BIO

Karelia was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where she grew up for most of her life. When she was fifteen, she moved to Miami and graduated high school Summa Cum Laude under the International Cambridge Program. She's currently a second-year student at Florida State University, pursuing a dual degree in Psychology and Chemistry. In the future, she hopes to go to medical school and specialize in psychiatry.

The Effects of NADPH Oxidase on Reactive Oxygen Species and Adipose Tissue Lipolysis

Abstract

Background: Rapidly increasing rates of cardio-metabolic diseases have become a major health concern in recent years due to high mortality rates and physiological complications. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (Nox) is an enzyme present in adipose cells that has been previously correlated with the development of insulin resistance in mouse models of obesity. It is possible that the effects of Nox on changes in metabolism occur through increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and lipolysis, which is the breakdown and release of triglyceride stores in adipose cells. Dysregulated lipolysis has been linked to several cardio-metabolic complications. However, it remains poorly understood how Nox influences lipolysis and cardio-metabolic health outcomes in human participants. The overall goal of our study is to research the correlations between Nox and lipolysis in the human body, analyzing the pathways in lipolysis that are stimulated by Nox.

Methods: Microdialysis and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedures were conducted in young, healthy males and females to collect in vivo data on local ROS production, microvascular blood flow, and lipolytic rates in subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue.

Results: Preliminary results have demonstrated that ROS levels were significantly lower when the local Nox-inhibitor apocynin was introduced, suggesting that Nox stimulates increased ROS production in humans. Moreover, Nox seems to contribute to the increase of lipolysis through its β-adrenergic signaling pathway. Further experimentation will investigate if raised Nox levels in obese individuals diminish insulin’s anti-lipolytic effect and change microvascular function.

Keywords: lipolysis, NADPH oxidase, ROS, cardiovascular diseases, physiology, nutrition