HJNO Mar/Apr 2019

Healthcare Journal of New Orleans I  MAR / APR 2019 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalNO.com protein discovered by the Alahari lab, in fat dis- tribution and insulin resistance leading to diabe- tes and obesity. Nischarin functions as a molecu- lar scaffold and is involved in the insulin signaling pathway. “Nischarin disruption resulted in insulin resis- tance in female mice, but not in male mice, sug- gesting that Nischarin protects against diabe- tes in females,” noted Alahari. “Our human data indicate that Nischarin expression is suppressed in fat tissue of obese humans. Higher expres- sion of Nischarin correlates with lower BMI and improved glucose and lipid metabolism.” Working with experimental Nischarin-mutant as well as wild mice fed chow and high-fat diets, the researchers found gender differences in body fat distribution increased insulin resistance and decreased glucose tolerance in the females. To link the work in mice with human disease, the scientists also studied paired samples of human subcutaneous and visceral fat that were obtained from 400 individuals (267 women, 133 men), rang- ing in age from 19 to 93 years, with BMIs from 18.9 to 78.9 kg/m?. The research team found that Nis- charin expression was lower in both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissues of individuals with obesity. The majority of parameters associated with obesity—impaired glucose and lipid metab- olism, as well as insulin resistance—were inversely correlated with Nischarin expression, as were weight, waist circumference, and waist-hip ratio. They also found that Nischarin expression was higher in the visceral fat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the age-adjusted percentage of U.S. adults who were obese or had been diag- nosed with diabetes rose in all states from 1994– 2015. “In 1994, all but two states had prevalence of obesity less than 18% and no state exceeded 22%. In 2015, no state had less than 18 percent and all but one state exceeded 22 percent. Sim- ilarly, for diagnosed diabetes, in 1994, no state had prevalence less than 6.0 percent. In 2015, all states exceeded 6.0 percent; 27 of these exceeded 9.0 percent.” “Understanding how Nischarin in adipose tis- sues influences metabolic dysfunction might war- rant a new paradigm in metabolic studies,” Ala- hari concluded. Besides LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, participating institutions included the University of Leipzig in Germany and Tulane Uni- versity School of Medicine. The research was supported by funds from LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine and the Fred Brazda Foundation, as well as grants of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Obesity Mechanisms (SFB 1052, B01). TGMC Community Sports Institute Hosts “Boo” Schexnayder The TGMC Community Sports Institute hosted Planning Your Off-Season for Speed and Power Development, an educational training session with Irving “Boo” Schexnayder. Schexnayder is regarded internationally as one of the leading authorities in training design. He presented con- cepts related to aiding student-athletes in the areas of speed and power. Most noted for his 12 years as a member of the track and field coach- ing staff at LSU, he also served as the jump coach for the Team USA at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Schexnayder was the founder of the Track and Field Academy, the educational branch of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association. The TGMC Community Sports Institute offers free educational opportunities to local coaches and their staff as part of its mission of education, prevention, and care. Specifically, this session was designed to help local coaches to be equipped to grow strong athletes and help plan their off- season for speed and power development. LSUHealth NOUniversity Police Distribute Holiday Gift Bags Two groups of people whose interactions can sometimes be contentious came together in a spirit of caring, gratitude, and mutual respect. LSU Health New Orleans University Police dis- tributed holiday gift bags to people experienc- ing homelessness. “Our dealings can be perceived as negative at times, and we wanted a more positive encoun- ter,” said Lt. Natasha Taylor of LSU Health Uni- versity Police. “As we carry out our duty to pro- tect our students and secure our campus, we do understand their circumstances.” Lt. Taylor organized a donation drive to buy necessities and niceties to fill the bags. University police officers, along with LSU Health New Orleans leadership, contributed. Taylor put together 48 large bags, which con- tained socks, Kleenex, hand warmers, protein bars, toothbrushes and toothpaste, dental floss, towels, deodorant, Chap Stick, combs, and heal- ing hand lotion. Thirty smaller bags included either a towel or socks, a toothbrush, tooth- paste, floss, and one or two other items. Fifteen bags for women also contained feminine hygiene products. A chorus of “thank you” and “God bless you” could be heard as Lt. Taylor, Sgt. Devon Allen, Police Officer Christy Hawxhurst, and Police Offi- cer Michael Mims handed out the gift bags to the men and women as they filed through the break- fast line at the Rebuild Center. TGMC Community Sports Institute hosted Planning Your Off-Season for Speed and Power Development, an educational training session featuring Irving “Boo” Schexnayder. Pictured, left to right, are Patrick Labat, TGMC Health and Sports Performance Specialist, and Schexnayder, Track and Field Academy.