Medical Nutrition Commons^™

M2 Polarization Of Macrophages Facilitates Arsenic-Induced Cell Transformation Of Lung Epithelial Cells, Jiajun Cui, Wenhua Xu, Jian Chen, Hui Li, Lu Dai, Jacqueline A. Frank, Shaojun Peng, Siying Wang, Gang Chen

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

The alterations in microenvironment upon chronic arsenic exposure may contribute to arsenic-induced lung carcinogenesis. Immune cells, such as macrophages, play an important role in mediating the microenvironment in the lungs. Macrophages carry out their functions after activation. There are two activation status for macrophages: classical (M1) or alternative (M2); the latter is associated with tumorigenesis. Our previous work showed that long-term arsenic exposure induces transformation of lung epithelial cells. However, the crosstalk between epithelial cells and macrophages upon arsenic exposure has not been investigated. In this study, using a co-culture system in which human lung epithelial cells are cultured with …

Use Of The Ketogenic Diet In The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit-Safety And Tolerability., Lindsey M. Thompson, Erin Day Fecske, Mohammad Salim, Ara Hall

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Drug-resistant epilepsy poses a challenge in neonatal patients, especially those in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), who have various secondary comorbidities. We present results of four children with a history of drug-resistant epilepsy for whom a ketogenic diet was initiated and used in the NICU. A nonfasting induction into ketosis over 1-2 weeks was utilized, with gradual increases in the ketogenic ratio every 2-3 days. Data were collected retrospectively from a database, which included medical history, daily progress notes, relevant laboratory data, and imaging and diagnostic information. The ketogenic diet was well tolerated in all cases. The most common …

Inhibition Of The Integrin/Fak Signaling Axis And C-Myc Synergistically Disrupts Ovarian Cancer Malignancy, B. Xu, Jason R. Lefringhouse, Z. Liu, D. West, Lauren A. Baldwin, C. Ou, L. Chen, Dana L. Napier, Luksana Chaiswing, Lawrence D. Brewer, Daret K. St Clair, Olivier Thibault, John R. Van Nagell, Binhua P. Zhou, R. Drapkin, J.-A. Huang, M. L. Lu, Frederick R. Ueland, X. H. Yang

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Integrins, a family of heterodimeric receptors for extracellular matrix, are promising therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer, particularly high-grade serous-type (HGSOC), as they drive tumor cell attachment, migration, proliferation and survival by activating focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-dependent signaling. Owing to the potential off-target effects of FAK inhibitors, disruption of the integrin signaling axis remains to be a challenge. Here, we tackled this barrier by screening for inhibitors being functionally cooperative with small-molecule VS-6063, a phase II FAK inhibitor. From this screening, JQ1, a potent inhibitor of Myc oncogenic network, emerged as the most robust collaborator. Treatment with a combination of VS-6063 …

Sodium-Myoinositol Cotransporter-1, Smit1, Mediates The Production Of Reactive Oxygen Species Induced By Hyperglycemia In The Heart, Anne Van Steenbergen, Magali Balteau, Audrey Ginion, Laura Ferté, Sylvain Battault, Christophe De Meester De Ravenstein, Jean-Luc Balligand, Evangelos-Panagiotis Daskalopoulos, Patrick Gilon, Florin Despa, Sanda Despa, Jean-Louis Vanoverschelde, Sandrine Horman, Hermann Koepsell, Gerard Berry, Louis Hue, Luc Bertrand, Christophe Beauloye

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Hyperglycemia (HG) stimulates the production of reactive oxygen species in the heart through activation of NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2). This production is independent of glucose metabolism but requires sodium/glucose cotransporters (SGLT). Seven SGLT isoforms (SGLT1 to 6 and sodium-myoinositol cotransporter-1, SMIT1) are known, although their expression and function in the heart remain elusive. We investigated these 7 isoforms and found that only SGLT1 and SMIT1 were expressed in mouse, rat and human hearts. In cardiomyocytes, galactose (transported through SGLT1) did not activate NOX2. Accordingly, SGLT1 deficiency did not prevent HG-induced NOX2 activation, ruling it out in the cellular response to …

