The consumption of fatty foods combined with a high prevalence of sedentary behavior, has led to an obesity epidemic in the United States. Obesity increases the risk of numerous adverse health outcomes, of which insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are among the most common. There are also factors independent of obesity, such as sleep apnea and exogenous glucocorticoid exposure, which increase the risk of developing insulin resistance.
Skeletal muscle accounts for the majority of post-prandial glucose disposal. Therefore, skeletal muscle insulin resistance results in hyperglycemia. Furthermore, the insulin-signaling pathway in skeletal muscle contributes to important physiological processes that orchestrate exercise-induced adaptations. One example is the balance between protein synthesis and protein catabolism.
The Marino lab works to advance our understanding of the cellular and molecular events that cause insulin resistance, how these mechanisms are connected to exercise-mediated skeletal muscle adaptations, and the development of novel exercise intervention for those at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Title: Mechanisms regulating skeletal muscle insulin resistance in the battle against type 2 diabetes.
Amount: ~$2500. Support is provided as needed in the form of glucose testing equipment to enhance the research experience for undergraduate and graduate students.
Bennett, J. M., Roos, L. G., Marino, J. S., Rohleder, N., & Coffman, M. J. (2017). Healthy smokers: An oxymoron? Maybe, but it is more complicated than that. In J. P. Sturmberg (Ed) The Value of Systems and Complexity Sciences for Healthcare – Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference of Systems and Complexity in Health (pp 23-39). New York: Springer.
Turner MJ, Guderian S, Wikstrom EA, Huot JR, *Peck BD, Arthur ST, Marino JS, Hubbard-Turner T. Altered left ventricular performance in aging physically active mice with an ankle sprain injury. Age. 2016 Feb;38(1):15. doi: 10.1007/s11357-016-9877-2.
J.S. Marino, S.J. Peterson, M. Li, L. Vanella, K. Sodhi, J. W. Hill, and N.G. Abraham. ApoA-1 Mimetic Restores Adiponectin Expression and Insulin Sensitivity Independent of Changes in Body Weight in Female Obese Mice. Nutr Diabetes. 2012 March 2(3): e33.