University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

About: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center is a healthcare organization based out in Dallas, Texas, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 39107 authors who have published 75242 publications receiving 4497256 citations. The organization is also known as: UT Southwestern & UT Southwestern Medical School.

Adipogenesis and metabolic health

Abstract: Obesity is characterized by increased adipose tissue mass and has been associated with a strong predisposition towards metabolic diseases and cancer. Thus, it constitutes a public health issue of major proportion. The expansion of adipose depots can be driven either by the increase in adipocyte size (hypertrophy) or by the formation of new adipocytes from precursor differentiation in the process of adipogenesis (hyperplasia). Notably, adipocyte expansion through adipogenesis can offset the negative metabolic effects of obesity, and the mechanisms and regulators of this adaptive process are now emerging. Over the past several years, we have learned a considerable amount about how adipocyte fate is determined and how adipogenesis is regulated by signalling and systemic factors. We have also gained appreciation that the adipogenic niche can influence tissue adipogenic capability. Approaches aimed at increasing adipogenesis over adipocyte hypertrophy can now be explored as a means to treat metabolic diseases.

Cardiovascular complications of cocaine use.

Abstract: Cardiovascular complications are among the most common and dangerous complications of cocaine abuse, ranging from episodic arrhythmias to myocardial infarction, strokes, cardiomyopathy, and sudden death. The central nervous system-mediated action of cocaine triggers an increase in circulating catecholamines, resulting in arterial vasoconstriction, increase in myocardial oxygen demand, myocardial ischemia, tachycardia, and other arrhythmias. The peripheral cardiovascular action of cocaine involves the inhibition of reuptake of catecholamines at adrenergic nerve terminals, with local release of epinephrine, direct stimulation and vasospasm of the coronary arteries, coronary intimai hyperplasia, inhibition of baroreceptors, interference with the electrical conduction through the myocardium, and direct myocardial toxicity. The cardiovascular complications of cocaine include cardiac dysrhythmias and hypertension, acute myocardial infarction, myocarditis, infectious endocarditis, ventricular dysfunction, dilated cardiomyopathy, hypotensive shock, and cerebral strokes. Cocaine-related vascular changes in the pregnant woman and fetus have been related to an increased incidence of abortion, abruptio placentae, and congenital anomalies of the fetus.