TNF-a and TRAF6 expression. We constructed lentiviral expressing miR-125b, delivered it into the myocardium. The data showed that delivery of lentivirus expressing miR-125b significantly reduces myocardial infarct size and improves cardiac …

Enhancing Cell Therapy For Ischemic Cardiomyopathy., Michael J. Book

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiac cell therapy using cardiac mesenchymal cells (CMC) significantly reduces ventricular dysfunction in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Despite the improvement in function, a modest number of CMCs survive in the heart post-transplantation. In this study, we sought to improve the survival and retention of transplanted CMCs to prolong the therapeutic benefits afforded by cardiac cell therapy. To do this, we targeted the enzyme telomerase (TERT), known to be active in some highly proliferating cells (e.g. germ, stem). TERT is responsible for preventing telomere attrition, thereby allowing continued proliferation. TERT has also been shown to be protective, improve cell migration and …

Cardiovascular Risk, Remote Ischemic Postconditioning, And Endothelial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury, Brian A. Hemenway

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Remote ischemic postconditioning (rIpost) is a potent vasculoprotective stimulus that is thought to reduce reperfusion injury associated with heart disease. However, certain animal models of cardiometabolic risk factors such as dyslipidemia, diabetes, and hypertension suggest the beneficial effects of rIpost to lessen reperfusion injury may be diminished. These findings have not been studied in clinically relevant humans. The aim of this study was to determine whether the protective effects of rIpost are reduced in the context of raised cardiometabolic risk in humans. Seven participants with raised cardiometabolic risk burden (age:57±7 years; BMI: 31±4kgm²participated in this 2X2 randomized cross-over …

The Effect Of Nitrate Supplementation On Exercise Tolerance And Performance: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Gavin Van De Walle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to systematically review the current literature and evaluate the overall efficacy of nitrate supplementation on exercise tolerance and performance by meta-analysis. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they met the following criteria: 1) were an experimental trial published in an English peer-reviewed journal; 2) compared the effects of inorganic nitrate consumption with a non-bioactive supplement control or placebo; 3) used a quantifiable measure of exercise performance; and 4) was carried out in apparently healthy participants without disease. A total of 29 studies were identified that investigated the effects of nitrate supplementation on exercise tolerance …

Effects Of An Acute High-Volume Isokinetic Intervention On Circulating Levels Of Tnf-Α And Stnfr: Influence Of Age, Eliott Arroyo Delgado

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The immune system has been implicated in recovery and muscle regeneration following exercise. In response to muscle damage, the immune system responds with an increase in circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines with the goal of recruiting leukocytes to the damaged area. Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α), in particular, has been shown to be implicated in both muscle regeneration and muscle wasting. However, it remains unclear whether TNF-α is responsible for the age-related losses in muscle size and function. Also, due to the high clearance rate of TNF-α from circulation, analyzing the circulating levels of soluble TNF-α receptors 1 and 2 (STNFR1 and STNFR2) …

Effects Of An Acute High-Volume Isokinetic Intervention On Inflammatory And Strength Changes: Influence Of Age, Joseph Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a high volume isokinetic intervention on lower body strength and inflammation, as well as markers of muscle damage in the subsequent 48 hours between younger and middle-aged men. METHODS: 19 healthy, recreationally trained men were randomly assigned to two groups, younger adults (YA: 21.8 ± 2.0 y; 90.7 ± 11.6 kg; 21.5 ± 4.1 % body fat), or middle-aged adults (MA: 47.0 ± 4.4 y; 96.0 ± 21.5; 24.8 ± 6.3 % body fat). Both groups reported to the human performance laboratory (HPL) on four separate occasions. On …

The Effects Of Sprint Interval Training And Maturity Status On Metabolic And Neuromuscular Fatigue Thresholds In Adolescents, Kyle Beyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To examine the maturity-related differences in the adaptations to systemic and localized fatigue thresholds (FTs) in response to sprint interval training (SIT) amongst adolescent male athletes. Methods: Twenty-seven adolescent male athletes, 11-17 years of age, completed pre-testing, six weeks of SIT, and post-testing. Participants were grouped according to their number of years from peak height velocity (PHV), an estimation of somatic maturity status, into PRE ( < -1.5yr), PERI (between -1.5 to +1.5yr) and POST ( > +1.5yr) PHV groups. Each testing session consisted of a ramp exercise protocol on a cycle ergometer. During the protocol, three systemic FTs, gas exchange threshold, ventilatory threshold, and respiratory compensation point were calculated …

