Physiology Commons^™

Inhibition Of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Reduces Neuroimmune Cascade And Promotes Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury, Chen Guang Yu, Vimala Bondada, Hina Iqbal, Kate L. Moore, John C. Gensel, Subbarao Bondada, James W. Geddes

Physiology Faculty Publications

Microglia/astrocyte and B cell neuroimmune responses are major contributors to the neurological deficits after traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) activation mechanistically links these neuroimmune mechanisms. Our objective is to use Ibrutinib, an FDA-approved BTK inhibitor, to inhibit the neuroimmune cascade thereby improving locomotor recovery after SCI. Rat models of contusive SCI, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining imaging, flow cytometry analysis, histological staining, and behavioral assessment were used to evaluate BTK activity, neuroimmune cascades, and functional outcomes. Both BTK expression and phosphorylation were increased at the lesion site at 2, 7, 14, and 28 days after SCI. Ibrutinib …

Late-Life Exercise Mitigates Skeletal Muscle Epigenetic Aging, Kevin A. Murach, Andrea L. Dimet-Wiley, Yuan Wen, Camille R. Brightwell, Christine M. Latham, Cory M. Dungan, Christopher S. Fry, Stanley J. Watowich

Center for Muscle Biology Faculty Publications

There are functional benefits to exercise in muscle, even when performed late in life, but the contributions of epigenetic factors to late-life exercise adaptation are poorly defined. Using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS), ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and mitochondrial-specific examination of methylation, targeted high-resolution methylation analysis, and DNAge™ epigenetic aging clock analysis with a translatable model of voluntary murine endurance/resistance exercise training (progressive weighted wheel running, PoWeR), we provide evidence that exercise may mitigate epigenetic aging in skeletal muscle. Late-life PoWeR from 22–24 months of age modestly but significantly attenuates an age-associated shift toward promoter hypermethylation. The epigenetic age of muscle …

Evidence Of Myomir Regulation Of The Pentose Phosphate Pathway During Mechanical Load-Induced Hypertrophy, Taylor Valentino, Vandre C. Figueiredo, C. Brooks Mobley, John J. Mccarthy, Ivan J. Vechetti Jr.

Physiology Faculty Publications

Many of the molecular and cellular mechanisms discovered to regulate skeletal muscle hypertrophy were first identified using the rodent synergist ablation model. This model reveals the intrinsic capability and necessary pathways of skeletal muscle growth in response to mechanical overload (MOV). Reminiscent of the rapid cellular growth observed with cancer, we hypothesized that in response to MOV, skeletal muscle would undergo metabolic programming to sustain increased demands to support hypertrophy. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed the gene expression of specific metabolic pathways taken from transcriptomic microarray data of a MOV time course. We found an upregulation of genes involved …

Ketone Body Metabolism In The Ischemic Heart, Stephen C. Kolwicz Jr.

Health and Exercise Physiology Faculty Publications

Ketone bodies have been identified as an important, alternative fuel source in heart failure. In addition, the use of ketone bodies as a fuel source has been suggested to be a potential ergogenic aid for endurance exercise performance. These findings have certainly renewed interest in the use of ketogenic diets and exogenous supplementation in an effort to improve overall health and disease. However, given the prevalence of ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarctions, these strategies may not be ideal for individuals with coronary artery disease. Although research studies have clearly defined changes in fatty acid and glucose metabolism during ischemia …

Acute Consumption Of A Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Impairs Microvascular Function In Midwestern Hispanic Males, Emma Hirshman, Anne R. Crecelius

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

Hispanic males are at risk for cardiovascular disease and consume high levels of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB); yet, their acute vascular response to SSBs is unknown. Ten healthy Hispanic men (18-45 years old) consumed a SSB and reactive hyperemia was performed prior to, immediately following, and 1-hr post-consumption. Both peak and total (area under the curve) forearm blood flow were attenuated immediately following consumption but returned to at or above pre-consumption levels at the 1-hr test.

