Life Sciences Commons^™

Patterns And Potential Mechanisms Of Phenotypic Changes In Urban Small Mammals, Leslie Lopez

Master's Theses

Urbanization is an example of human induced rapid environmental change that can have wide-reaching ecological effects, including habitat destruction, fragmentation, and alteration of local climates. Effects of urbanization have been shown to impact wildlife, as disturbances resulting from urbanization can create novel environments and selective pressures that could lead to changes in morphology, physiology, or both. Small mammals such as rodents are an ecologically important set of wildlife species because they are a key prey item for several predators, hold strong influence over plants as a primary consumer, and some species carry and transmit major human and animal diseases. Previous …

An Approach To Identify Gene-Environment Interactions And Reveal New Biological Insight In Complex Traits, Xiaofeng Zhu, Yihe Yang, Noah Lorincz-Comi, Gen Li, Amy R Bentley, Paul S De Vries, Michael Brown, Alanna C Morrison, Charles N Rotimi, W James Gauderman, Dabeeru C Rao, Hugues Aschard

Journal Articles

There is a long-standing debate about the magnitude of the contribution of gene-environment interactions to phenotypic variations of complex traits owing to the low statistical power and few reported interactions to date. to address this issue, the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions Working Group within the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genetic Epidemiology Consortium has been spearheading efforts to investigate G × E in large and diverse samples through meta-analysis. Here, we present a powerful new approach to screen for interactions across the genome, an approach that shares substantial similarity to the Mendelian randomization framework. We identify and confirm 5 loci …

Trehalose Enhances Mitochondria Deficits In Human Npc1 Mutant Fibroblasts But Disrupts Mouse Purkinje Cell Dendritic Growth Ex Vivo., Collin M Macleod, Fawad A K Yousufzai, Liam T Spencer, Sarah Kim, Lucianne A Rivera-Rosario, Zerian D Barrera, Lindsay Walsh, Claude Krummenacher, Benjamin Carone, Ileana Soto

Faculty Scholarship for the College of Science & Mathematics

Lysosomes play important roles in catabolism, nutrient sensing, metabolic signaling, and homeostasis. NPC1 deficiency disrupts lysosomal function by inducing cholesterol accumulation that leads to early neurodegeneration in Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease. Mitochondria pathology and deficits in NPC1 deficient cells are associated with impaired lysosomal proteolysis and metabolic signaling. It is thought that activation of the transcription factor TFEB, an inducer of lysosome biogenesis, restores lysosomal-autophagy activity in lysosomal storage disorders. Here, we investigated the effect of trehalose, a TFEB activator, in the mitochondria pathology of NPC1 mutant fibroblasts in vitro and in mouse developmental Purkinje cells ex vivo. We …

Association Between Whole Blood-Derived Mitochondrial Dna Copy Number, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol, And Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Xue Liu, Xianbang Sun, Yuankai Zhang, Wenqing Jiang, Meng Lai, Kerri L Wiggins, Laura M Raffield, Lawrence F Bielak, Wei Zhao, Achilleas Pitsillides, Jeffrey Haessler, Yinan Zheng, Thomas W Blackwell, Jie Yao, Xiuqing Guo, Yong Qian, Bharat Thyagarajan, Nathan Pankratz, Stephen S Rich, Kent D Taylor, Patricia A Peyser, Susan R Heckbert, Sudha Seshadri, Eric Boerwinkle, Megan L Grove, Nicholas B Larson, Jennifer A Smith, Ramachandran S Vasan, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Myriam Fornage, Jun Ding, April P Carson, Goncalo Abecasis, Josée Dupuis, Alexander Reiner, Charles Kooperberg, Lifang Hou, Bruce M Psaty, James G Wilson, Daniel Levy, Jerome I Rotter, Joshua C Bis, Claudia L Satizabal, Dan E Arking, Chunyu Liu

Journal Articles

Background The relationship between mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA CN) and cardiovascular disease remains elusive. Methods and Results We performed cross-sectional and prospective association analyses of blood-derived mtDNA CN and cardiovascular disease outcomes in 27 316 participants in 8 cohorts of multiple racial and ethnic groups with whole-genome sequencing. We also performed Mendelian randomization to explore causal relationships of mtDNA CN with coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiometabolic risk factors (obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia).

