Date of Award

Summer 2003

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Biomedical Engineering

First Advisor

Audi, Said

Second Advisor

Dawson, Christopher

Third Advisor

Merker, Marilyn

Abstract

The pulmonary endothelium has an extensive surface area and is located between the systemic venous and arterial systems. The pulmonary endothelium, along with the vascular endothelium, performs many metabolic functions that play an important role in determining the chemical composition of the blood plasma, with important consequences on the function of the blood vessels and the organs they serve (I, 2). Among these is its role in determining the redox status of blood borne redox active compounds such as quinones, which include anti-oxidants (e.g. coenzyme Q10, tocopherol quinone, and vitamin K), therapeutic agents (e.g. xenobiotics and antineoplastic drugs), and environmental toxins ( e.g. auto exhaust and cigarette smoke) (3,19). The work presented in this thesis demonstrates the ability of cultured endothelial cells to affect the redox status of the model quinone, trolox quinone, in the extracellular medium, reveals the contribution of various processes to the cellular disposition of trolox quinone, and begins the process of evaluating the participation of various oxidoreductases in determining the net redox status of trolox quinone in the extracellular medium. The results of this study will improve our understanding of the redox mechanisms by which the pulmonary endothelium modulates the redox status of blood borne redox active compounds such as quinones...

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