Medical Sciences Commons^™

Manganese-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Overview And Central Nervous System Applications With A Focus On Neurodegeneration, Ryan A. Cloyd, Shon A. Koren, Jose F. Abisambra

Physiology Faculty Publications

Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) rose to prominence in the 1990s as a sensitive approach to high contrast imaging. Following the discovery of manganese conductance through calcium-permeable channels, MEMRI applications expanded to include functional imaging in the central nervous system (CNS) and other body systems. MEMRI has since been employed in the investigation of physiology in many animal models and in humans. Here, we review historical perspectives that follow the evolution of applied MRI research into MEMRI with particular focus on its potential toxicity. Furthermore, we discuss the more current in vivo investigative uses of MEMRI in CNS investigations and …

Hyperhomocysteinemia As A Risk Factor For Vascular Contributions To Cognitive Impairment And Dementia, Brittani R. Price, Donna M. Wilcock, Erica M. Weekman

Physiology Faculty Publications

Behind only Alzheimer’s disease, vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID) is the second most common cause of dementia, affecting roughly 10–40% of dementia patients. While there is no cure for VCID, several risk factors for VCID, such as diabetes, hypertension, and stroke, have been identified. Elevated plasma levels of homocysteine, termed hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy), are a major, yet underrecognized, risk factor for VCID. B vitamin deficiency, which is the most common cause of HHcy, is common in the elderly. With B vitamin supplementation being a relatively safe and inexpensive therapeutic, the treatment of HHcy-induced VCID would seem straightforward; however, …

Editorial: Ion Channel Trafficking And Cardiac Arrhythmias, Marcel A. G. Van Der Heyden, Brian P. Delisle, Hugues Abriel

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Adropin: An Endocrine Link Between The Biological Clock And Cholesterol Homeostasis, Sarbani Ghoshal, Joseph R. Stevens, Cyrielle Billon, Clemence Girardet, Sadichha Sitaula, Arthur S. Leon, D.C. Rao, James S. Skinner, Tuomo Rankinen, Claude Bouchard, Marinelle V. Nuñez, Kimber L. Stanhope, Deborah A. Howatt, Alan Daugherty, Jinsong Zhang, Matthew Schuelke, Edward P. Weiss, Alisha R. Coffey, Brian J. Bennett, Praveen Sethupathy, Thomas P. Burris, Peter J. Havel, Andrew A. Butler

Physiology Faculty Publications

Objective

Identify determinants of plasma adropin concentrations, a secreted peptide translated from the Energy Homeostasis Associated (ENHO) gene linked to metabolic control and vascular function.

Methods

Associations between plasma adropin concentrations, demographics (sex, age, BMI) and circulating biomarkers of lipid and glucose metabolism were assessed in plasma obtained after an overnight fast in humans. The regulation of adropin expression was then assessed in silico, in cultured human cells, and in animal models.

Results

In humans, plasma adropin concentrations are inversely related to atherogenic LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in men (n = 349), but not in women (n = …

Hypersensitivity Of Vagal Pulmonary Afferents Induced By Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha In Mice, Ruei-Lung Lin, Qihai Gu, Lu-Yuan Lee

Physiology Faculty Publications

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma. Inhalation of TNFα also induces airway hyperresponsiveness in healthy human subjects, and the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. A recent study reported that TNFα caused airway inflammation and a sustained elevation of pulmonary chemoreflex responses in mice, suggesting a possible involvement of heightened sensitivity of vagal pulmonary C-fibers. To investigate this possibility, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a pretreatment with TNFα on the sensitivity of vagal pulmonary afferents in anesthetized mice. After TNFα (10 μg/ml, 0.03 ml) …