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International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common metabolic disease of the liver, characterized by hepatic steatosis in more than 5% of...
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common metabolic disease of the liver, characterized by hepatic steatosis in more than 5% of hepatocytes. However, despite the recent approval of the first drug, resmetirom, for the management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, decades of target exploration and hundreds of clinical trials have failed, highlighting the urgent need to find new druggable targets for the discovery of innovative drug candidates against MASLD. Here, we found that glutathione S-transferase alpha 1 (GSTA1) expression was negatively associated with lipid droplet accumulation and . Overexpression of GSTA1 significantly attenuated oleic acid-induced steatosis in hepatocytes or high-fat diet-induced steatosis in the mouse liver. The hepatoprotective and anti-inflammatory drug bicyclol also attenuated steatosis by upregulating GSTA1 expression. A detailed mechanism showed that GSTA1 directly interacts with fatty acid binding protein 1 (FABP1) and facilitates the degradation of FABP1, thereby inhibiting intracellular triglyceride synthesis by impeding the uptake and transportation of free fatty acids. Conclusion: GSTA1 may be a good target for the discovery of innovative drug candidates as GSTA1 stabilizers or enhancers against MASLD.
Topics: Glutathione Transferase; Animals; Humans; Mice; Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; Fatty Liver; Up-Regulation; Liver; Diet, High-Fat; Male; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Hepatocytes; Lipid Metabolism; Oleic Acid; Hep G2 Cells; Triglycerides; Isoenzymes
PubMed: 38791126
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105086 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024All over the world, birds' eggs are an important and valuable component of the human diet. This study aimed to compare the content of lipid components and their...
All over the world, birds' eggs are an important and valuable component of the human diet. This study aimed to compare the content of lipid components and their nutritional value as well as iron and zinc levels in chicken and quail eggs commonly available on the market. In egg lipids, unsaturated fatty acids were dominant, especially oleic acid, the content of which was about 40% of the total fatty acids (TFAs). Linoleic acid was the major polyunsaturated fatty acid. Compared to other products of animal origin, eggs were characterized by favorable values of lipid quality indices, especially the index of atherogenicity, thrombogenicity, and the hypocholesterolemic-to-hypercholesterolemic ratio. In the present study, no differences were found in the content of tested nutrients between eggs from different production methods (organic, free-range, barn, cages). Based on linear discriminant analysis, inter-breed differences were noticed. Cluster analysis showed that eggs enriched in n3 PUFAs (according to the producers' declarations) differed from other groups of chicken eggs. However, in eggs from one producer only, the amount of EPA and DHA exceeds 80 mg per 100 g, entitling the use of the nutrition claim on the package. Quail eggs differed from chicken eggs in FA profile and cholesterol and iron levels.
PubMed: 38790871
DOI: 10.3390/foods13101571 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In this study, the oils of açaí, passion fruit, pequi, and guava were submitted to physicochemical analysis to investigate their potential application in the food...
In this study, the oils of açaí, passion fruit, pequi, and guava were submitted to physicochemical analysis to investigate their potential application in the food industry. Gas chromatography associated with mass spectroscopy showed that oleic and linoleic acids are mainly responsible for the nutritional quality of açaí, passion fruit, pequi, and guava oils, which exhibited 46.71%, 38.11%, 43.78%, and 35.69% of the former fatty acid, and 18.93%, 47.64%, 20.90%, and 44.72% of the latter, respectively. The atherogenicity index of the oils varied from 0.11 to 0.65, while the thrombogenicity index was 0.93 for açaí, 0.35 for guava, and 0.3 for passion fruit oils, but 1.39 for pequi oil, suggesting that the use of the first three oils may lead to a low incidence of coronary heart disease. Thermogravimetry showed that all tested oils were thermally stable above 180 °C; therefore, they can be considered resistant to cooking and frying temperatures. In general, the results of this study highlight possible applications of these oils in the food industry, either in natura or in typical food production processes.
PubMed: 38790865
DOI: 10.3390/foods13101565 -
Children (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024In neonates with acute lung injury (ALI), targeting lower oxygenation saturations is suggested to limit oxygen toxicity while maintaining vital organ function. Although...
