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European Journal of Pharmaceutical... Jan 2023Epicardial adipose tissue is a layer of adipocytes that physiologically surround the myocardium and play some physiologic roles in normal heart function. However, in... (Review)
Review
Epicardial adipose tissue is a layer of adipocytes that physiologically surround the myocardium and play some physiologic roles in normal heart function. However, in pathologic conditions, the epicardial adipose tissue can present a potent cardiac risk factor that is capable of impairing heart function through several pathways, increasing the risk of dysrhythmia and creating an inflammatory milieu around the heart tissues. Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) are a relatively newly introduced class of antidiabetes drugs which effectively normalize blood glucose via overt glycosuria. Some recent reports suggest that these drugs are able to modulate epicardial adiposity and decrease the risk of cardiac complications in diabetic patients who are at higher risk of epicardial adiposity-dependent cardiac disorders. If proven to be true, these antidiabetic drugs can provide dual benefits as both hypoglycemic agents and as epicardial adiposity normalizing agents, thus providing cardiac benefits. In this study, we discuss the physiological and pathophysiological importance of epicardial adiposity and the potential positive effects of SGLT2is in the diabetic milieu.
Topics: Humans; Adiposity; Blood Glucose; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Hypoglycemic Agents; Obesity; Pericardium; Sodium-Glucose Transporter 2 Inhibitors
PubMed: 36336279
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106322 -
NeuroImage Jun 2020Slow changes in systemic brain physiology can elicit large fluctuations in fMRI time series, which manifest as structured spatial patterns of temporal correlations...
Slow changes in systemic brain physiology can elicit large fluctuations in fMRI time series, which manifest as structured spatial patterns of temporal correlations between distant brain regions. Here, we investigated whether such "physiological networks"-sets of segregated brain regions that exhibit similar responses following slow changes in systemic physiology-resemble patterns associated with large-scale networks typically attributed to remotely synchronized neuronal activity. By analyzing a large group of subjects from the 3T Human Connectome Project (HCP) database, we demonstrate brain-wide and noticeably heterogenous dynamics tightly coupled to either respiratory variation or heart rate changes. We show, using synthesized data generated from physiological recordings across subjects, that these physiologically-coupled fluctuations alone can produce networks that strongly resemble previously reported resting-state networks, suggesting that, in some cases, the "physiological networks" seem to mimic the neuronal networks. Further, we show that such physiologically-relevant connectivity estimates appear to dominate the overall connectivity observations in multiple HCP subjects, and that this apparent "physiological connectivity" cannot be removed by the use of a single nuisance regressor for the entire brain (such as global signal regression) due to the clear regional heterogeneity of the physiologically-coupled responses. Our results challenge previous notions that physiological confounds are either localized to large veins or globally coherent across the cortex, therefore emphasizing the necessity to consider potential physiological contributions in fMRI-based functional connectivity studies. The rich spatiotemporal patterns carried by such "physiological" dynamics also suggest great potential for clinical biomarkers that are complementary to large-scale neuronal networks.
Topics: Adult; Brain; Connectome; Female; Heart Rate; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nerve Net; Respiration; Rest
PubMed: 32145437
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116707 -
Scientifica 2014Bacterial virus use as antibacterial agents, in the guise of what is commonly known as phage therapy, is an inherently physiological, ecological, and also... (Review)
Review
Bacterial virus use as antibacterial agents, in the guise of what is commonly known as phage therapy, is an inherently physiological, ecological, and also pharmacological process. Physiologically we can consider metabolic properties of phage infections of bacteria and variation in those properties as a function of preexisting bacterial states. In addition, there are patient responses to pathogenesis, patient responses to phage infections of pathogens, and also patient responses to phage virions alone. Ecologically, we can consider phage propagation, densities, distribution (within bodies), impact on body-associated microbiota (as ecological communities), and modification of the functioning of body "ecosystems" more generally. These ecological and physiological components in many ways represent different perspectives on otherwise equivalent phenomena. Comparable to drugs, one also can view phages during phage therapy in pharmacological terms. The relatively unique status of phages within the context of phage therapy as essentially replicating antimicrobials can therefore result in a confluence of perspectives, many of which can be useful towards gaining a better mechanistic appreciation of phage therapy, as I consider here. Pharmacology more generally may be viewed as a discipline that lies at an interface between organism-associated phenomena, as considered by physiology, and environmental interactions as considered by ecology.
