Medical Nutrition Commons^™

Identification And Engineering Of Human Variable Regions That Allow Expression Of Stable Single-Chain T Cell Receptors, David H. Aggen, Adam S. Chervin, Francis K. Insaidoo, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker, David M. Kranz

Food for Health: Publications

Single-chain antibody fragments (scFv), consisting of two linked variable regions (V_H and V_L), are a versatile format for engineering and as potential antigen-specific therapeutics. Although the analogous format for T cell receptors (TCRs), consisting of two linked V regions (Vα and Vβ; referred to here as scTv), could provide similar opportunities, all wild-type scTv proteins examined to date are unstable. This obstacle has prevented scTv fragments from being widely used for engineering or therapeutics. To further explore whether some stable human scTv fragments could be expressed, we used a yeast system in which display of properly folded …

Fluorine Substitutions In An Antigenic Peptide Selectively Modulate T Cell Receptor Binding In A Minimally Perturbing Manner, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Oleg Y. Borbulevych, Ruth F. Sommese, John Clemens, Kathrynq M. Armstrong, Clare Desmond, Priscilla Do, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

T cell receptor (TCR) recognition of antigenic peptides bound and presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules forms the basis of the cellular immune response to pathogens and cancer. TCRs bind peptide/MHC molecules weakly and with fast kinetics, features which have hindered detailed biophysical studies of these interactions. Modified peptides resulting in enhanced TCR binding could help overcome these challenges. Further, there is considerable interest in using modified peptides with enhanced TCR binding as the basis for clinical vaccines. Here, we studied how fluorine substitutions in an antigenic peptide can selectively impact TCR recognition. Using a structure-guided design approach, we …

Urban Community Gardening The Impact On Fruit And Vegetable Intake, Christina Purcell

Students Learning with Communities

Urban community gardens are local projects managed for and by members of the local community. They may be run in partnership with local authorities or as part of community development or regeneration schemes (Hale et al., 2011). The gardens exist primarily in urban areas and are often established in response to a local community's lack of open green space (Viljoen et al., 2005). The scale and format of the gardens may vary. Depending on the available land and support, urban community gardening projects can be relatively small and in Dublin they range from small disused residential gardens (Cabra Park, See …

The Role Of The Nr4a Orphan Nuclear Receptor Nor1 In Vascular Cells And Atherosclerosis, Yue Zhao

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

The neuron-derived orphan receptor 1 (NOR1) belongs to the NR4A nuclear receptor subfamily. As an immediate early response gene, NOR1 is rapidly induced by a broad spectrum of physiological and pathological signals. Functional studies demonstrate NOR1 as a constitutively active ligand-independent nuclear receptor whose transcriptional activity is dependent on both expression level and posttranslational modifications. To date, an increasing number of studies have demonstrated a pivotal role of NOR1 in the transcriptional control of metabolism and the development of cardiovascular diseases.

In this dissertation, we demonstrate NOR1 expression in endothelial cells and sub-endothelial cells of human atherosclerotic lesions. In response …

T-Lymphocyte Responses To Intestinally Absorbed Antigens Can Contribute To Adipose Tissue Inflammation And Glucose Intolerance During High Fat Feeding, Yuehui Wang, Jianing Li, Lihua Tang, Yu Wang, Richard Charnigo, Willem De Villiers, Erik Eckhardt

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with inflammation of visceral adipose tissues, which increases the risk for insulin resistance. Animal models suggest that T-lymphocyte infiltration is an important early step, although it is unclear why these cells are attracted. We have recently demonstrated that dietary triglycerides, major components of high fat diets, promote intestinal absorption of a protein antigen (ovalbumin, "OVA"). The antigen was partly transported on chylomicrons, which are prominently cleared in adipose tissues. We hypothesized that intestinally absorbed gut antigens may cause T-lymphocyte associated inflammation in adipose tissue.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Triglyceride absorption promoted intestinal absorption of OVA into adipose tissue, …

Rbc And Wbc Fatty Acid Composition Following Consumption Of An Omega 3 Supplement: Lessons For Future Clinical Trials, Theodore R. Witte, Alexander J. Salazar, Oscar F. Ballester, W. Elaine Hardman

