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Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal... Sep 2023Indoor-confined cats are prone to developing obesity due to a sedentary life and an energy intake exceeding energy requirements. As in humans, feline obesity decreases...
Indoor-confined cats are prone to developing obesity due to a sedentary life and an energy intake exceeding energy requirements. As in humans, feline obesity decreases insulin sensitivity and increases the risk of developing feline diabetes mellitus, but the pathophysiological mechanisms are currently poorly understood. Human obesity-related metabolic alterations seem to relate to changes in the expression of genes involved in glucose metabolism, insulin action and inflammation. The objective of the current study was to investigate changes in the expression of genes relating to obesity, glucose metabolism and inflammation in cats with non-experimentally induced obesity. Biopsies from the sartorius muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue were obtained from 73 healthy, neutered, indoor-confined domestic shorthaired cats ranging from lean to obese. Quantification of obesity-related gene expression levels relative to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was performed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. A negative association between obesity and adiponectin expression was observed in the adipose tissue (mean ± SD; normal weight, 27.30 × 10 ± 77.14 × 10 ; overweight, 2.89 × 10 ± 0.38 × 10 and obese, 2.93 × 10 ± 4.20 × 10 , p < 0.05). In muscle, the expression of peroxisome proliferative activated receptor-γ2 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 was increased in the obese compared to the normal-weight cats, and resistin was increased in the normal-weight compared to the overweight cats. There were no detectable obesity-related changes in the messenger RNA levels of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, a possible obesity-related low-grade inflammation caused by increased expression of key proinflammatory regulators was not observed. This could imply that the development of feline obesity and ensuing insulin resistance may not be based on tissue-derived inflammation, but caused by several determining factors, many of which still need further investigation.
Topics: Cats; Animals; Humans; Overweight; Obesity; Adipose Tissue; Muscle, Skeletal; Adiponectin; Insulin Resistance; Inflammation; Gene Expression; Glucose; Cat Diseases
PubMed: 36591865
DOI: 10.1111/jpn.13802 -
Phytomedicine : International Journal... Jul 2023Obesity is an independent predictor of chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and may directly lead to kidney lesions such as obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG)...
Wen-Shen-Jian-Pi-Hua-Tan decoction protects against early obesity-related glomerulopathy by improving renal bile acid composition and suppressing lipogenesis, inflammation, and fibrosis.
BACKGROUND
Obesity is an independent predictor of chronic kidney disease (CKD) development and may directly lead to kidney lesions such as obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) which might play a vital pathogenic role in obese patients with CKD. Wen-Shen-Jian-Pi-Hua-Tan decoction (WSHT) has been clinically used for the treatment of obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases for years. However, the renoprotective effects and potential mechanism of action of WSHT against ORG remain unknown.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to explore the potential effect of WSHT on ORG and reveal its mechanisms in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats.
METHODS
An animal model of early stage ORG was established using HFD-induced obese rats. After treatment with WSHT for 6 weeks, an integrated metabolomics and molecular biology strategy was utilized to illustrate the effects and mechanism of WSHT on ORG. First, UPLC-ESI-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics was used to analyze renal bile acid (BA) levels. Biochemical, histological, and immunofluorescence assays; electron microscopy; and western blotting were performed to evaluate the efficacy of WSHT against ORG and its underlying mechanisms in vivo.
RESULTS
Our results showed that an HFD led to hyperlipidemia, proteinuria, renal lipid deposition, effacement of podocyte foot processes, and increased expression of proinflammatory factors and profibrotic growth factors in ORG rats. In addition, an HFD decreased the levels of renal BAs such as cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid. After 6 weeks of treatment, WSHT markedly attenuated dyslipidemia and reduced body, kidney and epididymal fat weights in ORG rats. WSHT also significantly increased BA levels, suggesting that it altered BA composition; the effects of BAs are closely associated with farnesoid X receptor (FXR) activation. WSHT alleviated fat accumulation, podocyte loss and proteinuria, and reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and profibrotic growth factors in the kidneys of ORG rats. Finally, WSHT remarkably upregulated the renal expression of FXR and salt-induced kinase 1 and blocked the renal expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c and its target genes.
CONCLUSION
WSHT attenuated early renal lesions in ORG rats by improving renal BA composition and suppressing lipogenesis, inflammation and fibrosis. This study develops a new way to alleviate obesity-induced renal damages.
Topics: Rats; Animals; Bile Acids and Salts; Lipogenesis; Tandem Mass Spectrometry; Kidney; Obesity; Inflammation; Fibrosis; Proteinuria; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic
PubMed: 37167823
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2023.154861 -
Nutrients Jul 2023(1) Background: There is not much research about obesity in nursing homes although knowledge will help us to develop customized treatment plans and prevention...
