Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 135-166).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xvii, 189 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-162).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 233-247).

Thesis (M.Sc.(Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-104).

Six week old male obese fa/fa Zucker rats (n=10/group) were fed four different diets enriched in linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (safflower oil, flaxseed oil, EPA, and DHA oils, respectively) for 8 weeks. Fatty acids were analyzed in major lipid classes in the testes. Global gene expression was analyzed using the Affymetrix Rat Gene 2.0 ST Array. Annotated gene sets from the normal and underdeveloped testes were analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). In lipid analysis, n-3 diet supplementation decreased n-6: n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid and n-6: n-3 very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA) in most lipid classes in comparison to the LA diet. ALA increased the level of DHA, but not to the same level as DHA diet. Compared to the normal sized testis, the underdeveloped testis showed a marked decrease in n-6 pentaenoic PUFA and VLCFA while increasing n-6 tetraenoic fatty acids. Out of the 3192 genes detected, 1121 and 309 were differentially expressed in the underdeveloped and normal testes, respectively. The IPA indicated that transcripts that are upregulated in the normal testes relative to underdeveloped testes are involved in triacylglycerol biosynthesis, sphingomyelin metabolism and phosphatidylglycerol biosynthesis. Transcripts upregulated in underdeveloped testes relative to normal testes are involved in production of nitric oxide and reactive oxygen species. Downstream effect analysis showed an increased trend towards reproductive system diseases and endocrine system disorders in the underdeveloped testes compared to the normal testes. In conclusion, these results indicate that testicular lipids and their metabolism are closely related with normal testis development and function. / February 2016

Short-chain fatty acids are the major by-products of bacterial fermentation of undigested dietary fibers in human large intestine. SCFAs, mostly propionate and butyrate, inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells, but clinical trials had mixed results regarding the anti-tumor activities of SCFAs. Herein we demonstrate that propionate and butyrate induced autophagy in human colon cancer cells to dampen apoptosis whereas inhibition of autophagy potentiated SCFA induced apoptosis. Colon cancer cells, after propionate treatment, exhibited extensive characteristics of autophagic proteolysis: increased LC3-I to LC3-II conversion, acidic vesicular organelle development and reduced p62/SQSTM1 expression. Propionate-induced autophagy was associated with decreased mTOR activity and enhanced AMP kinase activity. The elevated AMPKα phosphorylation was associated with cellular ATP depletion and overproduction of reactive oxygen species due to mitochondrial dysfunction involving the induction of MPT and loss of Δψ. In this context, mitochondria biogenesis was initiated to recover cellular energy homeostasis. Importantly, when autophagy was prevented either pharmacologically ii (3-MA or chloroquine) or genetically (knockdown of ATG5 or ATG7), the colon cancer cells became sensitized toward propionate induced apoptosis through activation of caspase 7 and its downstream effector caspase-3. The observations indicate that propionatetriggered autophagy serves as an adaptive strategy for retarding mitochondria-mediated apoptotic cell death, whereas application of an autophagy inhibitor (Chloroquine) is expected to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of SCFAs in inducing colon tumor cell apoptosis.

The PLFA profiling method was adopted and used to determine changes in microbial community structure and abundance along natural and human-induced environmental gradients. The presented studies were based on field sampling campaigns combined with targeted laboratory experiments. According to the aims of particular studies, microbial PLFA fingerprinting was combined with the auxiliary below- and aboveground ecosystem characteristics to identify the drivers of microbial responses to environmental changes or with 13C-labelling and metagenomics to obtain more complex information about running processes and involved microorganisms.

ANDREW R. COURSEY, for the Master of Science degree in Zoology, presented 24 June 2011 at Southern Illinois University Carbondale TITLE: ALTERNATIVE FEEDING STRATEGIES TO MAXIMIZE MARINE FEEDSTUFF REPLACEMENT IN LARGEMOUTH BASS Micropterus salmoides CULTURE WHILE MAINTAINING PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE Advisors: Chris Kohler and Jesse Trushenski Harvest of marine resources for feedstuff production is at its maximum sustainable yield and alternative feedstuffs are needed to supply livestock production for an expanding human population having a growing desire for seafood. Aquaculture is currently the fastest growing sector of agriculture, but the high cost and limited supplies of marine feedstuffs for aquafeeds could ultimately limit production of foodfish. Replacement of marine feedstuffs poses a dilemma, however, as replacement of fish meal can affect animal growth, and replacement of fish oil in aquafeeds leads to altered fillet fatty acid profiles without the maximum benefit of high omega-3 (n-3) and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) content. Two feeding trials were conducted to determine if poultry byproducts can replace fish meal and fish oil in diets for largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides without affecting production performance or fillet fatty acid composition. Poultry byproducts were able to replace fish meal and fish oil while maintaining production performance of largemouth bass, however, the altered fatty acid profiles of the feeds were reflected in the fillets. Finishing diets containing high levels of fish oil were implemented to restore n-3 and LC PUFA concentrations in the fillet. Twelve weeks of finishing proved suitable to partially restore n-3 and LC-PUFA concentrations while limiting the overall use of marine resources in the largemouth bass production cycle.