The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis in the regulation of energy balance

Affective and Social Predictors of Food Consumption During the COVID-19 Lockdown

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 lockdowns were linked to a surge in unhealthy food-related behaviors, potentially as an attempt to cope with disrupted social homeostasis. Here, we tested bidirectional associations between momentary psychological states and prospective food consumption and the moderation of these associations by quality and quantity of social interactions.

METHODS

We conducted a preregistered ecological momentary assessment study in Austria, Italy, and Germany during the first COVID-19 lockdown. Multiple times a day for 7 consecutive days, 798 participants (557 women, mean age = 31.88 years) reported on momentary stress; mood; wanting of food rich in sugar, fat, and salt; consumption and enjoyment since the last prompt; and quantity and quality of social interactions since the last prompt.

RESULTS

Momentary stress was positively linked to food wanting, but not to prospective food consumption. Mood valence and energetic arousal positively predicted prospective food consumption and enjoyment. The effect of mood valence was especially prominent when participants reported having more social interactions. Food consumption was linked to a prospective reduction in stress and an increase in calmness, suggesting that it has regulatory functions for affective states. Exploratory findings showed that some of these effects generalize to other reward types.

CONCLUSIONS

During the lockdown, food may have been used to maintain an already positive affective state rather than upregulating an aversive state. Social facilitation of eating may have been especially prominent due to the prioritization of social needs at the start of an extraordinarily challenging period, possibly orchestrated by the postulated social homeostasis system.

A Review on In-vivo and In-vitro Models of Obesity and Obesity-Associated Co-Morbidities

BACKGROUND

Obesity is becoming a global pandemic with pandemic proportions. According to the WHO estimates, there were over 1.9 billion overweight individuals and over 650 million obese adults in the globe in 2016. In recent years, scientists have encountered difficulties in choosing acceptable animal models, leading to a multitude of contradicting aspects and incorrect outcomes. This review comprehensively evaluates different screening models of obesity and obesity-associated comorbidities to reveal the advantages and disadvantages/limitations of each model while also mentioning the time duration each model requires to induce obesity.

METHODS

For this review, the authors have gone through a vast number of article sources from different scientific databases, such as Google Scholar, Web of Science, Medline, and PubMed.

RESULTS

In-vivo models used to represent a variety of obesity-inducing processes, such as diet-induced, drug-induced, surgical, chemical, stress-induced, and genetic models, are discussed. Animal cell models are examined with an emphasis on their use in understanding the molecular causes of obesity, for which we discussed in depth the important cell lines, including 3T3-L1, OP9, 3T3-F442A, and C3H10T1/2. Screening models of obesity-associated co-morbidities like diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were discussed, which provided light on the complex interactions between obesity and numerous health problems.

CONCLUSION

Mimicking obesity in an animal model reflects multifactorial aspects is a matter of challenge. Future studies could address the ethical issues surrounding the use of animals in obesity research as well as investigate newly developed models, such as non-mammalian models. In conclusion, improving our knowledge and management of obesity and related health problems will require ongoing assessment and improvement of study models.

What can the psychoneuroimmunology of yoga teach us about depression's psychopathology?

Depression, the most prevailing mental health condition, remains untreated in over 30% of patients. This cluster presents with sub-clinical inflammation. Investigations trialling anti-inflammatory medications had mixed results. The lack of results may result from inflammation's complexity and targeting only a few of depression's abnormal pathways. Mind-body therapies' biological and neuro-imaging studies offer valuable insights into depression psychopathology. Interestingly, mind-body therapies, like yoga, reverse the aberrant pathways in depression. These aberrant pathways include decreased cognitive function, interoception, neuroplasticity, salience and default mode networks connectivity, parasympathetic tone, increased hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, and metabolic hyper/hypofunction. Abundant evidence found yogic techniques improving self-reported depressive symptoms across various populations. Yoga may be more effective in treating depression in conjunction with pharmacological and cognitive therapies. Yoga's psychoneuroimmunology teaches us that reducing allostatic load is crucial in improving depressive symptoms. Mind-body therapies promote parasympathetic tone, downregulate the HPA axis, reduce inflammation and boost immunity. The reduced inflammation promotes neuroplasticity and, subsequently, neurogenesis. Improving interoception resolves the metabolic needs prediction error and restores homeostasis. Additionally, by improving functional connectivity within the salience network, they restore the dynamic switching between the default mode and central executive networks, reducing rumination and mind-wandering. Future investigations should engineer therapies targeting the mechanisms mentioned above. The creation of multi-disciplinary health teams offering a combination of pharmacological, gene, neurofeedback, behavioural, mind-body and psychological therapies may treat treatment-resistant depression.

Dynamic Real-Time Biosensing Enabled Biorhythm Tracking for Psychiatric Disorders

This review article explores the transformative potential of dynamic, real-time biosensing in biorhythm tracking for psychiatric disorders. Psychiatric diseases, characterized by a complex, heterogeneous, and multifactorial pathophysiology, pose challenges in both diagnosis and treatment. Common denominators in the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases include disruptions in the stress response, sleep-wake cycle, energy metabolism, and immune response: all of these are characterized by a strong biorhythmic regulation (e.g., circadian), leading to dynamic changes in the levels of biomarkers involved. Technological and practical limitations have hindered the analysis of such dynamic processes to date. The integration of biosensors marks a paradigm shift in psychiatric research. These advanced technologies enable multiplex, non-invasive, and near-continuous analysis of biorhythmic biomarkers in real time, overcoming the constraints of conventional approaches. Focusing on the regulation of the stress response, sleep/wake cycle, energy metabolism, and immune response, biosensing allows for a deeper understanding of the heterogeneous and multifactorial pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases. The potential applications of nanobiosensing in biorhythm tracking, however, extend beyond observation. Continuous monitoring of biomarkers can provide a foundation for personalized medicine in Psychiatry, and allow for the transition from syndromal diagnostic entities to pathophysiology-based psychiatric diagnoses. This evolution promises enhanced disease tracking, early relapse prediction, and tailored disease management and treatment strategies. As non-invasive biosensing continues to advance, its integration into biorhythm tracking holds promise not only to unravel the intricate etiology of psychiatric disorders but also for ushering in a new era of precision medicine, ultimately improving the outcomes and quality of life for individuals grappling with these challenging conditions.

Tiger nut/coconut dietary intervention as antidotal nutritional remediation strategy against neurobehavioural deficits following organophosphate-induced gut-brain axis dysregulation in mice

Organophosphate poisoning remains a global health crisis without efficacious treatments to prevent neurotoxicity. We examined whether antidotal tiger nut and coconut dietary intervention could ameliorate neurobehavioral deficits from organophosphate dichlorvos-induced gut-brain axis dysregulation in a mouse model. Mice were divided into groups given control diet, dichlorvos-contaminated diets, or dichlorvos plus nut-enriched diets. They were exposed to a DDVP-contaminated diet for 4 weeks before exposure to the treatment diets for another 8 weeks. This was followed by behavioural assessments for cognitive, motor, anxiety-, and depressive-like behaviours. Faecal samples (pre- and post-treatment), as well as blood, brain, and gut tissues, were collected for biochemical assessments following euthanasia. Dichlorvos-exposed mice displayed impairments in cognition, motor function, and mood along with disrupted inflammatory and antioxidant responses, neurotrophic factor levels, and acetylcholinesterase activity in brain and intestinal tissues. Weight loss and altered short-chain fatty acid levels additionally indicated gut dysfunction. However, intervention with tiger nut and/or coconut- enriched diet after dichlorvos exposure attenuated these neurobehavioral, and biochemical alterations. Our findings demonstrate organophosphate-induced communication disruptions between the gut and brain pathways that manifest in neuropsychiatric disturbances. Overall, incorporating fibre-rich nuts may represent an antidotal dietary strategy to reduce neurotoxicity and prevent brain disorders associated with organophosphate poisoning.

