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HNRCA Director’s <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />

<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

<strong>June</strong>, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Dear Colleagues,<br />

As summer<br />

approaches, I<br />

wanted to highlight<br />

some of our recent<br />

achievements at the<br />

HNRCA. There have<br />

been many!<br />

In April, HNRCA scientists were very active at<br />

the Experimental Biology <strong>2011</strong> conference in<br />

Washington, D.C., where we took a leading<br />

role in presenting or chairing over 30<br />

presentations, and major and mini-symposia<br />

and presenting 17 posters. We also received<br />

three prestigious awards during the event.<br />

Congratulations to Xiang-Dong Wang for<br />

receiving the Mary Schwartz Rose Senior<br />

Award; Maria Carlota Dao for receiving the<br />

FASEB MARC award for best poster; and<br />

Victoria Vieira-Potter for winning the ASN<br />

Energy & Macronutrient RIS Student-Postdoc<br />

Abstract Competition.<br />

I also want to congratulate the investigators<br />

and staff responsible for the HNRCA submitting<br />

17 applications for NIFA grants in May. Special<br />

thanks go to the administrative support staff<br />

and Kara Charmanski who, together in<br />

collaboration with researchers, made the grant<br />

submissions a very seamless and efficient<br />

process.<br />

I am looking forward to our <strong>June</strong> 7 th retreat to<br />

address forming <strong>Research</strong> Clusters at the<br />

<strong>Center</strong>. Over the past few weeks, we’ve held<br />

important pre-retreat meetings for each<br />

potential cluster, Functional Genomics;<br />

Inflammation, Infectious Diseases, and<br />

Immunity; Cancer; Obesity; and CVD. I think<br />

our progress has been outstanding and I look<br />

forward to <strong>June</strong> 7 th . From that retreat, one or<br />

perhaps two year one clusters will be identified,<br />

leaders and support mechanisms will be<br />

created, and metrics for success stated.<br />

In this newsletter we are sharing our labs’<br />

recent publications and awards, marathon<br />

team successes, and other news.<br />

Simin Nikbin Meydani, D.V.M., Ph.D.<br />

New Pilot Grants Awarded<br />

The HNRCA Pilot Study review committee has<br />

completed its review for the first round of <strong>2011</strong><br />

Pilot Study proposals. Congratulations to the<br />

investigators whose proposals have been<br />

approved for funding:<br />

· Jacob Selhub, Vitamin Metabolism<br />

Laboratory, titled “The adverse effects of<br />

excessive Intake of folic acid”<br />

· Alice Lichtenstein, Cardiovascular<br />

<strong>Nutrition</strong> Laboratory, titled “Dietary<br />

carbohydrate type and CVD risk<br />

indicators”<br />

Thanks to Roger Fielding for chairing the Pilot<br />

Study review panel and Christine O’Connell for<br />

administrative support. The purpose of the<br />

HNRCA Pilot Study Program is to provide funds<br />

to conduct high quality preliminary research<br />

that will advance the mission-related science<br />

of the HNRCA. Priority will be given to those<br />

applicants who are generating pilot data for<br />

future extramural applications. The submission<br />

1


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

date for the next round of Pilot Studies for the<br />

<strong>2011</strong> fiscal year is July 1.<br />

The Tufts - HNRCA Marathon<br />

Team a Success<br />

Congratulations to the runners who completed<br />

the <strong>2011</strong> Boston Marathon while supporting the<br />

HNRCA. Michael Corcoran, Patrick Keefe (right<br />

top), Arya Meydani (left top), and Bharath Potti<br />

(left bottom with coach Don Megerle) raised<br />

funds to directly support health, wellness and<br />

fitness programs for HNRCA employees. Special<br />

thanks to the HNRCA Employee Recreation<br />

Association for helping the team members in<br />

their efforts and<br />

and organizing a wonderful get together to<br />

support them. They are Kathleen Benoit, Ebony<br />

Green, Ally Gotshell, MaryBeth Keith, Jo<br />

Obelsky, Gayle Petty, Megan Reichel, Sagena<br />

Shaba, Shahin Smith and Stephanie Valliere.<br />

Stay tuned for the soon to be announced<br />

employee exercise room.<br />

HNRCA Staff Member Receives<br />

Honor from University<br />

Congratulations to Meghan Faherty,<br />

Administrative Assistant to the Associate<br />

Director, who was one of 15 extremely<br />

deserving winners of the <strong>2011</strong> Tufts Distinction<br />

Awards.<br />

Meghan was recognized with the Extra Mile<br />

Award for exceptional customer service.<br />

University President Larry Bacow will present the<br />