Gene-Educational Attainment Interactions In A Multi-Population Genome-Wide Meta-Analysis Identify Novel Lipid Loci, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Karen L Schwander, Michael R Brown, Amy R Bentley, Thomas W Winkler, Yun Ju Sung, Patricia B Munroe, Clint L Miller, Hugo Aschard, Stella Aslibekyan, Traci M Bartz, Lawrence F Bielak, Jin Fang Chai, Ching-Yu Cheng, Rajkumar Dorajoo, Mary F Feitosa, Xiuqing Guo, Fernando P Hartwig, Andrea Horimoto, Ivana Kolčić, Elise Lim, Yongmei Liu, Alisa K Manning, Jonathan Marten, Solomon K Musani, Raymond Noordam, Sandosh Padmanabhan, Tuomo Rankinen, Melissa A Richard, Paul M Ridker, Albert V Smith, Dina Vojinovic, Alan B Zonderman, Maris Alver, Mathilde Boissel, Kaare Christensen, Barry I Freedman, Chuan Gao, Franco Giulianini, Sarah E Harris, Meian He, Fang-Chi Hsu, Brigitte Kühnel, Federica Laguzzi, Xiaoyin Li, Leo-Pekka Lyytikäinen, Ilja M Nolte, Alaitz Poveda, Rainer Rauramaa, Muhammad Riaz, Antonietta Robino, Tamar Sofer, Fumihiko Takeuchi, Bamidele O Tayo, Peter J Van Der Most, Niek Verweij, Erin B Ware, Stefan Weiss, Wanqing Wen, Lisa R Yanek, Yiqiang Zhan, Najaf Amin, Dan E Arking, Christie Ballantyne, Eric Boerwinkle, Jennifer A Brody, Ulrich Broeckel, Archie Campbell, Mickaël Canouil, Xiaoran Chai, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Xu Chen, Kumaraswamy Naidu Chitrala, Maria Pina Concas, Ulf De Faire, Renée De Mutsert, H Janaka De Silva, Paul S De Vries, Ahn Do, Jessica D Faul, Virginia Fisher, James S Floyd, Terrence Forrester, Yechiel Friedlander, Giorgia Girotto, C Charles Gu, Göran Hallmans, Sami Heikkinen, Chew-Kiat Heng, Georg Homuth, Steven Hunt, M Arfan Ikram, David R Jacobs, Maryam Kavousi, Chiea Chuen Khor, Tuomas O Kilpeläinen, Woon-Puay Koh, Pirjo Komulainen, Carl D Langefeld, Jingjing Liang, Kiang Liu, Jianjun Liu, Kurt Lohman, Reedik Mägi, Ani W Manichaikul, Colin A Mckenzie, Thomas Meitinger, Yuri Milaneschi, Matthias Nauck, Christopher P Nelson, Jeffrey R O'Connell, Nicholette D Palmer, Alexandre C Pereira, Thomas Perls, Annette Peters, Ozren Polašek, Olli T Raitakari, Kenneth Rice, Treva K Rice, Stephen S Rich, Charumathi Sabanayagam, Pamela J Schreiner, Xiao-Ou Shu, Stephen Sidney, Mario Sims, Jennifer A Smith, John M Starr, Konstantin Strauch, E Shyong Tai, Kent D Taylor, Michael Y Tsai, André G Uitterlinden, Diana Van Heemst, Melanie Waldenberger, Ya-Xing Wang, Wen-Bin Wei, Gregory Wilson, Deng Xuan, Jie Yao, Caizheng Yu, Jian-Min Yuan, Wei Zhao, Diane M Becker, Amélie Bonnefond, Donald W Bowden, Richard S Cooper, Ian J Deary, Jasmin Divers, Tõnu Esko, Paul W Franks, Philippe Froguel, Christian Gieger, Jost B Jonas, Norihiro Kato, Timo A Lakka, Karin Leander, Terho Lehtimäki, Patrik K E Magnusson, Kari E North, Ioanna Ntalla, Brenda Penninx, Nilesh J Samani, Harold Snieder, Beatrice Spedicati, Pim Van Der Harst, Henry Völzke, Lynne E Wagenknecht, David R Weir, Mary K Wojczynski, Tangchun Wu, Wei Zheng, Xiaofeng Zhu, Claude Bouchard, Daniel I Chasman, Michele K Evans, Ervin R Fox, Vilmundur Gudnason, Caroline Hayward, Bernardo L Horta, Sharon L R Kardia, Jose Eduardo Krieger, Dennis O Mook-Kanamori, Patricia A Peyser, Michael M Province, Bruce M Psaty, Igor Rudan, Xueling Sim, Blair H Smith, Rob M Van Dam, Cornelia M Van Duijn, Tien Yin Wong, Donna K Arnett, Dabeeru C Rao, James Gauderman, Ching-Ti Liu, Alanna C Morrison, Jerome I Rotter, Myriam Fornage

Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Early Complex Formation Of Huntingtin Protein With And Without Lipids, Alyssa R. Stonebraker

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of the polyglutamine (polyQ) domain of the huntingtin protein (htt). The expansion of the polyQ domain beyond a threshold of approximately 35 repeats triggers complex toxic aggregation mechanisms and results in altered interactions between htt and lipid membranes. Many factors modulate these processes. One such modulator includes sequences flanking the polyQ domain, most notably the first 17 amino acids at the N-terminus of the protein (Nt17), and environmental factors including the presence of membranous structures. Nt17 has the propensity to form an amphipathic a-helix in the presence of …

Metoprolol Disrupts Sterol Biosynthesis Through Inhibition Of 7-Dehydrocholesterol Reductase (Dhcr7), Luke B. Allen

Theses & Dissertations

Cholesterol is essential for life. It is particularly important in the brain as it relies on de novo synthesis of cholesterol following the formation of the blood brain barrier (BBB). As such, disrupting sterol biosynthesis during neurodevelopment can have devastating outcomes. The most common post-lanosterol sterol biosynthesis disorder, Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome, arises from a faulty DHCR7 enzyme. DHCR7 has also been shown to be inhibited by several psychotropic medications. Here we assess six beta-blockers and their effects on sterol biosynthesis in vitro. Two beta-blockers, metoprolol and nebivolol strongly inhibit DHCR7 in four separate in vitro models of both mouse and …

The Apoe Ε4 Allele Association With Cholesterol Related Phenotypes In The Mexican American Population, Stephanie Lozano

Theses and Dissertations

Diseases linked to high cholesterol have been well studied and several diseases-associated candidate genes have been suggested. Among these, the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) gene associated with lipid metabolism and lipid-related traits was reported in the non-Hispanic population. There are three types of alleles APOE ε2, ε3, and ε4. The APOE ε4 allele has been identified as a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In recent years, there have been limited studies regarding the association between the APOE gene and hypercholesterolemia in the Mexican American population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate …

Physiological Costs Of Total Cholesterol In European Starlings Across An Urban To Rural Gradient, Courtney Linkous

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

Urban areas—characterized by high human densities and associated buildings and impermeable surfaces—are increasing globally and represents a leading threat to wildlife that is drastically altering the natural resources they are accustomed to. Prior studies suggest that living in urban habitats can cause wildlife to show increased cholesterol levels; in biomedical research, elevated cholesterol is linked to disease, but the consequence of elevated cholesterol in wildlife remains unclear. We measured total cholesterol in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)—an urban adapted species—across an urban and a rural site. We ask: (1) do urban starlings have elevated cholesterol, (2) does elevated cholesterol …

Great Northern Beans (Phaseolus Vulgaris L.) Lower Cholesterol In Hamsters Fed A High-Saturated-Fat Diet, An T. Nguyen, Sami A. Althwab, Haowen Qiu, Richard Zbasnik, Carlos A. Urrea, Timothy P. Carr, Vicki Schlegel

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Dietary interventions for high cholesterol, a primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, are generally considered before prescribing drugs.

