Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Investigating The Viral Nature Of Neuronal Capsid Genes, Michael Manuel Long

Master's Theses

Memory formation is an essential part of everyday life. Neuronal communication is thought to be a key driver behind memory formation. There are two heavily studied methods of neuronal communication: chemical (neurotransmitter-mediated) and electrical (physically attached). When issues arise environmentally or genetically, people can experience one of many devastating memory disorders i.e. Alzheimer’s disease and other Dementias. Due to their prevalence, the treatments for disorders that hinder memory formation are a high priority for pharmaceutical companies. Currently, many of the treatments available focus on neurotransmitters or neuronal activity, and scientists are far from a cure. However, there may be an …

Delayed Testosterone Treatment In A Rodent Model Of Repeat Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Attenuates Mechanisms Of Cellular Death In The Vestibular Nucleus, Michael Volyanyuk

Master's Theses

A common complaint after repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI) is vestibular dysfunction, which can become persistent and decrease quality of life. Delayed testosterone treatment has been shown to reduce vestibular impairment and improve neuronal survival in the vestibular nucleus following rmTBI; however, the long-term molecular pathways associated with rmTBI and testosterone treatment remain widely unexplored. We utilized a 5-hit closed-head rodent rmTBI model and administered testosterone 35 days after injury (DPI). The vestibular nuclei were removed and prepared for RT-qPCR and western blotting. Gene expression and protein levels were elevated for markers of oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase 4) and …

The Unconventional Secretion Of Alpha-Synuclein By Autophagic Mechanisms And The Novel Characterization Of Pathological Alpha-Synuclein Associated Extracellular Vesicles, Kevin Burbidge

Master's Theses

Synucleinopathies are a group of neurodegenerative diseases associated with the intracellular accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein, a neurotoxic process resulting in cell death. Research indicates that pathology results from α-synuclein misfolding and self-propagation, as well as, cell-to-cell transmission. Furthermore, pathological α-synuclein transmission may occur through unconventional secretion.

In this thesis, we investigated how autophagy influences unconventional secretion of our novel α-synuclein dual-split protein model that we first verified by reproducing documented results from treatment of known autophagic regulators. Afterwards, we investigated how knocking out autophagic proteins ATG7 and Beclin-1 influenced α-synuclein secretion.

Additionally, we developed a methodology for analyzing extracellular vesicles …

Cellular Consequences Of Lysosomal Rupture Induced By Alpha Synuclein, Zachary Carpenter Green

Master's Theses

Misfolded, toxic forms of amyloid alpha synuclein (α-syn) have been implicated in Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology and have been shown to spread throughout the brain in a prion-like manner, explaining the progressive loss of neurons in PD. The mechanisms of spread and cell death are unknown, however, evidence from previous studies suggests that neurons may undergo apoptosis due to the uptake of exogenous α-syn aggregate through the endocytic pathway and subsequent lysosomal rupture.

This study aimed to corroborate previous evidence of α-syn induced lysosomal rupture and investigate the cellular repercussions of rupture with respect to cell death and α-syn transfer. …

Estrogen Regulation Of Mir-181a Stability In Neurons, Chun Kim

Master's Theses

Estrogens are an important class of steroid hormones involved in many cellular signaling processes. Levels of estrogens fluctuate across the lifespan suggesting that they target intracellular mediators, such as microRNAs, to fine-tune homeostatic cellular processes. Previous work in our lab demonstrated that 17β-estradiol (E2), the predominant circulating estrogen, stabilized miR-181a in a neuronal cell line derived from rat hypothalamus. These results lead to the hypothesis that E2 regulated miR-181a stability by altering the pool of endogenous RNA and by recruiting PNRC2 away from the miRNA degradation machinery. By utilizing miRNA degradation assays and immunostaining techniques, it was determined that the …

A Study Of Functional Recovery And Axonal Plasticity Following Tbi And Anti-Nogo-A Immunotherapy, Jennifer Crystal Biesiadecki

Master's Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally and often results in long term disability. Unfortunately, the success of rehabilitation techniques as therapy for TBI is limited, which may be due to the growth restrictive environment of the adult central nervous system (CNS). This environment is thought to result from glial scars, lack of neurotrophic factors, and the presence of an array of growth-inhibitory molecules. One such growth-inhibitory molecule is the protein Nogo-A. Our laboratory has shown that neutralization of Nogo-A with anti-Nogo-A immunotherapy after ischemic stroke results in improvement in functional recovery in the …

Alpha-Synuclein Aggregates Activate The Nlrp3 Inflammasome Following Vesicle Rupture, Rudy Orlando Cedillos

