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High consumption of dairy products, particularly non-fat dairy, is associated with reduced risk of high blood pressure and vascular dysfunction. Currently, it is not known if the solitary addition of conventional non-fat dairy products to the normal routine diet is capable of reducing blood pressure or improving vascular function. Accordingly, the primary aims of the present study were to determine if the solitary addition of conventional non-fat dairy products to the normal routine diet would reduce blood pressure and improve vascular function in middle-aged and older adults with elevated blood pressure. Using a randomized, crossover intervention study design, forty-nine adults with elevated blood pressure underwent a High Dairy condition (+4 servings/day of conventional non-fat dairy products) and isocaloric No Dairy condition (+4 servings/day fruit products) in which all dairy products were removed. Both dietary conditions lasted 4 weeks with a 2-week washout before crossing over into the alternate condition. In Study 1, the High Dairy condition produced reductions in brachial systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure. The hypotensive effects were observed within three weeks after the initiation of dietary intervention and in both casual seated and ambulatory (24-hour) measurements. On the contrary, pulse pressure was increased after removal of all dairy products in the No Dairy condition compared to baseline and after in the High Dairy condition. There were no changes in diastolic blood pressure after either dietary condition. In Study 2, the High Dairy condition produced reductions in carotid systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity with a concomitant increase in brachial flow-mediated dilation and cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity. Brachial flow-mediated dilation decreased and carotid pulse pressure increased after removal of all dairy products in the No Dairy condition. Furthermore, [delta] carotid systolic blood pressure and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity were highly related. Taken together, we concluded that the solitary manipulation of conventional dairy products, particularly non-fat dairy, in the normal routine diet would modulate levels of blood pressure and vascular function in middle-aged and older adults with pre-hypertension and hypertension. / text

Regular soy consumption has been shown to reduce cardiovascular (CV) risk through plasma cholesterol reduction. According to the current health claim, this benefit is attributed to soy protein (SP). Dietary intervention trials indicate that isoflavones (ISO), weak phytoestrogens in soy, may also contribute by offering additional vascular and metabolic protection. Equol, a metabolite of the ISO daidzein (DAZ) with greater estrogenic potency, may be an important mediator of such effects. This thesis examines effects of soy, in particular, ISO consumption on CV risk factors and the potential for ISOs to enhance cognition, possibly through improvements of circulatory function. Two crossover design intervention trials were undertaken: a food-based intervention, investigating differential effects of SP and ISO on plasma lipids and other risk factors for CVD, and an ISO supplementation trial, examining effects on cognition and vascular function. Both addressed whether benefits were dependent on equol production. In the first trial, 91 subjects with untreated mild hypercholesterolemia were randomised to consume each of the following three diets in random order for sequential 6 week periods: (S) soy foods containing 24 g of SP and 75-90 mg ISO per day, (SD) soy/dairy foods containing 12 g SP, 12 g dairy protein (DP) and 75-90 mg ISO per day or (D) dairy foods containing 24 g DP only per day. At the end of each diet period, blood lipids, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery, blood pressure, arterial compliance and anthropometric measures were assessed. Compared with the control diet (D), there was a small but significant reduction in total cholesterol on the S diet only (2.8 + 1.1%, P<0.05), which could be accounted for by a decrease in saturated fat intake. FMD was found to be significantly improved when SD and S diet data were nested (P=0.03). Plasma triglycerides (TG) improved on both the SD and S diets compared with D (P<0.01). Other lipid, metabolic and vascular parameters did not differ between diets. There were no differences in outcomes between equol (n=30) and non equol producers (n=61). In a subsequent 12 week double-blind supplementation trial, 34 healthy males were randomised to take 4 capsules providing 120mg ISO per day or a matching placebo for 6 weeks, after which they crossed over to the alternate supplement. FMD and cognitive assessments relating to measures of memory and executive function were performed at the beginning and end of each treatment phase. Spatial working memory, a test in which females consistently perform better than males, was significantly improved by ISO supplementation (P<0.02). However, other measures of cognition and FMD were unaffected and there were no differences between equol (n=8) and non-equol producers (n=26). These interventions indicate that ISOs offer specific health benefits, independent of equol production. ISO supplementation can enhance specific cognitive processes which appear dependent on estrogen activation. Additionally, soy foods containing ISOs improved FMD and TG but were unable to improve LDL cholesterol, even in equol producers. Thus dietary ISOs may reduce CV risk but the validity of the current health claim for SP is questioned. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1345614 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, 2008

