Addressing Western dietary pattern in obesity and NAFLD

Environmental, Metabolic, and Nutritional Factors Concerning Dementia in African American and Hispanic American Populations

African Americans and Hispanic Americans experience a higher incidence and prevalence of dementia than white Americans while also experiencing more environmental, metabolic, and nutritional factors potentially promoting such disparities. Greater exposure to air, water, and soil pollutants, including toxic metals associated with neurodegeneration, accrues in both minorities, as does worse dental care than Whites exposing them to periodontitis, raising dementia risk. Hispanic Americans experience greater occupational exposure to herbicides and pesticides, and have a higher rate of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), predisposing to dementia. African Americans have a greater likelihood of both vitamin D deficiency and magnesium deficiency, increasing neuroinflammation and dementia risk. Both have greater air pollution exposure, a known dementia risk. Nutritional changes, including greater nut consumption and reduced sugar drink consumption, improved dental care, and reduced toxicant exposure, may help reduce this higher risk of dementia among African Americans and Hispanic Americans.

The association of dietary and lifestyle indices for hyperinsulinemia with odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in Iranian adults: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Evidence on the association of insulinemic effects of dietary pattern and other lifestyle factors with the odds of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are limited. In the current study, we aimed to examine the association of the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and empirical lifestyle index for hyperinsulinemia (ELIH) index with the NAFLD odds in the adult population.

METHODS

In the current case-control study, 120 cases of NAFLD and 240 controls aged 20-60 years were included. The ultrasonography test was used to determine NAFLD. We used a validated food frequency questionnaire to collect dietary data of individuals and determine the scores of EDIH. Also, we determined the ELIH score based on diet, body mass index, and physical activity. The odds ratio (OR) of NAFLD was calculated using logistic regression test across EDIH and ELIH tertiles.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD age of subjects (53% men) were 41.8 ± 7.5 years. In the age and sex-adjusted model, there is a significant association between a higher ELIH score and higher odds of NAFLD (OR = 2.74;95%CI:1.51-4.96,P_trend = 0.001). Also, based on the multivariable-adjusted model, after controlling for age and sex, smoking, SES, and dietary intake of energy a remarkable positive association was observed between the higher score of ELIH and the odds of NAFLD (OR = 2.70; 95%CI:1.46-5.01,P_trend = 0.002). However, there is no significant relationship between the higher score of EDIH and NAFLD odds.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that the high insulinemic potential of lifestyle, determined by the ELIH score, can be related to an increased NAFLD odds. However, no significant association was found between higher EDIH score and odds of NAFLD.

Butyrate Attenuates Hepatic Steatosis Induced by a High-Fat and Fiber-Deficient Diet via the Hepatic GPR41/43-CaMKII/HDAC1-CREB Pathway

SCOPE

Hepatic steatosis is a major health issue that can be attenuated by a healthy diet. This study investigates the effects and molecular mechanisms of butyrate, a dietary fiber metabolite of gut microbiota, on lipid metabolism in hepatocytes.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study examines the effects of butyrate (0-8 mM) on lipid metabolism in primary hepatocytes. The results show that butyrate (2 mM) consistently inhibits lipogenic genes and activates lipid oxidation-related gene expression in hepatocytes. Furthermore, butyrate modulates lipid metabolism genes, reduces fat droplet accumulation, and activates the calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII)/histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1)-cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB) signaling pathway in the primary hepatocytes and liver of wild-type (WT) mice, but not in G-protein-coupled receptor 41 (GPR41) knockout and 43 (GPR43) knockout mice. This suggests that butyrate regulated hepatic lipid metabolism requires GPR41 and GPR43. Finally, the study finds that dietary butyrate supplementation (5%) ameliorates hepatic steatosis and abnormal lipid metabolism in the liver of mice fed a high-fat and fiber-deficient diet for 15 weeks.

CONCLUSION

This work reveals that butyrate improves hepatic lipid metabolism through the GPR41/43-CaMKII/HDAC1-CREB pathway, providing support for consideration of butyrate as a dietary supplement to prevent the progression of NAFLD induced by the Western-style diet.

Crosstalk between Depression and Breast Cancer via Hepatic Epoxide Metabolism: A Central Comorbidity Mechanism

Breast cancer (BC) is a serious global challenge, and depression is one of the risk factors and comorbidities of BC. Recently, the research on the comorbidity of BC and depression has focused on the dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and the persistent stimulation of the inflammatory response. However, the further mechanisms for comorbidity remain unclear. Epoxide metabolism has been shown to have a regulatory function in the comorbid mechanism with scattered reports. Hence, this article reviews the role of epoxide metabolism in depression and BC. The comprehensive review discloses the imbalance in epoxide metabolism and its downstream effect shared by BC and depression, including overexpression of inflammation, upregulation of toxic diols, and disturbed lipid metabolism. These downstream effects are mainly involved in the construction of the breast malignancy microenvironment through liver regulation. This finding provides new clues on the mechanism of BC and depression comorbidity, suggesting in particular a potential relationship between the liver and BC, and provides potential evidence of comorbidity for subsequent studies on the pathological mechanism.

High-Fat Nutritional Challenge Reshapes Circadian Signatures in Murine Extraorbital Lacrimal Glands

Purpose

A high-fat diet (HFD) increases the risk of developing many systemic diseases; however, the effects of high fat intake on lacrimal gland functions and the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects are unknown. We explored the effects of an HFD on the circadian rhythms of the extraorbital lacrimal glands (ELGs).

