-
Nutrients Oct 2023Vitamin D (VitD) has been shown to impact neurodevelopment. Studies have shown that higher 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations (the indicator of vitD status)... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
INTRODUCTION
Vitamin D (VitD) has been shown to impact neurodevelopment. Studies have shown that higher 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations (the indicator of vitD status) may be associated with better neurodevelopmental outcomes, although current data are conflicting. This study examined the relationship between total circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and neurodevelopmental outcomes in 3-5-year-old (3-5 yo) children.
METHODS
In this study, pregnant women were randomized to receive 400 (standard dose), 2000, or 4000 IU vitD/day. Offspring then underwent the Brigance Screen at 3-5 yo. The 25(OH)D concentration was measured at birth and 3-5 yo. Relationships between Brigance scores and 25(OH)D and Brigance scores and vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) genotype were examined.
RESULTS
Higher 25(OH)D at the time of testing was associated with better overall performance on neurodevelopmental testing as measured by the Brigance quotient (B = 0.208, = 0.049). Scores were then broken down into sub-scores. Children born to mothers in the 2000 IU/day group scored higher on the Brigance language component of the assessment versus the standard dose group (B = 4.667, = 0.044). The group of children who had the Gc1f-1s or Gc1f-2 genotypes scored higher on the Brigance academic component (B = 9.993, < 0.001) and lower on the Brigance language component versus the 1f1f genotype (B = -9.313, < 0.001). Children with the Gc1s-1s, Gc1s-2, or Gc2-2 genotypes also scored lower than the Gc1f-1f genotype (B = -6.757, = 0.003).
CONCLUSION
These results suggest that higher 25(OH)D concentrations early in life and higher doses of maternal vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may have a positive association with neurodevelopmental outcomes. This study also suggests that the VDBP genotype is associated with neurodevelopment and differentially affects various fields of neurodevelopment.
Topics: Infant, Newborn; Humans; Child; Female; Pregnancy; Child, Preschool; Vitamin D; Vitamins; Vitamin D Deficiency; Genotype; Dietary Supplements; Vitamin D-Binding Protein; Cholecalciferol
PubMed: 37836534
DOI: 10.3390/nu15194250 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2023Bear bile powder is an essential, traditional and valuable Chinese herbal medicine that clears heat, calms the liver, and improves eyesight. Early studies have shown...
Bear bile powder is an essential, traditional and valuable Chinese herbal medicine that clears heat, calms the liver, and improves eyesight. Early studies have shown that bear bile powder has lipid-lowering activity, but due to the scarcity of natural bear bile powder resources, it has yet to be used on a large scale. Researchers have found that tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is the primary characteristic bioactive substance of bear bile powder. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of TUDCA on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced hyperlipidemia. A hyperlipidemia model was established by feeding mice high-fat chow, following the intervention of different concentrations of TUDCA (25/50/100 mg/kg) orally, the hallmark biochemical indexes (total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)), histopathological examination (hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O (ORO) staining), and metabolomic analysis of serum and liver. The results showed that TUDCA could downregulate total TC, TG, LDL-C, upregulate HDL-C, reduce fat deposition in hepatocytes, reverse hepatocyte steatosis, and exhibit prominent lipid-lowering activity. In addition, it may play a therapeutic role by regulating glycerophospholipid metabolism.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Lipidomics; Cholesterol, LDL; Powders; Ursidae; Metabolomics; Cholesterol, HDL
PubMed: 37687178
DOI: 10.3390/molecules28176352 -
The American Journal of Clinical... May 2024Distinct circulating bile acid (BA) subtypes may play roles in regulating lipid homeostasis and atherosclerosis. (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Changes in bile acid subtypes and improvements in lipid metabolism and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk: the Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS Lost) trial.
BACKGROUND
Distinct circulating bile acid (BA) subtypes may play roles in regulating lipid homeostasis and atherosclerosis.
OBJECTIVES
We investigated whether changes in circulating BA subtypes induced by weight-loss dietary interventions were associated with improved lipid profiles and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk estimates.
METHODS
This study included adults with overweight or obesity (n = 536) who participated in a randomized weight-loss dietary intervention trial. Circulating primary and secondary unconjugated BAs and their taurine-/glycine-conjugates were measured at baseline and 6 mo after the weight-loss diet intervention. The ASCVD risk estimates were calculated using the validated equations.
