-
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2024The high prevalence of obesity has become a pressing global public health problem and there exists a strong association between increased BMI and mortality at a BMI of...
The high prevalence of obesity has become a pressing global public health problem and there exists a strong association between increased BMI and mortality at a BMI of 25 kg/m or higher. The prevalence of obesity is higher among middle-aged adults than among younger groups and the combination of aging and obesity exacerbate systemic inflammation. Increased inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin 6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) are hallmarks of obesity, and promote the secretion of hepatic C-reactive protein (CRP) which further induces systematic inflammation. The neuropeptide oxytocin has been shown to have anti-obesity and anti-inflammation effects, and also suppress sweet-tasting carbohydrate consumption in mammals. Previously, we have shown that the Japanese herbal medicine Kamikihito (KKT), which is used to treat neuropsychological stress disorders in Japan, functions as an oxytocin receptors agonist. In the present study, we further investigated the effect of KKT on body weight (BW), food intake, inflammation, and sweet preferences in middle-aged obese mice. KKT oral administration for 12 days decreased the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the liver, and the plasma CRP and TNFα levels in obese mice. The effect of KKT administration was found to be different between male and female mice. In the absence of sucrose, KKT administration decreased food intake only in male mice. However, while having access to a 30% sucrose solution, both BW and food intake was decreased by KKT administration in male and female mice; but sucrose intake was decreased in female mice alone. In addition, KKT administration decreased sucrose intake in oxytocin deficient lean mice, but not in the WT lean mice. The present study demonstrates that KKT ameliorates chronic inflammation, which is strongly associated with aging and obesity, and decreases food intake in male mice as well as sucrose intake in female mice; in an oxytocin receptor dependent manner.
Topics: Animals; Obesity; Male; Mice; Diet, High-Fat; Inflammation; Female; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Sucrose; Food Preferences; Body Weight; Oxytocin; Medicine, Kampo; East Asian People
PubMed: 38742193
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1387964 -
Journal of Health, Population, and... May 2024According to national guidelines, a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) is a second-line therapy option for...
BACKGROUND
According to national guidelines, a diet low in fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAP) is a second-line therapy option for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and improves functional intestinal symptoms. Numerous noteworthy results have been published in this field over the past fifteen years. This study aims to analyze the global research trend and hotspot of the low FODMAP diet research, and provide a comprehensive perspective and direction for researchers.
METHODS
The Science Citation Index-Expanded of the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) was used to identify low FODMAP diet-related articles and reviews. Three bibliometric programs (CiteSpace, VOSviewer, Scimago Graphic) were utilized to analyze and visualize the annual publications, authors, countries, institutions, journals, citations, and keywords.
RESULTS
In total, 843 documents related to the low FODMAP diet research were published in 227 journals by 3,343 authors in 1,233 institutions from 59 countries. The United States, which was the most engaged nation in international collaboration, had the largest annual production and the fastest growth. The most productive organization was Monash University, and the most fruitful researcher was Gibson PR. Nutrients ranked first in terms of the number of published documents. The article "A diet low in FODMAPs reduces symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome" (Halmos EP, 2014) received the most co-citations. Keywords that appear frequently in the literature mainly involve two main aspects: the clinical efficacy evaluation and mechanism exploration of the low FODMAP diet. The term "gut microbiota" stands out as the most prominent keyword among the burst keywords that have remained prevalent till date.
CONCLUSION
The restriction stage of the low FODMAP diet is superior to other dietary therapies for IBS in terms of symptom response, but it has a negative impact on the abundance of gut Bifidobacteria and diet quality. Identification of biomarkers to predict response to the low FODMAP diet is of great interest and has become the current research hotspot.
Topics: Humans; Bibliometrics; Irritable Bowel Syndrome; Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted; Fermentation; Oligosaccharides; Disaccharides; Monosaccharides; Polymers; Biomedical Research; FODMAP Diet
PubMed: 38741213
DOI: 10.1186/s41043-024-00567-7 -
Environment International May 2024DNA methylation is well-accepted as a bridge to unravel the complex interplay between genome and environmental exposures, and its alteration regulated the cellular...
