Physiological Processes Commons^™

Trpm7 Current Inactivation: Evidence For Inside-Out Signaling, Tetyana Zhelay, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

TRPM7 channels conduct metal cations such as Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. In the presence of external Ca2+/Mg2+ TRPM7 has a steeply outwardly rectifying current-voltage (I-V) relation. In the absence of Ca2+/Mg2+ the IV becomes semi-linear. This has been explained by the removal of pore blockade by divalent cations (e.g. Ca2+o/Mg2+o). TRPM7 channels are inhibited by cytoplasmic Mg2+ in a voltage-independent manner, primarily by a reversible reduction in the overall number of conducting channels. Here, we have examined the consequences of external Ca2+ removal and reintroduction on TRPM7 current kinetics. In whole-cell patch clamp with low internal Mg2+, we rapidly …

Inactivation Of Trpm7 Kinase In Mice Results In Enlarged Spleens, Reduced T-Cell Proliferation And Diminished Store-Operated Calcium Entry, Pavani Beesetty, Krystyna Blanka Wieczerzak, Jennifer Gibson, Taku Kaitsuka, Charles Tuan Luu, Masayuki Matsushita, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

T lymphocytes enlarge (blast) and proliferate in response to antigens in a multistep program that involves obligatory cytosolic calcium elevations. Store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) pathway is the primary source of Ca2+ in these cells. Here, we describe a novel modulator of blastogenesis, proliferation and SOCE: the TRPM7 channel kinase. TRPM7 kinase-dead (KD) K1646R knock-in mice exhibited splenomegaly and impaired blastogenic responses elicited by PMA/ionomycin or anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies. Splenic T-cell proliferation in vitro was weaker in the mutant compared to wildtype littermates. TRPM7 current magnitudes in WT and KD mouse T cells were, however, similar. We tested the dependence of T-cell …

Physiological And Cognitive Factors Related To Human Performance During The Grand Canyon Rim-To-Rim Hike, Kristin Divis, Clifford Anderson-Bergman, Robert Abbott, Victoria Newton, Glory Emmanuel-Aviña

Journal of Human Performance in Extreme Environments

Exposure to extreme environments is both mentally and physically taxing, leading to suboptimal performance and even life-threatening emergencies. Physiological and cognitive monitoring could provide the earliest indicator of performance decline and inform appropriate therapeutic intervention, yet little research has explored the relationship between these markers in strenuous settings. The Rim-to-Rim Wearables at the Canyon for Health (R2RWATCH) study is a research project at Sandia National Laboratories funded by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency to identify which physiological and cognitive phenomena collected by non-invasive wearable devices are the most related to performance in extreme environments. In a pilot study, data were …

Influence Of Resistance Training On Vascular Function, Hemodynamic, And Perceived Exertion Responses To Fixed Submaximal Workloads In Patients With Coronary Disease, Kerstin Grafe

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

PURPOSE: To determine the impact of superimposed resistance training (RT) in aerobically trained coronary patients on systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE; 6–20 scale), and rate pressure product (RPP) at fixed submaximal workloads following a 12-week RT intervention. Additionally, pre-and post-RT measures of brachial artery reactivity, an index of endothelial function, were obtained. METHODS: Fifteen low risk coronary patients (13 men, 2 women; mean ± SD age = 66.1 ± 5.1 yrs) completed a progressive 12-week RT program that complemented their regular aerobic training regimen. Prior to training, SBP, HR, RPP, and RPE were …

A Protocol For The Administration Of Real-Time Fmri Neurofeedback Training, Matthew Sherwood, Emily E. Diller, Elizabeth Ey, Subhashini Ganapathy, Jeremy T. Nelson, Jason G. Parker

