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Exploring causes of pericyte expansion in postnatal brain of Rbpj-mediated mouse model of arteriovenous malformation

Kandalai, Shruthi M
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1448-489X
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1619194591764377

Abstract Details

2021, Bachelor of Science (BS), Ohio University, Biological Sciences.
Vascular function within the central nervous system is essential for cells, including those in the brain, to function. Vascular abnormalities within the brain may lead to neurovascular diseases, including brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and stroke. While interventional techniques, such as surgery, embolization, and radiotherapy have had success in treating some patients with AVM, these methods cannot work in all cases, due to location or severity. There are currently no drug therapies to treat patients with AVM. Using a genetic mouse model of brain AVM, my research aimed to understand details about the AVM disease process to inform potential therapies in the future. The research focused on the role of pericytes, a type of cell associated with vessels, in AVM pathogenesis from a cellular and molecular perspective. Recent reports indicate decreased pericyte coverage on tissue samples of AVM and suggest that pericytes may play a role in disease progression. However, unpublished data in my laboratory suggest increased pericyte expansion in a Rbpj-mediated model of AVM in the brain (Selhorst, 2019). This thesis explores why this discrepancy may be occurring, the mechanisms that underlie the pathological pericyte expansion, how pericyte interactions with diseased endothelial cells may be affected, how this interaction may change based on vascular bed and tissue type, and how pericytes may represent novel targets for future AVM drug therapies. While proliferation at a later timepoint was not found to be associated to the increase in pericyte area, pericyte number per vessel length did increase. This suggests that there may be an increase in pericyte number caused by another process such as recruitment of pericytes from the periphery or that there may be decreased vessel length in mutants. Additionally, morphological changes to pericyte processes were present, changes to signaling pathways between endothelial cells and pericytes were noted and data showed that there may be differences in associations between endothelial cells and pericytes, further supporting the idea that the AVM phenotype may be related to vessel instability as the field has hypothesized, despite our model not showing the decrease in pericytes that this theory is often coupled with.
Corinne Nielsen (Advisor)
105 p.
Biology; Developmental Biology; Neurobiology; Neurosciences
AVM; arteriovenous malformation; pericyte; neurovascular unit; blood-brain barrier; brain; retina

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kandalai, S. M. (2021). Exploring causes of pericyte expansion in postnatal brain of Rbpj-mediated mouse model of arteriovenous malformation [Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1619194591764377

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kandalai, Shruthi. Exploring causes of pericyte expansion in postnatal brain of Rbpj-mediated mouse model of arteriovenous malformation. 2021. Ohio University, Undergraduate thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1619194591764377.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kandalai, Shruthi. "Exploring causes of pericyte expansion in postnatal brain of Rbpj-mediated mouse model of arteriovenous malformation." Undergraduate thesis, Ohio University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1619194591764377

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Ohio University Honors Tutorial College and OhioLINK.