Anatomy Commons^™

Cyclooxygenase-2 Mediates Microglial Activation And Secondary Dopaminergic Cell Death In The Mouse Mptp Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Rattanavijit Vijitruth, Mei Liu, Dong-Young Choi, Xuan V. Nguyen, Randy L. Hunter, Guoying Bing

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests that inflammation plays an important role in the progression of Parkinson's disease (PD). Among many inflammatory factors found in the PD brain, cyclooxygenase (COX), specifically the inducible isoform, COX-2, is believed to be a critical enzyme in the inflammatory response. Induction of COX-2 is also found in an experimental model of PD produced by administration of 1-methy-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).

METHOD: COX-2-deficient mice or C57BL/6 mice were treated with MPTP to investigate the effects of COX-2 deficiency or by using various doses of valdecoxib, a specific COX-2 inhibitor, which induces inhibition of COX-2 on dopaminergic neuronal toxicity and …

Mineralized Bone Allograft In Maxillary Sinuses Histology And Histomorphometry, Sammy Stefan Noumbissi

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Background: Demineralized freeze-dried bone allografts (DFDBA) and deproteinized bovine bone xenografts (DMBBX) have been used for sinus augmentation for many years with varying results, but very little has been reported on the clinical efficacy or the histological analysis of mineralized solvent dehydrated bone allografts (MSDBA) as sinus graft materials. This study histologically and histomorphometrically evaluated an MSDBA material called PUROS to augment atrophic human maxillary sinuses.

Materials & Methods: Seven partially and completely edentulous patients requiring unilateral (n=4) or bilateral (n=3) sinus grafts prior to implant placement were selected for this study. Test grafts consisted of MSDBA, and control …

Disaggregating The Relative Influence Of Genetic, Environmental And Individual Factors On Ldl And Hdl Cholesterols And Bmi For A Sample Of African American (Aa) Mothers And Daughters, C. Jayne Brahler, Jewel Harden, Michelle Mchone, Matthew Soules, Eric Evans, Ann Alyanak, Fred Diakpieng, Paul M. Vanderburgh

Health and Sport Science Faculty Publications

There are many reports about the associations between blood lipids, body mass index (BMI) and dietary cholesterol intakes both within the individual and between related individuals. The purpose of this descriptive research project was to investigate the relationships between LDL and HDL cholesterols, body mass index and dietary cholesterol intakes for a sample of African American (AA) mothers and their daughters and to attempt to separate the contribution of genetic versus environmental factors. Mother and daughter participants (n =42 and 66, respectively) were 12-14-hours fasted when blood samples were drawn, heights and weights measured, and 24 hour food recalls completed.

Do Cd1-Restricted T Cells Contribute To Antibody-Mediated Immunity Against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis?, Mark L. Lang, Aharona Glatman-Freedman

Dartmouth Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Indentation Fracture Of Bovine Cortical Bone: Acoustic Emission Technique, Ashkan Safari, Ger Reilly, Brendan Mccormack

Conference Papers

Indentation cutting may result in microcracking and main crack growth which was previously reported. In this study, we recorded the AE signals produced by cracking processes during cutting on cortical bone, measuring the cutting force and correlating between load-displacement curves and AE activities.

The Zucker Rat As A Model Of Obesity-Hypertension, Ryan Morrison

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Hypertension is a serious health problem that affects approximately 1 in 4 American adults. Most cases are diagnosed as essential hypertension, meaning that the exact cause is unknown. In most patients, however, excess weight is a major contributory factor to the development of essential hypertension. The role of obesity in promoting hypertension is now well documented and has become the foundation for an entire field of research known alternately as obesity-hypertension, obesity-induced hypertension, or obesity-associated hypertension. In this field, rapid advances are being made in our understanding of how obesity and hypertension are linked. A plethora of related risk factors, …

The Effect Of Handling Time On Temporal Discounting In Two New World Primates, Alexandra G. Rosati, Jeffrey R. Stevens, Marc D. Hauser

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty Publications

Foraging decisions in nonhuman animals often require choosing between small, immediate food rewards and larger, more delayed rewards. Faced with such choices, animals typically discount or devalue the future quite strongly. Although discounting studies often focus on delays to reward access, other temporal intervals contribute to foraging rate, and thus may potentially influence discounting levels. Here, we examine the effect of handling time, the time required to process and consume food, on discounting in cottontop tamarins, Saguinus oedipus, and common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus, two species that differ in levels of temporal discounting. We presented subjects with a discounting task under …