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Neurologic disorders are characterized by abnormal cellular-, molecular-, and circuit-level functions in the brain. New methods to induce and control neuroplastic processes and correct abnormal function, or even shift functions from damaged tissue to physiologically healthy brain regions, hold the potential to dramatically improve overall health. Of the current neuroplastic interventions in development, neurofeedback training (NFT) from functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has the advantages of being completely non-invasive, non-pharmacologic, and spatially localized to target brain regions, as well as having no known side effects. Furthermore, NFT techniques, initially developed using fMRI, can often be translated to exercises that can …

Enduring Chronic Kidney Disease: An Investigation Of Psychosocial Factors And Life Satisfaction In Older Adults Receiving Dialysis Treatment, Bailee Sobotka

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Chronic kidney disease is a condition during which the kidneys begin to shut down and no longer filter blood efficiently. Once the disease has progressed far enough, dialysis treatments are mandatory to sustain life. To further understand how older adults receiving dialysis treatments cope with their disease, psychosocial factors were evaluated to investigate possible correlations with life satisfaction using a Life Satisfaction Index Z (LSI-Z). Expected correlations with life satisfaction were sociability, financial satisfaction, importance of spirituality, and activities of daily living scores. Interviews were conducted with 30 dialysis patients and results were analyzed using various statistical measures. Significant correlations …

Local Anesthesia Toxicity, Nicole Mccleery

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Local anesthesia (LA) provides a way to relieve temporary pain in a small part of the body and has been used for over 100 years (Fencl, 2015). LA also prevents the passage of surgical stimuli into the central nervous system (CNS) making a surgical procedure less painful for the patient (Noble, 2015). According to Noble, “altering the passage of stimuli from smaller diameter neurons in a confined area with lower drug dosages is called LA, such as the injection of LA around a surgical incision” (Noble, 2015, p.325). LA can be used in a variety of settings, such as in …

Mixed-Mode Oscillations In Pyramidal Neurons Under Antiepileptic Drug Conditions, Babak V-Ghaffari, M. Kouhnavard, Sherif M. Elbasiouny

Neuroscience, Cell Biology, & Physiology Faculty Publications

Subthreshold oscillations in combination with large-amplitude oscillations generate mixedmode oscillations (MMOs), which mediate various spatial and temporal cognition and memory processes and behavioral motor tasks. Although many studies have shown that canard theory is a reliable method to investigate the properties underlying the MMOs phenomena, the relationship between the results obtained by applying canard theory and conductancebased models of neurons and their electrophysiological mechanisms are still not well understood. The goal of this study was to apply canard theory to the conductance-based model of pyramidal neurons in layer V of the Entorhinal Cortex to investigate the properties of MMOs under …

The Brain: A Panel, Ashima Brown, Jamila James, Cara Clark, Mikayla Rolda, Anna Le, Jourdan Lawrence, Brylea Huitt

Collin College Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Student Research Conference

Papers Presented:

"The Brain's Power on Personality Development" by Ashmima Brown, Jamila James, & Cara Clark

"The Brain's Highway" by Mikayla Rolda & Anna Le

Abstract: The peripheral nerves, which are made out of fibers or bundles of axons, include all the nerves beyond the brain and the spinal cord. They start from the edges of the central nerves, or spinal cord, and extend outwards to the periphery of the body. The main function of the peripheral nerves is to carry information from the central nervous system to the muscles and to important organs and then relay the sensory information …

Regulation Of Trpm7 By Cytosolic Mg2+ And Ph: Insights From Vsp Expression, Pavani Beesetty, Krystyna Blanka Wieczerzak, Tatyana Zhelay, Taku Kaitsuka, Masayuki Matsushita, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

TRPM7 is an ion channel/protein kinase belonging to TRP melastatin and eEF2 kinase families. Under physiological conditions, most native TRPM7 channels are inactive, due to inhibition by cytoplasmic Mg2+, protons and polyamines. ITRPM7 is strongly potentiated when cell cytosol is depleted of Mg2+ or alkalinized. In Jurkat T cells, Mg2+ inhibition involves a high and a low affinity inhibitor sites, whereas proton inhibition involves only one site. Like many other TRP channels, TRPM7 is activated by PI(4,5)P2 and suppressed by its hydrolysis. Here we examined Mg2+ and pH inhibition of native TRPM7 channels in HEK293 cells overexpressing voltage-sensitive phospholipid phosphatase …

