Maternal Dietary Carbohydrate and Pregnancy Outcomes: Quality over Quantity.

Dietary nutrition plays a crucial role in determining pregnancy outcomes, with poor diet being a major contributor to pregnancy metabolic syndrome and metabolic disorders in offspring. While carbohydrates are essential for fetal development, the excessive consumption of low-quality carbohydrates can increase the risk of pregnancy complications and have lasting negative effects on offspring development. Recent studies not only highlighted the link between carbohydrate intake during pregnancy, maternal health, and offspring well-being, but also suggested that the quality of carbohydrate foods consumed is more critical. This article reviews the impacts of low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate diets on pregnancy complications and offspring health, introduces the varied physiological effects of different types of carbohydrate consumption during pregnancy, and emphasizes the importance of both the quantity and quality of carbohydrates in nutritional interventions during pregnancy. These findings may offer valuable insights for guiding dietary interventions during pregnancy and shaping the future development of carbohydrate-rich foods.

Unraveling the complex nexus: Interplay of volatile compounds, free amino acids, and metabolites in oat solid state fermentation.

This study delves into the dynamic interplay of volatile compounds, free amino acids, and metabolites, meticulously exploring their transformations during oat fermentation. Analysis via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) unveiled significant alterations: 72 volatile compounds in unfermented oats (NFO) and 60 in fermented oats (FO), reflecting the profound impact of Saccharomyces cerevisiae TU11 and Lactobacillus plantarum Heal19 on oat constituents. A marked increase in Heptane (5.7-fold) and specific alcohol compounds, like 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and Phenylethyl alcohol in FO samples, while reductions in Hexanal, Hexanoic acid, and Acetic acid were observed. Notably, 4 phenolic compounds emerged post-fermentation, revealing diverse microbial actions in flavor modulation. Orthogonal-partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) indicated a clear separation between NFO and FO, demonstrating distinct volatile compound profiles. Further analysis revealed a noteworthy decrease in all free amino acids except for a significant increase in serine during fermentation. Differential metabolite screening identified 354 metabolites with 219 upregulated and 135 down-regulated, uncovering critical markers like isophenoxazine and imidazole lactic acid. Correlation analyses unveiled intricate relationships between volatile compounds and diverse metabolites, illuminating underlying biochemical mechanisms shaping oat flavor profiles during fermentation.

5-Heptadecylresorcinol Improves Aging-Associated Hepatic Fatty Acid Oxidation Dysfunction via Regulating Adipose Sirtuin 3.

Aging-associated hepatic fatty acid (FA) oxidation dysfunction contributes to impaired adaptive thermogenesis. 5-Heptadecylresorcinol (AR-C17) is a prominent functional component of whole wheat and rye, and has been demonstrated to improve the thermogenic capacity of aged mice via the regulation of Sirt3. However, the effect of AR-C17 on aging-associated hepatic FA oxidation dysfunction remains unclear. Here, 18-month-old C57BL/6J mice were orally administered with AR-C17 at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. Systemic glucose and lipid metabolism, hepatic FA oxidation, and the lipolysis of white adipose tissues (WAT) were measured. The results showed that AR-C17 improved the hepatic FA oxidation, and especially acylcarnitine metabolism, of aged mice during cold stimulation, with the enhancement of systemic glucose and lipid metabolism. Meanwhile, AR-C17 improved the WAT lipolysis of aged mice, promoting hepatic acylcarnitine production. Furthermore, the adipose-specific Sirt3 knockout mice were used to investigate and verify the regulation mechanism of AR-C17 on aging-associated hepatic FA oxidation dysfunction. The results showed that AR-C17 failed to improve the WAT lipolysis and hepatic FA oxidation of aged mice in the absence of adipose Sirt3, indicating that AR-C17 might indirectly influence hepatic FA oxidation via regulating WAT Sirt3. Our findings suggest that AR-C17 might improve aging-associated hepatic FA oxidation dysfunction via regulating adipose Sirt3.

Maternal Brown Rice Diet during Pregnancy Promotes Adipose Tissue Browning in Offspring via Reprogramming PKA Signaling and DNA Methylation.

