Plant-Based Compound Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia in the Zebrafish

This work is focused on developing a zebrafish model system to test the ability of natural products to treat hypercholesterolemia and its peripheral cardiovascular consequences. In this endeavor, tools are developed and utilized to test the efficacy of the medicinal plant hawthorn (Crataegus laevigata) in treating lipid disorders, with emphasis on those ailments pertaining to cardiovascular health. Among these tools is a high-throughput automated antihypercholesterolemia screen. Complementing the utility of this screen is an automated algorithm for rapidly analyzing cardiodynamic data. This is the first time that the antihypercholesterolemic effects of the hawthorn plant have been quantified in the same experimental paradigm as the plant’s cardiotonic effects. Whereas previous studies have concentrated on a single aspect of hawthorn’s effects, such as testing its ability to effect cardiac cell inotropic states by measuring calcium transience in cardiac cell culture, the perspective utilized in this work lends insight into its potential to treat multifaceted diseases. Being closer to the whole body consequences of a disease such as hypercholesterolemia, testing in a paradigm that replicates human disease has the potential for a significant impact on human health.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Medicine: Systems Biology and Physiology

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Cincinnati

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Littleton, Robert M.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hove, Jay

• Biology
• zebrafish
• hypercholesterolemia
• natural products
• complementary and alternative medicine
• plant products

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1355501728

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:etd.ohiolink.edu:ucin1355501728