Dietary total antioxidant capacity interacts with a variant of chromosome 5q13-14 locus to influence cardio-metabolic risk factors among obese adults

Background

The association between cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript prepropeptide gene (CARTPT) and obesity-related outcomes has shown in the epidemiological studies. Nevertheless, there is lack of data regarding the CARTPT gene-diet interactions in terms of antioxidant potential of diet. So, this study aimed to test CARTPT gene-dietary non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity (NEAC) interactions on cardio-metabolic risk factors in obese individuals.

Methods and material

The present cross-sectional study was carried out among 288 apparently healthy obese adults within age range of 20-50 years. Antioxidant capacity of diet was estimated by calculating the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Genotyping for CARTPT rs2239670 polymorphism was conducted by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method.

Results

A significant interaction was revealed between CARTPT rs2239670 and dietary ORAC on BMI (PInteraction = 0.048) and fat mass percent (FM%) (PInteraction = 0.008); in A allele carriers, higher adherence to the dietary ORAC was related to lower level of BMI and FM%. And, the significant interactions were observed between FRAP index and rs2239670 in relation to HOMA (PInteraction = 0.049) and QUICKI (PInteraction = 0.048). Moreover, there were significant interactions of rs2239670 with TRAP (PInteraction = 0.029) and TEAC (PInteraction = 0.034) on the serum glucose level; individuals with AG genotype were more respondent to higher intake of TRAP.

Conclusion

The present study indicated that the relationships between CARTPT rs2239670 and obesity and its-related metabolic parameters depend on adherence to the dietary NEAC. Large prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings.

Microbiome-based interventions to modulate gut ecology and the immune system

The gut microbiome lies at the intersection between the environment and the host, with the ability to modify host responses to disease-relevant exposures and stimuli. This is evident in how enteric microbes interact with the immune system, e.g., supporting immune maturation in early life, affecting drug efficacy via modulation of immune responses, or influencing development of immune cell populations and their mediators. Many factors modulate gut ecosystem dynamics during daily life and we are just beginning to realise the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of microbiome-based interventions. These approaches vary in application, goal, and mechanisms of action. Some modify the entire community, such as nutritional approaches or faecal microbiota transplantation, while others, such as phage therapy, probiotics, and prebiotics, target specific taxa or strains. In this review, we assessed the experimental evidence for microbiome-based interventions, with a particular focus on their clinical relevance, ecological effects, and modulation of the immune system.

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone during exercise recovery has prognostic value for coronary artery disease

PURPOSE

Alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) has proven cardiovascular effects and plays a significant role as an endogenous countermeasure to ischemia-reperfusion injury. The aim of the current study was to examine the response of alpha-MSH during exercise in patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease (CAD) and evaluate its value in the assessment of severity and prognosis.

METHODS

Forty subjects with documented CAD (i.e., lesions on coronary angiography ≥ 50%) were included. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on a treadmill (TM) and recumbent ergometer (RE) were performed on two visits, 2-4 days apart, during 2 months of coronary angiography; subsequently, the subjects were followed up for 32 ± 10 months. At rest, at peak CPET, and after 3 min of recovery, plasma levels of alpha-MSH were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique.

RESULTS

Mean ejection fraction was 56.7 ± 9.6%. Alpha-MSH similarly increased from rest to peak CPET on both modalities. There were no significant differences in alpha-MSH values during testing in patients with 1,2- and 3-vesel CAD, nor in patients with a SYNTAX score </≥ 23 (p > 0.05). Among CPET and hormonal parameters, ∆alpha-MSH recovery/peak during RE CPET was the best predictor of cardiac event occurrence (chi-square 6.67, HR = 0.51, CI = 0.25-1.02, p = 0.010).

CONCLUSION

∆alpha-MSH recovery/peak during RE CPET has predictive value for CAD prognosis, demonstrating involvement of alpha-MSH in CAD and a link between stress hormones and cardiac events.

Adipocytokine and appetite-regulating hormone response to weight loss in adolescents with obesity: Impact of weight loss magnitude

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the magnitude of weight loss (WL) and serum concentrations of the main adipocytokines and appetite-regulating hormones in adolescents with obesity.

METHODS

After completion of informed consent,108 adolescents with obesity (14-19 y of age; postpubertal) were submitted to clinical, nutritional, psychological, physical exercise, and physiotherapy support for 1 y. Body composition (BC) and plasma levels of neuropeptides (neuropeptide Y [NPY], agouti-related peptide [AgRP], and α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone [α-MSH]) and leptin were measured at baseline and post-intervention.

RESULTS

After therapy, adolescents who lost <10% body weight and <10% body weight (were compared. Both groups presented improvements in BC and reduced leptin. The Δα-MSH, Δα-MSH/AgRP ratio, and Δα-MSH/NPY ratio were lower and AgRP and NPY variations were higher in the low weight loss group. The leptin concentration was close to normal in the high weight loss only. The ΔWeight, Δα-MSH and Δleptin were associated with body fat loss by multiple linear regressions for all samples.

CONCLUSION

Weight loss >10% seems to reverse obesity-induced hyperleptinemia while stabilizing the neuropeptides that control appetite in adolescents with obesity. We were able to produce a prognostic mathematical model to predict body fat loss using weight, leptin, and α-MSH variations.

Metabolomics Reveals the Alteration of Metabolic Pathway by Alpha-Melanocyte-Stimulating Hormone in B16F10 Melanoma Cells

The purpose of this study was to understand the changes of metabolic pathway induced by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) in B16F10 melanoma cells in an untargeted metabolomics approach. Cells were treated with 100 nM of α-MSH and then incubated for 48 h. α-MSH increased tyrosinase activity and melanin content by 56.5 and 61.7%, respectively, compared to untreated cells after 48 h of cultivation. The clear separation between groups was observed in the principal component analysis score plot, indicating that the levels of metabolites of melanoma cells were altered by treatment with α-MSH. Metabolic pathways affected by α-MSH were involved in some amino acid metabolisms. The increased levels of fumaric acid, malic acid, oxaloacetic acid and citric acid related to the citric acid cycle pathway after α-MSH treatment suggested enhanced energy metabolism. Metabolic pathways altered by α-MSH treatment can provide useful information to develop new skin pigmentation inhibitors or anti-obesity drugs.