Endothelial Cell Cortactin Phosphorylation By Src Contributes To Polymorphonuclear Leukocyte Transmigration In Vitro, L. Yang, Jennifer R. Kowalski, X. Zhan, S. M. Thomas, F. W. Luscinskas

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

The underlying mechanisms that regulate leukocyte transendothelial migration through the vascular endothelium remain unclear. Cortactin is a substrate of Src tyrosine kinases and a regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics. Previous studies demonstrated a role for Src phosphorylation of cortactin in clustering of E-selectin and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 around adherent leukocytes. In the current study, we used an in vitro flow model to investigate the role of Src-induced cortactin phosphorylation in endothelium during polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) transmigration through human umbilical vein endothelium (HUVEC) monolayers preactivated with tumor necrosis factor-{alpha}. Inhibition of Src in HUVEC using Src kinase inhibitors PP2 and SU6656 …

Rapid Determination Of Reduced And Oxidized Glutathione Levels Using A New Thiol-Masking Reagent And The Enzymatic Recycling Method: Application To The Rat Liver And Bile Samples, Imam H. Shaik, Reza Mehvar

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

A microtiter plate assay for quantitation of reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione in the rat liver tissue and bile is described. The assay is based on the established enzymatic recycling method and a new thiol-masking reagent, 1-methyl-4-vinyl-pyridinium trifluoromethane sulfonate (M4VP). Samples were first processed by homogenization with (liver) or addition of (bile) sulfosalicylic acid. The total glutathione and GSSG were then determined before and after rapid (>= 2 min) and efficient (100%) masking of the GSH content of the samples with M4VP followed by the enzymatic recycling assay. The percentages of error and coefficient of variation of the …

Racial Disparities In Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Body Mass Index In Men And Women: A Subject-Level Meta-Analysis, Jill Abell

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Introduction The prevalence of obesity is increasing in all segments of the population. While excess body mass is associated with increased disease risks, the magnitude of the risks are unclear from existing studies. In this dissertation we examine the association between BMI and cardiovascular outcomes, CHD, stroke and CVD mortality and blood pressure in four gender-race subgroups. Methods This study uses Black Pooling Project data which includes subject level data on 27,691 men and women and 450,962 person-years of follow-up. Analysis includes linear regression and Cox Proportional Hazard models and is gender-race specific. Subject-level meta-analysis is used to obtain overall …

Female Genital Mutlation [Sic]: An Emerging Public Health Concern, Sarah Jan Brown

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

No abstract provided.

Assessing Epidermal Growth Factor Expression In The Rodent Hippocampus Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Janice Mabutas Daus

Theses and Dissertations

Hippocampal neurons are vulnerable to injury, as indicated by the prevalence of learning and memory deficits following traumatic brain injury. Research indicates that proliferation of neural precursor cells increases following brain injury, which implies that there is an endogenous response in the hippocampus to replenish neurons and restore cognitive function. Studies show that mitogenic growth factors may drive this proliferative response; one of which is epidermal growth factor. Because adults and the elderly manifest the most enduring deficits following TBI, it is critical to investigate how EGF expression following injury may relate to injury-induced cell proliferation and the degree of …

The Effect Of Silencing The Wilms' Tumor 1 Gene On The Radiation Sensitivity Of Glioblastoma Cells, Dana C. Chan

Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastomas are among the most devastating of human cancers with a median survival of only 9-12 months. This type of brain tumor is incurable, largely due its remarkable proliferative capacity and resistance to current treatments. High levels of the Wilms' Tumor 1 (WTI) gene have been identified in glioblastomas, suggesting an oncogenic function. Moreover, known WT1 target genes have been implicated in resistance to radiation. To determine the role of WT1 in radiation resistance, two glioblastoma cell lines expressing WT1 were treated with siRNAs to silence this gene. Confirmation of WT1 knockdown was achieved through real-time PCR and Western blot. …

