St. Clair, Samantha

• Ph.D., Nutrition Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison

• B.S., Nutrition Science, Indiana University-Bloomington

The St. Clair lab utilizes zebrafish as a model system to investigate molecular mechanisms of diet-induced obesity. The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide; this is a concerning observation because obesity is associated with hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in individuals both young and old. In alignment with findings from other research groups, our lab has demonstrated a role for estrogen (b-estradiol) in preventing diet-induced obesity. Further, we demonstrated that administering dietary b-estradiol supplements prevented obesity onset in both male and female fish. Interestingly, hepatic cholesterol metabolism was altered in a sex specific manner in estrogen-treated fish.

 In recognizing that males should not be prescribed estrogen supplements to prevent weight gain, we are currently assessing natural ways to activate the estrogen-mediated mechanism observed in our previous experiments. Studies in both humans and zebrafish have demonstrated the anti-obesogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of tomatoes. Specifically, researchers have demonstrated that these properties are partially a result of regulatory pathways mediated by b-estradiol. Students conducting research in the St. Clair lab will have the opportunity to expand upon this project by administering tomato-based supplements to zebrafish. Specifically, students will collect biometric data over the six-week long dietary intervention. At the end of the feeding period liver and plasma samples will be collected for molecular analysis techniques including but not limited to qRT-PCR.