Barrett

Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University proudly showcases the work of undergraduate honors students by sharing this collection exclusively with the ASU community.

Barrett accepts high performing, academically engaged undergraduate students and works with them in collaboration with all of the other academic units at Arizona State University. All Barrett students complete a thesis or creative project which is an opportunity to explore an intellectual interest and produce an original piece of scholarly research. The thesis or creative project is supervised and defended in front of a faculty committee. Students are able to engage with professors who are nationally recognized in their fields and committed to working with honors students. Completing a Barrett thesis or creative project is an opportunity for undergraduate honors students to contribute to the ASU academic community in a meaningful way.

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Upregulation of Adipose Tissue APOE Expression by ω3PUFA Supplmentation Associates with Decreased Plasma FFA Levels and Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Subjects: A Reflection of My Time Working in Research and Where I Am Now

Description
Long chain ω-3PUFA fatty acid supplementation in animal models of diet-induced-obesity has consistently shown to improve insulin sensitivity. The same is not always reported in studies with obese, insulin resistant (IR) subjects. We studied whether high-dose ω-3PUFA supplementation for 3 months improves insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue (AT) inflammation…

Long chain ω-3PUFA fatty acid supplementation in animal models of diet-induced-obesity has consistently shown to improve insulin sensitivity. The same is not always reported in studies with obese, insulin resistant (IR) subjects. We studied whether high-dose ω-3PUFA supplementation for 3 months improves insulin sensitivity and adipose tissue (AT) inflammation in severely obese, IR subjects. Thirteen obese, IR subjects underwent 80 mU/m 2· min euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp with subcutaneous (Sc) AT biopsy before and after three months of ω-3PUFA (DHA & EPA, 4g/daily) supplementation. Cytoadipokine plasma profiles were assessed before and after ω-3PUFA. AT-specific inflammatory gene expression was evaluated on Sc fat biopsies. Microarray analysis was performed on the fat biopsies collected during the program. Palmitic and stearic acid plasma levels were significantly reduced (P<0.05) after ω-3PUFA. Gene expression of pro-inflammatory markers and adipokines were improved after ω-3PUFA (P<0.05). Systemic inflammation was decreased after ω-3PUFA, as shown by cytokine assessment (P<0.05). These changes were associated with a 25% increase in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal (4.67±0.62mg/kg ffm•min vs 5.87±0.79mg/kg ffm•min) despite no change in
body weight. Microarray analysis identified 53 probe sets significantly altered post- ω-3PUFA, with APOE being one of the most upregulated genes. High dose of long chain ω-3PUFA supplementation modulates significant changes in plasma fatty acid profile, AT and systemic inflammation. These findings associate with significant improvement of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal. Unbiased microarray analysis of Sc fat biopsy identified APOE as the most differentially regulated gene after ω-3PUFA 22 supplementation. We speculate that ω-3PUFA increases macrophage-derived APOE mRNA levels with anti-inflammatory properties.
ContributorsRau, Cassandra (Author) / Kastanos, Christos (Thesis director) / De Filippis, Eleanna (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
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The Role of UCP-1 in Human Omental Tissue

Description

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase in the United States, along with its risk for other associated cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Several therapeutic methods are aimed at targeting and reducing obesity, now defined as a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation (in addition to BMI > 30 kg/m2). In an…

The prevalence of obesity continues to increase in the United States, along with its risk for other associated cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Several therapeutic methods are aimed at targeting and reducing obesity, now defined as a state of chronic, low-grade inflammation (in addition to BMI > 30 kg/m2). In an attempt to expand on these therapeutic methods, research on the concept of browning in white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) is being conducted. Brown adipose tissue (BAT), and a newly discovered type of adipocyte, beige adipocytes, are heavily involved in thermogenesis with the use of uncoupling protein-1 (UCP-1). This paper focuses on the analysis of common browning genes, ATP-related genes, and metabolic genes in varying biological groups in mice (Chow/High-Fat Diet and Inguinal FAT and Perigonadal Fat) and in humans (Lean/Obese and Subcutaneous WAT (SC) and Omental WAT (OM)) using methods such as RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The data obtained shows an increase in browning in the leaner group, specifically in the subcutaneous fat. Further, browning is significantly reduced in the obese groups of subjects and mice tested, in addition to omental/perigonadal versus subcutaneous/inguinal fat depots. Interestingly, two key ATP genes, UCP-1 and COX4I1 are vastly elevated in the OM WAT, indicating that browning may not be as important in the OM, but rather may have a potential role in SC. This is contrary to prior research findings that attempt to exclude mice surrogates in future experimentation of the browning phenomenon. Further experimentation is needed to expand on the findings of this paper.
ContributorsGhannam, Hamza Ibrahim (Author) / De Filippis, Eleanna (Thesis director) / Katsanos, Christos (Committee member) / Hernandez, James (Committee member) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-12