Annette M. Gabaldón, Ph.D.

BIOL 171 Career Planning
BIOL 223/L Human Anatomy & Physiology I
BIOL 224/L Human Anatomy & Physiology II
BIOL 321/L Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy
BIOL 414/L Vertebrate Physiology

My primary research interests are in animal physiology. Previous studies in my lab at CSU-Pueblo have investigated behavioral thermoregulation in senescent rats. These studies have shown that the neural pathways involved in heat-seeking behavior in response to acute cold stress remain intact and functional as older rats advance into senescence. That is, senescent rats maintain a strong drive to seek a warm zone when placed in a thermal gradient following cold exposure. This occurs despite the fact that other key components of the thermoregulatory system become less functional in senescence, including brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. Heat gained passively from the warm environment reduces the metabolic energy that must be expended by the senescent rat during re-warming, sparing body energy stores that are already in decline from the rapid body weight loss that occurs at the transition to senescence.

More recent studies in my lab have focused on bone health and dietary synbiotics. Specifically, we are interested in determining if bone mineralization and strength are positively influenced by a synbiotic diet comprised of probiotics (beneficial gut microorganisms such as Lactobacillus acidophilus) and prebiotics (foods like oligosaccharides that serve as fuels for the gut microbes). The bone studies are being worked on in collaboration with Dr. Cynthia Blanton, Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Idaho State University, Pocatello, ID. We have utilized a variety of experimental methods and techniques to assess bone functional health, including ICP-MS analysis to determine bone elemental composition of major minerals and trace elements, bone histomorphology to determine architectural properties such as cortical wall thickness and cross-sectional area, bone micro-computed tomography (CT) to determine microanatomy, and 3-point mechanical strength testing to determine fracture force and Young's modulus, working with the engineering faculty (Dr. Huseyin Sarper and Dr. Jude Depalma) and students at CSU-Pueblo.

• Inoue, Taiga. Behavioral thermoregulation in aging rats, M.S., 2008.
• Langley, Laura Danielle. Changes in humerus and ulna bone with hindlimb unloading and a synbiotic diet in adult male rats, M.S., 2010.
• Vargas, Denise. Behavioral thermoregulation in senescent F344 rats, M.S., 2011.
• Housh, Bonnie. A synbiotic diet improves body weight recovery and bone mineralization in adult male rats in response to hindlimb unloading, M.S., 2012 (expected).
• Retana, Jessica. Effects of a synbiotic diet on skeletal muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading in rats, M.S., 2012 (expected).

• Blanton, C. and A.M. Gabaldón (2012). Effect of dietary synbiotics on bone in mature male rats following recovery from hindlimb unloading. Int. J. Probiotics Prebiotics. Accepted, in press.
• Sarper, H., J. DePalma, I.V. Melnykov, C. Blanton, and A.M. Gabaldón (2012). Effect of simulated weightlessness and a synbiotic diet on rat bone mechanical strength using a three-point bending tester. In preparation.
• Roberts, T.J. and A.M. Gabaldón. Interpreting muscle function from EMG: lessons learned from direct measurements of muscle force. Integr. and Comp. Biol., 48 (2): 312-320, 2008.
• Gabaldón, A.M., F.E. Nelson, and T.J. Roberts. Relative shortening velocity in locomotor muscles: turkey ankle extensors operate at low V/Vmax. Am. J. Physiol. 294 (Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.): R200-R210, 2008.
• Roberts, T.J., B.K. Higginson, F.E. Nelson, and A.M. Gabaldón. Muscle strain is modulated more with running slope than speed in wild turkey knee and hip extensors. J. Exp. Biol. 210, 2510-2517, 2007.
• Gabaldón, A.M., F.E. Nelson, and T.J. Roberts. Mechanical function of two ankle extensors in wild turkeys: shifts from energy production to energy absorption during incline versus decline running. J. Exp. Biol. 207, 2277-2288, 2004.
• Nelson, F.E., A.M. Gabaldón, T.J. Roberts. Force-velocity properties of two avian hindlimb muscles. J. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. A Mol. Integr. Physiol. 137 (4): 711-721, 2004.
• Gabaldón, A.M., D.A. Gavel, J.S. Hamilton, R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Norepinephrine release in brown adipose tissue remains robust in cold-exposed senescent Fischer 344 rats. Am. J. Physiol. 285 (Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol.): R91-R98, 2002.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Effects of age, gender, and senescence on ß-adrenergic responses of isolated F344 rat brown adipocytes in vitro. Am. J. Physiol. (Endocrinol. Metab.37): E726-E736, 1998.
• Gabaldón, A.M., M.L. Florez-Duquet, J.S. Hamilton, R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Effects of age and gender on brown fat and skeletal muscle metabolic responses to cold in F344 rats. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Regul., Integr. Comp. Physiol. 37): R931-R941, 1995.