Effects Of Maternal Plane Of Nutrition On Early Embryo Development And Offspring Performance, Erin E. Beck

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Nutritional changes immediately after insemination can result in increased embryonic mortality, but the mechanisms that cause this increased mortality and the impact on the embryos that survive are not known. Therefore, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the impact of a nutritional change immediately following AI on calf performance, global DNA methylation, estrus expression and interval to estrus in heifers, peripheral metabolites, uterine luminal fluid metabolites, and day 6 embryo quality. In the first study (chapter 2) Angus-cross heifers (n = 142) were allotted into two developmental treatments: drylot or range. All heifers were fixed-time inseminated to a single sire …

The Effect Of Repeated Sprint Training In Hypoxia And Beta-Alanine Supplementation On Exercise Performance, Ran Wang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the synergistic effects of repeated sprint training in hypoxia (RSH) and beta-alanine supplementation on performance in recreationally active men. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the following groups: hypoxia + beta-alanine (HB, n = 10), hypoxia + placebo (HP, n = 9), normoxia + beta-alanine (NB, n = 11) and normoxia + placebo (NP, n = 8). All participants completed a total of 8 training sessions (each consisting of 3 sets of 5 × 10-s sprints at a resistance of 7.5% of body mass, with 20-s rest intervals between sprints) …

Glutathione S-Transferase P In Glucose Homeostasis In Mice., Shubha Ghosh Dastidar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

High calorie diets have fostered the current pandemic of obesity and comorbid conditions of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), systemic insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Hepatic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are dysregulated in obesity, NAFLD and diabetes. The multifunctional GST pi isoform (GSTP) catalyzes acrolein metabolism and inhibits JNK (c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase). The purpose of this study was to test specifically whether GSTP deficiency disturbs glucose homeostasis in mice. Hepatic GST proteins were downregulated by short-term high fat diet (HFD) in wild type (WT) mice concomitant with glucose intolerance, increased hepatic JNK activation and protein-acrolein …

Using A Mouse Model To Investigate Male Bias In Autism Spectrum Disorder Incidence., Elizabeth Ann Gordon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The review (Chapter 1) overviews our current understanding of the sex bias in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), whereby males are 4 times more likely to develop the condition. The longstanding uncertainty surrounding the etiology of autism can be informed by inclusion of both sexes in future research to better understand the mechanism responsible for this sex bias. Both clinical studies and animal models are useful tools to elucidate the underlying cause(s) of sexual dimorphic morphological, physiological, and behavioral differences in the ASD phenotype. Sex differences in social behaviors are common across species, underscoring the importance of assessing baseline sex differences …

Identification Of Residual Descending Pathways After Human Spinal Cord Injury., Darryn A. Atkinson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in humans is a heterogeneous diagnosis, resulting in variable paralysis and paresthesia based on the mechanism, rostro-caudal location, and severity of injury. Both neurophysiological and anatomical studies have suggested that subclinical residual supraspinal-spinal connectivity exists in a subset of individuals deemed to have motor and sensory complete injuries. Recent reports of volitional movement in chronic, motor complete individuals during epidural spinal stimulation have provided compelling evidence that these residual projections may be capable of mediating volitional movement when the functional state of spinal circuitry is electrically modulated. It was the goal of this project to identify …

Effects Of Acute Exercise On Postprandial Lipemia And Postprandial Glycemia, Stephen Decker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise has been shown to attenuate the rise in triglycerides in during the postprandial period, however the effects of acute bouts of high-intensity exercise on postprandial lipemia and glycemia have not been explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of acute high-intensity interval training on postprandial lipemia and postprandial glycemia.