DNA methylation is well-accepted as a bridge to unravel the complex interplay between genome and environmental exposures, and its alteration regulated the cellular metabolic responses towards pollutants. However, the mechanism underlying site-specific aberrant DNA methylation and metabolic disorders under pollutant stresses remained elusive. Herein, the multilevel omics interferences of sulfonamides (i.e., sulfadiazine and sulfamerazine), a group of antibiotics pervasive in farmland soils, towards rice in 14 days of 1 mg/L hydroponic exposure were systematically evaluated. Metabolome and transcriptome analyses showed that 57.1-71.4 % of mono- and disaccharides were accumulated, and the differentially expressed genes were involved in the promotion of sugar hydrolysis, as well as the detoxification of sulfonamides. Most differentially methylated regions (DMRs) were hypomethylated ones (accounting for 87-95 %), and 92 % of which were located in the CHH context (H = A, C, or T base). KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that CHH-DMRs in the promoter regions were enriched in sugar metabolism. To reveal the significant hypomethylation of CHH, multi-spectroscopic and thermodynamic approaches, combined with molecular simulation were conducted to investigate the molecular interaction between sulfonamides and DNA in different sequence contexts, and the result demonstrated that sulfonamides would insert into the minor grooves of DNA, and exhibited a stronger affinity with the CHH contexts of DNA compared to CG or CHG contexts. Computational modeling of DNA 3D structures further confirmed that the binding led to a pitch increase of 0.1 Å and a 3.8° decrease in the twist angle of DNA in the CHH context. This specific interaction and the downregulation of methyltransferase CMT2 (logFC = -4.04) inhibited the DNA methylation. These results indicated that DNA methylation-based assessment was useful for metabolic toxicity prediction and health risk assessment.
Topics: DNA Methylation; Oryza; Sulfonamides; Carbohydrate Metabolism; Soil Pollutants
PubMed: 38735075
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108737 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Jun 2024Amino acids (AAs) have been used as excipients in protein formulations both in solid and liquid state products due to their stabilizing effect. However, the mechanisms...
Amino acids (AAs) have been used as excipients in protein formulations both in solid and liquid state products due to their stabilizing effect. However, the mechanisms by which they can stabilize a protein have not been fully elucidated yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of AAs with distinct physicochemical properties on the stability of a model protein (lysozyme, LZM) during the spray-drying process and subsequent storage. Molecular descriptor based multivariate data analysis was used to select distinct AAs from the group of 20 natural AAs. Then, LZM and the five selected AAs (1:1 wt ratio) were spray-dried (SD). The solid form, residual moisture content (RMC), hygroscopicity, morphology, secondary/tertiary structure and enzymatic activity of LZM were evaluated before and after storage under 40 °C/75 % RH for 30 days. Arginine (Arg), leucine (Leu), glycine (Gly), tryptophan (Trp), aspartic acid (Asp) were selected because of their distinct properties by using principal component analysis (PCA). The SD LZM powders containing Arg, Trp, or Asp were amorphous, while SD LZM powders containing Leu or Gly were crystalline. Recrystallization of Arg, Trp, Asp and polymorph transition of Gly were observed after the storage under accelerated conditions. The morphologies of the SD particles vary upon the different AAs formulated with LZM, implying different drying kinetics of the five model systems. A tertiary structural change of LZM was observed in the SD powder containing Arg, while a decrease in the enzymatic activity of LZM was observed in the powders containing Arg or Asp after the storage. This can be attributed to the extremely basic and acidic conditions that Arg and Asp create, respectively. This study suggests that when AAs are used as stabilizers instead of traditional disaccharides, not only do classic vitrification theory and water replacement theory play a role, but the microenvironmental pH conditions created by basic or acidic AAs in the starting solution or during the storage of solid matter are also crucial for the stability of SD protein products.
Topics: Muramidase; Amino Acids; Excipients; Drug Storage; Spray Drying; Powders; Drug Stability; Wettability; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
PubMed: 38734275
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124217 -
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B May 2024The disaccharide trehalose is generally acknowledged as a superior stabilizer of proteins and other biomolecules in aqueous environments. Despite many theories aiming to... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The disaccharide trehalose is generally acknowledged as a superior stabilizer of proteins and other biomolecules in aqueous environments. Despite many theories aiming to explain this, the stabilization mechanism is still far from being fully understood. This study compares the stabilizing properties of trehalose with those of the structurally similar disaccharide sucrose. The stability has been evaluated for the two proteins, lysozyme and myoglobin, at both low and high temperatures by determining the glass transition temperature, , and the denaturation temperature, . The results show that the sucrose-containing samples exhibit higher than the corresponding trehalose-containing samples, particularly at low water contents. The better stabilizing effect of sucrose at high temperatures may be explained by the fact that sucrose, to a greater extent, binds directly to the protein surface compared to trehalose. Both sugars show elevation with an increasing sugar-to-protein ratio, which allows for a more complete sugar shell around the protein molecules. Finally, no synergistic effects were found by combining trehalose and sucrose. Conclusively, the exact mechanism of protein stabilization may vary with the temperature, as influenced by temperature-dependent interactions between the protein, sugar, and water. This variability can make trehalose to a superior stabilizer under some conditions and sucrose under others.
