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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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 ... -
Hyperuricemia driven pancreatic β-cell dysfunction through Rictor, a subunit of mTORC2
The prevalence of diabetes mellitus, specifically type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM), is rapidly rising worldwide prompting research into mechanisms involved in T2DM progression and development. High plasma concentration ... -
Understanding the proapoptotic role of microRNA532 in the diabetic heart
Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterised by high glucose levels and insulin resistance. Molecular alterations in the diabetic heart have been shown to accelerate apoptotic cell death. MicroRNAs (miRs) are a ... -
Working towards an understanding of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is genetic myopathy which is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. FSHD is the third most common form of muscular dystrophy, affecting approximately 1:7500 individuals ... -
Regulation of cardiac ryanodine receptors by protein kinase CK2 and small molecule kinase inhibitors
The cardiac ryanodine receptor (RyR2) is an intracellular Ca2+ release channel located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and is a key component in excitation-contraction coupling (the process of contraction) in cardiac ... -
Combination of Cardiac Progenitor Cells from the Right Atrium and Left Ventricle provide Synergistic Paracrine Effects for In Vitro Cardiac Repair
Cardiovascular diseases, such as ischaemic heart disease, remain the most common cause of death worldwide. With no effective treatment to replace the loss of cardiac tissue following a myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart ... -
The effect of exercise on diabetic heart disease
The American Diabetes Association recommends either a moderate-intensity exercise (MIE) or high-intensity exercise (HIE) regime as part of the healthy lifestyle for diabetic individuals. However, it is not known what ... -
Factors Affecting The Advancement Of Atherosclerotic Plaques
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide in adult men and women. Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has been highlighted as the main cause of death among CVDs, due to development and ... -
Investigation of RING domain E3 ubiquitin ligases in regulation of delta epithelial sodium channel (δENaC) activity
The delta epithelial sodium channel subunit (δENaC), is a member of ENaC family of channels that are essential for sodium homeostasis and blood pressure regulation. Although the role of δENaC has yet to be established it ... -
Dissecting the ontogeny and functional relevance of altered GABAergic circuitry in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of female infertility worldwide, yet this prevalent endocrine disorder remains poorly understood. Although classically considered an ovarian disease, altered brain ...