Roles of cMyBP-C phosphorylation on cardiac contractile dysfunction in mice.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disease and comorbidity associated with several conditions, including cardiac dysfunction leading to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), in turn resulting in T2DM-induced cardiomyopathy (T2DM-CM). However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of T2DM-CM are poorly understood. It is hypothesized that molecular alterations in myopathic genes induced by diabetes promote the development of HFpEF, whereas cardiac myosin inhibitors can rescue the resultant T2DM-mediated cardiomyopathy.

Dysregulated appetitive leptin signaling in male rodent offspring from post-bariatric dams.

Bariatric surgery produces significant positive benefits to recipients such as significant body fat loss and resolution of the various obesity-related comorbidities, such as reduced reproductive function. Females of childbearing age seek bariatric surgical remedies to improve their chance of successful pregnancy; however, limited knowledge exists on the impact of surgical weight loss to subsequently born offspring. We previously reported that circulating leptin levels were reduced in pregnant females having previously received vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) in comparison to control dams having received Sham surgery.

Immune and Metabolic Biomarkers in a Rodent Model of Spinal Cord Contusion.

Study Design: Basic science animal research study.

Objectives: Using T10 spinal contused rats, we sought to identify molecular and circulating, metabolic and immune biomarkers during the subchronic and chronic recovery periods that may inform us concerning neurorehabilitation.

Methods: Gene expression of the cord and ELISA were performed in 28 and 100 days in T10 injured rats and compared to sham-injured rats.

Energy balance following diets of varying fat content: metabolic dysregulation in a rodent model of spinal cord contusion.

Within the spinal cord injured (SCI) population, metabolic dysfunction may be exacerbated. Models of cord injury coupled with metabolic stressors have translational relevance to understand disease progression in this population. In the present study, we used a rat model of thoracic SCI at level T10 (tSCI) and administered diets comprised of either 9% or 40% butterfat to create a unique model system to understand the physiology of weight regulation following cord injury.