Objective: This study investigated the effects of whole Great Northern beans (wGNBs) and their hull (hGNB) incorporated into a high-saturated-fat (HSF) diet on cholesterol markers and hepatic/small intestinal genes involved in cholesterol regulation.

Methods: Each of the 4 groups of 11 male golden Syrian hamsters at 9 wk old were fed a normal-fat [NF; 5% (wt:wt) of soybean oil], HSF [5% (wt:wt) of soybean oil + 10% (wt:wt) of coconut oil], HSF+5% (wt:wt) wGNB, or HSF+0.5% (wt:wt) hGNB diet for 4 …

The Effects Of Exercise Training On Cholesterol Efflux Capacity In The Heritage Family Study, Joshua Adam Hawkins

Theses and Dissertations

Cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC) has been associated with cardiovascular disease risk independent of HDL-C levels. However, the effect of regular exercise on CEC is not yet fully understood. Therefore, we examined the effects of exercise training on CEC in the HERITAGE Family Study. In HERITAGE, subjects participated in an endurance training program that consisted of exercise on a cycle ergometer three times per week for 20 weeks. Global and non-ABCA1 CEC were measured at baseline and post-training in 542 subjects via a cell- based radiolabeled CEC assay. Neither global nor non-ABCA1 CEC significantly changed with training in the whole cohort. …

Sesamum Indicum Diet Prevents Hyperlipidemia In Experimental Rats, Muinat M. Adeyanju, Idris A. Saheed, Oluwaseun I. Oyelekan, Taiwo A. Dele-Osibanjo, Ayodeji A. Adelegan, Adekunle J. Raimi, Samuel O. Olalekan, Olugbenga S. Alabi, Khadijat M. Alli

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular diseases and metabolic complications caused by hyperlipidemia are the leading cause of death globally. In this study, the hypolipidemic potency of Sesamum indicum (SI) seeds was investigated. Of the thirty-five (35) male rats used in the study, five (5) were randomly selected for baseline measurements and thirty (30) were fed high fat diet (HFD) for four (4) weeks before random assignment into three (3) groups. The experimental group was treated with 50% SI seed, the positive control group was given a hypolipidemic drug, atorvastatin (5 mg/kg/day) while the untreated group served as the negative control. With SI administration, the …

Form Of Supplemental Selenium Affects The Expression Of Mrna Transcripts Encoding Selenoproteins, And Proteins Regulating Cholesterol Uptake, In The Corpus Luteum Of Grazing Beef Cows, Sarah N. Carr, Benjamin R. Crites, Joy L. Pate, Camilla H. K. Hughes, James C. Matthews, Phillip J. Bridges

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Selenium (Se)-deficient soils necessitate supplementation of this mineral to the diet of forage-grazing cattle. Functionally, Se is incorporated into selenoproteins, some of which function as important antioxidants. We have previously shown that the source of supplemental Se; inorganic (sodium selenite or sodium selenate; ISe), organic (selenomethionine or selenocysteine; OSe) or 1:1 mix of ISe and OSe (MIX), provided to Angus-cross cows affects concentrations of progesterone (P4) during the early luteal phase of the estrous cycle. In this study, we sought to investigate (1) the effect of form of Se on the expression of mRNA encoding selenoproteins in the corpus luteum …

Potential Effectiveness Of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists In Healthy Behavior Interventions For Managing Type 2 Diabetes In Older Adults: A Systematic Review, Laurel Dobrow, Isabella Estrada, Nasira Burkholder-Cooley, John Miklavcic

Food Science Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose: A systematic review was conducted to assess how the involvement of a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) in healthy behavior interventions (HBIs) potentially affects outcomes in older adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: Literature was searched for primary research published between 2016 and 2020 on HBI involving a RDN affecting outcomes in older adults with T2D. Evaluations of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, anthropometry, body composition, medication usage, healthcare cost, and self-efficacy and/or adherence to healthy behaviors outcomes were selected for inclusion. All the literature included were summarized, evaluated for certainty of evidence criteria, and assessed …

Identifying The Role Of Cholesterol And The Cholesterol Transfer Protein, Ysp1-2, In Cell-Cell Fusion In Tetrahymena Thermophila, Natasha D. Kusibab

