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Nature Communications Jun 2024Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic lipid storage organelles. They are tightly linked to metabolism and can exert protective functions, making them important players in...
Lipid droplets (LDs) are dynamic lipid storage organelles. They are tightly linked to metabolism and can exert protective functions, making them important players in health and disease. Most LD studies in vivo rely on staining methods, providing only a snapshot. We therefore developed a LD-reporter mouse by labelling the endogenous LD coat protein perilipin 2 (PLIN2) with tdTomato, enabling staining-free fluorescent LD visualisation in living and fixed tissues and cells. Here we validate this model under standard and high-fat diet conditions and demonstrate that LDs are highly abundant in various cell types in the healthy brain, including neurons, astrocytes, ependymal cells, neural stem/progenitor cells and microglia. Furthermore, we also show that LDs are abundant during brain development and can be visualized using live imaging of embryonic slices. Taken together, our tdTom-Plin2 mouse serves as a novel tool to study LDs and their dynamics under both physiological and diseased conditions in all tissues expressing Plin2.
Topics: Animals; Perilipin-2; Lipid Droplets; Brain; Mice; Neurons; Gene Knock-In Techniques; Mice, Transgenic; Female; Luminescent Proteins; Male; Astrocytes; Diet, High-Fat; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Neural Stem Cells; Microglia
PubMed: 38942786
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49449-w -
Nutrition Reviews Jun 2024Assessing the overall sustainability of a diet is a challenging undertaking requiring a holistic approach capable of addressing the multicriteria nature of this concept.
CONTEXT
Assessing the overall sustainability of a diet is a challenging undertaking requiring a holistic approach capable of addressing the multicriteria nature of this concept.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to identify and summarize the multicriteria measures used to assess the sustainability characteristics of diets reported at the individual level by healthy adults.
DATA SOURCES
Articles were identified via PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The search strategy consisted of key words and MeSH terms, and was concluded in September 2022, covering references in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
DATA EXTRACTION
This systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. The search identified 5663 references, from which 1794 were duplicates. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts of each of the 3869 records and the full-text of the 144 references selected. Of these, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria.
DATA ANALYSIS
A total of 6 multicriteria measures were identified: 3 different Sustainable Diet Indices, the Quality Environmental Costs of Diet, the Quality Financial Costs of Diet, and the Environmental Impact of Diet. All of these incorporated a health/nutrition dimension, while the environmental and economic dimensions were the second and the third most integrated, respectively. A sociocultural sustainability dimension was included in only 1 of the measures.
CONCLUSION
Despite some methodological concerns in the development and validation process of the identified measures, their inclusion is considered indispensable in assessing the transition towards sustainable diets in future studies.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration no. CRD42022358824.
PubMed: 38942740
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae081 -
BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) Jun 2024
Topics: Humans; Diet; Minnesota; History, 20th Century; Coronary Disease
PubMed: 38942429
DOI: 10.1136/bmj.q1450 -
Journal of Renal Nutrition : the... Jun 2024Health literacy (HL) encompasses an individual's ability to access, understand, and integrate health-related information. Routine use of functional, critical, and... (Review)
Review
Health literacy (HL) encompasses an individual's ability to access, understand, and integrate health-related information. Routine use of functional, critical, and communicative HL screening questionnaires shows promise in identifying those at risk for poor clinical outcomes. Although it is evident that low levels of HL are associated with poor clinical outcomes in end-stage renal disease, it is unclear how varying HL levels are associated with nutrition-specific adherence. Here, we present a summary of literature published between 2018 and 2023 examining relationships between HL and nutrition-related adherence among individuals on hemodialysis. A positive association between higher HL scores and adherence to nutrition-related recommendations was found in this population. Based on these findings, screening for low levels of HL using validated tools should be integrated into standard practice for nutrition assessment. Future studies are warranted to explore the dietitian's role in improving HL and to develop a standardized measure for nutrition-related adherence.
PubMed: 38942339
DOI: 10.1053/j.jrn.2024.06.008 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta.... Jun 2024Obesity is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19. However, the mechanism underlying obesity-accelerated COVID-19 remains unclear. Here, we report results from a...