Analysis Of Proprioceptive Sensory Innervation Of The Mouse Soleus: A Whole-Mount Muscle Approach, Martha Jean Sonner, Marie C. Walters, David R. Ladle

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Muscle proprioceptive afferents provide feedback critical for successful execution of motor tasks via specialized mechanoreceptors housed within skeletal muscles: muscle spindles, supplied by group Ia and group II afferents, and Golgi tendon organs, supplied by group Ib afferents. The morphology of these proprioceptors and their associated afferents has been studied extensively in the cat soleus, and to a lesser degree, in the rat; however, quantitative analyses of proprioceptive innervation in the mouse soleus are comparatively limited. The present study employed genetically-encoded fluorescent reporting systems to label and analyze muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs, and the proprioceptive sensory neuron subpopulations supplying …

Survival And Growth Of C57bl/6j Mice Lacking The Bk Channel, Kcnma1: Lower Adult Body Weight Occurs Together With Higher Body Fat, Susan T. Halm, Michael A. Bottomley, Mohammed M. Almutairi, Mauricio Di Fulvio, Dan R. Halm

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Big conductance potassium (BK) channels contribute to K⁺ flow and electrical behavior in many cell types. Mice made null for the gene (Kcnma1) producing the BK channel (BK^KO) exhibit numerous deficits in physiological functions. Breeding mice lacking a single allele of Kcnma1 (C57BL/6J background) had litter sizes of approximately eight pups. For the period of maternal care (P0– P21), pup deaths peaked at P1 with a second less severe interval of death peaking near P13. Early deaths were twice as likely during a 20-month period of building construction compared with the quiescent period after cessation of construction. Births …

Reduced Motor Neuron Excitability Is An Important Contributor To Weakness In A Rat Model Of Sepsis, Paul Nardelli, Jacob A. Vincent, Randall K. Powers, Timothy C. Cope, Mark M. Rich

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The mechanisms by which sepsis triggers intensive care unit acquired weakness (ICUAW) remain unclear. We previously identified difficulty with motor unit recruitment in patients as a novel contributor to ICUAW. To study the mechanism underlying poor recruitment of motor units we used the rat cecal ligation and puncture model of sepsis. We identified striking dysfunction of alpha motor neurons during repetitive firing. Firing was more erratic, and often intermittent. Our data raised the possibility that reduced excitability of motor neurons was a significant contributor to weakness induced by sepsis. In this study we quantified the contribution of reduced motor neuron …

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Mutation Suppresses Hyperhomocysteinemia-Mediated Hypertension., Anastasia Familtseva

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background: Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) has been observed to promote hypertension, but the mechanisms are unclear. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is a cellular membrane protein that is ubiquitously expressed in all cell types of the vasculature. TLR-4 activation has been shown to promote inflammation that has been associated with pathogenesis of hypertension. In this study, we hypothesize that HHcy induces hypertension by TLR-4 activation that promotes inflammatory cytokine up-regulation (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and initiation of mitochondrial dysfunction leading to cell death and chronic vascular inflammation. Methods: To test this hypothesis, we used C57BL/6J mice (WT); Cystathionine-β-synthase deficient mice (CBS+/-) with genetic mild …

Combining Real-Time Fmri Neurofeedback Training Of The Dlpfc With N-Back Practice Results In Neuroplastic Effects Confined To The Neurofeedback Target Region, Matthew Sherwood, Michael P. Weisend, Jessica H. Kane, Jason G. Parker

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

In traditional fMRI, individuals respond to exogenous stimuli and are naïve to the effects of the stimuli on their neural activity patterns. Changes arising in the fMRI signal are analyzed post-hoc to elucidate the spatial and temporal activation of brain regions associated with the tasks performed. The advent of real-time fMRI has enabled a new method to systematically alter brain activity across space and time using neurofeedback training (NFT), providing a new tool to study internally-driven processes such as neuroplasticity. In this work, we combined n-back practice with fMRI-NFT of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) to better understand the …

