Dr Lynda Williams

Research Interests

We know that obesity causes the metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms which includes excess abdominal fat an imbalance in circulating lipids, insulin insensitivity and pancreatic failure. These symptoms eventually result in type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). An important feature in the development of metabolic syndrome is insulin insensitivity and a great deal of evidence now exists to indicate that it is caused by chronic inflammation.

My research interests are centred around:

What causes this inflammation to occur and where does it originate?
How does this inflammation interfere with appetite and energy balance centres in the brain - particularly leptin and insulin signalling?
Can we reverse or improve this inflammation using nutritional anti-inflammatories such as fish oils and their metabolites?

Publications

1. Nogueiras, R., Mitchell, S.E., Tovar, S., Rayner, D.V., Archer, Z., Dieguez, C., Williams, L.M. Regulation of Growth hormone secretagogue receptor gene expression in the arcuate nuclei of the rat by leptin and ghrelin. Diabetes 53: 2552-2558 (2004)

2. Schuster, C., Williams L.M., Morris, A., Morgan P.J., Barrett, P. The human MT1 melatonin receptor stimulates cAMP production in the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y cells via a calcium-calmodulin signal transduction pathway. J.Neuroendo. 17, 170-178 (2005)

3. Kola, B., Hubina, E., Tuceis, A.,Kirkham, T.C., Garcia, E.A., Mitchell, S.E., Williams, L.M, Hawley S.A., Hardie, D.G., Grossman, B., Korbonits, K. Cannabinoids and ghrelin have both central and peripheral metabolic and cardiac effects via AMP-activated protein kinase. J.Biol.Chem 280,25196-25201 (2005)

4. Tovar S, Nogueiras, R., Tung L.Y.C., Castañeda T.R., Vázquez, M. J., Morris, A., Williams, L.M., Dickson S.L., Diéguez, C. Central Administration of Resistin Promotes Short Term Satiety in Rats Eur. J. Endocrinol. 158, R1-R5 (2005)

5. Mitchell, S.E., Robinson, J.J.,King M.E., Williams, L.M. Proteinase-activated receptors in ovine cervical function. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 17,693-699 (2005)

6. Nogueiras, R., Tovar, S., Mitchell, S.E., Barrett, P., Rayner, D. V., Dieguez, C., Williams, L.M. Negative energy balance down-regulates Neuromedin-U expression in the rat pars tuberalis. J. Endocrinol. 190 545-553 (2006)

7. Mitchell, S.E., Nogueiras, R., Rance, K., Rayner, D.V., Wood, S., Dieguez, C., Williams, L.M. Circulating hormones and hypothalamic energy balance regulatory gene expression in the Lou/C and Wistar rat. J. Endocrinol. 190 571-579 (2006)

8. Nogueiras, R., Pfluger, P., Tovar, S., Myrtha, A., Mitchell, S., Morris, A., Perez-Tilve, D., Vazquez, M.J., Weidmar, P., Castaneda, T.R., DiMarchi, R., Tschop, M., Achurmann, A., Joost, H-G., Williams, L.M., Langhans, W.,Dieguez, C. Effects of obestatin on energy balance and growth hormone secretion in rodents. Endocrinology 48 21-26 (2007)

9. Carlo, A-S., Meyerhof, W., Williams, L.M. Early developmental expression of leptin receptor gene and [¹²⁵I]leptin binding in the rat forebrain. Journal of Chemical Neuroanatomy 33155-63 (2007)

10. Carlo, A.-S., Pyrski, M. Loudes, C., Faivre-Baumann, A., Epelbaum, J., Williams, L. M., Meyerhof, W. Leptin sensitivity in the developing rat hypothalamus Endocrinology 148:6073-6082 (2007)

11. Sneddon, A. A., Tsofliou, F., Fyfe, C.L., Matheson,I., Jackson, D., Horgan, G., Wahle, K.W., Winzell, M.S., Ahren, B., Williams, L.M Effect of a combination of conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on body composition and adiponectin levels. Obesity Research 16:1019-24 (2008)

12. Ahrén, B., Mari, A., Fyfe, C., Tsofliou, F., Sneddon, A., Wahle, KW., Winzell, MS., Pacini, G., Williams, L.M. Effects of a combination of conjugated linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on glucose tolerance, insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity: a human dietary supplementation study. Eur J Clin Nutrition Epub ahead of print (2008)

13. Vázquez, M.J., González, C.R., Varela, L., Lage, R., Tovar, S., Sangiao-Alvarellos, S., Williams, L.M., Vidal-Puig, A., Nogueiras, R., López, M., Diéguez,C. Central resistin regulates both hypothalamic and peripheral lipid metabolism in a nutritional dependent fashion. Endocrinology 149 4534-4543 (2008)

14. Baccini, M., Bachmaier, E-M., Biggeri, A., Boekschoten, M.V., Bouwman, F.G., Brennan, L., Caesar, R., Cinti, S., Coort, S.L., Crosley, K., Daniel, H., Drevon, C.A., Duthie, S., Eijssen, L., Elliott, R.M., van Erk, M., Evelo, C., Gibney, M., Heim, C., Horgan, GW., Johnson, IT., Kelder T., Kleemann, R., Kooistra, T., van Iersel, M.P., Mariman, E.C., Mayer, C., McLoughlin, G., Müller, M., Mulholland, F., van Ommen, B., Polley, A.C., Pujos-Guillot, E., Rubio-Aliaga., Roche, H.M., de Roos, B., Sailer, M., Tonini, G., Williams, L.M., de Wit, N. The NuGO proof of principle study package: a collaborative research effort of the European Nutrigenomics Organisation. Genes Nutr. 3:147-151 (2008)

15. Nogueiras, R., Mitchell, S.M., Morris,A.,Tovar, S., Grant, C., Cruickshank, M., Rayner, D.V., Dieguez, C., Williams, L.M. Regulation of leptin receptor gene expression and [¹²⁵I]leptin binding sites in the mouse brain by nutritional status and leptin. J.Physiol 587: 3573-3585 (2009)

16. Tsofliou, F., Fyfe, C.L., Matheson, I., Jackson, D.M., Horgan, G.W., Wahle, K.W.J., Ahren, B., Williams, L.M., Sneddon, A.A., Effect of supplementation with a conjugated linoleic acid and ?-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid mixture on plasma lipids in healthy humans. Journal of Food Science 16:499-513 (2009)

17. Sneddon, A.A., Rayner, D.V., Mitchell, S.E., Bashir, S., Ha, J.H., Wahle, K.W., Morris, A.C., Williams, L.M. Dietary Supplementation with Conjugated Linoleic Acid plus n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acid increases food intake and brown adipose tissue in rats. (Nutrients1:178-196; doi:10.3390/nu1020178 (2009)