Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Toenail Arsenic Concentration And Dietary Factors In A New Hampshire Ppopulation, Joann F. Gruber, Margaret R. Karagas, Diane Gilbert-Diamond, Pamela J. Bagley, M Scot Zens, Vicki Sayarath, Tracy Punshon, J Steven Morris, Kathryn L. Cottingham

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Dietary factors such as folate, vitamin B12, protein, and methionine are important for the excretion of arsenic via one-carbon metabolism in undernourished populations exposed to high levels of arsenic via drinking water. However, the effects of dietary factors on toenail arsenic concentrations in well-nourished populations exposed to relatively low levels of water arsenic are unknown.

Methods: As part of a population-based case-control study of skin and bladder cancer from the USA, we evaluated relationships between consumption of dietary factors and arsenic concentrations in toenail clippings. Consumption of each dietary factor was determined from a validated food frequency questionnaire. We …

School Day Segmented Physical Activity Patterns Of High And Low Active Children, Stuart J. Fairclough, Aaron Beighle, Heather Erwin, Nicola D. Ridgers

Kinesiology and Health Promotion Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Variability exists in children's activity patterns due to the association with environmental, social, demographic, and inter-individual factors. This study described accelerometer assessed physical activity patterns of high and low active children during segmented school week days whilst controlling for potential correlates.

METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-three children (mean age: 10.7 ± 0.3 yrs, 55.6% girls, 18.9% overweight/obese) from 8 north-west England primary schools wore ActiGraph GT1M accelerometers for 7 consecutive days during autumn of 2009. ActiGraph counts were converted to minutes of moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA) and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physical activity. Children were classified as high active (HIGH) or …

Effects Of Low-Dose Drinking Water Arsenic On Mouse Fetal And Postnatal Growth And Development, Courtney D. Kozul-Horvath, Fokko Zandbergen, Brian P. Jackson, Richard I. Enelow, Joshua W. Hamilton

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Arsenic (As) exposure is a significant worldwide environmental health concern. Chronic exposure via contaminated drinking water has been associated with an increased incidence of a number of diseases, including reproductive and developmental effects. The goal of this study was to identify adverse outcomes in a mouse model of early life exposure to low-dose drinking water As (10 ppb, current U.S. EPA Maximum Contaminant Level). Methodology and Findings: C57B6/J pups were exposed to 10 ppb As, via the dam in her drinking water, either in utero and/or during the postnatal period. Birth outcomes, the growth of the F1 offspring, and …

The Meaning Of Parenteral Hydration To Family Caregivers And Patients With Advanced Cancer Receiving Hospice Care., Marlene Z. Cohen, Isabel Torres-Vigil, Beth E. Burbach, Allison De La Rosa, Eduardo Bruera

Journal Articles: College of Nursing

CONTEXT: In the U.S., patients with advanced cancer who are dehydrated or have decreased oral intake almost always receive parenteral hydration in acute care facilities but rarely in the hospice setting.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the meaning of hydration for terminally ill cancer patients in home hospice care and for their primary caregivers.

METHODS: Phenomenological interviews were conducted at two time points with 85 patients and 84 caregivers enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial examining the efficacy of parenteral hydration in patients with advanced cancer receiving hospice care in the southern U.S. Transcripts were analyzed hermeneutically by the interdisciplinary research …

Inhibition Of Fatty Acid Synthase Attenuates Cd44-Associated Signaling And Reduces Metastasis In Colorectal Cancer, Yekaterina Y. Zaytseva, Piotr G. Rychahou, Pat Gulhati, Victoria Allison Elliott, William Conan Mustain, Kathleen O'Connor, Andrew J. Morris, Manjula Sunkara, Heidi L. Weiss, Eun Young Lee, B. Mark Evers

Markey Cancer Center Faculty Publications

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and ATP-citrate lyase, key enzymes of de novo lipogenesis, are significantly upregulated and activated in many cancers and portend poor prognosis. Even though the role of lipogenesis in providing proliferative and survival advantages to cancer cells has been described, the impact of aberrant activation of lipogenic enzymes on cancer progression remains unknown. In this study, we found that elevated expression of FASN is associated with advanced stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) and liver metastasis, suggesting that it may play a role in progression of CRC to metastatic disease. Targeted inhibition of lipogenic enzymes abolished expression of …

Fibrinogen, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) And Outcomes In Two United States Cohorts, Deepa Valvi, David M. Mannino, Hana Müllerova, Ruth Tal-Singer

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Fibrinogen is a marker of systemic inflammation and may be important in the pathogenesis and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

METHODS: We used baseline data from Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities and Cardiovascular Health Studies to determine the relation between fibrinogen levels and COPD and to examine how fibrinogen levels at baseline affected outcomes of death, development of COPD, lung function decline, and COPD-hospitalizations.

