Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Effect Of Exercise And Diet On Insulin Resistance, Kinsey M. Nelson

Honors Theses

This paper explores the effects of diet and exercise on an insulin-resistant individual, integrating the recommendations for exercise and diet as put forth by a variety of peer-reviewed articles. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if insulin resistance is a reversible condition, and if so, whether exercise alone, nutrition alone, or some combination of the two would be the most effective treatment. The results of this twenty-week trial suggest that insulin resistance may be reversible. Exercise alone was not found to be effective in decreasing insulin levels. Changing to a low-carbohydrate diet with no exercise saw a vast …

Discovering New Antibiotics: Bacterial Extracts Separated By Thin-Layer Chromatography Inhibit The Growth Of Staphylococcus, Heidi Hughes

Honors Theses

Many bacteria have become resistant to commonly used antibiotics because of antibiotic use in people and animals. Therefore, new antibiotics are needed that will inhibit these resistant bacteria. Bacteria found in soil are a likely source for new antibiotics because of the limited available nutrients found in the soil. We isolated soil bacteria and screened them for antibiotic production against Staphylococcus epidermidids. Methanol extracts were made from entire agar plates of the soil bacteria that inhibited S. epidermidis. These extracts were spotted on a lawn of Staphylococcus aureus; growth inhibition was measured to comfirm that the extracts contained the …

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia As A Possible Source For Ajulemic Acid Binding, Brian Christopher Monk

Honors Theses

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is a cancer that affects bone marrow, the blood-forming tissue (of the body). This type of leukemia accounts for approximately 10% of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. Normally this cancer is treated with a drug called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), but other variations of treatment do exist. The importance of this research is that APL cells express contains a receptor, retinoic acid receptor-a (RARa), which ajulemic acid (AJA) may bind to in order to induce apoptosis in Ewing sarcoma (ES), a pediatric bone cancer. Therefore, this research will focus on the ability of AJA to induce …

The Effect Of Cannabinoids On Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells, Haley Dahl

Honors Theses

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a difficult type of cancer to treat because it is negative for progesterone, estrogen, and HER-2 receptors. Because TNBC is negative for these three receptors, it does not respond to normal hormonal therapies. The purpose of my experiment is to see if different cannabinoids, compounds from the cannabis plants, could be used as alternative treatment options. These experiments employed three different cannabinoids: ajulemic acid, cannabidiol, and hemp oil. Cell viability was measured after 72 hours of treatment using a MTT assay. The results showed that the three cannabinoids could be used to effectively destroy …

Thrilling Monotony: A Summer Of Alzheimer's Research, Baronger Dowell Bieger

Honors Theses

The primary genetic risk determinant for late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE). Variations in this gene produce three different isoforms of the apolipoprotein E protein (ApoE): ApoE2, ApoE3, and ApoE4. ApoE# is the most common isoform, so rates of LOAD among other genotypes are indexed to this variant. ApoE2 is rather rare, but its carriers are less likely to get LOAD; when they do, they get it later. The second most common variant is ApoE4, and its carriers are significantly more likely to get LOAD. They also tend to succumb earlier. Once developed, LOAD is characterized by …

Interaction Of Disease, Drugs, And Disposition In Ewing's Sarcoma Patients, Madeline Martin

Honors Theses

Ewing's Sarcoma is a pediatric bone cancer that is highly aggressive, leading to a five year survival rate of not only 30% even with multi-modal treatment protocols. Improved therapeutic options are desperately needed. Our research has focused on the ability of the psychoactive cannabinoid, ajulemic acid, to induce apoptosis and decrease metastatic potential in cells from members of the Ewing Sarcoma family of tumors. Recently, we explored the effects of the naturally-occuring cannabinoid, cannabidiol, on three-dimensional spheroids that mimic the cellular components and microenvironment of Ewing's tumors. We looked at how this treatment affects VEGF, a mediator of angiogenesis, to …

Protective Effects Of Aqueous Extract Of Terminalia Arjuna Bark Against Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity, Sarah Elizabeth Bishop

