Degree Name

MS (Master of Science)

Program

Biology

Date of Award

12-2013

Committee Chair or Co-Chairs

Andromeda Nauli, Ph.D.

Committee Members

Edward Onyango, Ph.D., Effiong Otukonyong, Ph.D.

Abstract

Dietary fats are mainly transported by the intestine in lipoproteins: chylomicrons (CMs) and very low density lipoproteins (VLDLs). Unfortunately, studies of the intestinal absorption of dietary fat have been hampered by the lack of an adequate in vitro model system. As an in vitro model Caco-2 cells are able to secrete lipoproteins. We investigated the possible factors that may affect the secretion of CMs through the ultracentrifugation technique. The dose-dependent effects of oleic acid, mono-olein, egg lecithin, collagen matrix, and the effect of cell differentiation on CM secretion were then tested. We found that oleic acid, lecithin, and cell differentiation are critical for CM secretion by Caco-2 cells. To further confirm that our optimal condition is, in fact, favorable for efficient CM production, we compared it with control groups. We observed that our condition led to more efficient CM secretion as determined by the TGs, ApoB, and TEM analysis.

Document Type

Thesis - unrestricted

Copyright

Copyright by the authors.

Included in

Biology Commons

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