The Effects of Pulmonary Hypertension in Diabetic Zucker Rats on Pulmonary Vascular Contraction and Right Ventricular Size

Author

Michael Franzetti, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow

Date of Graduation

5-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Nan Smith-Blair

Committee Member/Reader

Mack Ivey

Committee Member/Second Reader

T.K.S. Kumar

Committee Member/Third Reader

Timothy Kral

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening disease that is identified by a resting mean pulmonary arterial pressure over 25 mmHg and established by right heart catheterization (Saglam et al., 2015). The symptoms commonly associated with pulmonary hypertension include fatigue, dyspnea, syncope, and chest pain, which severely limit quality of life in diagnosed patients (Saglam et al., 2015). According to recent studies in patients with pulmonary hypertension, the one, three and five year mortality rates are 8%, 25%, and 34%, respectively (Burudpakdee, Shah, Joish, Divers, & Yaldo, 2014). Although some advances have been made in therapies for pulmonary hypertension, the prognosis is still poor, and there is a lack of understanding of its mechanisms (Voelkel, Gomez-Arroyo, Abbate, Bogaard, & Nicolls, 2012). This study aims to examine and understand some of those mechanisms in the Zucker Rat.

Keywords

Pulmonary Hypertension, Zucker Rats, Vascular Contraction

Citation

Franzetti, M. (2016). The Effects of Pulmonary Hypertension in Diabetic Zucker Rats on Pulmonary Vascular Contraction and Right Ventricular Size. Biological Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/biscuht/26