Ovarian cancer is a deadly gynecological disease that ranks fifth in all cancer-related deaths inwomen. The disease is often detected at an advanced stage and lack of sensitive predictive biomarkerscontribute to its poor prognosis, which is also responsible for the current five-year survival rate of only47%. Our laboratory has previously shown that a whole flaxseed supplemented diet decreases the onsetand severity of ovarian cancer in the laying hen, the only known animal model of spontaneous ovariancancer. Flaxseed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (OM3FA), mostly α-Linoleic acid (ALA), which getsconverted to Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) by the action of delta-6 desaturase enzyme. We have also shownthat the flaxseed diet in hens induces CYP1A1 expression in the liver while suppressing both CYP1B1 andCYP3A4 expressions. The upregulation of CYP1A1 parallels the increase in 2-hydroxyestradiol and the 2-methoxyestradiol (2MeOE2) level in the serum of the chickens. Flaxseed diet induces apoptosis to ovariantumors and not in the normal ovarian tissues. The current work explores the pro-apoptotic actions of oneof the biologically derived compounds of flaxseed diet, 2MeOE2, and describes one of its novel molecularactions. Our results indicate that 2MeOE2 -mediated pro-apoptotic actions are partly dependent on thecatalytic activation of protein kinase C delta (PKCd), which is responsible for key apoptotic histonemodifications and p38 MAPK (MAPK14) phosphorylation. Phosphorylated MAPK14, in turn, results inmore caspase-3 cleavage which activates more PKCd, therefore amplifying the apoptotic signal.The other part of this work explains one of the key anti-cancer actions of a flaxseed diet. Flaxseedreduces the number of endothelial cells and increases pericytes to endothelial cell ratio in ovarian tumorscompared to control diet-fed birds, indicating a reduction in tumor angiogenesis and an improvement inblood vessel maturation. Flaxseed decreases a-smooth muscle actin expression in ovarian tumors, whichmarks a decrease in cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor stroma. Flaxseed also reduces fibrosisin ovarian tumors. Flax -mediated reduction of ovarian fibrosis parallels an increased infiltration ofimmune cells in the preneoplastic ovaries and ovarian tumors. Therefore, this work describes how the flaxdiet differentially targets the ovarian tumor cells and the tumor stroma in preventing the incidence andseverity of ovarian cancer. Dietary supplementation with flaxseed can, therefore, be a healthy lifestylechoice as well as a potential adjuvant therapy for immunotherapy-based treatment modalities.

African American women are suffering from high rates of debilitating illnesses and diseases. Over 50% of African American women are obese; close to 44% of African American women have hypertension or are taking medication for high blood pressure; 4.1% of African American women have had a stroke; and 12.4% of African American women have diabetes. Dietary behaviors play pivotal roles in improving the health of African American women. African American women have shown consistent dietary habits that include eating foods higher in fat, and foods lower in desirable nutrient content. These dietary habits have been linked to higher prevalence of obesity, hypertension, stroke, and diabetes. The culture of African American women often includes the African American church, which is a venue that may be utilized to promote dietary interventions. Eve’s Apple Nutrition Education program was an 8-week program designed using a faith-based approach to promote healthy dietary behaviors among African American women. Program objectives were to increase lowat eating behaviors and decrease negative dietary behaviors. The program was implemented with African American women (n=38) in Little Rock, Arkansas. Data were collected from pre and post surveys, as well as a focus group survey. Paired-samples t tests determined that at eight weeks, participants significantly decreased all negative dietary behaviors (emotional eating, snacking on sweets, haphazard planning, meal skipping, cultural factors) and increased lowat eating behaviors and lowat eating styles (p<.01). These results indicate Eve’s Apple Nutrition Education Program was successful in improving dietary behaviors during the program. A focus group with eight of the participants was completed post-intervention and also indicated that the faith-base was an important component in improving dietary behaviors. For African American women, faith-based nutrition education programs provide cultural relevance, support, and are unique in specifically targeting their health and nutrition needs.

