Three areas of research are currently active in my
lab: 1) the effects of dietary factors on early development; 2) dietary
prevention of chronic diseases (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease,
and osteoporosis); and 3) diet and alcohol interactive effects on
endocrine regulated metabolic systems. Our group studies specific dietary
factors (such as isoflavones, carbohydrates, or specific digestive
peptides) on expression of various metabolic enzymes and the health
consequences of those effects. We have been interested in the
diet-dependent regulation of alcohol metabolizing enzymes (CYP2E1 and ADH),
and the nutritional status-dependent adverse effects of alcohol intake. We
have also been interested to determine in specific factors that might
prevent incidence of mammary, colon, prostate and skin cancers. Lastly, we
are studying epigenetic events related to early effects on specific events
that occur later in life.
Arkansas
Children' s Nutrition Center
Recent Publications
Baumgardner JN,
Shankar K, Hennings L, Badger TM, Ronis MJ. A
new model for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in the rat utilizing total
enteral nutrition to overfeed a high-polyunsaturated fat diet. Am J
Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2008; 294:G27-G38.
Chen JR, Shankar K, Nagarajan S, Badger TM,
Ronis MJ. Protective effects of estradiol on ethanol-induced bone loss
involve inhibition of reactive oxygen species generation in osteoblasts
and downstream activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase/signal
transducer and activator of transcription 3/receptor activator of nuclear
factor-kappab
ligand signaling cascade. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2008; 324:50-9.
Nagarajan S, Burris RL, Stewart BW,
Wilkerson JE, Badger TM. Dietary soy protein isolate ameliorates
atherosclerotic lesions in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice potentially by
inhibiting monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression. J Nutr 2008;
138:332-7.
Ronis MJ, Butura A, Korourian S, Shankar K,
Simpson P, Badeaux J et al. Cytokine and Chemokine Expression Associated
with Steatohepatitis and Hepatocyte Proliferation in Rats Fed Ethanol via
Total Enteral Nutrition. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2008; 233:344-55.
Shankar K, Hidestrand M, Liu X, Chen
JR, Haley R, Perrien DS et al. Chronic ethanol consumption inhibits
postlactational anabolic bone rebuilding in female rats.
J Bone Miner Res 2008; 23:338-49.
Singhal R, Shankar K,
Badger TM, Ronis MJ. Estrogenic status
modulates aryl hydrocarbon receptor - mediated hepatic gene expression and
carcinogenicity. Carcinogenesis 2008: 29:227-236.
Singhal R, Badger TM, Ronis MJ. Rats fed
soy protein isolate (SPI) have impaired hepatic CYP1A1 induction by
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as a result of interference with aryl
hydrocarbon receptor signaling. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2008; 227:275-83.
Link
to Dr. Badger at PubMed
Thomas M. Badger