RESULTS
At baseline, higher concentrations of specific BA subtypes were related to higher concentrations of atherogenic very low-density lipoprotein lipid subtypes and ASCVD risk estimates. Weight-loss diet-induced decreases in primary BAs were related to larger reductions in triglycerides and total cholesterol [every 1 standard deviation (SD) decrease of glycocholate, glycochenodeoxycholate, or taurochenodeoxycholate was related to β (standard error) -3.3 (1.3), -3.4 (1.3), or -3.8 (1.3) mg/dL, respectively; P < 0.05 for all]. Greater decreases in specific secondary BA subtypes were also associated with improved lipid metabolism at 6 mo; there was β -4.0 (1.1) mg/dL per 1-SD decrease of glycoursodeoxycholate (P =0.003) for changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We found significant interactions (P-interaction < 0.05) between dietary fat intake and changes in BA subtypes on changes in ASCVD risk estimates; decreases in primary and secondary BAs (such as conjugated cholate or deoxycholate) were significantly associated with improved ASCVD risk after consuming a high-fat diet, but not after consuming a low-fat diet.
CONCLUSIONS
Decreases in distinct BA subtypes were associated with improved lipid profiles and ASCVD risk estimates, highlighting the importance of changes in circulating BA subtypes as significant factors linked to improved lipid metabolism and ASCVD risk estimates in response to weight-loss dietary interventions. Habitual dietary fat intake may modify the associations of changes in BAs with ASCVD risk. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00072995.
Topics: Humans; Bile Acids and Salts; Male; Female; Middle Aged; Overweight; Lipid Metabolism; Atherosclerosis; Adult; Diet, Reducing; Risk Factors; Obesity; Weight Loss; Aged; Cardiovascular Diseases
PubMed: 38428740
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.02.019 -
Phytomedicine : International Journal... Feb 2024Diabetes belongs to the most prevalent metabolic diseases worldwide, which is featured with insulin resistance, closely associated with obesity and urgently needs to be...
BACKGROUND
Diabetes belongs to the most prevalent metabolic diseases worldwide, which is featured with insulin resistance, closely associated with obesity and urgently needs to be treated. Baicalin, belonging to natural flavonoids, has been reported to inhibit oxidative stress or inflammatoin.
PURPOSE
This study investigated the properties of baicalin on modulating abnormal glucolipid metabolism, as well as the underlying in-vitro and in-vivo mechanisms.
METHODS
Insulin-resistant (IR)-HepG2 cells were stimulated by dexamethasone (20 µM) and high glucose (50 mM) for 48 h and incubated with or without baicalin or metformin for another 16 h. Male C57BL/6 J mice were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD, 60 % kcal% fat) during the total 14 weeks. Obese mice were then administered with baicalin (50 and 100 mg/kg) or vehicle solution everyday through oral gavage during the last 4-week period. Moreover, baicalin metabolisms in vitro and in vivo were determined using UPLC/MS/MS to study its metabolism situation.
RESULTS
Exposure to dexamethasone and high glucose damaged the abilities of glycogen synthesis and glucose uptake with elevated oxidative stress and increased generation levels of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in HepG2 cells. These impairments were basically reversed by baicalin treatment. Four-week oral administration with baicalin ameliorated hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in HFD-induced obese and pre-diabetic mice. Downregulation of IRS/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway accomplished with reduced GLUT4 expression and enhanced GSK-3β activity was observed in insulin resistant HepG2 cells as well as liver tissues from pre-diabetic mice; and such effect was prevented by baicalin. Moreover, baicalin and its matabolites were detected in IR-HepG2 cells and mouse plasma.
CONCLUSION
The study illustrated that baicalin alleviated insulin resistance by activating insulin signaling pathways and inhibiting oxidative stress and AGEs production, revealing the potential of baicalin to be a therapeutic natural flavonoid against hepatic insulin and glucose-lipid metabolic disturbance in pre-diabetes accompanied with obesity.
Topics: Male; Mice; Animals; Glucose; Insulin Resistance; Insulin; Prediabetic State; Mice, Obese; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Flavonoids; Signal Transduction; Liver; Obesity; Dexamethasone; Diet, High-Fat
PubMed: 38176276
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.155296 -
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Feb 2024Average testosterone concentrations in men have declined over the last few decades. The reasons for this are not fully known, but changes in dietary fat quality have...
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES
Average testosterone concentrations in men have declined over the last few decades. The reasons for this are not fully known, but changes in dietary fat quality have been suggested to have a role. This study aimed to investigate the associations of different dietary fatty acids with serum androgen concentrations.
SUBJECTS/METHODS
A total of 2546 men with a mean age of 53 from the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study were included in this cross-sectional study. Associations between dietary saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA) and trans (TFA) fatty acids and concentrations of serum total and free testosterone and steroid hormone binding globulin (SHBG) were analyzed with analysis of covariance and linear regression analysis. Associations of isocaloric replacement of nutrients and androgen concentrations were analyzed with multivariate nutrient-density models.
RESULTS
After adjustment for age, examination year and energy intake, higher SFA intake was associated with higher serum total and free testosterone and SHBG concentrations, and higher PUFA intake with lower concentrations. However, the associations were attenuated and not statistically significant after further adjustments for potential confounders. MUFA and TFA intakes were not associated with androgen concentrations. In isocaloric substitution models, replacing dietary protein with SFA was associated with higher serum total testosterone and SHBG concentrations. After excluding men with history of CVD or diabetes (n = 1021), no statistically significant associations were found.
