Cardiometabolic Disease Research Foundation

Programs: Human epicardial fat cytokines and coronary atherosclerosis: research grants given to a number of universities that have molecular sciences and medical research departments, currently with the stanford university,university of missouri in the united states, and the university of nottingham, in the united kingdom. In prior years with university of indiana, and the university of tennessee, memphis,tn. Research. Dr, harold s. Sacks collaborated with these universities , which resulted in various medical papers being published in reputable medical journals. (note dr. Harold s. Sacks does not receive any grants, all grants are paid to the research entities mentioned above. )

1. The iteractive role of epicardial adipose tissue, high-fat diet and exercise on the development of coronary artery disease in a swine model of hypercholestrolemia. 2. Effect of epicardial fat removal on coronary anthesclerosis in pigs. 3. Immuno-histochemical characterization of brown adipocytes in human epicardial and subcutaneous fat. Research grants given to biomedical sciences department, university of missouri, columbia, missouri. Research, in collaboration with dr. Harold s. Sacks, resulted in various medical papers being published in reputable medical journals. (note dr. Harold s. Sacks does not receive any grants, all grants are paid to the research entity mentioned above. )

research activities:(i) publications: scientific papers accruing from funded projects dating from 2008 until 2016 were presented and added to the minutes as appendix 1. (a) in 2016, 5 new papers were published in peer-reviewed medical journals with high impact numbers. It is anticipated that several scientific manuscripts will be submitted for publication in 2017. (b) ongoing projects:i) vasomotor effects of perivascular adipose tissue: role of ucp-1: ii) interscapular brown fat pad nerve stimulation to increase energy expenditure in normal and diet-induced obese mice. In collaboration with jaume padilla phd, university of missouri. Cdrf funding = $41603. Iii) identification of epigenetic regulators of epicardial adipose tissue development. In collaboration with pablo fainberg phd and mike symonds phd, university of nottingham uk. Start date: 1st january 2016, end date: 31st december 2016. Cdrf funding = $86252. Iv) human epicardial fat and coronary atherosclerosis adjacent to the myocardial bridge. In collaboration with tracey mclaughlin ms md, division of endocrinology, dept of medicine, stanford university. Start date october 2016. Funding $75000. (c) completed projects:in silico analysis of human epicardial adipose tissue during development. In collaboration with pablo fainberg phd and mike symonds phd, university of nottingham uk. Start date: 1st august 2014, end date: 31st december 2015. Cdrf funding = $20000 per annum. Browning of white adipose tissue in patients with pheochromocytoma: in collaboration with ucla departments of endocrine surgery and genetics. Cdrf funding = $10,000. Epicardial fat and coronary artery disease: in collaboration with mike sturek phd, university of indiana. Cdrf funding = $331,020.