PubMed: 25031881
DOI: 10.1155/2014/581639 -
International Journal of Molecular... Aug 2021Peptides present in foods are involved in nutritional functions by supplying amino acids; sensory functions related to taste or solubility, emulsification, etc.; and... (Review)
Review
Peptides present in foods are involved in nutritional functions by supplying amino acids; sensory functions related to taste or solubility, emulsification, etc.; and bioregulatory functions in various physiological activities. In particular, peptides have a wide range of physiological functions, including as anticancer agents and in lowering blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels, enhancing immunity, and promoting calcium absorption. Soy protein can be partially hydrolyzed enzymatically to physiologically active soy (or soybean) peptides (SPs), which not only exert physiological functions but also help amino acid absorption in the body and reduce bitterness by hydrolyzing hydrophobic amino acids from the C- or N-terminus of soy proteins. They also possess significant gel-forming, emulsifying, and foaming abilities. SPs are expected to be able to prevent and treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting the reabsorption of bile acids in the digestive system, thereby reducing blood cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and fat levels. In addition, soy contains blood pressure-lowering peptides that inhibit angiotensin-I converting enzyme activity and antithrombotic peptides that inhibit platelet aggregation, as well as anticancer, antioxidative, antimicrobial, immunoregulatory, opiate-like, hypocholesterolemic, and antihypertensive activities. In animal models, neuroprotective and cognitive capacity as well as cardiovascular activity have been reported. SPs also inhibit chronic kidney disease and tumor cell growth by regulating the expression of genes associated with apoptosis, inflammation, cell cycle arrest, invasion, and metastasis. Recently, various functions of soybeans, including their physiologically active functions, have been applied to health-oriented foods, functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. This review introduces some current results on the role of bioactive peptides found in soybeans related to health functions.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Peptides; Phytochemicals; Soybean Proteins; Glycine max
PubMed: 34445273
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168570 -
Journal of Applied Physiology... Mar 2018This is a minireview of potential wearable physiological sensors and algorithms (process and equations) for detection of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Given the... (Review)
Review
This is a minireview of potential wearable physiological sensors and algorithms (process and equations) for detection of acute mountain sickness (AMS). Given the emerging status of this effort, the focus of the review is on the current clinical assessment of AMS, known risk factors (environmental, demographic, and physiological), and current understanding of AMS pathophysiology. Studies that have examined a range of physiological variables to develop AMS prediction and/or detection algorithms are reviewed to provide insight and potential technological roadmaps for future development of real-time physiological sensors and algorithms to detect AMS. Given the lack of signs and nonspecific symptoms associated with AMS, development of wearable physiological sensors and embedded algorithms to predict in the near term or detect established AMS will be challenging. Prior work using [Formula: see text], HR, or HRv has not provided the sensitivity and specificity for useful application to predict or detect AMS. Rather than using spot checks as most prior studies have, wearable systems that continuously measure SpO and HR are commercially available. Employing other statistical modeling approaches such as general linear and logistic mixed models or time series analysis to these continuously measured variables is the most promising approach for developing algorithms that are sensitive and specific for physiological prediction or detection of AMS.
Topics: Algorithms; Altitude Sickness; Humans; Monitoring, Physiologic; Wearable Electronic Devices
PubMed: 29074708
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00367.2017 -
Clinical Science (London, England :... Jun 2015Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a broadly expressed multifunctional member of the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family. This widely studied protein... (Review)
Review
Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a broadly expressed multifunctional member of the serine proteinase inhibitor (serpin) family. This widely studied protein plays critical roles in many physiological and pathophysiological processes, including neuroprotection, angiogenesis, fibrogenesis and inflammation. The present review summarizes the temporal and spatial distribution patterns of PEDF in a variety of developing and adult organs, and discusses its functions in maintaining physiological homoeostasis. The major focus of the present review is to discuss the implication of PEDF in diabetic and hypoxia-induced angiogenesis, and the pathways mediating PEDF's effects under these conditions. Furthermore, the regulatory mechanisms of PEDF expression, function and degradation are also reviewed. Finally, the therapeutic potential of PEDF as an anti-angiogenic drug is briefly summarized.
