BIO

Hello! My name is Chinyere Oko, and I am a second-year junior from West Palm Beach, FL, majoring in Exercise Physiology. From a young age, I've always been interested in the anatomy and physiology of the body, trying to understand how illnesses can arise and what preventative measures can be used to combat them. This interest led me to join the Dr.Parvatiyar's lab where we are researching the effects of smoking on the cardiovascular and respiratory system in mice, by altering proteins and analyzing their response to the smoke. In the near future, my goal is to go to medical school to become a primary care physician, while also traveling worldwide to provide medical care to underserved populations. Overall, I am grateful that UROP has taught me many skills and experiences that I will carry on with me as while I continue my education and pursue my professional career.

The Effects of Oxidative Stress on Sacrcospan- Deficient Mice in the Cardiovascular and Respiratory System

Abstract

The use of tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States. Smoking has increased at an alarming rate, especially with e-cigarettes being easily accessible these days. Smoking has a direct effect on homeostasis functions within the body, but in our studies we looked at the impact it had on the cardiovascular and respiratory system in Sarcospan- deficient mice. In this research we studied the Sarcospan gene (SSPN) which is a part of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DGC). The DGC is an important complex that is seen to stabilize the muscle membrane and protect muscle fibers. If the SSPN gene is altered genetically, causing dysfunction to its expression, the individual can be at risk for cardiovascular disease. Using White-Type Mice (WT) , and Sarcospan deficient mice (SSPN), we would subject them to cigarette smoke (CS) for extended amounts of time. This is so we could assess what oxidative stress does to the expression of the SSPN gene, and see how it affects the heart and lungs.

Keywords: Smoking, Cardiovascular System, Respiratory System