In neonates with acute lung injury (ALI), targeting lower oxygenation saturations is suggested to limit oxygen toxicity while maintaining vital organ function. Although thresholds for cerebral autoregulation are studied for the management of premature infants, the impact of hypoxia on hemodynamics, tissue oxygen consumption and extraction is not well understood in term infants with ALI. We examined hemodynamics, cerebral autoregulation and fractional oxygen extraction, as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and blood gases, in a neonatal porcine oleic acid injury model of moderate ALI. We hypothesized that in ALI animals, cerebral oxygen extraction would be increased to a greater degree than kidney or gut oxygen extraction as indicative of the brain's adaptive efforts to increase cerebral oxygen extraction at the expense of splanchnic end organs. Fifteen anesthetized, ventilated 5-day-old neonatal piglets were divided into moderate lung injury by treatment with oleic acid or control (sham injection). The degree of lung injury was quantified at baseline and after establishment of ALI by blood gases, ventilation parameters and calculated oxygenation deficit, hemodynamic indices by echocardiography and lung injury score by ultrasound. PaCO was maintained constant during ventilation. Cerebral, renal and gut oxygenation was determined by NIRS during stepwise decreases in inspired oxygen from 50% to 21%, correlated with PaO and PvO; changes in fractional oxygen extraction (ΔFOE) were calculated from NIRS and from regional blood gas samples. The proportion of cerebral autoregulation impairment attributable to blood pressure, and to hypoxemia, was calculated from autoregulation nomograms. ALI manifested as hypoxemia with increasing intrapulmonary shunt fraction, decreased lung compliance and increased resistance, and marked increase in lung ultrasound score. Brain, gut and renal NIRS, obtained from probes placed over the anterior skull, central abdomen and flank, respectively, correlated with concurrent SVC (brain) or IVC (gut, renal) PvO and SvO. Cerebral autoregulation was impaired after ALI as a function of blood pressure at all FiO steps, but predominantly by hypoxemia at FiO < 40%. Cerebral ΔFOE was higher in ALI animals at all FiO steps. We conclude that in an animal model of neonatal ALI, cerebrovascular blood flow regulation is primarily dependent on oxygenation. There is not a defined oxygenation threshold below which cerebral autoregulation is impaired in ALI. Cerebral oxygen extraction is enhanced in ALI, reflecting compensation for exhausted cerebral autoregulation due to the degree of hypoxemia and/or hypotension, thereby protecting against tissue hypoxia.
PubMed: 38790606
DOI: 10.3390/children11050611 -
Scientific Reports May 2024The classic ketogenic diet is an effective treatment option for drug-resistant epilepsy, but its high fat content challenges patient compliance. Optimizing liver ketone...
The classic ketogenic diet is an effective treatment option for drug-resistant epilepsy, but its high fat content challenges patient compliance. Optimizing liver ketone production guided by a method comparing substrates for their ketogenic potential may help to reduce the fat content of the diet without loss in ketosis induction. Here, we present a liver cell assay measuring the β-hydroxybutyrate (βHB) yield from fatty acid substrates. Even chain albumin-conjugated fatty acids comprising between 4 and 18 carbon atoms showed a sigmoidal concentration-βHB response curve (CRC) whereas acetate and omega-3 PUFAs produced no CRC. While CRCs were not distinguished by their half-maximal effective concentration (EC50), they differed by maximum response, which related inversely to the carbon chain length and was highest for butyrate. The assay also suitably assessed the βHB yield from fatty acid blends detecting shifts in maximum response from exchanging medium chain fatty acids for long chain fatty acids. The assay further detected a dual role for butyrate and hexanoic acid as ketogenic substrate at high concentration and ketogenic enhancer at low concentration, augmenting the βHB yield from oleic acid and a fatty acid blend. The assay also found propionate to inhibit ketogenesis from oleic acid and a fatty acid blend at low physiological concentration. Although the in vitro assay shows promise as a tool to optimize the ketogenic yield of a fat blend, its predictive value requires human validation.