SCOPE: Brown rice, the most consumed food worldwide, has been shown to possess beneficial effects on the prevention of metabolic diseases. However, the way in which maternal brown rice diet improves metabolism in offspring and the regulatory mechanisms remains unclear. The study explores the epigenetic regulation of offspring energy metabolic homeostasis by maternal brown rice diet during pregnancy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Female mice are fed brown rice during pregnancy, and then body phenotypes, the histopathological analysis, and adipose tissues biochemistry assay of offspring mice are detected. It is found that maternal brown rice diet significantly reduces body weight and fat mass, increases energy expenditure and heat production in offspring. Maternal brown rice diet increases uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) protein level and upregulates the mRNA expression of thermogenic genes in adipose tissues. Mechanistically, protein kinase A (PKA) signaling is likely responsible in the induced thermogenic program in offspring adipocytes, and the progeny adipocytes browning program is altered due to decreased level of DNA methyltransferase 1 protein and hypomethylation of the transcriptional coregulator positive regulatory domain containing 16 (PRDM16). CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that maternal brown rice during pregnancy improves offspring mice metabolic homeostasis via promoting adipose browning, and its mechanisms may be mediated by DNA methylation reprogramming.

The Enhancement of Acylcarnitine Metabolism by 5-Heptadecylresorcinol in Brown Adipose Tissue Contributes to Improving Glucose and Lipid Levels in Aging Male Mice.

5-Heptadecylresorcinol (AR-C17), a primary biomarker of whole grain (WG) consumption, has been demonstrated to improve the thermogenic activity of aging mice. However, the intricate regulatory mechanism is not fully understood. This study conducted metabolomics analysis on young and aging mice with or without AR-C17 administration after cold exposure. The results showed that the aging mice displayed lower levels of acylcarnitine (ACar) in their plasma compared with the young mice during cold exposure, and 150 mg/kg/day of AR-C17 administration for 8 weeks could increase the plasma ACar levels of aging mice. ACar has been reported to be an essential metabolic fuel for the thermogenesis of brown adipose tissue (BAT). AR-C17 had similar effects on the ACar levels in the BAT as on the plasma of the aging mice during cold exposure. Furthermore, the aging mice had reduced ACar metabolism in the BAT, and AR-C17 could improve the ACar metabolism in the BAT of aging mice, thereby promoting the metabolic utilization of ACar by BAT. Moreover, the glucose and lipid levels of aging mice could be improved by AR-C17. This study revealed a deeper metabolic mechanism involved in the AR-C17-mediated thermogenic regulation of BAT, providing a new theoretical basis for the nutrition and health benefits of WG.

Low-Carbohydrate Diet Modulates Glucose-Lipid Utilization in Skeletal Muscle of Diabetic Mice.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with many complications, including skeletal muscle atrophy. Ketogenic diets and low-carbohydrate diets (LCD) have recently been introduced as dietary interventions in patients with diabetes, but their effects on glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle have not been studied. In the current study, we compared the effects of LCD and ketogenic diet on glucose and lipid metabolism in skeletal muscle of diabetic mice. C57BL/6J mice with type 2 diabetes, constructed by a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin, were fed a standard diet, a high-fat diet, an LCD, or a ketogenic diet for 14 weeks, respectively. Here, we found that the LCD, rather than the ketogenic diet, retained skeletal muscle weight and suppressed the expression of atrophy-related genes in diabetic mice. In addition, the LCD had more glycolytic/type IIb myofiber content and inhibited forkhead box O1 and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 expression, leading to improved glucose utilization. However, the ketogenic diet maintained more oxidative/type I myofibers. Moreover, compared with the ketogenic diet, the LCD decreased intramuscular triglycerides content and muscle lipolysis, suggesting improvement in lipid metabolism. Taken together, these data suggested that the LCD improved glucose utilization, and inhibited lipolysis and atrophy in skeletal muscle of diabetic mice, while the ketogenic diet showed metabolic disorders in skeletal muscle.

5-Heptadecylresorcinol Regulates the Metabolism of Thermogenic Fat and Improves the Thermogenic Capacity of Aging Mice via a Sirtuin 3-Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway.

5-Heptadecylresorcinol (AR-C17), a well-known biomarker for whole grain rye consumption, is a primary homolog of alkylresorcinols. In this study, the effects of AR-C17 on the thermogenesis of brown adipocytes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes were investigated. The results showed that AR-C17 increased sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) expression, and the expressions of specific thermogenic genes in adipocytes were increased. Furthermore, AR-C17 increased the mitochondrial functions during the thermogenic activation of adipocytes. In in vivo study, AR-C17 increased the cold tolerance and thermogenic capacity of adipose tissues in aging mice. In addition, Sirt3 activity was required for AR-C17-induced thermogenesis. Meanwhile, AR-C17 increased adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation, and AMPK was involved in the regulation of AR-C17 on thermogenic adipocytes. Mechanically, AR-C17 upregulated a Sirt3-AMPK positive-feedback loop in adipocytes and further increased the expression of uncoupling protein 1 to activate thermogenesis. This study indicated that AR-C17 could be a promising thermogenic activator of adipocytes to alleviate obesity and aging-associated metabolic diseases.