Biochemistry and Microbiology

Background: Results from increasing numbers of in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that omega 3 fatty acids incorporated in cell culture media or in the diet of the animals can suppress the growth of cancers. When human clinical trials are initiated to determine the ability of omega 3 fatty acids to alter growth or response to chemotherapeutic interventions of cancers, it will be essential to determine the omega 3 intake of individuals in the trial to determine compliance with consumption of the supplement and to correlate with endpoints of efficacy. We wondered if the fatty acid composition of …

4 Part Research Project: Cholecystokinin, Marcie Tasker

Academic Symposium of Undergraduate Scholarship

This 4 part research paper contains information on the biological molecule Cholecystokinin. The following research discusses and presents evidence of the name, history and structure of the hormone. It also discusses the different chemical reactions Cholecystokinin has in the body, the biological roles of Cholecystokinin and the importance of Cholecystokinin focusing specifically on the unexplained obesity issue of our world.

Algal Biofuel, Feb. 12, 2010, Harry Reid Center, University Of Nevada, Las Vegas

Biofuels

News in Brief

1. Fatty Acids Protect Against Aging (Feb. 8, 2010)

T Cell Receptor Cross-Reactivity Directed By Antigen-Dependent Tuning Of Peptide-Mhc Molecular Flexibility, Oleg Y. Borbulevych, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian E. Gloor, Daniel R. Scott, Ruth F. Sommese, David K. Cole, Andrew K. Sewell, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

Tell mediated immunity requires T cell receptor (TCR) cross-reactivity, the mechanisms behind which remain incompletely elucidated. The αβ TCR A6 recognizes both the Tax (LLFGYPVYV) and Tel1p (MLWGYLQYV) peptides presented by the human class I MHC molecule HLA-A2. Here we found that although the two ligands are ideal structural mimics, they form substantially different interfaces with A6, with conformational differences in the peptide, the TCR, and unexpectedly, the MHC molecule. The differences between the Tax and Tel1p ternary complexes could not be predicted from the free peptide-MHC structures and are inconsistent with a traditional induced-fit mechanism. Instead, the differences were …

Acetaminophen Combinations Protect Against Iron-Induced Cardiac Damage In Gerbils, Ernest M. Walker Jr., Ryan G. Morrison, Lucy Dornon, Joseph P. Laurino, Sandra M. Walker, Mark Studeny, Paulette S. Wehner, Kevin M. Rice, Miaozong Wu, Eric R. Blough

MIIR Faculty Research

This study tested if acetaminophen, N-methyl-D-glucamine dithiocarbamate (NMGDTC), deferoxamine, and combinations of these agents reduce excess iron content, prevent iron-induced pathology, reduce cardiac arrhythmias, and reduce mortality in iron-overloaded gerbils. Eight groups of 16 gerbils received iron dextran injections (ferric hydroxide dextran complex, 120 mg/kg, ip) or saline solution (controls) twice/wk for 8 wk. The 8 groups were treated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with one of the following: saline control, acetaminophen, 150 mg/kg, ip), acetaminophen (150 mg/kg, po), deferoxamine, 83 mg/kg, ip), NMGDTC (200 mg/kg, ip), or combinations of acetaminophen (75 mg/kg) with deferoxamine (42 mg/kg, each ip, separately) …

Survey Of Adult Cystic Fibrosis Patients And Parents Of Cystic Fibrosis Patients On Nutrition Education, Dixie Lea Durham

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder affecting more than 30,000 Americans, primarily Caucasians (CF Foundation, n.d.a). A defective gene on the seventh chromosome is inherited from the mother and the father. This gene causes the body to produce an abnormal protein that leads to thick, sticky mucus that is secreted by the lungs, pancreas, liver, sweat glands, and reproductive organs. The pancreas normally excretes enzymes that aid in the digestion of food, however this function is impaired in CF, and therefore CF patients must ingest replacement enzymes (CF Foundation, n.d.a). Despite advances in treatment, including replacement enzymes, under-nutrition and …

Impact Of The Short-Term Consumption Of A Moderately High Fat Diet On Nitric Oxide Production And Bioavailibility, Kan Huang

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an essential role in the regulation of numerous biological processes. Its bioavailability is assured by a well regulated balance between NO generation and NO removal. Disruptions in this balance contribute to the pathogenesis of various diseases, including hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes mellitus and arthritis. Many factors contribute to the maintenance of NO bioavailability by controlling nitric oxide synthase (NOS) expression, NOS activity, the availability of substrates and cofactors involved in the generation of NO by NOS, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the formation and mobilization of NO reservoirs. Dietary factors have a significant impact …