awards in a ceremony on <strong>June</strong> 8 th in the<br />

Behrakis Auditorium in the Jaharis Family<br />

<strong>Center</strong>.<br />

Welcome Recent Hires!<br />

We are pleased to announce the following<br />

recent additions in <strong>2011</strong> to our HNRCA family:<br />

Noble, Timothy<br />

Alper, Erek H.<br />

Du, Xiaogang<br />

Benoit, Kathleen S.<br />

Gotsell, Allyson J.<br />

Pevear, Mary E.<br />

Lomartire, John N.<br />

Desautels, Nellie<br />

Sawicki, Caleigh<br />

Finkenaur, Matthew<br />

<strong>Research</strong> Tech<br />

<strong>Research</strong> Tech<br />

<strong>Research</strong> Scholar<br />

Staff Assistant<br />

Staff Assistant<br />

Volunteer Recruiter<br />

Staff Assistant<br />

<strong>Research</strong> Tech<br />

Senior <strong>Research</strong><br />

Technician<br />

Desktop Support<br />

Specialist<br />

2


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

Scientist Spotlight: Roger<br />

Fielding, Ph.D., Director, NEPS<br />

Lab<br />

aged 70 to 89, for a two-to-four-year period. In<br />

addition to looking at the effects exercise and<br />

health education have on mobility, cognitive<br />

function and heart health, the study will look at<br />

specifically whether exercise can prevent falls<br />

and keep people from losing their ability to<br />

generally care for themselves. We’re one of<br />

eight research institutions across the country<br />

contributing to the study.<br />

We’re also doing an interesting investigation<br />

with whey protein, to see how it might stimulate<br />

muscle development, especially when<br />

consumed right after exercise.<br />

You chair the Pilot Study Program at HNRCA,<br />

how is that going?<br />

The work of Dr. Roger Fielding, Ph.D., Director of<br />

the <strong>Nutrition</strong>, Exercise and Physiology and<br />

Sarcopenia (NEPS) Lab at the HNRCA was<br />

recently profiled in a cover story for Tufts<br />

<strong>Nutrition</strong> magazine (Summer, <strong>2011</strong>). Here, Dr.<br />

Fielding tells us about some of the many<br />

projects he is leading.<br />

What is the primary focus of the NEPS lab?<br />

Our lab is trying to focus on the physical activity<br />

and nutritional interventions that might<br />

counteract sarcopenia, which we define as the<br />

loss of muscle mass which occurs during the<br />

aging process. In many cases we’re looking at<br />

physical activity interventions and nutritional<br />

interventions, and the interaction of those<br />

together, as ways to combat and reverse the<br />

disease.<br />

I was very supportive when the pilot study<br />

program was introduced, and I really believe in<br />

it. There have been some exciting grant<br />

submissions, and it’s important that we help<br />

investigators with this seed funding so that they<br />

can gather data for future, larger grant<br />

applications. It’s a process, like anything else,<br />

and you have to be committed to seeing it<br />

through.<br />

What do you do in your spare time for fun?<br />

I’m pretty active, maybe that’s why I’ve gone<br />

down the research path I’m on. People at the<br />

HNRCA occasionally see me in my running<br />

clothes; I like to run when I can. My family and I<br />

like to ski together, it’s a great family sport.<br />

Tell us about your current projects and what<br />

you are investigating<br />

We’re working on several very interesting<br />

projects. The LIFE (Lifestyle Interventions and<br />

Independence for Elders) study is an interesting<br />

one. We are working with sedentary subjects,<br />

3


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

Recent Publications from HNRCA<br />

Scientists<br />

The recent publications listed below reflect<br />

submitted to the Director’s office and<br />

published in <strong>2011</strong>. We will continue to<br />

collect new publications from all labs and<br />

include them in future newsletters. Thank<br />

you!<br />

Dohadwala MM, et al. (including Jeffrey<br />

Blumberg) Effects of cranberry juice<br />

consumption on vascular function in patients<br />

with coronary artery disease. Am J Clin Nutr.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> March 16.<br />

Li SC, et al. (including Oliver Chen) Almond<br />

consumption improved glycemic control and<br />

lipid profiles in patients with type 2 diabetes.<br />

Metabolism. <strong>2011</strong>; 60:474-9.<br />

Bhupathiraju S, et al. (including Shilpa<br />

Bhupathiraju, Alice Lichtenstein, Bess Dawson-<br />

Hughes and Katherine Tucker) Adherence<br />

index based on the American Heart<br />

Association 2006 Diet and Lifestyle<br />

Recommendations: Associations with<br />

cardiovascular disease risk factors in the Boston<br />

Puerto Rican Health Study. J <strong>Nutrition</strong>. <strong>2011</strong>;<br />

