Exercise training, creatine supplementation, and bone health in ovariectomized rats.

UNLABELLED: Evidence suggests that creatine may have some beneficial effects on bone. The study aimed to investigate the effects of exercise alone or combined with creatine on bone health in ovariectomized rats. Findings show that exercise, but not creatine, has an important role in improving bone health. INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise training alone or combined with creatine supplementation on bone health parameters in ovariectomized rats. METHODS: Wistar rats were randomly allocated into one of five groups: (i) sham-operated, (ii) ovariectomized non-trained placebo-supplemented, (iii) ovariectomized non-trained creatine-supplemented, (iv) ovariectomized exercise-trained placebo-supplemented, and (v) ovariectomized exercise-trained creatine-supplemented. Downhill running training and/or creatine supplementation (300 mg/kg body weight) were administered for 12 weeks. Bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD), and biomechanical and histomorphometric parameters were assessed. RESULTS: No interaction effects were observed for BMC and BMD at whole body, femur, and lumbar spine (p > 0.05). Importantly, a main effect of training was detected for whole body BMC and BMD (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively), femoral BMC and BMD (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively), and lumbar spine BMC and BMD (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively), suggesting that the trained animals had higher bone mass, irrespective of creatine supplementation. Main effects of training were also observed for maximal load (p < 0.001), stiffness (p < 0.001), and toughness (p = 0.046), indicating beneficial effects of exercise training on bone strength. Neither a main effect of supplementation nor an interaction effect was detected for biomechanical parameters (p > 0.05). No main or interaction effects were observed for any of the histomorphometric parameters evaluated (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training, but not creatine supplementation, attenuated ovariectomy-induced bone loss in this rat model.

Ketogenic propensity is differentially related to lipid-induced hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance.

AIM: Determine the ketogenic response (ß-hydroxybutyrate, a surrogate of hepatic ketogenesis) to a controlled lipid overload in humans. METHODS: In total, nineteen young, healthy adults (age: 28.4 ± 1.7 years; BMI: 22.7 ± 0.3 kg/m2 ) received either a 12 h overnight lipid infusion or saline in a randomized, crossover design. Plasma ketones and inflammatory markers were quantified by colorimetric and multiplex assays. Hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity was assessed by the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained to quantify gene expression related to ketone body metabolism and inflammation. RESULTS: By design, the lipid overload-induced hepatic (50%, p < 0.001) and peripheral insulin resistance (73%, p < 0.01) in healthy adults. Ketones increased with hyperlipidemia and were subsequently reduced with hyperinsulinemia during the clamp procedure (Saline: Basal = 0.22 mM, Insulin = 0.07 mM; Lipid: Basal = 0.78 mM, Insulin = 0.51 mM; 2-way ANOVA: Lipid p < 0.001, Insulin p < 0.001, Interaction p = 0.07). In the saline control condition, ketones did not correlate with hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity. Conversely, in the lipid condition, ketones were positively correlated with hepatic insulin sensitivity (r = 0.59, p < 0.01), but inversely related to peripheral insulin sensitivity (r = -0.64, p < 0.01). Hyperlipidemia increased plasma inflammatory markers, but did not impact skeletal muscle inflammatory gene expression. Gene expression related to ketone and fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle increased in response to hyperlipidemia. CONCLUSION: This work provides important insight into the role of ketones in human health and suggests that ketone body metabolism is altered at the onset of lipid-induced insulin resistance.

DNA methylation pattern changes following a short-term hypocaloric diet in women with obesity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the effects of short-term hypocaloric diet-induced weight loss on DNA methylation profile in leukocytes from women with severe obesity. METHODS: Eleven women with morbid obesity (age: 36.9 ± 10.3 years; BMI: 58.5 ± 10.5 kg/m2) were assessed before and after 6 weeks of a hypocaloric dietary intervention. The participants were compared with women of average weight and the same age (age: 36.9 ± 11.8 years; BMI: 22.5 ± 1.6 kg/m2). Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis was performed in DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes using the Infinium Human Methylation 450 BeadChip assay. Changes (Δß) in the methylation level of each CpGs were calculated. A threshold with a minimum value of 10%, p < 0.001, for the significant CpG sites based on Δß and a false discovery rate of <0.05 was set. RESULTS: Dietary intervention changed the methylation levels at 16,064 CpG sites. These CpGs sites were related to cancer, cell cycle-related, MAPK, Rap1, and Ras signaling pathways. However, regardless of hypocaloric intervention, a group of 878 CpGs (related to 649 genes) remained significantly altered in obese women when compared with normal-weight women. Pathway enrichment analysis identified genes related to the cadherin and Wnt pathway, angiogenesis signaling, and p53 pathways by glucose deprivation. CONCLUSION: A short-term hypocaloric intervention in patients with severe obesity partially restored the obesity-related DNA methylation pattern. Thus, the full change of obesity-related DNA methylation patterns could be proportional to the weight-loss rate in these patients after dietary interventions.

A Comparative Study of Hummingbirds and Chickens Provides Mechanistic Insight on the Histidine Containing Dipeptide Role in Skeletal Muscle Metabolism.

Histidine containing dipeptides (HCDs) have numerous ergogenic and therapeutic properties, but their primary role in skeletal muscle remains unclear. Potential functions include pH regulation, protection against reactive oxygen/nitrogen species, or Ca2+ regulation. In recognition of the challenge of isolating physiological processes in-vivo, we employed a comparative physiology approach to investigate the primary mechanism of HCD action in skeletal muscle. We selected two avian species (i.e., hummingbirds and chickens), who represented the extremes of the physiological processes in which HCDs are likely to function. Our findings indicate that HCDs are non-essential to the development of highly oxidative and contractile muscle, given their very low content in hummingbird skeletal tissue. In contrast, their abundance in the glycolytic chicken muscle, indicate that they are important in anaerobic bioenergetics as pH regulators. This evidence provides new insights on the HCD role in skeletal muscle, which could inform widespread interventions, from health to elite performance.

Discriminating between virilizing ovary tumors and ovary hyperthecosis in postmenopausal women: clinical data, hormonal profiles and image studies.

BACKGROUND: The presence of virilizing signs associated with high serum androgen levels in postmenopausal women is rare. Virilizing ovarian tumors (VOTs) and ovarian stromal hyperthecosis (OH) are the most common etiologies in virilized postmenopausal women. The differential diagnosis between these two conditions is often difficult. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the contribution of clinical features, hormonal profiles and radiological studies to the differential diagnosis of VOT and OH. DESIGN: A retrospective study. SETTING: A tertiary center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical data, hormonal status (T, E2, LH and FSH), pelvic images (transvaginal sonography and MRI) and anatomopathology were reviewed. PATIENTS: Thirty-four postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of VOT (13 women) and OH (21 women) were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Clinical signs of hyperandrogenism were more prevalent in the VOT group than the OH group. Although the VOT group showed higher T and E2 levels and lower gonadotropin levels than the OH group, a great overlap occurred among the hormone levels. A pelvic MRI provided an accurate differentiation of these two conditions. CONCLUSION: In this group of patients, the main features contributing to the differential diagnosis of VOT and OH were serum levels of testosterone and gonadotropins and the presence of an ovarian nodule identified on the MRI. Although the association of clinical, hormonal and radiological features contributes to the differential diagnosis of these two conditions, histopathological analysis remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of ovarian hyperandrogenism in postmenopausal women.