2019
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12503/21613
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Browsing 2019 by Author "Ahmed, Nadia"
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Item Analyzing the Sex-Dependent Effects of Intranasal Insulin on Memory Impairment Secondary to High-Fat Diet(2019-03-05) Siraj, Sohail; dos Santos, Natalia; Thompson, Lucien PhD; Ahmed, NadiaPurpose: Insulin can improve memory by enhancing the intrinsic excitability of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons during memory consolidation. Chronic high-fat diet (HFD), however, can significantly impair spatial memory via reduction in excitability of these same neurons in both male and female rodent models. Interestingly, sex-dependent experimentation in these models has also shown that CA1 neurons from HFD females retain insulin-sensitivity while those from HFD males do not. Combining these findings from previous studies, it can be hypothesized that insulin therapy would improve memory deficits in females but not males fed a HFD. The following study aims to explore these sex-dependent responses to insulin therapy, as well as the use of intranasal insulin as an alternative and novel method of insulin administration that could potentially eliminate the harmful peripheral side effects of insulin via injection. Methods: Spatial memory of male and female Long-Evans rats fed control vs high-fat diet (HFD) was assessed in a spontaneous alternation task (SAT) using a four-arm radial maze (plus maze). Normally, rats will remember which arm of the maze they last visited and will attempt to sequentially explore new arms. The ability of the rats to do this is scored, with a low score indicating hippocampal impairment. Following behavioral experimentation, insulin tolerance testing was performed in order to rule-out peripheral presence of elevated insulin. Results: Intranasal delivery of insulin reversed memory impairments secondary to high-fat diet in both male and female rats. This was demonstrated by improvement in SAT scores of HFD rats treated with intranasal insulin therapy vs saline. These results were not as expected, but may be explained by the lack of a significant difference in fasting blood glucose levels of control vs high-fat diet animals. This indicates that high-fat diet animals were not showing symptoms of diabetes. It is possible then, that the animals in this experiment were in a pre-disease state where impairments were more readily reversible in both sexes and not just females. Additionally, lack of a decrease in peripheral glucose levels following intranasal insulin administration indicates that intranasal insulin did not have peripheral effects. Conclusions: This study highlights the possibility of the intranasal route as a novel method of insulin administration. Further studies should be conducted to explore the viability of this option compared to the current method of injecting insulin. For example, CSF extraction could be performed to confirm the presence of elevated insulin levels in the brain following intranasal insulin administration, as well as studies that provide further evidence that intranasal delivery bypasses the harmful peripheral side-effects of injected insulin. Lastly, although this study failed to reproduce diabetic responses, future experimentation in aged animals that have been on a HFD for [greater than] 12 weeks could better elucidate whether sex-dependent responses to chronic HFD would have an effect on insulin therapy and reversal of memory impairment.Item Diabetes in Tarrant County: Populations Most at Risk, Barriers to Acquiring Care, and Resources Available for Disease Management(2019-03-05) Ahmed, Nadia; Mitchell, Michael; Panturu, Stefan; Patel, Vishal; Siraj, SohailAbstract PurposeDiabetes mellitus is quickly becoming a public health crisis in the United States. As of 2015, 23.1 million adults in the U.S. are diagnosed with diabetes, with an estimated 1.5 million new cases diagnosed each year. The purpose of this research is to provide background information on diabetes in Tarrant county. We identified which populations are most at risk for being diagnosed with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Type II, determined potential barriers to acquiring care, and searched for regional programs available for disease management. Materials and MethodsEpidemiological information regarding DM in Texas was acquired through searching the Texas Department of State Health Services for current census information, as well as the CDC for national data in order to compare regional statistics to the rest of the U.S. population. A web search for local resources was conducted and relevant information for five available organizations providing care for DM patients of Tarrant County is presented here. ResultsDiabetes is the 6th leading cause of death in Tarrant County. Diabetes prevalence is highest among Non-Hispanic African Americans (16%), followed by Hispanics (12%). Prevalence of diabetes in Tarrant county is also higher among adults who did not graduate from high school. In Tarrant county, 21.9% of the population is uninsured, compared to 12.2% nationally. Resources available in Tarrant county for disease management include; Tarrant County Diabetes Collaboration, HealthForMe Self Management Classes, United Way of Tarrant County, Texas Healthy Lifestyles Workshop, and JPS Diabetes Education program. ConclusionsIn Tarrant county diabetes prevalence is highest in African American and Hispanic populations. Barriers to acquiring care include lack of health insurance and lack of knowledge regarding proper nutrition. Various community resources are available to aide in management of diabetes.