141:460-9.<br />

Lecker J, et al. (including Jaime Lecker, Nirupa<br />

Matthan and Alice Lichtenstein) Changes in<br />

cholesterol homeostasis modify the response of<br />

F1B hamsters to dietary very long chain n-3 and<br />

n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Lipids in Health<br />

and Disease. <strong>2011</strong>;<br />

Tybor DJ,et al. (including Alice Lichtenstein and<br />

Gerard Dallal) Independent effects of agerelated<br />

changes in waist circumference and<br />

BMI z scores in predicting cardiovascular<br />

disease risk factors in a prospective cohort of<br />

adolescent females. Am J Clin Nutr. <strong>2011</strong>;<br />

93:392-401.<br />

4<br />

Barker FM, et al. (including Elizabeth Johnson).<br />

<strong>Nutrition</strong>al Manipulation of Primate Retinas. V:<br />

Effects of Lutein,Zeaxanthin and n--3 Fatty<br />

Acids on Retinal Sensitivity to Blue Light<br />

Damage. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. <strong>2011</strong> Jan<br />

18.<br />

Nascimento MC, et al. (including Kyung-Jin<br />

Yeum and and Ana Lucia Ferreira).<br />

Pharmacological dose of alpha-tocopherol<br />

induces cardiotoxicity in Wistar rats determined<br />

by echocardiography and histology. Hum Exp<br />

Toxicol. <strong>2011</strong> Feb 11.<br />

Aldini G, et al. (including Kyung-Jin Yeum) An<br />

integrated high resolution mass spectrometric<br />

and informatics approach for the rapid<br />

identification of phenolics in plant extract. J<br />

Chromatogr A. <strong>2011</strong> Mar 3.<br />

Shen J, et al. (Including Paul Jacques and Jose<br />

Ordovas) Dietary factors and incident atrial<br />

fibrillation: the Framingham Heart Study. Am J<br />

Clin Nutr. <strong>2011</strong>; 93(2):261-266.<br />

Wang TJ, et al. (including Paul Jacques)<br />

Metabolite profiles and the risk of developing<br />

diabetes. Nat Med. <strong>2011</strong> Mar 20.<br />

Thongtang N, et al. (including Thomas<br />

Himbergen, Bela Asztalos and Ernst Schaefer)<br />

Effects of maximal atorvastatin and<br />

rosuvastatin treatment on markers of glucose<br />

homeostasis and inflammation. Am J Cardio.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> Feb 1;107(3):387-92.<br />

Rosenson RS, et al. (including Ernst Schaefer)<br />

HDL Measures, Particle Heterogeneity,<br />

Proposed Nomenclature, and Relation to<br />

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Events. Clin<br />

Chem. <strong>2011</strong> Mar;57(3):392-410.<br />

Farina EK, et al. (including Ernst Schaefer)<br />

Protective effects of fish intake and interactive<br />

effects of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty<br />

acid intakes on hip bone mineral density in


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

older adults: the Framingham Osteoporosis<br />

Study. Am J Clin Nutr. <strong>2011</strong> Mar 2.<br />

Schaefer EJ, et al., Limitations of Direct<br />

Methods and the Reference Method for<br />

Measuring HDL and LDL Cholesterol. Clin Chem.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> Mar 28.<br />

Hallacoglu B, et al. (including Bertan Hallacoglu<br />

and Aron Troen). Cerebral perfusion and<br />

oxygenation are impaired by folate deficiency<br />

in rat: absolute measurements with noninvasive<br />

near-infrared spectroscopy. J Cereb Blood Flow<br />

Metab. <strong>2011</strong> Mar 9.<br />

Garaulet M, et al. (including Caren Smith and<br />

Jose Ordovas) Ghrelin, Sleep Reduction and<br />

Evening Preference: Relationships to CLOCK<br />

3111 T/C SNP and Weight Loss. PLoS One.<br />

<strong>2011</strong>;6(2):e17435.<br />

Kwak JH, et al. (including Jose Ordovas) FADS<br />

gene polymorphisms in Koreans: association<br />

with omega6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in<br />

serum phospholipids, lipid peroxides, and<br />

coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Jan;214(1):94-100.<br />

Perez-Martinez P, et al. (including Jose<br />

Ordovas) Consumption of diets with different<br />

type of fat influences triacylglycerols-rich<br />

lipoproteins particle number and size during the<br />

postprandial state. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> Jan;21(1):39-45.<br />

