Browsing Physiology Graduate Theses (July 2007 - Sept 2016) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 62
-
Activation of the corticolimbic brain by visual food cues; Effect of menstrual cycle phase and mood
(2009-09-27)Hypothalamic control of food intake may be overridden by cortical and limbic brain regions that process reward and the hedonic aspect of food, affecting the ability to discriminate between homeostatic and hedonic feeding. ... -
The Area Postrema: A Potential Site for Circadian Regulation by Prokineticin 2
(2009-08-20)Little is known regarding the neurophysiological mechanisms by which the neuropeptide prokineticin 2 (PK2) regulates circadian rhythms. Using whole-cell electrophysiology, we have investigated a potential role for regulation ... -
Axotomized Spinal Commissural Interneurons of the Adult Feline: A study of axonal growth from dendrites and cut axons
(2009-12-07)Acquiring knowledge of the morphological, molecular, and functional changes that occur to neurons following axotomy is a key step for a comprehensive understanding of the nervous system and how it reacts to injury. ... -
Bronchodilating and Bronchoprotective Effects of Deep Inspirations in Asthma, Cough Variant Asthma, and Methacholine-induced Cough but Normal Airway Sensitivity
(2014-07-02)Rationale: The pathophysiologic differences between classic asthma (CA), cough variant asthma (CVA), and methacholine (MCh)-induced cough but normal airway sensitivity (COUGH) are poorly understood and may relate to ... -
Ca2+ influx and release in Aplysia bag cell neurons
(2008-02-08)Intracellular Ca2+ is influenced by extracellular Ca2+ influx and release from internal stores. Depending on the initial influx, a range of responses can result. To better understand the processes surrounding Ca2+ handling, ... -
Calcium Influx and Release Controls Neuroendocrine Cell Secretion and Excitability
(2009-09-19)Ca2+ dynamics affect many critical cellular processes. In the bag cell neurons of Aplysia californica, intracellular Ca2+ is elevated during a prolonged period of firing known as the afterdischarge. This consists of a fast ... -
Cardiac Potassium Channel hERG is Rregulated by Ubiquitin Ligase Nedd4-2
(2011-08-15)The cardiac rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium channel (IKr) is encoded by the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG), which is important for repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Reduction in hERG ... -
Characterization and Modulation of Electrical Coupling Between Molluscan Neuroendocrine Cells
(2014-07-23)The bag cell neurons of Aplysia initiate reproductive behaviour by secreting egg-laying hormone during a prolonged period of synchronous and repetitive firing known as the afterdischarge. Electrical coupling facilitate the ... -
Cholinergic transmission in molluscan neuroendocrine cells
(2013-07-03)Elucidating the process by which an animal can transduce a brief signal into a predictable set of behaviours has important implications for understanding brain function. I explored the transition from quiescence to ... -
Compartmentation of the β-adrenergic Signal by phosphodiesterases in Adult Rat Ventricular Myocytes
(2008-01-18)Previous studies have suggested that phosphodiesterase (PDE) hydrolysis of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is important in the generation of specific and segregated cAMP signals within cells. The purpose of this ... -
Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2 activation mediates post-myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury inflammatory processes
(2013-09-26)Myocardial infarction (MI) is primarily caused by blockade of the coronary circulation, resulting in ischemic insult. The only available remedy is reperfusion, which induces oxidative stress and activates inflammatory ... -
The Effect of Exercise Test Modality on Dyspnea Perception in Obese Patients with COPD
(2014-08-27)Background: Obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but the physiological and clinical consequences of their combination remain poorly understood. In ... -
The Effect of Insulin Sensitivity on Corticolimbic Responses to Metabolic and Visual Food Cues
(2015-06-02)Insulin is one of several molecules that signals the energy balance state to the brain. This study examined the effect of insulin sensitivity on the responsiveness of appetite regulatory brain regions to visual food cues. ... -
The Effects of Hydrogen Sulfide on Neurons in the Nucleus of the Solitary Tract
(2015-01-30)Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a gasotransmitter that has recently been described to affect the membrane potential of neurons in a number of brain areas. Using whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques, I investigated ... -
Electrophysiological Characterization of Sodium Currents in Adult Rat Cardiac Myocytes
(2010-08-27)The electrical heterogeneity of the heart has been recognized as an important feature of normal cardiac function. In cardiac myocytes, considerable electrophysiological differences in sodium channel currents have been ... -
Electrophysiological Comparison of NaV1.5 Expressed in HEK293 Cells to Native NaV Currents in Cardiac Myocytes
(2011-08-22)Contraction of cardiac muscle is a highly regulated event that relies on a delicate balance of ions entering and leaving the cell through ion channels. In particular, voltage gated sodium channels are responsible for the ... -
Electrophysiological Effects of Angiotensin II on Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Neurons of the Rat
(2008-01-18)The role of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in cardiovascular and neuroendocrine regulation has been well documented. Much remains unknown however about the integration of synaptic signals within this nucleus ... -
Evidence for effects of nesfatin-1, alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone, and glucose on the excitability of individual neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract
(2014-10-14)The nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is a medullary autonomic center with essential roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Understanding how the NTS contributes to the coordination of ingestive behaviors and ... -
Evidence for Involvement of the Cysteinyl Leukotriene Type 2 Receptor (CysLT2R) in the Regulation of Food Intake and Body Weight and Possible Role for Vagal Afferents
(2011-03-03)The field of food intake and satiety has received increasing interest from the research community in recent years. The mechanisms and factors that regulate satiety gains their importance from the crucial role they play in ... -
Exercise Limitation in Mild COPD: the Role of Respiratory Mechanical Factors
(2012-09-28)The majority of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have milder airway obstruction and are not diagnosed in a timely fashion. Nevertheless, these patients are largely under-studied; this, despite new ...