To test the hypothesis that maternal dietary glucose restriction throughout pregnancy and lactation would perturb glucose transporter (GLUT) protein levels in offspring, isoenergetic diets containing graded levels of glucose (0, 12, 24 and 60%) were fed to pregnant rats and their offspring from gestation day (gd) 0 through postnatal day (pd) 49. Diets were defined as deficient (0%), restricted (12, 24%) or adequate (60%) in glucose. Plasma, small intestine, liver and kidney tissues were collected perinatally (gd20, birth, 12--24hrs postnatal), during lactation (pd7, 15, 21), post-weaning (pd28, 35, 49) and in adult controls. The proximal and distal regions of the small intestine responded differently to the dietary glucose restriction. Proximal small intestine GLUT2 protein levels did not change throughout postnatal development and remained unaltered with dietary glucose restriction, while distal small intestine GLUT2 protein expression changed throughout postnatal development and with dietary glucose restriction. These findings, together with information from the literature, indicate a dissociation between small intestine GLUT2 mRNA expression, GLUT2 protein levels and small intestine glycogen reserves.

The effect of maternal dietary glucose on perinatal phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) gene expression was investigated in this study. Pregnant rats were fed isoclaoric diets containing graded levels of glucose (0%, 12%, 24% and 60%) from gestation day 2 to lactation day 15. The developmental profiles of PEPCK gene expression in fetal and neonatal liver and kidney were analyzed by northern blot. In the liver, feeding glucose free and glucose restriction (12% and 24%) diets precociously induced PEPCK gene expression at day 21 of gestation. In the kidney, PEPCK mRNA (2.8 kb) was detected at birth in the glucose free group, 12-16 hours postnatally in control group; it was not visualized until day 3 in the 12% and 24% glucose restriction groups. In our study, two species of RNA (1.8 kb and 2.8 kb) were hybridized with PEPCK cDNA probes, and there was a relationship between maternal dietary glucose levels and the 1.8 kb RNA fragment in the kidney.

Patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis have a high incidence of oxidative stress-related diseases. This study evaluated oxidative stress and inflammatory markers in patients undergoing hemodialysis before and during vitamin E supplementation. Blood samples were obtained before and after dialysis during two separate dialysis sessions to establish baseline measurements. For the next two months, subjects consumed 400 IU RRR-α-tocopherol daily. At one month and two months of supplementation, blood samples were also obtained before and after dialysis. Circulating concentrations of α- and γ-tocopherols and their metabolites (carboxyethyl-hydroxychromans, α- and γ-CEHCs), vitamin C, and uric acid were determined by HPLC with electrochemical detection. C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured using standard clinical assays. F₂-isoprostanes were evaluated using an enzyme immunoassay. Dietary vitamins E and C were assessed using two 24-hour recalls. In response to vitamin E supplementation, plasma α-tocopherol concentrations increased from 18 ± 1.7 μM to 31 ± 5.4 μM (p<0.0001), while γ-tocopherol concentrations decreased from 2.8 ±1.0 μM to 1.7 ± 0.6 μM (p=0.001). Additionally, serum vitamin E metabolites increased, α-CEHCs from 68 ± 20 pmol/ml to 771 ± 161 (p<0.0001) and γ-CEHC from 837 ± 161.8 pmol/ml to 1136 ± 225.9 (p=0.0083). Both CEHCs are well above reported normal values (p<0.0001). Dietary antioxidants (vitamins E and C) were low in most subjects; thus, plasma ascorbic acid levels were low in most subjects, but high in a few, resulting a wide range of responses (88 ± 84 μM). Nonetheless, ascorbic acid concentrations decreased significantly after dialysis to 33 ± 34 μM (p=0.0124), but were unaffected by vitamin E supplementation. Indeed, many parameters decreased significantly by dialysis but were unchanged by vitamin E supplementation, including plasma concentrations of uric acid and TNF-α. Both IL-6 and F₂-isoprostane concentrations were elevated in the subjects but were unaffected by either vitamin E supplementation or dialysis. CRP increased significantly after dialysis (p=0.0161, ANOVA main effect), but in the vitamin E supplemented subjects CRP concentrations were slightly lower before dialysis , but increased following dialysis (p=0.0041, ANOVA interaction). Taken together, the data suggest that there is a complex relationship between chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Longer supplementation with vitamin E might be necessary in order to observe beneficial effects. / Graduation date: 2003

Epidemiological studies have suggested that the consumption of fish may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Compared to the number of studies using fish oils, few studies have used fish itself. Those which have used fish have generally used fattier fish such as mackerel and salmon as part of an uncontrolled diet. In this study, 23 healthy men consumed 200g each of Chinook salmon, Dover sole, and sablefish in a three-way crossover design for 18-day periods with three-week washout periods in between. The diets had the approximate composition of the 'Western' diet: 45% carbohydrates, 36% fat, and 16% protein with the sole diet containing 1.95 g omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, the salmon diet 3.99 g n-3, and the sablefish diet 3.42 g n-3 fatty acids. Serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides (TG), bleeding time (BT), blood pressure (BP), platelet aggregation (PA) using ADP and collagen as agonists, platelet fatty acid profiles (FAP), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) , and apolipoprotein B (Apo B) were measured at the beginning and end of each period. TC, and HDL-C, and TG changed significantly when compared to the prefish diet while both LDL-C and apo B demonstrated diet effect. LDL-C increased on both the salmon and sablefish diets (p = 0.08) compared to the sole diet, and increased approximately 15% on the former two diets compared to the prefish diet. Bleeding time was significantly longer when the salmon diet was consumed (p = 0.06). The impact of the three diets on PA depended upon the agonist. With collagen, only the sablefish diet decreased aggregation compared to the prefish diet. When ADP was used, aggregation decreased on both the fattier fish diets compared to the low fat fish (sole). Similar results were demonstrated for TXB₂: the fattier fish produced statistically equivalent decreases (p = 0.06) among the diets, and lowered TXB₂ compared to the prefish diet. There were no significant differences among the diets for either systolic or diastolic BP though there was a significant decrease (p = 0.01) in diastolic pressure compared to the prefish diet when the salmon diet was consumed. Platelet fatty acid profiles reflected diet composition. / Graduation date: 1993

Graduation date: 1933

Typescript. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1978. / Bibliography: leaves 296-301. / Microfiche. / xxv, 301 leaves ill. 28 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1982. / Bibliography: leaves 184-198. / Microfiche. / xi, 198 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 cm

Typescript / Bibliography: leaves 127-139 / x, 139 leaves : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Pathology, 1988

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 228-257). / xxii, 257 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Aims to determine the impact of maternal undernutrition during late gestation and during the periconceptional and gestational periods on fetal growth, fetal blood pressure and the fetal hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal axis in the sheep. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physiology, 2001

Bibliography: leaves 257-286 / xiii, 286 leaves : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Physiology, 1992