(1) Background: There is not much research about obesity in nursing homes although knowledge will help us to develop customized treatment plans and prevention strategies, which may help to decrease the burden for all persons involved. The objective of conducting this study was to describe the prevalence of obesity and the association between obesity and care problems in nursing home patients. (2) Methods: This study is a secondary data analysis of data collected in an annually performed cross-sectional study called "Nursing Quality Measurement 2.0". A standardized and tested questionnaire was used to collect data. (3) Results: In total, 1236 nursing home patients took part, and 16.7% of them were obese. The multivariate logistic regression analysis results show that urinary incontinence is significantly associated with the presence of obesity (OR 2.111). The other care problems of pressure injuries, fecal and double incontinence, physical restraints, falls, and pain were not associated with obesity. (4) Conclusions: The results indicate that, in the nursing home setting, healthcare staff should pay special attention to the patients' nutritional status and help patients to maintain a healthy weight and prevent a loss of muscle mass and function. Conducting more studies with larger sample sizes is recommended, as this will allow for differentiation among different obesity classes.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Nursing Homes; Skilled Nursing Facilities; Health Status; Obesity; Prevalence
PubMed: 37513604
DOI: 10.3390/nu15143188 -
Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Dec 2023Pregnant women with obesity are at considerable risk during their labor and delivery. The aim of obstetric care is the safe delivery of the baby and the maintenance of... (Review)
Review
Pregnant women with obesity are at considerable risk during their labor and delivery. The aim of obstetric care is the safe delivery of the baby and the maintenance of good health of the mother while providing an ongoing support for the family unit. The awareness and mitigation of risks associated with caring for women who are obese is vital in ensuring continued good outcomes. Transfer of women for labor care, presence of senior staff, bariatric resources, understanding of the progress of labor with an increase in body mass index, and preparation for complications are covered in this chapter.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Pregnancy Complications; Obesity; Labor, Obstetric; Body Mass Index
PubMed: 37716337
DOI: 10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2023.102404 -
International Journal of Health... Aug 2023Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Overweight/obesity and tobacco use are modifiable CVD risk factors, however literature about the...
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is increasing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Overweight/obesity and tobacco use are modifiable CVD risk factors, however literature about the spatiotemporal dynamics of these risk factors in the region at subnational or local scales is lacking. We describe the spatiotemporal trends of overweight/obesity and tobacco use at subnational levels over a 13-year period (2003 to 2016) in five East African nations.
METHODS
Cross-sectional, nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) were used to explore the subnational spatiotemporal patterns of overweight/obesity and tobacco use in Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, five East African Community (EAC) nations with unique cultural landscapes influencing CVD risk factors. Adaptive kernel density estimation and logistic regression were used to determine the spatial distribution and change over time of CVD risk factors on a subnational and subpopulation (rural/urban) scale.
RESULTS
Subnational analysis shows that regional and national level analysis masks important trends in CVD risk factor prevalence. Overweight/obesity and tobacco use trends were not similar: overweight/obesity prevalence increased across most nations included in the study and the inverse was true for tobacco use prevalence. Urban populations in each nation were more likely to be overweight/obese than rural populations, but the magnitude of difference varied widely between nations. Spatial analysis revealed that although the prevalence of overweight/obesity increased over time in both urban and rural populations, the rate of change differed between urban and rural areas. Rural populations were more likely to use tobacco than urban populations, though the likelihood of use varied substantially between nations. Additionally, spatial analysis showed that tobacco use was not evenly distributed across the landscape: tobacco use increased in and around major cities and urban centers but declined in rural areas.
CONCLUSIONS
We highlight the importance of de-homogenizing CVD risk factor research in SSA. Studies of national or regional prevalence trends mask important information about subpopulation and place-specific behavior and drivers of risk factor prevalence. Spatially explicit studies should be considered as a vital tool to understand local drivers of health, disease, and associated risk factor trends, especially in highly diverse yet low-resourced, marginalized, and often homogenized regions.
Topics: Humans; Overweight; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cross-Sectional Studies; Obesity; Risk Factors; Tanzania
PubMed: 37620831
DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00342-7 -
Scientific Reports Sep 2023Obesity has harmful consequences on reproductive outcomes and the rapid increase in obesity is assumed to be influenced by epigenetics and trans-generation effects. Our...
