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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Choline Supplementation Normalizes Fetal Adiposity And Reduces Lipogenic Gene Expression In A Mouse Model Of Maternal Obesity, Chauntelle Jack-Roberts, Yaelle Joselit, Khatia Nanobashvili, Rachel Bretter, Olga V. Malysheva, Marie A. Caudill, Anjana Saxena, Kathleen Axen, Ahmed Gomaa, Xinyin Jiang Aug 2017

Choline Supplementation Normalizes Fetal Adiposity And Reduces Lipogenic Gene Expression In A Mouse Model Of Maternal Obesity, Chauntelle Jack-Roberts, Yaelle Joselit, Khatia Nanobashvili, Rachel Bretter, Olga V. Malysheva, Marie A. Caudill, Anjana Saxena, Kathleen Axen, Ahmed Gomaa, Xinyin Jiang

Publications and Research

Maternal obesity increases fetal adiposity which may adversely affect metabolic health of the offspring. Choline regulates lipid metabolism and thus may influence adiposity. This study investigates the effect of maternal choline supplementation on fetal adiposity in a mouse model of maternal obesity. C57BL/6J mice were fed either a high-fat (HF) diet or a control (NF) diet and received either 25 mM choline supplemented (CS) or control untreated (CO) drinking water for 6 weeks before timed-mating and throughout gestation. At embryonic day 17.5, HF feeding led to higher (p < 0.05) percent total body fat in fetuses from the HFCO group, while the choline supplemented HFCS group did not show significant difference versus the NFCO group. Similarly, HF feeding led to higher (p < 0.05) hepatic triglyceride accumulation in the HFCO but not the HFCS fetuses. mRNA levels of lipogenic genes such as Acc1, Fads1, and Elovl5, as well as the transcription factor Srebp1c that favors lipogenesis were downregulated (p < 0.05) by maternal choline supplementation in the HFCS group, which may serve as a mechanism to reduce fat accumulation in the fetal liver during maternal HF feeding. In summary, maternal choline supplementation improves indices of fetal adiposity in obese dams at late gestation.


The Effect Of Dietary Fat On Obesity, Gene Expression, And Dna Methylation In Two Generations Of Mice, Madeline Rose Keleher Aug 2017

The Effect Of Dietary Fat On Obesity, Gene Expression, And Dna Methylation In Two Generations Of Mice, Madeline Rose Keleher

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As obesity rates continue rising nationally and globally, it is crucial to understand how a high-fat diet disrupts the regulation of the genome and leads to adverse health effects. Uncovering the underlying gene expression and DNA methylation changes induced by an individual’s high-fat diet and a maternal high-fat diet can pinpoint new targets for epigenetic therapies and reveal the physiological and behavioral changes in obesity. The goal of this dissertation is to gain deeper insight into the DNA methylation and gene expression changes that occur in response to a high-fat diet.

I studied the response to dietary fat within two …


Clinical And Therapeutic Significance Of Obesity In Melanoma, Jennifer L. Mcquade Aug 2017

Clinical And Therapeutic Significance Of Obesity In Melanoma, Jennifer L. Mcquade

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

While the FDA approval of targeted and immune therapies in metastatic melanoma (MM) have dramatically improved outcomes in this disease, de novo and/or acquired resistance can limit the clinical benefit of these agents. The IGF-1/PI3K/AKT pathway has been implicated in resistance to both targeted and immune therapy. The IGF-1/PI3K/AKT pathway has also been shown to play a key role in the pathogenesis of obesity in other malignancies. To date, the impact of energy balance on clinical outcomes and therapeutic response in MM has not been studied. I hypothesized that energy balance would impact the molecular biology, behavior, and drug sensitivity …


The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Energy Metabolism, Energy Intake, And Metabolic Response In Normal Weight And Overweight And Obese School Aged Children (8-12 Years), Charlayne Mitchell May 2017

The Effect Of Omega-3 Fatty Acids On Energy Metabolism, Energy Intake, And Metabolic Response In Normal Weight And Overweight And Obese School Aged Children (8-12 Years), Charlayne Mitchell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Obesity is a major health concern in the United States. Omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) have been observed to improve metabolic health and therefore might be useful in treatment of obesity. However, little is known regarding the effect of O3FA on school aged normal weight and overweight children.

Objective: The objective of this thesis was to determine if habitual intake of O3FA at breakfast improves energy metabolism, appetite, and metabolic response in overweight and obese school-aged children.

