Kent State Interns

      The prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise. There are two different types of NAFLD; hepatic steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Hepatic steatosis is caused by an accumulation of triglycerides in the liver cell that cause inflammation. This type is not as serious and often times people do not experience symptoms. NASH is a more serious condition that can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis, which could eventually lead to liver failure. Research has shown that NAFLD prevalence is directly associated with obesity. While some experts believe that an increase in body fat is what leads to NAFLD, other experts claim that it is also insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, diabetes, and hypertension. Experts believe that hyperinsulinemia causes a rise in triglycerides and blocks lipolysis. This results in excess fats, with nowhere to put them. Treatment and Prevention       Maintaining a healthy weight is the first ...

Brancato A, Castelli V, Cavallaro A, Lavanco G, Plescia F, Cannizzaro C.  Pre-conceptional and Peri-Gestational Maternal Binge Alcohol Drinking Produces Inheritance of Mood Disturbances and Alcohol Vulnerability in the Adolescent Offspring .   Frontiers in Psychiatry , 2018; 9 DOI:   10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00150 Maternal Binge Drinking Linked to Mood Problems and Alcohol Abuse in Offspring It is known that the use of drugs and alcohol while pregnant is severely detrimental to the development of a healthy baby. Despite this fact, about 10% of women drink alcohol during pregnancy and 1-2% of children are born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. This recent study analyzed the affect of maternal alcohol consumption on the adolescent development of offspring. Different groups of rats had differing access to alcohol, some had continuous access (habitual) while others had intermittent (binge) access to two bottles, one filled with water and the other with alcohol. It w...

Nagpal R, Carol A. Shively, Susan A. Appt, Thomas C. Register, Kristofer T. Michalson, Mara Z. Vitolins, Hariom Yadav. Gut Microbiome Composition in Non-human Primates Consuming a Western or Mediterranean Diet. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2018; 5 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2018.00028 The Mediterranean Diet could Boost Healthy Gut Bacteria A study was recently conducted over two and a half years among twenty Cynomolgus monkeys. Ten were fed a typical western diet, consisting of food like lard, beef tallow, butter, eggs, cheese, high fructose corn syrup and sucrose. Ten were fed a Mediterranean diet, consisting of fish oil, olive oil, fish meal, butter, eggs, beans, fruit and vegetable juice. The Mediterranean Diet has been widely accepted as one of the healthiest diets, being modeled after the diets of people native to the Mediterranean region of the world whom experience significantly lower incidence of heart disease and cardiovascular disease compared to the rest of the world. The diet focus...

Sasaki A, Nagatake T, Egami R, Gu G, Takigawa I, Ikeda W, Nakatani T, Kunisawa J, Fujita Y.  Obesity Suppresses Cell-Competition-Mediated Apical Elimination of RasV12-Transformed Cells from Epithelial Tissues .   Cell Reports , 2018; 23 (4): 974 DOI:   10.1016/j.celrep.2018.03.104 Obesity can Inhibit a Key Cancer Defense Mechanism A recent Japanese study has linked high body fat to a suppression of a specific cancer defense mechanism and higher rates of tumor formation in fatter lab mice. The affected cellular mechanism is known as cellular competition, when cells compete with other surrounding cells for survival, killing transformed cells that could be malignant. The surrounding cells use their cytoskeletal protein filamin to suppress the growth of altered cells and stop further cancer growth. Normal epithelial cells have anti-tumor actions that do not involve immune cells, this mechanism is called epithelial defense against cancer (EDAC) (Sasaki et al.)  Genet...

5 Common Food-Drug Interactions It is very important to be aware of foods that can interact with medications because this can cause them to not work to their full potential or cause adverse effects. It is ultimately important to always read drug warning labels. Here are 5 common food-drug interactions to be aware of: Grapefruit juice is can have interactions with drugs in many ways. Grapefruit juice affects medications because it contains furanocoumarins. These compounds differentiate grapefruit from other citrus fruits. First, it can increase the absorption of certain drugs such as some cholesterol-lowering statins. Also, grapefruit juice can cause the body to abnormally metabolize certain medications such as antihistamines, blood pressure drugs, birth control, and thyroid replacement drugs. Green leafy vegetables are another food that can interact with medications due to high amounts of vitamin K which helps blood to clot. Therefore, blood thinning medications such as wa...

MNT for Hypercholesterolemia Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States and costs billions of dollars for treatment each year.   One of the most prominent risk factors for heart disease is hypercholesterolemia, or high blood cholesterol levels.   Medical nutrition therapy (MNT) from registered dietitians is an important part in the improvement and treatment of high cholesterol. One study by Delahanty et al. compared the effects of MNT from registered dietitians and the usual care from physicians on the impact of cholesterol levels.   The MNT included counseling visits with a registered dietitian for 6 months and those in the physician care group only received advice from their doctor with no interaction with a dietitian.   No one in either group was receiving medication to lower their cholesterol.   Throughout the study, 24-hour recalls were used to assess energy, fat, cholesterol, and fiber intake. The MNT group for hypercho...

Diet Vs. Statins       Atherosclerotic CVD is the leading cause of early death in the United States. Methods to prevent CVD are continuously being discussed and studied. Drugs, such as statins, as well as dietary changes have both been found to be effective in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood.  It is important to understand how statins and dietary changes both individually affect CVD risk.       Statins are a drug that are used to lower LDL cholesterol. They have been directly linked with decreased risk of heart attack and stroke. Statin dose is determined based upon level of patient risk. The higher the risk, the stronger the statin dose. Statins have been found to be extremely beneficial to many individuals, however, there are side effects to consider, majority being muscle aches and weakness. These side effects are often the cause of an individual stopping the medication.        Diet is another effective way to pre...