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

Exercise Training Alters the Hippocampal Expression of Blood-Brain Barrier Components and Behavior of Western Diet-Fed Female Rats

Overeating highly palatable foods typical of a Western diet (WD) has been linked to cognitive impairments in animal models and humans. Exercise training was proposed as an important behavioral intervention with beneficial effects, including improving peripheral insulin sensitivity, improving central functions such as learning and memory, and restoring a dysregulated blood-brain barrier (BBB). The purpose of the present study was to characterize the effect of exercise training in rats fed with the WD with special emphasis on BBB. Adult female Long Evans rats were subjected to 12 weeks of WD feeding (WD group), or simultaneous WD feeding and wheel-running training (WD/EX group), or were fed a WD for 6 weeks without training and then subjected to diet and training for an additional 6 weeks (WD_WD/EX group). A sedentary (untrained) group of lean rats was fed a standard rodent chow (CTR group). In all experimental groups, we measured behavioral and physiological parameters, and the hippocampal levels of proteins structurally and functionally related to BBB, including proinflammatory cytokines and products of elevated lipid peroxidation. Exercise training in combination with a WD decreased locomotor and exploratory activities and induced short-term memory impairments. The behavioral changes were accompanied by reduced levels of occludin, claudin-5, and ZO-1 proteins in the hippocampus, suggesting changes in the integrity and increased permeability of BBB. In the WD_WD/EX rats, we found increased hippocampal levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and neurotrophins (Bdnf, Vegfa) suggesting that increased energy expenditure by obese rats stimulates endogenous protective processes. The training introduced after 6 weeks of WD feeding in rats showing an obese phenotype may suggest that the sequence and moment of presumably protective intervention (exercise training) could alleviate or, on the contrary, exacerbate the level of stress and its consequences.

Impact of Epigenetics, Diet, and Nutrition-Related Pathologies on Wound Healing

Chronic wounds pose a significant challenge to healthcare. Stemming from impaired wound healing, the consequences can be severe, ranging from amputation to mortality. This comprehensive review explores the multifaceted impact of chronic wounds in medicine and the roles that diet and nutritional pathologies play in the wound-healing process. It has been well established that an adequate diet is crucial to proper wound healing. Nutrients such as vitamin D, zinc, and amino acids play significant roles in cellular regeneration, immune functioning, and collagen synthesis and processing. Additionally, this review discusses how patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies result in the formation of chronic wounds. By integrating current research findings, this review highlights the significant impact of the genetic make-up of an individual on the risk of developing chronic wounds and the necessity for adequate personalized dietary interventions. Addressing the nutritional needs of individuals, especially those with chronic conditions, is essential for improving wound outcomes and overall patient care. With new developments in the field of genomics, there are unprecedented opportunities to develop targeted interventions that can precisely address the unique metabolic needs of individuals suffering from chronic wounds, thereby enhancing treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes.

Global Proteome Profiling of the Temporal Cortex of Female Rats Exposed to Chronic Stress and the Western Diet

The increasing consumption of highly processed foods with high amounts of saturated fatty acids and simple carbohydrates is a major contributor to the burden of overweight and obesity. Additionally, an unhealthy diet in combination with chronic stress exposure is known to be associated with the increased prevalence of central nervous system diseases. In the present study, the global brain proteome approach was applied to explore protein alterations after exposure to the Western diet and/or stress. Female adult rats were fed with the Western diet with human snacks and/or subjected to chronic stress induced by social instability for 12 weeks. The consumption of the Western diet resulted in an obese phenotype and induced changes in the serum metabolic parameters. Consuming the Western diet resulted in changes in only 5.4% of the proteins, whereas 48% of all detected proteins were affected by chronic stress, of which 86.3% were down-regulated due to this exposure to chronic stress. However, feeding with a particular diet modified stress-induced changes in the brain proteome. The down-regulation of proteins involved in axonogenesis and mediating the synaptic clustering of AMPA glutamate receptors (Nptx1), as well as proteins related to metabolic processes (Atp5i, Mrps36, Ndufb4), were identified, while increased expression was detected for proteins involved in the development and differentiation of the CNS (Basp1, Cend1), response to stress, learning and memory (Prrt2), and modulation of synaptic transmission (Ncam1, Prrt2). In summary, global proteome analysis provides information about the impact of the combination of the Western diet and stress exposure on cerebrocortical protein alterations and yields insight into the underlying mechanisms and pathways involved in functional and morphological brain alterations as well as behavioral disturbances described in the literature.

Effects of Simultaneous Exposure to a Western Diet and Wheel-Running Training on Brain Energy Metabolism in Female Rats

BACKGROUND

In the pathogenesis of central nervous system disorders (e.g., neurodegenerative), an important role is attributed to an unhealthy lifestyle affecting brain energy metabolism. Physical activity in the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases is getting increasing attention.

METHODS

We performed a series of assessments in adult female Long Evans rats subjected to 6 weeks of Western diet feeding and wheel-running training. A control group of lean rats was fed with a standard diet. In all experimental groups, we measured physiological parameters (animal weights, body composition, serum metabolic parameters). We assessed the impact of simultaneous exposure to a Western diet and wheel-running on the cerebrocortical protein expression (global proteomic profiling), and in the second part of the experiment, we measured the cortical levels of protein related to brain metabolism (Western blot).

RESULTS

Western diet led to an obese phenotype and induced changes in the serum metabolic parameters. Wheel-running did not reduce animal weights or fat mass but significantly decreased serum glucose level. The global proteome analysis revealed that the altered proteins were functionally annotated as they were involved mostly in metabolic pathways. Western blot analysis showed the downregulation of the mitochondrial protein-Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase family member 9, hexokinase 1 (HK1)-enzyme involved in principal glucose metabolism pathways and monocarboxylate transporter 2 (MCT2). Wheel-running reversed this decline in the cortical levels of HK1 and MCT2.

CONCLUSION

The cerebrocortical proteome is affected by a combination of physical activity and Western diet in female rats. An analysis of the cortical proteins involved in brain energy metabolism provides a valuable basis for the deeper investigation of changes in the brain structure and function induced by simultaneous exposure to a Western diet and physical activity.

Common and Unique Genetic Background between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Excessive Body Weight

Comorbidity studies show that children with ADHD have a higher risk of being overweight and obese than healthy children. This study aimed to assess the genetic alternations that differ between and are shared by ADHD and excessive body weight (EBW). The sample consisted of 743 Polish children aged between 6 and 17 years. We analyzed a unique set of genes and polymorphisms selected for ADHD and/or obesity based on gene prioritization tools. Polymorphisms in the KCNIP1, SLC1A3, MTHFR, ADRA2A, and SLC6A2 genes proved to be associated with the risk of ADHD in the studied population. The COMT gene polymorphism was one that specifically increased the risk of EBW in the ADHD group. Using the whole-exome sequencing technique, we have shown that the ADHD group contains rare and protein-truncating variants in the FBXL17, DBH, MTHFR, PCDH7, RSPH3, SPTBN1, and TNRC6C genes. In turn, variants in the ADRA2A, DYNC1H1, MAP1A, SEMA6D, and ZNF536 genes were specific for ADHD with EBW. In this way, we confirmed, at the molecular level, the existence of genes specifically predisposing to EBW in ADHD patients, which are associated with the biological pathways involved in the regulation of the reward system, intestinal microbiome, and muscle metabolism.