Rapid And Direct Action Of Lipopolysaccharide (Lps) On Skeletal Muscle Of Larval Drosophila, Rachel Potter, Alexis Meade, Samuel Potter, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

The endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Gram-negative bacteria exerts a direct and rapid effect on tissues. While most attention is given to the downstream actions of the immune system in response to LPS, this study focuses on the direct actions of LPS on skeletal muscle in Drosophila melanogaster. It was noted in earlier studies that the membrane potential rapidly hyperpolarizes in a dose-dependent manner with exposure to LPS from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens. The response is transitory while exposed to LPS, and the effect does not appear to be due to calcium-activated potassium channels, activated nitric oxide synthase …

Boosting Brain Waves Improves Memory, Richard J. Addante, Mairy Yousif, Rosemarie Valencia, Constance Greenwood, Raechel Marino

Psychology Student Publications

Have you ever wanted to improve your memory? Or have you struggled to remember what you studied? Memory uses special patterns of activity in the brain. This experiment tested a new way to create brain wave patterns that help with memory. We wanted to see if we could improve memory by using lights and sounds that teach the brain waves to be in sync. People wore special goggles that made flashes of light and headphones that made beeping noises. This trained the brain through a process called entrainment. The entrainment put the brain in sync at a specific brain wave …

Race And Drug Toxicity: A Study Of Three Cardiovascular Drugs With Strong Pharmacogenetic Recommendations., Travis J. O'Brien, Kevin Fenton, Alfateh Sidahmed, April Barbour, Arthur F Harralson

Pharmacology and Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adult Spiny Mice (Acomys) Exhibit Endogenous Cardiac Recovery In Response To Myocardial Infarction, Hsuan Peng, Kazuhiro Shindo, Renée R. Donahue, Erhe Gao, Brooke M. Ahern, Bryana M. Levitan, Himi Tripathi, David Powell, Ahmed Noor, Garrett A. Elmore, Jonathan Satin, Ashley W. Seifert, Ahmed K. Abdel-Latif

Physiology Faculty Publications

Complex tissue regeneration is extremely rare among adult mammals. An exception, however, is the superior tissue healing of multiple organs in spiny mice (Acomys). While Acomys species exhibit the remarkable ability to heal complex tissue with minimal scarring, little is known about their cardiac structure and response to cardiac injury. In this study, we first examined baseline Acomys cardiac anatomy and function in comparison with commonly used inbred and outbred laboratory Mus strains (C57BL6 and CFW). While our results demonstrated comparable cardiac anatomy and function between Acomys and Mus, Acomys exhibited a higher percentage of cardiomyocytes displaying …

Editorial: Perturbations In Metabolic Cues: Implications For Adverse Cardiac Function Leading To Sudden Cardiac Death, Brian P. Delisle, Ademuyiwa S. Aromolaran

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 19 Increases The Excitability Of Pre-Motor Glutamatergic Dorsal Vagal Complex Neurons From Hyperglycemic Mice, Jordan B. Wean, Bret N. Smith

Physiology Faculty Publications

Intracerebroventricular administration of the protein hormone fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) to the hindbrain produces potent antidiabetic effects in hyperglycemic mice that are likely mediated through a vagal parasympathetic mechanism. FGF19 increases the synaptic excitability of parasympathetic motor neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) from hyperglycemic, but not normoglycemic, mice but the source of this synaptic input is unknown. Neurons in the area postrema (AP) and nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) express high levels of FGF receptors and exert glutamatergic control over the DMV. This study tested the hypothesis that FGF19 increases glutamate release in the DMV …

Energetic Cost And Physiological Trade-Offs, Heba A. Ali

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Understanding how organisms allocate limited resources across physiological systems is a major challenge in biology. This study revealed that high energetic demand of electric signals of male electric fish (Brachyhypopomus gauderio) is matched by a metabolic trade-off with other cellular functions. We used thyroxine (T4) to modulate the fish’s signal metabolism, partitioned the energy budget pharmacologically, and measured energy consumption using oxygen respirometry. In males, total energy consumption was unchanged pre- and post-T4 treatment, while signal metabolism rose and the standard metabolic rate fell in an even trade-off. Total metabolism in females did the opposite. Under T4, the …

Editorial: Recent Advances In Cardiotoxicity Testing, Tamer M. A. Mohamed, Javid Moslehi, Jonathan Satin