Honors Program Theses

A cell’s shape directly affects how it behaves as one’s structure directly correlates to its function. The shape of cells and organelles is driven in part by the lipid bilayer that makes up their membranes. The process by which cells systematically adjust the types of lipids in membranes to facilitate changes in membrane shape remain uncertain. In our research, we aimed to address this issue by studying the role of lipid transfer proteins in the ciliate, Tetrahymena thermophilia. Specifically, we focus on the process of cell-cell fusion during mating in Tetrahymena as this requires a drastic change in membrane shape …

Aquaporin Expression And Cholesterol Content In Eel Swimbladder Tissue, Victoria Drechsel, Gabriel Schneebauer, Birgit Fiechtner, Christopher P. Cutler, Bernd Pelster

Department of Biology Faculty Publications

Leakiness of the swimbladder wall of teleost fishes must be prevented to avoid diffusional loss of gases out of the swimbladder. Guanine incrustation as well as high concentrations of cholesterol in swimbladder membranes in midwater and deep-sea fish has been connected to a reduced gas permeability of the swimbladder wall. On the contrary, the swimbladder is filled by diffusion of gases, mainly oxygen and CO2, from the blood and the gas gland cells into the swimbladder lumen. In swimbladder tissue of the zebrafish and the Japanese eel, aquaporin mRNA has been detected, and the aquaporin protein has been considered important …

Method Development For Enhancing Sensitivity Of Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy For Structural Studies Of Pkc-Drug Interactions, Patrick Terrence Judge

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To perform the most relevant structural studies on biological systems, experiments need to be carried out when the target proteins are in their endogenous cellular environment. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is well-suited to probe the structure and dynamics of a wide variety of systems, including biologically relevant proteins. However, NMR suffers from an inherent lack of sensitivity. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) NMR is a powerful technique that is used to enhance NMR sensitivity by transferring the greater polarization of exogenously doped electron spins to nuclear spins of interest though the use of a high-power microwave source. Solid effect radicals offer …

Cholesterol And Cholesterol Bilayer Domains Inhibit Binding Of Alpha-Crystallin To The Membranes Made Of The Major Phospholipids Of Eye Lens Fiber Cell Plasma Membranes, Raju Timsina, Geraline Trossi-Torres, Matthew O'Dell, Nawal K. Khadka, Laxman Mainali

Physics Faculty Publications and Presentations

The concentration of α-crystallin decreases in the eye lens cytoplasm, with a corresponding increase in membrane-bound α-crystallin during cataract formation. The eye lens’s fiber cell plasma membrane consists of extremely high cholesterol (Chol) content, forming cholesterol bilayer domains (CBDs) within the membrane. The role of high Chol content in the lens membrane is unclear. Here, we applied the continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance spin-labeling method to probe the role of Chol and CBDs on α-crystallin binding to membranes made of four major phospholipids (PLs) of the eye lens, i.e., phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), phosphatidylserine (PS), and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE). Small unilamellar vesicles …

Finding The Balance​ The Effects Of Α-Cyclodextrin, 2-Hydroxypropyl-Β-Cyclodextrin, And Cholesterol Bacteroides Vulgatus And Clostridium Bolteae​, Bethany Weaver

Honors Program Projects

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is characterized by the hardening of arteries through the formation of cholesterol plaques. Cyclodextrins could potentially treat atherosclerosis by shrinking plaques. These cyclic oligosaccharides can make complexes with cholesterol but have also shown toxic side effects. This study looked for potential negative effects of cyclodextrins and cholesterol on gut bacteria. It was hypothesized that Bacteroides vulgatus will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cholesterol. In contrast, Clostridium bolteae will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cyclodextrins. Due to the fact that these bacteria are anaerobic, Clostridium bolteae and Bacteroides vulgatus, …

Anti-Obesity Effects Of Morus Alba L. And Aronia Melanocarpa In A High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese C57bl/6j Mouse Model, Na-Yeon Kim, Shalom Sara Thomas, Dae-Il Hwang, Ji-Hye Lee, Kyung-Ah Kim, Youn-Soo Cha

