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Due to copyright issues, an electronic copy of the thesis must be ordered from the faculty. For the faculty to have time to process the order, the order must be received by the faculty at the latest 2 days before the public defence. Orders received later than 2 days before the defence will not be processed. After the public defence, please address any inquiries regarding the thesis to the candidate.
Trial Lecture – time and place
See Trial Lecture.
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Juliette Legler, Utrecht University,
- Second opponent: Professor Harald Carlsen, Norwegian University of Life Sciences,
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Professor Rune Blomhoff, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Associate Professor Frode Norheim, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Professor Jerome Ruzzin, University of Oslo
Summary
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are widespread in the environment despite concerns about their potential impact on human health. The UN and WHO note a lack of data on how POPs may cause diabetes, and the functions of POP receptors like NR1I2 are not well understood.
The first part of this thesis examines how POPs affect pancreatic β-cells and contribute to diabetes. We found that youths with type 1 diabetes had high levels of POPs like PCB-153 and p,p’-DDE. In cultured pancreatic β-cells, POPs reduced insulin production by impairing the antioxidant defense of the cells. Moreover, long-term exposure to POPs led to β-cell death. The second part of the thesis explores the role of intestinal NR1I2. Mice lacking NR1I2 in the gut showed no significant changes in intestinal structure or function compared to control mice, even when challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Additional information
Contact the research support staff.