Multiple mediation of the association between childhood emotional abuse and adult obesity by anxiety and bulimia - a sample from bariatric surgery candidates and healthy controls

Bulimia, which means a person has episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a loss of control over their eating, is the most primitive reason for being overweight and obese. The extended literature has indicated that childhood emotional abuse has a close relationship with adverse mood states, bulimia, and obesity. To comprehensively understand the potential links among these factors, we evaluated a multiple mediation model in which anxiety/depression and bulimia were mediators between childhood emotional abuse and body mass index (BMI). A set of self-report questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), was sent out. Clinical data from 37 obese patients (age: 29.65 ± 5.35, body mass index (BMI): 37.59 ± 6.34) and 37 demographically well-matched healthy people with normal body weight (age: 31.35 ± 10.84, BMI: 22.16 ± 3.69) were included in the investigation. We first performed an independent t-test to compare all scales or subscale scores between the two groups. Then, we conducted Pearson correlation analysis to test every two variables' pairwise correlation. Finally, multiple mediation analysis was performed with BMI as the outcome variable, and childhood emotional abuse as the predictive variable. Pairs of anxiety, bulimia, and depression, bulimia were selected as the mediating variables in different multiple mediation models separately. The results show that the obese group reported higher childhood emotional abuse (t = 2.157, p = 0.034), worse mood state (anxiety: t = 5.466, p < 0.001; depression: t = 2.220, p = 0.030), and higher bulimia (t = 3.400, p = 0.001) than the healthy control group. Positive correlations were found in every pairwise combination of BMI, childhood emotional abuse, anxiety, and bulimia. Multiple mediation analyses indicate that childhood emotional abuse is positively linked to BMI (β = 1.312, 95% CI = 0.482-2.141). The model using anxiety and bulimia as the multiple mediating variables is attested to play roles in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and obesity (indirect effect = 0.739, 95% CI = 0.261-1.608, 56.33% of the total effect). These findings confirm that childhood emotional abuse contributes to adulthood obesity through the multiple mediating effects of anxiety and bulimia. The present study adds another potential model to facilitate our understanding of the eating psychopathology of obesity.

Sleep disorders, anxiety and obesity associated with untreated dental caries in children eight to ten years of age

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the presence of sleep disorders, obesity and anxiety associated with cavitated carious lesions in children aged 8 to 10 years.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Northeast of Brazil. The sample was comprised of 793 schoolchildren randomly selected from public and private schools. Calibrated examiners (Kappa >0.80) performed the clinical examination of dental caries using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System and applied the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale and the Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children questionnaires. The anthropometric variables evaluated were weight and height. Negative binomial regressions (α ≤ 0.05) were performed. A Directed Acyclic Graph was prepared using DAGitty software (version 3.0), to select the co-variables for the statistical fits.

RESULTS

The prevalence of tooth decay was 52.8%. The mean number of tooth surfaces with cavitated caries was 2.2(2.8), 58.9% of the schoolchildren had some type of sleep disorder, while 20.2% were anxious and 29.1% were obese. Sleep disturbance (RR = 1.38; 95% CI: 1.05-1.83), general anxiety (RR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.32-2.21), obesity (RR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.17-1.86) were associated with dental caries in the final model.

CONCLUSION

The presence of carious lesions was higher in children with sleep disorders, anxiety, obesity, and those who experienced dry mouth.

Leptin-dependent differential remodeling of visceral and pericardial adipose tissue following chronic exercise and psychosocial stress

Obesity is driven by an imbalance between caloric intake and energy expenditure, causing excessive storage of triglycerides in adipose tissue at different sites around the body. Increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with diabetes, while pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is associated with cardiac pathology. Adipose tissue can expand either through cellular hypertrophy or hyperplasia, with the former correlating with decreased metabolic health in obesity. The aim of this study was to determine how VAT and PAT remodel in response to obesity, stress, and exercise. Here we have used the male obese Zucker rats, which carries two recessive fa alleles that result in the development of hyperphagia with reduced energy expenditure, resulting in morbid obesity and leptin resistance. At 9 weeks of age, a group of lean (Fa/Fa or Fa/fa) Zucker rats (LZR) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats (OZR) were treated with unpredictable chronic mild stress or exercise for 8 weeks. To determine the phenotype for PAT and VAT, tissue cellularity and gene expression were analyzed. Finally, leptin signaling was investigated further using cultured 3T3-derived adipocytes. Tissue cellularity was determined following hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, while qPCR was used to examine gene expression. PAT adipocytes were significantly smaller than those from VAT and had a more beige-like appearance in both LZR and OZR. In the OZR group, VAT adipocyte cell size increased significantly compared with LZR, while PAT showed no difference. Exercise and stress resulted in a significant reduction in VAT cellularity in OZR, while PAT showed no change. This suggests that PAT cellularity does not remodel significantly compared with VAT. These data indicate that the extracellular matrix of PAT is able to remodel more readily than in VAT. In the LZR group, exercise increased insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) in PAT but was decreased in the OZR group. In VAT, exercise decreased IRS1 in LZR, while increasing it in OZR. This suggests that in obesity, VAT is more responsive to exercise and subsequently becomes less insulin resistant compared with PAT. Stress increased PPAR-γ expression in the VAT but decreased it in the PAT in the OZR group. This suggests that in obesity, stress increases adipogenesis more significantly in the VAT compared with PAT. To understand the role of leptin signaling in adipose tissue remodeling mechanistically, JAK2 autophosphorylation was inhibited using 5 μM 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexabromocyclohexane (Hex) in cultured 3T3-derived adipocytes. Palmitate treatment was used to induce cellular hypertrophy. Hex blocked adipocyte hypertrophy in response to palmitate treatment but not the increase in lipid droplet size. These data suggest that leptin signaling is necessary for adipocyte cell remodeling, and its absence induces whitening. Taken together, our data suggest that leptin signaling is necessary for adipocyte remodeling in response to obesity, exercise, and psychosocial stress.

The Impact of Chronic Stress Related to COVID-19 on Eating Behaviors and the Risk of Obesity in Children and Adolescents

During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in the incidence of overweight and obesity in children was observed. It appears that unhealthy food choices, an unbalanced diet, and a sedentary lifestyle, as well as experiencing stress related to the pandemic, may be contributing to this disturbing trend. Chronic stress is a significant factor contributing to eating disorders and obesity in youngsters, involving medical, molecular, and psychological elements. Individuals under chronic stress often focus on appearance and weight, leading to negative body image and disrupted relationships with food, resulting in unhealthy eating behaviors. Chronic stress also impacts hormonal balance, reducing the satiety hormone leptin and elevating the appetite-stimulating hormone ghrelin, fostering increased hunger and uncontrolled snacking. Two systems, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic system with the adrenal medulla, are activated in response to stress, causing impaired secretion of noradrenaline and cortisol. Stress-related obesity mechanisms encompass oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, and neurohormonal and neurotransmission disorders. Stress induces insulin resistance, elevating obesity risk by disrupting blood sugar regulation and fat storage. Stress also affects the gut microbiome, potentially influencing chronic inflammation and metabolic processes linked to obesity. In conclusion, chronic stress is a multifaceted risk factor for eating disorders and obesity in children, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of effective preventive and intervention strategies amid the escalating prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity.

