Effects of Soluble Dextrin Fiber from Potato Starch on Body Weight and Associated Gut Dysbiosis Are Evident in Western Diet-Fed Mice but Not in Overweight/Obese Children.

BACKGROUND: The study investigated the impact of starch degradation products (SDexF) as prebiotics on obesity management in mice and overweight/obese children. METHODS: A total of 48 mice on a normal diet (ND) and 48 on a Western diet (WD) were divided into subgroups with or without 5% SDexF supplementation for 28 weeks. In a human study, 100 overweight/obese children were randomly assigned to prebiotic and control groups, consuming fruit and vegetable mousse with or without 10 g of SDexF for 24 weeks. Stool samples were analyzed for microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and amino acids (AA) were assessed. RESULTS: Results showed SDexF slowed weight gain in female mice on both diets but only temporarily in males. It altered bacterial diversity and specific taxa abundances in mouse feces. In humans, SDexF did not influence weight loss or gut microbiota composition, showing minimal changes in individual taxa. The anti-obesity effect observed in mice with WD-induced obesity was not replicated in children undergoing a weight-loss program. CONCLUSIONS: SDexF exhibited sex-specific effects in mice but did not impact weight loss or microbiota composition in overweight/obese children.

Molecular Pathways of Altered Brain Development in Fetuses Exposed to Hypoxia.

Perinatal hypoxia is a major cause of neurodevelopmental impairment and subsequent motor and cognitive dysfunctions; it is associated with fetal growth restriction and uteroplacental dysfunction during pregnancy. This review aims to present the current knowledge on brain development resulting from perinatal asphyxia, including the causes, symptoms, and means of predicting the degree of brain damage. Furthermore, this review discusses the specificity of brain development in the growth-restricted fetus and how it is replicated and studied in animal models. Finally, this review aims at identifying the least understood and missing molecular pathways of abnormal brain development, especially with respect to potential treatment intervention.

Cytotoxic Efficacy and Resistance Mechanism of a TRAIL and VEGFA-Peptide Fusion Protein in Colorectal Cancer Models.

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a type II transmembrane protein capable of selectively inducing apoptosis in cancer cells by binding to its cognate receptors. Here, we examined the anticancer efficacy of a recently developed chimeric AD-O51.4 protein, a TRAIL fused to the VEGFA-originating peptide. We tested AD-O51.4 protein activity against human colorectal cancer (CRC) models and investigated the resistance mechanism in the non-responsive CRC models. The quantitative comparison of apoptotic activity between AD-O51.4 and the native TRAIL in nine human colorectal cancer cell lines revealed dose-dependent toxicity in seven of them; the immunofluorescence-captured receptor abundance correlated with the extent of apoptosis. AD-O51.4 reduced the growth of CRC patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) with good efficacy. Cell lines that acquired AD-O51.4 resistance showed a significant decrease in surface TRAIL receptor expression and apoptosis-related proteins, including Caspase-8, HSP60, and p53. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of AD-O51.4 protein in CRC preclinical models and identify the potential mechanism underlying acquired resistance. Progression of AD-O51.4 to clinical trials is expected.

Challenges in Stratifying the Molecular Variability of Patient-Derived Colon Tumor Xenografts.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in Europe and a leading cause of death worldwide. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models maintain complex intratumoral biology and heterogeneity and therefore remain the platform of choice for translational drug discovery. In this study, we implanted 37 primary CRC tumors and five CRC cell lines into NU/J mice to develop xenograft models. Primary tumors and established xenografts were histologically assessed and surveyed for genetic variants and gene expression using a panel of 409 cancer-related genes and RNA-seq, respectively. More than half of CRC tumors (20 out of 37, 54%) developed into a PDX. Histological assessment confirmed that PDX grading, stromal components, inflammation, and budding were consistent with those of the primary tumors. DNA sequencing identified an average of 0.14 variants per gene per sample. The percentage of mutated variants in PDXs increased with successive passages, indicating a decrease in clonal heterogeneity. Gene Ontology analyses of 4180 differentially expressed transcripts (adj. p value < 0.05) revealed overrepresentation of genes involved in cell division and catabolic processes among the transcripts upregulated in PDXs; downregulated transcripts were associated with GO terms related to extracellular matrix organization, immune responses, and angiogenesis. Neither a transcriptome-based consensus molecular subtype (CMS) classifier nor three other predictors reliably matched PDX molecular subtypes with those of the primary tumors. In sum, both genetic and transcriptomic profiles differed between donor tumors and PDXs, likely as a consequence of subclonal evolution at the early phase of xenograft development, making molecular stratification of PDXs challenging.

Quantitative trait loci analysis for peripheral blood parameters in a (BALB/cW × C57BL/6J-Mpl (hlb219)/J) F(2) mice.

The genetic basis of the peripheral blood cell parameters is not fully elucidated. Thus, it is essential to research the correlation between blood cell counts levels and the genome in laboratory animals and subsequently in humans. In the present study, we examined 288 F(2) mice from a cross between BALB/cW and C57BL/6J-Mpl(hlb219)/J. The C57BL/6J-Mpl (hlb219)/J strain is a mouse model of thrombocytopenia. We found very strong correlations for PLT counts and revealed some highly significant correlations for RBC counts. On the basis of the obtained results, we presume that genetic control of erythrocyte parameters is divided into two pathways: first, the morphological determinants responsible for the red blood cell count (RBC), hematocrit (HCT), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and second, the functional pathway determining the hemoglobin content (HGB). The locus on Chromosome 4 is the only detected quantitative trait locus (QTL) influencing the analyzed platelets parameters. We also detected highly significant correlations for erythrocyte parameters on Chromosome 1 (RBC, MCV, MCH), Chr 7 (HGB), Chr 9 (MCHC), Chr 11 (RBC), and Chr 17 (MCH). Finally, with regards to the given correlations, using the Mouse Genome Database resource, we proposed candidate genes with possible meaning for the level of these parameters: cytokine receptor genes (e.g., Mpl), transcription factor genes (e.g., Xbp1, Ikzf1), hemoglobin chain genes (e.g., Hbb-b1, Hbb-ar), and many others localized in the confidence intervals of found QTLs.