Linda H. Chen, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
The Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
Room 119 Funkhouser Building
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0054
Tel: (859)-257-3288
Fax: (859)-257-3288
e-mail: lchen@uky.edu
Academic Appointments:
• Graduate Center for Nutritional Sciences
• Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Agriculture
• Ph. D. Program in Gerontology
Education:
• B.S., Pharmacy, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
• Ph.D., Biochemistry, University of Louisville
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Louisville, Department of Biochemistry
Awards and Honors:
• NIH Predoctoral Fellow
• Borden Award in Nutrition Research in North America
• Editorial Board member, Archieves of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Specific Interest in Nutrition:
Beneficial effects of omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Research:
Research in Dr. Chen’s laboratory has found that fish oil can alleviate virus-induced suppression of tissue antioxidant defense systems and viral replication in the mouse model of AIDS. Supplementation of fish oil or n-3 fatty acids has been shown to be beneficial in a number of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, although the exact mechanisms are not clearly understood. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5, n-3), a major n-3 fatty acid in fish oil, has been shown to decrease tumor necrosis factor (TNF-a;) production in both animal and human studies. TNF-a; is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in the pathobiology of many human diseases such as septic shock, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. The cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for the modulating effect of EPA on gene expression of TNF-a; is studied by determining whether EPA modulates TNF-a; expression by suppressing the activation of transcription factors, nuclear transcription factor-kB (NF-kB) and activator protein-1 (AP-1). These two transcription factors are oxidative stress-sensitive transcription factors. In addition, whether the decrease of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids produced from arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4, n-6) is one of the mechanisms by which EPA decreases TNF-a; expression is studied. Human monocytic cell line, THP-1 cells, stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is used as the cell culture model system.
Repressentative Publications:
1. Xi S, Cohen D and LH Chen. Effects of fish oil on cytokines and immune functions of mice with murine AIDS. J Lipid Res 39: 1677-1687, 1998.
2. Xi S and LH Chen. Effects of dietary fish oil on tissue glutathione and antioxidant defense enzymes in mice with murine AIDS. Nutr Res 20: 1287-129, 2000.
3. Xi S, Cohen D, Barve S and LH Chen. Fish oil suppressed cytokines, nuclear factor-kB and viral replication induced by murine AIDS infection. Nutr Res 21: 865-878, 2001.
4. Zhao Y and LH Chen. N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids/Eicosanoids and Inflammatory Responses. In: Essential Fatty Acids and Eicosanoids: Invited Papers from the Fifth International Congress. Editors: Y.S Huang, S. J. Li and P.C. Huang, AOCS Press: Champaign, Il, pp. 219-226, 2003.
5. Zhao Y, Joshi-Barve S, Barve S and LH Chen: Eicosapentaenoic acid prevents LPS-induced TNF-a expression by preventing NF-kB activation. J Am College Nutr 23: 71-78, 2004.
6. Zhao Y and LH Chen. Eicosapentaenoic acid prevents lipopolysaccharide-stimulated DNA binding or activator protein-1 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity. J Nutr Biochem 16: 78-84, 2005.