Diffuse Brain Injury Triggers Ultra-Rapid Perisomatic Traumatic Axonal Injury, Wallerian Change, And Non-Specific Inflammatory Responses, Brian Joseph Kelley

Theses and Dissertations

A significant component of diffuse brain injury (DBI) is diffuse axonal injury (DAI) which is responsible for the morbidity and mortality associated with this condition. DAI and its experimental counterpart traumatic axonal injury (TAI) result in scattered microscopic pathology characterized by focal impairment of axonal transport leading to progressive swelling and delayed axotomy. DBI-mediated perisomatic axotomy does not result in acute neuronal death suggesting that delayed axotomy was responsible for this unanticipated response. To evaluate this hypothesis, we examined the spatiotemporal progression of DBI-mediated perisomatic TAI. LM / TEM identified impaired axonal transport within 15 - 30 min post-injury. Perisomatic …

The Expression And Function Of Wilms' Tumor 1 In Malignant Glioma, Aaron J. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The Wilms' tumor 1 gene is overexpressed in many types of cancer and is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to anti-cancer therapies. In vitro studies in non-glioma cells types have demonstrated that WTl plays a role in increased proliferation, resistance to apoptosis, and increased cellular invasion. We aimed to thoroughly characterize the expression pattern of Wilms' tumor 1 in human malignant glioma and discern its function in this complex disease process. We screened a large sample of established human malignant glioma cell lines and glioma tissue specimens of all grades for WT1 expression. The majority of cell lines and …

A Model For Studying Vasogenic Brain Edema, Anshu Shukla

Theses and Dissertations

Convection-enhanced delivery (CED) is a proven method for targeted drug delivery to the brain that circumvents the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Little study has been conducted in understanding CED in pathological brain states. This is of importance when dealing with chemotherapeutic agent delivery to brain tumors, where vasogenic edema (VE) exists. The current study aims to characterize a model of VE suitable for studying CED.VE was produced in the right hemisphere of the rat brain using multiple infusions of hyperosmotic mannitol (0.25mL/kg/s over 30 seconds) delivered through the right internal carotid artery. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed consistent edema formation and …

Characterization And Functional Analysis Of A Newly Identified Human Mt5-Mmp Transcript Variant Isolated From Multipotent Nt2 Cells, Heather Hamilton Ross

Theses and Dissertations

Membrane-type 5 matrix metalloproteinase (MT5-MMP) is unique among MMP family members as it is predominately expressed in the CNS. Its expression is ubiquitous during brain development and restricted to regions of neurogenesis and neuroplasticity in the adult. MT5-MMP is a mediator of pericellular proteolysis and is thought to have a functional impact on neurite outgrowth. The studies presented in this work were designed to examine MT5-MMP expression in cultured NT2 cells, a model of newogenesis and neuronal differentiation, and in adult neurogenic brain regions. We further sought to overexpress MT5-MMP and test the hypothesis that it plays a role in …

Developmental Expression Of Calcium-Binding Proteins In The Avcn And Mntb Of Normal Hearing And Congenitally Deaf Mice, John L. Roebel

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This experiment analyzes synaptic differences in the central auditory pathway between normal hearing and congenitally deaf (dn/dn) mice, and provides valuable insight into central changes that correspond with human congenital deafness. Specifically, this experiment analyzes developmental expression of the Calcium (Ca2+)-binding proteins Calretinin (CR), Calbindin D-28k (CB) and Parvalbumin (PV) in large excitatory synapses in the anteroventral cochlear nucleus (AVCN) and the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) of normal and dn/dn mice. Immunofluorescence imaging with primary antibodies detecting CR, CB or PV was used to analyze the expression of each at 9 days, 13 days, 20 days, 30 …

The Relationship Between Lactic Acid, Reactive Oxygen Species And The Hypoxia-Induced Acidification Seen In Chemosensitive Neurons Of The Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (Nts), Trevor Downing

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

The NTS is one of many sites of chemoreception meaning that it responds to changes in CO2 and pH. NTS neurons also acidify approximately 0.13 pH units in response to hypoxia. Experiments involved brainstem slices exposed to a control hypoxic bout followed by hypoxia in conjunction with different drugs. The drugs included fluorocitrate, 4-hydroxycinnamate, oxygen-glucose deprivation and iodoacetate. Iodoacetate produced the strongest blunting of the hypoxia-induced acidification and decreased the response by ~53%. Results from the studies using the superoxide probe DHE showed an increase in the levels of ROS during the hypoxic exposure prior to reoxygenation. Two ROS scavengers …

