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Planning maternal health programs requires a comprehensive understanding of maternal behaviors that are associated with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), as alcohol consumption is not the sole contributor. Compromised maternal nutrition is identified as one of the major factors contributing to FASD due to alcohol's ability to displace nutrients and interfere with metabolism. However, the information on the nutrition status of women at-risk of having children with FASD, is scarce, especially in Indigenous women. This study aimed to identify the dietary intake of nutrients important for fetal central nervous system development and examine if alcohol consumption influenced dietary intake in pregnant women. Through community engagement and partnerships with two northern Manitoba First Nation communities (Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Chemawawin Cree Nation), 59 pregnant women, ages 14-42 years, were recruited to participate in the in-person survey using the Nutrition for Two instrument. Information was obtained on participant demographics, dietary intake, substance use, pregnancy outcomes, and maternal health. Additionally, biological samples, urine, and plasma were collected for measuring metabolic parameters, fatty acids, cytokines, and mineral profiles. The preliminary findings of this study demonstrated that all participants were below the serving size in all food groups recommended by the former Health Canada CFG. A higher prevalence of inadequacy was observed for three key nutrients: folate, iron, and DHA for both communities. Maternal self-reported alcohol consumption was associated with increased intake of fat macronutrients (p<0.05) and decreased intakes of niacin, folate, choline, and calcium (p<0.05). No relationship existed between dietary intake and other risk factors. With respect to biological data, alcohol consumption during pregnancy presented a significant positive relationship with plasma glucose (p<0.05) and a negative relationship with anti-infla

Hypertensive vessels are characterized by attenuated endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation or endothelial dysfunction. Hemp seed protein isolate (HPI) is a novel protein that contains more than 80% of crude hemp protein and exhibits antihypertensive properties. In addition, HPI contains high levels of arginine, a pre-cursor for vasodilator nitric oxide (NO). However, it is unknown whether HPI can improve the vascular function of hypertensive vessels. Also, sex differences are observed in vascular function and BP regulation, with males at greater risk as opposed to age-matched pre-menopausal women. The present study tested the hypothesis that direct treatment of HPI will lead to vascular relaxation of pre-constricted mesenteric resistance arteries. In addition, we also addressed sex differences in vascular response to HPI. To investigate the potential vasorelaxant activity, we tested HPI (0.1 to 100 µg/mL) on third-order mesenteric arteries using the pressure myography technique. We found that HPI relaxed mesenteric resistance arteries isolated from 16-week-old male and female Sprague Dawley (SD), spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR), and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats in a dose-dependent dependent manner. The vasorelaxant activity of HPI is probably due to the presence of amino acids such as arginine, cysteine, and serine. Also, male SD rats showed significantly lower %dilation compared to female SD rats. Whereas male WKY showed significantly higher HPI induced %dilation response compared to female WKY, female SHR, and male SHR. Sex differences observed in normotensive rats are probably due to bioactive components of HPI. Further studies are required to identify the mechanism involved in HPI-induced vasodilation and elucidate the sex difference observed. In summary, we have shown for the first time that HPI is a vasodilator. Our study findings indicate that HPI may be used for improving the vascular function of hypertensive vessels.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. Due to its high prevalence, and its link to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), studying the pathogenesis of NAFLD is crucial. Unconventional prefoldin RPB5 interactor 1 (URI1) belongs to the prefoldin family of proteins that have been shown to coordinate nutrient availability by transcriptional regulation of genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. URI1 has been shown to be elevated in mouse liver after induction of NAFLD by a high fat diet and contributes to the development of HCC. Trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (t10,c12 CLA) is marketed as a weight loss supplement and feeding t10,c12 CLA to mice results in hepatic steatosis (the earliest stage of NAFLD characterized by hepatic lipid accumulation). In this thesis, it is hypothesized that t10,c12 CLA feeding of lean and obese db/db mice facilitates hepatic steatosis through upregulation of URI1 protein expression. The validity of this hypothesis was assessed using in vivo (mouse) and in vitro (H4IIE cell line) experimental models, which included heterozygous and homozygous Uri1 knock out (KO) H4IIE cell lines, which were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. T10,c12 CLA feeding promoted hepatic steatosis in both lean and db/db mice, compared to mice fed the control diet, by upregulating hepatic de novo lipogenesis and fatty acid uptake which, potentially, may occur by t10,c12 CLA-mediated activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway. Obesity- and t10,c12 CLA-induced hepatic steatosis also resulted in i increased hepatic URI1 levels. In parallel, URI1 protein levels and neutral lipid accumulation in vitro were both elevated the most after 24 hours of oleic acid (OA) treatment. Lastly, in comparison to wild type H4IIE cells, Uri1 KO H4IIE cells exhibited fewer lipid droplets in response to OA treatment, suggesting a role for URI1 in hepatic lipid accumulation. In conclusion, t10,c12 CLA may promote

