Phenotypic flexibility as a measure of health: the optimal nutritional stress response test
Abstract
Nutrition research is struggling to demonstrate beneficial health effects, since nutritional effects are often subtle and long term. Health has been redefined as the ability of our body to cope with daily-life challenges. Physiology acts as a well-orchestrated machinery to adapt to the continuously changing environment. We term this adaptive capacity “phenotypic flexibility.” The phenotypic flexibility concept implies that health can be measured by the ability to adapt to conditions of temporary stress, such as physical exercise, infections or mental stress, in a healthy manner. This may of...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - April 21, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Enabling nutrient security and sustainability through systems research
Abstract
Human and companion animal health depends upon nutritional quality of foods. Seed varieties, seasonal and local growing conditions, transportation, food processing, and storage, and local food customs can influence the nutrient content of food. A new and intensive area of investigation is emerging that recognizes many factors in these agri-food systems that influence the maintenance of nutrient quality which is fundamental to ensure nutrient security for world populations. Modeling how these systems function requires data from different sectors including agricultural, environmental, social, and...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - April 16, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Peripheral mononuclear blood cells contribute to the obesity-associated inflammatory state independently of glycemic status: involvement of the novel proinflammatory adipokines chemerin, chitinase-3-like protein 1, lipocalin-2 and osteopontin
Abstract
Inflammation is a critical contributor to the pathogenesis of metabolic disorders with adipose tissue being crucial in the inflammatory response by releasing multiple adipokines with either pro- or anti-inflammatory activities with potential functions as metabolic regulators. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) have been proposed as representative of the inflammatory status in obesity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the contribution of PBMC to the obesity-associated chronic inflammation analyzing the expression of novel adipokines. Samples obtained from 69 subjects were used...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - April 13, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Oral administration of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v modulates gene expression in the ileum of pigs: prediction of crosstalk between intestinal immune cells and sub-mucosal adipocytes
Abstract
To study host–probiotic interactions in parts of the intestine only accessible in humans by surgery (jejunum, ileum and colon), pigs were used as model for humans. Groups of eight 6-week-old pigs were repeatedly orally administered with 5 × 1012 CFU Lactobacillus plantarum 299v (L. plantarum 299v) or PBS, starting with a single dose followed by three consecutive daily dosings 10 days later. Gene expression was assessed with pooled RNA samples isolated from jejunum, ileum and colon scrapings of the eight pigs per group using Affymetrix porcine microarrays. Comparison of gene expression pro...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - April 11, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Erratum to: Inter-ethnic differences in genetic variants within the transmembrane protease, serine 6 ( TMPRSS6 ) gene associated with iron status indicators: a systematic review with meta-analyses
(Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - March 24, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Chronic stress aggravates glucose intolerance in leptin receptor-deficient ( db/db ) mice
Abstract
Genetic predisposition and environmental challenges interact to determine individual vulnerability to obesity and type 2 diabetes. We previously established a mouse model of chronic subordination stress-induced hyperphagia, obesity, metabolic like-syndrome and insulin resistance in the presence of a high-fat diet. However, it remains to be established if social stress could also aggravate glucose intolerance in subjects genetically predisposed to develop obesity and type 2 diabetes. To answer this question, we subjected genetically obese mice due to deficiency of the leptin receptor (db/db stra...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - March 20, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Effect of genetic polymorphisms involved in folate metabolism on the concentration of serum folate and plasma total homocysteine (p-tHcy) in healthy subjects after short-term folic acid supplementation: a randomized, double blind, crossover study
Abstract
Data on the effect of combined genetic polymorphisms, involved in folate metabolism, on the concentration of serum folate after folic acid supplementation are scarce. Therefore, we investigated the impact of seven gene polymorphisms on the concentration of serum folate and p-tHcy in healthy subjects after short-term folic acid supplementation. In a randomized, double blind, crossover study, apparently healthy subjects were given either 0.8 mg folic acid per day (n = 46) or placebo (n = 45) for 14 days. The washout period was 14 days. Fasting blood samples were collected on day 1, 15, 30 ...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - March 11, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Cyanidin and malvidin in aqueous extracts of black carrots fermented with Aspergillus oryzae prevent the impairment of energy, lipid and glucose metabolism in estrogen-deficient rats by AMPK activation
In conclusion, with increasing cyanidin and malvidin, BCAO prevented the exacerbation of lipid and glucose metabolism by activating hepatic insulin signaling and AMPK activation by in OVX rats. (Source: Genes and Nutrition)