Feitosa MF, et al. (including Jose Ordovas)<br />

Association of gene variants with lipid levels in<br />

response to fenofibrate is influenced by<br />

metabolic syndrome status. Atherosclerosis.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> Jan 21.<br />

Shen J, et al. (including Paul Jacques and Jose<br />

Ordovas) Dietary factors and incident atrial<br />

fibrillation: the Framingham Heart Study. Am J<br />

Clin Nutr. <strong>2011</strong> Feb;93(2):261-6.<br />

Van Rompay MI, et al. (including Maria Van<br />

Rompay, Carmen Castaneda Sceppa, Nicola<br />

5<br />

McKeown and Jose Ordovas) Prevalence of<br />

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors Among<br />

Older Puerto Rican Adults Living in<br />

Massachusetts. J Immigr Minor Health. <strong>2011</strong> Feb<br />

6.<br />

Delgado-Lista J, et al. (including Larry Parnell,<br />

Simin N. Meydani and Jose Ordovas) Interleukin<br />

1B Variant -1473G/C (rs1143623) Influences<br />

Triglyceride and Interleukin 6 Metabolism. J Clin<br />

Endocrinol Metab. <strong>2011</strong> Feb 9.<br />

Huang T, et al. (including Jimmy Crott, Larry<br />

Parnell, Caren Smith, Jose Ordovas and Chao<br />

Qiang Lai) Interactions between genetic<br />

variants of folate metabolism genes and<br />

lifestyle affect plasma homocysteine<br />

concentrations in the Boston Puerto Rican<br />

population. Public Health Nutr. <strong>2011</strong> Feb 22:1-8.<br />

Sanchez-Moreno C, et al. (including Jose<br />

Ordovas and Caren Smith) APOA5 gene<br />

variation interacts with dietary fat intake to<br />

modulate obesity and circulating triglycerides<br />

in a Mediterranean population. J Nutr. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Mar;141(3):380-5.<br />

Smith CE, et al. (including Caren Smith and<br />

Jose Ordovas) Apolipoprotein A-II<br />

polymorphism: relationships to behavioural and<br />

hormonal mediators of obesity. Int J Obes<br />

(Lond). <strong>2011</strong> Mar 8.<br />

Zachariah JP, et al. (including Jose Ordovas)<br />

Circulating plasma cholesteryl ester transfer<br />

protein activity and blood pressure tracking in<br />

the community. J Hypertens. <strong>2011</strong> Mar 22.<br />

Huang T, et al. (including Jimmy Crott, Larry<br />

Parnell, Caren Smith, Jose Ordovas and Chao<br />

Qiang Lai) Methylenetetrahydrofolate<br />

reductase variants associated with<br />

hypertension and cardiovascular disease<br />

interact with dietary polyunsaturated Fatty<br />

acids to modulate plasma homocysteine in<br />

puerto rican adults. J Nutr. <strong>2011</strong> Apr;141(4):654-<br />

9.


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

Wang CS, et al. (including Xiang-Dong Wang)<br />

Clinical efficacy and immunological changes<br />

in children with allergic rhinitis receiving specific<br />

immunotherapy with Dermatophagoides<br />

pteronyssinus. Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing<br />

Wai Ke Za Zhi. <strong>2011</strong> Jan;46(1):36-9.<br />

Mein JR, et al. (including Greg Dolnikowski and<br />

Xiang-Dong Wang) Enzymatic formation of<br />

apo-carotenoids from the xanthophyll<br />

carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin and β-<br />

cryptoxanthin by ferret carotene-9',10'-<br />

monooxygenase. Arch Biochem Biophys. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Feb 1;506(1):109-21.<br />

