The ontogeny of carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing in zebrafish (Danio rerio) has not been studied. In this thesis, CO2-mediated increases in heart rate were used to gauge the capacity of zebrafish larvae to sense CO2. CO2 is thought to be sensed through neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which are homologous to mammalian carotid body glomus cells. Owing to its role in facilitating intracellular acidification during exposure to hypercapnia, it was hypothesized that carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in CO2 sensing, and that inhibition of CA would blunt the downstream responses. The cardiac response to hypercapnia (0.75% CO2) was reduced in fish exposed to acetazolamide, a CA inhibitor, and in fish experiencing CA knockdown. Based on pharmacological evidence using β-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) antagonists, and confirmed by β1AR gene knockdown, the efferent limb of the reflex tachycardia accompanying hypercapnia is probably mediated by sympathetic adrenergic neurons interacting with cardiac β1 receptors.

The ontogeny of carbon dioxide (CO2) sensing in zebrafish (Danio rerio) has not been studied. In this thesis, CO2-mediated increases in heart rate were used to gauge the capacity of zebrafish larvae to sense CO2. CO2 is thought to be sensed through neuroepithelial cells (NECs), which are homologous to mammalian carotid body glomus cells. Owing to its role in facilitating intracellular acidification during exposure to hypercapnia, it was hypothesized that carbonic anhydrase (CA) is involved in CO2 sensing, and that inhibition of CA would blunt the downstream responses. The cardiac response to hypercapnia (0.75% CO2) was reduced in fish exposed to acetazolamide, a CA inhibitor, and in fish experiencing CA knockdown. Based on pharmacological evidence using β-adrenergic receptor (ß-AR) antagonists, and confirmed by β1AR gene knockdown, the efferent limb of the reflex tachycardia accompanying hypercapnia is probably mediated by sympathetic adrenergic neurons interacting with cardiac β1 receptors.

Due to the fundamental roles sensors play in the study of biological, chemical and environmental processes, considerable efforts have been directed towards the synthesis of robust systems capable of detecting a wide range of analytes with high selectivity and sensitivity over a range of analyte concentrations. This thesis presents an investigation into the design and synthesis of novel 'click' generated chemo- and bio-sensors and molecular machines for fluorescence sensing applications in vitro and in vivo. The introductory chapter highlights recent and relevant examples of 'click'-derived chemosensors that use charge and energy transfer processes as transduction mechanisms for analyte detection. The synthesis and application of fluorescence- based Zn(II) sensors prepared using 'click' chemistry is then described. These sensors have proven to be effective tools for the selective detection of Zn(II) in vitro and in vivo and are synthetically simple to prepare using modular routes. The third chapter describes the synthesis of a series of novel fluorescent [2]rotaxanes which display cation sensing properties, with extremely varied photo-physical properties resulting from small structural changes. A novel approach to bio-sensing is then introduced, based on an 'allosteric scorpionate' model. In these systems, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is used to detect the remote interaction between 'click'-generated Cu(II)-azamacrocyclic complexes containing biotinylated pendant arms and their biological target.

No description available.