Topics: Adult; Angiogenesis Inhibitors; Diabetes Mellitus; Eye Proteins; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Hypoxia; Neovascularization, Pathologic; Neovascularization, Physiologic; Nerve Growth Factors; Serpins; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 25881671
DOI: 10.1042/CS20130463 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Dec 2000Contrary to self-reports, most patients with chronic anxiety disorders exhibit increased muscle tension but not autonomic hyperarousal when at rest. Under everyday... (Review)
Review
Contrary to self-reports, most patients with chronic anxiety disorders exhibit increased muscle tension but not autonomic hyperarousal when at rest. Under everyday stress they tend to react with less physiological flexibility than normal controls. However, they overreact subjectively and physiologically to stimuli that are anxiety-provoking. Diminished physiological flexibility may be either a constitutional trait in anxious individuals, a partial but inadequate adaptation to prolonged stress or the result of a disregard for stressors that are not related to psychopathology. The effects of diminished physiological flexibility on general health are not known. There is only a weak relationship, and in some instances a desynchrony, between physiological changes and perception of change under stress. The inconsistencies between self-reports of physiological states and physiological recordings can be explained by alterations of body sensations through psychological factors, predominantly expectations and attention to bodily states, that lead to perceptual distortions.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Anxiety Disorders; Arousal; Attention; Humans; Perceptual Distortion; Somatoform Disorders
PubMed: 11163423
DOI: 10.1016/s0165-0327(00)00339-6 -
Blood Jul 2016Protease signaling in cells elicits multiple physiologically important responses via protease-activated receptors (PARs). There are 4 members of this family of... (Review)
Review
Protease signaling in cells elicits multiple physiologically important responses via protease-activated receptors (PARs). There are 4 members of this family of G-protein-coupled receptors (PAR1-4). PARs are activated by proteolysis of the N terminus to reveal a tethered ligand. The rate-limiting step of PAR signaling is determined by the efficiency of proteolysis of the N terminus, which is regulated by allosteric binding sites, cofactors, membrane localization, and receptor dimerization. This ultimately controls the initiation of PAR signaling. In addition, these factors also control the cellular response by directing signaling toward G-protein or β-arrestin pathways. PAR1 signaling on endothelial cells is controlled by the activating protease and heterodimerization with PAR2 or PAR3. As a consequence, the genetic and epigenetic control of PARs and their cofactors in physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions have the potential to influence cellular behavior. Recent studies have uncovered polymorphisms that result in PAR4 sequence variants with altered reactivity that interact to influence platelet response. This further demonstrates how interactions within the plasma membrane can control the physiological output. Understanding the structural rearrangement following PAR activation and how PARs are allosterically controlled within the plasma membrane will determine how best to target this family of receptors therapeutically. The purpose of this article is to review how signaling from PARs is influenced by alternative cleavage sites and the physical interactions within the membrane. Going forward, it will be important to relate the altered signaling to the molecular arrangement of PARs in the cell membrane and to determine how these may be influenced genetically.
Topics: Cell Membrane; Endothelial Cells; Hemostasis; Protein Multimerization; Receptors, Proteinase-Activated; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 27127302
DOI: 10.1182/blood-2015-11-636472 -
Journal of Counseling Psychology Jul 2020Increasing evidence indicates that psychological factors important to therapy effectiveness are associated with physiological activity. Knowledge of the physiological... (Review)
Review
Increasing evidence indicates that psychological factors important to therapy effectiveness are associated with physiological activity. Knowledge of the physiological correlates of therapy process variables has the potential to provide unique insights into how and why therapy works, but little is currently known about the physiological underpinnings of specific therapy processes that facilitate client growth and change. The goal of this article is to introduce therapy process researchers to the use of physiological methods for studying therapy process variables. We do this by (a) presenting a conceptual framework for the study of therapy process variables, (b) providing an introductory overview of physiological systems with particular promise for the study of therapy process variables, (c) introducing the primary methods and methodological decisions involved in physiological research, and (d) demonstrating these principles and methods in a case of therapeutic presence during couple therapy. We close with a discussion of the promise and challenges in the study of physiological correlates of therapy process variables and consideration of future challenges and open questions in this line of research. Online supplemental materials include additional resources for therapy process researchers interested in getting started with physiological research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
Topics: Couples Therapy; Humans; Monitoring, Physiologic; Psychotherapeutic Processes; Psychotherapy
PubMed: 32614229
DOI: 10.1037/cou0000391