Methods: Ten healthy males participated in a randomized crossover design consisting of one high-intensity exercise session and one sedentary control session, followed by consumption of a mixed meal. Blood triglyceride and glucose concentrations were monitored following the consumption of the meal.

Results: High-intensity …

The Relationship Between Strength, Power, And Sprint Acceleration In Division I Men’S Soccer Players, Christopher Bellon

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were three-fold. The first was to identify the approximate distances characterizing early-, mid-, and late-acceleration in a population of Division I men’s collegiate soccer players. The secondary purpose was to investigate the relationships between various strength-power variables and key sprint characteristics during early-, mid-, and late-acceleration in a population of Division I men’s soccer players. The final purpose of this dissertation was to compare the spatiotemporal characteristics of “strong” versus “weak” and “more powerful” versus “less powerful” Division I men’s soccer players during early-, mid-, and late- acceleration. The following are the major findings of …

The Role Of O-Glcnacase During Heart Failure., Sujith Dassanayaka

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Global augmentation of protein O-GlcNAcylation occurs in response to a myriad of stressors and confers a survival advantage at the cellular level. This protective phenomenon has been demonstrated to mediate cardioprotection through various in vitro and in vivo studies during ischemia-reperfusion, myocardial infarction, and oxidative stress; however, relatively little is known of the regulation of protein O-GlcNAcylation. Protein O-GlcNAcylation is regulated by two antagonistic enzymes, namely, O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) and O-GlcNAcase (OGA). Ablation of cardiomyocyte OGT, the enzyme that catalyzes the addition of O-GlcNAc to proteins, exacerbates cardiac dysfunction during infarct-induced heart failure (HF). However, little is known of the …

Cardiovascular And Hematopoietic Responses To Volatile Benzene Exposure., Wesley Tyler Abplanalp

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rapid and recent increase in the global epidemic of diabetes and cardiovascular disease suggests a strong component of the environment is contributing. Benzene is a ubiquitous volatile pollutant generated by cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust, wildfires and industrial activities. Consequently, it is found in almost all urban and rural air samples. Benzene is known to cause hematotoxicity and its metabolism generates oxidative stress. Although, benzene has been studied for many years, few investigations have probed what influence benzene exposure may have on other physiological processes. Here we hypothesize that benzene metabolism by hepatic-CYP450 2E1 generates oxidative stress and inflammation, which …

Effect Of A Recovery Supplement On Weight Lifting Performance, Muscle Fiber Morphology And Muscle Protein Accretion, Christopher B. Taber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purposes of this dissertation were to examine the effect of a protein and carbohydrate recovery beverage versus a placebo on weightlifting performance, its effect on muscle morphological changes and specific muscle protein accretion. The following are major finding from the dissertation: 1) Protein and carbohydrate recovery supplementation does not appear to have influence on performance measure in trained weightlifters. This finding may be associated with the short-term nature of this study and the trained population used. 2) Compared with placebo, a protein and carbohydrate beverage provided greater benefits on cross sectional area of type I and type II muscle …

Seasonal Perceived Training Load In Ncaa Di Men’S Soccer: Is There A Dose-Response Relationship?, Andrew A. Pustina

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine if a there was a dose-response relationship across an NCAA Division I men’s soccer season. Specifically, this dissertation serves to: 1.) assess the validity of duration measurements that have previously been used to calculate session RPE during competitive matches, 2.) determine the degree and magnitude of change in intermittent endurance performance across a season and to observe how change in endurance relates with training load, 3.) determine the degree and magnitude of change in strength and explosiveness across a season, and to see how these strength changes relate to training load. 1.) …

Exploring The Relationship Between Behaviour And Neurochemistry In The Polyphenic Spider, Anelosimus Studiosus (Araneae: Theridiidae), Jennifer B. Price

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The importance of social behaviour is evident in human society, but there are both costs and benefits associated with cooperation and sociality throughout the animal kingdom. At what point do the benefits outweigh the costs, and when do selective pressures favour sociality and colonization over solitude and independence? To investigate these questions, we have focused on an anomalous species of spider, Anelosimus studiosus, also known now as the northern social spider. Throughout its broad range, A. studiosus is solitary and aggressive, but recently, colonies of cooperative and social individuals have been observed at northern latitudes. This leads to two …