Translational Models For Vascular Cognitive Impairment: A Review Including Larger Species, Atticus H. Hainsworth, Stuart M. Allan, Johannes Boltze, Catriona Cunningham, Chad Farris, Elizabeth Head, Masafumi Ihara, Jeremy D. Isaacs, Raj N. Kalaria, Saskia A. M. J. Lesnik Oberstein, Mark B. Moss, Björn Nitzsche, Gary A. Rosenberg, Julie W. Rutten, Melita Salkovic-Petrisic, Aron M. Troen

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Disease models are useful for prospective studies of pathology, identification of molecular and cellular mechanisms, pre-clinical testing of interventions, and validation of clinical biomarkers. Here, we review animal models relevant to vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). A synopsis of each model was initially presented by expert practitioners. Synopses were refined by the authors, and subsequently by the scientific committee of a recent conference (International Conference on Vascular Dementia 2015). Only peer-reviewed sources were cited.

Methods: We included models that mimic VCI-related brain lesions (white matter hypoperfusion injury, focal ischaemia, cerebral amyloid angiopathy) or reproduce VCI risk factors (old age, hypertension, …

Which Food Security Determinants Predict Adequate Vegetable Consumption Among Rural Western Australian Children?, Stephanie L. Godrich, Johnny Lo, Christina R. Davies, Jill Darby, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Improving the suboptimal vegetable consumption among the majority of Australian children is imperative in reducing chronic disease risk. The objective of this research was to determine whether there was a relationship between food security determinants (FSD) (i.e., food availability, access, and utilisation dimensions) and adequate vegetable consumption among children living in regional and remote Western Australia (WA). Caregiver-child dyads (n = 256) living in non-metropolitan/rural WA completed cross-sectional surveys that included questions on FSD, demographics and usual vegetable intake. A total of 187 dyads were included in analyses, which included descriptive and logistic regression analyses via IBM SPSS (version 23). …

Motility And Adhesion Through Type Iv Pili In Gram-Positive Bacteria, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Eric J. Sundberg

Food for Health: Publications

Type IV pili are hair-like bacterial surface appendages that play a role in diverse processes such as cellular adhesion, colonization, twitching motility, biofilm formation, and horizontal gene transfer. These extracellular fibers are composed exclusively or primarily of many copies of one or more pilin proteins, tightly packed in a helix so that the highly hydrophobic amino-terminus of the pilin is buried in the pilus core. Type IV pili have been characterized extensively in Gram-negative bacteria, and recent advances in high-throughput genomic sequencing have revealed that they are also widespread in Gram-positive bacteria. Here, we review the current state of knowledge …

Oral Carbohydrate Administration Prior To Colorectal Surgery: Practice Change Outcomes And Economic Analysis, Joshua Kendrick Ezelle

Doctoral Projects

Difference in recovery times has been an interest of mine for many years. I observed that an open heart surgery routinely recovered and discharged on the third post-op day, while a colorectal patient often required a hospital stay of five to ten days. I began researching recovery methods of colorectal patients. I found enhanced recovery techniques like decreased narcotic, use of NSAID’s, early ambulation, and the use of medications that assist with bowel peristalsis are being employed nationally. Other techniques are now starting to be used with positive results. One of these is Carb-loading. Carb-loading is the oral intake of …

A Generalized Framework For Computational Design And Mutational Scanning Of T-Cell Receptor Binding Interfaces, Timothy P. Riley, Cory M. Ayres, Lance M. Hellman, Nishant K. Singh, Michael Cosiano, Jennifer M. Cimons, Michael J. Anderson, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian G. Pierce, Zhiping Weng, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