Maternal secretin ameliorates obesity by promoting white adipose tissue browning in offspring.

Our knowledge of the coordination of intergenerational inheritance and offspring metabolic reprogramming by gastrointestinal endocrine factors is largely unknown. Here, we showed that secretin (SCT), a brain-gut peptide, is downregulated by overnutrition in pregnant mice and women. More importantly, genetic loss of SCT in the maternal gut results in undesirable phenotypes developed in offspring including enhanced high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and attenuated browning of inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT). Mechanistically, loss of maternal SCT represses iWAT browning in offspring by a global change in genome methylation pattern through upregulation of DNMT1. SCT functions to facilitate ubiquitination and degradation of DNMT1 by activating AMPKα, which contributes to the observed alteration of DNMT1 in progeny. Lastly, we showed that SCT treatment during pregnancy can reduce the development of obesity and improve glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in offspring of HFD-fed females, suggesting that SCT may serve as a novel biomarker or a strategy for preventing metabolic diseases.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A triggered a fast-to-slow muscle fiber-type conversion via regulating FoxO1 in myocytes.

Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is the main bioactive component of safflower and has been reported to have significant health-promoting abilities. However, the regulation of HSYA on different types of skeletal myofibers is largely unknown. Here, in vitro experiments found that the water extract of safflower could significantly increase MyHC I, MB and Tnni1 mRNA expression while downregulating MyHC IIb mRNA expression. Furthermore, HSYA triggered fast-to-slow fiber-type switching and increased gene expression related to mitochondrial biosynthesis both in vitro and in vivo. Autodock analyses proved that FoxO1 is a potential target of HSYA, and qRT-PCR and western blotting further showed that HSYA significantly promoted the activation of the FoxO1 signaling pathway. Additionally, the levels of PGC1α, downstream of FoxO1, also significantly increased after HSYA treatment. Together, our findings suggested that HSYA triggered a fast-to-slow myofiber-type shift through the FoxO1 signaling pathway.

A novel regulatory mechanism of geniposide for improving glucose homeostasis mediated by circulating RBP4.

BACKGROUND: Systemic insulin signal transduction is influenced by the inter-tissue crosstalk, which might be the potential therapeutic strategy for T2DM. Although anti-diabetic function of geniposide has been previously reported, the underlying mechanism was not completely clear in light of the complex pathogenesis of T2DM. PURPOSE: The present experiment is devoted to investigate the potential effects of geniposide on systemic insulin sensitivity mediated by hepatokine-RBP4 in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. METHODS: The HFD-fed wild type mice were administered with geniposide (25 or 50 mg/kg/d) by intraperitoneal injection, and the normal saline and Metformin were used as negative control group and positive control group, respectively. After administration for 4 weeks, the food intake, body weight, glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests and serum biochemical indices were examined, along with insulin signaling pathway-associated proteins and hepatic histomorphological analysis. The liver, gastrocnemius and mouse primary hepatocytes were also harvested for molecular mechanism study. RESULTS: After geniposide treatment for 4 weeks, the blood glucose level was reduced in HFD-fed mice. Furthermore, geniposide treatment improved insulin sensitivity both in the liver and gastrocnemius (GAS). In terms of mechanism, geniposide disturbed circulating RBP4 level including its synthesis, secretion and homeostasis. Moreover, geniposide modified fuel selection and promoted glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and reduced glycogen storage, which were closely related to impaired circulating RBP4 homeostasis, leading to ameliorative systemic insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSION: Our current study proposes a novel regulatory mechanism of geniposide for improving glucose homeostasis through regulating circulating RBP4 level, which also provides new strategies for the prevention and treatment of T2DM.

Hydroxysafflor Yellow A Alters Fuel Selection From Glucose to Fat by Activating the PPARδ Pathway in Myocytes.