Synapse Formation In Monosynaptic Sensory–Motor Connections Is Regulated By Presynaptic Rho Gtpase Cdc42, Fumiyasu Imai, David R. Ladle, Jennifer R. Leslie, Xin Duan, Tilat A. Rizvi, Georgianne M. Ciraolo, Yi Zheng, Yutaka Yoshida

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Spinal reflex circuit development requires the precise regulation of axon trajectories, synaptic specificity, and synapse formation. Of these three crucial steps, the molecular mechanisms underlying synapse formation between group Ia proprioceptive sensory neurons and motor neurons is the least understood. Here, we show that the Rho GTPase Cdc42 controls synapse formation in monosynaptic sensory–motor connections in presynaptic, but not postsynaptic, neurons. In mice lacking Cdc42 in presynaptic sensory neurons, proprioceptive sensory axons appropriately reach the ventral spinal cord, but significantly fewer synapses are formed with motor neurons compared with wild-type mice. Concordantly, electrophysiological analyses show diminished EPSP amplitudes in monosynaptic …

Mitogenic Activation And Proliferation Of T Lymphocytes In Trpm7 Kinase-Dead Mutant Mice, Pavani Beesetty, Masayuki Matsushita, J. Ashot Kozak

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Calcium and magnesium ions have been implicated in T lymphocyte proliferation in response to antigen recognition. Specifically, it is believed that calcium and magnesium elevations in the cytoplasm are necessary for efficient T cell proliferation. Research over the past two decades has focused on identifying the plasma membrane ion channels responsible for governing Ca2+ influx in lymphocytes and Orai-STIM, Kv1.3 and KCa3.1 channels were shown to be crucial for persistent calcium mobilization. Pharmacologic or genetic suppression of calcium influx gives rise to lymphoproliferative defects. In addition to Ca2+, several studies have demonstrated that Mg2+ influx positively regulates proliferation. TRPM7 is …

Reversible Recruitment Of A Homeostatic Reserve Pool Of Synaptic Vesicles Underlies Rapid Homeostatic Plasticity Of Quantal Content, Xueyong Wang, Martin J. Pinter, Mark M. Rich

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Homeostatic regulation is essential for the maintenance of synaptic strength within the physiological range. The current study is the first to demonstrate that both induction and reversal of homeostatic upregulation of synaptic vesicle release can occur within seconds of blocking or unblocking acetylcholine receptors at the mouse neuromuscular junction. Our data suggest that the homeostatic upregulation of release is due to Ca²⁺-dependent increase in the size of the readily releasable pool (RRP). Blocking vesicle refilling prevented upregulation of quantal content (QC), while leaving baseline release relatively unaffected. This suggested that the upregulation of QC was due to mobilization …

Regulation Of Uv-Protective Pathways Downstream Of The Melanocortin 1 Receptor In Melanocytes, Erin M. Wolf Horrell

Theses and Dissertations--Physiology

Malignant cutaneous melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and a majority of melanoma diagnoses are a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. UV radiation causes DNA damage, which if not repaired correctly via nucleotide excision repair (NER) can result in mutations and melanomagenesis. The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) is a G_s protein coupled receptor located on melanocyte plasma membranes and is involved in protecting the skin from UV induced damage. MC1R signaling results in the activation of two protective pathways: 1) induction of eumelanin synthesis downstream of micropthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) and 2) acceleration of NER …

Determining The Effect Of Knocking Out Microrna-21 On Subsarcolemmal And Interfibrillar Mitochondria, Madhur Batra

Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a growing problem across the world and has significant pathological changes associated with it, including diabetic cardiomyopathy, wherein cardiac function is reduced. MicroRNA-21 has been shown to play a role in both the heart and diabetes so it was thought that knocking out miR-21 could have a protective effect on oxidative phosphorylation function in diabetic mice. Subsarcolemmal and interfibrillar mitochondria were isolated from adult male WT, miR-21 KO, db/db, and double knockout mice (db/db and miR-21 KO cross) and evaluated for function. Knocking out miR-21 in diabetic mice showed a restorative effect in Complex I …

Plastin 3 Expression Does Not Modify Spinal Muscular Atrophy Severity In The ∆7 Sma Mouse, Vicki L. Mcgovern, Aurelie Massoni-Laporte, Xueyong Wang, Thanh T. Le, Hao T. Le, Mark M. Rich, Arthur H. M. Burghes

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Spinal muscular atrophy is caused by loss of the SMN1 gene and retention of SMN2. TheSMN2 copy number inversely correlates with phenotypic severity and is a modifier of disease outcome. The SMN2 gene essentially differs from SMN1 by a single nucleotide in exon 7 that modulates the incorporation of exon 7 into the final SMN transcript. The majority of the SMN2transcripts lack exon 7 and this leads to a SMN protein that does not effectively oligomerize and is rapidly degraded. However theSMN2 gene does produce some full-length SMN and theSMN2 copy number along with how …

Appropriate Timing Of Fluoxetine And Statin Delivery Reduces The Risk Of Secondary Bleeding In Ischemic Stroke Rats, Maria Helen Harley Balch, Moner A. Ragas, Danny Wright, Kenny Reynolds, Bryce Kerr, Adrian M. Corbett

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: Ongoing clinical trials are testing the effect of fluoxetine delivered post-stroke where a majority of patients are taking statins. This study determined the influence of the timing of administration of fluoxetine and statin on the final infarct volume and the risk of secondary bleeding in an animal model of ischemic stroke.

Methods and findings: Ischemic strokes were induced by endothelin-1 injection into two cortical sites of 10-12 month old female rats, targeting the forelimb motor cortex. Combined medications (5 mg/kg fluoxetine and 1 mg/kg simvastatin) were orally administered either beginning 6-12 hours or 20-26 hours after stroke induction and …

Swimming Against The Tide: Investigations Of The C-Bouton Synapse, Adam S. Deardorff, Shannon H. Romer, Patrick M. Sonner, Robert E. W. Fyffe

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

C-boutons are important cholinergic modulatory loci for state-dependent alterations in motoneuron firing rate. m2 receptors are concentrated postsynaptic to C-boutons, and m2 receptor activation increases motoneuron excitability by reducing the action potential afterhyperpolarization. Here, using an intensive review of the current literature as well as data from our laboratory, we illustrate that C-bouton postsynaptic sites comprise a unique structural/functional domain containing appropriate cellular machinery (a “signaling ensemble”) for cholinergic regulation of outward K⁺ currents. Moreover, synaptic reorganization at these critical sites has been observed in a variety of pathologic states. Yet despite recent advances, there are still great challenges …

Effects Of Various Partial Body Cooling Techniques On Core Temperature During Recovery From Prolonged Cycling-Induced Heat Stress, Afton Danielle Seeley

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using an ice-vest and a palm cooling device on core and skin temperatures, heart rate, and perceived thermal comfort during a one hour recovery period following exercise in the heat. Ten recreationally active adults cycled for one hour at 50% V0₂ peak on a cycle ergometer while exposed to 36°C 45%relative humidity environmental conditions. Following exercise, each subjectwas exposed to an ice vest, a palm cooling device, or a non cooling control while seated in the environmental chamber for 60 more minutes. No significant differencewas found betweenany of …

Comparison Of Dual- And Tri-Axial Accelerometer Accuracy, Lindsay Powell Toth

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of the Omron HJ-720ITC and the Fitbit Zip activity monitors with regard to step count, energy expenditure, and distance traveled measurements. The importance of this research rests in the success rates of pedometer-based physical activity interventions which have been shown to increase physical activity while also enabling weight loss and lowering blood pressure in the adult population. Activity monitors available for retail sale must be found accurate for proper participation in exercise interventions especially low-cost devices as used in this study.