Topics: Trehalose; Sucrose; Muramidase; Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Myoglobin; Protein Stability; Animals; Temperature
PubMed: 38733344
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.4c00022 -
Nutrients May 2024As the most serious of the many worse new pathological changes caused by diabetes, there are many risk factors for the occurrence and development of diabetic retinopathy... (Review)
Review
As the most serious of the many worse new pathological changes caused by diabetes, there are many risk factors for the occurrence and development of diabetic retinopathy (DR). They mainly include hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and so on. Among them, hyperglycemia is the most critical cause, and plays a vital role in the pathological changes of DR. High-sucrose diets (HSDs) lead to elevated blood glucose levels in vivo, which, through oxidative stress, inflammation, the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cause plenty of pathological damages to the retina and ultimately bring about loss of vision. The existing therapies for DR primarily target the terminal stage of the disease, when irreversible visual impairment has appeared. Therefore, early prevention is particularly critical. The early prevention of DR-related vision loss requires adjustments to dietary habits, mainly by reducing sugar intake. This article primarily discusses the risk factors, pathophysiological processes and molecular mechanisms associated with the development of DR caused by HSDs. It aims to raise awareness of the crucial role of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR, promote timely changes in dietary habits, prevent vision loss and improve the quality of life. The aim is to make people aware of the importance of diet in the occurrence and progression of DR. According to the dietary modification strategies that we give, patients can change their poor eating habits in a timely manner to avoid theoretically avoidable retinopathy and obtain an excellent prognosis.
Topics: Humans; Diabetic Retinopathy; Disease Progression; Risk Factors; Dietary Sucrose; Oxidative Stress; Blood Glucose; Diet; Feeding Behavior; Glycation End Products, Advanced
PubMed: 38732638
DOI: 10.3390/nu16091393 -
Nutrients Apr 2024Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) that has become a global public health problem. Puerarin (PUE), the principal...
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) that has become a global public health problem. Puerarin (PUE), the principal active compound of Pueraria lobata, has the effects of regulating glucose and lipid metabolism and protecting against cardiovascular damage. This study aimed to investigate whether dietary supplementation with PUE could ameliorate MetS and its associated cardiovascular damage. Rats were randomly divided into three groups: the normal diet group (NC), the high-fat/high-sucrose diet group (HFHS), and the HFHS plus PUE diet group (HFHS-PUE). The results showed that PUE-supplemented rats exhibited enhanced glucose tolerance, improved lipid parameters, and reduced blood pressure compared to those on the HFHS diet alone. Additionally, PUE reversed the HFHS-induced elevations in the atherogenic index (AI) and the activities of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK). Ultrasonic evaluations indicated that PUE significantly ameliorated cardiac dysfunction and arterial stiffness. Histopathological assessments further confirmed that PUE significantly mitigated cardiac remodeling, arterial remodeling, and neuronal damage in the brain. Moreover, PUE lowered systemic inflammatory indices including C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR), and systemic immune-inflammation index (SII). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PUE effectively moderated metabolic disorders, attenuated systemic inflammation, and minimized cardiovascular damage in rats with MetS induced by an HFHS diet. These results provide novel insights into the potential benefits of dietary PUE supplementation for the prevention and management of MetS and its related CVDs.
Topics: Animals; Metabolic Syndrome; Isoflavones; Diet, High-Fat; Male; Cardiovascular Diseases; Rats; Dietary Supplements; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Blood Pressure; Blood Glucose; Dietary Sucrose; Vascular Stiffness; Disease Models, Animal; Lipids; Pueraria
PubMed: 38732519
DOI: 10.3390/nu16091273 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024The formulation of novel delivery protocols for the targeted delivery of genes into hepatocytes by receptor mediation is important for the treatment of liver-specific...