The duodenal epithelium is regularly exposed to HCl, digestive enzymes, bacteria and toxins, and sometimes also to ethanol and drugs. The imbalance of aggressive factors in the intestinal lumen and mucosal barrier function increases the risk of tissue injury and inflammation. The key components of the duodenal barrier function include mucosal permeability, bicarbonate transport and the secretion or absorption of fluids. This thesis aims to elucidate the role of melatonin, neuropeptide S (NPS) and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the regulation of intestinal mucosal barrier function and motility in the anesthetized rat in vivo and in tissues of human origin in vitro. Melatonin was found to reduce ethanol-induced increases in paracellular permeability and motility by a neural pathway within the enteric nervous system involving nicotinic receptors. In response to luminal exposure of ethanol, signs of mild mucosal edema and beginning of desquamation were observed in a few villi only, an effect that was not influenced by melatonin. Melatonin did not modify increases in paracellular permeability in response to luminal acid. NPS decreased basal and ethanol-induced increases in duodenal motility as well as bethanechol stimulated colonic motility in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, NPS was shown to inhibit basal duodenal bicarbonate secretion, stimulate mucosal fluid absorption and increase mucosal paracellular permeability. In response to luminal exposure of acid, NPS increased bicarbonate secretion and mucosal paracellular permeability. All effects induced by the administration of NPS were dependent on nitrergic pathways. In rats, administration of NPS increased the tissue protein levels of the inflammatory biomarkers IL-1β and CXCL1. Immunohistochemistry showed that NPS was localized at myenteric nerve cell bodies and fibers, while NPSR1 and nNOS were only confined to the myenteric nerve cell bodies. Perfusing the duodenal segment with the SCFAs acetate or propionate reduced the duodenal mucosal paracellular permeability, decreased transepithelial net fluid secretion and increased bicarbonate secretion. An i.v. infusion of SCFAs reduces mucosal paracellular permeability without any effects on mucosal net fluid flux. However, it significantly decreased bicarbonate secretion. Luminal SCFAs changed the duodenal motility pattern from fasting to feeding motility while i.v. SCFAs was without effect on motility. The systemic administration of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) induced increases in mucosal bicarbonate secretion and fluid absorption. An i.v. GLP-2 infusion during a luminal perfusion of SCFAs significantly reduced the duodenal motility. In conclusion, the results in the present thesis show that melatonin, NPS and SCFAs influence the neurohumoral regulation of intestinal mucosal barrier function and motility. Aberrant signaling in response to melatonin, NPS and to luminal fatty acids might be involved in the symptom or the onset of disease related to intestinal dysfunction in humans. / <p>Research funders and strategic development areas:</p><p>- Bengt Ihre Foundation (grant SLS-177521)</p><p>- Socialstyrelsen(grant SLS-176671)</p><p>- Erik, Karin, and Gösta Selanders Foundation</p><p>- Emil and Ragna Börjesson Foundation</p><p>- Uppsala University </p><p>- Ministry of Education of Malaysia</p><p>- Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia</p>

xxi, 199 p. ： ill. (some col.) / Mimicking the simplicity and efficiency of Nature in the synthesis and design of non-covalent receptors for ions in solution has piqued the interest of the chemical community since the mid 20th century. Until recently most of that focus has been on the binding, sensing, or remediation of inorganic cations instead of their anionic counterparts. With the realization of the role anions play in biological function or dysfunction, the development of selective probes for these highly solvated and elusive targets has become an important goal in the chemical and biological communities. Concurrently the optoelectronic properties of planar extended π-systems have been exploited in the development of novel light absorbing and emitting organics and carbon-rich materials with tunable optical outputs. While many of these compounds exhibit desirable sensor properties, their insolubility and non-specificity has hindered the inclusion of these materials in probes for biologically relevant substrates. This body of research seeks to combine our knowledge of supramolecular structure-function relationships with novel extended aromatic topologies to yield highly specific probes for anions in competitive media that exhibit discrete, tunable outputs upon interaction with their target substrates. Chapter I provides a brief overview of phenylacetylene topologies as they have been used in supramolecular assemblies and sensor design, with an emphasis on their use in anion-directed complexes. Chapter II focuses on our choice of specific arylethynylpyridine architectures upon which we can build a modular synthetic scheme to access working receptors. Chapter III encompasses the synthesis of urea and sulfonamide derivatives of phenylethynylpyridine and binding studies with these receptors and halide salts in organic media. Chapters IV and V focus upon the optoelectronic properties of these receptors, the tunability of their outputs and how we utilized their behavior in aqueous media to develop in vitro sensors for halides. This chapter concludes with recent results regarding their self-assembly on the micro-scale. This dissertation contains my previously published and co-authored work. / Committee in charge: Victoria DeRose, Chairperson; Michael Haley, Co-Advisor; Darren Haley, Co-Advisor; Shih-Yuan Liu, Member; David Schmidt, Outside Member