Liu C, et al. (including Chun Liu and Xiang-<br />

Dong Wang) Beta-Cryptoxanthin<br />

supplementation prevents cigarette smokeinduced<br />

lung inflammation, oxidative damage<br />

and squamous metaplasia in ferrets. Cancer<br />

Prev Res (Phila). <strong>2011</strong> Mar 18.<br />

Fielding RA, et al. (including Roger Fielding and<br />

Christine Liu) Exercise as an Intervention for<br />

Frailty. Clin Geriatr Med. <strong>2011</strong> Feb;27(1):101-10.<br />

Rivas D, et al. (including Donato Rivas, Evan<br />

Morris and Roger Fielding) Lipogenic regulators<br />

are elevated with age and chronic overload in<br />

rat skeletal muscle. Acta Physiologica. <strong>2011</strong><br />

March. Accepted Article.<br />

Scofield DE, et al. (including Gregory Cloutier<br />

and Roger Fielding) A novel, non-invasive<br />

transdermal fluid sampling methodology; IGF-I<br />

measurement following aerobic exercise. Am J<br />

Physiol. <strong>2011</strong> March 9. Accepted Article.<br />

Clark DJ, et al. (including Roger Fielding)<br />

Neuromuscular Contributions to Age-Related<br />

Weakness. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 17.<br />

Choi SJ, et al. (including Roger Fielding)<br />

Eccentric contraction-induced injury to type I,<br />

IIa, and IIa/IIx muscle fibers of elderly adults.<br />

Age (Dordr). <strong>2011</strong> Mar 24.<br />

Chiu, C-J et al. (including Chung-Jung Chiu<br />

and Allen Taylor) Informing food choices and<br />

health outcomes by use of the dietary<br />

glycemic index. Nutr Revs. 1 March <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

Chiu, C-J., et al. (Including Chung-Jung Chiu<br />

and Allen Taylor) Dietary hyperglycemia,<br />

glycemic index and age-related metabolic<br />

retinal diseases. Prog Ret Eye Res. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Jan;30(1):18-53.<br />

Ong KT, et al. (including Andrew Greenberg)<br />

Adipose triglyceride lipase is a major hepatic<br />

lipase that regulates triacylglycerol turnover<br />

and fatty acid signaling and parititioning.<br />

Hepatology. Jan <strong>2011</strong>;53(1):116-26.<br />

Perfield JW, et al. (including Eugene Chang,<br />

Yunkyoung Lee, Martin Obin, Andrew<br />

Greenberg and Chen Xie) Tumor Progression<br />

Locus 2 (TPL2) Regulates Obesity-Associated<br />

Inflammation and Insulin Resistance. Diabetes.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> Feb 23.<br />

Ranjit S, et al. (including Andrew Greenberg)<br />

Regulation of fat specific protein 27 by<br />

isoproterenol and TNF-α to control lipolysis in<br />

murine adipocytes. J Lipid Res. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Feb;52(2):221-36.<br />

Kovsan J,et al. (including Andrew Greenberg)<br />

Altered autophagy in human adipose tissues in<br />

obesity. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Feb;96(2):E268-77.<br />

Murphy G, et al. (including Jacob Selhub)<br />

Prospective study of serum cysteine levels and<br />

oesophageal and gastric cancers in China.<br />

Gut. <strong>2011</strong> Jan 27. Epub ahead of print.<br />

Pickell L, et al. (including Jacob Selhub) High<br />

intake of folic acid disrupts embryonic<br />

development in mice. Birth Defects Res A Clin<br />

Mol Teratol. <strong>2011</strong> Jan;91(1):8-19.<br />

Le Marchand, et al. (including Jacob Selhub)<br />

Association of plasma vitamin B6 with risk of<br />

colorectal adenoma in a multiethnic case-<br />

6


<strong>June</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />

control study. Cancer Causes Control. <strong>2011</strong> Mar<br />

25.<br />

Bull CF, et al. (including Jimmy Crott)<br />

Application and adaptation of the in vitro<br />

micronucleus assay for the assessment of<br />

nutritional requirements of cells for DNA<br />

damage prevention. Mutagenesis. <strong>2011</strong><br />

Jan;26(1):193-7.<br />

Flood A, et al. (including Zhenhua Liu and Joel<br />

Mason) Concentration of folate in colorectal<br />

tissue biopsies predicts prevalence of<br />

adenomatous polyps. Gut. <strong>2011</strong> Jan;60(1):66-<br />

72.<br />

French M, et al. (including Jimmy Crott)<br />

Molecular mechanism of micronucleus,<br />

nucleoplasmic bridge and nuclear bud<br />

formation in mammalian and human cells.<br />

Mutagenesis. <strong>2011</strong> Jan;26(1):125-32.<br />

Tong SY, et al. (including Sang-Woon Choi)<br />

Common polymorphisms in<br />

methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene<br />

are associated with risks of cervical<br />

intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer in<br />

women with low serum folate and vitamin B12.<br />

Cancer Causes Control. <strong>2011</strong> Jan;22(1):63-72.<br />

Tomaszewski JJ, et al. (including Joel Mason)<br />

Increased cancer cell proliferation in prostate<br />

cancer patients with high levels of serum folate.<br />

Prostate. <strong>2011</strong> Feb 9. Epub ahead of print.<br />

** We will continue to solicit information<br />

regarding publications for the next newsletter **<br />

7

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