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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Contribution Of Adaptive Immune Responses In Chronic Lung Diseases, Thi Kim Tran-Nguyen
Contribution Of Adaptive Immune Responses In Chronic Lung Diseases, Thi Kim Tran-Nguyen
All ETDs from UAB
Immune dysregulation is a hallmark of various chronic lung diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). Previous studies in our lab have shown evidences of autoimmunity such as increases in autoantibodies, abnormal T cell profile, immune complex deposition and the presence of ectopic lymphoid structures in the lung of these patients. This thesis consolidates two separate projects about various aberrant immune responses in these diseases. The first project identified Glucose-Regulated-Protein 78 (GRP78) as the common autoantigen in COPD and characterized how GRP78 autoantibodies may increase COPD mortality via its atherogenic effects. I demonstrated that …
The Impact Of Mitochondrial Genetic Background On Development Of Complex Multifactorial Diseases, Alexander Wendell Bray
The Impact Of Mitochondrial Genetic Background On Development Of Complex Multifactorial Diseases, Alexander Wendell Bray
All ETDs from UAB
Complex multifactorial diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are a pervasive and inescapable component of modern society. However, the genetic elements that modulate individual susceptibility to these diseases remain poorly defined. Excessive mitochondrial oxidant production has been implicated in the initiation and progression of both CVD and cancer. Moreover, polymorphisms inherited on the mitochondria genome appear to influence mammalian mitochondrial function and oxidant generation. In the present study, mitochondrial-nuclear-eXchange (MNX) mice were used to directly assess the contribution of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms to atherosclerosis in the apoE deficient (apoE-/-) mouse model of hypercholesterolemia induced atherogenesis. ApoE-/- mice …
Role Of Endothelial Mannose Residues In Monocyte Adhesion Under Flow, David Wayne Scott
Role Of Endothelial Mannose Residues In Monocyte Adhesion Under Flow, David Wayne Scott
All ETDs from UAB
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the vessel wall and underlying cause of most cardiovascular disease. Much is understood about the nature of atherosclerosis development, including contributions from leukocytes that drive the disease process forward. The general process by which leukocytes are trafficked to sites of atherosclerosis development, and sites of inflammation in general, is understood and relies upon endothelial expressed protein adhesion molecules which serve as ligands for cognate leukocyte receptors. While these adhesion molecules share the post-translation modification of N-glycosylation, relatively little is known as to what functional role these modification plays in: i) interactions of leukocytes …
Low And High Let Irradiation Of Human Aortic Endothelial Cells Induces Dose And Time Dependent Adhesion Of Monocytes Which Is Mediated By Chemokines Expressed By The Irradiated Endothelium., Saman Fatima Khaled
Low And High Let Irradiation Of Human Aortic Endothelial Cells Induces Dose And Time Dependent Adhesion Of Monocytes Which Is Mediated By Chemokines Expressed By The Irradiated Endothelium., Saman Fatima Khaled
All ETDs from UAB
Exposure to radiation from a variety of sources is associated with increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Since radiation also induces inflammation, a possible mechanism is a change in the adhesiveness of vascular endothelial cells, triggering pro-atherogenic accumulation of leukocytes. To investigate this mechanism at the cellular level, the effect of xrays, iron (Fe56) ions, and protons on adhesiveness of cultured human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) was determined. HAECs were grown as monolayers and exposed to 0 to 30 Gy X-rays, 0, 2, and 5 Gy Fe56 ions, and 0, 0.5, and 2 Gy protons followed by measurement of …
The Role Of Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress In Cardiovascular Disease Development, Corey Michael Harrison
The Role Of Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress In Cardiovascular Disease Development, Corey Michael Harrison
All ETDs from UAB
An estimated 70 million Americans have one or more types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although the sequence of events leading to CVD are still controversial, there is a general consensus that atherosclerotic lesions result from oxidative stress associated with risk factor. For this study, it was hypothesized that endogenous mitochondrial oxidative stress would influence susceptibility to atherogenesis and mitochondrial damage mediated by CVD risk factor exposure. To test this hypothesis, atherosclerotic lesion formation, oxidant stress, and mitochondrial DNA damage were assessed in hypercholestoremic mice (apolipoprotein E null - apoE -/- SOD2 +/+) and mice with significantly decreased levels of the …
The Effects Of Environmental Ozone Exposure On Vascular Function, Oxidative Stress, And Atherosclerosis, Gin Chuang
The Effects Of Environmental Ozone Exposure On Vascular Function, Oxidative Stress, And Atherosclerosis, Gin Chuang
All ETDs from UAB
Exposure to air pollutants are known to induce airway inflammation, decrease lung function, and worsen existing pulmonary conditions such as asthma. Additionally, air pollutant exposure has also been shown to impact cardiovascular health. Although these pollutant-induced cardiovascular effects were considered to be mediated by the direct action of pollutants upon the cardiovascular tissue and/or the indirect release of pro-inflammatory factors into the circulation, the relative contribution of the two pathways remained equivocal. Recently, several epidemiology studies associated ozone exposure with cardiovascular mortalities. However, relatively few studies to date have examined ozone in this context. In order to address our hypothesis …
Roles Of Adiponectin And Its Receptors In Foam Cell Transformation, Ling Tian
Roles Of Adiponectin And Its Receptors In Foam Cell Transformation, Ling Tian
All ETDs from UAB
Macrophages play a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis by producing pro-inflammatory mediators and transforming into lipid-laden foam cells. The prevention of lipid accumulation and inflammation in macrophage foam cells, therefore, represents a promising target for effective therapy for atherosclerosis. Adiponectin is a circulating cytokine primarily expressed and secreted by adipocytes, and is downregulated in obesity-linked diseases including type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease and hypertension. In oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced human THP-1 macrophage foam cells, adiponectin suppresses lipid accumulation through decreasing lipid uptake and increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-mediated lipid efflux. The potential mechanisms that adiponectin utilizes …
Oxidative Stress-Stimulated Vascular Calcification, Chang Hyun Byon
Oxidative Stress-Stimulated Vascular Calcification, Chang Hyun Byon
All ETDs from UAB
Oxidative stress plays a critical role in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. However, the effect of oxidative stress-induced molecular signaling in development of vascular calcification, a feature of advanced atherosclerosis, has not been defined. Osteogenic differentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) is critical in development of vascular calcification. We determined hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative stress promoted a phenotypic switch of mouse primary VSMC from contractile to osteogenic phenotype. This effect was associated with increased expression and transactivity of Runx2, a key transcription factor for osteogenic differentiation. Inhibition of Runx2 using short hairpin RNA blocked oxidative stress-induced VSMC calcification. By contrast, adenovirus-mediated …