T-cell receptors (TCRs) have emerged as a new class of therapeutics, most prominently for cancer where they are the key components of new cellular therapies as well as soluble biologics. Many studies have generated high affinity TCRs in order to enhance sensitivity. Recent outcomes, however, have suggested that fine manipulation of TCR binding, with an emphasis on specificity may be more valuable than large affinity increments. Structure-guided design is ideally suited for this role, and here we studied the generality of structure-guided design as applied to TCRs. We found that a previous approach, which successfully optimized the binding of a …

Current And Emerging Uses Of Statins In Clinical Therapeutics: A Review, Jonathan T. Davies, Spencer F. Delfino, Chad E. Feinberg, Meghan F. Johnson, Veronica L. Nappi, Joshua T. Olinger, Anthony P. Schwab, Hollie I. Swanson

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Statins, a class of cholesterol-lowering medications that inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase, are commonly administered to treat atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Statin use may expand considerably given its potential for treating an array of cholesterol-independent diseases. However, the lack of conclusive evidence supporting these emerging therapeutic uses of statins brings to the fore a number of unanswered questions including uncertainties regarding patient-to-patient variability in response to statins, the most appropriate statin to be used for the desired effect, and the efficacy of statins in treating cholesterol-independent diseases. In this review, the adverse effects, costs, and drug–drug and drug–food interactions associated with statin …

Tgf-Β Signaling: New Insights Into Aortic Aneurysms, Sean E. Thatcher

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Lifestyle And Other Factors Explain One-Half Of The Variability In The Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Response To Cholecalciferol Supplementation In Healthy Adults, Judy R. Rees, Leila A. Mott, Elizabeth L. Barry, John A. Baron

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: Many factors have been associated with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations in observational studies, with variable consistency. However, less information is available on factors affecting the magnitude of changes in serum 25(OH)D resulting from vitamin D supplementation. Objective: This study aimed to identify factors associated with the serum 25(OH)D response to supplementation with 1000 IU cholecalciferol/d during the first year of a large, multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled colorectal adenoma chemoprevention trial. Methods: Eligible older adults who were not vitamin D–deficient [serum 25(OH)D12 ng/mL] were randomly assigned in a modified 2 3 2 factorial design to 1 of 4 groups: daily …

Structural Diversity In The Type Iv Pili Of Multidrug-Resistant Acinetobacter, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Erik Lillehoj, Christian M. Harding, Jason W. Labonte, Xiaotong Zuo, Chelsea A. Rapp, Robert S. Munson Jr, Simeon E. Goldblum, Mario F. Feldman, Jeffrey J. Gray, Eric J. Sundberg

Food for Health: Publications

Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative coccobacillus found primarily in hospital settings that has recently emerged as a source of hospital-acquired infections. A. baumannii expresses a variety of virulence factors, including type IV pili, bacterial extracellular appendages often essential for attachment to host cells. Here, we report the high resolution structures of the major pilin subunit, PilA, from three Acinetobacter strains, demonstrating thatA. baumannii subsets produce morphologically distinct type IV pilin glycoproteins. We examine the consequences of this heterogeneity for protein folding and assembly as well as host-cell adhesion by Acinetobacter. Comparisons of genomic and structural data with pilin proteins from …

The Neu1-Selective Sialidase Inhibitor, C9- Butyl-Amide-Dana, Blocks Sialidase Activity And Neu1-Mediated Bioactivities In Human Lung In Vitro And Murine Lung In Vivo, Sang W. Hyun, Anguo Liu, Zhenguo Liu, Alan S. Cross, Avelino C. Verceles, Sadagopan Magesh, Yadagiri Kommagalla, Chandrababunaidu Kona, Hiromune Ando, Irina G. Luzina, Sergei P. Atamas, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Eric J. Sundberg, Wei Guang, Hideharu Ishida, Erik P. Lillehoj, Simeon E. Goldblum

