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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The Ratio of RyR2 and CSQ2 in Calcium Handling
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia of the heart, affecting 2-3% of the population. AF decreases the quality of life and increases the risk of mortality in patients. Although many patients see improvement ... -
Investigating the activation of nucleus accumbens projective paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus during cue-food reward conditioning
When a previously neutral cue is learnt to predict a food reward, the presence of the cue itself can elicit the motivation to obtain the food. The nucleus accumbens shell (nAccSh) in the mesolimbic system is involved in ... -
Hyperuricemia impairs PAX4 protein expression and plasticity in pancreatic β-cells
Uric Acid (UA) is a product produced from the metabolic breakdown of purines that is highly associated with several signaling pathways in pancreatic β-cells. High plasma uric acid (hyperuricemia) is associated with gout, ... -
Assessing the translational potential of oxytocin receptor blockade as a novel therapy for cardiac sympathetic activation following acute myocardial infarction
Abnormal elevation of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (cSNA) is a major contributor to the high mortality rate associated with acute myocardial infarction (MI). Increase in cSNA results in the propagation of ventricular ... -
Epicardial adipose tissue morphology diversity in Māori, Pacific and New Zealand/European post mortem cases
Obesity is a global epidemic, and is the leading risk factor for heart disease and associated morbidities in New Zealand. Furthermore, Māori and Pacific New Zealand populations are up to 8 times more likely to develop ... -
Myofilament Mechanisms Underlie Changes of Diabetic Cardiac Impairment
The myofilament protein, cardiac troponin I (cTnI), is a critical regulatory protein in the contraction and relaxation of cardiac muscle, linking calcium to bind to the thin filament. It has become apparent that myofilament ... -
Characterising the role of alpha-Epithelial Sodium Channel as a novel regulator of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity in Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is currently the leading cancer and cause of cancer mortality amongst women across the world, including New Zealand. Despite advancement in therapeutic treatments, breast cancer burden remains high, with the ... -
The role of SCN AVP neurons in modulating RP3V kisspeptin neuron activity in physiological and pathological reproductive states
Mammalian fertility is governed by a neural circuit that ultimately controls the activity of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Activation of GnRH neurons results in the pituitary release of luteinising hormone ... -
Activation of the cardiac non-neuronal cholinergic system prevents type-1 diabetes-induced cardiovascular dysfunction
The cardiac non-neuronal cholinergic system (cNNCS) is a newly described system where the cardiomyocytes possess the ability to synthesise and release acetylcholine (ACh) that acts in an auto-/paracrine manner to induce ... -
Kisspeptin regulation of the oxytocin neuronal system in late pregnancy
Preterm birth, a consequence of early activation of the uterus, has a negative impact on the health of the offspring and the mother. The stimulus for uterine contractions is through the action of the posterior pituitary ... -
Revealing in vivo ultradian and diurnal hypothalamic CRH neuron population activity patterns across the 24-h day
Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons located within the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus control the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis controls the neuroendocrine stress ... -
Elucidating the effects of shear stress on endothelial cell morphology and the expression of ENaC.
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is important for blood pressure regulation through its function within the kidney and arteries, as it is a channel which facilitates the transportation of sodium into the intracellular ... -
COMMD10 in epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) trafficking
The epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), is assembled as a heterotrimer composed of three homologous subunits α or δ, β, and γ and is selectively permeable to Na+ ions. ENaC plays an essential role in the regulation of sodium ... -
Cellular bioassays as a clinical tool for monitoring sex steroids
Sex steroid production needs to be maintained within the physiological set point range, deviations outside of the normal range can be a symptom of- and risk factor for endocrine-related diseases (such as polycystic ovarian ... -
Cholinergic modulation of cortical sensory-evoked responses
Cholinergic inputs to the cortex from the basal forebrain are essential for performing complex behaviours that require precise integration of sensory and motor information. However, the role of the basal forebrain cholinergic ... -
Understanding altered intrinsic heart rate in type 2 diabetes
Heart rate (HR) is generated by sinoatrial node (SAN) intrinsic pacemaking and modulated by autonomic innervation. Within the SAN, intrinsic (ex vivo) HR is determined by the mutual entrainment of the sarcolemmal voltage ... -
Regulation of cardiac ryanodine receptor 2 by protein kinase CK2
The cardiac muscle ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is an intracellular Ca2+ channel responsible for the release of Ca2+ during excitation-contraction coupling. It is also implicated in pathological store-overload-induced Ca2+ ... -
Dissecting alterations to arcuate nucleus neuropeptide Y neural circuitry in a model of polycystic ovary syndrome
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common form of infertility among women of reproductive age. Despite the prevalence of PCOS, the underlying mechanisms behind how PCOS arises and causes infertility remain poorly ... -
Expression of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine in the Rat Brain during Pregnancy and Lactation
During pregnancy, adaptations occur in the maternal brain and body to ensure optimal nutrition for both the mother and fetus. Over nutrition in the mother can lead to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). GDM in mothers is ... -
The functional role of cardiac non-neuronal cholinergic system in the diabetic heart
In type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), insulin resistance and metabolic derangements reduce glucose transporter-4 (GLUT-4) expression to decrease glucose uptake, and hence the glucose oxidation in the diabetic heart. Further, ...