Obesity is a risk factor for developing severe COVID-19. However, the mechanism underlying obesity-accelerated COVID-19 remains unclear. Here, we report results from a study in which 2-3-month-old K18-hACE2 (K18) mice were fed a western high-fat diet (WD) or normal chow (NC) over 3 months before intranasal infection with a sublethal dose of SARS-CoV2 WA1 (a strain ancestral to the Wuhan variant). After infection, the WD-fed K18 mice lost significantly more body weight and had more severe lung inflammation than normal chow (NC)-fed mice. Bulk RNA-seq analysis of lungs and adipose tissue revealed a diverse landscape of various immune cells, inflammatory markers, and pathways upregulated in the infected WD-fed K18 mice when compared with the infected NC-fed control mice. The transcript levels of IL-6, an important marker of COVID-19 disease severity, were upregulated in the lung at 6-9 days post-infection in the WD-fed mice when compared to NC-fed mice. Transcriptome analysis of the lung and adipose tissue obtained from deceased COVID-19 patients found that the obese patients had an increase in the expression of genes and the activation of pathways associated with inflammation as compared to normal-weight patients (n = 2). The K18 mouse model and human COVID-19 patient data support a link between inflammation and an obesity-accelerated COVID-19 disease phenotype. These results also indicate that obesity-accelerated severe COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 WA1 infection in the K18 mouse model would be a suitable model for dissecting the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pathogenesis.
PubMed: 38942338
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167322 -
Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and... Jun 2024Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor psychological and physical health, particularly among young people. However, limited data exist on body size perceptions...
BACKGROUND
Body dissatisfaction is associated with poor psychological and physical health, particularly among young people. However, limited data exist on body size perceptions across countries and factors associated with dissatisfaction.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined dissatisfaction prevalence and associations with sociodemographics and social media use among youth in six countries.
DESIGN
Repeat cross-sectional national online surveys were conducted as part of the 2019 and 2020 International Food Policy Study Youth Survey.
PARTICIPANTS
The sample included 21,277 youth aged 10-17 from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Youth were recruited to complete the online survey through parents/guardians enrolled in the Nielsen Consumer Insights Global Panel and their partners' panels.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Figural drawing scales assessed self-perceived and ideal body images, with differences between scales representing body dissatisfaction.
STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED
Multinomial logistic regression models examined differences in body dissatisfaction by country, and associations with sociodemographics and either social media 'screen time' or platforms used, including 2-way interactions with country.
RESULTS
Overall, approximately 45% of youth reported the same perceived and ideal body sizes, while 35% were 'larger than ideal' (from 33% in Canada and Australia to 42% in Chile) and 20% were 'thinner than ideal' (from 15% in Chile to 22% in Mexico). Greater social media screen time was associated with a higher likelihood of moderate-severe dissatisfaction for being 'thinner than ideal' and at least mild dissatisfaction for being 'larger than ideal' (p<0.003 for all contrasts), with greater dissatisfaction among users of YouTube and Snapchat than non-users (p≤0.005 for both contrasts). Modest differences in body dissatisfaction between countries were observed for age, ethnicity, body mass index, and weight-based teasing.
CONCLUSION
Body dissatisfaction is prevalent among youth across diverse countries. These findings highlight the need to promote healthy body image in youth, particularly among social media users.
PubMed: 38942287
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2024.06.223 -
Ageing Research Reviews Jun 2024Dementia, a prevalent condition in the United States, affecting millions of individuals and their families, underscores the importance of healthy cognitive ageing, which... (Review)
Review
Dementia, a prevalent condition in the United States, affecting millions of individuals and their families, underscores the importance of healthy cognitive ageing, which involves maintaining cognitive function and mental wellness as individuals grow older, promoting overall well-being and quality of life. Our original research study investigates the correlation between lifestyle factors and brain atrophy in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD), as well as healthy older adults. Conducted over six months in West Texas, the research involved 20 participants aged 62-87. Findings reveal that sleep deprivation in MCI subjects and AD patients correlate with posterior cingulate cortex, hippocampal atrophy and total brain volume, while both groups exhibit age-related hippocampal volume reduction. Notably, fruit/vegetable intake negatively correlates with certain brain regions' volume, emphasizing the importance of diet. Lack of exercise is associated with reduced brain volume and hippocampal atrophy, underlining the cognitive benefits of physical activity. The study underscores lifestyle's significant impact on cognitive health, advocating interventions to promote brain health and disease prevention, particularly in MCI/AD cases. While blood profile data showed no significant results regarding cognitive decline, the study underscores the importance of lifestyle modifications in preserving cognitive function.