Design: Twenty healthy, normal weight (NW; n = 11) and overweight (OW; n = 9) children aged 8-12 years were randomly assigned to …


The Effects Of An Acute Bout Of Exercise On Hunger Hormones In Individuals At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes, Sydney Spoon May 2017

The Effects Of An Acute Bout Of Exercise On Hunger Hormones In Individuals At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes, Sydney Spoon

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Hunger hormone levels are typically dysregulated in obese and diabetic

populations, however; postprandial exercise has been shown to influence hunger hormone levels. Purpose: To determine if hunger hormones including acylated ghrelin and GLP-1 levels are altered in response to an acute bout (15 minutes) of walking in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Methods: Ten subjects at risk for prediabetes (fasting blood glucose 100–125mg/dL) participated in this randomized crossover design trial. Subjects arrived at the laboratory following an overnight fast and underwent one of two conditions: 1) Test meal with no walking (CON) or 2) Test …


Clinical Significance Of A False Positive Glucose Challenge Test In Patients With A High Body Mass Index, A Borja, M Moretti, Nisha Lakhi Apr 2017

Clinical Significance Of A False Positive Glucose Challenge Test In Patients With A High Body Mass Index, A Borja, M Moretti, Nisha Lakhi

NYMC Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine if there is an increased maternal or neonatal morbidity in overweight and obese patients with a false positive glucose challenge test (GCT). METHODS: Patients with a body mass index (BMI) >/=25.0 at registration were included in this prospective 36-month study. The study cohort consisted of patients with a false positive (FP) GCT, with two comparison cohorts: those with a (1) screen negative (SN) GCT result and (2) true positive (TP) GCT result. Risks were reported as odd ratios with 95% confidence intervals, with a P/=4000 g in the FP cohort, but this fell short of reaching statistical …


Regulation Of Adipocyte Differentiation And Metabolism: Rab5-Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors And Methylglyoxal, Praew Chantarasinlapin Mar 2017

Regulation Of Adipocyte Differentiation And Metabolism: Rab5-Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors And Methylglyoxal, Praew Chantarasinlapin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Internalization and trafficking of ligand-receptor complex rely on a particular set of proteins, e.g. small GTPase protein Rab5 and its activators called guanine nucleotide exchange factors. Rab5-activating protein 6 (RAP6), a Vps9-containing protein, may participate in Rab5-mediated insulin signaling and receptor trafficking. A dicarbonyl compound methylglyoxal was found to alter insulin signaling in preadipocytes. This dissertation aimed to investigate the association of RAP6 activity on 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation and those driven by methylglyoxal. Overexpression of RAP6 inhibited preadipocyte differentiation, Ser473-phosphorylation of Akt1, and expression of adipogenic marker PPARγ, but not C/EBPα. Methylglyoxal (10 µM) increased preadipocyte differentiation, proliferation and expression …


The School Food Environment And Its Association With Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents, Hannah F. Hickey Jan 2017

The School Food Environment And Its Association With Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents, Hannah F. Hickey

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

The school food environment has the ability to increase the consumption of fruit and vegetables in rural adolescents. This study used a survey to allow adolescents in seven rural counties to self-report their fruit and vegetable intake as well as utilizing the USDA Mathematica tool and the School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study audits to evaluate what food and beverage products were actually available to adolescents. By using these two measures, associations between fruit and vegetable intake and availability of healthy and unhealthy foods were determined. The availability of healthy snacks and beverages was found to be associated with sugar-sweetened …


Comparing Mindfulness-Enriched Weight Management To Current Standard Practices, Teresa M. Lee Jan 2017

Comparing Mindfulness-Enriched Weight Management To Current Standard Practices, Teresa M. Lee

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective for numerous diet-related conditions. Mindfulness skills have been theorized to be helpful in improving eating behaviors, and thereby weight management. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a mindfulness-enriched weight management program to a standard weight loss program over the course of a 12-week intervention, and weight maintenance over six months. This was a two-group randomized experimental design. One group received a standard weight loss program, while the other group received the same program with an additional mindfulness component. Follow up assessments were conducted twice at three-month intervals. …


Investigation Into Roseburia Intesinalis For Optimal Growth And Survivability Conditions For Potential Probiotic Use, Lisa Rana Felczak Jan 2017

Investigation Into Roseburia Intesinalis For Optimal Growth And Survivability Conditions For Potential Probiotic Use, Lisa Rana Felczak

Wayne State University Theses

Obesity and diabetes is an epidemic of increasing concern. Certain novel bacteria have been found to be an aid in reversing some of the mechanisms associated. This study focused on investigating the optimal stability conditions for R.intestinalis that can associate with an increase in growth. First, environmental conditions were tested to find the optimal conditions associated with each. Once growth conditions were found, generation time was calculated and various prebiotics were used to investigate a potential for additional growth. Next, common antibiotics were tested to see if the R.intestinalis could still show growth when exposed. Large batches of R.intestinalis were …