Role Of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor In Chronic Inflammatory Diseases, Violeta Arsenescu

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is a ligand-actviated receptor known as the dioxin receptor. Environmental pollutants called dioxin-like toxicants are found in food, cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust and air. Therefore, they could chronically amplify the pathology of numerous chronic inflammatory diseases. AhR is a well known target of these environmental chemicals that disrupt endocrine signaling. By the year 2020, the number of people older than 60 years is expected to top 1 billion. The burden of treating chronic disease is significant both in dollars spent and in lost productivity. The need to identify risk factors for chronic diseases must be evaluated …

The Interplay Between The Expression And Functions Of Wnt13 Isoforms During Apoptosis In Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells, Tao Tang

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Wnt proteins are crucial for development/homeostasis by controlling cell fate including apoptosis (Moon RT et al. 1997). Three humanWnt13 isoforms were identified: the secreted Wnt13A, mitochondrial Wnt13B, and nuclear Wnt13C forms; and nuclear Wnt13 had an increased sensitivity to LPS/TNF-induced apoptosis in primary endothelial cells (EC); both Wnt13B and C mRNA contain two start codons (AUG+1 and +74), but the same protein encoded from AUG+74 by Wnt13C was expressed lower than Wnt13B (Struewing IT et al.2006). We hypothesize that during EC apoptosis, the nuclear Wnt13C expression is regulated translationally; nuclear Wnt13 favors apoptosis through regulating the activity/expression of apoptosis-related factors; …

Kelly, Rita Helen Roberts (Fa 353), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid and full-text scan of paper (Click on “Additional Files” below) for Folklife Archives Project 353. Paper: "Good Mothering through Breast Feeding: Observations of a Meeting of the La Leche League" written by Rita H. Kelly for a Western Kentucky University folk studies class.

Borderline Personality Disorder: An Overview Of History, Diagnosis And Treatment In Adolescents, Linah Al-Alem, Hatim A. Omar

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a cluster B personality disorder. It is characterized by erratic behaviors, emotional instability and one of its hallmarks is self injurious behavior, which starts in adolescence. Patients with BPD are difficult to treat, most have a history of child sexual abuse, about a quarter present with sexual abuse from a caretaker. Although personality disorders are diagnosed only in adults, BPD manifests itself in adolescence in the form of uncontrollable anger, self mutilations, dissociation and other such behaviors. Hence, there is a growing number of scientists discussing the possibility of diagnosing BPD in adolescents. Here, we …

Dietary Folate, Other B-Vitamins And Incident Alzheimer's Disease: The Cache County Memory, Health, And Aging Study, Chailyn Nelson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study involves data from the Cache County Study, which began in 1994 with joined efforts by Duke University, Utah State University, and Johns Hopkins University. It consisted of 5,092 participants from Cache County, Utah, located in the northern part of the state. Characteristics of the population include high participation rates (~ 90%), a majority of participants are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, longer life expectancy than the general US population, a greater than 80% rate of at least a high school education, and low rates of migration.

Subjects cognitive status was screened using the …

Conformational Changes And Flexibility In T-Cell Receptor Recognition Of Peptide–Mhc Complexes, Kathryn M. Armstrong, Kurt H. Piepenbrink, Brian M. Baker

Food for Health: Publications

A necessary feature of the immune system, TCR (T-cell receptor) cross-reactivity has been implicated in numerous autoimmune pathologies and is an underlying cause of transplant rejection. Early studies of the interactions of αβ TCRs (T-cell receptors) with their peptide–MHC ligands suggested that conformational plasticity in the TCR CDR (complementarity determining region) loops is a dominant contributor to T-cell cross-reactivity. Since these initial studies, the database of TCRs whose structures have been solved both bound and free is now large enough to permit general conclusions to be drawn about the extent of TCR plasticity and the types and locations of motion …

Sr-Bi Protects Against Endotoxemia In Mice Through Its Roles In Glucocorticoid Production And Hepatic Clearance, Lei Cai, Ailing Ji, Frederick C. De Beer, Lisa R. Tannock, Deneys R. Van Der Westhuyzen