Master's Theses

Parkinson's disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies are progressive neurodegenerative disorders that feature the accumulation of intracellular inclusions known as Lewy bodies (LBs) in the brain. The presynaptic protein α-synuclein is the primary constituent of LBs and has been documented to play a major role in the pathogenesis of synucleinopathies. Recently, aggregated α-synuclein has been implicated in prompting microglia-mediated inflammation, a process associated with the progression of neuronal death in neurodegenerative disorders. Although the mechanisms surrounding the induction of neuroinflammation are not well understood, the recently discovered inflammasome-forming NLR proteins have emerged as regulators of inflammation. In this study, we sought …

Resveratrol + Ethanol Preconditioning And Neuroprotection, Nastaran Khodaie

Master's Theses

Our lab established that moderate ethanol preconditioning (MEP) for 6 days blocked the Aâ25-35 toxicity in cerebellar mixed cell cultures and It has been shown that MEP cause the up regulation of the pre-survival enzymes such as proxiredoxin2 (PRX2), which suggests MEP can activate the cell survival pathways against upcoming toxins.

This study was performed to verify the possible combinatory effect of ethanol and resveratrol against Aâ25-35 toxicity. Both ethanol and resveratrol sub-protective concentrations were detected against Aâ25-35 in cerebellar mixed cell cultures. The combination of sub-protective levels of ethanol and resveratrol showed the significantly reduction in number of Aâ25-35 …

The Impact Of Algal Community Succession, Taxonomic Composition And Biomass Accrual, On Denitrification Potential Of Stream Periphyton, Allison Daley

Master's Theses

We investigated the relationship between algal taxonomy, community succession and biomass accrual and denitrification potential (DNP) within stream periphyton. Field research was conducted in 6 DuPage County, II forest preserve streams with diverse physical and chemical characteristics and in an experiment in the artificial stream facility at Loyola University Chicago in which 2 sets of streams were amended with nutrients and compared to an unamended set of streams. Algal communities in the field study streams were sampled over 12 weeks late spring/summer and NMDS ordination plots identified 4 distinct communities. Correlations with algal community NMDS axis scores and the relative …

Determination Of The Molecular Mechanisms Of Hyperglycemia-Induced Changes In Cav3.2 Calcium Channel Properties, Ginny Marie Keeling

Master's Theses

Hyperglycemia can cause altered excitability due to increased CaV3.2 T-type calcium channel function, bestowing diabetics an increased neuropathy risk. The objective of this study was to understand the molecular mechanisms of increased CaV3.2 function during hyperglycemia in vitro, which leads to a 58% increase in current density and increased channel open probability (PO), among other changes. Two major findings are reported in this study:

1) The enzymatic elimination of extracellular N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) moieties reversed the increase in current density and the shift in PO, showing that hyper-glycosylation alters channel function in disease.

2) Treatment with GM1 (a ganglioside highly …

Protein Kinase C Δ Is Critical For Nucleotide Excision Repair Of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimers, Christopher Michael Negro

Master's Theses

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is the process by which cells identify and repair bulky, helix-distorting DNA lesions such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and 6-4 photoproducts (6-4PP). NER in human cells is a complex biochemical process requiring several complementation groups. Defects in complementation group genes result in rare, autosomal recessive cancer syndromes such as xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), cockayne syndrome (CS), and trichothiodystrophy, supporting the tumor suppressive effects of NER. Protein Kinase C delta (PKCδ) expression is lost in squamous cell carcinomas where it functions as a tumor suppressor gene. Additionally, in response to UV radiation, PKCδ is …

Morphological Development Of The Axial Skeletons Of Esox Lucius And Esox Masquinongy (Euteleostei: Esociforms), With Comparisons In Developmental And Mineralization Rates., Amanda Maria Burdi

Master's Theses

Developmental morphology of the axial skeleton of Esox lucius (i.e., northern pike and type species) and E. masquinongy (i.e., muskellunge) was investigated. More than 1,000 specimens were examined ranging in size from approximately 10 mm notochordal length (NL) post-hatching juveniles to over 80 mm standard length (SL) foraging sub-adults. Results show that regardless of individual variation, the relative sequence of bone formation and mineralization is consistent between the two species. This consistent developmental pattern enabled construction of an ontogenetic staging scheme of eight developmental stages, each characterized by one defining criterion. The first appearance in cartilage and/or first sign of …

Characterization Of The On And Off Pathways In Human Vision, Luisa Roveri

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Morphology Of The Canine Renal Lymphatic System, Kurt H. Albertine

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Restriction Endonuclease Analysis Of Bacteriophage P1 Dna And Its Derivative Hybrid Dnas, Gregory Alan Schulz

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Activity Of Specific Antibody Isolated Using Immunoadsorbents, Guy Joseph Agostino

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The Histochemical Distribution Of Placental Calcium And Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Following Fetoplacental Dissociation In The Albino Rat, Eric Sigmond

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Experimental Study Of The Effects Of Thyrodectomy On The Growth Of A Spindle-Cell Sarcoma In The Albino Rat, Francis G. Kravec

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.