UMD Theses and Dissertations
Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/3
New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a given thesis/dissertation in DRUM.
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
Browse
5 results
Search Results
Item Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease Across the Life Course(2023) Ng, Amanda Erin; Dyer, Typhanye; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)According to data from the National Center for Health Statistics, cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, contributing to about 697,000 (or 1 in 5) deaths in 2020 alone. Given the public health burden of this disease, it is imperative that research identifies and continues to investigate population factors that may contribute to or alleviate this burden in the United States. The proposed study aimed to analyze such factors across the life course. Study 1 examined associations between an expanded set of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and childhood obesity among 10-17 year olds using the National Survey of Children’s Health, as well as sex and age differences within these associations. Study 2 investigated high optimism as a modifier and mediator of the association between childhood socioeconomic disadvantage and CVD in midlife, using the Midlife in the United States Study, a U.S. prospective cohort. Study 3 examined temporal trends in the associations between adult socioeconomic status and CVD mortality using nationally-representative data from the 1997-2018 National Health Interview Survey.Item EFFECTS OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY ON THE PARACRINE FUNCTION OF CIRCULATING ANGIOGENIC CELLS(2015) Landers-Ramos, Rian Quinn; Hagberg, James M; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in developed countries. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors account for only a fraction of events related to CVDs, emphasizing the need for investigations into more novel risk factors. Circulating angiogenic cells (CACs) are involved in the repair and maintenance of the vascular endothelium and function mainly through paracrine mechanisms. The studies presented in this dissertation provide new insight into differences in the paracrine actions of CACs as a function of habitual physical activity and CVD. The first study presented identifies, for the first time, that secreted factors from CD34+ and CD34-/CD31+ CACs affect HUVEC tube formation as a function of habitual physical activity. Study #1 identifies inflammatory proteins S100A8 and S100A9 as major factors contributing to the depressed tube formation observed when using CD34-/CD31+ conditioned media (CM) from inactive younger adults compared to endurance-trained athletes. The second study aimed to confirm the effects of S100A8 and S100A9 in CD34-/CD31+ CM on HUVEC tube formation in CVD patient populations compared to endurance-trained athletes. Study #2 found that the CM from non-ST- segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) patient CD34-/CD31+ CACs impaired tube formation compared to athletes’ CM, and that pretreatment of HUVECs with an inhibitor for TLR4, a major receptor for S100A8 and S100A9, rescued tube formation to the levels observed when using CD34-/CD31+ CM from athletes. Higher S100A8 and S100A9 content was found in the CM of NSTEMIs compared to athletes. Finally, the study #2 mechanistically demonstrated the direct role of S100A8 and S100A9 on tube formation using recombinant S100A8 and S100A9 and confirmed that these actions were mediated by TLR4. Preliminary data in study #2 suggest that cell surface markers on selected CD34-/CD31+ CACs are inherently different between NSTEMI patients and endurance-trained athletes with lower presence of T-cell and monocyte markers on the CD34-/CD31+ CACs of NSTEMI patients. Collectively, the two studies presented in this dissertation demonstrate that both physical inactivity and CVD alter the paracrine actions of CD34-/CD31+ CACs which in turn impair HUVEC tube formation. These findings are of particular importance as new methods to improve CAC function for therapeutic purposes are being developed.Item REGULATORY EFFECTS OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC ENDURANCE EXERCISE ON NITRIC OXIDE AND REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES IN HUMAN CIRCULATING ANGIOGENIC CELLS(2011) Jenkins, Nathan Thomas; Hagberg, James M; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This dissertation research comprised three studies examining the effects of acute and chronic endurance exercise on circulating angiogenic cells (CACs). Because the balance between nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a critical aspect of the physiological function/dysfunction of CACs, each study determined the effects of exercise on NO-ROS balance within a variety of CAC types. Study #1 demonstrated that regular endurance exercise is associated with greater basal intracellular NO levels in cultured CACs, and that one mechanism underlying this association was increased NADPH oxidase enzyme activity in the sedentary state. Study #2 suggested an association between a sedentary lifestyle and increased nitro-oxidative stress in freshly-isolated CD34+ progenitor cells. Study #3 demonstrated that prior exercise attenuates high-fat meal induced-increases in mitochondrial-derived intracellular ROS in CD31+ CACs. Overall, it is concluded that acute and chronic endurance exercise enhance intracellular NO and ROS dynamics in CACs.Item Circulating biomarkers of nitro-oxidative stress in young and older active and inactive men(2010) Bjork, Lori; Hagberg, James M; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Oxidative stress markers may be novel factors contributing to cardiovascular (CVD) risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of long-term exercise, age, and their interaction on the plasma levels of the oxidative stress markers oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), nitrotyrosine, and myeloperoxidase (MPO), and to investigate whether these levels correlated with plasma NOx levels. Older (62 ± 2 yr) active (n=12) men who had exercised regularly for over 30 years and young (25 ± 4 yr) active (n=7) men who had exercised regularly for over 3 years were matched to older (n=11) and young (n=8) inactive males. Young subjects showed lower plasma nitrotyrosine levels than older subjects (P = 0.047). Young inactive subjects had higher ox-LDL levels than either the young active (P = 0.042) or the older active (P = 0.041) subjects. In addition, plasma oxidative stress levels, particularly ox-LDL, were correlated with various conventional CVD risk factors, and in older subjects were associated with Framingham risk score (r = 0.49, P = 0.015). The study found no relationships between plasma markers of oxidative stress and plasma NOx levels. The findings suggest that a sedentary lifestyle may be associated with higher ox-LDL levels and that the levels of oxidative stress markers may contribute to CVD risk.Item The Effects of Low-Fat Diet and Exercise on C-Reactive Protein and Metabolic Syndrome: Findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial(2008-07-09) Camhi, Sarah Michelle; Young, Deborah R; Kinesiology; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Background: Low-fat diet (D) and exercise (E) are recommended for reducing cardiovascular disease risk. However, the independent and combined effects of D and E on C-reactive protein (CRP) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are unknown. Purpose: The purpose of this dissertation was to examine the changes in CRP and MS between control (C), D, E and diet plus exercise (D+E). Methods: Men (n=197) and postmenopausal women (n=180) with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, were randomized into a one-year trial with four groups: C, D, E or D+E (Stefanick et al., 1998). Weight loss was not an intervention focus. This secondary data analysis evaluated stored plasma samples for high-sensitivity CRP. MS prevalence was retrospectively found using the NCEP-ATP III definition. CRP change (ΔCRP) was examined between intervention groups using ANCOVA. Differences between groups for MS at follow-up were retrospectively investigated using logistic regression. All analyses were stratified by gender and controlled for baseline values, body fat change and other appropriate covariates. Results: In women, ΔCRP was different between D+E vs. C (-0.7 ± 0.33 mg/L, p = 0.04) and D+E vs. E (-0.9 ± 0.32 mg/L, p = 0.004). Women also had a decrease in CRP within D+E (Δ log CRP 0.2 ± 0.035 mg/L; p = 0.0002). After the intervention, ΔCRP did not differ for men between or within treatment groups. MS at follow-up was not different between C, D, E or D+E in either men or women. In women with MS, ΔCRP was different between D+E vs. C (-1.3 ± 0.43 mg/L; p = 0.006), D+E vs. E (-1.1 ± 0.44 mg/L; p = 0.02), and D vs. C (-1.2 ± 0.43 mg/L; p = 0.009). In women with MS, CRP decreased from baseline within D+E (Δ log CRP 0.2 ± 0.039 mg/L; p=0.0008). At follow-up, there were no differences between or within groups for ΔCRP in men with MS, or men without MS and women without MS. Conclusion: D and D+E may be effective treatments for reducing CRP in women with MS. Further studies are needed to replicate results and clarify the influence of gender.