Book Chapters

• McDonald, R.B., A.M. Gabaldón, & B.A. Horwitz. Aging and Thermoregulation. In: Autonomic Nervous System in Old Age. Interdiscipl. Top. Gerontol. Kuchel, G.A. and P.R. Hof (Eds.). A.G. Basel and S. Karger, Vol. 33, pp. 120-133, 2004.
• Horwitz, B.A, A.M. Gabaldón, & R.B. McDonald. Thermoregulation During Aging. In: Functional Neurobiology of Aging. Hof, P.R. & C.V. Mobbs (Eds.). Academic Press: San Diego, CA. Chapter 59, pp. 839-852, 2001.

Book Reviews

• Fat: Fighting the Obesity Epidemic, by Robert Pool, 2001. The American Biology Teacher, 2002.
• The Camel's Nose. Memoirs of a Curious Scientist, by Knut Schmidt-Nielsen, 1998. The American Biology Teacher, 1999.

• Blanton, C. and A.M. Gabaldón. Effect of dietary synbiotics on weightlessness-induced bone loss. The FASEB Journal, 25:584.20, 2011.
• Roberts, T.J.*; Gabaldón, A.M.; Brown University; Colorado State Univ.-Pueblo: Does rate of force production increase with running speed in individual muscles? SICB meeting, Orlando, CA, January 4-8, 2006.
• Gabaldón, A.M., F.E. Nelson, and T.J. Roberts. Force-velocity characteristics of ankle extensor muscles in wild turkeys during running and in situ. SICB meeting, 2004.
• Roberts, T.J., B.K. Higginson, F.E. Nelson, and A.M. Gabaldón. Versatile function of muscle stretch-shorten cycles during running. SICB meeting, 2004.
• Gabaldón, A.M., F.E. Nelson, and T.J. Roberts. Effect of running speed on the mechanical work output of two ankle extensor muscles in wild turkeys. FASEB J., 2003.
• Gabaldón, A.M. and T.J. Roberts. Diverse mechanical functions in a single muscle: how muscles change function for different locomotor demands. Am. Physiol. Society (APS) Fall Specialty Meeting, San Diego, CA, 2002.
• Gabaldón, A.M., F.E. Nelson, and T.J. Roberts. Gastrocnemius muscle mechanics in turkeys during uphill and downhill running. SICB meeting, Abstract P1.66, 2002.
• Nelson, F.E., A.M. Gabaldón, and T.J. Roberts. Force-velocity properties of an avian hindlimb muscle. SICB meeting, Abstract P1.67, 2002.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, D.A. Gavel, and B.A. Horwitz. Cold-induced norepinephrine release in brown adipose tissue in old male F344 rats. FASEB J., 14: A267.8, 2000.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Senescent F344 rats: relationship of neuropeptide Y (NPY) to serum leptin and carcass fat. The Gerontologist, 39:A88, 1999.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Gender differences in the relationship of neuropeptide Y to serum leptin and adiposity in senescent F344 rats. FASEB J., 13: A206.7, 1999.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Oxygen consumption, lipolysis, and cyclic-AMP in brown fat cells from aged F344 rats spontaneously losing body weight. Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Aging, Il Ciocco, Barga, Italy, 1998.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Blunted brown adipocyte thermogenesis in aging F344 rats spontaneously losing body weight. Geriatrics/Gerontology Research Conference, UC Davis, 1997.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Oxygen consumption, lipolysis, and cAMP in brown fat cells from aged F344 rats spontaneously losing body weight. FASEB J., 11:A2467, 1997.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Blunted norepinephrine- and CL316, 243-stimulated respiration of brown adipocytes from older F344 rats showing rapid loss of body weight. FASEB J. 10:A1268, 1996.
• Horwitz, B.A., R.B. McDonald, and A.M. Gabaldón. Aging and gender effects on adrenergic-stimulated respiration of brown adipocytes from F344 rats. FASEB J. 10:A1269, 1996.
• Florez-Duquet, M.L., A.M. Gabaldón, J.S. Hamilton, B.A. Horwitz, and R.B. McDonald. Alterations in cold-exposed thermogenic capacity of senescent F344 rats. FASEB J. 8:A959, 1993.
• Gabaldón, A.M., M.L. Florez-Duquet, R.B. McDonald, and B.A. Horwitz. Effects of age and gender on metabolic responses to cold in F344 rats. The Gerontologist 33:97, 1993.
• Gabaldón, A.M., R.A. Furilla, and M.H. Bernstein. Relation of cutaneous evaporation to skin blood flow and temperature in pigeons. American Physiological Society (APS) Fall Specialty Meeting, Orlando, Florida, 1990.
• Gabaldón, A.M., and M.H. Bernstein. Relationship of skin evaporation to skin temperature in pigeons, Columba livia. Sixteenth Annual NIH-MBRS Symposium, Los Angeles, CA, 1988.

