Biochemical Phenomena, Metabolism, and Nutrition Commons^™

Causal Models And Causal Modelling In Obesity: Foundations, Methods And Evidence, Roger S Zoh, Xiaoxin Yu, Philip Dawid, George Davey Smith, Stephen J French, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Discussing causes in science, if we are to do so in a way that is sensible, begins at the root. All too often, we jump to discussing specific postulated causes but do not first consider what we mean by, for example, causes of obesity or how we discern whether something is a cause. In this paper, we address what we mean by a cause, discuss what might and might not constitute a reasonable causal model in the abstract, speculate about what the causal structure of obesity might be like overall and the types of things we should be looking …

Endogenous Renal Adiponectin Drives Gluconeogenesis Through Enhancing Pyruvate And Fatty Acid Utilization, Toshiharu Onodera, May-Yun Wang, Joseph M Rutkowski, Stanislaw Deja, Shiuhwei Chen, Michael S Balzer, Dae-Seok Kim, Xuenan Sun, Yu A An, Bianca C Field, Charlotte Lee, Ei-Ichi Matsuo, Monika Mizerska, Ina Sanjana, Naoto Fujiwara, Christine M Kusminski, Ruth Gordillo, Laurent Gautron, Denise K Marciano, Ming Chang Hu, Shawn C Burgess, Katalin Susztak, Orson W Moe, Philipp E Scherer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adiponectin is a secretory protein, primarily produced in adipocytes. However, low but detectable expression of adiponectin can be observed in cell types beyond adipocytes, particularly in kidney tubular cells, but its local renal role is unknown. We assessed the impact of renal adiponectin by utilizing male inducible kidney tubular cell-specific adiponectin overexpression or knockout mice. Kidney-specific adiponectin overexpression induces a doubling of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase expression and enhanced pyruvate-mediated glucose production, tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and an upregulation of fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Inhibition of FAO reduces the adiponectin-induced enhancement of glucose production, highlighting the role of FAO in the induction …

U.S. Adolescent Rest-Activity Patterns: Insights From Functional Principal Component Analysis (Nhanes 2011–2014), Chris Ho Ching Yeung, Jiachen Lu, Erica G Soltero, Cici Bauer, Qian Xiao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Suboptimal rest-activity patterns in adolescence are associated with worse health outcomes in adulthood. Understanding sociodemographic factors associated with rest-activity rhythms may help identify subgroups who may benefit from interventions. This study aimed to investigate the association of rest-activity rhythm with demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in adolescents.

Methods: Using cross-sectional data from the nationally representative National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2014 adolescents (N = 1814), this study derived rest-activity profiles from 7-day 24-hour accelerometer data using functional principal component analysis. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between participant characteristics and rest-activity profiles. Weekday and weekend …

Unreliable Findings Due To Miscalculations And Errors Comment On Nally Et Al The Effectiveness Of School-Based Interventions On Obesity-Related Behaviours In Primary School Children: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomised Controlled Trials Children 2021, 8, 489, Keara Ginell, Beate Henschel, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Andrew W Brown, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Nally et al. [...].

Endocrine Therapy Synergizes With Smac Mimetics To Potentiate Antigen Presentation And Tumor Regression In Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer, Francisco Hermida-Prado, Yingtian Xie, Shira Sherman, Zsuzsanna Nagy, Douglas Russo, Tara Akhshi, Zhengtao Chu, Avery Feit, Marco Campisi, Minyue Chen, Agostina Nardone, Cristina Guarducci, Klothilda Lim, Alba Font-Tello, Irene Lee, Juana García-Pedrero, Israel Cañadas, Judith Agudo, Ying Huang, Tal Sella, Qingchun Jin, Nabihah Tayob, Elizabeth A Mittendorf, Sara M Tolaney, Xintao Qiu, Henry Long, William F Symmans, Jia-Ren Lin, Sandro Santagata, Isabelle Bedrosian, Denise A Yardley, Ingrid A Mayer, Edward T Richardson, Giacomo Oliveira, Catherine J Wu, Eugene F Schuster, Mitch Dowsett, Alana L Welm, David Barbie, Otto Metzger, Rinath Jeselsohn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunotherapies have yet to demonstrate significant efficacy in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) breast cancer. Given that endocrine therapy (ET) is the primary approach for treating HR+ breast cancer, we investigated the effects of ET on the tumor immune microenvironment (TME) in HR+ breast cancer. Spatial proteomics of primary HR+ breast cancer samples obtained at baseline and after ET from patients enrolled in a neoadjuvant clinical trial (NCT02764541) indicated that ET upregulated β2-microglobulin and influenced the TME in a manner that promotes enhanced immunogenicity. To gain a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms, the intrinsic effects of …

