Browsing Physiology (Theses and Dissertations) by Title
Now showing items 1-20 of 98
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A role for amyloid-β in Alzheimer's pathology : evidence from cellular, animal and pre-clinical studies
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2012)One of the well-documented histopathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the progressive accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) within the brain, thought to result from inefficient clearance of Aβ by phagocytes and/or ... -
A role for IL-1B in oxidative stress-mediated neuronal impairment
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2000)The aims of this study were to; (1) investigate age-related changes in the antioxidant defence system in the rat cortex and hippocampus; (2) investigate the role of IL-1β in influencing oxidative stress in brain tissue of ... -
A study of neuroinflammation in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2010)Microglia are the principal immune-competent cell of the central nervous system (CNS) and there is evidence to suggest microglia are the co-ordinating cells of the CNS inflammatory response. The blood brain barrier (BBB) ... -
A study of the potential of adult mesenchymal stem cells in bone and cartilage tissue engineering
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2006)Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the potential to self-renew and differentiate into bone, cartilage, fat and muscle cells. This cell population offers significant potential for engineering of musculoskeletal tissue. ... -
A study of the role of neurotrophins in the mechanisms underlying the expression of long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2002)Long-term potentiation (LTP) is a well-described form of synaptic plasticity. This study set out to investigate the role that tyrosine kinase plays in the expression of LTP at the perforant path-granule cell synapses of ... -
A study of transsynaptic signalling in the hippocampus : a role for nerve growth factor?
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2001)Long-term potentiation (LTP) is perhaps the best described form of synaptic plasticity. This project aimed to investigate the role that tyrosine kinases play in the expression of LTP in dentate gyrus-granule cell synapses ... -
An evaluation of acute excercise as a cognitive enhancer : assessment of underlying mechanisms
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2013)Human and rodent studies demonstrate that physical exercise targets many aspects of brain function and has positive effects on overall brain health. The majority of studies published in this field focus on long-term exercise ... -
An investigation into the cellular and molecular signalling events which occur in [Beta]-amyloid-treated cultured cortical neurons
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2004)Deposition of β-amyloid around neurons is a neuropathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying β-amyloid-mediated cell death in ... -
An investigation into the effect of A beta on cultured cortical neurons
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2003)Accumulation of the endogenously produced beta-amyloid (Aβ) peptide in senile plaques is involved in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. This study reports on potential molecular mechanisms underlying the cell death ... -
An investigation into the role of neurotrophins in the effect of exercise on cognitive function in humans and rats
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2009)Physical exercise is associated with maintenance of cognitive function, including a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. Candidate mediators of the effect of exercise on cognitive function are ... -
An investigation into the roles played by interleukin-1Beta and reactive oxygen species in the rat brain during ageing
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2002)Ageing is associated with an increase in reactive oxygen species production and an increase in the concentration of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β in the hippocampus. These have both been shown to have ... -
An investigation of age-related changes in the brain and the neuroprotective effects of the omega-3 fatty acids docosapentaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2009)The data presented here indicate that the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), a metabolite of eicosapentaenoic acid (bPA), possesses neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. Previous evidence ... -
An investigation of oxidative stress in skeletal muscle
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2005)Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as a by-product of oxidative phosphorylation in mitochondria and via various cellular enzyme systems. ROS production is buffered by cellular antioxidant defences, which include ... -
An investigation of the effect of Tetrahydrocannabinol on the viability of cortical neurons
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2005)Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the principle psychoactive component of marijuana (Cannabis sativa), elicits diverse psychological effects in humans. THC exerts its central effects through the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, a ... -
An investigation of the effects of exercise on hippocampal function in young, middle-aged and aged rats
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2008)The hippocampus is a brain structure that is important for higher cognitive functions, possesses a high degree of plasticity, and is particularly vulnerable to the aging process (Burke & Barnes, 2006). Symptoms of hippocampal ... -
An investigation of the molecular signalling events which occur in cannabiniod-mediated neuronal apoptosis
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2008)The plant-derived cannabinoid Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, is the predominant psychoactive moiety of cannabis and exerts a variety of psychological and physiological effects in humans. Previous investigations in this laboratory ... -
An investigation of the role of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) in inflammation-associated cell deterioration in rat hippocampus
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2005)c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) is a milogen-activated protein kinase which is activated in response to various types of stress (e.g. ischemia, heat shock, osmotic stress, UV irradiation, and hypoxia). JNK is strongly ... -
An investigation of the role of neurotrophins in recognition memory in the rat
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2008)Acquisition and consolidation of newly-acquired information is essential for formation of long-lasting memories, and both these processes may share common signaling pathways. The neurotrophins NGF, BDNF, NTS and NT4 have ... -
Analysis of the effect of different protocols of amyloid-beta treatment in the rat hippocampus
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2008)Among the main characteristic features of AD is upregulation of inflammatory activities, increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of microglia. Associated with dementia is the damage and loss of ... -
Analysis of the effects of amyloid-beta in rat brain : effect of treatment with a novel anti-inflammatory agent VP025
(Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of Physiology, 2008)The data presented indicate that long-term potentiation was significantly impaired following acute intracerebroventricular injection of amyloid-β1-40 in rat. Similarly chronic intracerebroventricular infusion of ...