The environment during early life history strongly impacts phenotypic development in all organisms, which further influences developmental trajectory and ecological fitness later in life. Depending on the developmental stage and magnitude of change in the environment, phenotypes may become irreversible and thus have a long-lasting effect later in life. This thesis was designed to better understand how changes in the environment may influence plasticity and variation of metabolic phenotypes of Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) within the first year of life. Broadly speaking, the thesis tested two hypotheses that 1) all measured phenotypes would be plastic; and 2) durations of environmental effects on phenotypic development would be correlated with distinct developmental windows. Studies were developed to examine 1) short-term effects of temperature or diet on metabolic phenotypes such as metabolic rate, energy density, fatty acid profiles, and growth (Chapters 2 and 3) and 2) longer-term effects of temperature or diet during early life on these metabolic phenotypes (Chapters 4, 5 and 6). The first experimental chapter (Chapter 2) examined ontogenetic development of metabolic rate and demonstrated that dietary shifts between Artemia to bloodworm resulted in cessation of growth with elevated routine metabolic rate. Chapter 3 examined how fatty acid profiles and plasma cortisol concentration were influenced by environmental temperature and showed that decreasing temperature led to increases in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids in both phospholipids and triglycerides, and food deprivation resulted in lack of difference between baseline and peak cortisol concentrations. Chapter 4 examined how temperature during early life influenced plasticity of growth and showed that temperature post-dietary transition resulted in a transient effect on growth and energy metabolism without long-term effects post-winter. Chapter 5 examined how temperature during early life could in

Dietary Intake can impact sport performance and may be influenced by Nutrition Knowledge (NK). Stressors related to competitive sport also affect Dietary Intake and athlete Quality of Life (QOL). This is the first study to explore NK, Dietary Intake and QOL of curlers. Part 1 of the study assessed the NK (n=320) and QOL (n=240) of Canadian curlers using an author-derived questionnaire for NK and the WHOQOL-BREF and Athlete Life Quality Scale for QOL. Part 2 of the study explored the dietary intake of elite female curlers (n=4) using a 3-day food record. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Spearman’s Correlation, Kruskal-Wallis, and Chi-Square tests. Overall, curlers had an average NK score of 69.7%, which is relatively high compared to the literature range of 33.2% - 83.7%. Nutrition Requirements, Weight Management and Macronutrients were poorly understood NK categories with Hydration, Protein and Sugar as the most well understood categories. Competitive athletes had significantly lower Total NK and General NK, but not Sport NK scores compared to recreational athletes (p=0.046, p=0.001 and p=0.449, respectively). Participants had high QOL scores with an average of 89.3%, and no differences were found between competitive and recreational athletes (p>0.05). Factors influencing QOL were Employment, as Retired participants had higher QOL scores in the Social Relationships, Psychological and Environment Domains; Gender, as male participants had higher Psychological Domain scores than female participants; and Age, that had a significantly positive relationship with the Psychological Domain (rho=0.165, p=0.011) and Environment Domain (rho=0.270, p<0.001). Dietary Intake data showed trends of low energy and carbohydrate intake, while protein and fat intake were within, and above recommendations, respectively. While this thesis concluded that Canadian curlers had high QOL scores and relatively high NK, it remains unknown how NK influences Dietary Intake, thus requiring

The objective of this study was to determine whether daily supplementation with the multi-ingredient dietary supplement Cardioflex for 90 days would improve cardiovascular disease risk factors in adults aged 30 – 65 years old. A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled parallel clinical study was conducted with 67 participants who received one daily serving (10g) of Cardioflex (n=33) or 10g of an isocaloric maltodextrin placebo (n=34). Plasma lipid profile, anthropometric measures, cardiac measures, inflammatory and endothelial function biomarkers were measured at baseline and endpoint of the study. Analysis of covariance was conducted using SPSS. In this study, heart rate variability (HRV) increased for the Cardioflex group (65.24 ± 9.44 ms to 68.72 ± 9.78 ms) while a decrease (69.95 ± 9.37 ms to 63.68 ± 9.08 ms) was seen in the placebo group, resulting in an overall 6.8 millisecond higher post-treatment HRV in the Cardioflex group (P=0.04). There were no other significant time x group interactions from the Cardioflex treatment. Further research is needed to explore Cardioflex’s potential effects on HRV and other cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Maternal nutritional status is an important determinant of the severity of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). This study examined the effects of a standard chow and a semi-purified energy dense (E-dense) diet on birth outcomes and brain lipids in rats with prenatal ethanol (EtOH) exposure. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into four groups: chow, chow+EtOH (20% v/v), E-dense, and E-dense+EtOH. EtOH decreased body weight in chow-fed dams and litter sizes in both diet groups. At postnatal day 7, maternal E-dense diet increased body and liver weights and plasma lipids, but decreased relative brain weights and docosahexaenoic acid in the cerebellum and hippocampus of pups compared to those from chow-fed dams. No significant changes were observed on ceramides. While the long-lasting effect of maternal E-dense diet in pups is unknown, this study highlights the importance of maternal nutrition on offspring growth and suggests it as a potential strategy for alleviating FASD.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is characterized by the growth of renal cysts, which ultimately causes renal failure. Previous studies have suggested that whole flaxseed or flax oil can slow disease progression. The first analysis in this thesis examined the effect of a flax protein isolate (FPI) on disease progression in an orthologous ADPKD2 model (Pkd2WS25/- mice). Male and female mice were provided diets containing FPI or casein protein for 13 weeks. Heart, kidney, liver, and serum were then taken. There were no differences in kidney weight or water content between groups, indicating that there was no difference in the effect of FPI compared to casein on disease progression in this model. Oxylipins are bioactive lipids that are formed from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and have proliferative and inflammatory properties, which are key elements of the pathogenesis of ADPKD. Altered levels of kidney oxylipins, liver cysts and heart abnormalities can occur in ADPKD. Serum oxylipins may provide a useful biomarker for disease, so in the second analysis of this thesis the oxylipin profiles in serum, heart, kidney, and livers of healthy and diseased mice that were provided the control diet in the first analysus were analyzed. Cytochrome P450 derived oxylipins in serum were reduced in the diseased animals, while lipoxygenase derived oxylipins were largely lower in the diseased heart and kidney, with no consistent pattern of differences in liver oxylipins observed. Little is known about sex effects on tissue oxylipin profiles, so in the third analysis of this thesis, sex differences in oxylipins from healthy male and female mice given the standard diet were examined. Serum oxylipins were generally higher in females, while heart and liver oxylipins were generally higher in males. In kidneys, cyclooxygenase derived oxylipins were generally higher in females, while oxylipins derived from other pathways were higher in males. These studies demonstrat