Or.76. Myelin Specific Regulatory T-Cells Expand From Naturally Occurring Regulatory T-Cells And Accumulate In The Cns During Eae [Abstract Only], Thomas Korn, Jay Reddy, Wenda Gao, Terry Strom, Mohamed Oukka, Vijay K. Kuchroo

Jay Reddy Publications

FoxP3 is a lineage specific marker for regulatory T-cells (Treg). We have generated FoxP3 knock-in (KI) mice by introducing a bicistronic GFP reporter into the endogenous FoxP3 locus, allowing us to faithfully track T-reg in vivo. Recently, we have also generated a MOG 35-55/IAb-tetramer. The combination of these two technologies enables us to study the in vivo behavior of myelin specific T-reg and effector T-cells (T-eff) during EAE. Upon immunization with MOG 35-55, we identified a population of MOG-tetramerreactive T-reg in the peripheral lymphoid compartment. T-reg trafficked to the CNS where they were readily detected as early as day 10 …

Interhemispheric Modulation Of Corticomotor Excitability Following I-Wave Periodicity Transcranial Magnetic Brain Stimulation (Itms), Lucy Catherine Millar

Theses : Honours

AIMS: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) has been recently demonstrated to have potential therapeutic benefits by promoting cortical plasticity through modulation of corticospinal excitability. We have previously shown in healthy adult subjects that paired-pulse TMS (1.5ms ISI) applied over Ml at 0.2Hz for 15min (known as iTMS), can raise corticospinal excitability for a period (~10min) that outlasts the intervention. Since interhemispheric changes in corticomotor excitability are considered to have fundamental importance in the control of voluntary movement, and recovery of motor function following unilateral damage, importance is placed on understanding the mechanisms involved. The aims of the current study were therefore …

The Role Of Lower Leg Muscle Activity In Blood Pressure Maintenance Of Older Adults, Michelle M. Masterson, Amy L. Morgan, Christine E. Multer, Daniel Cipriani

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose. Age-associated muscle weakness, postural instability, and orthostatic hypotension have been identified as contributing factors to falls , but the relationships among them are not clear. Therefore, the purpose of this study, a two-way factorial design, was to investigate the differences in lower extremity (LE) muscle activity, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate (HR) between young and older individuals in an upright position. Methods. Ten young males (20-24 yrs.) and 10 older males (65-82 yrs.) stood for 15 minutes while BP, HR, and LE electromyography (EMG) were recorded at one minute intervals . A two-way ANOVA was used …

Automatic Colonic Polyp Detection Using Multiobjective Evolutionary Techniques, Jiang Li, Adam Huang, Jianhua Yao, Ingmar Bitter, Nicholas Petrick, Ronald M. Summers, Perry J. Pickhardt, J. Richard Choi

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Colonie polyps appear like elliptical protrusions on the inner wall of the colon. Curvature based features for colonie polyp detection have proved to be successful in several computer-aided diagnostic CT colonography (CTC) systems. Some simple thresholds are set for those features for creating initial polyp candidates, sophisticated classification scheme are then applied on these polyp candidates to reduce false positives. There are two objective functions, the number of missed polyps and false positive rate, that need to be minimized when setting those thresholds. These two objectives conflict and it is usually difficult to optimize them both by a gradient search. …

Cross-Modal Projections From Auditory To Visual Cortices In The Ferret, Meng Y. Wang

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have shown that neuronal connections occur between primary auditory and visual cortices of the primate (Falchier et al., 2002; Rockland and Ojima, 2003), and it has been suggested that these projections are involved in multisensory processing in these lower-level, core areas of cortex. The present study was conducted to determine if similar connections occur in other higher mammals such as carnivores (ferrets; Mustela putorius). Large injections of sensitive neuroanatomical tracer were placed within the core areas of auditory cortex in 3 ferrets. After transport and processing, labeled axon terminals were found not in primary visual cortex, but in …