The Potential Stimulation Of C. Minuta Growth By Various Prebiotics, And Its Sensitivity To Various Antibiotics, Maria Elena Hakim Jan 2017

The Potential Stimulation Of C. Minuta Growth By Various Prebiotics, And Its Sensitivity To Various Antibiotics, Maria Elena Hakim

Wayne State University Theses

Gut microbiota play a crucial role in maintaining intestinal health and integrity; a feature that is both heritable, as well as affected by the environment and lifestyle. Probiotics are supplements containing live microorganisms that act in a similar manner to gut microflora, and maintain a balance in the latter. C. minuta is a novel bacterium in the gut that was found to be associated with reduction in body weight and adiposity. The aim of this study was to determine the possible effects of different prebiotics on C. minuta growth, and the survival of C. minuta in response to different antibiotics. …


A "Default Option" While Online Grocery Shopping To Enhance Nutrition Within A Food Insecure Population, Jaime Ashley Coffino Jan 2017

A "Default Option" While Online Grocery Shopping To Enhance Nutrition Within A Food Insecure Population, Jaime Ashley Coffino

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

There is a need for sustainable interventions that improve diet-related health within the food insecure community. We examined if use of a “default” prefilled online grocery shopping cart, compared to nutrition education, would result in the purchase of healthier food items. Fifty participants (M age = 46.4 ± 12.46 years; M body mass index = 28.59 ± 6.48 kg/m2; 74.0% male) were randomized to: (1) read a brochure containing nutrition information (n = 23) or (2) be presented with a “default” prefilled online shopping cart containing groceries that meet nutritional guidelines to which they could freely make changes before completing …


The Effects Of Artemisia Derived Natural Products On Adipogenesis, Steven Abood Jan 2017

The Effects Of Artemisia Derived Natural Products On Adipogenesis, Steven Abood

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

For the first time in human history, more people worldwide suffer from obesity than are undernourished. Numerous health complications are associated with obesity including cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, cancers of reproductive tissues, stroke, depression, anxiety disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease. A deeper understanding of the anti-adipogenic effects and mechanism of action of sesquiterpene lactones may have pharmacological import in the continuing search for therapeutic modalities to ameliorate the effects of this global obesity epidemic.

Dehydroleucodine (DhL), 11,13-dihydro-dehydroleucodine (DH-DhL), and dehydroparashin-B (DhP), sesquiterpene lactones extracted from or derived from compounds extracted from Artemisia douglasiana, were investigated for their anti-adipogenic effects …


A Potential Tool For Clinicians; Evaluating A Computer-Led Dietary Assessment Method In Overweight And Obese Women During Weight Loss, Adrianne Widaman, Nancy Keim, Dustin Burnett, Beverly Miller, Megan Witbracht, Keith Widaman, Kevin Laugero Jan 2017

A Potential Tool For Clinicians; Evaluating A Computer-Led Dietary Assessment Method In Overweight And Obese Women During Weight Loss, Adrianne Widaman, Nancy Keim, Dustin Burnett, Beverly Miller, Megan Witbracht, Keith Widaman, Kevin Laugero

Faculty Publications

Many Americans are attempting to lose weight with the help of healthcare professionals. Clinicians can improve weight loss results by using technology. Accurate dietary assessment is crucial to effective weight loss. The aim of this study was to validate a computer-led dietary assessment method in overweight/obese women. Known dietary intake was compared to Automated Self-Administered 24-h recall (ASA24) reported intake in women (n = 45), 19–50 years, with body mass index of 27–39.9 kg/m2. Participants received nutrition education and reduced body weight by 4%–10%. Participants completed one unannounced dietary recall and their responses were compared to actual intake. Accuracy of …


Relationship Of Stress, Sleep, Physical Activity, And Food Insecurity On Eating Behaviors And Obesity, Amy Lee Richards Jan 2017

Relationship Of Stress, Sleep, Physical Activity, And Food Insecurity On Eating Behaviors And Obesity, Amy Lee Richards

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There is an urgent need to find effective interventions to prevent and reduce obesity as it is associated with chronic disease and decreased quality of life. Gaining a better understanding of how modifiable variables such as stress, sleep, physical activity, and food insecurity are related to eating behaviors associated with obesity is essential to guide the direction of future interventions and research. Interventions that hold promise need to be tested to determine if they have merit or not. This dissertation presents three papers. Two papers are cross-sectional studies evaluating associations between eating behaviors, obesity, and modifiable variables (stress, sleep, physical …