Dietary polyphenols and the risk of metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence has suggested that dietary polyphenols may be protective against metabolic syndrome (MetS); however, the available evidence is contradictory. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess the association between dietary intake of polyphenols and the odds of MetS. METHODS: The PubMed and Scopus databases were systematically searched to obtain eligible studies. The risk of MetS for the highest versus the lowest intakes of total, subclasses and individual polyphenols were examined by pooling odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) using the random effects model. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies (6 cohort and 8 cross-sectional studies) involving a total of 50,366 participants with 10,879 cases of MetS were included. When various polyphenol compounds were pooled, they were significantly related to a 22% decreased odds of MetS (([5 studies]; OR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.72-0.85). Higher intakes of total flavonoids (([9 studies]; OR: 0.78; 95%CI: 0.72-0.85), flavan-3-ols (([2 studies]; OR: 0.64; 95%CI: 0.43-0.94), isoflavones (([3 studies]; OR: 0.84; 95%CI: 0.75-0.93), stilbenes (([4 studies]; OR: 0.86; 95%CI: 0.76-0.97), flavones (([2 studies]; OR: 0.79; 95%CI: 0.71-0.89), and quercetin (([2 studies]; OR: 0.63; 95%CI: 0.43-0.93) were also significantly associated with a decreased risk of MetS. The associations were not modified by the age of the participants. No association was found for total polyphenols, phenolic acids, lignans, anthocyanins, and flavonols. CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis supported that higher polyphenol intake can lower the risk of MetS.

Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) is associated with obesity rates: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have highlighted the possible positive effects of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products (sRAGE) against obesity. However, due to their inconsistent results, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to quantitatively evaluate and critically review the results of studies evaluating the relationship between sRAGE with obesity among adult population. METHODS: In the systematic search, the eligibility criteria were as follows: studies conducted with a cross-sectional design, included apparently healthy adults, adults with obesity, or obesity-related disorders, aged over 18 years, and evaluated the association between general or central obesity indices with sRAGE. RESULTS: Our systematic search in electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase up to 26 October, 2023 yielded a total of 21,612 articles. After removing duplicates, screening the titles and abstracts, and reading the full texts, 13 manuscripts were included in the final meta-analysis. According to our results, those at the highest category of circulating sRAGE concentration with median values of 934.92 pg/ml of sRAGE, had 1.9 kg/m2 lower body mass index (BMI) (WMD: -1.927; CI: -2.868, -0.986; P < 0.001) compared with those at the lowest category of sRAGE concentration with median values of 481.88 pg/ml. Also, being at the highest sRAGE category with the median values of 1302.3 pg/ml sRAGE, was accompanied with near 6 cm lower waist circumference (WC) (WMD: -5.602; CI: -8.820, -2.383; P < 0.001 with 86.4% heterogeneity of I2) compared with those at the lowest category of sRAGE concentration with median values of 500.525 pg/ml. Individuals with obesity had significantly lower circulating sRAGE concentrations (WMD: -135.105; CI: -256.491, -13.72; P = 0.029; with 79.5% heterogeneity of I2). According to the subgrouping and meta-regression results, country and baseline BMI were possible heterogeneity sources. According to Begg's and Egger's tests and funnel plots results, there was no publication bias. CONCLUSION: According to our results, higher circulating sRAGE concentrations was associated with lower BMI and WC among apparently healthy adults. Further randomized clinical trials are warranted for possible identification of causal associations.

The Effects of Apigenin in the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy: A Systematic Review of Non-clinical Studies.

PURPOSE: Diabetes is one of the important and growing diseases in the world. Among the most common diabetic complications are renal adverse effects. The use of apigenin may prevent the development and progression of diabetes-related injuries. The current study aims to review the effects of apigenin in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: In this review, a systematic search was performed based on PRISMA guidelines for obtaining all relevant studies on "the effects of apigenin against diabetic nephropathy" in various electronic databases up to September 2022. Ninety-one articles were obtained and screened in accordance with the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Seven eligible articles were finally included in this review. RESULTS: The experimental findings revealed that hyperglycemia led to the decreased cell viability of kidney cells and body weight loss and an increased kidney weight of rats; however, apigenin administration had a reverse effect on these evaluated parameters. It was also found that hyperglycemia could induce alterations in the biochemical and renal function-related parameters as well as histopathological injuries in kidney cells or tissue; in contrast, the apigenin administration could ameliorate the hyperglycemia-induced renal adverse effects. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that the use of apigenin could mitigate diabetes-induced renal adverse effects, mainly through its antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities. Since the findings of this study are based on experimental studies, suggesting the use of apigenin (as a nephroprotective agent) against diabetic nephropathy requires further clinical studies.

Critical role of miR-21/exosomal miR-21 in autophagy pathway.

Activation of autophagy, a process of cellular stress response, leads to the breakdown of proteins, organelles, and other parts of the cell in lysosomes, and can be linked to several ailments, such as cancer, neurological diseases, and rare hereditary syndromes. Thus, its regulation is very carefully monitored. Transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms domestically or in whole organisms utilized to control the autophagic activity, have been heavily researched. In modern times, microRNAs (miRNAs) are being considered to have a part in post-translational orchestration of the autophagic activity, with miR-21 as one of the best studied miRNAs, it is often more than expressed in cancer cells. This regulatory RNA is thought to play a major role in a plethora of processes and illnesses including growth, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and inflammation. Different studies have suggested that a few autophagy-oriented genes, such as PTEN, Rab11a, Atg12, SIPA1L2, and ATG5, are all targeted by miR-21, indicating its essential role in the regulation.

Diet quality indices and odds of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: a case-control study.

Objectives: There are only limited studies investigating the impact of dietary quality indicators, such as dietary quality index (DQI), dietary diversity score (DDS), and alternative healthy eating index (AHEI), on metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD). Furthermore, these indicators may have different components that could lead to varying results. Therefore, this study aims to assess the nutritional quality indicators and their potential association with MASLD. Methods: The study included 128 recently diagnosed MASLD patients and 256 controls aged between 20 and 60 years. The dietary intake of participants was evaluated using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire that consisted of 168 items. In this study, the method used to evaluate dietary diversity was based on five main food groups, specifically bread and grains, vegetables, fruits, meat, and dairy. The AHEI-2010 was computed using data collected from the FFQ. Results: After adjusting for confounders in the fully adjusted model, a significant negative correlation was observed between DDS and the risk of MASLD (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.20, 0.97). Participants in the top quartile of AHEI had a 76% lower risk of MASLD compared with those in the bottom quartile after controlling for all potential confounders in the fully adjusted model (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.12, 0.56). Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that there is a significant association between adherence to a high-diversity diet and a reduced likelihood of developing MASLD. Similarly, we observed a similar association between adherence to the AHEI diet and a lower risk of MASLD.