Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVES:This qualitative study explored factors that may influence decisions regarding kidney transplantation among African-American and Latino adults on dialysis. METHODS:Qualitative interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Open-coding techniques were used to identify concepts, categories, and themes. The Social Ecological Model (SEM) was used to organize themes and identify potential solutions across multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, community, and policy/health system). RESULTS:Thirty-six patients were interviewed. Their mean age was 53 SD 12 years; 50% were female; and their duration on dialysis was 4.9 SD 6 years. Five themes emerged and were organized according to the levels of the SEM: 1) Fear about the outcomes of transplantation and 2) faith in God (individual level); 3) Family dynamics and reluctance to involve family in the decision making process (interpersonal level); 4) The experiences of friends and social networks (community level); and 5) Concerns about the social and economic impact of transplantation (policy and health system). DISCUSSION:The application of a Social Ecological model in this study helped to illuminate the complex and multilevel factors that may influence the decisions for kidney transplantation. Future studies are needed to further explore how family members, social networks, faith communities, and policies/health systems influence the decision making process.

BACKGROUND:Obesity is a growing worldwide problem with genetic and environmental causes, and it is an underlying basis for many diseases. Studies have shown that the toxicant-activated aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) may disrupt fat metabolism and contribute to obesity. The AHR is a nuclear receptor/transcription factor that is best known for responding to environmental toxicant exposures to induce a battery of xenobiotic-metabolizing genes. OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:The intent of the work reported here was to test more directly the role of the AHR in obesity and fat metabolism in lieu of exogenous toxicants. METHODS:We used two congenic mouse models that differ at the Ahr gene and encode AHRs with a 10-fold difference in signaling activity. The two mouse strains were fed either a low-fat (regular) diet or a high-fat (Western) diet. RESULTS:The Western diet differentially affected body size, body fat:body mass ratios, liver size and liver metabolism, and liver mRNA and miRNA profiles. The regular diet had no significant differential effects. CONCLUSIONS:The results suggest that the AHR plays a large and broad role in obesity and associated complications, and importantly, may provide a simple and effective therapeutic strategy to combat obesity, heart disease, and other obesity-associated illnesses.