Food for Health: Publications

Neuraminidase-1 (NEU1) is the predominant sialidase expressed in human airway epithelia and lung microvascular endothelia where it mediates multiple biological processes. We tested whether the NEU1-selective sialidase inhibitor, C9-butyl-amide-2-deoxy-2,3-dehydro-Nacetylneuraminic acid (C9-BA-DANA), inhibits one or more established NEU1-mediated bioactivities in human lung cells. We established the IC50 values of C9-BA-DANA for total sialidase activity in human airway epithelia, lung microvascular endothelia and lung fibroblasts to be 3.74 µM, 13.0 µM and 4.82 µM, respectively. In human airway epithelia, C9-BA-DANA dose-dependently inhibited flagellin-induced, NEU1-mediated mucin-1 ectodomain desialylation, adhesiveness for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and shedding. In lung microvascular endothelia, C9-BA-DANA reversed NEU1-driven restraint of …

Benefits Of A Flexitarian Diet: Educating College Students Of Lifestyle Approaches To Reduce The Risk Of Developing Breast And Prostate Cancer, Abbigail Pace

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Practicing the Flexitarian diet, a plant-based diet, in conjunction with physical activity can promote a lifestyle consistent with the American Cancer Society’s recommendations for reducing risks of breast and prostate cancer (American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, 2015) College students were assessed on knowledge of the relationship between diet and cancer risk prior to and after accessing information on the American Institute of Cancer Research site or the WKU Flexitarian Pinterest Page. Participants were recruited from the National Panhellenic and Interfraternity Council memberships and the International students at Western Kentucky University. Participants completed a …

Binge Ethanol Exposure Causes Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, Oxidative Stress And Tissue Injury In The Pancreas, Zhenhua Ren, Xin Wang, Mei Xu, Fanmuyi Yang, Jacqueline A. Frank, Zun-Ji Ke, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Alcohol abuse is associated with both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis or pancreatic injury may result in chronic pancreatitis. We investigated ethanol-induced pancreatic injury using a mouse model of binge ethanol exposure. Male C57BL/6 mice were exposed to ethanol intragastrically (5 g/kg, 25% ethanol w/v) daily for 10 days. Binge ethanol exposure caused pathological changes in pancreas demonstrated by tissue edema, acinar atrophy and moderate fibrosis. Ethanol caused both apoptotic and necrotic cell death which was demonstrated by the increase in active caspase-3, caspase-8, cleaved PARP, cleaved CK-18 and the secretion of high mobility group protein …

Vitamin K2 (Menaquinone) Supplementation And Its Benefits In Cardiovascular Disease, Osteoporosis, And Cancer, Grant S. Buchanan, Md, Thomas Melvin, Brandon Merritt, Charles Bishop, Md, Franklin D. Shuler, Md, Phd

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Vitamin K is known to play an essential role in the coagulation cascade; however, a growing body of research has found that a subtype of this vitamin, vitamin K₂ (menaquinone) may have a beneficial effect in osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. This purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of recent literature regarding menaquinone and its role in human health. This review discusses the physiology of menaquinone, its clinical benefits in cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and cancer, and how it may interact with certain medications. The authors conclude that menaquinone supplementation has been shown to improve carboxylation …

Comparison Of A Powdered, Acidified Liquid, And Non-Acidified Liquid Human Milk Fortifier On Clinical Outcomes In Premature Infants., Melissa Thoene, Elizabeth Lyden, Kara Weishaar, Elizabeth Elliott, Ruomei Wu, Katelyn White, Hayley Timm, Ann Anderson-Berry