Methods

Male C57BL/6J mice maintained on a 12/12-hour light/dark cycle were fed an ad libitum HFD or normal chow (NC) for 2 weeks. The ELGs were collected from euthanized animals every 3 hours throughout the circadian cycle (24 hours). Using high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq), we studied the circadian transcriptomic profile of the ELGs. Circadian oscillations in cell size, secretion response, lipid deposition, and immune cell trafficking of the ELGs were also analyzed.

Results

An HFD modulated the circadian transcriptomic profile of the ELGs, including the composition, phase, and amplitude of cyclical transcript oscillations, and affected the associated signaling pathways at spatiotemporal levels. HFD feeding significantly altered the normal rhythmic oscillations of ELG cell size, immune cell trafficking, secretion response, and lipid deposition. After dietary reversal in HFD-fed animals, the activity, core temperature, and lipid accumulation in lacrimal glands recovered partially to the level of NC-fed animals. However, the average cell size of the ELGs, the recruitment of immune cells, and the rhythm of lacrimal secretion did not return to the levels of the NC-fed group.

Conclusions

HFD perturbation interferes with the cyclical transcriptomic profile, cell size, immune cell trafficking, and secretion function of the ELGs with a strikingly high sensitivity.

Empirically-Derived Dietary Patterns in Relation to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases Among Adult Participants in Amol, Northern Iran: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

Dietary modifications remain the mainstay in managing nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Published data on the effect of overall dietary patterns on NAFLD is scarce. The present study aims to extract the dietary patterns and investigate their association to NAFLD by gender, using structural equation modeling, among adult participants in Amol, northern Iran. In this cross-sectional study, data from 3,149 participants in the Amol cohort study (55.3% men, n = 1,741) were analyzed. Usual dietary intake was assessed by a validated 168-items semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. We classified major dietary patterns by explanatory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). NAFLD diagnosis was based on ultrasound scanning, including increased hepatic echogenicity, abnormal appearance of hepatic arteries, and diaphragm in the absence of excessive alcohol consumption. Multivariable logistic regression and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to explore the relationship between dietary patterns and NAFLD. Three distinct dietary patterns, including western, healthy, and traditional/mixed dietary patterns, were identified. Adult male who adhere to the western dietary pattern were more affected with NAFLD risk [Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, odds ratio (OR) = 1, 1.16, 1.34, 1.39; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.83-1.61, 0.96-1.85, 0.98-1.96, p trend = 0.04, respectively]. A full mediating effect of healthy dietary pattern, western dietary pattern, and traditional dietary pattern via dietary acid load (DAL) proxy (of dietary patterns to DAL: βstd = -0.35, p < 0.006, βstd = 0.15, p = 0.009, and βstd = 0.08, p = 0.001, respectively), on NAFLD was found through mediation analysis using SEM. A western dietary pattern comprising frequent intake of salty and sweet snacks, soft drinks, refined grains, processed meats, cooked and fried potatoes, eggs, and coffee was associated with a higher odds of NAFLD in an Iranian male population. Additionally, our findings might provide a mechanistic explanation for the association between dietary patterns and NAFLD via DAL proxy. However, further prospective studies, including assessing acid-base biomarkers, are needed.

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults: Current Concepts in Etiology, Outcomes, and Management

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of disease, extending from simple steatosis to inflammation and fibrosis with a significant risk for the development of cirrhosis. It is highly prevalent and is associated with significant adverse outcomes both through liver-specific morbidity and mortality but, perhaps more important, through adverse cardiovascular and metabolic outcomes. It is closely associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity, and both of these conditions drive progressive disease toward the more advanced stages. The mechanisms that govern hepatic lipid accumulation and the predisposition to inflammation and fibrosis are still not fully understood but reflect a complex interplay between metabolic target tissues including adipose and skeletal muscle, and immune and inflammatory cells. The ability to make an accurate assessment of disease stage (that relates to clinical outcome) can also be challenging. While liver biopsy is still regarded as the gold-standard investigative tool, there is an extensive literature on the search for novel noninvasive biomarkers and imaging modalities that aim to accurately reflect the stage of underlying disease. Finally, although no therapies are currently licensed for the treatment of NAFLD, there are interventions that appear to have proven efficacy in randomized controlled trials as well as an extensive emerging therapeutic landscape of new agents that target many of the fundamental pathophysiological processes that drive NAFLD. It is highly likely that over the next few years, new treatments with a specific license for the treatment of NAFLD will become available.

Elevated serum levels of aminotransferases in relation to unhealthy foods intake: Tehran lipid and glucose study

BACKGROUND

Abnormal levels of liver enzymes, particularly aminotransferases, are prognostic features of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Considering the important role of dietary intakes in development of NAFLD, we aimed to determine possible association of unhealthy foods (fast foods, soft drinks, sweet and salty snacks) consumption with elevated levels of aminotransferases.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted within the framework of sixth phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (2014-2017), on 187 adult men and 249 adult women (19-70 y). Usual intakes of unhealthy foods (kcal/week) were measured using a validated semi-quantitative 147-items food frequency questionnaire. Serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds of elevated aminotransferases in each tertile of energy-dense unhealthy foods.

RESULTS

Mean age of participants was 44.44 ± 15.09 years, 43% of participants were men. Higher consumption of fast foods (> 11.39% kcal/week) was associated with elevated ALT to AST ratio (OR: 3.27; 95% CI: 1.90-5.63) and elevated ALT (OR: 2.74; 95% CI: 1.57-4.76). Also, each 1 SD increased energy intakes from fast foods was related to increased chance of having elevated ALT and ALT to AST ratio by 35% (OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.08-1.68, OR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.10-1.66, respectively). There was no significant association between consumption of soft drinks, sweet or salty snacks and elevated aminotransferases.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher intakes of energy from fast foods seems to be associated with an elevated serum levels of ALT and ALT to AST ratio, as indicators of development of NAFLD.