CONCLUSIONS
Dietary fat quality was not independently associated with serum androgen concentrations in middle-aged men. However, replacing protein with SFA may be associated with higher serum androgen concentrations.
Topics: Male; Middle Aged; Humans; Dietary Fats; Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; Androgens; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Cross-Sectional Studies; Fatty Acids; Testosterone
PubMed: 37891228
DOI: 10.1038/s41430-023-01358-9 -
Nutrients Feb 2024Vitamin D deficiency is currently a significant public health issue closely linked to numerous diseases, such as breast cancer. This study aims to determine the... (Review)
Review
Vitamin D deficiency is currently a significant public health issue closely linked to numerous diseases, such as breast cancer. This study aims to determine the estimated optimal serum levels of vitamin D to have a protective effect against breast cancer, in addition to exploring the biological mechanisms and risk factors involved. A literature search of articles published in the last 5 years was conducted, and simple statistical analyses using mean and standard deviation were performed to calculate the average concentration of vitamin D from different available studies. It has been observed that serum levels of vitamin D ≥ 40.26 ng/mL ± 14.19 ng/mL could exert a protective effect against breast cancer. Additionally, various biological mechanisms, such as those related to the immune system, and risk factors like diet implicated in this relationship were elucidated. Consequently, it can be concluded that proper serum levels of vitamin D may have a protective effect against breast cancer, and dietary supplementation may be an appropriate procedure to achieve these optimal vitamin D concentrations.
Topics: Humans; Female; Vitamin D; Breast Neoplasms; Vitamins; Vitamin D Deficiency; Dietary Supplements
PubMed: 38474702
DOI: 10.3390/nu16050573 -
Gut Microbes 2024Women are at significantly greater risk of metabolic dysfunction after menopause, which subsequently leads to numerous chronic illnesses. The gut microbiome is...
Women are at significantly greater risk of metabolic dysfunction after menopause, which subsequently leads to numerous chronic illnesses. The gut microbiome is associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction, but its interaction with female sex hormone status and the resulting impact on host metabolism remains unclear. Herein, we characterized inflammatory and metabolic phenotypes as well as the gut microbiome associated with ovariectomy and high-fat diet feeding, compared to gonadal intact and low-fat diet controls. We then performed fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) using gnotobiotic mice to identify the impact of ovariectomy-associated gut microbiome on inflammatory and metabolic outcomes. We demonstrated that ovariectomy led to greater gastrointestinal permeability and inflammation of the gut and metabolic organs, and that a high-fat diet exacerbated these phenotypes. Ovariectomy also led to alteration of the gut microbiome, including greater fecal β-glucuronidase activity. However, differential changes in the gut microbiome only occurred when fed a low-fat diet, not the high-fat diet. Gnotobiotic mice that received the gut microbiome from ovariectomized mice fed the low-fat diet had greater weight gain and hepatic gene expression related to metabolic dysfunction and inflammation than those that received intact sham control-associated microbiome. These results indicate that the gut microbiome responds to alterations in female sex hormone status and contributes to metabolic dysfunction. Identifying and developing gut microbiome-targeted modulators to regulate sex hormones may be useful therapeutically in remediating menopause-related diseases.
Topics: Humans; Female; Mice; Animals; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Obesity; Liver; Diet, High-Fat; Inflammation; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Mice, Inbred C57BL
PubMed: 38153260
DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2023.2295429 -
PloS One 2023Sex hormone-related diseases, encompassing a wide range of conditions from reproductive disorders to certain cancers, pose significant health challenges worldwide.... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Sex hormone-related diseases, encompassing a wide range of conditions from reproductive disorders to certain cancers, pose significant health challenges worldwide. Recent scientific investigations have highlighted the intricate interplay between the gut microbiome and sex hormone regulation, indicating the potential for microbiota-targeted interventions in the management of such diseases. Although individual studies have elucidated the influence of the gut microbiome on sex hormones, a comprehensive cross-sectional examination of the population-wide prevalence of probiotic intake and its correlation with sex hormones is still lacking.
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to evaluate the association of probiotic ingestion with sex hormones in pre- and post-menopausal women.
METHODS
We conducted an observational cohort study comprising a nationally representative sample of adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2013 and 2016. Probiotic ingestion was considered when a subject reported yogurt or probiotic supplement consumption during the 24-h dietary recall or during the Dietary Supplement Use 30-Day questionnaire. A survey-weighted generalized linear model was used to analyze the association between probiotic intake and female/male sex hormones. To reduce selection bias, we used propensity score matching (PSM).