Honors Theses

The bark of Terminalia arjuna (TA), a tropical tree, has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for treatment of cardiovascular disease. TA bark is known to contain various antioxidants, and recently it has been suggested to enhance function of the normal heart as an over-the-counter supplement in the USA. The mechanism underlying cardiac actions of TA bark are unknown. Doxorubicin (DOX), a commonly-used anticancer drug, is known to cause cardiotoxicity, a major concern in chemotherapy. The aim of this study is to investigate whether aqueous extracts of TA bark (TAaq) protect the heart from DOX treatment by …

Ajulemic Acid Induces Cell Death In Retinoblastoma Cells, Emily A. Evans

Honors Theses

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina affecting one in every 15,000-20,000 births. It is normally diagnosed in infancy or early childhood and although it is treatable, enucleation is commonly required. Other treatments include radiation, photocoagulation, or cryotherapy and are often followed by chemotherapy. In an attempt to find an alternate method of treatment that lowers the frequency of enucleation and the serious side-effects resulting from current treatments, ajulemic acid (AJA), a synthetic derivative of Cannabis, has been used to treat retinoblastoma cells. Thus far, significant cell death has occurred among retinoblastoma cells that have been treated with AJA concentrations …

The Effects Of Ajulemic Acid On The Metatastic Potential Of Ewing's Sarcoma, Nolan J. West

Honors Theses

Ewing's Sarcoma belongs in the Ewing's Sarcoma Family of Tumors (EFST) which represents approximately 2% of all cancers found in children and young adults. These tumors are generally treated by chemotherapy along with either surgery or radiation therapy which can themselves have debilitating effects on the patients. Dr. Lori Hensley's research has shown that ajulemic acid (AJA), a synthetic cannabinoid compound, exhibits extraordinary anti-tumor effects. In addition, AJA has not expressed any psychotropic side effects typically seen with other cannabinoids. Furthermore, ajulemic acid has been shown to eliminate the tumors by apoptosis, the preferred method of cell death. The purpose …

Understanding The Hurting: A Look Into The Lives Of Families Battling Ewing's Sarcoma, Abigail Dekle

Honors Theses

A look into the lives of families struggling with the effects of Ewing's Sarcoma.

Eating Disorders: Behind The Scenes, Katie Potts

Honors Theses

Eating disorders have become so widespread in our society that it is estimated that seven to ten million women and one million men have an eating disorder. Eating disorders do not discriminate; they can affect people of any race, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, and economic status. Research shows that about 76 percent of eating disorders begin between 11 and 20 years of age. Of all the diagnosed eating disorders, 77 percent will have a duration of one to fifteen years of the individual's life. Six percent of serious eating disorder cases end in death. An eating disorder is defined as …

Cannabinoid Modulation Of Microglial Activation In Multiple Sclerosis, Natalie Shea Lemons

Honors Theses

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that is estimated to affect 400,000 Americans. There is no cure for MS and some treatments at this point are toxic to patients. Dr. Lori Hensley's lab is researching two drugs that could potentially be used to treat MS without toxic effects. Previous work in the lab shows ajulemic acid, a synthetic molecule similar to metabolites from the cannabis plant, selectively suppresses markers of the inflammatory response. worked on the mechanism of ajulemic acid's action by investigating the roles of several candidate receptors in mediating these observed effects.

Resveratrol Modulation Of Microglial Activation And Provision For Neuroprotection In Multiple Sclerosis, Joseph L. Green

Honors Theses

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease affecting over 2.5 million people worldwide. In MS, myelin sheaths surrounding the axons of neurons are attacked by the immune system, leading to many deleterious symptoms. No cure for MS has been found, but some treatments reducing the number of exacerbations are available. Studies on resveratrol show the compound to have anti-inflammatory properties that could be beneficial in the treatment of diseases like MS. In our research, we used a cellular model to imitate neurons of the central nervous system and tested the effects of resveratrol in the hope of finding neuroprotective properties.

