Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
8-2025
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Cerrone Foster
Committee Members
Aruna Kilaru, Suman Dalal
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVDs) remains the top cause of death globally, with postmenopausal women at higher risk due to estrogen decline. Beta-Adrenergic (β-AR) signaling is a major regulator of heart function. Caveolins, structural proteins of caveolae, coordinate cell signaling activities in the heart by co-localizing with estrogen receptors and β-AR and contribute to maintaining healthy cardiac function. The caveolin scaffolding domain (CSD), a binding component of caveolin, has shown therapeutic potential in animal models of heart disease. However, most studies on CSD have been completed in male mice. This thesis evaluates the therapeutic potential of CSD in female mouse models and how the duration of estrogen loss impacts cardiac remodeling and caveolin expression. We hypothesized that prolonged estrogen loss in aged mice decreases caveolin protein levels and impairs its cardioprotective functions during heart failure. In ovariectomized mice with heart failure, CSD worsened apoptosis, impacted hypertrophy, and estrogen deficiency altered caveolin and CX43 expression.
Document Type
Thesis - embargo
Recommended Citation
Barnie, Juliana, "The Impact of Estrogen Loss on Caveolin Expression and Cardiac Myocyte Remodeling in Ovariectomized Mice Following Chronic Sympathetic Stimulation" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 4590. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/4590
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
