Research Careers for American Indian/Alaska Native Nurses: Pathway to Elimination of Health Disparities

The health status of American Indians/Alaska Natives lags behind that of the US population. American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) nurses are on the front lines of health services for AIAN people. They have the potential to make scientific contributions as well, but are under-represented among researchers working to understand health disparities. The AIAN MS-to-PhD Nursing Science Bridge, at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Universities of North Dakota and Oklahoma, provides support for AIAN nurses during the critical training transition from masters of science to doctoral programs. Partner schools collaborate with AIAN elders, medicine people/spiritual leaders, and academic consultants to (1) foster academic success and strengthen the AIAN identity of students during their research training and (2) bring about institutional change to optimize student experiences. Future research programs developed by this cadre of AIAN nurse scientists will contribute scientifically sound, culturally acceptable knowledge to effectively improve the health of AIAN people

Effects of diets enriched in linoleic acid and its peroxidation products on brain fatty acids, oxylipins, and aldehydes in mice.

BackgroundLinoleic acid (LA) is abundant in modern industrialized diets. Oxidized LA metabolites (OXLAMs) and reactive aldehydes, such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), are present in heated vegetable oils and can be endogenously synthesized following consumption of dietary LA. OXLAMs have been implicated in cerebellar degeneration in chicks; 4-HNE is linked to neurodegenerative conditions in mammals. It unknown whether increasing dietary LA or OXLAMs alters the levels of oxidized fatty acids (oxylipins), precursor fatty acids, or 4-HNE in mammalian brain.ObjectivesTo determine the effects of increases in dietary OXLAMs and dietary LA, on levels of fatty acids, oxylipins, and 4-HNE in mouse brain tissues.MethodsMice (n = 8 per group) were fed one of three controlled diets for 8 weeks: (1) a low LA diet, (2) a high LA diet, or (3) the low LA diet with added OXLAMs. Brain fatty acids, oxylipins, and 4-HNE were quantified in mouse cerebellum and cerebral cortex by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and immunoblot, respectively.ResultsIncreasing dietary LA significantly increased omega-6 fatty acids, decreased omega-3 fatty acids, and increased OXLAMs in brain. Dietary OXLAMs had minimal effect on oxidized lipids but did decrease both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Neither dietary LA nor OXLAMs altered 4-HNE levels.ConclusionBrain fatty acids are modulated by both dietary LA and OXLAMs, while brain OXLAMs are regulated by endogenous synthesis from LA, rather than incorporation of preformed OXLAMs