Publications by authors named "H B Latimer"

Elevated cholesterol poses a significant cardiovascular risk, particularly in older women. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR), a crucial nuclear transcription factor that regulates the metabolism of virtually all major nutrients, harbors a still undefined role in cholesterol regulation. Here, we report that a coding single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene encoding the GR, , associated with increased cholesterol levels in women according to UK Biobank and All Of Us datasets.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores how the timing of glucocorticoid administration (like prednisone) affects heart protection in both healthy and damaged hearts, emphasizing the importance of circadian rhythms.
  • It identifies two key proteins, the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and Krüppel-like factor (Klf15), which work together to regulate glucose metabolism in heart cells, promoting better glucose uptake and usage.
  • Importantly, administering glucocorticoids during the light phase improved glucose metabolism and heart function in diabetic mice, suggesting that timing could optimize glucocorticoid therapies for heart-related issues.
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Sarcopenia burdens the older population through loss of muscle energy and mass, yet treatments to functionally rescue both parameters are lacking. The glucocorticoid prednisone remodels muscle metabolism on the basis of frequency of intake, but its mechanisms in sarcopenia are unknown. We found that once-weekly intermittent prednisone administration rescued muscle quality in aged 24-month-old mice to a level comparable to that seen in young 4-month-old mice.

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Genetic variations in the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene can impact metabolism. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs6190 (p.R23K) has been associated in humans with enhanced metabolic health, but the SNP mechanism of action remains completely unknown.

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Circadian time-of-intake gates the cardioprotective effects of glucocorticoid administration in both healthy and infarcted hearts. The cardiomyocyte-specific glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and its co-factor, Krüppel-like factor (Klf15), play critical roles in maintaining normal heart function in the long-term and serve as pleiotropic regulators of cardiac metabolism. Despite this understanding, the cardiomyocyte-autonomous metabolic targets influenced by the concerted epigenetic action of GR-Klf15 axis remain undefined.

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