Internal Medicine Faculty Publications

Septic shock results from an uncontrolled inflammatory response, mediated primarily by LPS. Cholesterol transport plays an important role in the host response to LPS, as LPS is neutralized by lipoproteins and adrenal cholesterol uptake is required for antiinflammatory glucocorticoid synthesis. In this study, we show that scavenger receptor B-I (SR-BI), an HDL receptor that mediates HDL cholesterol ester uptake into cells, is required for the normal antiinflammatory response to LPS-induced endotoxic shock. Despite elevated plasma HDL levels, SR-BI–null mice displayed an uncontrollable inflammatory cytokine response and a markedly higher lethality rate than control mice in response to LPS. In addition, …

A Study Of Clinical Outcomes Using Serum Albumin And Percentage Of Weight Loss Following Nutritional Intervention In Post-Operative Bariatric Patients., Jennifer Michelle Angus

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if post-operative serum albumin and percentage of weight loss improved in patients who received formalized pre-operative nutrition counseling. Nutrition intervention was measured quantitatively. A retrospective review of records was conducted on 77 RYGB patients (68 female subjects and 9 male subjects), ages 21-64, during January 2001 through January 2006.

The results indicated that patients who received pre-operative nutrition intervention had better clinical outcomes of serum albumin than those with no nutrition intervention from a registered dietitian. However, outcomes regarding percentage of weight loss varied. Both pre-operatively and at the 3 month post-operative …

Expansion Of The Calcium Hypothesis Of Brain Aging And Alzheimer's Disease: Minding The Store, Olivier Thibault, John C. Gant, Philip W. Landfield

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

Evidence accumulated over more than two decades has implicated Ca2+ dysregulation in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD), giving rise to the Ca2+ hypothesis of brain aging and dementia. Electrophysiological, imaging, and behavioral studies in hippocampal or cortical neurons of rodents and rabbits have revealed aging-related increases in the slow afterhyperpolarization, Ca2+ spikes and currents, Ca2+transients, and L-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channel (L-VGCC) activity. Several of these changes have been associated with age-related deficits in learning or memory. Consequently, one version of the Ca2+ hypothesis has been that increased L-VGCC activity drives many of the other Ca2+-related biomarkers of hippocampal aging. …

Economic Efficiency And Consumer Choice Theory In Nutritional Labeling, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

As more Americans consume fast food each year, more Americans are contracting serious diseases related to obesity. Considering that obesity ranks second behind tobacco use as the largest contributor to mortality rates in the United States, and also that it gives rise to greater publicly funded health care expenses than does tobacco, this phenomenon begs the obvious question: To what extent does the growing consumption of fast food contribute to the obesity epidemic and the incidence of disease? If the answer indicates a meaningful contribution, a natural follow-up question then emerges: In a sensible legal system, what instruments would best …

Plasma Total Homocysteine And The Effect Of B-Group Vitmains. Current Knowledge And Future Directions In Assessment For Cardiovascular Diseases Among U.S. Cardiovascular Specialists, Salam F. Sunna

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States claiming the lives of over 40% of the nearly 2.4 million Americans who die each year. Recent studies have shown that elevated homocysteine in the blood is related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and stroke independent of other classical cardiovascular disease risk factors. The aim of this study is to determine the general awareness and acceptance of U.S. cardiovascular specialists of the homocysteine theory, the criteria used for ordering a homocysteine test, the frequency physicians refer patients to dietitians for …

Hdl-Associated Estradiol Stimulates Endothelial No Synthase And Vasodilation In An Sr-Bi–Dependent Manner, Ming Gong, Melinda E. Wilson, Thomas Kelly, Wen Su, James Dressman, Jeanie Kincer, Sergey V. Matveev, Ling Guo, Theresa Guerin, Xiang-An Li, Weifei Zhu, Annette M. Uittenbogaard, Eric J. Smart

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death in the United States. Two factors associated with a decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease are elevated HDL levels and sex — specifically, a decreased risk is found in premenopausal women. HDL and estrogen stimulate eNOS and the production of nitric oxide, which has numerous protective effects in the vascular system including vasodilation, antiadhesion, and anti-inflammatory effects. We tested the hypothesis that HDL binds to its receptor, scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI), and delivers estrogen to eNOS, thereby stimulating the enzyme. HDL isolated from women stimulated eNOS, whereas HDL isolated …

Hiv Protease Inhibitors Promote Atherosclerotic Lesion Formation Independent Of Dyslipidemia By Increasing Cd36-Dependent Cholesteryl Ester Accumulation In Macrophages, James Dressman, Jeanie Kincer, Sergey V. Matveev, Ling Guo, Richard N. Greenberg, Theresa Guerin, David Meade, Xiang-An Li, Weifei Zhu, Annette M. Uittenbogaard, Melinda E. Wilson, Eric J. Smart