Expert Panel Curation Of 113 Primary Mitochondrial Disease Genes For The Leigh Syndrome Spectrum, Elizabeth M Mccormick, Kierstin Keller, Julie P Taylor, Alison J Coffey, Lishuang Shen, Danuta Krotoski, Brian Harding, Xiaowu Gai, Marni J Falk, Zarazuela Zolkipli-Cunningham, Shamima Rahman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Objective: Primary mitochondrial diseases (PMDs) are heterogeneous disorders caused by inherited mitochondrial dysfunction. Classically defined neuropathologically as subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy, Leigh syndrome spectrum (LSS) is the most frequent manifestation of PMD in children, but may also present in adults. A major challenge for accurate diagnosis of LSS in the genomic medicine era is establishing gene-disease relationships (GDRs) for this syndrome with >100 monogenic causes across both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes.

Methods: The Clinical Genome Resource (ClinGen) Mitochondrial Disease Gene Curation Expert Panel (GCEP), comprising 40 international PMD experts, met monthly for 4 years to review GDRs for LSS. The GCEP …

Inaccurate Confidence Intervals Reported In “The Healthy Kids & Families Study: Outcomes Of A 24-Month Childhood Obesity Prevention Intervention”, Xingsheng Li, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Stephanie L Dickinson, Theodore K Kyle, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Ignoring Clustering And Nesting Effects Are Invalid Analysis Choices In A Trial With Clustered Data In Trials Testing Causal Effects Re: "Impact Of A Montessori-Based Nutrition Program On Children's Knowledge And Eating Behaviors", Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Colby J Vorland, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Deborah H Glueck, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Vitale and Coccia conducted a study to examine the effects of a nutrition education program among school children, and reported statistically significant between-group effects for nutrition knowledge and liking tomatoes. In the study blocks of classrooms were assigned to the study conditions. Thus, with children nested within classrooms, and classrooms nested within blocks, the study has a two-level design, and block is the independent sampling unit. The analysis of the study must account for the two levels of clustering, but it did not. This render the conclusions reported in the paper unsubstantiated. For correcting the scientific record, reanalysis of the …

Evaluation Of Acceptability, Functionality, And Validity Of A Passive Image-Based Dietary Intake Assessment Method In Adults And Children Of Ghanaian And Kenyan Origin Living In London, Uk, Modou L Jobarteh, Megan A Mccrory, Benny Lo, Konstantinos K Triantafyllidis, Jianing Qiu, Jennifer P Griffin, Edward Sazonov, Mingui Sun, Wenyan Jia, Tom Baranowski, Alex K Anderson, Kathryn Maitland, Gary Frost

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Accurate estimation of dietary intake is challenging. However, whilst some progress has been made in high-income countries, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remain behind, contributing to critical nutritional data gaps. This study aimed to validate an objective, passive image-based dietary intake assessment method against weighed food records in London, UK, for onward deployment to LMICs.

Methods: Wearable camera devices were used to capture food intake on eating occasions in 18 adults and 17 children of Ghanaian and Kenyan origin living in London. Participants were provided pre-weighed meals of Ghanaian and Kenyan cuisine and camera devices to automatically capture images …

Corrected Analysis Of “The Effects Of Bright Light Treatment On Affective Symptoms In People With Dementia: A 24-Week Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial” That Accounts For Clustering And Nesting Verifies Conclusions, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Lilian Golzarri-Arroyo, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Colby J Vorland, Miriam Jocelyn Rodriguez, Richard J Holden, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

