Effect of Supplementation with Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Metabolic Modulators in Skeletal Muscle of Rats with an Obesogenic High-Fat Diet.

Previous studies provided evidence of the benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) on the cardiovascular system and inflammation. However, its possible effect on skeletal muscle is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate whether ω-3 PUFA reverses the dysregulation of metabolic modulators in the skeletal muscle of rats on a high-fat obesogenic diet. For this purpose, an animal model was developed using male Wistar rats with a high-fat diet (HFD) and subsequently supplemented with ω-3 PUFA. Insulin resistance was assessed, and gene and protein expression of metabolism modulators in skeletal muscle was also calculated using PCR-RT and Western blot. Our results confirmed that in HFD rats, zoometric parameters and insulin resistance were increased compared to SD rats. Furthermore, we demonstrate reduced gene and protein expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and insulin signaling molecules. After ω-3 PUFA supplementation, we observed that glucose (24.34%), triglycerides (35.78%), and HOMA-IR (40.10%) were reduced, and QUICKI (12.16%) increased compared to HFD rats. Furthermore, in skeletal muscle, we detected increased gene and protein expression of PPAR-α, PPAR-γ, insulin receptor (INSR), insulin receptor substrate 1 (ISR-1), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4). These findings suggest that ω-3 PUFAs decrease insulin resistance of obese skeletal muscle.

The Roles of MicroRNAs in Asthma and Emerging Insights into the Effects of Vitamin D3 Supplementation.

Asthma is one of the most common chronic non-communicable diseases worldwide, characterized by variable airflow limitation secondary to airway narrowing, airway wall thickening, and increased mucus resulting from chronic inflammation and airway remodeling. Current epidemiological studies reported that hypovitaminosis D is frequent in patients with asthma and is associated with worsening the disease and that supplementation with vitamin D3 improves asthma symptoms. However, despite several advances in the field, the molecular mechanisms of asthma have yet to be comprehensively understood. MicroRNAs play an important role in controlling several biological processes and their deregulation is implicated in diverse diseases, including asthma. Evidence supports that the dysregulation of miR-21, miR-27b, miR-145, miR-146a, and miR-155 leads to disbalance of Th1/Th2 cells, inflammation, and airway remodeling, resulting in exacerbation of asthma. This review addresses how these molecular mechanisms explain the development of asthma and its exacerbation and how vitamin D3 may modulate these microRNAs to improve asthma symptoms.

Beneficial Effects of Plant-Based Diets on Skin Health and Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

The human skin is a crucial organ that protects the organism from the outer environment. Skin integrity and health depend on both extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Intrinsic factors such as aging and genetic background contribute to weakened skin and disease susceptibility. Meanwhile, extrinsic factors including UV radiation, pollution, smoking, humidity, and poor diet also affect skin health and disease. On the other hand, healthy dietary patterns such as plant-based diets have gained popularity as a complementary therapy for skin health. A plant-based diet is defined as all diets based on plant foods, including an abundance of vegetables, fruits, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, fungi, and whole grains, with limited or no animal products or processed foods. However, some authors also exclude or limit processed foods in the definition. Recent research has shown that these diets have beneficial effects on inflammatory skin diseases. This review explored the beneficial effects of plant-based diets on inflammatory skin diseases and plant-based functional foods on healthy skin. In conclusion, plant-based diets and plant-based functional foods may have beneficial effects on skin health through the gut microbiome.

Glycine: The Smallest Anti-Inflammatory Micronutrient.

Glycine is a non-essential amino acid with many functions and effects. Glycine can bind to specific receptors and transporters that are expressed in many types of cells throughout an organism to exert its effects. There have been many studies focused on the anti-inflammatory effects of glycine, including its abilities to decrease pro-inflammatory cytokines and the concentration of free fatty acids, to improve the insulin response, and to mediate other changes. However, the mechanism through which glycine acts is not clear. In this review, we emphasize that glycine exerts its anti-inflammatory effects throughout the modulation of the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) in many cells. Although glycine is a non-essential amino acid, we highlight how dietary glycine supplementation is important in avoiding the development of chronic inflammation.

DHA Supplementation of Obese Rats throughout Pregnancy and Lactation Modifies Milk Composition and Anxiety Behavior of Offspring.

We investigated if supplementing obese mothers (MO) with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) improves milk long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) composition and offspring anxiety behavior. From weaning throughout pregnancy and lactation, female Wistar rats ate chow (C) or a high-fat diet (MO). One month before mating and through lactation, half the mothers received 400 mg DHA kg-1 d-1 orally (C+DHA or MO+DHA). Offspring ate C after weaning. Maternal weight, total body fat, milk hormones, and milk nutrient composition were determined. Pups' milk nutrient intake was evaluated, and behavioral anxiety tests were conducted. MO exhibited increased weight and total fat, and higher milk corticosterone, leptin, linoleic, and arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations, and less DHA content. MO male and female offspring had higher ω-6/ ω-3 milk consumption ratios. In the elevated plus maze, female but not male MO offspring exhibited more anxiety. MO+DHA mothers exhibited lower weight, total fat, milk leptin, and AA concentrations, and enhanced milk DHA. MO+DHA offspring had a lower ω-6/ω-3 milk intake ratio and reduced anxiety vs. MO. DHA content was greater in C+DHA milk vs. C. Supplementing MO mothers with DHA improves milk composition, especially LCPUFA content and ω-6/ω-3 ratio reducing offspring anxiety in a sex-dependent manner.

