Infertility is one of the major complications of obesity. Studies have shown that administration of leptin modulated the expression of Β-catenin in the ovary and reversed obesity-induced infertility in rats. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an antioxidant, supplies the energy used for ovulation, oocyte and embryo development and prevents DNA damage that causes infertility. We hypothesized that leptin when combined with CoQ10 could greatly improve fertility. Twenty-one female Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study and divided into five treatments groups. Group I rats was fed rat chow diet (RCD) while groups II to V were fed High-fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks to induce infertility. Group 1 RCD and group II HFD control rats received 1 ml of saline intraperitoneally (i.p.) twice daily for 2 days, group III HFD rats received 1 ml of 100 µg of leptin i.p. twice daily for 2 days, group IV HFD rats received 10 mg/kg of CoQ10 i.p. for 2 weeks plus saline twice daily for 2 days. Group V HFD rats received 1 ml of 100 µg of leptin i.p. twice daily for 2 days plus 10 mg/kg of CoQ1o i.p. for 2 weeks. Estrous cycle was checked daily and food intake and body weight measured twice weekly before and after treatments. Fourteen days post treatment, all the animals were sacrificed. The blood and tissues were collected for analysis. The results show a significant decrease in food intake and body weight and regular estrous cycle restored in groups III and V rats. There was significant (p < 0.05) increase in spleen weight in groups IV and V. FSH level increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the leptin plus CoQ10 treated group while CoQ10 level was increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the leptin-treated group. Β-catenin expression was decreased in group IV and V, suggesting that Β-catenin expression may be downregulated by COQ10 administration. These results indicate that synergistic action of leptin and CoQ10 could delay the onset of obesity-induced infertility exhibited by the reduction of food intake and body weight. In conclusion, combinations of CoQ10 with leptin can improve fertility in obese infertile female rats and could provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of female infertility.

Technology translation can be achieved through the blending of the sciences and arts in the form of digital imagery. Digital animation and video can be utilized to portray molecular events where the mechanism of action is known but the process occurs at a sub-microscopic level. There needs to be a strong collaboration between scientific advisors and digital artists when creating the animation such that the artistic interpretation of the molecular event conforms to the known and accepted confines of science. The finished animation may be used for information, education or persuasion as entrepreneurial biotechnical companies attempt to find markets, customers and investors interested in their inventions. Educational institutions with programs in the sciences, arts, digital media and medicine need to promote the interaction of students from these disciplines through cross-functional teams and courses. Solutions to problems developed by these teams tend to be broader and more comprehensive than more homogeneous teams.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease yet it has been little studied in Hispanic children of rural areas. This pilot study aimed to estimate the prevalence of MetS and its components (high waist circumference (WC), elevated blood pressure (BP), high triglycerides (TRI), low high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and hyperglycemia) in a sample of Hispanic children aged 2 to 10 years from northeast Tennessee (TN). Between June and October 2015, 46 Hispanic children were recruited during their well-child visit at a community health center in Johnson City, TN. Anthropometric data, blood pressure readings, and a blood sample were collected. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of MetS and its components. Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test was used to test differences of proportions. Results showed that 41.3% of Hispanic children (mean age:6.8 years; SD:2.5) were overweight or obese (Body Mass index (BMI) for age and sex ≥85th percentile), 15.2% had a high WC (≥90th percentile for age and sex), 30.4% had elevated BP (systolic or diastolic BP for age, sex and height ≥90th percentile), 13.0% had low HDL (≤5th percentile for age and sex), and 45.6% had high TRI (≥95th percentile for age and sex). Overall, 17 (37%) children were negative for every component of MetS, 17 (37%) were positive for one component, 6 (13%) for two components, 5 (11%) for three components, and 1 (2%) for four components. The prevalence of MetS (≥3 components) was 13%. While the prevalence of MetS did not vary by sex, it tended to be higher (33.3%) in children aged 4 or younger than in 5 to 10 (12.1%) year olds (P=0.05). The prevalence of having 2 or more positivities for MetS was significantly higher among overweight/obese children than in children with lean weight (47.4% vs. 11.1%, P=0.03). Findings provide evidence that Hispanic children are at high risk for MetS. Prevention efforts should begin early and target children with elevated BMI.

Background. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome is currently based on synthesizing measurements on five different biochemical and anthropometric scales. The logistics involved makes it less than an ideal screening test of cardiometabolic risk. Adipocytokines, c-peptide and ghrelin have emerged as important non-traditional biomarkers for understanding cardio-metabolic risk, and offer potential as tests of cardiometabolic risk. However, optimal sensitivity and specificity cut-offs of non-traditional biomarkers for detecting cardiometabolic risk are scarce, especially in pre-adolescent ethnic minorities. Objective. To assess the efficacy of 7 non-traditional biomarkers for detecting 3 or more cardiometabolic risk factors in pre-adolescent Hispanic children. Methods. The study population consisted of a healthy control group of 23 children and an at-risk group of 15 children aged 2-10 years with 3 or more cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure>=90th percentile; waist circumference >=90th percentile; triglycerides>=95th percentile; and HDL<5th >percentile) who were recruited as part of a larger pilot study of metabolic syndrome in Hispanic children receiving well-child care at a community health center in Johnson City, TN, from June 2015 to September 2016. T-test, Mann-Whitney U and Chi-squared tests were used to assess differences in characteristics of the two groups. Spearman’s correlation analysis was used to assess the relationship between biomarkers and cardiometabolic risk factors. ROC analysis and the Youden’s J statistic=maximum (sensitivity +(specificity-1)) were used to determine biomarker cut-off for optimal sensitivity and specificity. Data analysis was performed using SAS 9.4. Results. The mean age of the sample was 6.48 years (SD=2.74). About half of the sample were girls (50.5%). The at-risk group had significantly higher systolic blood pressure, triglyceride levels, waist circumference, leptin and C-peptide levels, but significantly lower HDL-C levels than participants in the control group. Leptin [r (38) = 0.3, p

Excerpt: The Cardiopulmonary Science Program at East Tennessee State University is housed within the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences (CCRHS) along with other health care programs including: Dental Hygiene, Imaging Sciences (Radiography, CT, MRI), Nutrition, Speech Language Pathology, Physical Therapy, and Audiology.

There is a growing interest in understanding recruitment, retention, and turnover of allied health professionals in consideration of employment trends and workforce mobility, an increased need to understand the healthcare delivery system and the dynamic nature of the allied health workforce, especially for rural areas. A survey was sent to allied health administrators across a variety of allied health disciplines from the state of Tennessee hospitals in order to gauge opinions on retention and recruitment strategies. Overall, successful strategies for recruitment and retention of radiography professionals were reported, as well as, differences between urban and rural areas, differences among allied health disciplines, perceptions of strategy effectiveness, and key strategies for rural allied health recruitment.

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Excerpt: The gurus of the first-year student experience have done it again!

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School-based efforts to promote physical activity and healthier eating are a potentially effective approach to decreasing child obesity in rural populations. This article describes follow-up data on student activity and eating behaviors 4 years after implementation of the Winning with Wellness obesity prevention initiative. This project was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's coordinated school health model and used a community-based participatory research approach to address health behaviors in rural Appalachian elementary students. Results suggest significant increases in daily pedometer steps and healthier food selections by students as well as teacher support for continued health promotion efforts.