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Scaling Of Computed Tomography Body Composition To Height: Relevance Of Height-Normalized Indices In Patients With Colorectal Cancer, Justin C. Brown, Steven B. Heymsfield, Bette J. Caan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Body weight scales to height with a power of ≈2 (weight/height2), forming the basis of body mass index (BMI). The corresponding scaling of body composition measured by abdominal computed tomography (CT) to height has not been established. The objective of this analysis was to quantify the scaling of body composition measured by a single-slice axial abdominal CT image (skeletal muscle, and visceral, subcutaneous, and total adipose tissue) to height in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: This cross-sectional study included non-Hispanic white males and females, aged 18–80 years, who were diagnosed with stage I–III CRC at an integrated health …

Editorial: The Metabolism Of The Neuron-Glia Unit, Yannick Poitelon, Lance A. Johnson, Marie-Ève Tremblay

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Functional Strategies Of Tree Fine-Roots In Relation To The Soil Environment And Microbiome: Variaiton In Root Morphology, Tissue Chemistry And Physiology, James Aaron Hogan

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Tree root systems have evolved multidimensional functioning, specializing in water and nutrient acquisition via different strategies. Root functional strategies vary among tree species and are adapted to the abiotic and biotic soil environment. This dissertation explores how three facets of root system functional strategies – morphology and chemistry, biotic associations with fungi, and respiration rates – vary within and among tree species along environmental gradients. Chapter one examines how root system morphology varies with forest succession and soil environment in a tropical forest of Hainan, China, finding that root systems had larger diameters and fewer root tips in the younger …

Diversity And Inclusion In The Stem Classroom, Sowmya Anjur

Faculty Publications & Research

A model of equity and diversity in STEM education has been developed, with applications to classroom pedagogy. This Equity and Excellence Model incorporates culturally responsive classrooms, based on diversity and equity minded practices. The diversity model was successfully implemented into a Science classroom and this model is still evolving to be more widespread to fit other classrooms and districts nationwide.

Apoε4 Lowers Energy Expenditure In Females And Impairs Glucose Oxidation By Increasing Flux Through Aerobic Glycolysis, Brandon C. Farmer, Holden C. Williams, Nicholas A. Devanney, Margaret A. Piron, Grant K. Nation, David J. Carter, Adeline E. Walsh, Rebika Khanal, Lyndsay E. A. Young, Jude C. Kluemper, Gabriela Hernandez, Elizabeth J. Allenger, Rachel Mooney, Lesley R. Golden, Cathryn T. Smith, J. Anthony Brandon, Vedant A. Gupta, Philip A. Kern, Matthew S. Gentry, Josh M. Morganti, Ramon C. Sun, Lance A. Johnson

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Cerebral glucose hypometabolism is consistently observed in individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as in young cognitively normal carriers of the Ε4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE), the strongest genetic predictor of late-onset AD. While this clinical feature has been described for over two decades, the mechanism underlying these changes in cerebral glucose metabolism remains a critical knowledge gap in the field.

METHODS: Here, we undertook a multi-omic approach by combining single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) and stable isotope resolved metabolomics (SIRM) to define a metabolic rewiring across astrocytes, brain tissue, mice, and human subjects expressing APOE4.

RESULTS: Single-cell …

Fusion And Beyond: Satellite Cell Contributions To Loading-Induced Skeletal Muscle Adaptation, Kevin A. Murach, Christopher S. Fry, Esther E. Dupont-Versteegden, John J. Mccarthy, Charlotte A. Peterson

Center for Muscle Biology Faculty Publications

Satellite cells support adult skeletal muscle fiber adaptations to loading in numerous ways. The fusion of satellite cells, driven by cell-autonomous and/or extrinsic factors, contributes new myonuclei to muscle fibers, associates with load-induced hypertrophy, and may support focal membrane damage repair and long-term myonuclear transcriptional output. Recent studies have also revealed that satellite cells communicate within their niche to mediate muscle remodeling in response to resistance exercise, regulating the activity of numerous cell types through various mechanisms such as secretory signaling and cell–cell contact. Muscular adaptation to resistance and endurance activity can be initiated and sustained for a period of …