Combinatorial Modulation Of Multiple Signaling Pathways To Gain Therapeutic Response In Breast And Prostate Cell Carcinomas, William Tressel Hawkins Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Our laboratory is primarily interested in novel pharmacological intervention of cell proliferation and survival pathways expressed in various types of cancer. These cyto-protective pathways can be activated in response to growth factor stimulation, toxic insult and radiation. In our studies, we utilized novel drug combinations with and without radiation to enhance breast & prostate tumor cell death both in vitro and in vivo. Previous studies from our group have shown that UCN-01 and MEK1/2 inhibitors interact to cause tumor cell death in transformed cell lines in vitro. We extended this observation to an in vivo animal model system using the …

The Role Of Sulfatide In Alzheimer's Disease, Charles Britton Beasley Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid beta plaques, neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) and loss of cortical neurons that control memory and cognition. The cause of NFTs and Aβ plaques is not clear, though it is known that they are formed by enzymes which are preferentially sequestered to membrane domains called lipid rafts. Sulfatide (ST) is a glycosphingolipid that is essential for the proper structure and function of lipid rafts. In mice that lack ST, membrane domains that are normally maintained by adhesive contacts and functional lipid rafts are improperly formed and are unstable. In these ST null …

The Influence Of A Single Nucleotide Polymorphism In The Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 Promoter On Glioma Biology, Jessica Mccready

Theses and Dissertations

Glioblastomas are an incurable type of brain tumor with a mean survival time of 9-12 months following diagnosis. One of the reasons for this poor prognosis is the ability of tumor cells to invade the surrounding normal brain tissue. Enzymes responsible for this invasive nature include the matrix metalloproteinase family. MMP-1 is a member of this family which has been well studied in many types of invasive tumors, with gliomas being an exception. We studied a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the MMP-1 promoter that may influence glioma biology. This SNP consists of the presence (2G) or absence (1G) of …

Molecular Localization Of Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1-Alpha In Post-Ischemic Myocardium Following In Vivo Prolyl-4 Hydroxylase-2 Gene Silencing, Julia Antoinette Messina

Theses and Dissertations

Administration of small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for prolyl-4 hydroxylase-2 (PHD2) results in PHD2 inhibition, Hypoxia Inducible Factor-I (HIF-1) activation, and cardioprotection versus Ischemia Reperfusion (IR). This study observes the effects of siRNA-mediated PHD2 inhibition on the distribution of cardioprotective proteins by immunofluorescence and basic histology. Fifteen mice were divided into 5 groups: PHD2 Control, Non-Targeting scramble (NTS) Control, IR Control, PHD2 IR, and NTS IR. Histologically, tissue damage was reduced dramatically in the PHD2 IR group compared to the NTS IR and IR control groups. From confocal images, total fluorescent pixels and intensities were quantified. The PHD2 IR group …

Wavelet Analysis In Virtual Colonoscopy, Sharon Greenblum, Jiang Li, Adam Huang, Ronald M. Summers, Armando Manduca (Ed.), Amir A. Amini (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The computed tomographic colonography (CTC) computer aided detection (CAD) program is a new method in development to detect colon polyps in virtual colonoscopy. While high sensitivity is consistently achieved, additional features are desired to increase specificity. In this paper, a wavelet analysis was applied to CTCCAD outputs in an attempt to filter out false positive detections. 52 CTCCAD detection images were obtained using a screen capture application. 26 of these images were real polyps, confirmed by optical colonoscopy and 26 were false positive detections. A discrete wavelet transform of each image was computed with the MATLAB wavelet toolbox using the …

Hybrid Committee Classifier For A Computerized Colonic Polyp Detection System, Jiang Li, Jianhua Yao, Nicholas Petrick, Ronald M. Summers, Amy K. Hara, Joseph M. Reinhardt (Ed.), Josien P.W. Pluim (Ed.)

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

We present a hybrid committee classifier for computer-aided detection (CAD) of colonic polyps in CT colonography (CTC). The classifier involved an ensemble of support vector machines (SVM) and neural networks (NN) for classification, a progressive search algorithm for selecting a set of features used by the SVMs and a floating search algorithm for selecting features used by the NNs. A total of 102 quantitative features were calculated for each polyp candidate found by a prototype CAD system. 3 features were selected for each of 7 SVM classifiers which were then combined to form a committee of SVMs classifier. Similarly, features …