High-fat diet impairs glucose homeostasis by increased p16 beta-cell expression and alters glucose homeostasis of the progeny in a parental-sex dependent manner

Biological exposure to microplastics and nanoplastics and plastic additives: impairment of glycolipid metabolism and adverse effects on metabolic diseases

Microplastics and nanoplastics (M-NPs) are widespread pollutants in the environment, posing growing risks to human health and garnering increasing concern from researchers. Due to their small particle size, ease of adsorption, and resistance to degradation, M-NPs can retain and migrate in the environment for long-term periods. Upon entering organisms, M-NPs have been reported to cause inflammation and oxidative stress and result in abnormalities in glycolipid metabolism. Furthermore, research suggests that exposure to M-NPs may act as a causative agent for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. This paper aims to review the consequences of exposure to M-NPs on animal and cellular glycolipid metabolism and discusses the disruption of gut microbial homeostasis and the subsequent emergence of insulin resistance. PPAR signaling pathway activation after exposure to M-NPs was found to lead to increased hepatic fat accumulation and impaired lipid metabolism. Additionally, the paper highlights how M-NPs exacerbate the progression of obesity and diabetes in patients, induce damage to vascular endothelial cells, trigger oxidative stress, and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis. Despite the growing concern, the toxicity and molecular mechanism of M-NPs on glycolipid metabolism remain understudied, and effective methods for removing plastic pollutants deposited in the body are yet to be established. These findings provide valuable insights for future research in this field.

High-Fat Diet-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Dysfunction: Impact on Allodynia and Motor Coordination in Rats

The associations among increased pain sensitivity, obesity, and systemic inflammation have not been described as related to BBB dysfunctions. To analyze the metabolic, behavioral, and inflammatory effects of a high-fat diet (HFD) and ultrastructural modifications in brain regions, we used an in vivo experimental model. Adult male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to one of two conditions, an ad libitum control group or an HFD (60%)-fed group, for eight weeks. At the end of the protocol, glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed. Additionally, we analyzed the response to a normally innocuous mechanical stimulus and changes in motor coordination. At the end of the protocol, HFD-fed rats presented increased HOMA-IR and metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence. HFD-fed rats also developed an increased nociceptive response to mechanical stimuli and neurological injury, resulting in impaired motor function. Hypothalamus and cerebellum neurons from HFD-fed rats presented with nuclear swelling, an absence of nucleoli, and karyolysis. These results reveal that HFD consumption affects vital brain structures such as the cerebellum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. This, in turn, could be producing neuronal damage, impairing cellular communication, and consequently altering motricity and pain sensitivity. Although direct evidence of a causal link between BBB dysfunction and sensory-motor changes was not observed, understanding the association uncovered in this study could lead to targeted therapeutic strategies.

Fish Oil Improves Offspring Metabolic Health of Paternal Obese Mice by Targeting Adipose Tissue

Obesity is a fast-growing epidemic affecting more than 40% of the US population and leads to co-morbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cancer. More importantly, there is a rapid increase in childhood obesity associated with obesity in parents. Further, offspring are encoded with approximately half of their genetic information from the paternal side. Obesity in fathers at the preconceptional period likely influences the intergenerational development of obesity. This study focuses on the role of fish oil supplementation as a non-pharmacological intervention in fathers and its impact on childhood obesity using animal models. Male mice were fed a low-fat diet or high-fat diet with or without fish oil for 10 weeks and mated with female mice on a chow diet. Offspring were then continued on a chow diet until 8 or 16 weeks. In vivo insulin tolerance was tested to assess the metabolic health of offspring. Further, adipose tissue was harvested upon sacrifice, and genetic markers of inflammation and lipid metabolism in the tissue were analyzed. Offspring of males supplemented with fish oil showed lower body weight, improved insulin tolerance, and altered inflammatory markers. Markers of fatty acid oxidation were higher, while markers of fatty acid synthesis were lower in offspring of fathers fed fish oil. This supports fish oil as an accessible intervention to improve offspring metabolic health.