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- Genre: Masters Thesis
Description
Studies have demonstrated that anthocyanins can function as antioxidants, reduce inflammation, and improve dyslipidemia. Tart cherries are anthocyanin-rich, making them particularly attractive as a functional food to improve cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. There have been few published studies to date examining the impact of tart cherries on biomarkers of dyslipidemia and inflammation, particularly in overweight and obese individuals at high risk for these conditions. This study evaluated the effect of consuming 100% tart cherry juice daily on blood lipids including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), calculated very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), triglycerides (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and the CVD risk ratios, as well as the inflammatory biomarkers interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), C-reactive protein (CRP), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) following a 4-week period. Based on the high anthocyanin content of tart cherries, it was hypothesized that the lipid and inflammatory profiles would be significantly improved following the intervention. A total of 26 men and women completed this 4-week randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Participants were randomized to drink either 8 ounces of placebo beverage or tart cherry juice daily for 4 weeks. Following a 4-week washout period, the alternate beverage was consumed. Ultimately, this investigation demonstrated no statistically significant alterations in any of the lipid or inflammatory biomarkers when analyzed across time and between interventions (p > 0.05). As expected, glucose and insulin parameters remained stable over the duration of the study, as well as self-reported physical activity level, total calorie consumption, and macronutrient intake. However, trans-fat was reported to be significantly higher during the cherry arm of the study as compared to the placebo arm (p < 0.05), potentially confounding other results. Although the results of this study were equivocal, it is feasible that a higher dose, longer treatment duration, or more susceptible target population may be required to elicit significant effects. Consequently, further investigation is necessary to clarify this research.
ContributorsColes, Katie (Author) / Martin, Keith R. (Thesis advisor) / Traustadottir, Tinna (Committee member) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
ABSTRACT
Objective: The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the effect a daily coconut oil supplement (2 grams) would have on a common serum marker of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein) and an indicator of oxidative stress (TBARS) when compared to the control group receiving a placebo capsule (white flour) in healthy, sedentary adults between the ages of 18-40 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Design: This study was designed as secondary analyses of blood samples originally collected to study the effects of coconut oil supplementation on blood lipids and body composition. The original study consisted of 32 healthy, adult volunteers recruited from the Arizona State University campus in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants followed no food restrictions or special diets, exercised less than 150 minutes per week, had no diagnoses of chronic disease, were not taking statin medications, were non-smokers, and no female participants were pregnant. Participants were randomized into either the Coconut Oil group (CO) or the Placebo group (PL) at week 0, and baseline blood samples and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Each participant completed an 8-week protocol consisting of two supplement capsules daily (coconut oil or placebo). Final fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were taken at week 8. This study analyzed the blood samples for measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) and thiobarbituric reactive substance (TBARS).
Results: Eight weeks of 2 grams per day coconut oil supplementation, in comparison to placebo treatment, did not significantly reduce serum CRP ( -13% and +51% respectively, p=0.183) but did significantly increase TBARS ( +16% and -27% respectively, p=0.049).
Conclusions: Coconut oil supplementation (2 g/day) may impact lipid peroxidation as indicated by an increase in plasma TBARS concentration. Future trials are necessary to corroborate these results using other indices of fatty peroxide formation.
Objective: The purpose of this randomized, placebo-controlled trial was to investigate the effect a daily coconut oil supplement (2 grams) would have on a common serum marker of systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein) and an indicator of oxidative stress (TBARS) when compared to the control group receiving a placebo capsule (white flour) in healthy, sedentary adults between the ages of 18-40 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Design: This study was designed as secondary analyses of blood samples originally collected to study the effects of coconut oil supplementation on blood lipids and body composition. The original study consisted of 32 healthy, adult volunteers recruited from the Arizona State University campus in Phoenix, Arizona. Participants followed no food restrictions or special diets, exercised less than 150 minutes per week, had no diagnoses of chronic disease, were not taking statin medications, were non-smokers, and no female participants were pregnant. Participants were randomized into either the Coconut Oil group (CO) or the Placebo group (PL) at week 0, and baseline blood samples and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Each participant completed an 8-week protocol consisting of two supplement capsules daily (coconut oil or placebo). Final fasting blood samples and anthropometric measurements were taken at week 8. This study analyzed the blood samples for measurements of C-reactive protein (CRP) and thiobarbituric reactive substance (TBARS).
Results: Eight weeks of 2 grams per day coconut oil supplementation, in comparison to placebo treatment, did not significantly reduce serum CRP ( -13% and +51% respectively, p=0.183) but did significantly increase TBARS ( +16% and -27% respectively, p=0.049).
Conclusions: Coconut oil supplementation (2 g/day) may impact lipid peroxidation as indicated by an increase in plasma TBARS concentration. Future trials are necessary to corroborate these results using other indices of fatty peroxide formation.
ContributorsNorman, Lisa (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Ellis, Melissa (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
The need of organs for transplantation has become an increasing medical need due to a limited donor organ supply. Many organs fail within 10 years due to acute and chronic rejection. Acute or antibody mediated rejection leads to decreased long term graft survival and increases the need for a repeat transplant. In prior work, reducing endothelial heparan sulfation and blockade of chemokine-glycosaminoglycan (GAG) interaction with Myxomavirus-derived protein, M-T7, reduced aortic and renal graft vascular inflammation and rejection. Conditional endothelial Ndst1 deficiency and inhibition of chemokine-GAG interaction reduces early allograft damage and suggest new therapeutic options for graft rejection. Here acute renal rejection was examined in grafts with conditional endothelial N-deacetylase-N-sulfotransferase-1 knockout (Ndst1-/-) and in wildtype (WT) C57Bl6/J grafts treated with saline, M-T7, antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) for Ndst1 or a scrambled ASO control. Viruses have a highly adaptive ability to evade hosts defense and immune response. The immunomodulatory proteins derived from viruses provide potential therapeutic uses to alleviate this need for organs. The Myxoma virus derived protein M-T7 is a promising therapeutic for reducing kidney transplant rejection. Orthotopic transplantations in mice are extremely difficult and costly because they require a highly trained microsurgeon. This kidney to kidney subcapsular and subcutaneous transplant model is a practical and simpler method that requires fewer mice, one kidney can be used for transplants in 6 or more mice and there is much lower morbidity, pain and mortality. Heterotopic transplantation of allografts is a simple model for preliminary testing of treatments for early inflammation, ischemia, and graft rejection. Subcapsular kidney transplantation provides a first step approach to test virus-derived proteins as potential treatments to reduce transplant rejection and inflammation. This project reports on a broadly applicable platform on which to rapidly and conveniently test new treatments for transplant rejection. This finding will significantly lower the barrier to entry for labs which are interested in translating their laboratory findings to animal models of organ transplantation which is a complex surgical procedure, and thus accelerate the bench-to-bedside translation of novel, putative treatments for transplant rejection as an initial screening tool.
ContributorsBurgin, Michelle A (Author) / McFadden, Douglas (Thesis advisor) / Lucas, Alexandra R (Thesis advisor) / Yaron, Jordan R (Committee member) / Lim, Efrem S. (Committee member) / Hogue, Brenda G (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020