Dr Lynda Williams - Hormone-nutrient interactions in energy balance
Contact details for Dr Lynda WilliamsResearch Focus
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 related to obesity.
• 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?
Policy Briefings
Latest Publications
Padidar, S., Farquharson, A.J., Williams, L. M., Hoggard, N., Arthur, J.R., Drew, J.E. Leptin up-regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines in discrete cells within mouse colon Journal of Cell Physiology 226:2123-30 (2011)
Padidar, S., Farquharson A.J., Williams, L.M., Hoggard, N., Rucklidge, G.J., Drew, J.E. Impact of obesity and leptin on protein expression profiles in mouse colon Digestive Diseases and Sciences 56:1028-36 (2010)
Nogueiras, R., Williams, L.M., Diéguez, C. Ghrelin: new molecular pathways modulating appetite and adiposity. Obesity Facts : 285-95 (2010)
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 ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid mixture on plasma lipids in healthy humans. Journal of Food Science 16:499-513 (2009)
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)
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. Nutrients 1:178-196; doi:10.3390/nu1020178 (2009)
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)
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)
Ahrén, B., Mari, A., Fyfe, C., Tsofliou, F., Sneddon, A., Wahle, KW., Winzell, MS., Pacini, G., Williams, L.M. Effects of conjugated linoleic acid plus n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on insulin secretion and estimated insulin sensitivity in men. Eur J Clin Nutrition 63: 778-786 (2008)
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 conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acid mixture on body composition and adiponectin. Obesity 16: 1019-24 (2008)
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)
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 33: 155-63 (2007)
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)
López, M, Tovar, S., Vázquez, M.J., Williams, L.M., Diéguez, C. Peripheral tissue-brain interactions in the regulation of food intake. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 66: 131-155 (2007)