Kgenwge melon (Citrullus lanatus) is an indigenous food crop of sub-Saharan Africa and various other tropical countries, commonly utilized as food and/or snack. Current reports evidenced lower mortality rates due to coronary artery diseases in such nations. Only a few studies have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties of the conventional watermelon consumption through improved lipid profile in humans and animal models. Therefore, the aim of this thesis was to explore the anti-atherogenic potential of Kgengwe seed powder (KSP) and its possible mechanisms of action to exhibit such effects in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (LDL-r-KO) mice fed with an atherogenic (0.06% (w/w) cholesterol) chow. Twenty male LDL-r-KO mice were divided into two groups; control (n=10, fed with atherogenic diet) and treated (n=10, fed with an atherogenic diet supplemented with 10% (w/w) KSP) for a period of 20 weeks. During the experimental course, animal body weight gain, food intake, and plasma lipid levels were measured and compared between both the experimental groups. Unlike the previous reports, the present study did not show any significant changes in the plasma lipid levels between the groups. However, KSP treated group showed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease of the atherosclerotic lesion size in the aortic roots as compared to that in the controls. Thus, the plasma samples of mice were further assessed to investigate any substantial alterations in the plasma cytokine levels, oxylipin profile, and plasma and fecal metabolites. The anti-atherogenic potential of KSP was attributed to significant (p < 0.05) and beneficial variations in the plasma inflammatory markers, oxylipins, plasma and fecal metabolites in KSP treated mice in comparison to controls. These preliminary set of data indicate the cardioprotective properties of this fruit’s seeds which are presumed to be mediated through changes in the inflammatory pathways.

Sperm competition is a post-copulatory evolutionary process that can affect sperm production, and consequently reproductive success. Successful males may not necessarily be the males with the highest number of sperm. Other traits such as sperm motility or abnormality may also be factors that impact fertilization success, when there is selection for traits that improve the ability of the sperm to reach the egg. Ground squirrels are an ideal group of organisms to address questions of reproduction and fertility because of the large species diversity in the group, a well-documented phylogeny, a high variety of mating systems and their diversity of life history traits. The main objective of my thesis was to investigate sperm competition in ground squirrels, since it is biologically, ecologically, and evolutionary important to recognize what traits influence the fertilizing efficiency of males and how different species maximize their reproductive success through post-copulatory sexual selection. I sampled free-ranging adult male Cape ground squirrels in the Northern Cape and SA Lombard Nature Reserve, Bloemhof, South Africa, Richardson’s ground squirrels in Assiniboine Park Zoo, Winnipeg, Canada, and Barbary ground squirrels of an invasive population on Fuerteventura Island (Canarian archipelago), Spain. Key findings demonstrated: 1. A positive relationship (interspecifically) between operational sex ratio (OSR) and relative testes size (RTS); 2. A negative relationship (intraspecifically) between RTS and sperm concentration in Cape and Richardson’s ground squirrels; 3. Cape ground squirrel males in better body condition produced more sperm and had larger Cowper glands; 4. Sperm length and speed were related in Cape and Richardson’s ground squirrels; 5. Selective pressures may act to decrease sperm head variability among males, or possibly favor different sizes and morphologies of sperm within an ejaculate; 6. Barbary ground squirrels had higher sperm concentration, lower