RESULTS
This study included 2,699 women, with 537 of them consuming yogurt and/or dietary supplements containing probiotics, while the remaining 2,162 women did not consume any probiotics. The findings indicated that there were associations between probiotic intake and sex hormone levels in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. For premenopausal women, probiotic intake was positively associated with estradiol (E2) levels. On the contrary, in postmenopausal women, probiotic intake was inversely associated with total testosterone (TT) levels.
CONCLUSIONS
This study indicated that probiotic consumption was associated with higher E2 level in premenopausal women and lower TT level in postmenopausal women. Probiotic intake might be a sensible strategy for preventing sex hormone-related diseases.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Male; Female; Nutrition Surveys; Postmenopause; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cohort Studies; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Estradiol; Probiotics; Eating; Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin; Testosterone
PubMed: 37972004
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294436 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2024Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D3 is synthesised in skin cells in the body. Vitamin D3 has been known as a bone-related hormone. Recently, however, it has been... (Review)
Review
Unlike other vitamins, vitamin D3 is synthesised in skin cells in the body. Vitamin D3 has been known as a bone-related hormone. Recently, however, it has been considered as an immune vitamin. Vitamin D3 deficiency influences the onset of a variety of diseases. Vitamin D3 regulates the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) through binding to vitamin D receptors (VDRs) in immune cells. Since blood levels of vitamin D3 (25-OH-D3) were low in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, there has been growing interest in the importance of vitamin D3 to maintaining a healthy condition. On the other hand, phytochemicals are compounds derived from plants with over 7000 varieties and have various biological activities. They mainly have health-promoting effects and are classified as terpenoids, carotenoids, flavonoids, etc. Flavonoids are known as the anti-inflammatory compounds that control TNF-α production. Chronic inflammation is induced by the continuous production of TNF-α and is the fundamental cause of diseases like obesity, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, heart and brain diseases, autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's disease, and cancer. In addition, the ageing process is induced by chronic inflammation. This review explains the cooperative effects of vitamin D3 and phytochemicals in the suppression of inflammatory responses, how it balances the natural immune response, and its link to anti-ageing effects. In addition, vitamin D3 and phytochemicals synergistically contribute to anti-ageing by working with ageing-related genes. Furthermore, prevention of ageing processes induced by the chronic inflammation requires the maintenance of healthy gut microbiota, which is related to daily dietary habits. In this regard, supplementation of vitamin D3 and phytochemicals plays an important role. Recently, the association of the prevention of the non-disease condition called "ME-BYO" with the maintenance of a healthy condition has been an attractive regimen, and the anti-ageing effect discussed here is important for a healthy and long life.
Topics: Humans; Cholecalciferol; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; Aging; Flavonoids; Inflammation; Phytochemicals; Vitamin D
PubMed: 38396804
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042125 -
Nutrients Sep 2023Patients with post-cholecystectomy (PC) often experience adverse gastrointestinal conditions, such as PC syndrome, colorectal cancer (CRC), and non-alcoholic fatty liver...
Patients with post-cholecystectomy (PC) often experience adverse gastrointestinal conditions, such as PC syndrome, colorectal cancer (CRC), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), that accumulate over time. An epidemiological survey further revealed that the risk of cholecystectomy is associated with high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) dietary intake. Mounting evidence suggests that cholecystectomy is associated with disrupted gut microbial homeostasis and dysregulated bile acids (BAs) metabolism. However, the effect of an HFHC diet on gastrointestinal complications after cholecystectomy has not been elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of an HFHC diet after cholecystectomy on the gut microbiota-BA metabolic axis and elucidate the association between this alteration and the development of intestinal inflammation. In this study, a mice cholecystectomy model was established, and the levels of IL-Iβ, TNF-α, and IL-6 in the colon were increased in mice fed an HFHC diet for 6 weeks. Analysis of fecal BA metabolism showed that an HFHC diet after cholecystectomy altered the rhythm of the BA metabolism by upregulating liver CPY7A1, CYP8B1, and BSEP and ileal ASBT mRNA expression levels, resulting in increased fecal BA levels. In addition, feeding an HFHC diet after cholecystectomy caused a significant dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, which was characterized by the enrichment of the metabolic microbiota involved in BAs; the abundance of pro-inflammatory gut microbiota and related pro-inflammatory metabolite levels was also significantly higher. In contrast, the abundance of major short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria significantly decreased. Overall, our study suggests that an HFHC diet after cholecystectomy promotes intestinal inflammation by exacerbating the gut microbiome and BA metabolism dysbiosis in cholecystectomy. Our study also provides useful insights into the maintenance of intestinal health after cholecystectomy through dietary or probiotic intervention strategies.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Dysbiosis; Cholesterol; Hypercholesterolemia; Cholecystectomy; Bile Acids and Salts; Disease Models, Animal; Inflammation
PubMed: 37686860
DOI: 10.3390/nu15173829