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To describe the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP) for underrepresented minority (URM) matriculants at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Pharmacy.The SAEP is a six-week summer pipeline program at VCU for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students interested in applying to medical, dental, physical therapy, or pharmacy school, divided into school tracks. Demographic and matriculation information about the pharmacy track program participants was obtained from the program and school administration from inception in 2012 through 2019. A retrospective analysis of the impact of SAEP on URM matriculation at VCU School of Pharmacy was conducted.Of the 80 pharmacy track participants, 56.3% (n = 45) have enrolled at VCU School of Pharmacy. Among those 45 that matriculated, 33.3% (n = 15) identified as one or more of the following URM populations: Black or African American 28.9% (n = 13), Hispanic or Latinx 4.4% (n = 2), and American Indian 2.2% (n = 1). In comparison, the same URM classifications for students enrolled at VCU School of Pharmacy over the last nine years ranged from 5% to 11% Black or African American, 0% to 5% Hispanic or Latinx, and 0% to 2% American Indian with a total URM representation range of 7% to 25% during this timeframe.SAEP is a program utilized to increase matriculation of students from diverse backgrounds, including URM populations. This type of pipeline program is described as one way to improve URM representation.

Objective: We aimed to examine if myeloid leukocyte profiles are associated with metabolic impairment in children and adolescents with obesity, and if sex, age, or race influence this relationship.Methods: 282 children ages 8–17 were evaluated. Predictor measures were absolute neutrophil counts (ANC), absolute monocyte count, monocyte subtypes and C reactive protein (CRP). Outcome variables were waist circumference, fasting glucose and insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c (%) and lipid profiles. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine associations between predictor and outcome variables. Wilcoxon two-sample tests were used to evaluate differences by sex.Results: CRP (p < 0.0001), ANC (p < 0.0018), and classical monocytes (p = 0.05) were significantly higher in children with obesity. CRP, ANC and classical monocytes showed positive correlations with waist circumference, insulin, HOMA-IR and triglycerides. CRP was positively associated with ANC overall (p = 0.05). ANC demonstrated positive correlation with monocytes (p < 0.001). The associations between predictor and outcome variables were influenced by sex, race, and age.Conclusions: CRP and myeloid leukocyte populations, specifically classical monocytes and neutrophils associate with both body composition and metabolic parameters in children with obesity suggesting that these cells may play a critical role in metabolic impairment. Race, gender and age interactions between monocytes and metabolic parameters were significant.

Obesity is a global health epidemic, closely associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Obese adipose tissue is a site and source for inflammation that is strongly associated with these metabolic diseases. In obese mice models, males exhibit profound adipose tissue macrophage (ATM) accumulation in gonadal white adipose tissue (GWAT) linked to insulin resistance, while females are protected even with enhanced adiposity. This dampened inflammation may directly explain reduced metabolic and cardiovascular disease in young women. However, it is not clear what metabolic and inflammatory responses occur in post-menopausal models. We hypothesized an increased inflammatory response would occur in obese older females. We challenged male and female C57Bl6/j mice to 16-24 weeks of 60% high fat diet (HFD) starting at 6 weeks of age (young) or 10 month of age (old). Animal body weights and metabolic depot (adipose and liver) weights were measured at the completion of diet challenge. Flow cytometry was used to determine ATM populations in visceral (GWAT) compared to subcutaneous inguinal WAT (IWAT). Lipolysis was stimulated with a beta3 adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) agonist CL-316, 243 and free fatty acids (FFA), glycerol, and triglyceride (TG) levels assessed in serum and liver. Obesity in young mice led to fat accumulation in GWAT and IWAT of both males and females. In old male animals, fat pads did not expand, and liver weights were as a result larger than in females. Both young and old females had reduced adipose inflammation compared to males. ADRB3 activation had no effect on adipose tissue weights but significantly increased liver weights in obese young females. Obese CL treated young and old female mice showed elevated FFA compared to levels induced in males. Lipolysis promoted appearance of crown like structures (CLS) in both obese young and old males and females, due to CD11c- ATM accumulation. Obesity during aging continues to lead to enhanced inflammation in males along with steatosis but females continue to be protected with appropriate storage of fatty acids with very little induced inflammation. Sex differences in inflammation that persist in aging demonstrate that differences in meta-inflammation may explain sex differences in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases regardless of age and need to be further explored for targeted treatment strategies.