The effects of dietary-induced obesity on regional brain iron biology
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Justin E. Plummer (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
- Advisor
- Keith Erikson
Abstract: Iron is an essential dietary element that supports oxygen transport, nutrient metabolism and protein synthesis; however, dysregulation of iron biology can be detrimental to health. The importance of iron homeostasis is particularly apparent in the brain where deficiencies result in impaired cognition and accumulations are associated with neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the observation that altered iron status is associated with impaired brain health, little is known about what drives iron dysregulation in the brain. Obesity is associated with increased risks for altered systemic iron status and neurodegeneration, but the effects of obesity on iron biology in the brain are uncertain. The following study characterizes changes in brain iron biology resulting from high fat diet-induced obesity in a mouse model. The key findings from this study include the observation of attenuated iron concentration changes between late development and adulthood, as well as increased alpha-synuclein expression, and evidence of lipid peroxidation in certain iron-rich brain regions of the obese mice compared to controls. These findings demonstrate that obesity is sufficient to alter brain iron biology and that the alterations occur in a regionally differentiated manner. Further, the observation of elevated alpha-synuclein and lipid peroxidation in regions where iron biology is also altered indicates that the changes brought on by obesity may be involved in iron related neurodegenerative processes.
The effects of dietary-induced obesity on regional brain iron biology
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Created on 12/1/2014
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Thesis
- Language: English
- Date: 2014
- Keywords
- Alpha-Synuclein, Deficiency, Metabolism, Neurodegeneration,
Obesity, Parkinson's
- Subjects
- Iron $x Physiological effect
- Brain $x Metabolism
- Obesity $x Physiological aspects