Dietary And Pharmacologic Manipulations Of Host Lipids And Their Interaction With The Gut Microbiome In Non-Human Primates, Jennifer M. Lang, Leslie R. Sedgeman, Lei Cai, Joseph D. Layne, Zhen Wang, Calvin Pan, Richard Lee, Ryan E. Temel, Aldons J. Lusis

Physiology Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome influences nutrient processing as well as host physiology. Plasma lipid levels have been associated with the microbiome, although the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown, and the effects of dietary lipids on the gut microbiome in humans are not well-studied. We used a compilation of four studies utilizing non-human primates (Chlorocebus aethiops and Macaca fascicularis) with treatments that manipulated plasma lipid levels using dietary and pharmacological techniques, and characterized the microbiome using 16S rDNA. High-fat diets significantly reduced alpha diversity (Shannon) and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio compared to chow diets, even when the diets had different compositions …

Intravesical Cd74 And Cxcr4, Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (Mif) Receptors, Mediate Bladder Pain, Shaojing Ye, Fei Ma, Dlovan F. D. Mahmood, Katherine L. Meyer-Siegler, Raymond E. Menard, David E. Hunt, Lin Leng, Richard Bucala, Pedro L. Vera

Physiology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Activation of intravesical protease activated receptor 4 (PAR4) leads to release of urothelial macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF). MIF then binds to urothelial MIF receptors to release urothelial high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) and elicit bladder hyperalgesia. Since MIF binds to multiple receptors, we investigated the contribution of individual urothelial MIF receptors to PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo and in vitro and bladder pain in vivo.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We tested the effect of intravesical pre-treatment with individual MIF or MIF receptor (CD74, CXCR4, CXCR2) antagonists on PAR4-induced HMGB1 release in vivo (female C57/BL6 mice) and in vitro (primary …

Threshold Concentration And Random Collision Determine The Growth Of The Huntingtin Inclusion From A Stable Core, Sen Pei, Theresa C. Swayne, Jeffrey F. Morris, Lesley Emtage

Publications and Research

The processes underlying formation and growth of unfolded protein inclusions are relevant to neurodegenerative diseases but poorly characterized in living cells. In S. cerevisiae, inclusions formed by mutant huntingtin (mHtt) have some characteristics of biomolecular condensates but the physical nature and growth mechanisms of inclusion bodies remain unclear. We have probed the relationship between concentration and inclusion growth in vivo and find that growth of mHtt inclusions in living cells is triggered at a cytoplasmic threshold concentration, while reduction in cytoplasmic mHtt causes inclusions to shrink. The growth rate is consistent with incorporation of new material through collision and coalescence. …

Comparative Analysis Of Longevity And Stress Resiliency Benefits Of Supplementation With High-Antioxidative Capacity Juices In Organisms That Are Representative Of Humans, Meghan Long

Honors Scholar Theses

Neurodegenerative disease presents itself in a complex array of illnesses that is increasingly affecting the geriatric population. There has not been research on a common cause since there are a culmination of reasons that are probable ranging from genetic to environmental factors. Antioxidants have been known to prevent and protect against the damage that is otherwise caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, high-capacity antioxidant juices supplemented into the diet of animal models such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, rats, and humans will allow for the study of the possible benefits.

Although a conclusion and common causation on the usage …

Mejore Su Salud, Celina Wille, Laura Licon, Laura Paola Johnson, Anny Galvin

All Current Publications

Create Better Health/Mejore su salud es una versión cultural adaptada de Create Better Health evaluada por expertos y escrita en español, Create Better Health es un currículo del programa Create Better Health Utah SNAP-Ed originalmente adaptado de Creates: Essentials in Creating Family Meals por Debra Christofferson, M.D.A., R.D., C.D. Los miembros del equipo de publicación de la versión en inglés son: Casey Coombs, M.S., R.D., C.D., subdirectora de Create Better Health Utah; Jaqueline Neid-Avila, M.D.A., R.D., C.D .; y editores / colaboradores Heidi LeBlanc, M.S., directora de Create Better Health Utah.

Anatomy And Physiology Preparatory Course Textbook (2nd Edition), Carlos Liachovitzky

Open Educational Resources

The goal of this preparatory textbook is to give students a chance to become familiar with some terms and some basic concepts they will find later on in the Anatomy and Physiology course, especially during the first few weeks of the course.