Topics: Diet, Ketogenic; Humans; Hepatocytes; Ketones; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid; Epilepsy; Fatty Acids; Drug Resistant Epilepsy
PubMed: 38789658
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62723-7 -
Biology Apr 2024The use of organic compounds in different spheres of human activity is accompanied by their influx to and accumulation in the environment. The negative impact of those...
The use of organic compounds in different spheres of human activity is accompanied by their influx to and accumulation in the environment. The negative impact of those compounds can be one of the reasons for a decline in populations and biodiversity of aboveground invertebrates. Chemical compounds can potentially cause a variety of effects (attractant or repellent) on insects, including species of the Staphylinidae family. In a laboratory experiment, we identified repellent and attractant influence of 40 organic compounds and mixtures of compounds (acids, alcohols, ketones, phenols, aldehydes, aromatic carbohydrates solvents, and vehicle fuels) on Gravenhorst, 1802. The ambulatory responses of the males and females to the same chemical compounds most often varied. A strong repellent activity against both sexes of was caused by oleic acid, while hexane repelled the males. Acetic acid, 1-butanol, and ammonia solution were found to be strongly repellent against females. A moderate (average) repellent activity towards male was displayed by organic solvents and fuels, some alcohols (isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol), acids (acetic, formic acid), aromatic carbohydrates (toluene, xylene), and formaldehyde. Female in general were less sensitive to the odors. The list of repellents with moderate activity against the females was much shorter: solvent 646, white spirit, toluene, isopropanol, isoamyl alcohol, citric and oxalic acids, and glycerol. Moderate attractant activity for was exhibited by some amino acids, alcohols, and fuel mixes: glycine and L-cysteine (for the males), and phenylalanine, methanol, and diesel fuel (for the females). The rest of the 40 chemical compounds we studied caused no ambulatory responses in . The difficulties we encountered in the interpretation of the results suggest a need for further experimental studies that would expand the knowledge of the chemoecology of insects.
PubMed: 38785775
DOI: 10.3390/biology13050294 -
Journal of Ovarian Research May 2024This clinical trial was designed and conducted due to the anti-inflammatory potential of Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) to examine the effect of OEA supplement on glycemic... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
This clinical trial was designed and conducted due to the anti-inflammatory potential of Oleoylethanolamide (OEA) to examine the effect of OEA supplement on glycemic status, oxidative stress, inflammatory factors, and anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
METHOD
This study was a randomized clinical trial, double-blinded, placebo-controlled that was carried out on 90 women with PCOS. Patients were divided into two groups: receiving an OEA supplement (n = 45) or a placebo (n = 45). The intervention group received 125 mg/day OEA and the placebo group received the wheat flour for 8 weeks. Demographic data were collected through questionnaires. Fasting blood sugar (FBS), insulin resistance (IR), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and AMH were measured before and after the study.
RESULTS
Data analysis of food recall and physical activity questionnaires, showed no significant differences between the two groups (p > 0.05). Biochemical factors including glycemic status, MDA, inflammatory factors, and AMH decreased significantly (p < 0.05). TAC increased remarkably (p < 0.05) in comparison between the two groups, after the intervention.
CONCLUSION
OEA supplement with anti-inflammatory characteristics could be efficient independent of diet changes and physical activity in improving disrupted biochemical factors, so both supplementation or food resources of this fatty acid could be considered as a compensatory remedy in patients with PCOS.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
This study was retrospectively (09-01-2022) registered in the Iranian website ( www.irct.ir ) for registration of clinical trials (IRCT20141025019669N20).
Topics: Humans; Female; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Endocannabinoids; Oxidative Stress; Adult; Oleic Acids; Inflammation; Dietary Supplements; Blood Glucose; Anti-Mullerian Hormone; Young Adult; Insulin Resistance; Double-Blind Method; Antioxidants
PubMed: 38778429
DOI: 10.1186/s13048-024-01432-1 -
Discover Life 2024Small, spherical vesicles are a widely used chassis for the formation of model protocells and investigating the beginning of compartmentalized evolution. Various methods...