Nutrition Department Faculty Publication Series

The present study investigated the synergic effect of extracts of Morus alba (MA) and Aronia melanocarpa (Michx.) (AR) against high-fat diet induced obesity. Four-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into five groups that were fed for 14 weeks with a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HD), HD with M. alba 400 mg/kg body weight (MA), HD with A. melanocarpa 400 mg/kg body weight (AR), or HD with a mixture (1:1, v/v) of M. alba and A. melanocarpa (400 mg/kg) (MA + AR). Treatment with MA, AR, and MA + AR for 14 weeks reduced high fat diet-induced weight gain …

Unprocessed Vegan Brownies, Mckenzie Derennaux, Georgie Menzel

2021 Research Posters

The goal was to make a vegan brownie that was an unprocessed version of our control, and that is just as enjoyable, if not more enjoyable, than a traditional brownie.

The target population is people who want to live a whole food driven diet, those who are plant-based, and for those who have high cholesterol and heart disease.

The ingredients of the unprocessed vegan brownies are more whole-food and plant-based, with zero added sugar, less salt, and no cholesterol.

Due to time restraints for trials within the study the researchers feel that the goal was not met in the four …

Effects Of Dietary Guar Meal With Or Without Beta-Mannanase On The Egg Yolk Fatty Acids,Cholesterol, And Some Blood Parameters Of Laying Hens, Süleyman Çalişlar

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In this study, the effects of adding enzyme to the diets containing guar meal (GM) on the egg yolk fatty acids, cholesterol, and some blood plasma parameters of hens were examined. This study was carried out in the chicken coop of the Experimental Animals Ethics Committee, Faculty of Agriculture. This study constitutes the second phase of the study titled ?Effects of dietary guar meal with or without beta-mannanase on performance and egg quality traits in laying hens?, previously published. The experimental period lasted 126 days. Ninety-six Lohman Brown hens at the age of 56 weeks were and kept in individual …

Finding The Balance​ The Effects Of Α-Cyclodextrin, 2-Hydroxypropyl-Β-Cyclodextrin, And Cholesterol Bacteroides Vulgatus And Clostridium Bolteae​, Bethany Weaver

Pence-Boyce STEM Student Scholarship

Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease that is characterized by the hardening of arteries through the formation of cholesterol plaques. Cyclodextrins could potentially treat atherosclerosis by shrinking plaques. These cyclic oligosaccharides can make complexes with cholesterol but have also shown toxic side effects. This study looked for potential negative effects of cyclodextrins and cholesterol on gut bacteria. It was hypothesized that Bacteroides vulgatus will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cholesterol. In contrast, Clostridium bolteae will have decreased growth when grown in broth with cyclodextrins. Due to the fact that these bacteria are anaerobic, Clostridium bolteae and Bacteroides vulgatus …

Qki-Mediated Cholesterol Biosynthesis In Eye Lens And Myelin Of The Central Nervous System, Seula Shin, Seula Shin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cells obtain cholesterol in two ways, de novo biosynthesis and uptake from circulation. While most tissues utilize both sources, eye lens and brain depend extensively on cholesterol biosynthesis due to the limited supply from circulation. Lens cell membrane consists of highest portion of cholesterol. Brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ, which accounts for 23% of total cholesterol. Genetic mutations of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes in humans and animal models present cataracts and hypomyelinating disorders linked to neurological impairment. Yet, it remains unclear how gene expression of cholesterol biosynthesis is regulated in lens and brain. Therefore, studying cholesterol biosynthesis in both tissues …

Qki-Mediated Cholesterol Biosynthesis In Eye Lens And Myelin Of The Central Nervous System, Seula Shin, Seula Shin

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cells obtain cholesterol in two ways, de novo biosynthesis and uptake from circulation. While most tissues utilize both sources, eye lens and brain depend extensively on cholesterol biosynthesis due to the limited supply from circulation. Lens cell membrane consists of highest portion of cholesterol. Brain is the most cholesterol-rich organ, which accounts for 23% of total cholesterol. Genetic mutations of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes in humans and animal models present cataracts and hypomyelinating disorders linked to neurological impairment. Yet, it remains unclear how gene expression of cholesterol biosynthesis is regulated in lens and brain. Therefore, studying cholesterol biosynthesis in both tissues …

