Physiology
The Department of Physiology at the University of Otago is the largest Department of Physiology in New Zealand. Established in 1905, the Otago Department of Physiology celebrated its 100th anniversary mid-2005. Over the years we have made major contributions to undergraduate science, physical education, medical, dental, pharmacy and physiotherapy education and we are one of the larger departments in the University. We have contributed markedly to biomedical research both nationally and internationally and have trained many postgraduates, a number of whom have attained high international reputation for their research.
Recent Deposits
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Is sarcopenia a neurodegenerative disease?
Sarcopenia is a major contributor to the loss of independence and deteriorating quality of life in elderly individuals. It is marked by declining skeletal muscle mass and strength beyond the age of 65. Sarcopenia places ... -
Toll like receptor signalling in human colonic organoids
Three-dimensional primary cultures of colonic epithelium, or colonic organoids, are thought to be a suitable culture system to investigate the properties of human intestinal epithelium and its interaction with commensal ... -
Regulation of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuron Activity by Noradrenergic Stress Signals
The stress response is crucial for allowing adaptation to an ever-changing external environment. The neuroendocrine stress response is controlled by corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons located within the ... -
Characterising the role of Vascular ENaC for Blood Pressure Regulation
Hypertension is characterised by extracellular fluid volume expansion and increased vascular tone. The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) in the kidney has a central role in maintenance of extracellular fluid volume. In the ... -
Impact of Dietary Fatty Acids on Neuronal and Metabolic Health
In the past decades, the worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly trebled. This trend is mainly caused by the permanent availability of food, the consumption of a Western-style diet, and the sedentary lifestyle of our ... -
Ghrelin and peripheral artery disease
Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is the most common cardiovascular disease associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PAD is characterised by the narrowing or occlusion of systemic arteries impeding blood supply to ... -
Elucidating the effect of prenatal androgen excess on male reproductive function
The in utero nutritional and hormonal environment is critical in shaping the developing male and female reproductive systems. Elevated in utero androgen exposure has been correlated with the manifestation of abnormal ... -
Endosomal SNX Proteins are Required for Recycling of the Epithelial Sodium Channel.
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) facilitates Na+ absorption of polarised epithelia and is required for regulation of salt and water homeostasis. ENaC’s apical membrane population is strictly controlled, and loss of ... -
The pathophysiological role of microRNAs in diabtic cardiac stem cells
Cardiac stem cells (CSCs) have been implicated as the most suitable source of stem cells in regenerating the diseased heart. However, diabetes is known to cause a progressive loss in the functional efficacy of CSCs. MicroRNAs ... -
Human epicardial adipose tissue acutely increases atrial fibrillation
Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is a fat layer that directly contacts the atrial myocardium. Increased EAT mass has emerged as a new risk factor for developing the most common type of irregular heart rhythm, atrial ... -
The Stress and Strain of Triathlon Racing in Different Thermal Environments
Athletic endurance competitions in hot environments have become more relevant in professional sports. The inception for this thesis was to understand why a group of elite endurance triathletes repeatedly failed to perform ... -
The role of exocyst members sec6 and sec8 in the anterograde trafficking of KCa3.1 to the basolateral membrane of polarised epithelial cells
In epithelia, ion channels play an essential role in maintaining the required electrochemical gradients for the tissue to function. This function can translate to electrolyte and fluid homeostasis which in turn, relies on ... -
The impact of hepatic steatosis on liver circulation, transplantation, ischaemia-reperfusion injury and its relation with nitrous oxide
Obesity is now a major health threat in the developed world. To investigate the impact of obesity-induced steatosis on hepatic blood flow, portal venous and hepatic arterial blood flow were measured in the anaesthetized ... -
Shear Force Activation of the Epithelial Sodium Channel (ENaC): Role of the β- and γ-Subunits
Mechanotransduction describes the ability of a living organisms to sense mechanical forces that are caused through changes in the environment. It is a complex mechanism in which mechanical forces are converted into a ... -
The role of the mTOR-Raptor complex in driving hyperuricemia-induced diabetes mellitus
Elevated serum uric acid (hyperuricemia) when left untreated can lead to a range of pathologies including gout, cancer and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). It has been shown that after three days of exposure to hyperuricemic ... -
Identifying the role of connexin 43 in transport of microRNAs
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Present treatments for CVD rely heavily on surgical interventions and drug therapies that relieve symptoms rather than cure the disease. Therefore, ... -
The Impact of Epithelial Sodium Channel on Breast Cancer Cell Migration
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand women, with the majority of breast cancer deaths being due to metastasis. This highlights the importance of identifying regulators and, thus, potential therapeutic ... -
Sodium and Uric Acid as Modulators of Vascular Endothelial ENaC
Hypertension, defined as a chronically high blood pressure, is a significant risk factor for heart attacks and strokes. Despite hypertension affecting 28% of individuals over the age of 20 years old, little is known about ... -
Modulation of Lineage Development in the Colonic Epithelium
Despite being exposed to microbial and food antigens, the human gastrointestinal tract does not exist in a state of inflammation. This homeostasis is critically dependent on the colonic epithelial barrier, which when ... -
Dissecting Estrogen Positive Feedback Mechanisms Using CRISPR-Cas9
Estrogen feedback mechanisms are arguably the most important component of mammalian fertility regulation. Estrogen positive feedback is mediated by a population of estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1)-expressing neuronal afferents ...