In this correspondence, we explain the reasoning for invalidity of the analysis choices by Kolberg et al., and provide the results produced using correct statistical procedures for their study design. Reassuringly, we could verify the original conclusions. That is, results of the corrected statistical models are similar to the results of the original analysis. Regardless of the magnitude of difference that corrected statistical methods make, results and conclusions that are derived from invalid methods are unsubstantiated. By verifying the results, we allow the readers to be assured that the published conclusions in the study by Kolberg et al. now rest …

Direct Modulators Of K-Ras–Membrane Interactions, Johannes Morstein, Rebika Shrestha, Que N Van, César A López, Neha Arora, Marco Tonelli, Hong Liang, De Chen, Yong Zhou, John F Hancock, Andrew G Stephen, Thomas J Turbyville, Kevan M Shokat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Protein-membrane interactions (PMIs) are ubiquitous in cellular signaling. Initial steps of signal transduction cascades often rely on transient and dynamic interactions with the inner plasma membrane leaflet to populate and regulate signaling hotspots. Methods to target and modulate these interactions could yield attractive tool compounds and drug candidates. Here, we demonstrate that the conjugation of a medium-chain lipid tail to the covalent K-Ras(G12C) binder MRTX849 at a solvent-exposed site enables such direct modulation of PMIs. The conjugated lipid tail interacts with the tethered membrane and changes the relative membrane orientation and conformation of K-Ras(G12C), as shown by molecular dynamics (MD) …

Preface: Causes Of Obesity, Theories, Conjectures And Evidence, David B Allison, Thorkild I A Sørensen, Kevin D Hall, John R Speakman

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (Shbg) Mitigates Er Stress And Improves Viability And Insulin Sensitivity In Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (Asc) Of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (Ems)-Affected Horses, Nabila Bourebaba, Mateusz Sikora, Badr Qasem, Lynda Bourebaba, Krzysztof Marycz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), which encompasses insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and predisposition to laminitis is a critical endocrine disorder among the most prevalent conditions affecting horses from different breeds. According to the most recent research, low human sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) serum levels correlate with an increased risk of obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, and may contribute to overall metabolic dysregulations. This study aimed to test whether exogenous SHBG could protect EMS affected adipose-derived stromal stem cells (EqASC

METHODS: EqASC

RESULTS: Obtained data demonstrated that exogenous SHBG treatment significantly promoted ASCs cells proliferation, cell cycle and survival with reduced …

Unfolding The Secrets Of Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression: Novel Approaches And Insights Through Rapid Autopsies, Zsolt Megyesfalvi, Simon Heeke, Benjamin J Drapkin, Anna Solta, Ildiko Kovacs, Kristiina Boettiger, Lilla Horvath, Busra Ernhofer, Janos Fillinger, Ferenc Renyi-Vamos, Clemens Aigner, Karin Schelch, Christian Lang, Gyorgy Marko-Varga, Carl M Gay, Lauren A Byers, Benjamin B Morris, John V Heymach, Peter Van Loo, Fred R Hirsch, Balazs Dome

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The understanding of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) biology has increased dramatically in recent years, but the processes that allow SCLC to progress rapidly remain poorly understood. Here, we advocate the integration of rapid autopsies and preclinical models into SCLC research as a comprehensive strategy with the potential to revolutionize current treatment paradigms.

Validation Of A Clinical Prediction Rule For Distinguishing Bacterial And Aseptic Meningitis In Pediatric Patients, Amelia L Gurley, Matt Fukuda, Ashwin Sharma, Ethan Lee, Erica Junqueira, Michael Kang, Tommy Y Kim

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Introduction

The treatments and prognosis of bacterial meningitis differ greatly from those of aseptic meningitis, making early identification and differentiation essential. Several different clinical prediction rules have been developed to distinguish bacterial meningitis from aseptic meningitis. We sought to validate one clinical prediction rule for pediatric patients utilizing a centralized data warehouse that collects daily data from 184 hospitals across the United States.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data on all patients aged 29 days to 14 years who presented to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Healthcare hospitals from January 1, 2016, to May 31, 2021, with a diagnosis of meningitis. …

Emotional Distress And Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among Participants Enrolled In The Glycemia Reduction Approaches In Diabetes: A Comparative Effectiveness (Grade) Study, Ran Fang, Aanand D Naik, Aimee Katona, Elizabeth A Walker, Andrea Cherrington, Jeffrey S Gonzalez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

AIMS: People with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined depressive symptoms (DS) and diabetes distress (DD) in relation to the estimated 10-year risk of CVD in adults with T2DM enrolled in the GRADE Emotional Distress Substudy.