Effects Of Vitamin D Supplementation On Lipid Profile In Adults With The Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Fatme Alanouti, Myriam Abboud, Dimitrios Papandreou, Nadine Mahboub, Suzan Haidar, Rana Rizk

All Works

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, with atherogenic dyslipidemia being a major contributing factor. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement to assess whether vitamin D supplementation (VDS) alleviates dyslipidemia in adults with MetS. Scientific databases (PUBMED, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform) and the gray literature were searched for randomized controlled trials of VDS, reporting on blood lipids. A narrative review, meta-analyses, sensitivity analyses, and appraisal of the risk of …

Lipoprotein Discordance: Associations With Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, And Response To Exercise, Jonathan Joseph Pulama Kupaianaha Ruiz-Ramie

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To compare baseline CVD risk factor profiles among groups of individuals with discordant levels of high- and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C and LDL-C respectively) compared to lipoprotein particle concentration (HDL-P and LDL-P respectively) and examine the associations between lipoprotein discordance and incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Furthermore, to examine the association between lipoprotein discordance and exercise induced changes in CVD risk factors.

Methods: Standard lipid panels as well as lipoprotein subclass profiles via nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were measured among three previously completed studies (CARDIA cohort, HERITAGE Family Study, and HART-D study) spanning over …

Relationships Among Metabolic-Risk, Body Fatness, And Muscular Fitness In Young Obese Latino Children, Justin J. Merrigan, Sina Gallo, Jennifer B. Fields, Robyn Mehlenbeck, Margaret T. Jones

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 13(3): 488-500, 2020. Given the high prevalence of obesity in Latino children and potential health risks, the purpose of this study was to: 1) evaluate relationships among metabolic-risk, fitness, and body fatness; 2) determine sex differences in cardio-metabolic risk factors and fitness of obese children of Latino descent. Sixty children (boys, n= 39, 7.8 ± 1.5 years; girls, n= 21, 7.2 ± 1.5 years; body mass index, 97.8 ± 2.5^thpercentile) completed assessments of height, weight, and body fat, prior to fasted blood draws and a battery of fitness tests. Cardio-metabolic markers …

Adjuvant Potency Of Astragaloside Vii Embedded Cholesterol Nanoparticles For H3n2 Influenza Vaccine, Rükan Genç, Ni̇lgün Yakuboğullari, Ayşe Nalbantsoy, Fethi̇ye Çöven, Erdal Bedi̇r

Turkish Journal of Biology

Adjuvants are substances that increase the immune response to a given antigen. In the development of novel vaccine adjuvants/ systems, saponins are one of the most attractive molecules due to their altered immunomodulatory activities. In this study, we tried to develop PEG (polyethylene glycol)/cholesterol-based lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver the Astragaloside VII (AST-VII) and potentiate adjuvant properties of AST-VII for the influenza vaccine. In the formation of PEG/cholesterol/AST-VII-based LNPs (PEG300: Chol-AST-VII LNPs), 3 different primary solvents (acetone, ethanol, and chloroform) were evaluated, employing their effects on hydrodynamic particle size, distribution, surface chemistry, and colloidal stability. Prepared nanoparticles were simply admixtured …

Cholesterol Biosynthesis In The Nervous System With An Emphasis On Desmosterolosis, Luke Allen

Theses & Dissertations

Cholesterol biosynthesis is integral to proper neurodevelopment due to the reliance on de novo synthesis of cholesterol in the brain. Disruptions in this process have devastating outcomes for human life characterized by several phenotypic manifestations concomitant with developmental delay. The cholesterol biosynthesis disorder desmosterolosis is an extremely rare disorder with a severe clinical phenotype, however, the models used to study this disease are not well characterized. In addition to genetic disruptions in cholesterol biosynthesis, pharmacological perturbation is an understudied side effect of many commonly prescribed drugs. Here we present a characterization of the sterol profile of the mouse model of …