Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Human Regulatory T Cells Control Inflammation From Effector T Cells In Prediabetes, Rui Liu

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a chronic low-grade inflammatory disease. A T cell cytokine profile (Th17) from PBMCs can distinguish obese T2D from obese non-diabetes subjects. Individual T cell subsets interact with each other and the diverse subsets jointly determine overall inflammation. Cellular metabolism drives cytokine production of CD4⁺ T cells, and therefore contributes to inflammation in T2D. However, specific changes in metabolism and function of CD4⁺ T cells during the progression from lean healthy to obese and diabetic stages in people have not been clarified.

We hypothesize that human regulatory T cells (Treg) impact metabolism of effector …

Current Assessment And Intervention Strategies For Childhood Obesity Used By Pediatric Care Providers, Jennifer Bivins

DNP Projects

Childhood obesity rates in the United States have tripled since the 1970s in the U.S. (CDC, 2018). Due to the persistent rise in obesity rate sin children and the possible health risks associated with obesity, it is important for pediatric providers to appropriately assess and treat childhood obesity. There is limited data on what pediatric providers in the primary care setting are doing to address this growing health problem. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine current assessment and intervention strategies for childhood obesity used by pediatric health care providers at the University of Kentucky, General Pediatric clinic. …

Examining The Relationship Between Type And Extent Of After-School Care Use And High Bmi In Children Ages 5-17, Morgan E.B. Chojnacki

DNP Projects

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and after-school care use in school age children and adolescents in Kentucky. The specific aims of this study were to examine differences in BMI groups (high versus normal/low) by: a) type and b) extent of after-school care use.

Methods: Parents of children age 5-17 years were administered a 21-item survey which assessed the amount of time their children spent in specific types of after-school care. BMI of the child/adolescent participants were obtained at the time of the survey. High BMI was defined …

Regulation Of Pancreatic Β-Cell Function By The Renin-Angiotensin System In Type 2 Diabetes, Robin C. Shoemaker

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Diet-induced obesity promotes type 2 diabetes (T2D). Drugs that inhibit the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) have been demonstrated in clinical trials to decrease the onset of T2D. Previously, we demonstrated that mice made obese from chronic consumption of a high-fat (HF) diet have marked elevations in systemic concentrations of angiotensin II (AngII). Pancreatic islets have been reported to possess components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), including angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT1aR), the primary receptor for AngII, and angiotensin converting-enzyme 2 (ACE2), which negatively regulates the RAS by catabolizing AngII to angiotensin-(1-7) (Ang-(1-7)). These two opposing proteins have been implicated in the …

The Role Of Angiotensinogen In Atherosclerosis And Obesity, Congqing Wu

Theses and Dissertations--Nutritional Sciences

Angiotensinogen is the only known precursor in the renin-angiotensin system, a hormonal system best known as an essential regulator of blood pressure and fluid homeostasis. Angiotensinogen is sequentially cleaved by renin and angiotensin- converting enzyme to generate angiotensin II. As the major effector peptide, angiotensin II mainly function through angiotensin type 1 receptor.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, and more recently renin inhibitors are widely known as the 3 classic renin-angiotensin system inhibitory drugs against hypertension and atherosclerosis. Here, we developed an array of regents to explore the effects of angiotensinogen inhibition. First, we demonstrated that genetic deficiency of …

Impact Of Positive And Negative Health Behaviors On Female Mice And/Or Their Offspring, Kristen M. Platt

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences

Obesity is an ever-growing concern in the developed world that carries with it a plethora of health issues. For example, obesity increases an individual’s risk for Type 2 Diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Pregnancy is a vital time for a woman to maintain optimal health, both for her own benefit as well as that of her offspring, and yet almost half of women in the United States who are of age to bear children are overweight or obese. In mice, we found that offspring born to dams fed a high fat diet did not have impaired glucose tolerance, contrary to our …

Using Geospatial Technologies To Characterize Relationships Between Travel Behavior, Food Availability, And Health, Warren J. Christian

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Epidemic obesity in the U.S. has prompted exploration of causal factors related to the built environment. Recent research has noted statistical associations between the spatial accessibility of retail food sources, such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and restaurants, and individual characteristics such as weight, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. These studies typically use residential proximity or neighborhood density to food sources as the measure of accessibility. Assessing food environments in this manner, however, is very limiting. Since most people travel outside of their neighborhood on a daily basis, the retail food sources available to individuals residing in the same area could vary …