Effects Of Sport-Specific Training Conditions On Performance In High School Field Hockey Players., Alexandra Hannah Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Many sports (e.g. field hockey, lacrosse, ice hockey) require the use of a mouthguard (MG) and the constraint of carrying a stick during play. Previous research has shown that these two conditions individually can cause decrements to athletic performance; however no research has been conducted into effect of the combination of these two conditions on both aerobic and anaerobic performance parameters. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of both chronic (during all conditioning) and acute MG and stick (MG-STK) use on aerobic fitness and anaerobic capacity over the course of a 12-week training and competition …

Description Of Cranial Elements And Ontogenetic Change Within Tropidolaemus Wagleri (Serpentes: Crotalinae)., Nicolette L. Hill

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tropidolaemus wagleri is a species of Asian pitviper with a geographic range including Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Bruniei, parts of Indonesia, and the hilippines. Tropidolaemus is a member of the Crotalinae subfamily, within Viperidae. The genus Tropidolaemus includes five species, and was once included within the genus Trimeresurus. While some osteologic characteristics have been noted a comprehensive description of cranial elements has not been produced for T. wagleri. An in-depth description of the cranial skeleton of Tropidolaemus wagleri lays the foundation for future projects to compare and contrast other taxa within Crotalinae and Viperidae. The chosen reference specimen …

Effects Of A 10-Week Introductory Judo Course On Postural Control During Reactionary Bilateral Gripping Task With Varied Stances And Lower Body Power Performance, Tyler Muddle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present study is twofold: 1.) Examine the effects of 10-weeks of an introductory judo course on postural control during maximal bilateral isometric handgrip testing using different stance conditions and lower body power performance, and 2.) To analyze the relationship between maximal bilateral handgrip exertions on postural control during varied stance conditions. METHODS: Twenty recreationally active men and women divided into two an experimental group, (JDO) (n = 10; 21.70 ± 3.83 y; 169.91 ± 6.01 cm; 73.89 ± 12.10 kg; 19.01 ± 8.06% BF), and a control group, (CON) (n = 10; 21.50 ± 2.84 …

Intramuscular Tnf-Alpha Signaling In Response To Resistance Exercise And Recovery In Untrained Males., Jeremy Townsend

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

INTRODUCTION: The nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κβ) signaling cascade is responsible for mediating stress-activated catabolic effects of Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) downstream of the TNF receptor (TNFR1). NF-κβ transcription factor remains inhibited in the cytosol of the muscle and can be stimulated for translocation and transcription by a variety of external stimuli, most notably by pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress. Nevertheless, currently there is a gap in the literature with regard to the time course effect of NF-κβ signaling following acute resistance exercise in humans. PURPOSE: To observe the effects of an acute lower-body resistance exercise protocol and subsequent …

Evaluation Of The Hypothalamic Kisspeptin System Throughout The Estrous Cycle And During The Attainment Of Puberty In Gilts, Eric Steven Jolitz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Kisspeptin has been demonstrated to affect reproductive cyclicity and the attainment of puberty in multiple species, presumably through its actions on GnRH and LH, as demonstrated in other species. Kisspeptin administration causes increased plasma concentrations of LH in pigs, sheep, and rats. Two experiments were conducted to evaluate 1) the hypothalamic kisspeptin system throughout various days of the estrous cycle and 2) the hypothalamic kisspeptin system during the peripubertal period in gilts. In experiment 1, 40 crossbred gilts (191 d, 121 kg) were administered an intramuscular injection of PG600. Twelve days after the administration of PG600, gilts were fed 15 …

Influence Of Cardiovascular Risk Factors On Remote Ischemic Preconditioning, Tiffany Trachte

