Theses and dissertations

This collection includes both ASU Theses and Dissertations, submitted by graduate students, and the Barrett, Honors College theses submitted by undergraduate students. 

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Targeted Metabolomics Reveals the Effect of Nitrate Supplementation on Vascular Function

Description
In the United States, two-thirds of adults are considered hypertensive orprehypertensive. In addition, chronic illness, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes, results in $3.5 trillion in annual healthcare cost and is the primary cause of disability and death. As a result, many individuals seek cheaper and simpler…

In the United States, two-thirds of adults are considered hypertensive orprehypertensive. In addition, chronic illness, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and type II diabetes, results in $3.5 trillion in annual healthcare cost and is the primary cause of disability and death. As a result, many individuals seek cheaper and simpler alternatives to combat their conditions. In this exploratory analysis, a study assessing nitrate intake and its effects on vascular function in 39 young adult males was investigated for underlying metabolic variations through a liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry-based large-scale targeted metabolomics approach. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used, and 18 significant metabolites were discovered across the time, treatment, and time & treatment groups, including prostaglandin E2 (p<0.001), stearic acid (p=0.002), caprylic acid (p=0.016), pentadecanoic acid (p=0.027), and heptadecanoic acid (p=0.005). In addition, log-transformed principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares – discriminant analysis models demonstrated distinct separation among the treatment, control, and time variables. Moreover, pathway and enrichment analyses validated the effect of nitrate intake on the metabolite sets and its possible function in fatty acid oxidation. This better understanding of altered metabolic pathways may help explicate the benefits of nitrate on vascular function and reveal any unknown mechanisms of its supplementation.
ContributorsPatterson, Jeffrey (Author) / Gu, Haiwei (Thesis advisor) / Johnston, Carol (Committee member) / Sweazea, Karen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Effects of Intermittent Fasting on Cognitive Acuity in University Students

Description
The popularity of intermittent fasting has grown in recent years and is a commonly discussed diet topic on the internet and social media. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is one particular intermittent fasting regime that allows participants to pick windows of time per day in which they can eat or fast. While…

The popularity of intermittent fasting has grown in recent years and is a commonly discussed diet topic on the internet and social media. Time-restricted feeding (TRF) is one particular intermittent fasting regime that allows participants to pick windows of time per day in which they can eat or fast. While current randomized controlled trials show positive effects of TRF on weight loss, body composition, glucose, insulin, and blood pressure, there is a gap in the literature of the its effect on cognition although animal studies suggest a positive effect. The purpose of this 8-week randomized controlled trial was to investigate the effect of 18-hour time-restricted feeding on healthy, Arizona State university students. Students (n= 29) were recruited by the research team and were randomized to either an 18-hour intervention (INV) group or an 8-hour control (CON) group. INV participants were instructed to consume food within the first hour of waking and cease their eating period after 6 hours to begin their 18-hour fast. Participants were not given any other dietary restrictions and were allowed to eat ad libitum during their eating periods. Cognitive tests (Stroop Test and Trail Making Test) and blood draws were taken at baseline, week 4, and week 8. The present study demonstrated high attrition, with 7 participants dropping out of the study after their baseline visit. Interruption of the COVID-19 pandemic also impacted the data analysis, with the removal of week 8 data. Despite limitations, statistically significant differences between the INV group and CON group were seen in the Trail Making Test B at week 4 (p= 0.031). Statistically significant differences were not seen in any of the other cognitive outcomes measured (Stroop Test, Trail Making Test A, serum BDNF, serum ketones). However, a significant inverse relationship was seen between serum ketones and Trail Making Test B. In conclusion, this study suggests that TRF may have a favorable effect on cognitive acuity among university students.
ContributorsKravat, Natalie (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Gu, Haiwei (Committee member) / Sears, Dorothy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
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Exercise, Genistein, and Their Combined Effect on Gut Microbiota and Mitochondrial Oxidative Capacity After 12-Week of a Western Diet on C57BL/6 Adult Mice

Description
Obesity is one of the most challenging health conditions of our time, characterized by complex interactions between behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. These interactions lead to a distinctive obese phenotype. Twenty years ago, the gut microbiota (GM) was postulated as a significant factor contributing to the obese phenotype and associated…

Obesity is one of the most challenging health conditions of our time, characterized by complex interactions between behavioral, environmental, and genetic factors. These interactions lead to a distinctive obese phenotype. Twenty years ago, the gut microbiota (GM) was postulated as a significant factor contributing to the obese phenotype and associated metabolic disturbances. Exercise had shown to improve and revert the metabolic abnormalities in obese individuals. Also, genistein has a suggested potential anti-obesogenic effect. Studying the dynamic interaction of the GM with relevant organs in metabolic homeostasis is crucial for the design of new long-term therapies to treat obesity. The purpose of this experimental study is to examine exercise (Exe), genistein (Gen), and their combined intervention (Exe + Gen) effects on GM composition and musculoskeletal mitochondrial oxidative function in diet-induced obese mice. Also, this study aims to explore the association between gut microbial diversity and mitochondrial oxidative capacity. 132 adult male (n=63) and female (n= 69) C57BL/6 mice were randomized to one of five interventions for twelve weeks: control (n= 27), high fat diet (HFD; n=26), HFD + Exe (n=28), HFD + Gen (n=27), or HFD + Exe + Gen (n=24). All HFD drinking water was supplemented with 42g sugar/L. Fecal pellets were collected, DNA extracted, and measured the microbial composition by sequencing the V4 of the 16S rRNA gene with Illumina. The mitochondrial oxidative capacity was assessed by measuring the enzymatic kinetic activity of the citrate synthase (CS) of forty-nine mice. This study found that Exe groups had a significantly higher bacterial richness compared to HFD + Gen or HFD group. Exe + Gen showed the synergistic effect to drive the GM towards the control group´s GM composition as we found Ruminococcus significantly more abundant in the HFD + Exe + Gen than the rest of the HFD groups. The study did not find preventive capacity in either of the interventions on the CS activity. Therefore, further research is needed to confirm the synergistic effect of Exe, Exe, and Gen on the gut bacterial richness and the capacity to prevent HFD-induced deleterious effect on GM and mitochondrial oxidative capacity.
ContributorsOrtega Santos, Carmen Patricia (Author) / Whisner, Corrie M (Thesis advisor) / Dickinson, Jared M (Committee member) / Katsanos, Christos (Committee member) / Gu, Haiwei (Committee member) / Liu, Li (Committee member) / Al-Nakkash, Layla (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021