The Influence of Epigenetic Modifications on Metabolic Changes in White Adipose Tissue and Liver and Their Potential Impact in Exercise

High-Fat Diet and Metabolic Diseases: A Comparative Analysis of Sex-Dependent Responses and Mechanisms

Sex differences in metabolic disorders and susceptibility to chronic diseases induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) exhibit significant dimorphic characteristics. A long-standing male-centric bias in medical research and healthcare, predominantly focused on male physiological traits, has hindered the precise treatment of metabolic diseases in female patients. A comprehensive understanding of sex differences in metabolic health and their underlying mechanisms is crucial for advancing personalized health promotion and precision medicine. This review systematically elucidates sex-specific manifestations in high-fat diet-associated metabolic disorders: males predominantly develop visceral adiposity, insulin resistance, and dyslipidemia, accompanied by a significantly elevated risk of cardiovascular and metabolic syndromes. Premenopausal females maintain metabolic homeostasis through the estrogen-mediated optimization of glucose and lipid metabolism and oxidative stress buffering mechanisms, whereas postmenopausal-phase females experience dramatic metabolic vulnerability due to z loss of protective barriers. Furthermore, we emphasize multidimensional mechanistic interpretations of metabolic sexual dimorphism from perspectives including sex chromosome complement, sex hormone signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, gut microbiota composition, and neuroendocrine dimorphism. This work provides critical theoretical foundations for rectifying unisex research paradigms and optimizing sex-specific early warning systems and precision therapeutic strategies for metabolic disorders.

Identify key transcript factors of adipocyte differentiation in abdominal fat of broilers based on ATAC-seq and RNA-seq

Intensive breeding has resulted in excessive deposition of abdominal fat tissue (AFT) in broilers, leading to significant economic loss in the poultry industry. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying AFT development is essential for informed breeding strategies. In the current study, we elucidated dynamic changes of chromatin accessibility and transcriptional reprogramming in AFT at D14 and D42 in broilers based on integrated analysis of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq. RNA-seq analysis manifested significant transcriptional differences in AFT development, identifying 1323 up- and 1285 down-regulated differential expression genes (DEGs) as well as 63 up- and 58 down-regulated transcription factors (TFs) at D42 compared to those at D14. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of total DEGs revealed significant enrichment in pathways related to DNA replication, cell adhesion molecules, cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, fatty acid degradation, fatty acid biosynthesis and steroid biosynthesis. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) further indicated that autophagy, MAPK signaling pathway and inositol phosphate metabolism were up-regulated at D42 compared to D14, whereas cell cycle, DNA replication and steroid biosynthesis were down-regulated. Additionally, ATAC-seq analysis identified 394 gain and 1195 loss differentially accessible peaks (DPs) in AFT between D14 and D42, associated with 319 and 905 genes, respectively. These gain or loss genes were enriched in p53 signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, fat digestion and absorption, FoxO signaling pathway and glycerol lipid metabolism. Integration analysis of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq data revealed 25 up-regulated and 75 down-regulated DEGs overlapping with genes linked to gain and loss DPs, respectively. Notably, ACACA, SCD, SREBF1and KLF9 exhibited significantly lower expression at D42 compared to D14. DNA motifs analysis identified NFIX and MYB as loss motifs, overlapping with down-regulated TFs, suggesting their potential role in AFT regulation. Furthermore, MYB and NFIX exhibited potential binding sites in the promoter regions of lipid metabolism-related genes (ELOVL6, PPARγ, FABP4, ACACA and SCD). Overall, these results will provide a theoretical basis for investigating the epigenetic modification and transcriptional regulation of AFT development in broilers.

Mechanisms underpinning the effect of exercise on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: review

Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) - whose terminology was recently replaced by metabolic liver disease (MAFLD) - is an accumulation of triglycerides in the liver of >5 % of its weight. Epidemiological studies indicated an association between NAFLD and reduced physical activity. In addition, exercise has been shown to improve NAFLD independently of weight loss. In this paper, we aim to systematically review molecular changes in sedentary experimental NAFLD models vs. those subjected to exercise. We utilized the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist and standard review techniques. Studies were considered for inclusion if they addressed the primary question: the mechanisms by which exercise influenced NAFLD. This review summarized experimental evidence of improvements in NAFLD with exercise in the absence of weight loss. The pathways involved appeared to have AMPK as a common denominator. See also the graphical abstract(Fig. 1).

Sirtuins, a key regulator of ageing and age-related neurodegenerative diseases

Sirtuins are Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) dependent class ІΙΙ histone deacetylases enzymes (HDACs) present from lower to higher organisms such as bacteria (Sulfolobus solfataricus L. major), yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans), fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), humans (Homo sapiens sapiens), even in plants such as rice (Oryza sativa), thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), vine (Vitis vinifera L.) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Sirtuins play an important role in the regulation of various vital cellular functions during metabolism and ageing. It also plays a neuroprotective role by modulating several biological pathways such as apoptosis, DNA repair, protein aggregation, and inflammatory processes associated with ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we have presented an updated Sirtuins and its role in ageing and age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Further, this review also describes the therapeutic potential of Sirtuins and the use of Sirtuins inhibitor/activator for altering the NDDs disease pathology.

Lipids and the hallmarks of ageing: From pathology to interventions

Lipids are critical structural and functional architects of cellular homeostasis. Change in systemic lipid profile is a clinical indicator of underlying metabolic pathologies, and emerging evidence is now defining novel roles of lipids in modulating organismal ageing. Characteristic alterations in lipid metabolism correlate with age, and impaired systemic lipid profile can also accelerate the development of ageing phenotype. The present work provides a comprehensive review of the extent of lipids as regulators of the modern hallmarks of ageing viz., cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, gut dysbiosis, telomere attrition, genome instability, proteostasis and autophagy, epigenetic alterations, and stem cells dysfunctions. Current evidence on the modulation of each of these hallmarks has been discussed with emphasis on inherent age-dependent deficiencies in lipid metabolism as well as exogenous lipid changes. There appears to be sufficient evidence to consider impaired lipid metabolism as key driver of the ageing process although much of knowledge is yet fragmented. Considering dietary lipids, the type and quantity of lipids in the diet is a significant, but often overlooked determinant that governs the effects of lipids on ageing. Further research using integrative approaches amidst the known aging hallmarks is highly desirable for understanding the therapeutics of lipids associated with ageing.

Special Issue: Lipid Metabolism, Adipogenesis and Fat Tissue Metabolism: Gene Regulation

Lipid metabolism is pivotal in controlling energy homeostasis [...].