Journal Articles: Medical Nutrition

We previously compared infant outcomes between a powdered human milk fortifier (P-HMF) vs. acidified liquid HMF (AL-HMF). A non-acidified liquid HMF (NAL-HMF) is now commercially available. The purpose of this study is to compare growth and outcomes of premature infants receiving P-HMF, AL-HMF or NAL-HMF. An Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved retrospective chart review compared infant outcomes (born < 2000 g) who received one of three HMF. Growth, enteral nutrition, laboratory and demographic data were compared. 120 infants were included (P-HMF = 46, AL-HMF = 23, NAL-HMF = 51). AL-HMF infants grew slower in g/day (median 23.66 vs. P-HMF 31.27, NAL-HMF 31.74 (p < 0.05)) and in g/kg/day, median 10.59 vs. 15.37, 14.03 (p < 0.0001). AL-HMF vs. NAL-HMF infants were smaller at 36 weeks gestational age (median 2046 vs. 2404 g, p < 0.05). However AL-HMF infants received more daily calories (p = 0.21) and protein (p < 0.0001), mean 129 cal/kg, 4.2 g protein/kg vs. P-HMF 117 cal/kg, 3.7 g protein/kg , NAL-HMF 120 cal/kg, 4.0 g protein/kg. AL-HMF infants exhibited lower carbon dioxide levels after day of life 14 and 30 (p < 0.0001, p = 0.0038). Three AL-HMF infants (13%) developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) vs. no infants in the remaining groups (p = 0.0056). A NAL-HMF is the most optimal choice for premature human milk-fed infants in a high acuity neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Erbb2 And P38Γ Mapk Mediate Alcohol-Induced Increase In Breast Cancer Stem Cells And Metastasis, Mei Xu, Zhenhua Ren, Xin Wang, Ashley Comer, Jacqueline A. Frank, Zun-Ji Ke, Yi Huang, Zhuo Zhang, Xianglin Shi, Siying Wang, Jia Luo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Both epidemiological and experimental studies suggest that excessive alcohol exposure increases the risk for breast cancer and enhances metastasis/recurrence. We have previously demonstrated that alcohol enhanced the migration/invasion of breast cancer cells and cancer cells overexpressing ErbB2/HER2 were more sensitive to alcohol exposure. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the mechanisms underlying alcohol-enhanced aggressiveness of breast cancer. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a critical role in cancer metastasis and recurrence.

Methods: We evaluated the effect of chronic alcohol exposure on mammary tumor development/metastasis in MMTV-neu transgenic mice and investigated the cell signaling in …

Type Iv Pili Promote Early Biofilm Formation By Clostridium Difficile, Grace A. Maldarelli, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Alison J. Scott, Jeffrey A. Freiberg, Yang Song, Yvonee Achermann, Robert K. Ernst, Mark E. Shirtliff, Eric J. Sundberg, Michael S. Donnenberg, Erik C. Von Rosenvinge

Food for Health: Publications

Increasing morbidity and mortality from Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) present an enormous challenge to healthcare systems. Clostridium difficile express type IV pili (T4P), but their function remains unclear. Many chronic and recurrent bacterial infections result from biofilms, surface-associated bacterial communities embedded in an extracellular matrix. CDI may be biofilm mediated; T4P are important for biofilm formation in a number of organisms. We evaluate the role of T4P in C. difficile biofilm formation using RNA sequencing, mutagenesis and complementation of the gene encoding the major pilin pilA1, and microscopy. RNA sequencing demonstrates that, in comparison to other growth phenotypes, C. difficile …

Thrombospondin 1 Deficiency Ameliorates The Development Of Adriamycin-Induced Proteinuric Kidney Disease, Hasiyeti Maimaitiyiming, Qi Zhou, Shuxia Wang

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Accumulating evidence suggests that thrombospondin 1 (TSP1) is an important player in diabetic nephropathy. However, the role of TSP1 in podocyte injury and the development of non-diabetic proteinuric kidney disease is largely unknown. In the current study, by using a well-established podocyte injury model (adriamycin-induced nephropathy mouse model), we examined the contribution of TSP1 to the development of proteinuric kidney disease. We found that TSP1 was up-regulated in the glomeruli, notably in podocytes, in adriamycin injected mice before the onset of proteinuria. ADR treatment also stimulated TSP1 expression in cultured human podocytes in vitro. Moreover, increased TSP1 mediated ADR-induced …