Transcriptomic (DNA Microarray) and Metabolome (LC-TOF-MS) Analyses of the Liver in High-Fat Diet Mice after Intranasal Administration of GALP (Galanin-like Peptide)

The aim of this research was to test the efficacy and potential clinical application of intranasal administration of galanin-like peptide (GALP) as an anti-obesity treatment under the hypothesis that GALP prevents obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Focusing on the mechanism of regulation of lipid metabolism in peripheral tissues via the autonomic nervous system, we confirmed that, compared with a control (saline), intranasally administered GALP prevented further body weight gain in diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice with continued access to an HFD. Using an omics-based approach, we identified several genes and metabolites in the liver tissue of DIO mice that were altered by the administration of intranasal GALP. We used whole-genome DNA microarray and metabolomics analyses to determine the anti-obesity effects of intranasal GALP in DIO mice fed an HFD. Transcriptomic profiling revealed the upregulation of flavin-containing dimethylaniline monooxygenase 3 (Fmo3), metallothionein 1 and 2 (Mt1 and Mt2, respectively), and the Aldh1a3, Defa3, and Defa20 genes. Analysis using the DAVID tool showed that intranasal GALP enhanced gene expression related to fatty acid elongation and unsaturated fatty acid synthesis and downregulated gene expression related to lipid and cholesterol synthesis, fat absorption, bile uptake, and excretion. Metabolite analysis revealed increased levels of coenzyme Q10 and oleoylethanolamide in the liver tissue, increased levels of deoxycholic acid (DCA) and taurocholic acid (TCA) in the bile acids, increased levels of taurochenodeoxycholic acid (TCDCA), and decreased levels of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). In conclusion, intranasal GALP administration alleviated weight gain in obese mice fed an HFD via mechanisms involving antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and fatty acid metabolism effects and genetic alterations. The gene expression data are publicly available at NCBI GSE243376.

Social jet lag and (changes in) glycemic and metabolic control in people with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Social jet lag, i.e., the discordance among social and biological rhythms, is associated with poor metabolic control. This study aimed to assess cross-sectional and longitudinal associations among social jet lag and glycemic and metabolic control in people with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

In a prospective cohort (N = 990) with type 2 diabetes, social jet lag was measured at baseline using daily diaries and was categorized (high, moderate, or low). Metabolic outcomes were assessed at baseline and at 1 and 2 years of follow-up. Associations among social jet lag and glycemic and metabolic control were analyzed using linear regression and linear mixed models adjusted for confounding factors. Analyses were stratified for work status (retired vs. working; p value for interaction = 0.007 for glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]).

RESULTS

In working people, a cross-sectional association between high social jet lag and HbA1c (1.87 mmol/mol [95% CI: 0.75 to 2.99]) and blood pressure (5.81 mm Hg [95% CI: 4.04 to 7.59]) was observed. For retired people, high social jet lag was negatively associated with HbA1c (-1.58 mmol/mol [95% CI: -2.54 to -0.62]), glucose (-0.19 mmoL/L [95% CI:-0.36 to -0.01]), and blood pressure (-3.70 mm Hg [95% CI: -5.36 to -2.04]), and the association with BMI was positive (1.12 kg/m² [95% CI: 0.74 to 1.51]). Prospective associations had the same direction as cross-sectional findings but were nonsignificant for working or retired people.

CONCLUSIONS

Social jet lag was cross-sectionally, but not prospectively, associated with glycemic and metabolic markers. Interaction with work status was present, and directions of the associations were generally detrimental in the working population, whereas higher social jet lag was associated with improved glycemic and metabolic control for retired people.

Determining the Effect of Stress and Anxiety on Eating Attitudes in Healthcare Providers Working on COVID-19 Wards

The purpose of this study was to determine the stress, anxiety and eating conditions of health personnel working in COVID-19 clinics, to evaluate how they interact with each other with a holistic approach, and to examine the role of variables such as gender and BMI in these relationships. It was determined that 1-unit increase in the TFEQ-18 score decreased stress and anxiety levels 1.09 and 1.028 times, respectively. We were able to show that stress and anxiety levels of participants negatively affect their eating behavior and anxiety levels of health personnel negatively affect their eating behavior.

Evaluation of comorbid diseases in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome

OBJECTIVE

It is known that obstructive sleep apnea syndrome affects many systems due to hypoxemia and hypercarbia. We aimed to demonstrate with the utilization of well-standardized questionnaire tools and electrophysiological tests that cognitive impairment, depression, autonomic dysfunction, and metabolic syndrome may occur in association with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

METHODS

The electrophysiological examination protocol of autonomic nervous system functions was performed with sympathetic skin response and R-R Interval. Patients were administered Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale by physicians in face-to-face interviews.

RESULTS

This study included 148 participants, consisting of 73 patients and 75 controls. There was a statistically significant difference between the patient group and control group with regard to sympathetic skin response, R-R Interval, post-hyperventilation R-R Interval, and R-R Interval variation (p<0.001). A statistically significant difference was observed between the patient group and control group in terms of median Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. It was observed that the control group achieved significantly better scores than the patient group in delayed recall (p<0.001) and language (p<0.05) categories.

CONCLUSION

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients should be screened for diseases, especially in the cardiovascular system, that cause serious morbidity and impair functionality such as dementia and depression. We believe that many comorbid diseases encountered in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome patients can be prevented with early diagnosis and continuous positive airway pressure treatment.

The association between social jetlag and parameters of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

This study aims to determine the association between social jetlag and parameters of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed/Embase/Scopus until May 2022. Included studies described an association between social jetlag and parameters of the metabolic syndrome and/or T2D, were available full text and written in English or Dutch. Data extraction and quality assessment were performed on pre-piloted forms independently by two reviewers. Results were meta-analysed using random-effects analysis. A total of 6,290 titles/abstracts were screened, 176 papers were read full-text, 68 studies were included. Three studies were rated as low quality, 27 were moderate, and 38 were high quality. High quality studies showed that having social jetlag compared to no social jetlag was significantly associated with higher body mass index in 20 studies (0.49 kg/m² , 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.21-0.77; I²  = 100%), higher waist circumference in seven studies (1.11 cm, 95% CI 0.42-1.80; I²  = 25%), higher systolic blood pressure in 10 studies (0.37 mmHg, 95% CI 0.00-0.74; I²  = 94%) and higher glycated haemoglobin in 12 studies (0.42%, 95% CI 0.12- 0.72; I²  = 100%). No statistically significant associations were found for obesity, abdominal obesity, high- and low-density lipoprotein levels, cholesterol, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome or T2D. Sensitivity analyses did not reduce heterogeneity. Despite substantial heterogeneity, social jetlag is associated with certain parameters of the metabolic syndrome and T2D, but not with prevalent metabolic syndrome or T2D. These findings should be interpreted with caution as the level of evidence is low and mostly based on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies are needed to further assess the direction of causality.

Minimally invasive biomarkers in human and non-human primate evolutionary biology: Tools for understanding variation and adaptation

BACKGROUND

The use of minimally invasive biomarkers (MIBs - physiological biomarkers obtained from minimally invasive sample types) has expanded rapidly in science and medicine over the past several decades. The MIB approach is a methodological strength in the field of human and non-human primate evolutionary biology (HEB). Among humans and our closest relatives, MIBs provide unique opportunities to document phenotypic variation and to operationalize evolutionary hypotheses.

AIMS

This paper overviews the use of MIBs in HEB. Our objectives are to (1) highlight key research topics which successfully implement MIBs, (2) identify promising yet under-investigated areas of MIB application, and (3) discuss current challenges in MIB research, with suggestions for advancing the field.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

A range of MIBs are used to investigate focal topics in HEB, including energetics and life history variation/evolution, developmental plasticity, and social status and dominance relationships. Nonetheless, we identify gaps in existing MIB research on traits such as physical growth and gut function that are central to the field. Several challenges remain for HEB research using MIBs, including the need for additional biomarkers and methods of assessment, robust validations, and approaches that are standardized across labs and research groups. Importantly, researchers must provide better support for adaptation and fitness effects in hypothesis testing (e.g., by obtaining complementary measures of energy expenditure, demonstrating redundancy of function, and performing lifetime/longitudinal analyses). We point to continued progress in the use of MIBs in HEB to better understand the past, present, and future of humans and our closest primate relatives.