Mitoxantrone Represses Markers Of Microglial Activation And Inflammation, Cameron A. Tull

Honors Theses

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by an autoimmune attack against myelin sheaths in the central nervous system (CNS). Resulting debilitations vary from sensory, motor, and coordination abnormalities to visual difficulties as well as bowel, bladder, sexual, and cognitive dysfunction (Fox, 2006). Mitoxantrone (Novantrone) is an FDAapproved drug used to treat the secondary-progressive form ofMS due to its demonstrated immunosuppressive properties. While the mechanism of action of mitoxantrone is not yet well understood, and is limited in its use due to cardiotoxicity, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of mitoxantrone on microglial and astrocyte …

Combating An Elusive Enemy: Understanding Autism, Brandy Ussery

Honors Theses

Autism is a disorder that affects one out of every one thousand children. It occurs more frequently in boys than in girls and brings with it complications that deprive those affected of a nom1al life. One such individual is a boy named Tyler Kubinski. Tyler is a twelve-year-old severely autistic child from Paragould, Arkansas. Tyler's world is limited by his inability to speak or communicate further than a scream or contorted laugh. He does not frighten or agitate easily but will strike out fiercely with his muscular legs or well-aimed spit to anyone nearby. Tyler does not interact with his …

Calcium Metabolism Of Bone In Microgravity: An Investigation And Simulation Of Bone Demineralization In Space, Benjamin Peacock

Honors Theses

Extended space exploration poses many physiological problems that must be overcome before humanity can reach past the boundaries of Earth's orbit. The farthest a human has been able to travel is to the moon and back, and currently astronauts are confined to orbiting the Earth. While many astronauts and cosmonauts have remained aboard the space station Mir for months, their stay was not without detrimental effects upon their return. Currently, the International Space Station and missions to Mars are the projects involving humans in space at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

In this experiment, a ground-based simulation utilizing …

Cystic Fibrosis: Biological And Ethical Considerations, Sarah Elizabeth Milam

Honors Theses

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a progressive, multisystem disease whose etiology is a genetic mutation in the CF gene product, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The disorder affects all exocrine glands, with common symptoms involving the lungs and pancreas. Although the CF gene and its protein product have been identified, two aspects of the disease make CF particularly difficult to diagnose and manage: (a) variability in both degree and pattern of the mutation in different individuals and (b) lack of information regarding the precise molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible. Let us begin by examining the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of the …

Kuru, Scott Turner

Honors Theses

The paper begins with a discussion on the discovery of kuru, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. This is followed by a look at the cultural life of the Fore tribe, the natural hosts of kuru. The clinical characteristics, laboratory data, post-mortem findings and histopathology of kuru victims are also discussed.

The extensive transmission experiments involving kuru is the next topic presented. Next, a classification of disease, the origin of kuru the infectious agent involved, the etiology, the epidemiology and a possible genetic basis for kuru is given.

The paper ends with a look into some of the …

Medical Conditions In Arkansas During The Civil War, Karen Polk

Honors Theses

The Civil War was a war of great suffering, pain, and ignorance in the medial field and on the battlefield. The Arkansas soldier suffered for lack of medical supplies, medical care, and food. If the fear of being wounded was not enough, the soldier was apt to die either in an unsafe hospital or on the battlefield due to exposure. Contagious diseases spread like wildfire through the camps, and medicines, if available, were scarce and inadequate. Trying to provide for the soldiers was a main aim of the citizens, who established hospitals, and sacrificed commodities for the 'lost cause.' After …

Nutrition And Disease, Libby Cook

Honors Theses

This paper explores how diet may impact various diseases.

Nutrition And Disease, Libby Cook

Honors Theses

This paper examines how diet can impact disease.

Psychosomatic Disorders, C. David Claybrook

Honors Theses

The term psychosomatic is derived from two Greek words, "psyche" meaning mind and "soma" meaning body. The concept embodies the principle that the mind is closely integrated with the body, that they are inseparable. A psychosomatic illness, therefore, is an illness that has its foundations in the mind but is manifested or has its symptoms in the body. It is important to realize that these illnesses are not merely in the rampant imagination of the sick person's mind. They are very real and often painful organic disorders. The distinguishing factor in psychosomatics is that they are precipitated, to a major …