Education

Research Interest

Absorption and metabolism of lipids and lipoproteins. Mechanisms of hormone & nutrient action in health & disease.

My long-term goal is to contribute to our understanding of endocrine and nutrient regulation of metabolism, particularly with respect to uptake of nutrients by the GI tract and their subsequent metabolism, including induction of other physiologic or pathologic effects. I am presently trying to identify the putative "chylomicron remnant receptor" in the proximal intestine, then study its regulation and role in triglyceride, cholesterol, and phospholipid metabolism by the small intestine. I have also been collaborating on studies of the long-acting somatostatin analog, octreotide, on calcium and nitrogen metabolism in humans. Unexpectedly, we found that octreotide enhanced calcium retention, first in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, then in normal and cirrhotic adults. And in a patient with Paget's disease, acute treatment with octreotide simultaneously enhanced bone formation and inhibited bone breakdown. Finally, I have also done collaborative studies in cattle, examining the interaction between genotype (Brahman vs. Angus) and the environment (two different forages, bermuda vs. fescue). We found marked effects of genotype on serum cholesterol and that the effect of forage on cholesterol levels depends on the genotype of the calf. We also found that serum cholesterol in heifer calves at weaning predicts future milk production during first lactation 2 1/2 years later. This finding appears to have potential practical use for selecting which young heifers to keep to be future brood-cows, since the amount of milk a beef cow can produce heavily influences the growth rate of her calves. Techniques we employ include standard lipid and lipoprotein separation and analyses, mesenteric lymph duct cannulation (to collect and analyze intestinal lymph), Western ligand blotting, and rocket immunoassay for apolipoproteins.

Selected Publications

1. Nutting, D. F., and P. Tso. Hypolipidemic effect of intravenous Pluronic L-81 in fasted rats treated with Triton WR 1339: possible inhibition of hepatic lipoprotein secretion. Hormone Metabol. Res. 21: 113-115, 1989.
2. Nutting, D. F. , J. Hall, J. Barrowman, and P. Tso. Further studies on the mechanism of inhibition of intestinal chylomicron transport by Pluronic L-81. Biochem. Biophys. Acta. 1004: 357-362, 1989.
3. Tolley, E.A., M.A. Brown, and D.F. Nutting. Gender and breed differences in serum cholesterol of young cattle grazing fescue and bermuda pastures. In S. S. Quisenberry and R.E. Joost (eds.) "Proc. Internat. Symp. Acremonium/Grass Interactions", Louisiana Agric. Exp. Station, Baton Rouge, 1990, pp. 282-285.
4. Nutting, D.F., E.A. Tolley, L. A. Toth, S.D. Ballard, and M.A. Brown. Serum amylase activity, and calcium and magnesium concentrations in young cattle grazing fescue and Bermuda grass pastures. Am. J. Vet. Res. 53(5): 834-839, 1992.
5. Tolley, E.A., M.A. Brown, W.G. Jackson, and D.F. Nutting. Serum cholesterol concentration measured at weaning predicts milk production in first lactation of beef heifers grazing fescue and bermudagrass. "Proceedings of the 7th World Conference on Animal Production", Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, pp. 417-418, 1993.
6. Nutting, D. F., E. A Schriock, G. M. A. Palmieri, J. B. Bittle, L. H. Horner, M. C. Edwards, J. W. Griffin, H. S. Sacks, and T. E. Bertorini. Octreotide enhances positive calcium balance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Amer. J. Med. Sci., 310(3): 91-98, 1995.
7. D.F. Nutting, Tso, P., H.G. Wilcox, and M. Heimberg. The effect of Pluronic L-81 on secretion of very low density lipoproteins by the rat liver. J. Lipid Res. (submitted)
8. Nutting, D.F., A.S. Petrides, and G.M.A. Palmieri. The somatostatin analog, octreotide, markedly reduces urinary calcium excretion in cirrhotic and normal adults. Amer. J. Gastroenterol. (in preparation)