Biomedical subjects

Cynthia Do Shope

Publications and source records attributed to Cynthia Do Shope.

2 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Dyslipidemia and auditory function.

The relationship between dyslipidemia and hearing is unclear. This study was conducted to investigate whether elevated serum lipid levels impact auditory function in humans and in guinea pigs. In the human study, a cross-sectional study of 40 volunteers with dyslipidemia was conducted. Pure tone thresholds, distortion product otoacoustic emissions, and lipid profiles were analyzed. When controlled for patient age and sex, we found that elevated triglycerides were associated with reduced hearing. In the guinea pig study, a prospective study of animals fed a high-fat diet for 14 weeks was conducted. Although the high-fat diet led to a dramatic elevation in the average weight and total cholesterol in all animals (from 61 to 589 mg/dl), there were no meaningful changes in distortion product otoacoustic emission magnitudes. These results suggest that whereas chronic dyslipidemia associated with elevated triglycerides may reduce auditory function, short-term dietary changes may not.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Urocortin-deficient mice display normal stress-induced anxiety behavior and autonomic control but an impaired acoustic startle response.

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh) plays an important role in modulating physiological and behavioral responses to stress. Its actions are mediated through two receptors, Crhr1 and Crhr2. Urocortin (Ucn), a Crh-related neuropeptide and the postulated endogenous ligand for Crhr2, is a potential mediator of stress responses. We generated Ucn-deficient mice using embryonic stem cell technology to determine its role in stress-induced behavioral and autonomic responses. Unlike Crhr1- or Crhr2-deficient mice, Ucn-deficient mice exhibit normal anxiety-like behavior as well as autonomic regulation in response to stress. However, the mutant mice display an impaired acoustic startle response that is not due to an obvious hearing defect. Thus, our results suggest that Ucn does not play an essential role in stress-induced behavioral and autonomic responses. Ucn may modulate the acoustic startle response through the Ucn-expressing neuron projections from the region of the Edinger-Westphal nucleus.

Alleles↗