RESULTS: Our study sample included 20,192 subjects, of whom 2995 died during the follow-up period. The mean fibrinogen level was 307.6 mg/dL and 10% of the sample had levels >393.0 mg/dL. Subjects with Stage …

Effect Of Level Of Farm Mechanization Early In Life On Bone Later In Life, Lacey A. Mccormack, Teresa L. Binkley, Bonny Specker

Health and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether an active rural lifestyle during childhood and adolescence, defined as low farm mechanization, was associated with bone measures later in life.
METHODS: DXA bone data from total body, hip and spine, and pQCT data from 4% and 20% distal radius were obtained on 330 individuals (157 women) aged 20-66 years who farmed at least 75% of their lives. Primary bone outcomes included areal bone mineral density (aBMD), aBMD Z-scores, cortical and trabecular volumetric BMD, cortical thickness and periosteal circumference. Relationship between bone and recall of level of farm mechanization as a child was determined after stratifying …

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome And Novel Gene Arrangement Of The Unique-Headed Bug Stenopirates Sp. (Hemiptera: Enicocephalidae), Hu Li, Hui Liu, Aimin Shi, Pavel Stys, Xuguo Zhou, Wanzhi Cai

Entomology Faculty Publications

Many of true bugs are important insect pests to cultivated crops and some are important vectors of human diseases, but few cladistic analyses have addressed relationships among the seven infraorders of Heteroptera. The Enicocephalomorpha and Nepomorpha are consider the basal groups of Heteroptera, but the basal-most lineage remains unresolved. Here we report the mitochondrial genome of the unique-headed bug Stenopirates sp., the first mitochondrial genome sequenced from Enicocephalomorpha. The Stenopirates sp. mitochondrial genome is a typical circular DNA molecule of 15, 384 bp in length, and contains 37 genes and a large non-coding fragment. The gene order differs substantially from …

Malaria And Related Outcomes In Patients With Intestinal Helminths: A Cross-Sectional Study, Abraham Degarege, Mengistu Legesse, Girmay Medhin, Abebe Animut, Berhanu Erko

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: The effects of helminth co-infection on malaria in humans remain uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the nature of association of intestinal helminths with prevalence and clinical outcomes of Plasmodium infection.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1,065 malaria suspected febrile patients was conducted at Dore Bafeno Health Center, Southern Ethiopia, from December 2010 to February 2011. Plasmodium and intestinal helminth infections were diagnosed using Giemsa-stained blood films and Kato-Katz technique, respectively. Haemoglobin level was determined using a haemocue machine.

RESULTS: Among 1,065 malaria suspected febrile patients, 28.8% were positive for Plasmodium parasites (P. falciparum =13.0%, P. vivax =14.5%, P. …

Using An Established Telehealth Model To Train Urban Primary Care Providers On Hypertension Management, Christopher Masi, Tamara Hamlish, Andrew Davis, Kristine Bordenave, Stephen Brown, Brenda Perea, Glen Aduana, Marcus Wolfe, George Bakris, Daniel Johnson

Project ECHO Bibliography

The objective of this study was to determine whether a videoconference-based telehealth network can increase hypertension management knowledge and self-assessed competency among primary care providers (PCPs) working in urban Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). We created a telehealth network among 6 urban FQHCs and our institution to support a 12-session educational program designed to teach state-of-the-art hypertension management. Each 1-hour session included a brief lecture by a university-based hypertension specialist, case presentations by PCPs, and interactive discussions among the specialist and PCPs. Twelve PCPs (9 intervention and 3 controls) were surveyed at baseline and immediately following the curriculum. The mean …

Chronic Low Back Pain Is Associated With Reduced Vertebral Bone Mineral Measures In Community-Dwelling Adults, Andrew Briggs, Leon Straker, Angus Burnett, John Wark

