Metabolic Effects of Ketogenic Diets: Exploring Whole-Body Metabolism in Connection with Adipose Tissue and Other Metabolic Organs.

The ketogenic diet (KD) is characterized by minimal carbohydrate, moderate protein, and high fat intake, leading to ketosis. It is recognized for its efficiency in weight loss, metabolic health improvement, and various therapeutic interventions. The KD enhances glucose and lipid metabolism, reducing triglycerides and total cholesterol while increasing high-density lipoprotein levels and alleviating dyslipidemia. It significantly influences adipose tissue hormones, key contributors to systemic metabolism. Brown adipose tissue, essential for thermogenesis and lipid combustion, encounters modified UCP1 levels due to dietary factors, including the KD. UCP1 generates heat by uncoupling electron transport during ATP synthesis. Browning of the white adipose tissue elevates UCP1 levels in both white and brown adipose tissues, a phenomenon encouraged by the KD. Ketone oxidation depletes intermediates in the Krebs cycle, requiring anaplerotic substances, including glucose, glycogen, or amino acids, for metabolic efficiency. Methylation is essential in adipogenesis and the body's dietary responses, with DNA methylation of several genes linked to weight loss and ketosis. The KD stimulates FGF21, influencing metabolic stability via the UCP1 pathways. The KD induces a reduction in muscle mass, potentially involving anti-lipolytic effects and attenuating proteolysis in skeletal muscles. Additionally, the KD contributes to neuroprotection, possesses anti-inflammatory properties, and alters epigenetics. This review encapsulates the metabolic effects and signaling induced by the KD in adipose tissue and major metabolic organs.

α-ketoglutarate suppresses immediate early gene expression in cancer cells.

Cancer cells exhibit increased glutamine consumption compared to normal cells, supporting cell survival and proliferation. Glutamine is converted to α-ketoglutarate (αKG), which then enters the tricarboxylic acid cycle to generate ATP. Recently, therapeutic modulation of glutamine metabolism has become an attractive metabolic anti-cancer strategy. However, how synergistic combination therapy is required to overcome glutamine metabolism drug resistance remains elusive. To address this issue, we first investigated the role of αKG in regulating gene expression in several cancer cell lines. Using RNA-seq analysis and histone modification screening, we demonstrated that αKG reduced the expression of the immediate early gene (IEG) in cancer cells in an H3K27 acetylation-dependent manner. Conversely, glutaminase (GLS) inhibitors induce IEG expression in cancer cells. Furthermore, we showed that siRNA knockdown of orphan nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) induces IEG expression. Notably, the NR4A1 agonist cytosporone B sensitizes GLS inhibitor resistance to cancer cell death. Together, these findings indicate that therapeutic targeting of IEG dysregulation by αKG can be a potentially effective anti-cancer therapeutic strategy for glutamine metabolism inhibitors.

Growth differentiation factor 15 predicts advanced fibrosis in biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We explored whether growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) affects the histological severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) independent of insulin resistance. METHODS: In a biopsy-proven NAFLD cohort, we measured serum GDF15 levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. RESULTS: Among 190 subjects (mean age, 53 ± 14 years; men, 52.1%), 72 (men, 65.3%) and 78 (men, 44.9%) were diagnosed with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) respectively. GDF15 levels were significantly higher in NASH patients than in controls (P = .010) or NAFL patients (P = .001). Subjects with advanced fibrosis (≥F3) also showed higher GDF15 levels compared to the others (F0-2; P < .001). Among NAFLD patients, the highest quartile of GDF15 levels was significantly associated with a risk of advanced fibrosis even after adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, smoking status, hypertension, diabetes, aspartate aminotransferase, platelet, albumin, insulin resistance and low skeletal muscle mass (odds ratio, 4.27; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-17.63), but not with NASH risk. GDF15 levels showed a significant positive correlation with liver stiffness (Spearman's ρ, .525; P < .001). Palmitate treatment increased the GDF15 mRNA expression level significantly in Kupffer cells, but not in hepatocytes. In LX-2 cells, GDF15 treatment resulted in enhanced expression of α-smooth muscle actin and collagen I, as well as phosphorylation of SMAD2 and SMAD3. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that GDF15 may serve as a novel biomarker of advanced fibrosis in NAFLD, thereby indicating the need for urgent anti-fibrotic pharmacotherapy.

ChREBP plays a pivotal role in the nutrient-mediated regulation of metabolic gene expression in brown adipose tissue.

