Medical Nutrition Commons^™

Sr-A Ligand And M-Csf Dynamically Regulate Sr-A Expression And Function In Primary Macrophages Via P38 Mapk Activation, Dejan Nikolic, Lindsay Calderon, Liqin Du, Steven R. Post

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Inflammation is characterized by dynamic changes in the expression of cytokines, such as M-CSF, and modifications of lipids and proteins that result in the formation of ligands for Class A Scavenger Receptors (SR-A). These changes are associated with altered SR-A expression in macrophages; however, the intracellular signal pathways involved and the extent to which SR-A ligands regulate SR-A expression are not well defined. To address these questions, SR-A expression and function were examined in resident mouse peritoneal macrophages incubated with M-CSF or the selective SR-A ligand acetylated-LDL (AcLDL).

RESULTS: M-CSF increased SR-A expression and function, and required the specific …

Acute Arginine Supplementation Fails To Improve Muscle Endurance Or Affect Blood Pressure Responses To Resistance Training, Beau K. Greer, Brett T. Jones

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Dietary supplement companies claim that arginine supplements acutely enhance skeletal muscular endurance. The purpose of this study was to determine whether acute arginine a-ketoglutarate supplementation (AAKG) will affect local muscle endurance of the arm and shoulder girdle or the blood pressure (BP) response to anaerobic exercise. Twelve trained college-aged men (22.6 +/- 3.8 years) performed 2 trials of exercise separated by at least 1 week. At 4 hours before, and 30 minutes before exercise, a serving of an AAKG supplement (3,700 mg arginine alpha-ketoglutarate per serving) or placebo was administered. Resting BP was assessed pre-exercise after 16 minutes of seated …

The Effects Of Curcumin On Body Composition Of Patients With Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, Henrique A. Parsons Md

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Cachexia is very common among patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and is a marker of poor prognosis. Weight loss in cachexia is due to both adipose and muscle compartments, and sarcopenia (severe muscle depletion) is associated with worse outcomes. Curcumin has shown a myriad of biological effects, including anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. The ability of curcumin to attenuate cachexia and muscle loss has been tested in animal models, with conflicting results so far. The hypothesis of this study was that patients with advanced pancreatic cancer treated with curcumin for two months have less fat and muscle loss as compared to matched …

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 …

Vitamin D Levels And Risk Of Dyslipidemia Among Us Children With Diabetes And Obesity, Elsina E. Hagan

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Dyslipidemia is increasing among U.S. children, and the prevalence is highest among children with diabetes and obesity. Recently, vitamin D deficiency has been suggested as a possible dietary risk factor for dyslipidemia. Despite the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency amongst children, virtually no studies have evaluated the association between vitamin D and dyslipidemia among children. We evaluated the vitamin D and dyslipidemia relationship among 240 children and adolescents aged 2 through 21 years who were outpatients of a pediatric endocrinology unit at a large tertiary care facility in Western Massachusetts from April 2008 to April 2010. Eligible children were …

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, …

Impact Of A Comprehensive Nutrition And Lifestyle Education Intervention On Body Weight And Health-Related Outcomes In Morbidly-Obese Hispanic-Americans Following Laparoscopic Roux-En Y Gastric Bypass, Monica Petasne Nijamkin

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As morbid obesity increasingly affects Hispanic-Americans, the incidence of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedures (RYGB) among this population rises. Prospective research on the impact of postoperative educational interventions focused on Hispanic-Americans is needed to prevent premature weight loss plateau, weight regain, nutritional deficiencies, and relapse of obesity-related comorbidities. This randomized-controlled study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive nutrition and lifestyle education intervention (6 biweekly postoperative sessions that incorporated motivational strategies for behavioral change) as compared to a non-comprehensive approach (printed guidelines for healthy lifestyle). The variables to consider are body weight, obesity-related comorbidities (depression, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and others), nutrient status, physical …

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)