DHA/EPA supplementation decreases anxiety-like behaviour, but it does not ameliorate metabolic profile in obese male rats

Obesity is a major public health problem that predisposes to several diseases and higher mortality in patients with COVID-19. Obesity also generates neuroinflammation, which predisposes to the development of neuropsychiatric diseases. Since there is a lack of effective treatments for obesity, the search for new strategies to reverse its consequences is urgent. In this perspective, the anti-inflammatory properties of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA/EPA might reduce the harmful effects of obesity. Here, we used the cafeteria diet (CAF) model to induce obesity in Wistar rats. Animals received ultra-processed food for 20 weeks, and DHA/EPA supplementation (500 mg/kg per d) was performed between the 16th and the 20th week. At the end of the experiment, it was evaluated: body weight, visceral fat deposition, plasma glucose, insulin and triglycerides, and it was also measured the levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in plasma and liver, and TNF-α in the prefrontal cortex. The elevated plus maze test was performed to analyse anxiety-like behaviour. Our results demonstrated that DHA/EPA could not reverse weight and fat gain and did not modify plasma dosages. However, there was a decrease in IL-6 in the liver (DHA/EPA effect: P = 0.023) and TNF-α in the brain (CAF compared with CAF + DHA/EPA, P < 0.05). Also, there was a decrease in the anxiety index in CAF + DHA/EPA compared with the CAF group (P < 0.01). Thus, DHA/EPA supplementation is helpful to reverse the consequences of obesity in the brain.

Sexual Dimorphism in Adipose-Hypothalamic Crosstalk and the Contribution of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor to Regulate Energy Homeostasis

There are fundamental sex differences in the regulation of energy homeostasis. Better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of energy balance that account for this asymmetry will assist in developing sex-specific therapies for sexually dimorphic diseases such as obesity. Multiple organs, including the hypothalamus and adipose tissue, play vital roles in the regulation of energy homeostasis, which are regulated differently in males and females. Various neuronal populations, particularly within the hypothalamus, such as arcuate nucleus (ARC), can sense nutrient content of the body by the help of peripheral hormones such leptin, derived from adipocytes, to regulate energy homeostasis. This review summarizes how adipose tissue crosstalk with homeostatic network control systems in the brain, which includes energy regulatory regions and the hypothalamic–pituitary axis, contribute to energy regulation in a sex-specific manner. Moreover, development of obesity is contingent upon diet and environmental factors. Substances from diet and environmental contaminants can exert insidious effects on energy metabolism, acting peripherally through the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Developmental AhR activation can impart permanent alterations of neuronal development that can manifest a number of sex-specific physiological changes, which sometimes become evident only in adulthood. AhR is currently being investigated as a potential target for treating obesity. The consensus is that impaired function of the receptor protects from obesity in mice. AhR also modulates sex steroid receptors, and hence, one of the objectives of this review is to explain why investigating sex differences while examining this receptor is crucial. Overall, this review summarizes sex differences in the regulation of energy homeostasis imparted by the adipose–hypothalamic axis and examines how this axis can be affected by xenobiotics that signal through AhR.

Evidence for Neuropeptide W Acting as a Physiological Corticotropin-releasing Inhibitory Factor in Male Chickens

In vertebrates, adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), released by the pituitary gland, is a critical part of the stress axis and stress response. Generally, the biosynthesis and secretion of ACTH are controlled by both hypothalamic stimulatory factors and inhibitory factors [eg, ACTH-releasing inhibitory factor (CRIF)], but the identity of this CRIF remains unrevealed. We characterized the neuropeptide B (NPB)/neuropeptide W (NPW) system in chickens and found that NPW could directly target the pituitary to inhibit growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) secretion via neuropeptide B/W receptor 2 (NPBWR2), which is completely different from the mechanism in mammals. The present study first carried out a series of assays to investigate the possibility that NPW acts as a physiological CRIF in chickens. The results showed that (1) NPW could inhibit ACTH synthesis and secretion by inhibiting the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine 5'-monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling cascade in vitro and in vivo; (2) NPBWR2 was expressed abundantly in corticotrophs (ACTH-producing cells), which are located mainly in cephalic lobe of chicken pituitary, as demonstrated by single-cell RNA-sequencing, immunofluorescent staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization; (3) dexamethasone could stimulate pituitary NPBWR2 and hypothalamic NPW expression in chicks, which was accompanied by the decease of POMC messenger RNA levels, as revealed by in vitro and subcutaneous injection assays; and (4) the temporal expression profiles of NPW-NPBWR2 pair in hypothalamus-pituitary axis and POMC in pituitary were almost unanimous in chicken. Collectively, these findings provide comprehensive evidence for the first time that NPW is a potent physiological CRIF in chickens that plays a core role in suppressing the activity of the stress axis.

Relative Body Fat Distribution in Preadolescent Indian Children Exposed to a Natural Disaster during Early Development

Fetal life and infancy are critical periods when adverse environmental conditions, such as natural disasters, may alter a developing organism, leading to life-lasting unfavorable health outcomes, such as central body fat distribution. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of the exposure to cyclone Aila in utero or during infancy on the relative subcutaneous adiposity distribution in preadolescent Indian children. The study included children prenatally (N = 336) or postnatally (during infancy, N = 212) exposed to Aila and a non-affected group (N = 284). Anthropometric indices involved, i.e., subscapular, suprailiac, triceps, and biceps skinfolds. The relative adiposity distribution (PC1) and socioeconomic status (SES) were assessed using principal component analysis. An analysis of covariance and Tukey’s post hoc test for unequal samples were performed to assess the effect of exposure to a natural disaster on the PC1, controlling for age, sex, Z-BMI, and SES. Prenatally and postnatally Aila-exposed children revealed a significantly more central-oriented pattern of relative subcutaneous fat distribution compared to the controls (p < 0.05). Early-life exposure to a natural disaster was related to an adverse pattern of relative adipose tissue distribution in preadolescent children.

Lower functional hippocampal connectivity in healthy adults is jointly associated with higher levels of leptin and insulin resistance

BACKGROUND

Metabolic dysregulation is currently considered a major risk factor for hippocampal pathology. The aim of the present study was to characterize the influence of key metabolic drivers on functional connectivity of the hippocampus in healthy adults.

METHODS

Insulin resistance was directly quantified by measuring steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration during the insulin suppression test and fasting levels of insulin, glucose, leptin, and cortisol, and measurements of body mass index and waist circumference were obtained in a sample of healthy cognitively intact adults (n = 104). Resting-state neuroimaging data were also acquired for the quantification of hippocampal functional cohesiveness and integration with the major resting-state networks (RSNs). Data-driven analysis using unsupervised machine learning (k-means clustering) was then employed to identify clusters of individuals based on their metabolic and functional connectivity profiles.

RESULTS

K-means clustering identified two clusters of increasing metabolic deviance evidenced by cluster differences in the plasma levels of leptin (40.36 (29.97) vs. 27.59 (25.58) μg/L) and the degree of insulin resistance (SSPG concentration: 161.63 (65.27) vs. 125.72 (66.81) mg/dL). Individuals in the cluster with higher metabolic deviance showed lower functional cohesiveness within each hippocampus and lower integration of posterior and anterior components of the left and right hippocampus with the major RSNs. The two clusters did not differ in general intellectual ability or episodic memory.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified two clusters of individuals differentiated by abnormalities in insulin resistance, leptin levels, and hippocampal connectivity, with one of the clusters showing greater deviance. These findings support the link between metabolic dysregulation and hippocampal function even in nonclinical samples.

Weighing the Risk: Developmental Pathways and Processes Underlying Obesity to Substance Use in Adolescence

Research on co-occurring obesity and substance use in adolescence has grown substantially in the past decade, but questions on the pathways and processes underlying co-occurrence remain. This review first synthesizes empirical findings on the relationship between obesity and substance use (e.g., alcohol, cannabis, tobacco use). Multidisciplinary theoretical frameworks referencing behavioral medicine, neuroscience, psychology, and public health are then used to inform an interdisciplinary, conceptual model focused on pathways and processes by which obesity increases risk of substance use. Recommendations for future research underscore the importance of prospective studies that encompass multiple domains of development. Recommendations for practice include family-based interventions that promote adaptive self-regulation, targeted antibullying or victimization interventions, and increased attention by health professionals on risky behavior associated with adolescent obesity.