publications from projects funded by the cardiometabolic disease research foundation: 2008-2016 1. Fain jn, sacks hs, buehrer b, bahouth sw, garrett e, wolf ry, carter ra, tichansky ds. Identification of omentin mrna in human epicardial adipose tissue; comparison to omentin in subcutaneous, internal mammary artery periadventitial and visceral abdominal depots. Int j obesity 32:810-815, 2008. 2. Sacks hs, johnson e. Adipokine concentrations are similar in femoral artery and coronary venous sinus blood: evidence against in vivo endocrine secretion by human epicardial fat. Adipobiology 1:51-56, 2009 3. Sacks hs, fain jn, holman b, cheema p, chary c, parks f, karas j , optican r, bahouth sw, garrett e, wolf ry, carter ra, robbins t, wolford d, samaha j. Uncoupling protein-1 and related mrnas in human epicardial and other adipose tissues: epicardial fat functioning as brown fat. J clin endoclinol metab 94:3611-3615, 2009. 4. Fain j, sacks h, bahouth s, tichansky d, madan a, cheema p. Human epicardial adipokine mrnas: comparisons with their expression in sub-sternal, subcutaneous and omental fat. Metabolism clinical and experimental 59:1379-1386, 2010. 5. Company j, booth f, laughlin mh, arce-esquivel a, sacks h, bahouth sw, fain j. Epicardial fat gene expression after aerobic exercise training in pigs with coronary atherosclerosis: relationship to visceral and subcutaneous fat. J appl physiol 109:1904-1912, 2010. 6. Sacks hs, fain j n, cheema p, karas j, bahouth s, garrett e, wolf ry, wolford d, samaha j. Inflammatory genes in epicardial fat contiguous with coronary atherosclerosis in the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: changes associated with pioglitazone. Diabetes care 34:730-733, 2011. 7. Sacks hs, fain j n, cheema p, bahouth s, garrett e, wolf ry, wolford d, samaha j. Depot-specific over-expression of pro-inflammatory, redox, endothelial cell and angiogenic genes in epicardial fat adjacent to severe stable coronary atherosclerosis. Metab syndr relat disord 9: 433-439, 2011. 8. Fain jn, company jm, booth fm, laughlin mh, padilla j, jenkins nt, bahouth sw, sacks hs. Exercise training does not increase muscle fndc5 protein or mrna expression in pigs. Metabolism clinical experimental, 62: 1503-1511, 2013. 9. Sacks hs, fain jn, bahouth sw, ojha s, frontini a, budge h, cinti s, symonds me. Human epicardial fat exhibits beige features. J clin endoclinol metab 98:e1488-1455, 201310. Davies gr, birtwistle m, pope m, perry v, sacks h, budge h, symonds m the developmental transition of epicardial, paracardial and omental adipose tissue during early life in the sheep 201311. Schultz ka, mckenney ml, boyd jh, byrd jp, alloosh m,teague sd, arce-esquivel aa, fain jn, laughlin mh, sacks hs, sturek m. Epicardial adipose excision slows the progression of porcine coronary atherosclerosis. J cardiothoracic surg 9:2-11, 201412. Ojha s, fainberg hp, wilson v, pelella g, castellanos m, may st, lotto aa, sacks h, symonds me, budge h. Novel gene pathway identification during the development of human epicardial fat through early life. J clin invest insight 1: 2016 [human]13. Vergnes l, davies gr, lin jy, yeh mw, livhits mj, harari a, symonds me, sacks hs, reue k. Augmented adipocyte browning and mitochondrial function in peri-adrenal but not subcutaneous fat in pheochromocytoma j clin endocrinol metab 2016 [human]14. Mckenney-drake ml, rodenbeck sd, bruning rs, kyle w. Yancey kw, alloosh m, sacks hs, sturek m. Epicardial adipose tissue removal potentiates outward remodeling and arrests coronary atherogenesis. Ann thor surg 2016. [pigs]15. Aldiss p, davies g,woods r,budge h,sacks hs, symonds me. Browning the cardiac and peri-vascular adipose tissues to modulate cardiovascular risk. Int j cardiol 2016. [review]16. Winn nc, vieira-potter vj, michelle l. Gastecki ml,welly rj, scroggins rj, zidon tm, gaines tl,ml, karasseva ng, kanaley ja, sacks hs, padilla j. Loss of ucp1 exacerbates western diet-induced glycemic dysregulation independent of changes in body weight in female mice. Am j physiol regul integr comp physiol 2016[mice]17. Mckenney-drake ml, rodenbeck sd, bruning rs, kyle w. Yancey kw, alloosh m, sacks hs, sturek m. Epicardial adipose tissue removal potentiates outward remodeling and arrests coronary atherogenesis. Ann thor surg 103:1622-1630, 2017 [pigs]. 18. Winn nc, vieira-potter vj, michelle l. Gastecki ml,welly rj, scroggins rj, zidon tm, gaines tl,ml, karasseva ng, kanaley ja, sacks hs, padilla j. Loss of ucp1 exacerbates western diet-induced glycemic dysregulation independent of changes in body weight in female mice. Am j physiol regul integr comp physiol,312:r74-r84,2107 [mice] 19. Winn nc, grunewald zi, gastecki ml, woodford ml, welly rj, clookey sl, ball jr, gaines tl, karasseva ng, kanaley ja, sacks hs, vieira-potter vj, padilla j. Deletion of ucp1 enhances ex vivo aortic vasomotor function in female but not male mice despite similar susceptibility to metabolic dysfunction. Am j physiol endocrinol metab. June 2017 [mice]20. Beyond obesity - thermogenic adipocytes and cardiometabolic health. Aldiss p, dellschaft n, sacks hs, budge h, symonds me. Horm mol biol clin invest 2017[review]