AIMS: Carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein (ChREBP) is a transcription factor that regulates several metabolic genes, including the lipogenic enzymes necessary for the metabolic conversion of carbohydrates into lipids. Although the crucial role of ChREBP in the liver, the primary site of de novo lipogenesis, has been studied, its functional role in adipose tissues, particularly brown adipose tissue (BAT), remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of ChREBP in BAT under conditions of a high-carbohydrate diet (HCD) and ketogenic diet (KD), represented by extremely low carbohydrate intake. MAIN METHODS: Using an adeno-associated virus and Cas9 knock-in mice, we rapidly generated Chrebp brown adipocyte-specific knock-out (B-KO) mice, bypassing the necessity for prolonged breeding by using the Cre-Lox system. KEY FINDINGS: We demonstrated that ChREBP is essential for glucose metabolism and lipogenic gene expression in BAT under HCD conditions in Chrebp B-KO mice. After nutrient intake, Chrebp B-KO attenuated the KD-induced expression of several inflammatory genes in BAT. SIGNIFICANCE: Our results indicated that ChREBP, a nutrient-sensing regulator, is indispensable for expressing a diverse range of metabolic genes in BAT.

Metformin Resistance Is Associated with Expression of Inflammatory and Invasive Genes in A549 Lung Cancer Cells.

Metformin, the most commonly used drug for type 2 diabetes, has recently been shown to have beneficial effects in patients with cancer. Despite growing evidence that metformin can inhibit tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, studies on drug resistance and its side effects are lacking. Here, we aimed to establish metformin-resistant A549 human lung cancer cells (A549-R) to determine the side effects of metformin resistance. Toward this, we established A549-R by way of prolonged treatment with metformin and examined the changes in gene expression, cell migration, cell cycle, and mitochondrial fragmentation. Metformin resistance is associated with increased G1-phase cell cycle arrest and impaired mitochondrial fragmentation in A549 cells. We demonstrated that metformin resistance highly increased the expression of proinflammatory and invasive genes, including BMP5, CXCL3, VCAM1, and POSTN, using RNA-seq analysis. A549-R exhibited increased cell migration and focal adhesion formation, suggesting that metformin resistance may potentially lead to metastasis during anti-cancer therapy with metformin. Taken together, our findings indicate that metformin resistance may lead to invasion in lung cancer cells.

A single extra copy of Down syndrome critical region 1-4 results in impaired hepatic glucose homeostasis.

OBJECTIVES: During fasting, hepatic gluconeogenesis is induced to maintain energy homeostasis. Moreover, abnormal dysregulation of hepatic glucose production is commonly observed in type 2 diabetes. However, the signaling components controlling hepatic glucose production to maintain normal glucose levels are not fully understood. Here, we examined the physiological role of Down syndrome critical region 1-4 (DSCR1-4), an endogenous calcineurin signaling inhibitor in the liver that mediates metabolic adaptation to fasting. METHODS: We assessed the effect of cyclosporine A, an inhibitor of calcineurin signaling on gluconeogenic gene expression in primary hepatocytes. DSCR1-4 expression was examined in diet- and genetically-induced mouse models of obesity. We also investigated the metabolic phenotype of a single extra copy of DSCR1-4 in transgenic mice and how DSCR1-4 regulates glucose homeostasis in the liver. RESULTS: Treatment with cyclosporin A increased hepatic glucose production and gluconeogenic gene expression. The expression of DSCR1-4 was induced by refeeding and overexpressed in obese mouse livers. Moreover, transgenic mice with a single extra copy of DSCR1-4 exhibited pyruvate intolerance and impaired glucose homeostasis. Mechanistically, DSCR1-4 overexpression increased phosphorylation of the cAMP response element-binding protein, which led to elevated expression levels of gluconeogenic genes and, thus, enhanced hepatic glucose production during fasting. CONCLUSION: A single extra copy of DSCR1-4 results in dysregulated hepatic glucose homeostasis and pyruvate intolerance. Our findings suggest that nutrient-sensitive DSCR1-4 is a novel target for controlling hepatic gluconeogenesis in diabetes.

Physiological Functionality and Enzyme Activity of Biomass from Pichia anomala Grown on Ginseng-Steaming Effluent.

A novel biomass was prepared from Pichia anomala KCCM 11473, which grew well in ginseng-steaming effluent (GSE), and its physiological functionalities and enzyme activities were determined. When the strain was cultured in the GSE (pH 6.0) at 30℃ for 48 h, 1.6 mg of biomass per ml-cultures was produced. The cell-free extract of the biomass showed high antihypertensive angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitory activity of 72.0% and anticholesteromia HMG-CoA reductase inhibitory activity of 46.5%. The cell-free extract also showed 13.0 U per ml and 8.5 U per ml of neutral protease activity and alkaline protease, respectively.

Screening and Optimal Extraction of a New Antidementia ß-Secretase Inhibitor-Containing Mushroom.

To produce a potent antidementia ß-secretase inhibitor from a mushroom, the ß-secretase inhibitory activities of various mushroom extracts were determined. Methanol extracts of Lentinula edodes exhibited the highest inhibitory activity (40.1%). The inhibitor was maximally extracted when a fruiting body of L. edodes was treated with 50% methanol at 40℃ for 24 h.