Proteomic Response of Rat Pituitary Under Chronic Mild Stress Reveals Insights Into Vulnerability and Resistance to Anxiety or Depression

Chronic stress as one of the most significant risk factor can trigger overactivity of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in depression as well as anxiety. Yet, the shared and unique neurobiological underpinnings underlying the pituitary abnormality in these two disorders have not been made clear. We previously have established depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible and insusceptible groups using a valid chronic mild stress (CMS) model. In this work, the possible protein expression changes in the rat pituitary of these three groups were continuously investigated through the use of the comparative quantitative proteomics and bioinformatics approaches. The pituitary-proteome analysis identified totally 197 differential proteins as a CMS response. These deregulated proteins were involved in diverse biological functions and significant pathways potentially connected with the three different behavioral phenotypes, likely serving as new investigative protein targets. Afterwards, parallel reaction monitoring-based independent analysis found out that expression alterations in Oxct1, Sec24c, Ppp1cb, Dock1, and Coq3; Lama1, Glb1, Gapdh, Sccpdh, and Renbp; Sephs1, Nup188, Spp1, Prodh1, and Srm were specifically linked to depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible and insusceptible groups, respectively, suggesting that the same CMS had different impacts on the pituitary protein regulatory system. Collectively, the current proteomics research elucidated an important molecular basis and furnished new valuable insights into neurochemical commonalities and specificities of the pituitary dysfunctional mechanisms in HPA axis underlying vulnerability and resistance to stress-induced anxiety or depression.

Effect of Cold Stress on Neurobehavioral and Physiological Parameters in Rats

Objective: Cold stress is an important current issue and implementing control strategies to limit its sometimes harmful effects is crucial. Cold is a common stressor that can occur in our work and our occupational or leisure time activities every day. There are substantial studies on the effects of chronic stress on memory and behavior, although, the cognitive changes and anxiety disorders that can occur after exposure to chronic intermittent cold stress are not completely characterized. Therefore, the present study was undertaken with an aim to investigate the effects of chronic intermittent cold stress on body weight, food intake and working memory, and to elucidate cold stress related anxiety disorders using cognitive and behavioral test batteries. Methods: We generated a cold stress model by exposing rats to chronic intermittent cold stress for 5 consecutive days and in order to test for the potential presence of sex differences, a comparable number of male and female rats were tested in the current study. Then, we measured the body weights, food intake and the adrenal glands weight. Working memory and recognition memory were assessed using the Y maze and the Novel Object Recognition (NOR) tasks. While, sex differences in the effects of chronic stress on behavior were evaluated by the elevated plus maze (EPM), open field maze (OF), and Marble burying (MB) tests. Results: We found that 2 h exposure to cold (4°C) resulted in an increase in the relative weight of the adrenal glands in male rats. Given the same chronic stress 5 days of cold exposure (2 h per day), increased weight gain in male rats, while females showed decreased food intake and no change in body weight. Both sexes successfully performed the Y maze and object recognition (OR) tasks, indicating intact spatial working memory performance and object recognition abilities in both male and female rats. In addition, we have shown that stress caused an increase in the level of anxiety in male rats. In contrast, the behavior of the female rats was not affected by cold exposure. Conclusion: Overall, the current results provide preliminary evidence that chronic intermittent cold stress model may not be an efficient stressor to female rats. Females exhibit resilience to cold exposure that causes an increase in the level of anxiety in male rats, which demonstrates that they are affected differently by stress and the gender is an important consideration in experimental design.

Closed-Loop Fuzzy Energy Regulation in Patients With Hypercortisolism via Inhibitory and Excitatory Intermittent Actuation

Hypercortisolism or Cushing's disease, which corresponds to the excessive levels of cortisol hormone, is associated with tiredness and fatigue during the day and disturbed sleep at night. Our goal is to employ a wearable brain machine interface architecture to regulate one's energy levels in hypercortisolism. In the present simulation study, we generate multi-day cortisol profile data for ten subjects both in healthy and disease conditions. To relate an internal hidden cognitive energy state to one's cortisol secretion patterns, we employ a state-space model. Particularly, we consider circadian upper and lower bound envelopes on cortisol levels, and timings of hypothalamic pulsatile activity underlying cortisol secretions as continuous and binary observations, respectively. To estimate the hidden cognitive energy-related state, we use Bayesian filtering. In our proposed architecture, we infer one's cognitive energy-related state using wearable devices rather than monitoring the brain activity directly and close the loop utilizing fuzzy control. To model actuation in the real-time closed-loop architecture, we simulate two types of medications that result in increasing and decreasing the energy levels in the body. Finally, we close the loop using a knowledge-based control approach. The results on ten simulated profiles verify how the proposed architecture is able to track the energy state and regulate it using hypothetical medications. In a simulation study based on experimental data, we illustrate the feasibility of designing a wearable brain machine interface architecture for energy regulation in hypercortisolism. This simulation study is a first step toward the ultimate goal of managing hypercortisolism in real-world situations.

Stress and eating behaviours in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Stress leads to detrimental health outcomes through direct biological and indirect behavioural changes. Stress can lead to disruption to normal eating behaviours, although the strength of these associations is unknown. This is the first meta-analysis to determine the strength of the stress-eating relationship in healthy adults and to explore the impact of potential moderators. Studies included had a clearly defined measure of stress (i.e., any noxious event or episode in one's environment with the exclusion of emotional distress) that was linked to non-disordered eating. Key terms were searched in Medline, PsycInfo and Ovid databases (23,104 studies identified). 54 studies (combined N = 119,820) were retained in the meta-analysis. A small, positive effect size was found for the stress-overall food intake relationship (Hedges' g = 0.114). Stress was associated with increased consumption of unhealthy foods (Hedges' g = 0.116) but decreased consumption of healthy foods (Hedges' g = -0.111). Only one significant moderator (restraint on stress-unhealthy eating) was identified. This meta-analysis identified the magnitude of the effect of stress on eating behaviour outcomes. Significant heterogeneity was observed that was not explained by the moderators examined. Further research on moderators of the stress-eating relationship is required and should distinguish effects for healthy versus unhealthy eating.

Effect of supplementation with different fatty acid profile to the dam in early gestation and to the offspring on the finishing diet on offspring growth and hypothalamus mRNA expression in sheep

Supplementation with omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids (FA) during late gestation regulates offspring development; however, their effect in the first third of gestation is unknown in sheep. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the maternal supplementation with an enriched source of monounsaturated FA (MUFA) or an enriched source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during the first third of gestation on productive performance on ewes and offspring, and hypothalamic neuropeptides on offspring. Seventy-nine post-weaning lambs, born of sheep supplemented in the first third of gestation with 1.61% Ca salts rich with MUFA or EPA+DHA (dam supplementation, DS), were distributed in a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments to finishing diets containing 1.48% of Ca salts of MUFA or EPA+DHA (lamb supplementation, LS). The finishing period of the offspring lasted for 56 d. During the finishing period dry matter intake (DMI, daily) and body weight (BW) were recorded. Plasma was collected for metabolites analysis. Twenty-four lambs were slaughtered, and hypothalamus was collected for mRNA expression of hormone receptors, neuropeptides, and lipid transport genes. The data were analyzed with a mixed model in SAS (9.4) using repeated measurements, when needed. There was a DS×LS interaction for BW (P = 0.10) where LS with EPA+DHA born from DS with MUFA were heavier than the other 3 treatments. Lambs born from DS with MUFA have a greater DMI (P < 0.01) than the offspring born from DS with EPA+DHA. Lambs born from MUFA supplemented dams had a greater (P ≤ 0.05) hypothalamus mRNA expression for cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript, growth hormone receptor, metastasis suppressor 1, leptin receptor, pro-opiomelanocortin, and Neuropeptide Y. These results indicate that growth depends not on the type of FA during the finishing phase but the interaction of different sources of FA ad different stages. Also, supplementation with FA during early pregnancy changes productive performance and neuropeptides' mRNA expression of lambs independently of the finishing diet.