Oleanolic acid induces a dual agonist action on PPARγ/α and GLUT4 translocation: A pentacyclic triterpene for dyslipidemia and type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a metabolic disease characterized by defects in glycemia regulation. This disease is associated with alterations in insulin action and lipid metabolism, generating hyperglycemia and dyslipidemias. Currently, it is necessary to develop new or known drugs that promote the sensitization of insulin action. Thus, activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) is probably the key to doing this. PPARs participate in maintaining an energetic balance between storage and the expenditure of energy. The activation of PPARγ produces the storage of energy, mainly as glycogen and fat. Meanwhile, PPARα activation promotes lipid degradation. Oleanolic acid (OA), a pentacyclic triterpenoid of numerous edible and medicinal plants, decreases hyperglycemia and lipid accumulation. However, the effects on PPARs and their regulated genes are unknown. Our aim was to determine the effects of OA on PPAR γ/α expression and their regulated genes (adiponectin, type 4 glucose transporter, fatty acid transport protein, and long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase) in C2C12 myoblasts by RT-PCR, Western blot, GLUT-4 translocation, and lipid storage in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In C2C12 myoblasts, OA increased the expression of mRNA in both PPARγ/α and their regulated genes; also, PPARγ, GLUT-4, and FATP-1 protein expression increased, as well as GLUT-4 translocation. In 3T3-L1, OA increased the expression of mRNA in both PPARγ/α and maintained lipid storage unchanged. In conclusion, OA exhibited a dual action on PPARγ/α, which might explain in part its antihyperglycemic effect. This compound represents an alternative for designing novel therapeutic strategies in the control of T2D.

Effect of supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids on hypertriglyceridemia in pediatric patients with obesity.

Background The beneficial effects of treating hypertriglyceridemic adults with omega-3 fatty acids have been reported. However, information regarding omega-3 treatment of pediatric patients is limited. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of administering omega-3 fatty acids (3 g/day for 12 weeks) to children/adolescents with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. Methods A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study involving pediatric patients (10-16 years old) with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia was conducted. The National Center for Health Statistics (CDC) defines obesity as a body mass index (BMI) ≥95th percentile. Subjects with triglyceride concentrations ranging from 150 to 1000 mg/dL were randomized into two groups: those receiving omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids) (n = 65) and those receiving a placebo (n = 65) for 12 weeks. Serum triglyceride concentrations were always measured from 8 to 9 am after a 12-h fast. Results By the end of treatment, triglyceride concentrations had decreased by 39.1% in the omega-3 group and 14.6% in the placebo group (p < 0.01). The incidence of adverse gastrointestinal events (e.g. flatulence, belching) was 41.2% and 6.2% in the omega-3 and placebo groups, respectively (p < 0.01). There were no serious drug-related adverse events. Conclusions Supplementation with 3 g/day of omega-3 fatty acids is a safe and effective option for treating hypertriglyceridemia in children and adolescents with obesity.

Effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation combined with lifestyle intervention on adipokines and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in obese adolescents with hypertriglyceridemia.

Obesity in adolescents is considered a major public health problem; combined interventional approaches such as omega-3 supplementation with lifestyle intervention (LI) might exert synergistic effects and exceed the impact of each individual strategy. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate if the supplementation of omega-3 with LI could improve metabolic and endothelial abnormality in obese adolescents with hypertriglyceridemia. The study involved sixty-nine adolescents with normal weight and seventy obese adolescents with hypertriglyceridemia. All obese adolescents were applied to LI and randomly assigned to omega-3 supplementation or placebo group for 12 weeks. The obese adolescents with hypertriglyceridemia presented increased levels of leptin, retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), selectin E (sE) and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and decreased levels of adiponectin compared with control subjects. After 12-week intervention, omega-3 supplementation with LI decreased significantly in triglycerides, HOMA, leptin, RBP4, ADMA and sE. Moreover, omega-3 with LI displayed a significant reduction in triglycerides, ADMA and sE in comparison with LI alone. In subjects with omega-3 combined with LI assessed by multivariate regression model, the reduction in triglycerides was the only independent determinant of the decrease in ADMA. The reductions in triglycerides and HOMA were significantly contributed to the changes in sE. Our data indicated that omega-3 combined with LI in short duration significantly improved dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, abnormality of adipokines, endothelial dysfunction in comparison of LI alone, indicating the combined approach is an effective clinical and applicable strategy to control metabolic abnormality and decrease the risks of cardiovascular diseases in obese adolescents.

Beneficial effects of lipidic extracts of saladette tomato pomace and Serenoa repens on prostate and bladder health in obese male Wistar rats.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is associated with increased risk of a number of serious medical conditions, including urological disorders. This study investigated the effect of lipidic extracts of saladette tomato pomace (STP) and Serenoa repens (SR) on the prostate and bladder in a rat obese model induced by high-carbohydrate diet. RESULTS: High-sucrose-fed rats showed higher prostate weight as well as increased contractility and stromal and epithelial hyperplasia in the prostate. Treatment with STP and SR improved contractility and diminished hyperplasia and hypertrophy in the prostate. Obese animals also showed impaired bladder contractility, but neither extract reversed this deterioration. In the histological study, a disarray in the process of smooth muscle cell proliferation with non-parallel fibers was observed; interestingly, treatment with STP and SR led to improvement in this derangement. CONCLUSION: These findings indicated impaired contractility and hyperplasia in the prostate and bladder of obese rats induced by high sucrose. STP and SR could enhance prostate function by reducing contractility and hyperplasia and improve smooth muscle fiber structure and decrease cell proliferation in the bladder, suggesting their possible health-beneficial effects on lower urinary tract symptoms. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.