Source: Genes and Nutrition - February 21, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism genes, Mediterranean diet and breast cancer risk: a case–control study in the Greek-Cypriot female population
Abstract
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within genes of the one-carbon metabolism pathway have been shown to interact with dietary folate intake to modify breast cancer (BC) risk. Our group has previously demonstrated that the Mediterranean dietary pattern, rich in beneficial one-carbon metabolism micronutrients, protects against BC in Greek-Cypriot women. We aimed to investigate whether SNPs in the MTHFR (rs1801133 and rs1801131) and MTR (rs1805087) genes modify the effect of the Mediterranean dietary pattern on BC risk. Dietary intake data were obtained using a 32-item food-frequency questionn...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - January 21, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
The rs340874 PROX1 type 2 diabetes mellitus risk variant is associated with visceral fat accumulation and alterations in postprandial glucose and lipid metabolism
Abstract
Large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies have recently confirmed that the rs340874 single-nucleotide polymorphism in PROX1 gene is associated with fasting glycemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, the mechanism of this link was not well established. The aim of our study was to evaluate the functional/phenotypic differences related to rs340874 PROX1 variants. The study group comprised 945 subjects of Polish origin (including 634 with BMI > 25) without previously known dysglycemia. We analyzed behavioral patterns (diet, physical activity), body fat distribution and ...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - January 20, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
PPARα via HNF4α regulates the expression of genes encoding hepatic amino acid catabolizing enzymes to maintain metabolic homeostasis
Abstract
The liver is the main organ involved in the metabolism of amino acids (AA), which are oxidized by amino acid catabolizing enzymes (AACE). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α (PPARα) stimulates fatty acid β-oxidation, and there is evidence that it can modulate hepatic AA oxidation during the transition of energy fuels. To understand the role and mechanism of PPARα’s regulation of AA catabolism, the metabolic and molecular adaptations of Ppara-null mice were studied. The role of PPARα on AA metabolism was examined by in vitro and in vivo studies. In wild-type and Ppara-null mice, ...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - January 10, 2015 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
In vivo effects of dietary quercetin and quercetin-rich red onion extract on skeletal muscle mitochondria, metabolism, and insulin sensitivity
Abstract
Red onions and low doses of the flavonoid, quercetin, increase insulin sensitivity and improve glucose tolerance. We hypothesized that dietary supplementation with red onion extract (RO) would attenuate high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and insulin resistance similar to quercetin supplementation by increasing energy expenditure through a mechanism involving skeletal muscle mitochondrial adaptations. To test this hypothesis, C57BL/6J mice were randomized into four groups and fed either a low fat diet (LF), HFD (HF), HFD + quercetin (HF + Q), or HFD + RO (HF + RO) for 9 weeks. Food con...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - December 27, 2014 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Role of genetic variants in ADIPOQ in human eating behavior
Abstract
The beneficial effects of adiponectin and its negative correlation with BMI are well described. Adiponectin serum levels are altered in eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge eating. Here, we tested the hypothesis that (1) adiponectin serum levels correlate with human eating behavior factors and (2) that genetic variants of the ADIPOQ locus influence both serum levels and eating behavior. We analyzed 11 SNPs within ADIPOQ and in the 5′ UTR and measured serum adiponectin levels in 1,036 individuals from the German Sorbs population. The German version of the ...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - December 27, 2014 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
γ-Glutamyl hydrolase modulation significantly influences global and gene-specific DNA methylation and gene expression in human colon and breast cancer cells
Abstract
γ-Glutamyl hydrolase (GGH) plays an important role in folate homeostasis by catalyzing hydrolysis of polyglutamylated folate into monoglutamates. Polyglutamylated folates are better substrates for several enzymes involved in the generation of S-adenosylmethionine, the primary methyl group donor, and hence, GGH modulation may affect DNA methylation. DNA methylation is an important epigenetic determinant in gene expression, in the maintenance of DNA integrity and stability, and in chromatin modifications, and aberrant or dysregulation of DNA methylation has been mechanistically linked to the dev...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - December 13, 2014 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
Interactions between meat intake and genetic variation in relation to colorectal cancer
The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate interactions between meat intake and genetic variation in order to identify biological pathways involved in meat carcinogenesis. We performed a literature search of PubMed and Embase using “interaction”, “meat”, “polymorphisms”, and “colorectal cancer”, and data on meat–gene interactions were extracted. The studies were divided according to whether information on meat intake was collected prospectively or retrospectively. In prospective studies, interactions between meat intake and polymorphisms in PTGS2 (encoding COX-2), ABCB1, IL10, NFKB1, MSH3, XP...
Source: Genes and Nutrition - December 10, 2014 Category: Nutrition Source Type: research