• Choman, M., C. Blanton, and A.M. Gabaldón. The effects of a synbiotic diet on bone density and composition in hindlimb unloaded rats. 7th Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Sept. 23, 2011.
• Housh, B.J., L.D. Langley, C. Blanton, and A.M. Gabaldón. Effects of a synbiotic diet on bone loss induced by hindlimb unloading in adult male rats. 6th Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 1, 2010.
• Retana, J.L., C. Blanton, and A.M. Gabaldón. Effects of a synbiotic diet on skeletal muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading in rats. 6th Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 1, 2010.
• Langley, D., B. Housh, C.A. Blanton, and A.M. Gabaldón. Effects of a synbiotic diet on bone mineral density in rats during simulated weightlessness. 5th Annual CSM Research Symposium, Oct. 23, 2009.
• Vargas, D.A., R.T. Anderson, J.L. Retana, and A.M. Gabaldón. Metabolic rate and behavioral thermoregulation in aging rats. 4th Annual CSM Research Symposium, Oct. 26, 2008.
• Inoue, T., D.A. Vargas, J.P. Fitzgerald, J.A. Gonzalez, and A.M. Gabaldón. Behavioral thermoregulation in aging rats. 3rd Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 26, 2007.
• Crowley, E.J. and A.M. Gabaldón. Total evaporative water loss rates in aging rats during acute heat exposure. 3rd Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 26, 2007.
• Maier, J. D., E. Bugayski, J.A. Gonzalez, S. Esquivel, R. Lees, and A.M. Gabaldón. Total evaporative water loss rates in F344 X BN rats during acute heat exposure. 2nd Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 27, 2006
• Krebs, D., M. Cowden, T. Inoue, and A.M. Gabaldón. Temperature selection by F344 rats placed in a thermal gradient. 2nd Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 27, 2006.
• Lees, R. and A.M. Gabaldón. Aging and water intake in rats. 2nd Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 27, 2006.
• Shriver, C.L. and A.M. Gabaldón. Water balance in F344 rats during acute heat exposure. 1st Annual Science and Mathematics Student Research Symposium, CSU-Pueblo, Oct. 28, 2005.