Organization and functioning of the human organism are generally presented starting from the simplest building blocks, and then moving into levels of increasing complexity. This textbook follows the same presentation. It begins introducing the concept of homeostasis, then covers the chemical level, and later on a basic introduction to cellular level, organ level, and organ system level. This …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis On The Efficacy Of Stem Cell Therapy On Bone Brittleness In Mouse Models Of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Lauren Battle, Shoshana Yakar, Alessandra Carriero

Publications and Research

There is no cure for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), and current treatments can only partially correct the bone phenotype. Stem cell therapy holds potential to improve bone quality and quantity in OI. Here, we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the efficacy of stem cell therapy to rescue bone brittleness in mouse models of OI. Identified studies included bone marrow, mesenchymal stem cells, and human fetal stem cells. Effect size of fracture incidence, maximum load, stiffness, cortical thickness, bone volume fraction, and raw engraftment rates were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis. Cell type, cell number, injection …

Notch Signaling Represses Cone Photoreceptor Formation Through The Regulation Of Retinal Progenitor Cell States, Xueqing Chen, Mark M. Emerson

Publications and Research

Notch signaling is required to repress the formation of vertebrate cone photoreceptors and to maintain the proliferative potential of multipotent retinal progenitor cells. However, the mechanism by which Notch signaling controls these processes is unknown. Recently, restricted retinal progenitor cells with limited proliferation capacity and that preferentially generate cone photoreceptors have been identified. Thus, there are several potential steps during cone genesis that Notch signaling could act. Here we use cell type specific cis-regulatory elements to localize the primary role of Notch signaling in cone genesis to the formation of restricted retinal progenitor cells from multipotent retinal progenitor cells. Localized …

The Effect Of Freeze-Thaw Events On Dna Integrity In The Gray Treefrog (Hyla Versicolor), Georgia Ficarra

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Freeze-tolerant gray treefrogs survive winter by producing natural cryoprotectants and accommodating ice formation within extracellular spaces. While frozen, gray treefrogs endure hyperglycemia, dehydration, and anoxia due to the halt of all bodily functions. Upon thawing, the frogs’ anoxic cells receive a rapid influx of oxygen, which can cause oxidative damage to vital macromolecules including DNA. Previous studies have suggested freeze-tolerant frogs avoid oxidative damage after freeze-thaw events by elevating antioxidant activity, but recent work has shown upregulated DNA repair encoding genes in post-freeze frogs. The objective of this thesis is to assess the cellular costs of freezing by measuring oxidative …

High And Low Toxin Producing Strains Of Karenia Brevis Differ Significantly In The Redox Proteome, Lipid Profiles, And Xanthophyll Cycle Pigments, Ricardo Colon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, blooms annually in the Gulf of Mexico, producing a suite of neurotoxins known as the brevetoxins. The cellular toxin content of K. brevis, however, is highly variable between or even within strains. I investigated biochemical differences between high (KbHT) and low (KbLT) toxin producing cultures both derived from the Wilson strain, related to energy-dependent quenching (qE) by photosystem II, and the content of reduced thiols of the proteome. By characterizing the xanthophyll content of the two strains I was able to determine that KbLT performs qE inconsistently. To investigate the …

Reduced Mitochondrial Dna And Oxphos Protein Content In Skeletal Muscle Of Children With Cerebral Palsy, Ferdinand Von Walden, Ivan J. Vechetti Jr., Davis A. Englund, Vandré C. Figueiredo, Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalo, Kevin A. Murach, Jessica Pingel, John J. Mccarthy, Per Stål, Eva Pontén

Physiology Faculty Publications

AIM: To provide a detailed gene and protein expression analysis related to mitochondrial biogenesis and assess mitochondrial content in skeletal muscle of children with cerebral palsy (CP).

METHOD: Biceps brachii muscle samples were collected from 19 children with CP (mean [SD] age 15y 4mo [2y 6mo], range 9-18y, 16 males, three females) and 10 typically developing comparison children (mean [SD] age 15y [4y], range 7-21y, eight males, two females). Gene expression (quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction [PCR]), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to genomic DNA ratio (quantitative PCR), and protein abundance (western blotting) were analyzed. Microarray data sets (CP/aging/bed rest) were …