Consumption of Soybean Oil Results in Transcription Changes in the Mouse Brain

Research by former ETOX postdoctoral fellow Poonam Deol, ETOX professors Maggie Curras-Collazo, Frances Sladek, and current ETOX graduate student Gwendolyn Gonzalez and their collaborators have shown the the consumption of a diet containing soybean oil, the most commonly consumed dietary oil in the United States results in transcriptional changes in the hypothalamus of mice.  The transcripts of approximately 100 genes were shown to be affected including the Oxt, the gene that codes oxytocin. Their paper has been accepted for publication in the journal Endocrinology and spotlighted in UCR News.  Our congratulations to Poonam, Maggie, Frances and Gwendolyn for completing this intriguing research. [The above photo showing Poonam Deol (seated) and Frances Sladek (standing) was taken by Iqbal Pittalwala of UC Riverside.]