Neuroendocrine control of appetite and metabolism

Body homeostasis is predominantly controlled by hormones secreted by endocrine organs. The central nervous system contains several important endocrine structures, including the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Conventionally, neurohormones released by the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland (hypophysis) have received much attention owing to the unique functions of the end hormones released by their target peripheral organs (e.g., glucocorticoids released by the adrenal glands). Recent advances in mouse genetics have revealed several important metabolic functions of hypothalamic neurohormone-expressing cells, many of which are not readily explained by the action of the corresponding classical downstream hormones. Notably, the newly identified functions are better explained by the action of conventional neurotransmitters (e.g., glutamate and GABA) that constitute a neuronal circuit. In this review, we discuss the regulation of appetite and metabolism by hypothalamic neurohormone-expressing cells, with a focus on the distinct contributions of neurohormones and neurotransmitters released by these neurons.

The Impact of Chronic Stress and Eating Concern on Acylated Ghrelin Following Acute Psychological Stress in Healthy Men

Stress, mood, and eating behavior play an important role in appetite and weight regulation. In particular, ghrelin, as the only known orexigenic hormone, has been suggested to be an influential mediator in food intake responses to stress. The exact role of ghrelin in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis is still unknown and further challenged by the psychological aspects of stress and eating behavior. This study aimed to assess the effect of chronic stress and subjective concern about eating on acute stress-induced changes in acylated ghrelin. In a 2-day study, sixteen healthy male participants were confronted with a stressful situation as well as a control situation. Additional measurements of heart rate, subjective hunger ratings, and subjective mood ratings were made to assess successful acute stress induction. The linear mixed model approach revealed a significant effect of acute stress on acylated ghrelin for a study-day*chronic-stress interaction (p < 0.001). Concern about eating did not affect acylated ghrelin levels after acute stress exposure. The significant interaction showed that lower chronic stress exposure was associated with a stronger acylated ghrelin response after acute stress exposure versus control condition. At the same time, participants with higher chronic stress exposure showed a blunted acylated ghrelin response after acute stress exposure compared to the control situation. Our findings indicate that chronic stress exposure can influence acylated ghrelin response after acute stress encounters, possibly affecting subsequent food intake and explaining the often diverse outcome in measurements of acute stress responses.

Analysis of Chronic Mild Stress-Induced Hypothalamic Proteome: Identification of Protein Dysregulations Associated With Vulnerability and Resiliency to Depression or Anxiety

Chronic stress as a known risk factor leads to hyperactivity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in both depression and anxiety. However, the stress-induced dysfunction of the HPA axis in these disorders especially the common and unique molecular dysregulations have not been well-explored. Previously, we utilized a chronic mild stress (CMS) paradigm to segregate and gain depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible, and insusceptible groups. In this study, we continue to examine the possible protein expression alterations of the hypothalamus as the center of the HPA axis in these three groups by using a proteomic approach. Though isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based quantitative analysis, a total of 593 dysregulated proteins were identified. These were potentially associated with vulnerability and adaptability of CMS-caused depression or anxiety and therefore might become novel investigative protein targets. Further independent analysis using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) indicated that 5, 7, and 21 dysregulated proteins were specifically associated with depression-susceptible, anxiety-susceptible, and insusceptible groups, respectively, suggesting that the same CMS differently affected the regulation system of the rat hypothalamic proteome. In summary, the current proteomic research on the hypothalamus provided insights into the specific and common molecular basis for the HPA dysfunction mechanisms that underlie resiliency and vulnerability to stress-induced depression or anxiety.

Metabolic and neurological consequences of the treatment with polyphenols: a systematic review in rodent models of noncommunicable diseases

BACKGROUND

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) lead to drastic metabolic alterations with associated energy balance and body weight changes, two related physiological processes regulated by the brain. Polyphenol-based treatments for NCDs have emerged as a promising therapy, which seems to involve the energy balance modulation. However, it remains unclear what the most effective polyphenols-based treatment is to attenuate adverse effects in the energy balance of NCDs.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the literature on the metabolic and neurological effects of polyphenols-based treatment in rodent models of NCDs.

METHODS

Literature search was carried out in the following databases: CINAHL, Medline/PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science. For title and abstract screening, original papers with polyphenols exposure in rodents were selected. For full-text screening, studies with models of NCDs that reported metabolic and neurological outcomes when treated with polyphenols were selected for inclusion in this review.

RESULTS

23 articles, using individual compound (11 articles) or polyphenols extracts (12 articles), were included in this review: 5 articles using tea polyphenols, 12 articles using grape-derived polyphenols, 3 articles using the polyphenol quercetin, and 3 articles using other polyphenol sources. Most results agree on the beneficial effect of polyphenols in attenuating alterations in energy balance and body weight. Such effects were associated with neuroprotective responses in different brain areas including hippocampus and hypothalamus.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this review shows that the treatment with polyphenols, especially resveratrol or quercetin, attenuates the adverse effects of NCDs on energy balance and are associated with neuroprotective effects.

The relative contributions of behavioral, biological, and psychological risk factors in the association between psychosocial stress and all-cause mortality among middle- and older-aged adults in the USA

Evidence of an association between psychosocial stress and mortality continues to accumulate. However, despite repeated calls in the literature for further examination into the physiological and behavioral pathways though which stress affects health and mortality, research on this topic remains limited. This study addresses this gap by employing a counterfactual-based mediation analysis of eight behavioral, biological, and psychological pathways often hypothesized to play a role in the association between stress and health. First, we calculated the survival rate of all-cause mortality associated with cumulative psychosocial stress (high vs. low/moderate) using random effects accelerated failure time models among a sample of 7108 adults from the Midlife in the United States panel study. Then, we conducted a multiple mediator mediation analysis utilizing a counterfactual regression framework to determine the relative contributions of each mediator and all mediators combined in the association between stress and mortality. Exposure to high psychosocial stress was associated with a 0.76 times reduced survival rate over the follow-up period 1995-2015, while adjusting for age, sex, race, income, education, baseline health, and study design effects. The mediators accounted for 49% of this association. In particular, smoking, sedentary behavior, obesity/BMI, and cardiovascular disease displayed significant indirect effects and accounted for the largest reductions in the total effect of stress on mortality, with natural indirect effects of 14%, 12%, 11%, and 4%, respectively. In conclusion, traditional behavioral and biological risk factors play a significant role in the association between psychosocial stress and mortality among middle and older adults in the US context. While eliminating stress and the socioeconomic disparities that so often deliver people into high-stress scenarios should be the ultimate goal, public health interventions addressing smoking cessation, physical activity promotion, and cardiovascular disease treatment may pay dividends for preventing premature mortality in the near-term.

[Characteristics of arterial hypertension clinical course in patients with obesity and anxiety-depressive disorders]

This article covers an important subject clinical course of arterial hypertension in patients with metabolic abnormalities with obesity and anxiety-depressive disorders. Relevance of this topic is defined with high incidence of each aforementioned conditions and their influence on quality of life and social functioning of patients. Review of literature covers subjects of comorbidity and multimorbidity. Relevant data are presented which are focusing on complex management of arterial hypertension co-existing with obesity and anxiety-depressive disorders.

