Perfluorinated chemicals have been widely used in industry for their superior surfactant qualities. Because of their widespread usage and resistance to photolytic and biodegradation mechanisms, as well as their ability to undergo long-range atmospheric transport, these compounds have become ubiquitous in the world-wide water supplies. Of particular interest are perfluorooctanoic...
Endogenous circadian clock regulation is essential to normal rhythmicity, particularly the timing of hormone release in the brain. In the context of mammalian reproduction, a surge of a specific hormone, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), initiates a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland, which is required for ovulation in...
The endogenous circadian clock is an intracellular transcriptional feedback loop timing daily patterns of multiple biological rhythms within a 24-hour period. Disturbance in various rhythms leads to alteration of normal biological processes including cellular proliferation and tumor suppression. Endogenous circadian clock rhythms have been found to be disrupted in breast...
Mammalian female reproduction requires preovulatory surges of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from neurons in the preoptic area (POA) of the hypothalamus, initiated by elevated estradiol (E₂). Rising E₂ activates a subset ofsexually dimorphic Kisspeptin neurons in the female, located in the anteroventralperiventricular nuclei (AVPV). Conversely, E₂ negative feedback is mediated by...
The hypothalamic neuropeptide kisspeptin (Kiss-1) acts as a central component of the reproductive axis. A critical factor in pubertal progression and normal reproduction, this peptide is an afferent stimulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and is responsive to gonadal steroids, integrating steroid hormone signals and modulating GnRH secretion accordingly. Kiss-1 exhibits...
Ovulation requires preovulatory surges of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from preoptic hypothalamic neurons, initiated by elevated ovarian estradiol (E₂). Rising estradiol activates a subset of sexually dimorphic kisspeptin (Kiss-1) neurons in the female, located in the anteroventral periventricular nuclei (AVPV). Conversely, estradiol negative feedback on GnRH secretion is mediated by a...
Aquatic animals possess surprising similarities to humans in reproductive signaling that are simplified or elaborated for life underwater, making them useful for studying reproductive control. In this thesis, killifish and sea anemones are used as models for reproductive function and aging. The aging model Nothobranchius (killifish) was used to investigate...
Endogenous circadian clock regulation is essential to normal rhythmicity, particularly the timing of hormone release in the brain. In the context of mammalian reproduction, a surge of a specific hormone, gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH), initiates a surge of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland, which is required for ovulation in...
Canine Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC) makes up 2% of all canine cancers and is the most common cancer of the bladder for dogs. Usually diagnosed in its later stages, TCC is difficult to treat, with low survival times. Current diagnosis involves invasive techniques, and mainstream screening tests are often ineffective....
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the US, however, only a small fraction of cases are attributable to heritable genetic mutations; the bulk arises from various behavioral and environmental factors. Loss of functional p53 is observed in over 50% of cases, and its activity relies...