Research outputs 2012

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) experienced in middle-age may have important implications for vertebral bone health, although this issue has not been investigated as a primary aim previously. This study investigated the associations between CLBP and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived vertebral bone mineral measures acquired from postero-anterior and lateral-projections, among community-dwelling, middle-aged adults. Methods. Twenty-nine adults with CLBP (11 male, 18 female) and 42 adults with no history of LBP in the preceding year (17 male, 25 female) were evaluated. Self-reported demographic and clinical data were collected via questionnaires. Areal bone mineral density (aBMD) was measured in the …

Prolonged Sedentary Time And Physical Activity In Workplace And Non-Work Contexts: A Cross-Sectional Study Of Office, Customer Service And Call Centre Employees, A A Thorp, G N Healy, E Winkler, B K Clark, P A Gardiner, N Owen, David Dunstan

Research outputs 2012

Background: To examine sedentary time, prolonged sedentary bouts and physical activity in Australian employees from different workplace settings, within work and non-work contexts.Methods: A convenience sample of 193 employees working in offices (131), call centres (36) and customer service (26) was recruited. Actigraph GT1M accelerometers were used to derive percentages of time spent sedentary (<100 counts per>minute; cpm), in prolonged sedentary bouts (≥20 minutes or ≥30 minutes), light-intensity activity (100-1951 cpm) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; ≥1952 cpm). Using mixed models adjusted for confounders, these were compared for: work days versus non-work days; work hours versus non-work hours (work days only); …

Maternal Work Hours In Early To Middle Childhood Link To Later Adolescent Diet Quality, Jianghong Li, Therese O'Sullivan, Sarah Johnson, Fiona Stanley, Wendy H. Oddy

Research outputs 2012

Objective: Previous studies on maternal work hours and child diet quality have reported conflicting findings possibly due to differences in study design, lack of a comprehensive measure of diet quality and differing ages of the children under investigation. The present study aimed to prospectively examine the impact of parental work hours from age 1 year to age 14 years on adolescent diet quality.

Design: Multivariate linear regression models were used to examine independent associations between parents' work hours at each follow-up and across 14 years and adolescent diet quality at age 14 years. A diet quality index was based on …

Pegylated Arginine Deiminase Downregulates Colitis In Murine Models, Helieh S. Oz, Jian Zhong, Willem J. S. De Villiers

Physiology Faculty Publications

Arginine deiminase (ADI), an arginine-metabolizing enzyme involved in cell signaling, is dysregulated in multiple inflammatory diseases and cancers. We hypothesized that pegylated ADI (ADI-PEG) provide protection against colitis.

METHODS: Dextran sodium sulfate colitis was induced in IL-10-deficient and BALB/c (WT) mice. ADI-PEG was administered i.p., and inflammatory mediators and pathology were evaluated.

RESULTS: Acute colitis in mice was manifested by increases in inflammatory biomarkers, such as serum amyloid A (SAA, P < 0.001), IL-12 p40, and disease index (3-Fold). In contrast, ADI-PEG significantly decreased clinical disease index, SAA levels, and inflammatory cytokines in blood as well as in colonic explants. Animals developed moderate (2.2 ± 0.3 WT) to severe (3.6 ± 0.5 IL-10 deficient) colonic pathology; and ADI-PEG treatment significantly improved the severity of colitis (P < 0.05). Marked infiltration of CD68+ macrophages and iNOS expression were detected in colonic submucosa in colitic animals but not detected in ADI-PEG-treated animals.

CONCLUSION: ADI-PEG attenuated inflammatory responses by suppression of macrophage infiltration and iNOS expression in colitic animals. ADI-PEG can serve as a potential therapeutic value in IBD.

Two Maximal Isometric Contractions Attenuate The Magnitude Of Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage, Hsin-Lian Chen, Kazunori Nosaka, Alan Pearce, Trevor C Chen

Research outputs 2012

This study investigated whether maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVC-ISO) would attenuate the magnitude of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage. Young untrained men were placed into one of the two experimental groups or one control group (n = 13 per group). Subjects in the experimental groups performed either two or 10 MVC-ISO of the elbow flexors at a long muscle length (20° flexion) 2 days prior to 30 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors. Subjects in the control group performed the eccentric contractions without MVC-ISO. No significant changes in maximal voluntary concentric contraction peak torque, peak torque angle, range of …

Predictors Of Rapid Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer's Disease: Results From The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Study Of Ageing, A Sona, P Zhang, D Ames, A I Bush, N T Lautenschlager, Ralph Martins, C L Masters, C C Rowe, C Szoeke, Kevin Taddei, Kathryn A Ellis

Research outputs 2012

Background: The AIBL study, which commenced in November 2006, is a two-center prospective study of a cohort of 1112 volunteers aged 60+. The cohort includes 211 patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (180 probable and 31 possible). We aimed to identify factors associated with rapid cognitive decline over 18 months in this cohort of AD patients.

