DOI
https://doi.org/10.25772/JDVX-2905
Defense Date
2021
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Rehabilitation and Movement Science
First Advisor
Dr. R. Lee Franco
Second Advisor
Dr. Ryan Garten
Third Advisor
Dr. Salvatore Carbone
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Danielle Kirkman
Fifth Advisor
Dr. Youngdeok Kim
Sixth Advisor
Dr. John Ryan
Abstract
A large percentage of adults in industrialized nations consume a Westernized dietary pattern, which contributes to fasting dyslipidemia and increased risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Evidence suggests that a single Westernized meal containing high saturated fat may induce alterations in blood lipids as well as disturb multiple factors regulating peripheral vascular homeostasis, including innate immune cell function, oxidative stress, and vascular function. Conversely, participation in acute and chronic exercise may beneficially impact an individual’s postprandial response. Therefore, this dissertation contains three manuscripts seeking to describe how acute exercise, cardiorespiratory fitness, and physical activity level impact the lipemic and vascular homeostatic responses to a Westernized high-saturated fat meal. Chapter 2 reviews the contributions of metabolic endotoxemia, a meal-induced increase in lipopolysaccharide, to high-fat meal-induced inflammation. Furthermore, this chapter presents available evidence as to the manipulation of this mechanism by acute and chronic exercise. Chapter 3 describes an investigation in which ex vivo modeling was employed to determine the interactive effects of both acute exercise and physical activity level on monocyte and monocyte-derived macrophage phenotype. Finally, Chapter 4 details an in vivo investigation exploring the impacts of cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity level on postprandial lipemia, monocyte phenotype, markers of oxidative stress, and vascular hemodynamic measures in premenopausal women consuming a Westernized high-saturated fat meal.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
8-11-2021
Included in
Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Exercise Physiology Commons, Human and Clinical Nutrition Commons, Immunity Commons