Publications by authors named "Zoe Ashley"

Article Synopsis
  • * Ca/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaMKII) plays various roles in VSMCs, with multiple isoforms and splice variants but their specific functions in blood vessels are still not fully understood.
  • * The review highlights the importance of studying different CaMKII splice variants to better understand their effects on vascular health, emphasizing the need for further research on their potential harmful and protective roles.
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Androgens, both steroidal and nonsteroidal in nature, are among the most commonly misused substances in competitive sports. Their recognized anabolic and performance enhancing effects through short- and long-term physiological adaptations make them popular. Androgens exist as natural steroids, or are chemically synthesized as anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) or selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Androgens are commonly abused as performance-enhancing drugs in sports, with existing detection methods struggling to identify novel structures, leading to the need for new screening techniques.
  • - A new cell-free bioassay was developed to detect androgens functionally, starting with an in vitro method that produces a reporter protein in response to testosterone.
  • - The final version of this bioassay, leveraging RNA technology, showed improved sensitivity for testosterone detection and the potential for identifying other androgenic compounds, making it more accessible and suitable for high-throughput testing.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Altrenogest is a progestogen used in female racehorses to suppress oestrus and minimize behavior distractions during training and competition.
  • - A study tested the androgen potency of altrenogest using a kidney cell bioassay, finding that it has high potency compared to testosterone, but is weaker than β-trenbolone.
  • - The research confirms that altrenogest activates the androgen receptor effectively at doses used in racing and maintains this activity outside of the body, indicating its significant androgenic effects in horses.
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Differences in size or composition of existing plaques at the initiation of estrogen (E2) therapy may underpin evidence of increased risk of atherosclerosis-associated clinical sequelae. We investigated whether E2 had divergent effects on actively-growing versus established-advanced atherosclerotic lesions. Eight weeks of subcutaneous bi-weekly injections of 3 µg/g 17β-estradiol ( = 18) or vehicle control ( = 22) were administered to female Apolipoprotein null-mice aged 25- or 45 weeks old.

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Mechanosensitive ion channels are crucial for normal cell function and facilitate physiological function, such as blood pressure regulation. So far little is known about the molecular mechanisms of how channels sense mechanical force. Canonical vertebrate epithelial Na channel (ENaC) formed by α-, β-, and γ-subunits is a shear force (SF) sensor and a member of the ENaC/degenerin protein family.

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A potential "new player" in arteries for mediating shear stress responses is the epithelial Na channel (ENaC). The contribution of ENaC as shear sensor in intact arteries, and particularly different types of arteries (conduit and resistance), is unknown. We investigated the role of ENaC in both conduit (carotid) and resistance (third-order mesenteric) arteries isolated from C57Bl/6J mice.

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Purpose: Stoma creation frequently presents complications for which there is no satisfactory surgical solution. We reexamined the feasibility of managing stoma continence with an artificial sphincter, addressing the outstanding issues of geometry, electrode disposition, and fatigue resistance.

Methods: In 6 pigs, 1 rectus abdominis muscle was preconditioned with electric stimulation for 4 weeks by an implanted stimulator.

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Muscular atrophy due to denervation can be substantially reversed by direct electrical stimulation. Some muscle properties are, however, resistant to change. Using a rabbit model of established denervation atrophy, we investigated whether the extent of restoration would vary with the stimulation protocol.

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We investigated the extent to which activity induced by chronic electrical stimulation could restore the mass and contractile function of rabbit tibialis anterior (TA) muscles that had undergone atrophy as a result of prolonged denervation. Denervation was carried out by selectively interrupting the motor nerve branches to the ankle dorsiflexors in one hind limb. Stimulators were implanted, with electrodes on the superficial and deep surfaces of the denervated TA muscle.

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Previous studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that barrier creams, comprising perfluorinated polymers, are effective against the chemical warfare agent sulphur mustard (SM) when evaluated using human skin in vitro. The purpose of this follow-up study was to further evaluate three candidate (perfluorinated) barrier creams against SM (vapour) using the domestic white pig. The severity and progression of the resulting skin lesions were quantified daily for three weeks post-exposure using biophysical measurements of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin reflectance spectroscopy (SRS).

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Background: The intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) is the device that is in most common use to provide cardiovascular support. A skeletal muscle ventricle (SMV) was configured to produce counterpulsation in the thoracic aorta similar to that obtained with an IABP. The hemodynamic effects of an IABP and a SMV in the same animal and in both normal and failing circulations were assessed.

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Measurements of the rheobase and chronaxie can be used to define the excitability of nerves and muscles. The aim of this study was to obtain a record over many weeks of changes in the rheobase and chronaxie of denervated rabbit tibialis anterior muscle (TA). A custom-built electronic stimulator was implanted into the peritoneal cavity of New Zealand White rabbits.

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Denervating injuries result in flaccid paralysis and severe atrophy of the affected muscles. This work reviews the potential for functional restoration of such muscles by electrical stimulation, focusing on the basic scientific issues.

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