Physiology Faculty Publications

Protease inhibitors decrease the viral load in HIV patients, however the patients develop hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, and atherosclerosis. It has been assumed that protease inhibitor–dependent increases in atherosclerosis are secondary to the dyslipidemia. Incubation of THP-1 cells or human PBMCs with protease inhibitors caused upregulation of CD36 and the accumulation of cholesteryl esters. The use of CD36-blocking antibodies, a CD36 morpholino, and monocytes isolated from CD36 null mice demonstrated that protease inhibitor–induced increases in cholesteryl esters were dependent on CD36 upregulation. These data led to the hypothesis that protease inhibitors induce foam cell formation and consequently atherosclerosis by upregulating CD36 and …

The Role Of Diet And Physical Activity For Ovarian Cancer Results From The Adventist Health Study, Fatemeh Kiani

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

A few aspects of the epidemiology of ovarian cancer are well understood, such as the inverse relationship with parity and oral contraceptive (OC) use. The role of other factors such as the potential influence of diet or physical activity is far from being established. A few studies, however, have been able to identify dietary risk factors for ovarian cancer. In this dissertation, I have conducted two studies that investigate the relationship between dietary factors and physical activity and the three endpoints: 1) nonfatal ovarian cancer (1976-1982; time to diagnosis), 2) fatal ovarian cancer (1976-1988; time to death), and 3) total …

The Influence Of Low Dietary Fat Intake On Incidence And Severity Of Migraine Headache, Zuzana Bic

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Migraine headaches are a common and debilitating syndrome causing untold suffering and loss of productivity. A review of the literature indicates that there are two primary factors involved in triggering these headaches: high levels of blood lipids and high levels of free fatty acids. Under these conditions platelet aggregability is increased, which is associated with decreases in serotonin and heightened prostaglandins levels. These conditions may produce vasodilation, the most immediate precursor to migraine headache. A high fat diet is one factor that may directly affect this process. This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of dietary fat intake on …

Comparing Two Strategies To Modify Dietary Behavior And Serum Cholesterol, Kim D. Reynolds, Judith L. Gillum, David J. Hyman, Tim Byers, Sarah A. Moore, Gilles Paradis, June A. Flora, Karen Lazarus

CGU Faculty Publications and Research

Aim: To test the hypothesis that a strategy including cholesterol screening and dietary education is more effective than dietary education alone in changing dietary behavior and serum cholesterol levels.

Methods: Individuals at four worksites were enrolled in a randomized trial with a 'full intervention' condition in which subjects were told their serum cholesterol value and also received a dietary change kit (n=236), and a 'partial intervention' condition in which subjects received the same dietary change kit, but were not told their serum cholesterol value (n=284). Individuals (n=115) in two worksites served as a nonrandomized 'untreated control group'. Subjects were tested …

Maternal-Neonatal Serum Vitamin A Concentrations., Girish S. Shirali, D G. Oelberg, K P. Mehta

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Prevention of neonatal vitamin A deficiency is related to the adequacy of maternal vitamin A stores. In this study we investigated maternal and cord serum vitamin A and retinol-binding protein (RBP) values in an Indian population including, for the first time, clinically vitamin A-deficient mothers. Twenty-eight maternal-neonatal pairs were selected from maternal cohorts of high socioeconomic status without clinical evidence of vitamin A deficiency (group I) and low socioeconomic status with conjunctival xerosis and Bitot's spots (group II). Maternal education, caloric and vitamin A intakes, weight, height, hemoglobin, and birth weight were significantly lower in group II. Serum vitamin A …

Lipoprotein Lipase Inhibitor Removal During Ultrafiltration Of Renal Failure Patients, Alisa Minear

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Plasma samples were obtained from seven hypertriglyceridemic (>150 mg/dl) chronic renal failure patients before and after regular hemodialysis. The effect of the plasma on the lipolytic activity of bovine milk lipoprotein lipase was investigated. The lipoprotein lipase activity, as measured by release of C¹⁴-labeled free fatty acid from triglyceride, was decreased 8-67% when incubated with uremic plasma as compared to the control plasma (44 mg/dl triglyceride). The inhibition noted prior to hemodialysis did not appear to be alleviated by the dialysis but subsequent treatment with an isolated ultrafiltration technique did appear to remove an inhibitory substance as …