Methods: We defined rapid cognitive decline as a drop of 6 points or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) between baseline and 18-month follow-up. Analyses were also conducted with a threshold of 4, 5, 7 and 8 points, as well as …

Changes In Dairy Food And Nutrient Intakes In Australian Adolescents, Carole Parker, Wendy Vivian, Wendy H. Oddy, Lawrie J Beilin, Trevor A. Mori, Therese O'Sullivan

Research outputs 2012

Dairy nutrients, such as calcium, are particularly important in adolescence, a critical time for growth and development. There are limited Australian data following individuals through adolescence, evaluating changes in dairy nutrient and dairy product consumption. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire to investigate consumption in adolescents participating in both the 14 and 17 year follow-ups of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. Most adolescents did not reach age and gender specific recommended daily intakes for calcium or magnesium at 14 years, and this decreased as they aged to 17 years (from 33.0% to 29.2% meeting for calcium, P < 0.05, and from 33.6% to 20.5% meeting for magnesium, P < 0.01). Mean intakes of calcium, potassium, riboflavin and vitamin A also decreased with age (P < 0.01). Mean dairy intake decreased from 536 ± 343 g/day to 464 ± 339 g/day (P < 0.01), due mostly to a decrease in regular milk, although flavoured milk consumption increased in boys. Cheese and butter were the only products to show a significantly increased consumption over the period. Girls decreased from 2.2 to 1.9 serves/day of dairy, while boys remained relatively steady at 2.9 to 2.8 serves/day. Our findings suggest that dairy product consumption decreases over adolescence. This may have implications for bone mass, development and later health.

Use Of A Clay Modeling Task To Reduce Chocolate Craving., Jackie Andrade, Sally Pears, Jon May, David J. Kavanagh

School of Psychology

Elaborated Intrusion theory (EI theory; Kavanagh, Andrade, & May, 2005) posits two main cognitive components in craving: associative processes that lead to intrusive thoughts about the craved substance or activity, and elaborative processes supporting mental imagery of the substance or activity. We used a novel visuospatial task to test the hypothesis that visual imagery plays a key role in craving. Experiment 1 showed that spending 10 min constructing shapes from modeling clay (plasticine) reduced participants' craving for chocolate compared with spending 10 min 'letting your mind wander'. Increasing the load on verbal working memory using a mental arithmetic task (counting …

Effects Of Prenatal Food And Micronutrient Supplementation On Child Growth From Birth To 54 Months Of Age: A Randomized Trial In Bangladesh, Ashraful Islam Khan, Iqbal Kabir, Eva-Charlotte Ekström, Kajsa Åsling-Monemi, Dewan Shamsul Alam, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Md Yunus, Shams Arifeen, Lars-Åke Persson

Faculty Publications

Background: There is a lack of information on the optimal timing of food supplementation to malnourished pregnant women and possible combined effects of food and multiple micronutrient supplementations (MMS) on their offspring's growth. We evaluated the effects of prenatal food and micronutrient interventions on postnatal child growth. The hypothesis was that prenatal MMS and early invitation to food supplementation would increase physical growth in the offspring during 0-54 months and a combination of these interventions would further improve these outcomes.

Methods: In the large, randomized MINIMat trial (Maternal and Infant Nutrition Interventions in Matlab), Bangladesh, 4436 pregnant women were enrolled …

Factors Affecting Growth In Infants With Single Ventricle Physiology: A Report From The Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Trial., Richard V. Williams, Victor Zak, Chitra Ravishankar, Karen Altmann, Jeffrey Anderson, Andrew M. Atz, Carolyn Dunbar-Masterson, Nancy Ghanayem, Linda Lambert, Karen Lurito, Barbara Medoff-Cooper, Renee Margossian, Victoria L. Pemberton, Jennifer Russell, Mario Stylianou, Daphne Hsu, Pediatric Heart Network Investigators, Girish S. Shirali

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVES: To describe growth patterns in infants with single ventricle physiology and determine factors influencing growth.