METHODS: Linear regression models examined the associations of baseline DS and DD with estimated 10-year risk of CVD using the Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk score, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, diabetes duration, diabetes-related complications, and HbA1c.

RESULTS: A total of 1,605 GRADE participants were included: 54% Non-Latino (NL) White, 18% Latino, 19% NL-Black, …

A Single Dominant Locus Restricts Retrovirus Replication In Ybr/Ei Mice, Helen A Beilinson, Amanda Sevilleja, Jessica Spring, Fernando Benavides, Vera Beilinson, Nickolas Neokosmidis, Tatyana Golovkina

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Differential responses to viral infections are influenced by the genetic makeup of the host. Studies of resistance to retroviruses in human populations are complicated due to the inability to conduct proof-of-principle studies. Inbred mouse lines, which have a range of susceptible phenotypes to retroviruses, are an ideal tool to identify and characterize mechanisms of resistance and define their genetic underpinnings. YBR/Ei mice become infected with Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus, a mucosally transmitted murine retrovirus, but eliminate the virus from their pedigrees. Virus elimination correlates with a lack of virus-specific neonatal oral tolerance, which is a major mechanism for blocking the …

One Cluster Per Condition Is Not A Valid Design In Cluster-Randomized Trials Comment On Wang Et Al The Effect Of Different Physical Exercise Programs On Physical Fitness Among Preschool Children: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial Int J Environ Res Public Health 2023, 20, 4254, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Armando Pena, Abu Bakkar Siddique, Andrew W Brown, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Wang et al. [...].

Easy To Miss Large Left Atrial Myxoma, Art Burgess Kelleher, Tara Ní Dhonnchu, Carl Vaughan, Terence M O'Connor

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing Cancer Metabolism From Bulk And Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data Using Metaflux, Yuefan Huang, Vakul Mohanty, Merve Dede, Kyle Tsai, May Daher, Li Li, Katayoun Rezvani, Ken Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cells often alter metabolic strategies under nutrient-deprived conditions to support their survival and growth. Characterizing metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is of emerging importance in cancer research and patient care. However, recent technologies only measure a subset of metabolites and cannot provide in situ measurements. Computational methods such as flux balance analysis (FBA) have been developed to estimate metabolic flux from bulk RNA-seq data and can potentially be extended to single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. However, it is unclear how reliable current methods are, particularly in TME characterization. Here, we present a computational framework METAFlux (METAbolic Flux balance analysis) …

Metabolomic Profile Of The Healthy Eating Index-2015 In The Multiethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Meghana D Gadgil, Alexis C Wood, Ibrahim Karaman, Goncalo Graça, Ioanna Tzoulaki, Victor W Zhong, Philip Greenland, Alka M Kanaya, David M Herrington

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Poor diet quality is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, knowledge of metabolites marking adherence to Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2015 version) are limited.

Objectives: The goal was to determine a pattern of metabolites associated with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, which measures adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Methods: The analysis examined 3557 adult men and women from the longitudinal cohort Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), without known cardiovascular disease and with complete dietary data. Fasting serum specimens and diet and demographic questionnaires were assessed at baseline. Untargeted 1H 1-dimensional nuclei magnetic …