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A powerful therapy against microvascular endothelial ischemia-reperfusion injury is remote ischemic preconditioning (rIPC), which triggers tissue protection by exposing a limb to small cycles of vascular occlusion. Animal models indicate that CVD risk factors reduce the protective benefits of ischemic conditioning. However, there are no human studies investigating how a burden of risk factors interferes with rIPC to prevent endothelial injury. The purpose of the present study was to determine the influence of risk factor burden on the capacity of rIPC to prevent endothelial reperfusion injury in humans. Twenty-two (age: 45±14 yr., BMI: 31±8 kg/m2) sedentary adults (12 lower burden: …

Colony Stimulating Factor-1 Receptor (Csf-1r) Expression, Degradation, And Signaling In Lipid-Laden Macrophages, Gregory Thompson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Atherosclerosis is a serious disease affecting a large portion of the world’s population. In atherosclerosis, macrophages become filled with lipid droplets and form fatty plaques in artery walls. The formation of these atherosclerotic plaques is dependent on the macrophage growth factor colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1); however, understanding the changes in CSF-1 signaling and related pathways in foam cells remain poorly investigated. Lipid-laden macrophages were formed through exposure of murine bone marrow derived macrophages to 100 μg/ml acetylated LDL for 24 h. Non-LDL treated macrophages were grown in parallel for each experiment and used for comparison. Immunofluorescent staining was used to …

Does Blood Flow Restriction Applied Post High-Load Exercise Augment Skeletal Muscle Growth Following Eight Weeks Of Training?, Scott Justin Dankel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The application of blood flow restriction during low load exercise has consistently been shown to augment muscle hypertrophy which has been attributed to metabolic accumulation. It remains unknown, however, whether metabolites can augment muscle growth independent of further mechanical tension, specifically when maintained post high-load training. Thirteen untrained individuals performed 24 training sessions. The control arm performed one set of elbow flexion (70% 1RM) exercise to volitional fatigue, while the experimental arm performed the same protocol immediately folloby 3 min of blood flow restriction (70% arterial occlusion). Both conditions completed the same volume (3687 vs. 3638 kg) of exercise. There …

Evaluation Of Echogenicity Within And Between Ultrasonographic Images Of The Vastus Lateralis, Alyssa Varanoske

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the echo intensity (EI) values of different ultrasound (US) images of the vastus lateralis (VL) using panoramic imaging in the transverse plane (PTI) and still imaging in the longitudinal plane (SLI). Secondary purposes of this study were to examine VL homogeneity and to determine relationships between subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness (SubQ) adjacent to the muscle and EI. METHODS: Twenty-four recreationally trained collegiate males (20.2 ± 1.6 years; height: 178.1 ± 6.6 cm; weight: 82.2 ± 13.4 kg) participated in this investigation. EI, cross-sectional area (CSA), muscle thickness (MT), and SubQ of …

The Reproducibility And Validity Of Using The Dmax Method To Predict Physical Working Capacity At Fatigue Threshold, Joshua Riffe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although the original (ORG) physical working capacity at fatigue threshold (PWCFT) assessment has demonstrated strong reliability and sensitivity to training and/or nutritional interventions, limitations may exist regarding the method of PWCFT estimation. However, a relatively new mathematical method, called Dmax, has been shown to be objective and reliable when estimating metabolic and neuromuscular fatigue thresholds. To date, however, no study has examined whether the Dmax method for estimating the work rate at PWCFT is similar to the ORG method. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Dmax-EMG method for estimating and tracking …

Resistance Exercise Elicits Selective Mobilization And Adhesion Characteristics Of Granulocytes And Monocyte Subsets, Adam Jajtner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Resistance exercise eliciting muscle damage results in an immune response, leading to increases in circulating cytokines, and immune cell mobilization. Classical monocytes respond to muscle damage, however, little is known about the intermediate or nonclassical monocyte response to resistance exercise. Moreover, the impact of polyphenol supplementation in conjunction with resistance exercise on the innate immune response is unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the immune response following resistance exercise with (PPB) and without (PL) polyphenol supplementation. Thirty-nine untrained men were randomized into three groups: PPB (n=13, 21.8±2.5yrs, 171.2±5.5cm, 71.2±8.2kg), PL (n=15, 21.6±2.5yrs, 176.5±4.9cm, 84.0±15.7kg) or a control …