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Vários genes já foram descritos com a capacidade de intervir na regulação do metabolismo energético, perda de peso, além da manutenção e estabilidade da gordura corporal, atuando no controle de diferentes vias metabólicas. Estudos têm mostrado claramente que a restrição energética é capaz de alterar a expressão gênica, influenciando a perda ponderal em pessoas com obesidade após diferentes tratamentos. Devido a maior facilidade no acesso por meio de biópsia, foi optado para o presente estudo a coleta de tecido adiposo subcutâneo. Portanto, o objetivo do presente estudo foi verificar a expressão dos genes ADRB3, UCPs, PLIN1, PPARG2 em tecido adiposo subcutâneo abdominal de mulheres com obesidade grau III, antes e após intervenção dietética hipocalórica e associar com variáveis antropométricas, taxa metabólica de repouso (TMR) e oxidação de substratos. A amostra foi composta por 11 mulheres com obesidade grau III submetidas à intervenção dietética por seis semanas e 10 mulheres eutróficas. Tratou-se de um estudo longitudinal, no qual foram coletadas medidas antropométricas de peso, estatura, índice de massa corporal (IMC) e circunferência abdominal (CA), composição corporal (massa corporal magra e massa gorda) por bioimpedância elétrica, TMR por calorimetria indireta e análise de expressão gênica por PCR em tempo real. Houve diminuição significante de peso, IMC, massa corporal magra, massa gorda e TMR após intervenção dietética, porém, não verificou-se diferença estatisticamente significante quando a taxa metabólica de repouso foi ajustada pelo peso e massa corporal magra. Ao comparar os dois grupos do estudo, verificou-se diferença significante para os indicadores de peso, IMC, CA, massa corporal magra, massa gorda, TMR e oxidação de lipídio, tanto no momento pré como no pósintervenção dietética. A expressão do gene UCP3 apresentou redução significante após 6 semanas de intervenção dietética hipocalórica (p=0,004). Houve correlação positiva entre a expressão do gene UCP2 e perda de peso em quilogramas (r=0,645, p=0,032) e porcentagem (r=0,727, p=0,011) no grupo de mulheres que receberam dieta hipocalórica. Já a análise da correlação entre a expressão dos genes do estudo com a oxidação de substratos antes e após intervenção dietética, verificou-se resultados positivos dos genes UCP3, PLIN1 e PPARG2 na oxidação de carboidrato e negativos dos genes PLIN1 e PPARG2 na oxidação de lipídios. Conclui-se que a intervenção dietética hipocalórica proporciona perda de peso, diminuição de medidas antropométricas e influencia na expressão dos genes estudados em mulheres com obesidade grau III. / Several genes have been described with the ability to intervene in the regulation of energy metabolism, loss of weight and stability in addition to maintaining body fat, acting on the control of different metabolic pathways. Studies have clearly shown that caloric restriction can alter gene expression influencing the weight loss in people with obesity after different treatments. Due to easier access through biopsy was chosen for this study collecting subcutaneous adipose tissue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of genes ADRB3, UCPs, PLIN1, PPARG2 in abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue of women with obesity grade III before and after hypocaloric dietary intervention and associate with anthropometric, metabolic rate (RMR) and substrate oxidation. The sample consisted of 11 women with obesity grade III submitted to dietary intervention for six weeks and 10 healthy women. This was a longitudinal study in which anthropometric measurements were taken of weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC), body composition (lean body mass and fat mass) by bioelectrical impedance, TMR calorimetry indirect and gene expression analysis by real-time PCR. There was a significant decrease in weight, BMI, lean body mass, fat mass and TMR after dietary intervention, however, there was no statistically significant difference when the resting metabolic rate was adjusted for weight and lean body mass. When comparing the two study groups, there was difference for weight indicators, BMI, WC, lean body mass, fat mass, TMR and lipid oxidation in both the pre and post time dietary intervention. The expression of UCP3 gene showed a significant reduction after 6 weeks of hypocaloric dietary intervention (p=0,004). There was a positive correlation between the expression of UCP2 gene and loss of weight in kilograms (r=0,645, p=0,032) and percentage (r=0,727, p=0,011) in the group of women who received low-calorie diet. However, the analysis of the correlation between the expression of genes to study the oxidation of substrates before and after dietary intervention, there were positive results of UCP3 gene, PLIN1 and PPARG2 in carbohydrate oxidation and the negative PLIN1 and PPARG2 genes in lipid oxidation. We conclude that hypocaloric dietary intervention provides weight loss, reduction of anthropometric measures and influences the expression of genes studied in women with morbid obesity.