A maternal high-fat, high-sucrose diet alters insulin sensitivity and expression of insulin signalling and lipid metabolism genes and proteins in male rat offspring: effect of folic acid supplementation.

A maternal high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diet alters offspring glucose and lipid homoeostasis through unknown mechanisms and may be modulated by folic acid. We investigated the effect of a maternal HFS diet on glucose homoeostasis, expression of genes and proteins associated with insulin signalling and lipid metabolism and the effect of prenatal folic acid supplementation (HFS/F) in male rat offspring. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly fed control (CON), HFS or HFS/F diets. Offspring were weaned on CON; at postnatal day 70, fasting plasma insulin and glucose and liver and skeletal muscle gene and protein expression were measured. Treatment effects were assessed by one-way ANOVA. Maternal HFS diet induced higher fasting glucose in offspring v. HFS/F (P=0·027) and down-regulation (P<0·05) of genes coding for v-Akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 2, resistin and v-Raf-1 murine leukaemia viral oncogene homolog 1 (Raf1) in offspring skeletal muscle and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (Acaca), fatty acid synthase and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-biphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit ß in offspring liver. Skeletal muscle neuropeptide Y and hepatic Kruppel-like factor 10 were up-regulated in HFS v. CON offspring (P<0·05). Compared with CON, Acaca and Raf1 protein expression levels were significantly lower in HFS offspring. Maternal HFS induced higher homoeostasis model of assessment index of insulin resistance v. CON (P=0·030) and HFS/F was associated with higher insulin (P=0·016) and lower glucose (P=0·025). Maternal HFS diet alters offspring insulin sensitivity and de novo hepatic lipogenesis via altered gene and protein expression, which appears to be potentiated by folate supplementation.

Effects of Chikungunya virus immunity on Mayaro virus disease and epidemic potential.

Mayaro virus (MAYV) causes an acute febrile illness similar to that produced by chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an evolutionary relative in the Semliki Forest virus complex of alphaviruses. MAYV emergence is typically sporadic, but recent isolations and outbreaks indicate that the virus remains a public health concern. Given the close phylogenetic and antigenic relationship between CHIKV and MAYV, and widespread distribution of CHIKV, we hypothesized that prior CHIKV immunity may affect MAYV pathogenesis and/or influence its emergence potential. We pre-exposed immunocompetent C57BL/6 and immunocompromised A129 or IFNAR mice to wild-type CHIKV, two CHIKV vaccines, or a live-attenuated MAYV vaccine, and challenged with MAYV. We observed strong cross-protection against MAYV for mice pre-exposed to wild-type CHIKV, and moderately but significantly reduced cross-protection from CHIKV-vaccinated animals. Immunity to other alphavirus or flavivirus controls provided no protection against MAYV disease or viremia. Mechanistic studies suggested that neutralizing antibodies alone can mediate this protection, with T-cells having no significant effect on diminishing disease. Finally, human sera obtained from naturally acquired CHIKV infection cross-neutralized MAYV at high titers in vitro. Altogether, our data suggest that CHIKV infection can confer cross-protective effects against MAYV, and the resultant reduction in viremia may limit the emergence potential of MAYV.

Frequency of fat mass and obesity-associated gene rs9939609 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 gene rs1801282 polymorphisms among Trinidadian neonates of different ethnicities and their relationship to anthropometry at birth.

BACKGROUND: The fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) rs9939609 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 gene (PPARG2) rs1801282 polymorphisms are type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility gene variants associated with obesity. This study examined whether these variants are associated with anthropometry at birth among a representative multi-ethnic sample of Trinidadian neonates. METHODS: Cord blood was obtained from consecutive term live births and DNA was genotyped for FTO and PPARG2 variants using polymerase chain reaction. Associations between neonate anthropometry at birth and genotype frequency were assessed using the χ(2) test and linear regression. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between neonate ethnicity and PPARG2 (p = 0.005) and FTO (p = 0.017) variants: high-risk alleles were more prevalent among African than South Asian neonates for both variants. The allelic and genotypic frequencies for mixed neonates were between those for the African and those for the South Asian neonates. No significant relationship was observed between rs9939609 and rs1801282 and anthropometric measures. For both variants, the allelic and genotypic frequencies among the African and South Asian neonates mirrored those found elsewhere for similar ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Neonates of African ethnicity possess the highest frequency of rs9939609 and rs1801282 alleles and genotypes; this may be associated with ethnic differences in the risk of lifestyle diseases.