Obesity has harmful consequences on reproductive outcomes and the rapid increase in obesity is assumed to be influenced by epigenetics and trans-generation effects. Our study aimed to explore the effect of maternal and/or paternal obesity on the ovarian tissues of the first-generation female offspring in rats. The study was conducted on 40 adult Wistar albino rats (20 males and 20 females). Obesity was induced by feeding them an obesogenic diet for 3 months. The pregnancy was induced in the females by mating with males in four combinations: healthy mother with healthy father (control parents, CP), healthy mother with obese fathers (OF), obese mothers with healthy father (OM), and obese mother with obese father (obese parents, OP). After delivery, the female offspring at two months were sacrificed, and the blood and ovarian tissues were collected to assess the studied parameters. Our result showed differential impacts of maternal and paternal obesity on the ovarian health of the female offspring. The female offspring of obese OM or OP showed early signs of obesity. These metabolic abnormalities were associated with signs of ovarian lesions, impaired folliculogenesis, and decreased oocyte quality and also showed significant alterations in mitochondrial biogenesis, redox status, inflammation, and microRNAs expression (miR-149 and miR-494). In conclusion, altered ovarian expression of microRNAs and associated impaired mitochondrial biogenesis pathways may be the root causes for the observed intergeneration transmission of the obesogenic phenotype.
Topics: Female; Male; Pregnancy; Humans; Rats; Animals; Organelle Biogenesis; Ovarian Cysts; Rats, Wistar; Ovarian Neoplasms; Obesity; MicroRNAs; Fathers
PubMed: 37726284
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-42468-5 -
Communications Biology Oct 2023Obesity adversely affects bone and fat metabolism in mice and humans. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) have been shown to improve glucose metabolism...
Obesity adversely affects bone and fat metabolism in mice and humans. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFAs) have been shown to improve glucose metabolism and bone homeostasis in obesity. However, the impact of omega-3 PUFAs on bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) and bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) metabolism has not been intensively studied yet. In the present study we demonstrated that omega-3 PUFA supplementation in high fat diet (HFD + F) improved bone parameters, mechanical properties along with decreased BMAT in obese mice when compared to the HFD group. Primary BMSCs isolated from HFD + F mice showed decreased adipocyte and higher osteoblast differentiation with lower senescent phenotype along with decreased osteoclast formation suggesting improved bone marrow microenvironment promoting bone formation in mice. Thus, our study highlights the beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFA-enriched diet on bone and cellular metabolism and its potential use in the treatment of metabolic bone diseases.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Bone Marrow; Adiposity; Bone and Bones; Obesity; Fatty Acids, Omega-3; Disease Models, Animal
PubMed: 37833362
DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05407-8 -
Human Reproduction Update Jul 2024The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide poses a significant threat to reproductive function owing, in part, to hormonal disturbances caused by negative feedback... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Comparative efficacy of exercise, diet and/or pharmacological interventions on BMI, ovulation, and hormonal profile in reproductive-aged women with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
BACKGROUND
The increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide poses a significant threat to reproductive function owing, in part, to hormonal disturbances caused by negative feedback between excess adiposity and the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. Consequently, finding the most appropriate strategies to lose weight and improve ovulation in women with overweight or obesity is a clinically relevant matter that needs to be investigated. A comprehensive comparison of the independent and combined efficacy of lifestyle and/or pharmacological interventions on BMI, ovulation, and hormonal profile in women with overweight or obesity at risk of anovulatory infertility would facilitate improving fertility strategies in this population.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
This study aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of exercise, diet, and pharmacological interventions on BMI, ovulation, and hormonal profile in reproductive-aged women with overweight or obesity.
SEARCH METHODS
A systematic review was performed by searching PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library up to 14 December 2023, for randomized controlled trials assessing the effects of exercise, diet and/or pharmacological interventions (i.e. weight-lowering drugs or ovulation inducers) on BMI, ovulation, and/or hormonal profile in reproductive-aged women with overweight or obesity. We performed frequentist random-effect network meta-analyses and rated the certainty of the evidence. The primary outcomes were BMI and ovulation rate, and the secondary outcomes were serum reproductive hormone levels (gonadotrophins, androgens, or oestrogens). We performed sensitivity analyses, including the studies that only involved women with PCOS.
