Dawn A. Lowe, PhD
Program in Physical Therapy
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
lowex017@umn.edu
Position:
Assistant Professor
Education:
BS in Applied Biology; Ferris State University, Big Rapids, MI; 1988.
MS in Clinical Exercise Physiology; University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX; 1990.
PhD in Exercise Science; University of Georgia, Athens, GA; 1994.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Muscle Biology; Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, FL; 1995.
Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry; Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN; 1998.
Teaching Responsibilities:
Scientific Foundations I: Theory of Exercise
Research Interests:
Broadly defined, my research interests include muscle physiology, aging, muscular dystrophy, and exercise science. The focus of this research is cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying skeletal muscle deterioration that occur with age, injury, and disease. Current studies are also aimed at preventing or reversing this muscle deterioration through exercise and pharmacological interventions.
Publications Within the Last 5 Years:
Warren, G.L., D.A. Lowe, and R.B. Armstrong. Measurement tools used in the study of eccentric contraction-induced injury. Sports Med. 27: 43-59, 1999.
Lowe, D.A. and S.E. Alway. Stretch-induced myogenin, MyoD, and MRF4 expression and acute hypertrophy in quail slow-tonic muscle are not dependent upon satellite cell proliferation. Cell Tissue Res. 296: 531-539, 1999.
Lowe, D.A., K.D. Chen, H. Degens, and S.E. Always. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase varies with age in glycolytic muscles of rats. J. Gerontol.: Biol. Sci.: 55A:B1-B6, 2000.
Thompson, L.V., D.A. Lowe, D.A. Ferrington, and D.D. Thomas. Electron paramagnetic resonance: A high-resolution tool for muscle physiology. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 29: 3-6, 2001.
Warren, G.L., C.P. Ingalls, D.A. Lowe, and R.B. Armstrong. Excitation-contraction uncoupling: Major role in contraction-induced muscle injury. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 30: 82-86, 2001.
Lowe, D.A., J.T. Surek, D.D. Thomas, and L.V. Thompson. Electron paramagnetic resonance detects age-related changes in myosin in rat skeletal muscle fibers. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 280: C540-C547, 2001.
Alway, S.E., D.A. Lowe, and K.D. Chen. The effects of age and hindlimb suspension on the levels of expression of the myogenic regulatory factors MyoD and myogenin in rat fast and slow skeletal muscles. Exp. Physiol. 86: 509-517, 2001.
Always, S.E., H. Degens, D.A. Lowe, and G. Krishnamurthy. Increased myogenic repressors Id mRNA and protein levels in hindlimb muscles of aged rats. Am. J. Physiol. Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 282: R411-R422, 2002.
Lowe, D.A., D.D. Thomas, L.V. Thompson. Contractility, but not myosin ATPase activity, declines with age in rat muscle fibers. Am. J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 283: C187-C192, 2002.
Lowe, D.A., and S.E. Alway. Animal models for inducing muscle hypertrophy: Are they relevant for clinical applications in humans? J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 32: 36-43, 2002.
Warren, G.L., C.P. Ingalls, D.A. Lowe, and R.B. Armstrong. What mechanisms contribute to the functional changes during and in the recovery from skeletal muscle injury? J. Orthop. Sports Phys. Ther. 32: 58-64, 2002.
Lowe, D.A., G.L. Warren, L.M. Snow, L.V. Thompson, D.D. Thomas. Muscle activity and aging affect myosin structural distribution and force generation in rat fibers. J. Appl. Physiol. 96:498-506, 2004 (DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00842.2003).
Lowe, D.A., A.D. Husom, D.A. Ferrington, and L.V. Thompson. Myofibrillar myosin ATPase activity in hindlimb muscles from young and aged rats. Mech. Ageing Dev. 129: 619-627, 2004 (DOI:10.1016/j.mad.2004.07.002).
Sanchez, O.A., L.M. Snow, D.A. Lowe, R.C. Serfass, L.V. Thompson. Effects of endurance exercise-training on single fiber contractile properties of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. J. Appl. Physiol. 99: 472-478, 2005.
Moran, A.L., G.L. Warren, D.A. Lowe. Soleus and EDL muscle contractility across the lifespan of female C57BL/6 mice. Exp. Gerontol 40: 966-975, 2005. DOI 10.1016/j.exger.2005.09.005.
Moran, A.L., G.L. Warren, D.A. Lowe. Removal of ovarian hormones detrimentally affects soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscle contractile function and myosin in mice. J. Appl. Physiol. 100: 548-559, 2006. DOI 10.1152/japplphysiol.01029.2005.
Lowe, D.A., B.O. Williams, D.D. Thomas, R.W. Grange. Molecular and cellular contractile dysfunction of dystrophic muscle from young mice. Muscle & Nerve (In press).
Zhong, S., D.A. Lowe, L.V. Thompson. Effects of hindlimb unweighting and aging on rat semimembranosus muscle and myosin. J. Appl. Physiol. (Submitted).
Currently Funded Research on Which I am PI:
NIH, K01/National Institute on Aging, "Molecular Biophysics of Myosin and Actin in Aged Muscle."
NIH, R03/National Institute on Aging, "Myosin Structure & Strength Alterations in Aging Females."
University of Minnesota Graduate School Grant-in-Aid of Research, "Estrogen and Estrogen Receptors; Distinctive Affects on Skeletal Muscle."
NASH Fund for Muscular Dystrophy Research, "Benefits of Exercise to Dystrophic Muscle."
Minnesota Medical Foundation Faculty Research Grant, "Molecular Mechanisms of Estradiol-related Strength Losses: Contractile Protein Regulation by Estrogen Receptors."