Undisclosed Outcome Switching, Undisclosed Analysis Switching, Inappropriate Rounding, And Selective Reporting Render Paper “Effectiveness Of A Minimally Processed Food-Based Nutritional Counselling Intervention On Weight Gain In Overweight Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial” Unreliable, Armando Peña, Mike Gibney, Kevin Hall, Theodore K Kyle, Andrew W Brown, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Identification Of Genetic Variation Influencing Metformin Response In A Multiancestry Genome-Wide Association Study In The Diabetes Prevention Program (Dpp), Josephine H Li, James A Perry, Kathleen A Jablonski, Shylaja Srinivasan, Ling Chen, Jennifer N Todd, Maegan Harden, Josep M Mercader, Qing Pan, Adem Y Dawed, Sook Wah Yee, Ewan R Pearson, Kathleen M Giacomini, Ayush Giri, Adriana M Hung, Shujie Xiao, L Keoki Williams, Paul W Franks, Robert L Hanson, Steven E Kahn, William C Knowler, Toni I Pollin, Jose C Florez, Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Genome-wide significant loci for metformin response in type 2 diabetes reported elsewhere have not been replicated in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). To assess pharmacogenetic interactions in prediabetes, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in the DPP. Cox proportional hazards models tested associations with diabetes incidence in the metformin (MET; n = 876) and placebo (PBO; n = 887) arms. Multiple linear regression assessed association with 1-year change in metformin-related quantitative traits, adjusted for baseline trait, age, sex, and 10 ancestry principal components. We tested for gene-by-treatment interaction. No significant associations emerged for diabetes incidence. We identified four genome-wide …

Factors Associated With Choice Of Behavioural Weight Loss Program By Adults With Obesity, Yasaman Jamshidi-Naeini, Susan B Roberts, Stephanie Dickinson, Arthur Owora, Jon Agley, Roger S Zoh, Xiwei Chen, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

We assessed the preference for two behavioural weight loss programs, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and Healthy Weight for Living (HWL) in adults with obesity. A cross-sectional survey was fielded on the Amazon Mechanical Turk. Eligibility criteria included reporting BMI ≥30 and at least two chronic health conditions. Participants read about the programs, selected their preferred program, and answered follow-up questions. The estimated probability of choosing either program was not significantly different from .5 (N = 1005, 50.8% DPP and 49.2% HWL, p = .61). Participants' expectations about adherence, weight loss magnitude, and dropout likelihood were associated with their choice (p <  .0001). Non-White participants (p = .040) and those with monthly income greater than $4999 (p = .002) were less likely to choose DPP. Participants who had postgraduate education (p = .007), did not report high serum cholesterol (p = .028), and reported not having tried losing weight before (p = .025) were more likely to choose DPP. Those who chose HWL were marginally more likely to report that being offered two different programs rather than one would likely affect their decision to enrol in one of the two (p = .052). The enrolment into DPP and HWL was balanced, but race, educational attainment, income, previous attempt to lose weight, and serum cholesterol levels had significant associations with the choice of weight loss program.

Pseudohypercreatininemia After Surgery For Aortic Dissection: A Case Report, Ayako Tasaki, Makoto Fukuda, Yuki Ikeda, Masatora Yamasaki, Ikko Yamaguchi, Shinichi Aishima, Motoaki Miyazono

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Elevated creatinine concentrations often indicate acute renal injury and renal biopsies are considered in this situation. However,pseudohypercreatininemia is potential cause of elevated creatinine concentrations, and invasive interventions should be avoided.

Case presentation: A 54-year-old woman underwent surgery for descending aortic dissection.Nine days postoperatively, her creatinine concentration increased from 1 mg/dl to 5.78 mg/dl (normal range, 0.47-0.7 mg/dl). Azotemia and hyperkalemia were absent and physical examination findings were unremarkable. Cystatin C concentration was 1.56 mg/l (normal range, 0.56-0.8 mg/l) and pseudohypercreatininemia was suspected. Testing with different reagents showed a creatinine concentration of 0.84 mg/dl. Immunoglobulin (Ig)G was markedly elevated, and …

Correcting Calculation And Data Errors Reveals That The Original Conclusions Were Incorrect In “The Best Drug Supplement For Obesity Treatment: A Systematic Review And Network Meta-Analysis”, Xiaoxin Yu, Patrice L Capers, Roger S Zoh, David B Allison

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The goal of this study was to reproduce and evaluate the reliability of the network meta-analysis performed in the article "The best drug supplement for obesity treatment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis" by Salari et al. In recent years, it has become more common to employ network meta-analysis to assess the relative efficacy of treatments often used in clinical practice. To duplicate Salari et al.'s research, we pulled data directly from the original trials and used Cohen's D to determine the effect size for each treatment. We reanalyzed the data since we discovered significant differences between the data we …

