Research Briefs: University of Kentucky

Superfund Research Program

Superfund Chemicals, Nutrition, and Multi-Organ Cardiovascular Risk

Project Leader: Bernhard Hennig
Co-Investigator: Hunter Nathaniel Moseley
Grant Number: P42ES007380
Funding Period: 1997-2025

Project-Specific Links

Research Briefs

• 303 - High-Fiber Diet May Protect Against Harmful Health Effects of PCBs -- Hennig
  Release Date: 03/04/2020

  Two new NIEHS-funded Superfund Research Program (SRP) studies showed how a type of dietary fiber, inulin, may protect against heart disease, including heart disease resulting from exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). According to University of Kentucky SRP Center researchers, a diet high in inulin may reduce or modify certain lipids associated with an increased chance of developing cardiovascular problems and may protect against adverse cardiovascular effects caused by environmental toxicants.

• 287 - PCBs Increase Inflammation, Disrupt Gut Microbiome, and Alter Metabolism -- Hennig
  Release Date: 11/07/2018

  Researchers have discovered that exposure to certain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can increase inflammation in the intestines, alter normal gut microbiota, and disrupt metabolism. They suggest that some of the observed health impacts of PCBs may be initiated in the gut and that changes in the gut microbiota may offer a marker for pollutant exposures.

• 263 - A Link Between Exposure to PCBs, Diet, and Cardiovascular Disease -- Hennig
  Release Date: 11/02/2016

  Researchers at the University of Kentucky Superfund Research Program (UK SRP) Center have identified a new mechanism linking exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). They revealed that PCBs can lead to increased production of a biological marker of CVD, which is also linked to consumption of red meat and other animal products, revealing a novel diet-toxicant interaction associated with CVD risk.

• 111 - Nutrition Can Modulate PCB Toxicity -- Hennig
  Release Date: 03/03/2004
  
  
• 52 - The Effects of Nutrition on Polychlorinated Biphenyl-Mediated Endothelial Cell Activation - Implications in Atherosclerosis -- Hennig, Toborek, Robertson
  Release Date: 08/11/1999