STUDY DESIGN: Data from 230 subjects enrolled in the Pediatric Heart Network Infant Single Ventricle Enalapril Trial were used to assess factors influencing change in weight-for-age z-score (z) from study enrollment (0.7 ± 0.4 months) to pre-superior cavopulmonary connection (SCPC; 5.1 ± 1.8 months, period 1) and pre-SCPC to final study visit (14.1 ± 0.9 months, period 2). Predictor variables included patient characteristics, feeding regimen, clinical center, and medical factors during neonatal (period 1) and SCPC hospitalizations (period 2). Univariate regression analysis was performed, …

Age-Associated Disruption Of Molecular Clock Expression In Skeletal Muscle Of The Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, Mitsunori Miyazaki, Elizabeth Schroder, Stephanie E. Edelmann, Michael E. Hughes, Karl Kornacker, C. William Balke, Karyn A. Esser

Physiology Faculty Publications

It is well known that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) develop muscle pathologies with hypertension and heart failure, though the mechanism remains poorly understood. Woon et al. (2007) linked the circadian clock gene Bmal1 to hypertension and metabolic dysfunction in the SHR. Building on these findings, we compared the expression pattern of several core-clock genes in the gastrocnemius muscle of aged SHR (80 weeks; overt heart failure) compared to aged-matched control WKY strain. Heart failure was associated with marked effects on the expression of Bmal1, Clock and Rora in addition to several non-circadian genes important in regulating skeletal muscle phenotype including …

Characterization Of Street Food Consumption In Palermo: Possible Effects On Health, Silvio Buscemi, Annamaria Barile, Vincenza Maniaci, John A. Batsis

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Street Food (SF) consists of out-of-home food consumption and has old, historical roots with complex social-economic and cultural implications. Despite the emergence of modern fast food, traditional SF persists worldwide, but the relationship of SF consumption with overall health, well-being, and obesity is unknown.

Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional study. The study was performed in Palermo, the largest town of Sicily, Italy. Two groups were identified: consumers of SF (n = 687) and conventional restaurant food (RES) consumers (n = 315). Study subjects answered a questionnaire concerning their health conditions, nutritional preferences, frequency of consumption of SF and …

Thrombospondin1 Deficiency Reduces Obesity-Associated Inflammation And Improves Insulin Sensitivity In A Diet-Induced Obese Mouse Model, Yanzhang Li, Xiaopeng Tong, Courtney Rumala, Kate Clemons, Shuxia Wang

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is prevalent worldwide and is associated with insulin resistance. Advanced studies suggest that obesity-associated low-grade chronic inflammation contributes to the development of insulin resistance and other metabolic complications. Thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is a multifunctional extracellular matrix protein that is up-regulated in inflamed adipose tissue. A recent study suggests a positive correlation of TSP1 with obesity, adipose inflammation, and insulin resistance. However, the direct effect of TSP1 on obesity and insulin resistance is not known. Therefore, we investigated the role of TSP1 in mediating obesity-associated inflammation and insulin resistance by using TSP1 knockout mice.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Male TSP1-/- mice …

Pre- And Post-Bronchodilator Lung Function As Predictors Of Mortality In The Lung Health Study, David M. Mannino, Enrique Diaz-Guzman, Sonia Buist

Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is supposed to be classified on the basis of post-bronchodilator lung function. Most longitudinal studies of COPD, though, do not have post-bronchodilator lung function available. We used pre-and post bronchodilator lung function data from the Lung Health Study to determine whether these measures differ in their ability to predict mortality.

METHODS: We limited our analysis to subjects who were of black or white race, on whom we had complete data, and who participated at either the 1 year or the 5 year follow-up visit. We classified subjects based on their baseline lung function, according …

Demasculinization And Feminization Of Male Gonads By Atrazine: Consistent Effects Across Vertebrate Classes, Krista A. Mccoy

Integrative Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Atrazine is the most commonly detected pesticide contaminant of ground water, surface water, and precipitation. Atrazine is also an endocrine disruptor that, among other effects, alters male reproductive tissues when animals are exposed during development. Here, we apply the nine so-called “Hill criteria” (Strength, Consistency, Specificity, Temporality, Biological Gradient, Plausibility, Coherence, Experiment, and Analogy) for establishing cause–effect relationships to examine the evidence for atrazine as an endocrine disruptor that demasculinizes and feminizes the gonads of male vertebrates. We present experimental evidence that the effects of atrazine on male development are consistent across all vertebrate classes examined and we present a …

Food Insecurity And Sexual Risk In An Hiv Endemic Community In Uganda, Cari L. Miller, David R. Bangsberg, David M. Tuller, Jude Senkungu, Annet Kawuma, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Food insecurity has been linked to high-risk sexual behavior in sub-Saharan Africa, but there are limited data on these links among people living with HIV/AIDS, and on the mechanisms for how food insecurity predisposes individuals to risky sexual practices. We undertook a series of in-depth open-ended interviews with 41 individuals living with HIV/AIDS to understand the impact of food insecurity on sexual-risk behaviors. Participants were recruited from the Immune Suppression Clinic at the Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Mbarara, Uganda. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated, and coded following the strategy of grounded theory. Four major themes emerged …

Relationship Of Adipokines With Insulin Sensitivity In African Americans., Maria P Martinez Cantarin, Scott W Keith, Stephanie Deloach, Yonghong Huan, Bonita Falkner

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Cytokines produced by adipose tissue, including adiponectin, have been associated with metabolic abnormalities. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of insulin sensitivity measured by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp with plasma adiponectin and other adipokines in young adult African Americans.

METHODS: Participants were healthy African Americans. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, an oral glucose tolerance test and an euglycemic hyperinsulinemic insulin clamp were performed. Insulin sensitivity measurements were adjusted for percentage of fat mass. Plasma concentrations of adiponectin, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were assayed on plasma from fasting blood samples. Pearson correlation coefficients and …

Srt1720 Improves Survival And Healthspan Of Obese Mice, Robin K. Minor, Joseph A. Baur, Ana P. Gomes, Theresa M. Ward, Anna Csiszar, Evi M. Mercken, Kotb Abdelmohsen, Yu-Kyong Shin, Carles Canto, Morten Scheibye-Knudsen, Melissa Krawczyk, Pablo M. Irusta, Alejandro Martín-Montalvo, Basil P. Hubbard, Yongqing Zhang, Elin Lehrmann, Alexa A. White, Nathan L. Price, William R. Swindell, Kevin J. Pearson, Kevin G. Becker, Vilhelm A. Bohr, Myriam Gorospe, Josephine M. Egan, Mark I. Talan, Johan Auwerx, Christoph H. Westphal, James L. Ellis, Zoltan Ungvari, George P. Vlasuk, Peter J. Elliott, David A. Sinclair, Rafael De Cabo

Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Sirt1 is an NAD(+)-dependent deacetylase that extends lifespan in lower organisms and improves metabolism and delays the onset of age-related diseases in mammals. Here we show that SRT1720, a synthetic compound that was identified for its ability to activate Sirt1 in vitro, extends both mean and maximum lifespan of adult mice fed a high-fat diet. This lifespan extension is accompanied by health benefits including reduced liver steatosis, increased insulin sensitivity, enhanced locomotor activity and normalization of gene expression profiles and markers of inflammation and apoptosis, all in the absence of any observable toxicity. Using a conditional SIRT1 knockout mouse and …

Sr-A Ligand And M-Csf Dynamically Regulate Sr-A Expression And Function In Primary Macrophages Via P38 Mapk Activation, Dejan Nikolic, Lindsay Calderon, Liqin Du, Steven R. Post

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is characterized by dynamic changes in the expression of cytokines, such as M-CSF, and modifications of lipids and proteins that result in the formation of ligands for Class A Scavenger Receptors (SR-A). These changes are associated with altered SR-A expression in macrophages; however, the intracellular signal pathways involved and the extent to which SR-A ligands regulate SR-A expression are not well defined. To address these questions, SR-A expression and function were examined in resident mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated with M-CSF or the selective SR-A ligand acetylated-LDL (AcLDL).

RESULTS: M-CSF increased SR-A expression and function, and required the specific …

Efficacy Of A Referral And Physical Activity Program For Survivors Of Prostate Cancer [Engage]: Rationale And Design For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial., Patricia M. Livingston, Jo Salmon, Kerry S. Courneya, Cadeyrn J. Gaskin, Melinda Craike, Mari Botti, Suzanne Broadbent, Bridie Kent

School of Nursing and Midwifery

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence that physical activity improves the health and well-being of prostate cancer survivors, many men do not engage in sufficient levels of activity. The primary aim of this study (ENGAGE) is to determine the efficacy of a referral and physical activity program among survivors of prostate cancer, in terms of increasing participation in physical activity. Secondary aims are to determine the effects of the physical activity program on psychological well-being, quality of life and objective physical functioning. The influence of individual and environmental mediators on participation in physical activity will also be determined. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a …