Exploring Neural Mechanisms Related to Cognitive Control, Reward, and Affect in Eating Disorders: A Narrative Review of FMRI Studies

Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have contributed to our understanding of possible neural abnormalities among individuals with eating disorders. Many of these studies have focused on three domains: 1) cognitive control, 2) reward processing, and 3) affective processing. This review attempts to summarize the recent fMRI findings across these domains among the most well-characterized eating disorders: anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED). Though the literature is a bit murky, a few major themes have emerged. Cognitive control systems are affected among individuals across eating disorder diagnoses, but effects seem least pronounced in AN. Specifically, individuals with all eating disorders appear to show decreased prefrontal activation during cognitive control, but there is less evidence in AN linking decreased prefrontal activation with behavior. There is some evidence that the reinforcing value of food is reduced in AN, but individuals with BN and BED show hyperactivation to rewarding food-related stimuli, suggesting the reinforcing value of food may be enhanced. However, more complex reward processing paradigms show that individuals with BN and BED exhibit hypoactivation to reward anticipation and provide mixed results with regards to reward receipt. There are fewer neuroimaging findings related to affective processing, yet behavioral findings suggest affective processing is important in understanding eating disorders. Though the extant literature is complicated, these studies represent a foundation from which to build and provide insight into potential neurobiological mechanisms that may contribute to the pathophysiology of eating disorders.

Is Interleukin 17 (IL-17) Expression A Common Point in the Pathogenesis of Depression and Obesity?

(1) Background: Activated immune-inflammatory pathways play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression and pathological obesity. Obesity might promote production of cytokine interleukin 17, which plays a significant role in neuro-immune reactions. The study aimed at assessing the relationship between Body Mass Index (BMI) and IL-17 expression, taking into account the clinical psychiatric variables in patients with depression. (2) Methods: A total of 125 participants took part in the study (95 depressed patients, 30 healthy controls). Data concerning the course of depressive disorders and BMI were collected. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to assess IL-17 gene expression at the mRNA levels, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to assess IL-17 expression at the protein level. (3) Results: Patients with more hospitalizations showed significantly higher IL-17 mRNA expression levels and higher BMI. However, no correlation between BMI and IL-17 expression was found in depressed patients. (4) Conclusions: Our study revealed that BMI does not affect IL-17 expression in patients with depression. However, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the effects of IL-17 inhibition on adipose tissue and vice versa.

Psychiatric morbidities of female obesity before and after dieting: an Egyptian sample

Background

The rate of occurrence of psychiatric morbidities like anxiety, depression, perceived stress, and the overall quality of life are very high among female patients with obesity; therefore, our study investigates such variables before and after weight loss in female patients on diet restriction; this can help obesity-multidisciplinary teams target these psychiatric correlates to reach a more satisfactory outcome.

Results

Anxiety, depression, and perceived stress scores decreased significantly in parallel to the weight loss reported (p < 0.0001). Except for social functioning, all other domains of quality of life improved significantly after weight loss. Those with higher education level showed significantly lower stress, anxiety, and depression scores before weight loss compared to married and highly educated ones respectively. After weight loss, highly educated participants showed lower perceived stress and depression scores than those with middle education.

Conclusions

Anxiety, depression, and perceived stress factors are significantly decreased after weight reduction with an improved quality of life as well compared to their scores prior.

The impact of sexual harassment on obesity in female adolescents: An update and perspective to control

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sexual victimization, happened during childhood and beyond, is known to be a substantial contributing factor for obesity development later in life. This work aims to bring about updated information on the relationship between sexual harassment and obesity.

METHODS

Based on an intensive scientific literature review in Google Scholar, Pubmed databases, the total of 106 studies (N = 141,199) were assessed including 52 studies on the connection between negative lifetime impacts and obesity, 11 studies on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms with proposed biological mechanisms related to obesity, 15 studies on the relationship between major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms and obesity, 11 studies on the body dismorphic disorder (BDD) and 17 studies on the binge eating disorder (BED) were also examined to evaluate the association of obesity and traumatic life experiences.

RESULTS

Although 40-70% of all cases related to obesity have been considered to be hereditary, many experts argue that deviations in the environment contribute to excessive food intake and depressed physical activity in numerous Western countries. Several studies have identified that childhood sexual abuse (CSA) may be nearly as common as obesity. However, just a few researchers have taken notice of the possible connection between these two.

CONCLUSIONS

By mentioning some possible obesity-related psychological disorders in response to CSA, we present updated information on the relationship between sexual harassment and obesity.

Hair cortisol measurement in older adults: Influence of demographic and physiological factors and correlation with perceived stress

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate correlation between hair cortisol levels and perceived stress scale (PSS) in addition to a range of demographic and physiological factors in a sample of older adults.

EXPERIMENTAL

Hair cortisol concentrations were established from 42 older adults aged between 60 and 80 years old. Age, sex, hair colour, smoking status, employment status, daytime sleeping, medication, waist to hip ratio (WHR) and PSS scores were assessed through a questionnaire. Hair cortisol concentration was assessed through liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass-spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

RESULTS

Amongst the older adult group there was no statistically significant correlation between hair cortisol concentration and age, employment status, daytime sleep duration, WHR or PSS. When compared to previous data assessing hair cortisol in toddlers (7 months to 3 years old), adolescents (12-17 years old) and adults (18-60 years old) it is observed that there is a trend for higher hair cortisol in older adults (60-80 years old). Hair cortisol concentrations were significantly higher in males (n = 20) than in females (n = 22) and in participants with dark brown hair (n = 8). No relationship was investigated between hair cortisol concentration and smoking status or medication intake.

CONCLUSIONS

The results confirm that hair samples are a useful alternative to the current mediums that are used to analyse biological cortisol. The results also validate the use of LC-MS/MS as an effective analytical method for the quantitation of hair cortisol concentrations.

Influence of prenatal stress on metabolic abnormalities induced by postnatal intake of a high-fat diet in BALB/c mice

Prenatal insults during fetal development result in increased likelihood of developing chronic disease. Obesity, the biggest risk factor for the development of metabolic disease, is affected by several genetic and environmental factors. High-fat diet (HFD) consumption is usually linked with the development of obesity. The main goal of this study was to analyze the impact of the exposure to a HFD in prenatally stressed animals. For this purpose, we subjected pregnant BALB/c mice to restraint stress for 2 h a day between gestational day (GD) 14 and GD 21. Prenatally stressed and control offspring of both sexes were postnatally exposed to a HFD for 24 weeks. We found that prenatal stress (PS) per se produced disturbances in males such as increased total blood cholesterol and triglycerides, with a decrease in mRNA expression of sirtuin-1. When these animals were fed a HFD, we observed a rise in glucose and insulin levels and an increase in visceral adipose tissue gene expression of leptin, resistin, and interleukin-1 beta. Although females proved to be more resilient to PS consequences, when they were fed a HFD, they showed significant metabolic impairment. In addition to the changes observed in males, females also presented an increase in body weight and adiposity and a rise in cholesterol levels.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the Integration of Neural and Endocrine Responses to Stress

Glucagon like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) within the brain is produced by a population of preproglucagon neurons located in the caudal nucleus of the solitary tract. These neurons project to the hypothalamus and another forebrain, hindbrain, and mesolimbic brain areas control the autonomic function, feeding, and the motivation to feed or regulate the stress response and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) controls both food intake and feeding behavior (hunger-driven feeding, the hedonic value of food, and food motivation). The activation of GLP-1 receptors involves second messenger pathways and ionic events in the autonomic nervous system, which are very relevant to explain the essential central actions of GLP-1 as neuromodulator coordinating food intake in response to a physiological and stress-related stimulus to maintain homeostasis. Alterations in GLP-1 signaling associated with obesity or chronic stress induce the dysregulation of eating behavior. This review summarized the experimental shreds of evidence from studies using GLP-1R agonists to describe the neural and endocrine integration of stress responses and feeding behavior.