Differential Effects Of Bariatric Surgery And Caloric Restriction On Hepatic One-Carbon And Fatty Acid Metabolism, Arnon Haran, Michael Bergel, Doron Kleiman, Liron Hefetz, Hadar Israeli, Sarah Weksler-Zangen, Bella Agranovich, Ifat Abramovich, Rachel Ben-Haroush Schyr, Eyal Gottlieb, Danny Ben-Zvi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Weight loss interventions, including dietary changes, pharmacotherapy, or bariatric surgery, prevent many of the adverse consequences of obesity, and may also confer intervention-specific benefits beyond those seen with decreased weight alone. We compared the molecular effects of different interventions on liver metabolism to understand the mechanisms underlying these benefits. Male rats on a high-fat, high-sucrose diet underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or intermittent fasting with caloric restriction (IF-CR), achieving equivalent weight loss. The interventions were compared to

Integrating Genetics And Metabolomics From Multi-Ethnic And Multi-Fluid Data Reveals Putative Mechanisms For Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Yiheng Chen, Eric Boerwinkle, Robert Kaplan, Bharat Thyagarajan, Martha Daviglus, Charlotte E Joslin, Jianwen Cai, Marta Guasch-Ferré, Deirdre K Tobias, Eric Rimm, Alberto Ascherio, Karen Costenbader, Elizabeth Karlson, Lorelei Mucci, A Heather Eliassen, Oana Zeleznik, John Miller, Demetrios G Vavvas, Rufino Silva, Joan Miller, Frank Hu, Walter Willett, Jessica Lasky-Su, Peter Kraft, J Brent Richards, Stuart Macgregor, Deeba Husain, Liming Liang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in older adults. Investigating shared genetic components between metabolites and AMD can enhance our understanding of its pathogenesis. We conduct metabolite genome-wide association studies (mGWASs) using multi-ethnic genetic and metabolomic data from up to 28,000 participants. With bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis involving 16,144 advanced AMD cases and 17,832 controls, we identify 108 putatively causal relationships between plasma metabolites and advanced AMD. These metabolites are enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism, lysophospholipid, triradylcglycerol, and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid pathways. Bayesian genetic colocalization analysis and a customized metabolome-wide association approach prioritize putative causal …

When A Calorie Is Not Just A Calorie: Diet Quality And Timing As Mediators Of Metabolism And Healthy Aging, Maria M Mihaylova, Amandine Chaix, Mirela Delibegovic, Jon J Ramsey, Joseph Bass, Girish Melkani, Rajat Singh, Zheng Chen, William W Ja, Michele Shirasu-Hiza, Mary N Latimer, Julie A Mattison, Anna E Thalacker-Mercer, Vishwa Deep Dixit, Satchidananda Panda, Dudley W Lamming

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

An epidemic of obesity has affected large portions of the world, increasing the risk of developing many different age-associated diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. In contrast with the prevailing notion that "a calorie is just a calorie," there are clear differences, within and between individuals, in the metabolic response to different macronutrient sources. Recent findings challenge this oversimplification; calories from different macronutrient sources or consumed at different times of day have metabolic effects beyond their value as fuel. Here, we summarize discussions conducted at a recent NIH workshop that brought together experts in calorie restriction, macronutrient composition, and …

Orchestration Of Mirna Patterns By Testosterone And Dietary Tomato Carotenoids During Early Prostate Carcinogenesis In Tramp Mice, Lei Wan, Jennifer M Thomas-Ahner, Dennis K Pearl, John W Erdman, Nancy E Moran, Steven K Clinton

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: The integrative effects of prostate cancer risk factors, such as diet and endocrine status, on cancer-associated miRNA expression are poorly defined.

Objectives: This study aimed to define the influence of androgens and diet (tomato and lycopene) on prostatic miRNA expression during early carcinogenesis in the transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate (TRAMP) model.

Methods: Wild type (WT) and TRAMP mice were fed control, tomato-containing, or lycopene-containing diets from 4 to 10 weeks of age. Mice underwent either sham (intact) or castration surgery at 8 wk, and half of the castrated mice received testosterone (2.5 mg/kg body weight/d) at 9 …