Xanthohumol improves dysfunctional glucose and lipid metabolism in diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice.

Xanthohumol (XN) is a prenylated flavonoid found in hops (Humulus lupulus) and beer. The dose-dependent effects of XN on glucose and lipid metabolism in a preclinical model of metabolic syndrome were the focus of our study. Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice, 9 weeks of age, were randomly divided into three XN dose groups of 16 animals. The mice were fed a high-fat diet (60% kcal as fat) supplemented with XN at dose levels of 0, 30, or 60 mg/kg body weight/day, for 12 weeks. Dietary XN caused a dose-dependent decrease in body weight gain. Plasma levels of glucose, total triglycerides, total cholesterol, and MCP-1 were significantly decreased in mice on the 60 mg/kg/day treatment regimen. Treatment with XN at 60 mg/kg/day resulted in reduced plasma LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), IL-6, insulin and leptin levels by 80%, 78%, 42%, and 41%, respectively, compared to the vehicle control group. Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin 9 (PCSK-9) levels were 44% lower in the 60 mg/kg dose group compared to the vehicle control group (p ≤ 0.05) which may account for the LDL-C lowering activity of XN. Our results show that oral administration of XN improves markers of systemic inflammation and metabolic syndrome in diet-induced obese C57BL/6J mice.

Zinc supplementation increases zinc status and thymopoiesis in aged mice.

The age-related decline in lymphocyte development and function coincides with impaired zinc status in the elderly. Thymic involution and reduced immune responsiveness are classic hallmarks of both aging and zinc deficiency, resulting in decreased host defense and an increased susceptibility to infections. Thus, compromised zinc status associated with aging may be an important contributing factor in reduced thymopoiesis and impaired immune functions. Our goal in this study was to understand how dietary zinc supplementation affects thymopoiesis in aged mice. We hypothesized that impaired zinc status associated with aging would mediate the decline in thymic function and output and that restoring plasma zinc concentrations via zinc supplementation would improve thymopoiesis and thymic functions. In this study, groups of young (8 wk) and aged (22 mo) mice were fed a zinc-adequate (30 mg/kg zinc) or zinc-supplemented diet (300 mg/kg) for 25 d. Aged mice had impaired zinc status, with zinc supplementation restoring plasma zinc to a concentration not different from those of young male C57Bl/6 mice. Zinc supplementation in aged mice improved thymopoiesis, as assessed by increased total thymocyte numbers. In addition, improved thymic output was mediated in part by reducing the age-related accumulation of immature CD4(-)CD8(-)CD44(+)CD25(-) thymocytes, as well as by decreasing the expression of stem cell factor, a thymosuppressive cytokine. Taken together, our results showed that in mice, zinc supplementation can reverse some age-related thymic defects and may be of considerable benefit in improving immune function and overall health in elderly populations.

Non-estrogenic Xanthohumol Derivatives Mitigate Insulin Resistance and Cognitive Impairment in High-Fat Diet-induced Obese Mice.

Xanthohumol (XN), a prenylated flavonoid from hops, improves dysfunctional glucose and lipid metabolism in animal models of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, its metabolic transformation into the estrogenic metabolite, 8-prenylnaringenin (8-PN), poses a potential health concern for its use in humans. To address this concern, we evaluated two hydrogenated derivatives, α,ß-dihydro-XN (DXN) and tetrahydro-XN (TXN), which showed negligible affinity for estrogen receptors α and ß, and which cannot be metabolically converted into 8-PN. We compared their effects to those of XN by feeding C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet (HFD) containing XN, DXN, or TXN for 13 weeks. DXN and TXN were present at higher concentrations than XN in plasma, liver and muscle. Mice administered XN, DXN or TXN showed improvements of impaired glucose tolerance compared to the controls. DXN and TXN treatment resulted in a decrease of HOMA-IR and plasma leptin. C2C12 embryonic muscle cells treated with DXN or TXN exhibited higher rates of uncoupled mitochondrial respiration compared to XN and the control. Finally, XN, DXN, or TXN treatment ameliorated HFD-induced deficits in spatial learning and memory. Taken together, DXN and TXN could ameliorate the neurocognitive-metabolic impairments associated with HFD-induced obesity without risk of liver injury and adverse estrogenic effects.

Regulatory mechanisms to control tissue alpha-tocopherol.

To test the hypothesis that hepatic regulation of alpha-tocopherol metabolism would be sufficient to prevent overaccumulation of alpha-tocopherol in extrahepatic tissues and that administration of high doses of alpha-tocopherol would up-regulate extrahepatic xenobiotic pathways, rats received daily subcutaneous injections of either vehicle or 0.5, 1, 2, or 10 mg alpha-tocopherol/100 g body wt for 9 days. Liver alpha-tocopherol increased 15-fold in rats given 10 mg alpha-tocopherol/100 g body wt (mg/100 g) compared with controls. Hepatic alpha-tocopherol metabolites increased with increasing alpha-tocopherol doses, reaching 40-fold in rats given the highest dose. In rats injected with 10 mg/100 g, lung and duodenum alpha-tocopherol concentrations increased 3-fold, whereas alpha-tocopherol concentrations of other extrahepatic tissues increased 2-fold or less. With the exception of muscle, daily administration of less than 2 mg/100 g failed to increase alpha-tocopherol concentrations in extrahepatic tissues. Lung cytochrome P450 3A and 1A levels were unchanged by administration of alpha-tocopherol at any dose. In contrast, lung P-glycoprotein (MDR1) levels increased dose dependently and expression of this xenobiotic transport protein was correlated with lung alpha-tocopherol concentrations (R(2)=0.88, p<0.05). Increased lung MDR1 may provide protection from exposure to environmental toxins by increasing alveolar space alpha-tocopherol.