The formulation of novel delivery protocols for the targeted delivery of genes into hepatocytes by receptor mediation is important for the treatment of liver-specific disorders, including cancer. Non-viral delivery methods have been extensively studied for gene therapy. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have gained attention in nanomedicine due to their biocompatibility. In this study, AuNPs were synthesized and coated with polymers: chitosan (CS), and polyethylene glycol (PEG). The targeting moiety, lactobionic acid (LA), was added for hepatocyte-specific delivery. Physicochemical characterization revealed that all nano-formulations were spherical and monodispersed, with hydrodynamic sizes between 70 and 250 nm. Nanocomplexes with pCMV-Luc DNA (pDNA) confirmed that the NPs could bind, compact, and protect the pDNA from nuclease degradation. Cytotoxicity studies revealed that the AuNPs were well tolerated (cell viabilities > 70%) in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), embryonic kidney (HEK293), and colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells, with enhanced transgene activity in all cells. The inclusion of LA in the NP formulation was notable in the HepG2 cells, which overexpress the asialoglycoprotein receptor on their cell surface. A five-fold increase in luciferase gene expression was evident for the LA-targeted AuNPs compared to the non-targeted AuNPs. These AuNPs have shown potential as safe and suitable targeted delivery vehicles for liver-directed gene therapy.
Topics: Humans; Gold; Metal Nanoparticles; Hep G2 Cells; Liver Neoplasms; Chitosan; Gene Transfer Techniques; HEK293 Cells; Asialoglycoprotein Receptor; Caco-2 Cells; Luciferases; Polyethylene Glycols; Plasmids; Disaccharides; Genetic Therapy; Polymers; Cell Survival
PubMed: 38732235
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095016 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024We previously reported that mice with low neuronal pH drink more alcohol, demonstrating the importance of pH for alcohol reward and motivation. In this study, we tested...
We previously reported that mice with low neuronal pH drink more alcohol, demonstrating the importance of pH for alcohol reward and motivation. In this study, we tested whether systemic pH affects alcohol consumption and if so, whether it occurs by changing the alcohol reward. C57BL/6J mice were given NaHCO to raise their blood pH, and the animals' alcohol consumption was measured in the drinking-in-the-dark and two-bottle free choice paradigms. Alcohol consumption was also assessed after suppressing the bitterness of NaHCO with sucrose. Alcohol reward was evaluated using a conditioned place preference. In addition, taste sensitivity was assessed by determining quinine and sucrose preference. The results revealed that a pH increase by NaHCO caused mice to decrease their alcohol consumption. The decrease in high alcohol contents (20%) was significant and observed at different ages, as well as in both males and females. Alcohol consumption was also decreased after suppressing NaHCO bitterness. Oral gavage of NaHCO did not alter quinine and sucrose preference. In the conditioned place preference, NaHCO-treated mice spent less time in the alcohol-injected chamber. Conclusively, the results show that raising systemic pH with NaHCO decreases alcohol consumption, as it decreases the alcohol reward value.
Topics: Animals; Alcohol Drinking; Mice; Male; Female; Sodium Bicarbonate; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Reward; Ethanol; Sucrose; Quinine; Taste
PubMed: 38732226
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095006 -
International Journal of Molecular... Apr 2024Intelectins belong to a family of lectins with specific and transitory carbohydrate interaction capabilities. These interactions are related to the activity of...
Intelectins belong to a family of lectins with specific and transitory carbohydrate interaction capabilities. These interactions are related to the activity of agglutinating pathogens, as intelectins play a significant role in immunity. Despite the prominent immune defense function of intelectins, limited information about its structural characteristics and carbohydrate interaction properties is available. This study investigated an intelectin transcript identified in RNA-seq data obtained from the South American lungfish (), namely LpITLN2-B. The structural analyses predicted LpITLN2-B to be a homo-trimeric globular protein with the fibrinogen-like functional domain (FReD), exhibiting a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The quaternary structure is subdivided into three monomers, A, B, and C, and each domain comprises 11 β-sheets: an anti-parallel β-sheet, a β-hairpin, and a disordered β-sheet structure. Molecular docking demonstrates a significant interaction with disaccharides rather than monosaccharides. The preferential interaction with disaccharides highlights the potential interaction with pathogen molecules, such as LPS and Poly(I:C). The hemagglutination assay inhibited lectins activity, especially maltose and sucrose, highlighting lectin activity in samples. Overall, our results show the potential relevance of LpITLN2-B in immune defense against pathogens.
Topics: Animals; Lectins; Immunity, Innate; Fishes; Fish Proteins; Molecular Docking Simulation; Amino Acid Sequence; GPI-Linked Proteins
PubMed: 38732017
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094798