Enactive Pragmatism and Ecological Psychology

A widely cited roadblock to bridging ecological psychology and enactivism is that the former identifies with realism and the latter identifies with constructivism, which critics charge is subjectivist. A pragmatic reading, however, suggests non-mental forms of constructivism that simultaneously fit core tenets of enactivism and ecological realism. After advancing a pragmatic version of enactive constructivism that does not obviate realism, I reinforce the position with an empirical illustration: Physarum polycephalum, a communal unicellular organism that leaves slime trails that form chemical barriers that it avoids in foraging explorations. Here, environmental building and sensorimotor engagement are part of the same process with P. polycephalum coordinating around self-created, affordance-bearing geographies, which nonetheless exist independently in ways described by ecological realists. For ecological psychologists, affordances are values, meaning values are external to the perceiver. I argue that agent-enacted values have the same status and thus do not obviate ecological realism or generate subjectivism. The constructivist-realist debate organizes around the emphasis that enactivists and ecological theorists respectively place on the inner constitution of organisms vs. the structure of environments. Building on alimentary themes introduced in the P. polycephalum example and also in Gibson’s work, I go on to consider how environment, brain, visceral systems, and even bacteria within them enter perceptual loops. This highlights almost unfathomable degrees of mutually modulating internal and external synchronization. It also shows instances in which internal conditions alter worldly configurations and invert values, in Gibson’s sense of the term, albeit without implying subjectivism. My aim is to cut across the somatic focus of enactive constructivism and the external environment-oriented emphasis of ecological realism and show that enactivism can enrich ecological accounts of value.

Strain specific variation underlines the disparity in stress response of rats to calorie dense diets in the pathophysiology of obesity

Obesity is a multifactorial disorder, caused mainly due to lifestyle changes, and increased consumption of calorie dense diets is not just limited to developed countries anymore. Chronic physiological stress and oxidative stress are known to be implicated in the etiology of obesity. However, the role of stress response towards obesity manifestation in genetically different rat strains is poorly understood. In the current study we have used obesity susceptible & resistant rat models to understand the role of both glucocorticoid and oxidativestress in the pathophysiology of obesity. Upon challenge with calorie dense diets, WNIN showed an increased glucocorticoid stress, resulting in increased oxidative stress; whereas such a phenomenon was not noticed in F-344 and SD. However, there was an increase in the circulatory melatonin levels in calorie dense fed groups of both F-344 and SD animals, which might have contributed to reduced oxidative stress. The molecular switch in the activation of melatonin could be possibly attributed to the genetic differences among these strains. It will be interesting to explore other molecular mechanisms for melatonin regulation, albeit increased corticosterone is implicated in the enhanced production of melatonin.

Effect of intranasal administration of neuropeptide Y and single prolonged stress on food consumption and body weight in male rats

Emerging evidence indicates that intranasal delivery of neuropeptide Y (NPY) to the brain has therapeutic potential for management of stress-triggered neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we aimed to determine how intranasal administration of NPY, either before or immediately after, traumatic stress in single prolonged stress (SPS) rodent model of Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts food consumption and body weight. SPS stressors suppressed food consumption for at least two days in the vehicle-treated animals. When given prior to SPS stressors, intranasal NPY prevented the SPS-elicited reduction in food intake only for several hours afterwards. When given after the SPS stressors, under conditions shown to prevent behavioral and biochemical impairments, intranasal NPY had no effect on food intake. Although all groups showed circadian variation, the SPS-exposed rats ate less than unstressed animals during the dark (active) phase. Seven days after exposure to SPS stressors, there were no differences in food intake, although body weight was still lower than unstressed controls in all the experimental groups. Thus, traumatic stress has pronounced effect on food consumption during the rodent's active phase, and a prolonged effect on body weight. Single intranasal infusion of NPY, which was previously shown to prevent development of several PTSD associated behavioral and neuroendocrine impairments, did not elicit prolonged changes in stress triggered food consumption nor regulation of body weight.

Cerebrocortical proteome profile of female rats subjected to the western diet and chronic social stress

The energy-dense western diet significantly increases the risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular episodes, stroke, and cancer. Recently more attention has been paid to the contribution of an unhealthy lifestyle on the development of central nervous system disorders. Exposure to long-lasting stress is one of the key lifestyle modifications associated with the increased prevalence of obesity and metabolic diseases. The main goal of the present study was to verify the hypothesis that exposure to chronic stress modifies alterations in the brain proteome induced by the western diet. Female adult rats were fed with the prepared chow reproducing the human western diet and/or subjected to chronic stress induced by social instability for 6 weeks. A control group of lean rats were fed with a standard diet. Being fed with the western diet resulted in an obese phenotype and induced changes in the serum metabolic parameters. The combination of the western diet and chronic stress exposure induced more profound changes in the rat cerebrocortical proteome profile than each of these factors individually. The down-regulation of proteins involved in neurotransmitter secretion (Rph3a, Snap25, Syn1) as well as in learning and memory processes (Map1a, Snap25, Tnr) were identified, while increased expression was detected for 14-3-3 protein gamma (Ywhag) engaged in the modulation of the insulin-signaling cascade in the brain. An analysis of the rat brain proteome reveals important changes that indicate that a combination of the western diet and stress exposure may lead to impairments of neuronal function and signaling.

Sex differences in daily activity intensity and energy expenditure and their relationship to cortisol among BaYaka foragers from the Congo Basin

OBJECTIVES

The pooling of energetic resources and food sharing have been widely documented among hunter-gatherer societies. Much less is known about how the energetic costs of daily activities are distributed across individuals in such groups, including between women and men. Moreover, the metabolic physiological correlates of those activities and costs are relatively understudied.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Here, we tracked physical activity, energy expenditure (EE), and cortisol production among Congo Basin BaYaka foragers engaged in a variety of daily subsistence activities (n = 37). Given its role in energy mobilization, we measured overall daily cortisol production and short-term cortisol reactivity through saliva sampling; we measured physical activity levels and total EE via the wGT3X-bt actigraph and heart rate monitor.

RESULTS

We found that there were no sex differences in likelihood of working in common activity locations (forest, garden, house). Across the day, women spent greater percentage time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (%MVPA) and had lower total EE than men. Females with higher EE (kCal/hr) produced greater cortisol throughout the day. Though not statistically significant, we also found that individuals with greater %MVPA had larger decreases in cortisol reactivity.

DISCUSSION

BaYaka women sustained higher levels of physical activity but incurred lower energetic costs than men, even after factoring in sex differences in body composition. Our findings suggest that the distribution of physical activity demands and costs are relevant to discussions regarding how labor is divided and community energy budgets take shape in such settings.

Assessing established BMI variants for a role in nighttime eating behavior in robustly phenotyped Southwestern American Indians

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Nighttime eating (NE) behavior has a genetic component and predicts weight gain. We hypothesized that some genetic variants, which affect NE would also show an effect on body mass index (BMI). We aimed to determine which known BMI variants associate with NE in Southwestern American Indians (SWAIs), who are at elevated risk for obesity.

METHODS

Known BMI variants from the GIANT-UK Biobank meta-analysis (N = 700,000) were analysed in SWAIs characterized for NE during an inpatient 3-day protocol. Variants were analysed for association with NE using whole-genome sequence data from 50 SWAIs (23 cases and 27 controls) and selected variants were genotyped in an additional 32 SWAIs (13 NE cases and 19 controls). Variants associated with NE in a meta-analysis of the two SWAI samples were further analysed for association with nightly caloric intake and functionality in hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal tissues.

RESULTS

Variants were identified where the allele that associated with increased BMI in the GIANT-UK Biobank meta-analysis (P ≤ 1 × 10^-8) also had a P < 0.01 for increased NE in the SWAI meta-analysis. These variants were captured by six tagSNPs. Comparison of the nightly calorie intake by genotype and eQTL data from relevant tissues highlighted rs3753612 upstream of HCRTR1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our strategy led to the HCRTR1 locus, which has previously been linked to sleep regulation and feeding. Although this is an intriguing candidate gene for NE, further studies in larger samples and different populations are required to validate the role of HCRTR1 in NE.