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Associate Professor Department of Exercise and Sport Science School of Health and Human Performance Department of Physiology Office Phone: (252)737-4678 Lab: (252)744-2934 E-Mail: cortrightr@ecu.edu Mailing Address: Brody School of Medicine East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858

 

1978	B.A., Biology	Hiram College, Hiram, OH
1989	M.A., Exercise Physiology	Kent State University, Kent, OH
1995	Ph.D., Exercise Physiology	Kent State University, Kent, OH
1995-1998	Post-doctoral Fellow	Biochemistry, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

 

The focus of the Cortright laboratory is to better understand cellular bioenergetics and metabolism, with emphasis on skeletal muscle, in order to develop strategies to treat obesity and type II diabetes. In this regard, studies examining the effects of exercise on mitocohdrial bioenergetics and substrate utlization are employed. Technologies examining mitochondrial respiration, genomics and prteomics are used. Models involving cell culture of human myotubes, in vitro assessments of human and rodent skeletal muscle biopsies, and free living animals and humans are utilized in experimental designs.

Principle Investigator – Cortright, R.N. National Institutes of Health (1RO1DK075880) Impaired Acyl-CoA Synthetase-Muscle Lipid Oxidation in African American Women (AAW). Funded September 2006 – 2010.

We hypothesize that the impairment in skeletal muscle fat oxidation in AAW is due to a defect in acyl-CoA synthetase, the enzyme required for activating fatty acids prior to transport and oxidation in the mitochondria. This defect likely contributes to the greater incidence of obesity and diabetes in this racial group of women. However, in lean CW, endurance exercise training stimulates the muscle’s capacity to oxidize long-chain fatty acids. Our secondary hypothesis is that AAW will respond to endurance exercise training by increasing the capacity of skeletal muscle to oxidize lipids, due in part to a normalization of ACS activity. Additional recent experiments suggest a greater propensity for African-American women to generate reactive oxygen species which are linked to skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Mechanisms related to mitochondrial proton conductance are being explored including racial differences in uncoupling protein activity and the adenine nucleotide translocase antiporter (ANT1).

Principle Investigator - Cortright, R.N. National Institutes of Health (1 R15 DK061314-01). “Mitochondrial-Peroxisomal Fatty Acid Oxidation in Obesity.” Funded, September 15, 2003 - 2008.
The purpose of this research was to establish a role for peroxisomes in facilitating the oxidation of long-chain fatty acids by skeletal muscle mitochondria in the obese state. Results suggest a bioenergetic interaction between peroxisomal beta-oxidation and enhanced mitocohndrial oxidation of fatty acids. This suggests a possible target for therapeutic inteventions.

Principle Investigator - Cortright, R.N.
National Institutes of Health (1 R21 DK065183). “Dysregulation of Fatty-Acid Metabolism in Skeletal Muscle in African-American and Caucasian Women.” Funded, September, 2003 - 2008.
The purpose of this research was to identify the cellular sites of dysregulated fatty acid oxidation in the skeletal muscle of African American vs. Caucasian women. Results indicated a mitochondrial deficiency in lipid oxidation, predisposing this group to increased risk for obesity and diabetes. However, endurance exercise training rescued this deficiency, suggesting the need for regular exercise to reduce the risk for obesity and type II diabetes.

Ronald N. Cortright, Kimberly M. Sandhoff, Jessica L. Basilio, Jason R. Berggren, Robert C. Hickner, Matthew W. Hulver, G. Lynis Dohm, and Joseph A. Houmard. Skeletal Muscle Fat Oxidation is Increased in African-American and Caucasian Women after 10 days of Endurance Exercise Training. Obesity Research, Jul;14(7):1201-10, 2006.

Gray SL, Nora ED, Backlund EC, Manieri M, Virtue S, Noland RC, O'rahilly S, Cortright RN, Cinti S, Cannon B, Vidal-Puig A. Decreased brown adipocyte recruitment and thermogenic capacity in mice with impaired PPAR{gamma} (P465L PPAR{gamma}) function. Endocrinology, Dec;147(12):5708-14, 2006.

Noland RC, Thyfault JP, Henes ST, Whitfield BR, Woodlief TL, Evans JR, Lust JA, Britton SL, Koch LG, Dudek RW, Dohm GL, Cortright RN (co-corresponging author), Lust RM. Artificial Selection for High Capacity Endurance Running is Protective Against High Fat Diet-Induced Insulin Resistance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. Jul;293(1):E31-41, 2007.

Noland RC, Woodlief TL, Whitfield BR, Manning SM, Evans JR, Dudek RW, Lust RM, Cortright RN (senior and corresponding author). Peroxisomal-Mitochondrial Oxidation in a Rodent Model of Obesity-Associated Insulin Resistance. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. Oct;293(4):E986-E1001, 2007.

Benjamin T. Bikman, Donghai Zheng, Walter J. Pories, William Chapman, John R. Pender, Rita C. Bowden, Melissa A. Reed, Ronald N. Cortright, Edward B. Tapscott, Joseph A. Houmard, Charles J. Tanner, Jihyun Lee, and G. Lynis Dohm. Mechanism For Improved Insulin Sensitivity After Gastric Bypass Surgery. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 93(12), 4656-4663, 2008.

Effects of Exercise On Expression Of Skeletal Muscle Acyl-CoA Synthetase Isoform Gene Expression In Obese African-American And Caucasian Women. Tracey L. Woodlief, Melanie A. Sweazey, Courtney File, Robert C. Hickner, P. Darrell Neufer, and Ronald N. Cortright, Experimental Biology, April 7, 2008.

A novel mechanism for metformin in improving insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. Benjamin T. Bikman, Donghai Zheng, Ronald N. Cortright, P. Darrel Neufer, Daniel A. Kane, Ethan J. Anderson, Tracey L. Woodlief, Jesse W. Price, G. Lynis Dohm, Experimental Biology, April 7, 2008.

Metformin attenuates a complex mediated increase in mitochondrial oxidant emitting potential in skeletal muscle of obese rats. Daniel A. Kane, Ethan J. Anderson, Tracey L. Woodlief, Jesse W. Price, Benjamin T. Bikman, Ronald N. Cortright, and P. Darrell Neufer. Experimental Biology, April 7, 2008.

Evidence for High Fat Diet Induced Peroxisomal Activity in Skeletal Muscle from Low (LCR) and High (HCR) Capacity Endurance Running Rats. Ronald Cortright, Robert Noland, Tracey Woodlief, Hyo-Bum Kwak, Jesse Price, Steven Britton, Lauren Koch, Robert Lust. The Integrative Biology of Exercise, Hilton-Head, Sept. 24-27, 2008.