Transcriptional analysis of adipose tissue during development reveals depot-specific responsiveness to maternal dietary supplementation.

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) undergoes pronounced changes after birth coincident with the loss of the BAT-specific uncoupling protein (UCP)1 and rapid fat growth. The extent to which this adaptation may vary between anatomical locations remains unknown, or whether the process is sensitive to maternal dietary supplementation. We, therefore, conducted a data mining based study on the major fat depots (i.e. epicardial, perirenal, sternal (which possess UCP1 at 7 days), subcutaneous and omental) (that do not possess UCP1) of young sheep during the first month of life. Initially we determined what effect adding 3% canola oil to the maternal diet has on mitochondrial protein abundance in those depots which possessed UCP1. This demonstrated that maternal dietary supplementation delayed the loss of mitochondrial proteins, with the amount of cytochrome C actually being increased. Using machine learning algorithms followed by weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we demonstrated that each depot could be segregated into a unique and concise set of modules containing co-expressed genes involved in adipose function. Finally using lipidomic analysis following the maternal dietary intervention, we confirmed the perirenal depot to be most responsive. These insights point at new research avenues for examining interventions to modulate fat development in early life.

A strategy for characterization of triterpene saponins in Caulophyllum robustum hairy roots by liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry.

Triterpene saponins are important bioactive constituents widely distributed in many plants. Saponins present in Caulophyllum (Berberidaceae) have not been fully characterized. In this study, we studied triterpene saponins from Caulophyllum robustum using liquid chromatography combined with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-qTOF-MS). Rapid identification of Caulophyllum saponins was facilitated using low and high MS cone voltages to induce controlled fragmentation in positive mode. The full scan spectra at low cone voltage of 40V provided considerable structural information relating to aglycone skeletons, sugar types, and linked sequences for Caulophyllum saponins. Seven Caulophyllum aglycones were differentiated and identified by their diagnostic fragment ions combined with accurate mass measurements and characteristic fragmentation pathways. Peak intensity ratio of [aglycone+H-2H2O](+) to [aglycone+H-H2O](+) in full scan spectra acquired with low cone voltage is correlated with structural features of hederagenin and echinocystic acid and is useful for the discrimination of these positional isomers. However, at a high voltage of 200V, the saponin [M+H](+) ion and its fragmentation ions were not present; and the single saponin [M+Na](+) generated [Bα+Na](+) and [Y0α+Na](+) by in-source fragmentation, which provided structural information on the α- and ß-sugar chains in the saponins. This approach enabled simultaneous acquisition of structural information on both aglycones and sugar chains from full scan spectra in one injection. Based on the developed strategy, 51 triterpene saponins of seven different classes were fully characterized or tentatively identified, of which 32 constituents were the first to be reported in genus Caulophyllum and 18 compounds were characterized as potentially new compounds.

Fish oil omega-3 fatty acids partially prevent lipid-induced insulin resistance in human skeletal muscle without limiting acylcarnitine accumulation.

Acylcarnitine accumulation in skeletal muscle and plasma has been observed in numerous models of mitochondrial lipid overload and insulin resistance. Fish oil n3PUFA (omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) are thought to protect against lipid-induced insulin resistance. The present study tested the hypothesis that the addition of n3PUFA to an intravenous lipid emulsion would limit muscle acylcarnitine accumulation and reduce the inhibitory effect of lipid overload on insulin action. On three occasions, six healthy young men underwent a 6-h euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp accompanied by intravenous infusion of saline (Control), 10% Intralipid® [n6PUFA (omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids)] or 10% Intralipid®+10% Omegaven® (2:1; n3PUFA). The decline in insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose infusion rate, muscle PDCa (pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activation) and glycogen storage associated with n6PUFA compared with Control was prevented with n3PUFA. Muscle acetyl-CoA accumulation was greater following n6PUFA compared with Control and n3PUFA, suggesting that mitochondrial lipid overload was responsible for the lower insulin action observed. Despite these favourable metabolic effects of n3PUFA, accumulation of total muscle acylcarnitine was not attenuated when compared with n6PUFA. These findings demonstrate that n3PUFA exert beneficial effects on insulin-stimulated skeletal muscle glucose storage and oxidation independently of total acylcarnitine accumulation, which does not always reflect mitochondrial lipid overload.

Garlic as an inhibitor of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing in cystic fibrosis--a pilot randomized controlled trial.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa forms biofilms in the cystic fibrosis lung. Quorum sensing (QS) controls biofilm maturation, immune evasion, antibiotic tolerance and virulence factor production. Garlic shows QS inhibitory activity in vitro and in animal models. We report the first clinical trial in man of a QS inhibitor.We randomized 34 patients to garlic or olive oil capsules (both 656 mg daily). Clinical outcomes and safety bloods were measured at baseline and after 8 weeks treatment. In this exploratory study, analysis was per protocol.Eight patients withdrew, leaving 26 for analysis (13 garlic). With placebo, there was a greater decline in mean (SD) percentage change from baseline FEV(1) [-3.6% (11.3)] than with garlic [-2.0% (12.3)]. This was not significant (mean difference = 1.6, 95% CI -12.7 to 15.9, P = 0.8). The mean (SD) increase in weight was greater with garlic [1.0% (2.0)] than with placebo [0.6% (2.0)]--non-significant (mean difference = 0.4%, 95% CI -1.3 to 2.0, P = 0.6). The median (range) change in clinical score with garlic was -1 (-3 to 5) and 1 (-1 to 4) with placebo (negative score means improvement). This was non-significant [median difference = -1 (-3 to 0), P = 0.16]. In the garlic group, seven patients had IV antibiotics versus five placebo. There was a highly significant correlation between plasma and sputum measurements of the QS molecule 3-oxo-C12-HSL (Pearson correlation coefficient = 0.914, P = 0.004). At the end of treatment five patients in each group had abnormal liver function or triglycerides and five garlic patients (one placebo) reported minor adverse effects.Garlic capsules were well tolerated. Although there was no significant effect of garlic compared to placebo in this pilot study, there was a suggestion of improvement with garlic which should be investigated in a larger trial.