In order to test the accuracy of the Omron …

Motor Axon Synapses On Renshaw Cells Contain Higher Levels Of Aspartate Than Glutamate, Dannette Shanon Richards, Ronald W. Griffith, Shannon H. Romer, Francisco J. Alvarez

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

Motoneuron synapses on spinal cord interneurons known as Renshaw cells activate nicotinic, AMPA and NMDA receptors consistent with co-release of acetylcholine and excitatory amino acids (EAA). However, whether these synapses express vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) capable of accumulating glutamate into synaptic vesicles is controversial. An alternative possibility is that these synapses release other EAAs, like aspartate, not dependent on VGLUTs. To clarify the exact EAA concentrated at motor axon synapses we performed a quantitative postembedding colloidal gold immunoelectron analysis for aspartate and glutamate on motor axon synapses (identified by immunoreactivity to the vesicular acetylcholine transporter; VAChT) contacting calbindin-immunoreactive (-IR) Renshaw …

Adult Spinal Motoneurones Are Not Hyperexcitable In A Mouse Model Of Inherited Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Nicolas Delestrée, Marin Manuel, Caroline Iglesias, Sherif M. Elbasiouny, C. J. Heckman, Daniel Zytnicki

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an adult onset disease in which there is progressive degeneration of motoneurones, it has been suggested that an intrinsic hyperexcitability of motoneurones (i.e. an increase in their firing rates), contributes to excitotoxicity and to disease onset. Here we show that there is no such intrinsic hyperexcitability in spinal motoneurones. Our studies were carried out in an adult mouse model of ALS with a mutated form of superoxide dismutase 1 around the time of the first muscle fibre denervations. We showed that the recruitment current, the voltage threshold for spiking and the frequency–intensity gain in the …

Substance P Differentially Modulates Firing Rate Of Solitary Complex (Sc) Neurons From Control And Chronic Hypoxia-Adapted Adult Rats, Nicole L. Nichols, Frank L. Powell, Jay B. Dean, Robert W. Putnam

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

NK1 receptors, which bind substance P, are present in the majority of brainstem regions that contain CO₂/H⁺-sensitive neurons that play a role in central chemosensitivity. However, the effect of substance P on the chemosensitive response of neurons from these regions has not been studied. Hypoxia increases substance P release from peripheral afferents that terminate in the caudal nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS). Here we studied the effect of substance P on the chemosensitive responses of solitary complex (SC: NTS and dorsal motor nucleus) neurons from control and chronic hypoxia-adapted (CHx) adult rats. We simultaneously measured intracellular pH …

Complexity Of Interferon-Γ Interactions With Hsv-1, Nancy J. Bigley

Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology Faculty Publications

The intricacies involving the role of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in herpesvirus infection and persistence are complex. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) uses a variety of receptors to enter cells and is transported to and from the host cell nucleus over the microtubule railroad via retrograde and anterograde transport. IFN-γ exerts dual but conflicting effects on microtubule organization. IFN-γ stimulates production of suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 and 3 (SOCS1 and SOCS3), which are involved in microtubule stability and are negative regulators of IFN-γ signaling when overexpressed. IFN-γ also interferes with the correct assembly of microtubules causing them to undergo severe …

Maternal Biomarkers Of Endothelial Dysfunction And Preterm Delivery, Xinhua Chen, Theresa O Scholl

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction is key to the development of atherosclerosis. Preterm delivery foreshadows later maternal cardiovascular disease (CVD), but it is not known if endothelial dysfunction also occurs. We prospectively measured circulating biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in pregnant women with preterm or term delivery.

METHODS: We conducted a case-control study nested within a large prospective epidemiological study of young, generally healthy pregnant women. Women who delivered preterm (gestation, n = 240) and controls who delivered at term (n = 439) were included. Pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia were analyzed separately. Circulating endothelial dysfunction biomarkers included soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular …