Molecular, Genetic, and Biochemical Nutrition Commons^™

Something Smells Fishy: How Lipid Mediators Impact The Maternal–Fetal Interface And Neonatal Development, Maranda Thompson, Arzu Ulu, Maheswari Mukherjee, Ana G. Yuil-Valdes, Melissa Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Rebecca Slotkowski, Teri Mauch, Ann Anderson-Berry, Corrine K. Hanson, Tara M. Nordgren, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Normal pregnancy relies on inflammation for implantation, placentation, and parturition, but uncontrolled inflammation can lead to poor maternal and infant outcomes. Maternal diet is one modifiable factor that can impact inflammation. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids obtained through the diet are metabolized into bioactive compounds that effect inflammation. Recent evidence has shown that the downstream products of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids may influence physiology during pregnancy. In this review, the current knowledge relating to omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy will be summarized.

Something Smells Fishy: How Lipid Mediators Impact The Maternal–Fetal Interface And Neonatal Development, Maranda Thompson, Arzu Ulu, Maheswari Mukherjee, Ana G. Yuil-Valdes, Melissa K. Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Rebecca Slotkowski, Teri Mauch, Ann Anderson-Berry, Corrine K. Hanson, Tara M. Nordgren, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Normal pregnancy relies on inflammation for implantation, placentation, and parturition, but uncontrolled inflammation can lead to poor maternal and infant outcomes. Maternal diet is one modifiable factor that can impact inflammation. Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids obtained through the diet are metabolized into bioactive compounds that effect inflammation. Recent evidence has shown that the downstream products of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids may influence physiology during pregnancy. In this review, the current knowledge relating to omega-3 and omega-6 metabolites during pregnancy will be summarized.

Omega-6 And Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Derived Oxylipins From The Lipoxygenase Pathway In Maternal And Umbilical Cord Plasma At Delivery And Their Relationship With Infant Growth, Maranda Thompson, Arzu Ulu, Ana G. Yuil-Valdes, Maheswari Mukherjee, Melissa K. Thoene, Matthew Van Ormer, Rebecca Slotkowski, Elizabeth Lyden, Ann Anderson-Berry, Corrine K. Hanson, Tara M. Nordgren, Sathish Kumar Natarajan

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are important for neonatal development and health. One mechanism by which omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids exert their effects is through their metabolism into oxylipins and specialized pro-resolving mediators. However, the influence of oxylipins on fetal growth is not well understood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify oxylipins present in maternal and umbilical cord plasma and investigate their relationship with infant growth. Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify oxylipin levels in plasma collected at the time of delivery. Spearman’s correlations highlighted significant correlations between metabolite levels and infant growth. They …

Identification Of Anti-Inflammatory Vesicle-Like Nanoparticles In Honey, Xingyi Chen, Boalong Liu, Xingzhi Li, Thuy T. An, You Zhou, Gang Li, Judy Wu-Smart, Sophie Alvarez, Michael J. Naldrett, James Eudy, Gregory Kubik, Richard A. Wilson, Stephen D. Kachman, Juan Cui, Jiujiu Yu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Honey has been used as a nutrient, an ointment, and a medicine worldwide for many centuries. Modern research has demonstrated that honey has many medicinal properties, reflected in its anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory bioactivities. Honey is composed of sugars, water and a myriad of minor components, including minerals, vitamins, proteins and polyphenols. Here, we report a new bioactive component‒vesicle-like nanoparticles‒in honey (H-VLNs). These HVLNs are membrane-bound nano-scale particles that contain lipids, proteins and small-sized RNAs. The presence of plant-originated plasma transmembrane proteins and plasma membrane-associated proteins suggests the potential vesicle-like nature of these particles. H-VLNs impede the formation and activation …

Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Blackberry Phenolic And Volatile Compounds, Pauline Morin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Berries are known for many health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties that lower risks of chronic diseases. These properties have been linked to high concentrations of phenolic compounds, especially anthocyanins. However, the present study hypothesized that volatiles could contribute to the berries’ bioactive properties. Thus, the objectives of this research are to profile the phenolic and volatile composition of 16 blackberry genotypes harvested at the Fruit Research Center of the University of Arkansas and to evaluate the antiinflammatory capacities of three selected genotypes on inflamed cells. Phenolic and volatile profiles were evaluated using chromatographic techniques. The three genotypes A2528T, A2587T and …

Effects Of Broccoli And Carrots On Fecal Microrna Expression In Infants: A Short-Term Feeding Study, Kaleigh E. Beane

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Diets, through multiple mechanisms, cause significant impact on human health and disease etiology; proposed modes of action include modulation of non-coding RNAs and influences on the gut microbiome. Specifically, phytochemicals change human miRNA expression thereby impacting gut microbiome and/or increasing host immune functions. Apiaceous and cruciferous vegetables have been linked to decreased chronic inflammation, which is closely related with the host immune system, yet it is not investigated how these two classes of vegetables influence the colonic miRNA profile. In this study, therefore we aimed to determine the effects of short-term feeding of broccoli and carrot to infants on fecal …

The Effects Of A High-Fat Diet On The Brain; A Meta-Analysis Of Microglia In The Hypothalamus, Emily Karabeika

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The typical ‘Western Diet’ includes a diet high in fats and sugars. This thesis explores the problems that this type of diet could have on the brain. A meta-analysis was conducted to show activated microglia count in the hypothalamus of mice after a high-fat diet. The results showed a large effect size with the included studies, showing that a high fat diet significantly increases microglia count across studies. Increased activated microglia leads to chronic inflammation in the hypothalamus, which is linked to metabolic problems like insulin resistance, leptin resistance and glucose intolerance.

Assessment Of Protein Quality, Lipid Metabolism, Hepatic Transcriptome And Safety Of A Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Molitrix) Derived Sarcoplasmic Protein Powder., Derek Cole Warren

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Fishery resources are currently operating either near optimal yield or at levels with elevated risk for fish stock depletion. A solution for overcoming limitations of natural fish resources is through utilization of less desirable fish species and fish processing by-products. Water-soluble sarcoplasm proteins consist of 25 – 30% of protein in carp, are lost in wash water during processing and can be recovered and freeze-dried to produce a protein-rich powder (CSP). The objective of this project was to evaluate the protein quality and safety of CSP, assess diets consisting of CSP or commercial milk proteins effects on lipid metabolism, and …

Inhibitory Effects Of Shiitake-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles On Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation, Yizhu Lu

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The NLRP3 inflammasome is a critical mediator of inflammation and consists of the sensor NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), the adaptor apoptotic speck protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC), and the effector caspase-1. Dysregulated or excessive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome contributes to pathogenesis of diverse inflammatory diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. Therefore, the NLRP3 inflammasome is a promising therapeutic target for treating these diseases. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed tiny particles released by almost any type of cells and they are involved in the intercellular communication by transferring their cargos including RNAs, …

Apple Pomace As A Novel Aid For Western Diet-Induced Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease In Young Female Sprague Dawley Rats, R. Chris Skinner

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Apple pomace is a “waste” byproduct of apple processing that causes environmental pollution and is costly to dispose of. Yet, apple pomace is rich in dietary fibers and antioxidants. Analysis of apple pomace’s nutritional profile indicates suitability as a potential dietary treatment for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the more severe non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). NAFLD is the most prevalent liver disease in the world with prevalence and severity expected to increase in both adults and children. Currently, there is no approved drug treatment for NAFLD and therefore, dietary intervention is the primary treatment. The study objectives were to determine …

Influences Of Antroquinonol And 4-Acetylantroquinonol B On Inflammatory Tumorigenesis In The Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line With Or Without Tnf-Α Stimulation, Ting-Chun Lin

Masters Theses

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide that ~25% of new cancer cases diagnosed every year would be BC; moreover, ~15% of cancer deaths per year caused by BC makes it the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide. To date, though the cause of a large proportion of BC are still unclear, recent studies have revealed that a supportive breast tissue microenvironment is critical for the development and progression of BC, especially the communication with immune cells within breast tissue. Therefore, breast inflammatory microenvironment is currently received a substantial attention in the …

The Role Of Sr-B1 In Lipid Metabolism And Inflammation In 3t3-L1 Adipocytes, Christina Jiang

University Scholar Projects

Obesity is associated with a number of complications that may increase the risk for chronic disease, including inflammation and dysfunctional high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Scavenger receptor class B member 1 (SR-B1) is an HDL receptor found in the cell plasma membrane involved in cholesterol exchange and the initiation of intracellular signaling cascades. During the process of adipocyte (fat cell) formation (adipogenesis), there is a delicate balance of transcriptional programs that affect cholesterol transport and facilitate lipid accumulation. Mice fed a high fat diet have increased SR-B1 mRNA expression in adipose tissue depots. Furthermore, SR-B1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in …

Delta Tocotrienol Attenuates Nlrp3 Inflammasome Activation Via Inhibition Of Nf-Κb Priming And Reactive Oxygen Species Generation, Teresa Buckner

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Chronic, low-grade inflammation during obesity is associated with the development of metabolic dysfunction. The NLRP3 inflammasome is assembled in response to cellular stressors and leads to cytotoxic cytokines IL-1β and IL-18 production, which implicates the NLRP3 inflammasome in inflammatory conditions, including type 2 diabetes. Tocotrienols are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory forms of vitamin E. Delta-tocotrienol (dT3) displays NF-κB inhibitory and anti-oxidant abilities, and is easily isolated from the Annatto plant. My primary aim was to determine whether dT3 inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome activation and to compare the extent to which dT3 inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome with other tocotrienol forms, i.e. alpha-tocotrienol (aT3) and …

Chemopreventive Effects Of Polymethoxyflavones, Xian Wu

Doctoral Dissertations

Colon cancer is one of the major global public health issues, which severely threatens human health. Polymethoxyflavones (PMFs), a unique class of flavonoids, are abundantly and almost exclusively found in the peel of sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) and mandarin oranges (Citrus reticulata). Nobiletin (NBT) is a major citrus flavonoid that has shown various health benefits, including anti-inflammation and anti-carcinogenesis. To better understand the chemopreventive effects of NBT, we systematically investigated the inhibitory effects of dietary NBT on colitis-associated colon carcinogenesis in azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-treated mice. We found that oral administration of NBT effectively decreased …

Suppression Of Nlrp3 Inflammasome By Γ-Tocotrienol Ameliorates Type 2 Diabetes, Yongeun Kim, Wei Wang, Meshail Okla, Inhae Kang, Regis Moreau, Soonkyu Chung

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

The Nod-like receptor 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is an intracellular sensor that sets off the innate immune system in response to microbial-derived and endogenous metabolic danger signals. We previously reported that γ-tocotrienol (γT3) attenuated adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in diet-induced obesity, but the underlying mechanism remained elusive. Here, we investigated the effects of γT3 on NLRP3 inflammasome activation and attendant consequences on type 2 diabetes. γT3 repressed inflammasome activation, caspase-1 cleavage, and interleukin (IL) 1β secretion in murine macrophages, implicating the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome in the anti-inflammatory and antipyroptotic properties of γT3. Furthermore, supplementation of leptin-receptor KO mice …

Genotoxic Effects Of Magnesium Deficiency In The Cardiovascular System And Their Relationships To Cardiovascular Diseases And Atherogenesis, Burton M. Altura, Nilank C. Shah, Gatha J. Shah, Bella T. Altura

The School of Health Sciences Publications and Research

The authors present evidence for a novel, new hypothesis whereby magnesium deficiency (MgD) acts as a genotoxic agent which probably causes numerous, hertofore, unrecognized consequences, even over a short-term, on the physiological, molecular and biochemical machinery of cardiovascular tissues and cells. The end result of these genotoxic effects of MgD probably plays important roles in the etiology and generation of diverse cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, inflammation, and strokes via alterations in the epigenome of cardiovascular tissues and cells. The importance of adequate water-borne and dietary levels of Mg is emphasized.

Brown And Beige Adipocytes: Effects Of Inflammation And Nutritional Intervention, Jiyoung Bae

Doctoral Dissertations

Recent findings of brown adipocytes and brown-like or beige adipocytes, capable of dissipating energy as heat, in adult humans have promised new hope for obesity treatment and prevention. Understanding of the regulation of brown and beige adipocytes will provide novel strategies to reach the goal. Pattern recognition receptors (PRR) are responsible for inflammation in adipose tissue, which leads to adipose dysfunction and obesity associated chronic diseases. It has been shown that PRR activation induces inflammation, leading to insulin resistance in white adipocytes and white adipose tissue (WAT). However, the roles of PRR activation in brown adipocytes and brown adipose tissue …

The Effect Of Polyphenol-Rich Black Currant Extract On Lipogenic And Inflammatory Gene Expression In Diet Induced Obesity Mice, Ellen Harness

Honors Scholar Theses

Hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia frequently occur in obese population. As chronic, low-grade inflammation is closely associated with obesity, we investigated if polyphenol-rich blackcurrant extract (BCE) can prevent inflammation and diet-induced metabolic disturbances in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were given a modified AIN-93M control diet containing high fat/high cholesterol (16% fat, 0.25% cholesterol by weight) or the same diet supplemented with 0.1% BCE (wt/wt) for 12 weeks. No significant differences in total body weight or liver weight occurred between the two groups. BCE-fed mice had fewer crown-like structures (CLS) with concomitant decreases in mRNA abundance of F4/80, CD68, and inhibitor of nuclear …

The Effects Of Leucine And Dairy Products On Adipose Tissue Inflammation: The Role Of Adipocyte Derived Microvesicles, Benjamin Jones Curry

Doctoral Dissertations

Obesity is characterized by chronic oxidative and inflammatory stress, and adipose tissue is a significant source of inflammatory cytokines. Previous studies demonstrated that dairy products (rich in calcium and leucine) can alleviate obesity-associated inflammatory stress through suppression of 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (calcitriol) with calcium and the high leucine content in dairy. We have also shown leucine treatment increases anti-inflammatory adiponectin expression and decreases pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-a [alpha], MCP-1, and IL-6 expression in adipocytes. Therefore, we sought to determine if these alterations in inflammatory cytokine production could have a functional effect on the inflammatory process, specifically monocyte – endothelial cell adhesion as …

Egg Intake During Carbohydrate Restriction Alters Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Inflammation And Cholesterol Homeostasis In Metabolic Syndrome, Catherine J. Andersen, Ji-Young Lee, Christopher N. Blesso, Timothy P. Carr, Maria Luz Fernandez

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Egg yolk contains bioactive components that improve plasma inflammatory markers and HDL profiles in metabolic syndrome (MetS) under carbohydrate restriction. We further sought to determine whether egg yolk intake affects peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) inflammation and cholesterol homeostasis in MetS, as HDL and its associated lipid transporter ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) reduce the inflammatory potential of leukocytes through modulation of cellular cholesterol content and distribution. Thirty-seven men and women classified with MetS consumed a moderate carbohydrate-restricted diet (25%–30% of energy) for 12 weeks, in addition to consuming either three whole eggs per day (EGG) or the equivalent amount …

Activation Of Nucleotide Binding Oligomerization Domain Containing Protein 1 In 3t3-L1 Adipocytes: Effects On Adipocyte Differentiation And Lipolysis, Jaanki Shamb Purohit

Masters Theses

Obesity, defined as having excess adipose tissue, is associated with chronic inflammation. Adipose tissue is made up of many cell types, including preadipocytes and adipocytes. Both preadipocytes and adipocytes express pattern recognition receptors that play important roles in innate immunity. Two families of pattern recognition receptors that have been studied in adipose tissue are Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs). Activation of TLR2 and TLR4 has been shown to lead to proinflammatory response in adipocytes, which is shown to suppress adipocyte differentiation and stimulate lipolysis, one of the major physiological functions of adipocytes. However, the effects of NOD activation …

Polyphenols, Inflammation, And Cardiovascular Disease, Christy Tangney, Heather E. Rasmussen

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Polyphenols are compounds found in foods such as tea, coffee, cocoa, olive oil, and red wine and have been studied to determine if their intake may modify cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Historically, biologic actions of polyphenols have been attributed to antioxidant activities, but recent evidence suggests that immunomodulatory and vasodilatory properties of polyphenols may also contribute to CVD risk reduction. These properties will be discussed, and recent epidemiological evidence and intervention trials will be reviewed. Further identification of polyphenols in foods and accurate assessment of exposures through measurement of biomarkers (i.e., polyphenol metabolites) could provide the needed impetus to examine …

Angiotensinogen Gene Silencing Reduces Lipid Accumulation And Inflammation In Cultured 3t3-L1 Adipocytes, Wenting Xin Carroll

Masters Theses

Obesity is characterized by metabolic complications which are related to several life-threatening diseases. Dysregulated inflammatory adipokines secretion from adipose tissue is believed as the major contributor to obesity-associated local and systemic inflammation, insulin resistance, and other metabolic dysfunctions.

Numerous studies in our lab and others pointed to the role of local adipose tissue renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pathogenesis of obesity, inflammation and insulin resistance. We hypothesized that adipocytes-derived angiotensinogen (Agt) played a critical role in adipogenesis and/or lipogenesis as well as adipose inflammation. To test, we established 3T3-L1 preadipocytes stably transfected with Agt-shRNA or scrambled sequence (Sc-shRNA). Transfected preadipocytes …

Combined Therapy Of Dietary Fish Oil And Stearoyl-Coa Desaturase 1 Inhibition Prevents The Metabolic Syndrome And Atherosclerosis, J. Mark Brown, Soonkyu Chung, Janet K. Sawyer, Chiara Degirolamo, Heather M. Alger, Tam M. Nguyen, Xuewei Zhu, My-Ngan Duong, Amanda L. Brown, Caleb Lord, Ramesh Shah, Matthew A. Davis, Kathryn Kelley, Martha D. Wilson, Jennifer Madenspacher, Michael B. Fessler, John S. Parks, Lawrence L. Rudel

Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences: Faculty Publications

Background—Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a critical regulator of energy metabolism and inflammation. We have previously reported that inhibition of SCD1 in hyperlipidemic mice fed a saturated fatty acid (SFA)-enriched diet prevented development of the metabolic syndrome, yet surprisingly promoted severe atherosclerosis. In this study we tested whether dietary fish oil supplementation could prevent the accelerated atherosclerosis caused by SCD1 inhibition.

Methods and Results—LDLr^-/-, ApoB^100/100 mice were fed diets enriched in saturated fat or fish oil in conjunction with antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) treatment to inhibit SCD1. As previously reported, in SFA-fed mice, SCD1 inhibition dramatically protected against …