Development Of A Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience To Introduce Drug-Receptor Concepts, Hollie I. Swanson, Ok-Kyong Park-Sarge, Thushani Rodrigo-Peiris, Lin Xiang, Vincent M. Cassone

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Course-based research experiences (CUREs) are currently of high interest due to their potential for engaging undergraduate students in authentic research and maintaining their interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. As part of a campuswide initiative called STEMCats, which is a living learning program offered to freshman STEM majors at the University of Kentucky funded by a grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, we have developed a CURE for freshmen interested in pursuing health care careers. Our course, entitled “Drug–Drug Interactions in Breast Cancer,” utilized a semester-long, in-class authentic research project and instructor-led discussions to engage students in …

Proportion Of Heart Failure Patients Who Meet Criteria For Malnutrition Upon Hospital Admission Based On Aspen Guidelines, Sarah L. Johnson

Theses & Dissertations

Background: Current research estimates that approximately 50 percent of heart failure patients are categorized as malnourished. Heart failure patients are at increased risk of malnourishment due to increased catabolic processes that increase resting energy expenditure, decrease appetite, impair nutrient absorption, and lead to unintentional weight loss. The goal of standardized diagnostic criteria is to identify malnutrition early for more effective treatment. Current studies suggest the association of early diagnosis and nutrition intervention with increased positive patient outcomes and improved quality of life for heart failure (HF) patients. However, the proportion of patients with HF who meet criteria for malnutrition at …

Vitamin A Compounds In Mothers And Infants At Birth, Jenna M. Paseka

Theses & Dissertations

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the vitamin A status in mothers and infants at birth in the United States. The main objective of this study is to determine associations between maternal and infant serum retinol, provitamin A carotenoids, and non-provitamin A carotenoids. The secondary aim is to explore the relationship between maternal intake and maternal and infant serum levels of vitamin A compounds.

METHODS: This was a prospective cohort of 34 mothers and their infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Maternal and cord blood samples were collected at delivery. Serum retinol, lutein + zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, α-carotene, …

Vitamin D Supplementation: Preventing Fractures, Courtney L. Carn, Michael S. Doherty

Physician Assistant Capstones, 2016 to 2019

Objective: To assess the ability of vitamin D supplementation in preventing musculoskeletal fractures. Methods: Systematic literature review using Google Scholar search terms “vitamin D supplementation” and “preventing hip fractures” from 2006-2015. Only RCTs, meta-analysis, and clinical guidelines were included. Results: Our search resulted in one meta-analysis and two randomized controlled trials. Conclusion: The summation of our investigation into vitamin D deficiency and the presence of musculoskeletal fractures has proven to be relatively inconclusive. The resulting data from our three studies did not provide any definitive proof that improved vitamin D levels correlates with better bone health.

Evaluation Of Protein Source At Breakfast On Energy Metabolism, Metabolic Health, And Food Intake: A Pilot Study, Lauren A. Cambias

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Abstract

Over 30% of adults in the US are obese. A primary contributor to obesity is an unhealthy diet related to imbalanced macronutrients. Diets higher in protein (PRO) are associated with increased energy expenditure (EE) and reduced food intake. The objective of this pilot study was to determine if protein source at breakfast influences EE in young men (n=4; ages 18-35). Participants consumed three isocaloric (whey (WP), pea (PP), beef (BP); 275 kcal, 62% PRO, 23% CHO, 15% Fat) drinks in randomized, crossover design with a one-week washout period. Each test day EE, appetite, and cravings were assessed at 0, …

Evaluating Dietary Quality And Taste Preferences With A Simple Liking Survey: Application To Studying Individuals With Morbid Obesity, Marina L. Zoghbi