Small, spherical vesicles are a widely used chassis for the formation of model protocells and investigating the beginning of compartmentalized evolution. Various methods exist for their preparation, with one of the most common approaches being gentle hydration, where thin layers of lipids are hydrated with aqueous solutions and gently agitated to form vesicles. An important benefit to gentle hydration is that the method produces vesicles without introducing any organic contaminants, such as mineral oil, into the lipid bilayer. However, compared to other methods of liposome formation, gentle hydration is much less efficient at encapsulating aqueous cargo. Improving the encapsulation efficiency of gentle hydration would be of broad use for medicine, biotechnology, and protocell research. Here, we describe a method of sequentially hydrating lipid thin films to increase encapsulation efficiency. We demonstrate that sequential gentle hydration significantly improves encapsulation of water-soluble cargo compared to the traditional method, and that this improved efficiency is dependent on buffer composition. Similarly, we also demonstrate how this method can be used to increase concentrations of oleic acid, a fatty acid commonly used in origins of life research, to improve the formation of vesicles in aqueous buffer.
PubMed: 38765272
DOI: 10.1007/s11084-024-09645-6 -
Food Chemistry: X Jun 2024The aim of this study was the valorisation of cactus (or prickly pear, ) seeds growing in six different regions of Morocco. Moisture, proteins, lipids profile, total...
The aim of this study was the valorisation of cactus (or prickly pear, ) seeds growing in six different regions of Morocco. Moisture, proteins, lipids profile, total polyphenols content, oxidative stability, and antioxidant activity were investigated. The Folin-Ciocalteu test highlighted the abundant presence of phenolic compounds (165 to 225 mg EAG/100 g of extract) and a significant antioxidant capacity against DPPH free radicals. The seeds contained protein (7-9.25%) and lipids (2.7-5%). Cactus oil quality indices such as acidity and peroxide value were below 1.2% and 10 mEq.O/kg, respectively. GC analysis revealed that linoleic and oleic acid percentages ranged from 57.1 to 63.8%, and 13.5 to 18.7%, respectively. Cactus seed oil was rich in tocopherols (500-680 mg/kg) and phytosterols (8000-11,100 mg/kg) with a predominance of γ-tocopherols and β-sitosterol. Triacylglycerols, fatty acids and sterols composition showed small variation depending on the geographical origin, while the individual tocopherol profile was significantly influenced.
PubMed: 38764786
DOI: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101445 -
ACS Omega May 2024Surface active amine-functionalized silica coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a simple two-step process for adsorbing CO gas from aqueous medium....
Surface active amine-functionalized silica coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a simple two-step process for adsorbing CO gas from aqueous medium. First, oleic acid (OA) coated iron oxide magnetic particles (denoted as FeO-OA) were prepared by a simple coprecipitation method. Then, the surface of the FeO-OA particles was coated with silica by using tetraethyl orthosilicate. Finally, aminated FeO/SiO-NH nanoparticles were concomitantly formed by the reactions of 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane with silica-coated particles. The formation of materials was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis. Transmission electron microscopic analysis revealed both spherical and needle-shaped morphologies of magnetic FeO/SiO-NH particles with an average size of 15 and 68.6 nm, respectively. The saturation magnetization of FeO/SiO-NH nanoparticles was found to be 33.6 emu g, measured by a vibrating sample magnetometer at ambient conditions. The crystallinity and average crystallite size (7.0 nm) of the FeO/SiO-NH particles were revealed from X-ray diffraction data analyses. Thermogravimetric analysis exhibited good thermal stability of the nanoadsorbent up to an elevated temperature. Zeta potential measurements revealed pH-sensitive surface activity of FeO/SiO-NH nanoparticles in aqueous medium. The produced magnetic FeO/SiO-NH nanoparticles also exhibited efficient proton capturing activity (92%). The particles were used for magnetically recyclable adsorption of aqueous CO at different pH values and temperatures. FeO/SiO-NH nanoparticles demonstrated the highest aqueous CO adsorption efficiency (90%) at 40 °C, which is clearly two times higher than that of nonfunctionalized FeO-OA particles.
PubMed: 38764697
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c10082