Research Areas

• Traditional Hawaiian medicine

• Traditional Ayurvedic medicine

• Role of alternative medicines in ameliorating obesity, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia (metabolic syndrome).

• Signal transduction pathways involved in insulin signaling, lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism.

• Mechanisms of mitochondrial toxicity associated with obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and drug-induced hepatotoxicity.

• ER function in obesity, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia (metabolic syndrome).

• Role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nuclear transcription factors in obesity, insulin resistance and hyperlipidemia (metabolic syndrome).

Insulin Resistance/Diabetes & Alternative Medicine

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by general population has been estimated to be as high as 40-50%. Nevertheless, there is lack of systemic evaluation to prove or disprove the efficacy of these alternative medicines. In chronic conditions such as diabetes, patients may turn to alternative remedies that have purported to improve glycemic conditions. Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a common, chronic metabolic disorder, affecting 16 million people or 6.9% of the US adult population. 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year, and it is the sixth leading cause of death in United States. In Hawaii alone, an estimated 86,000 people have diabetes. The age-adjusted prevalence of Type 2 diabetes among Hawaiians is the highest reported for any Polynesian population in the world.

The focus of our current research is a multi-disciplinary approach to explore the anti-diabetic effects of noni and ayurvedic medicinal plants using cell culture and animal models.

Kava-Associated Heapatotoxicity

The aim is to address the recent crisis linking consumption of kava products to hepatotoxicity. While no serious side effects have been documented in the United States, Switzerland, Germany, Canada and Britain have banned kava sales because of at least 28 reported cases of liver toxicity associated with kava use. The primary goal is to help resolve the disputed claims of kava toxicities. Current focus is to test long-term and short-term effects of traditional kava beverage, commercial kava pills and newly isolated kava lactones and kava alkaloids, using cell culture and animal models.

Instruction

MBBE 651 (Signal Transduction and Regulation of Gene Transcription)

MBBE 341 (Principles of Biochemistry)

Mentoring Students

Main objective of our laboratory is to train minority students in research and to further their careers in basic science research. Dr. Nerurkar is an official mentor for the following graduate, undergraduate and high school programs:

• MBBE graduate program (MS and Ph.D.)

• HNFAS graduate program (MS and Ph.D.)

• UHM MARC Haumana, minority undergraduate student research program.

• NIH/NIDDK, High School Student Summer Research Program.

• Pacific Region Diabetes Education (PRIDE) program –an undergraduate and high school, minority student research program in diabetes.

• Undergraduate Senior Honors Projects

• High school student State Science Fair

Selected Publications

Nerurkar PV* and Nerurkar VR.  Respected Sir(2): magic target for diabetes.  Cellscience 2008; 4(4): 82-96.

Nerurkar PV* and Nerurkar VR.  Can Sir(2) regulate cancer? Cellscience 2008; 4(4): 50-56. 

Nerurkar PV*, Lee Y-K, Motosue M, Adeli K and Nerurkar VR.  Momordica charantia (bitter melon) reduces plasma apolipoprotein B-100 and increases hepatic insulin receptor substrate and phosphoinositide-3 kinase interactions.  Br J Nutr. 2008 Mar 5:1-9.

Lim S, Dragull K, Tang CS, Bittenbender S and Nerurkar PV*.  Effects of Kava Alkaloid, Pipermethystine (PM), and Kavalactones on Oxidative Stress and Hepatic Cytochrome P450 in F344 Rats.  Toxi.  Sci., 2007; 97(1):214-21.

Nerurkar PV*, Lee YK, Linden EH, Lim S, Pearson L, Frank J and Nerurkar VR.  Lipid lowering effects of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) on cellular lipids and apolipoproteins in protease inhibitor-treated human hepatoma cells.  Br J Pharmacol. 2006 Aug;148(8):1156-64. Epub 2006 Jul 3.

Nerurkar PV*, Pearson L, Efird J, Adeli K, Theriault A. and Nerurkar VR.  Inhibition of microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) gene expression and ApoB secretion by bitter melon in HepG2 Cells.  Journal of Nutrition, 2005; 135: 702-706.

Nerurkar PV*, Dragull KD, Tang CS.  Kava-associated hepatic toxicities:  kava alkaloids and mitochondrial dysfunction.  Toxicological Sciences 2004; 79:106-111.

Nerurkar PV, Pearson L, Frank J and Nerurkar VR. Mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction and highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-associated lactic acidosis. Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2003 (submitted).

Le Marchand L, Hankin JH, Pierce LM, Sinha R, Nerurkar PV, Franke A, Wilkens LP, Kolonel LN, Donlon T, Seifried A, Custer LJ, Lum-Jones A, Chang W. Well-done red meat, metabolic phenotypes and colorectal cancer in Hawaii. Mutation Research, 2002; 205: 506-507.

Nerurkar PV, Shikuma C and Nerurkar VR. Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins and reactive oxygen species: potential role in highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART)-related lipodystrophy and associated metabolic disorders. Clinical Biochemistry, 2001; 34: 519-129.

Nerurkar PV, Okinaka L, Aoki C, Seifried A, Lum-Jones A, Wilkens LR and Le Marchand L. CYP1A1, GSTM1 and GSTP1 genetic polymorphisms and urinary 1-hydroxypyrene excretion in non-occupationally exposed individuals. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, 2000; 9: 1119-1122

Nerurkar PV., Le Marchand, L. and Cooney, R.C. Effects of marinating with Asian marinades or Western barbecue sauce on PhIP and MeIQx formation in barbecued beef. Nutrition and Cancer , 1999; 34: 147-152.

Nerurkar PV., Schut, H.A.J., Anderson, L.M., Riggs, C.W., Fornwald, L.W., Snyderwine, E.G., Thorgeirsson, S.S., Weber, W.W., Rice, J.M. and Levy, G.N. Ahr Locus phenotype in congenic mice influences hepatic and pulmonary DNA adduct levels of 2-amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline (IQ) in the absence of cytochrome P450 induction. Molecular Pharmacology 1996; 49: 874-881.