OUTCOMES
Among 1190 records screened, 148 full texts were assessed for eligibility resulting in 95 trials (9910 women), of which 53% presented a high or unclear risk of bias. The network meta-analyses revealed that, compared to control: diet combined with weight-lowering drugs (mean difference (MD) -2.61 kg/m2; 95% CI -3.04 to -2.19; τ2 = 0.22) and adding exercise (MD -2.35 kg/m2; 95% CI -2.81 to -1.89; τ2 = 0.22) led to the greatest decrease in BMI; exercise combined with diet and ovulation inducers (risk ratio (RR) 7.15; 95% CI 1.94-26.40; τ2 = 0.07) and exercise combined with diet and weight-lowering drugs (RR 4.80; 95% CI 1.67-13.84; τ2 = 0.07) produced the highest increase in ovulation rate; and exercise combined with diet and weight-lowering drugs was the most effective strategy in reducing testosterone levels (standardized mean difference (SMD) -2.91; 95% CI -4.07 to -1.74; τ2 = 2.25), the third most effective strategy in increasing sex hormone-binding globulin levels (SMD 2.37; 95% CI 0.99-3.76; τ2 = 2.48), and it was coupled with being ranked first in terms of free androgen index reduction (SMD -1.59; 95% CI -3.18 to 0.01; τ2 = 1.91). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve scores suggested that: diet combined with weight-lowering drugs is the strategy most likely (94%) to produce the highest BMI reduction; and exercise combined with diet and ovulation inducers is the strategy most likely (89%) to produce the highest ovulation rate improvement. The sensitivity analyses, which exclusively included studies involving women diagnosed with PCOS, were consistent with the results presented above.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Overall, the findings of this network meta-analysis indicate that the combination of exercise, diet, and pharmacological interventions is effective for weight loss, improving ovulation, and normalizing the androgen levels of women with overweight or obesity. Although higher quality studies are needed, these results support that the optimal treatment strategy for women with overweight or obesity wishing to conceive must consider exercise, diet, and pharmacological interventions during the shared decision-making process.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Body Mass Index; Diet; Exercise; Network Meta-Analysis; Obesity; Overweight; Ovulation
PubMed: 38627233
DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmae008 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2023Over the past 50 years, the number of overweight/obese people increased significantly, making obesity a global public health challenge. Apart from rare monogenic forms,... (Review)
Review
Over the past 50 years, the number of overweight/obese people increased significantly, making obesity a global public health challenge. Apart from rare monogenic forms, obesity is a multifactorial disease, most likely resulting from a concerted interaction of genetic, epigenetic and environmental factors. Although recent studies opened new avenues in elucidating the complex genetics behind obesity, the biological mechanisms contributing to individual's risk to become obese are not yet fully understood. Non-genetic factors such as eating behaviour or physical activity are strong contributing factors for the onset of obesity. These factors may interact with genetic predispositions most likely epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenome-wide association studies or methylome-wide association studies are measuring DNA methylation at single CpGs across thousands of genes and capture associations to obesity phenotypes such as BMI. However, they only represent a snapshot in the complex biological network and cannot distinguish between causes and consequences. Intervention studies are therefore a suitable method to control for confounding factors and to avoid possible sources of bias. In particular, intervention studies documenting changes in obesity-associated epigenetic markers during lifestyle driven weight loss, make an important contribution to a better understanding of epigenetic reprogramming in obesity. To investigate the impact of lifestyle in obesity state specific DNA methylation, especially concerning the development of new strategies for prevention and individual therapy, we reviewed 19 most recent human intervention studies. In summary, this review highlights the huge potential of targeted interventions to alter disease-associated epigenetic patterns. However, there is an urgent need for further robust and larger studies to identify the specific DNA methylation biomarkers which influence obesity.
Topics: Humans; DNA Methylation; Life Style; Weight Loss; Epigenesis, Genetic; Obesity
PubMed: 37614712
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1181002 -
Nutrients Nov 2023Vertical transmission of obesity is a critical contributor to the unabated obesity pandemic and the associated surge in metabolic diseases. Existing experimental models...
Vertical transmission of obesity is a critical contributor to the unabated obesity pandemic and the associated surge in metabolic diseases. Existing experimental models insufficiently recapitulate "human-like" obesity phenotypes, limiting the discovery of how severe obesity in pregnancy instructs vertical transmission of obesity. Here, via utility of thermoneutral housing and obesogenic diet feeding coupled to syngeneic mating of WT obese female and lean male mice on a C57BL/6 background, we present a tractable, more "human-like" approach to specifically investigate how maternal obesity contributes to offspring health. Using this model, we found that maternal obesity decreased neonatal survival, increased offspring adiposity, and accelerated offspring predisposition to obesity and metabolic disease. We also show that severe maternal obesity was sufficient to skew offspring microbiome and create a proinflammatory gestational environment that correlated with inflammatory changes in the offspring in utero and adulthood. Analysis of a human birth cohort study of mothers with and without obesity and their infants was consistent with mouse study findings of maternal inflammation and offspring weight gain propensity. Together, our results show that dietary induction of obesity in female mice coupled to thermoneutral housing can be used for future mechanistic interrogations of obesity and metabolic disease in pregnancy and vertical transmission of pathogenic traits.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Mice; Pregnancy; Animals; Obesity, Maternal; Cohort Studies; Housing; Diet, High-Fat; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Obesity; Metabolic Diseases; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
PubMed: 38068816
DOI: 10.3390/nu15234958