Honors Scholar Theses

Feasible ways are needed to screen for dietary behaviors and taste preferences in clinical settings. We examined the internal validity and reliability of a brief survey to assess food preferences and dietary behaviors among morbidly obese individuals considering bariatric surgery. Survey-reported liking is a proxy for dietary intake, correlating with reported food intake and biomarkers of nutritional status (Sharafi et al, 2015) and linking taste genetics with diet and health (Pallister et al, 2015). Methods –Enrolled were 138 morbidly obese patients awaiting bariatric surgery, who completed a 100-item liking survey of foods/beverages, physical/sedentary activities, and pleasurable/unpleasurable experiences. They were oriented …

The Effects Of Iron Deficiency Anemia And Iron Supplementation In Pregnancy, Anna J. Cox

Senior Honors Theses

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a condition that occurs in both underdeveloped and developed countries worldwide. This disorder is diagnosed in an individual who presents the common signs and symptoms of anemia along with consistently low clinical markers of stored iron. Iron deficiency (ID) usually precedes a diagnosis of IDA as the insufficient amount of iron often goes undetected until one’s quality of life is diminished. Certain populations, such as women who are pregnant or of reproductive age, are particularly at risk for ID and the development of IDA. During pregnancy, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for iron is greater …

Network-Driven Plasma Proteomics Expose Molecular Changes In The Alzheimer's Brain, Philipp A. Jaeger, Kurt M. Lucin, Markus Britschgi, Badri Vardarajan, Ruo-Pan Huang, Elizabeth D. Kirby, Rachelle Abbey, Bradley F. Boeve, Adam L. Boxer, Lindsay A. Farrer, Nicole Finch, Neill R. Graff-Radford, Elizabeth Head, Matan Hofree, Ruochun Huang, Hudson Johns, Anna Karydas, David S. Knopman, Andrey Loboda, Eliezer Masliah, Ramya Narasimhan, Ronald C. Petersen, Alexei Podtelezhnikov, Suraj Pradhan, Rosa Rademakers, Chung-Huan Sun, Steven G. Younkin, Bruce L. Miller, Trey Ideker, Tony Wyss-Coray

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Biological pathways that significantly contribute to sporadic Alzheimer’s disease are largely unknown and cannot be observed directly. Cognitive symptoms appear only decades after the molecular disease onset, further complicating analyses. As a consequence, molecular research is often restricted to late-stage post-mortem studies of brain tissue. However, the disease process is expected to trigger numerous cellular signaling pathways and modulate the local and systemic environment, and resulting changes in secreted signaling molecules carry information about otherwise inaccessible pathological processes.

Results: To access this information we probed relative levels of close to 600 secreted signaling proteins from patients’ blood samples using …

Resveratrol Supplementation Confers Neuroprotection In Cortical Brain Tissue Of Nonhuman Primates Fed A High-Fat/Sucrose Diet, Michel Bernier, Devin Wahl, Ahmed Ali, Joanne Allard, Shakeela Faulkner, Artur Wnorowski, Mitesh Sanghvi, Ruin Moaddel, Irene Alfaras, Julie A. Mattison, Stefano Tarantini, Zsuzsanna Tucsek, Zoltan Ungvari, Anna Csiszar, Kevin J. Pearson, Rafael De Cabo

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Previous studies have shown positive effects of long-term resveratrol (RSV) supplementation in preventing pancreatic beta cell dysfunction, arterial stiffening and metabolic decline induced by high-fat/high-sugar (HFS) diet in nonhuman primates. Here, the analysis was extended to examine whether RSV may reduce dietary stress toxicity in the cerebral cortex of the same cohort of treated animals. Middle-aged male rhesus monkeys were fed for 2 years with HFS alone or combined with RSV, after which whole-genome microarray analysis of cerebral cortex tissue was carried out along with ELISA, immunofluorescence, and biochemical analyses to examine markers of vascular health and inflammation in the …