The acute effects on duodenal gene expression in healthy men following consumption of a low-fat meal enriched with theobromine or fat

The Therapeutic Potential of Theobromine in Obesity: A Comprehensive Review

Obesity, characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation, is a significant health concern. Phytochemicals found in plants are being explored for therapeutic use, particularly in combating obesity. Among these, theobromine, commonly found in cocoa and chocolate, shows promise. Although not as extensively studied as caffeine, theobromine exhibits positive effects on human health. It improves lipid profiles, aids in asthma treatment, lowers blood pressure, regulates gut microbiota, reduces tumor formation, moderates blood glucose levels, and acts as a neuroprotective agent. Studies demonstrate its anti-obesity effects through mechanisms such as browning of white adipose tissue, activation of brown adipose tissue, anti-inflammatory properties, and reduction of oxidative stress. This study aims to suggest theobromine as a potential therapeutic agent against obesity-related complications.

Intestinal barrier biomarkers in clinical evaluation of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with chronic intestinal barrier dysfunction, though its non-invasive assessment remains challenging. This study aimed to determine how four putative circulating markers vary across differing states of intestinal inflammation and with therapy in patients with IBD.

METHODS

Plasma samples from one prospective cross-sectional and four longitudinal studies, including healthy controls, were analysed for markers of lipopolysaccharide translocation, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and soluble-CD14 (sCD14), and markers of epithelial injury, syndecan-1 and intestinal-type fatty acid-binding protein (IFABP). Inflammatory activity was determined using objective measures.

RESULTS

Compared with healthy subjects, concentrations of LBP and sCD14 were higher in patients with active (P < 0.001) and severe ulcerative colitis (UC) (P < 0.0001) and active Crohn's disease (CD) (P < 0.001). In UC in remission, LBP was less than in active disease (P = 0.011) LBP levels decreased longitudinally before and after induction of medical therapy in patients with IBD (P = 0.030) and as severe UC was brought into remission at weeks 2 and 12 (P ≤ 0.022). Response to treatment was associated with higher baseline levels of LBP (P = 0.019) and soluble-CD14 (P = 0.014). Concentrations of syndecan-1 and IFABP were or tended to be lower in UC and CD in active disease and did not change with successful therapy.

CONCLUSION

While markers of epithelial injury were subnormal with active disease and did not change with therapy, markers of lipopolysaccharide translocation directly reflected intestinal inflammation, reduced with successful therapy and predicted treatment response.

Characterisation of biomarkers of intestinal barrier function in response to a high fat/high carbohydrate meal and corticotropin releasing hormone

BACKGROUND

Variation of circulating concentrations of putative biomarkers of intestinal barrier function over the day and after acute physiological interventions are poorly documented on humans. This study aimed to examine the stability and pharmacokinetics of changes in plasma concentrations of intestinal Fatty-acid -binding -protein (IFABP), Lipopolysaccharide-binging-protein (LBP), soluble CD14, and Syndecan-1 after acute stress and high fat-high-carbohydrate meal.

METHODS

In a single-blinded, cross-over, randomised study, healthy volunteers received on separate days corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH, 100 μg) or normal saline (as placebo) intravenously in random order, then a HFHC meal. Participants were allowed low caloric food. Markers of intestinal barrier function were measured at set timed intervals from 30 minutes before to 24 hours after interventions.

RESULTS

10 participants (50% female) completed all three arms of the study. IFABP decreased by median 3.6 (IQR 1.4-10)% from -30 minutes to zero time (p = 0.001) and further reduced by 25 (20-52)% at 24 hours (p = 0.01) on the low caloric diet, but did not change in response to the meal. Syndecan-1, LBP and sCD14 were stable over a 24-hour period and not affected acutely by food intake. LBP levels 2 hours after CRH reduced by 0.61 (-0.95 to 0.05) μg/ml compared with 0.16 (-0.3 to 0.5) μg/ml post placebo injection (p = 0.05), but other markers did not change.

CONCLUSION

Concentrations of IFABP, but not other markers, are unstable over 24 hours and should be measured fasting. A HFHC meal does not change intestinal permeability. Transient reduction of LPB after CRH confirms acute barrier dysfunction during stress.

Interaction between high-density lipoproteins and inflammation: Function matters more than concentration!

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) plays an important role in lipid metabolism and especially contributes to the reverse cholesterol transport pathway. Over recent years it has become clear that the effect of HDL on immune-modulation is not only dependent on HDL concentration but also and perhaps even more so on HDL function. This review will provide a concise general introduction to HDL followed by an overview of post-translational modifications of HDL and a detailed overview of the role of HDL in inflammatory diseases. The clinical potential of HDL and its main apolipoprotein constituent, apoA-I, is also addressed in this context. Finally, some conclusions and remarks that are important for future HDL-based research and further development of HDL-focused therapies are discussed.

Exercise and High-Fat Diet in Obesity: Functional Genomics Perspectives of Two Energy Homeostasis Pillars

The heavy impact of obesity on both the population general health and the economy makes clarifying the underlying mechanisms, identifying pharmacological targets, and developing efficient therapies for obesity of high importance. The main struggle facing obesity research is that the underlying mechanistic pathways are yet to be fully revealed. This limits both our understanding of pathogenesis and therapeutic progress toward treating the obesity epidemic. The current anti-obesity approaches are mainly a controlled diet and exercise which could have limitations. For instance, the “classical” anti-obesity approach of exercise might not be practical for patients suffering from disabilities that prevent them from routine exercise. Therefore, therapeutic alternatives are urgently required. Within this context, pharmacological agents could be relatively efficient in association to an adequate diet that remains the most efficient approach in such situation. Herein, we put a spotlight on potential therapeutic targets for obesity identified following differential genes expression-based studies aiming to find genes that are differentially expressed under diverse conditions depending on physical activity and diet (mainly high-fat), two key factors influencing obesity development and prognosis. Such functional genomics approaches contribute to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that both control obesity development and switch the genetic, biochemical, and metabolic pathways toward a specific energy balance phenotype. It is important to clarify that by “gene-related pathways”, we refer to genes, the corresponding proteins and their potential receptors, the enzymes and molecules within both the cells in the intercellular space, that are related to the activation, the regulation, or the inactivation of the gene or its corresponding protein or pathways. We believe that this emerging area of functional genomics-related exploration will not only lead to novel mechanisms but also new applications and implications along with a new generation of treatments for obesity and the related metabolic disorders especially with the modern advances in pharmacological drug targeting and functional genomics techniques.

Acute effects of dietary plant nutrients on transcriptome profiles: evidence from human studies

The health benefits of long-term dietary plant ingestion are well-established. However, literature on acute nutritional challenges is very limited. This study aimed to identify available evidence on transcriptomics responses to acute ingestion of plants or plant extracts and identify signature gene profiles that may serve as biomarkers of health status. We systematically searched electronic databases and extracted information based-on inclusion criteria such as human clinical studies, single plant-based nutrients and outcomes reported on acute transcriptome responses. A total of 11 studies reported on acute intake of plant dietary interventions. Four studies investigating natural oil extracts with three reporting on whole plants and two studies on natural plant-derived extracts. Gene expression was found to be associated with immune response (7 studies), inflammation (9 studies), metabolism (8 studies), cellular processes and cancer. The finding of this systematic review suggests that acute ingestion may significantly impact diverse physiological and pathological pathways including inflammatory, immune, cancer and oxidative stress pathways. Transcriptomics approach is proven to be an effective strategy in discovery of these anticipated mechanisms. Further studies are now required to validate and continue exploring the short-term health impact of dietary plants and their bioactive phytochemicals on gene expression and function.