Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Effect Of N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine Prevention Or Intervention On Diet Induced Beta Cell Compensation And Dysfunction, Madison Wallace

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) progression increases oxidative stress which contributes to beta cell compensation and eventual dysfunction. To investigate the role of antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on beta cell function and pancreatic stellate cell activation (aSMA⁺) during early and late stages of compensation, NAC was used for preventative (p) and intervention (i) treatments in C57BL/6N mice fed a 60% kcal high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 or 22 weeks. Significantly improved glucose tolerance was observed at 22 weeks following pNAC treatment in HFD mice. Although 22-week HFD mice displayed hyperinsulinemia, beta cell hypertrophy, decreased beta cell PDX-1 nuclear localization, …

Characterization Of The Role Of Transcriptional Regulator Of Arac/Xyls Family In Tularemia Pathogenesis, Dina Marghani

NYMC Student Theses and Dissertations

The Tier 1 Select Agent, Francisella tularensis causes an acute and fatal disease known as tularemia. Many studies have devoted enormous efforts to understand how F. tularensis avoids host defense mechanisms, replicates within an extremely secure immune system, and eventually causes the deadly disease tularemia. The extremely high virulence of Francisella depends on its ability to manipulate gene expression according to the surrounding environment. This process requires the involvement of unique transcriptional regulators. Francisella possesses very few transcriptional regulators, and a majority of them characterized to-date have been shown to regulate genes involved in virulence and cellular functions. The role …

Novel Mechanisms And Biomarkers In Alcohol-Induced Organ Injury., Christine E. Dolin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background. Ethanol (EtOH) consumption is known to affect multiple organs; this is unsurprising, as the concentration of EtOH in the blood at relevant doses reaches the millimolar range. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to elucidate mechanisms of alcohol-induced organ injury, specifically the effects of alcohol on the hepatic extracellular matrix (ECM) proteome, the alcoholic hepatitis (AH) plasma peptidome, and the effects of alcohol on the renal cortex proteome and transcriptome. Methods. Mice were pair-fed ethanol-containing liquid diet chronically, and then some mice were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Liver sections from these mice were processed in a series of increasingly …

The Effects Of Intermittent Fasting On Chronic Disease In Adults: A Systematic Review, Brendan Teeters

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This systematic review investigated thirteen primary and secondary research studies from the past 20 years to determine the effects of intermittent fasting on chronic disease in adults through evaluation of biological markers pertaining to inflammation, oxidative stress, and the cardiovascular system. The dependent variables examined included heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels for cardiovascular risk; leptin and TNF-a for inflammatory risk; and F₂-Isoprostanes and free radicals for oxidative stress biomarkers. The reviewed studies found that there was a decrease in resting heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood LDL and total cholesterol levels, inflammatory cells, like …

High Glucose, High Fatty Acid-Induced Toxicity, Oxidative And Metabolic Stress And Alterations In Cell Signalling In Pancreatic Rin-5f Cells: Attenuation By N-Acetylcysteine, Arwa Munassar Ali Thabet Alnahdi

Medical Education Dissertations

Hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia are the main causes of diabetes and obesity-associated complications. Increased oxidative stress, inflammatory responses and altered energy metabolism have been associated with hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia. The concept of ‘glucolipotoxicity’ has arisen from the combination of the deleterious effects of the chronic elevation of levels of glucose and fatty acids on pancreatic β-cells’ function and/or survival. The synergistic effect of both nutrients exacerbates β-cells’ dysfunction over time and creates a vicious cycle of impaired insulin secretion and metabolic disturbances. Though numerous studies have been conducted in this field, the exact molecular mechanisms and causative factors still need to …

Mechanistic Study Of Diatrizoic Acid Induced Proximal Tubule Cytotoxicity, Dakota Blake Ward

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Radiocontrast media (RCM) are necessary for many diagnostic procedures such as arteriography, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and computed tomography. Contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is the third most common cause of hospital-associated kidney damage accounting for 10-25% of cases worldwide. The mechanisms of contrast-induced renal impairment are not entirely known, but diminished renal hemodynamics, inflammatory responses, and direct cytotoxicity have been hypothesized. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms of direct cytotoxicity observed in HK-2 cells following treatment with diatrizoic acid (DA) and to determine the source of this damage. Mitochondrial function, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative …

Chronic Low Intensity Continuous And Interval Training Prevent Heart Failure-Related Coronary Artery Stiffness, An Ouyang

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Heart failure (HF) induced by aortic pressure over-load is associated with increased coronary artery stiffness. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) and advanced glycation end products (AGE) both promote arterial stiffness. However, the mechanisms by which coronary PVAT promotes arterial stiffness and the efficacy of exercise to prevent coronary stiffness are unknown. The present study hypothesized both chronic continuous and interval exercise training would prevent coronary artery stiffness associated with inhibition of PVAT secreted AGE. Yucatan mininature swine were divided into four groups: control-sedentary (CON), aortic-banded sedentary heart failure (HF), aortic-banded HF continuous exercise trained (HF+CONT), and aortic-banded HF interval exercise trained …

Determination Of The Role Of Smu_833 In The Fitness And Virulence Of Cariogenic Streptococcus Mutans, Katherine Lynn Rainey

All ETDs from UAB

Dental caries, commonly known as tooth decay, is the most common infectious disease worldwide. The main etiological agent of dental caries is Streptococcus mutans which can readily form a biofilm on the surface of teeth and produce acids through the metabolism of dietary sugars, which is largely responsible for the demineralization and subsequent destruction of tooth enamel. In addition, S. mutans synthesizes extracellular glucosyltransferases (Gtfs) capable of breaking apart dietary sucrose and polymerizing the glucose subunits into the sticky glucan matrix of the biofilm, imperative for the formation of robust, three-dimensional biofilms. Currently used caries therapies are not species-specific and …

The Effects Of Obesity, Chronic Stress, And Exercise On Pancreatic Health, Abigail Tice

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Obesity is concomitant with hyperglycemic conditions, increased proinflammatory cytokines, and increased oxidative stress. Under hyperglycemia, thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP) is increased and causes increased oxidative stress and pancreatic b-cell apoptosis. Chronic stress is associated with increased glucocorticoid levels and a proinflammatory environment. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of obesity, chronic stress, and exercise on pancreatic health.

Lean Zucker Rats (LZRs) and Obese Zucker Rats (OZRs) were randomly assigned to four groups: 1) sedentary controls (C: n=8 per); 2) unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) (S: n=8); 3) exercise (E: n=8); and 4) combined UCMS and exercise …