PubMed: 38942198
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102397 -
The American Journal of the Medical... Jun 2024Idiopathic edema (IE) is a disease that occurs predominantly in women. It is characterized by increasing weight gain of > 1.4 kg from morning to night, increasing edema,... (Review)
Review
Idiopathic edema (IE) is a disease that occurs predominantly in women. It is characterized by increasing weight gain of > 1.4 kg from morning to night, increasing edema, increasing truncal and abdominal girth with bloating when assuming an upright position and nocturia that is unrelated to menses. There is an increase in morbidity but not mortality. Increased capillary membrane leakage appears to be the underlying pathophysiologic abnormality that explains the myriad of clinical presentations. We present 2 cases of life-threatening complications of IE that resulted in seizures related to acute hyponatremia in one and extreme postural dizziness and fainting induced by postural hypotension in the other. The first patient was successfully treated with salt restriction, timely use of furosemide and limitation of water intake; the other was successfully treated by use of support hose. Treatment of these patients required a fundamental understanding of the intricate pathophysiological consequences of a leaky capillary membrane, an understanding of Starling forces and detailing the effectiveness of a low salt diet, use of diuretics and limited water intake in one and why support hose would be beneficial in the other patient. Both patients experienced significant physical and emotional benefits that substantially improved quality of life.
PubMed: 38942171
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjms.2024.06.024 -
Appetite Jun 2024Due to relationships between diet and health including obesity, there is a need to examine the explanatory power of factors that motivate people to (over or under) eat....
Due to relationships between diet and health including obesity, there is a need to examine the explanatory power of factors that motivate people to (over or under) eat. In a previous investigation, a four-factor subscale-based model of eating behaviour traits (EBTs) was developed which identified individual differences in psychological factors influencing motivations to eat and some residual uncertainties. The current study used a data-driven and theory-driven approach, including individual items to refine and extend previous EBT models. The aim was to examine and validate the domain structure of a framework for EBTs. The analysis used two samples including a representative sample of the UK population (n = 2010, 51% female, 49% male, 18 - 88 years), and members of a weight management program (n = 2317, 96.6% female, 2.8% male, 21 - 84 years), who completed 5 questionnaires including 10 EBTs. The results found some support for a 6-factor model, encompassing reactive eating, negative emotional eating, positive emotional eating, restricted eating, homeostatic eating, and body-food choice congruence (data-driven model) or eating for health (theory-driven model). There were differences between the data-driven model and the theory-driven model regarding the 6 factor. Additionally, the data-driven model did not distinguish between eating for pleasure and reactive eating. The models demonstrated that the eating behaviour factors were significantly associated with BMI category. Overall, this research contributes to a more structured understanding of the dimensions of motivation underlying EBTs, emphasising the utility of this framework for identifying at-risk individuals and tailoring interventions to meet specific individual needs.
PubMed: 38942149
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107543 -
The American Journal of Clinical... Jun 2024Although high ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked with increased mortality risk in the general population, whether UPFs harm participants with a...
BACKGROUND
Although high ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption has been linked with increased mortality risk in the general population, whether UPFs harm participants with a history of cancer remains unclear.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the association of UPF consumption with mortality among participants with a history of cancer.
METHODS
Prospective cohort analysis was conducted on 13640 participants with a history of cancer from the UK Biobank. UPFs were defined by the Nova classification. UPF consumption was calculated as the weight proportion of UPFs in the total food consumption. Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the association between UPF consumption and mortality among participants with a history of cancer.
RESULTS
The median UPF consumption was 29.25% (interquartile range: 19.46%-40.62%) for males and 25.81% (interquartile range: 16.61%-36.35%) for females in the total diet among participants with a history of cancer. During a median follow-up of 10.77 years, 1611 deaths were documented. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) among participants in the highest quartile of UPF consumption relative to the lowest were 1.17 (1.02, 1.35) for all-cause mortality and 1.22 (1.03, 1.44) for cancer mortality.
CONCLUSIONS
Higher UPF consumption after the diagnosis among participants with a history of cancer is associated with higher risk of mortality.
PubMed: 38942116
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.06.010