Modulation of fuel selection is critical in skeletal muscle function. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is the major bioactive component in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) and, in our previous study, has been demonstrated to promote a shift from fast to slow myofiber. However, the effects of HSYA on fuel selection in skeletal muscle and its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, the in vitro experiments found that water extracts of safflower, rich in HSYA, significantly suppressed the expressions of the genes related to glucose utilization and activated the expressions of the lipolysis genes. Furthermore, HSYA resulted in a shift in substrate utilization toward fat relative to carbohydrates in C2C12 myotubes. Animal tests showed HSYA could significantly reduce the respiratory exchange ratio and prolonge endurance performance in mice and also trigger a switch in intramuscular fuel selection preference from carbohydrates to fat at rest and during exercise. Mechanistic studies revealed that HSYA converted this fuel selection by activating peroxisome proliferator activated receptor δ (PPARδ), and these effects of HSYA could be reversed by specific suppression of PPARδ by PPARδ siRNA. Collectively, our study demonstrated that HSYA can switch substrate utilization from glucose to fat in myocytes by activating PPARδ signaling, resulting in prolonged endurance performance. These findings provided direct evidence for the endurance performance enhancement effect of HSYA and explored new perspectives for the innovation and application of HSYA in the health care industry.

Oat ß-glucan alleviates DSS-induced colitis via regulating gut microbiota metabolism in mice.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the most prevalent inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) worldwide, while oat ß-glucan has been shown to suppress the progress of colitis in UC mice. However, the underlying mechanism of oat ß-glucan in ameliorating colitis is unclear and the role of gut microbiota in the protective effect of oat ß-glucan against colitis remains unknown. In the present study, we aim to investigate the effect of oat ß-glucan on gut microbiota in colitis mice and explore the health effect related mechanism. Dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) was used to induce the colitis model in mice. The results showed that ß-glucan treatment attenuated hematochezia, splenomegaly and colon shortening in colitis mice. Histological evaluation of H&E and TUNEL staining showed that ß-glucan treatment suppressed DSS-induced colonic inflammatory infiltration and reduced cell apoptosis levels of colon tissues. mRNA expression levels of the pro-inflammatory factors were also significantly reduced in the ß-glucan group. Moreover, ß-glucan treatment increased the protein and mRNA expression levels of tight junction proteins. Analysis of gut microbiota community showed that ß-glucan treatment modulated gut microbial composition and structure at the OTU level in colitis mice. Further analysis of gut microbial metabolism revealed that ß-glucan treatment significantly increased acetate, propionate and butyrate concentrations, and affected microbial metabolome in colitis mice. Notably, the increased acetate and propionate concentrations could directly affect pro-inflammatory factor expression levels and tight junction protein levels. In contrast, the changes in metabolic profiles affected pro-inflammatory factor levels and thus affected tight junction protein levels. Overall, our study revealed that oat ß-glucan ameliorated DSS-induced colitis in mice simultaneously through regulating gut-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and microbial metabolic biomarkers. Our study demonstrated that oat ß-glucan could be an effective nutritional intervention strategy towards targeting gut microbiota metabolism for ameliorating colitis.

Growth hormone receptor disrupts glucose homeostasis via promoting and stabilizing retinol binding protein 4.

Rationale: The molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of systemic insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes remain elusive. Growth hormone receptor (GHR) deficiency has long been known to improved insulin sensitivity. However, whether hepatic GHR overexpression or activation is a cause of insulin resistance is still unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the new role of GHR in systemic insulin resistance and explore the underlying mechanism. Method: Different samples obtained from obese humans, ob/ob mice, db/db mice, high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice and primary mouse hepatocytes were used to evaluate the correlations between GHR and metabolic disorders. Recombinant adeno-associated viruses encoding GHR and STAT5 and GHR knockout mice were used to investigate the roles of hepatic GHR in glucose homeostasis. Tissue H&E, Oil Red O and PAS staining were performed for histomorphological analysis. Gel filtration chromatography was employed for the separation of serum RBP4-TTR complexes. Plasmids (related to GHR, STAT5 and HIF1α), siRNA oligos (siGHR and siSTAT5), luciferase activity and ChIP assays were used to explore the potential mechanism of hepatic GHR. Results: Here, we found that hepatic GHR expression was elevated during metabolic disorder. Accordingly, hepatic GHR overexpression disrupted systemic glucose homeostasis by promoting gluconeogenesis and disturbing insulin responsiveness in the liver. Meanwhile, hepatic GHR overexpression promoted lipolysis in white adipose tissue and repressed glucose utilization in skeletal muscle by promoting the circulating level of RBP4, which contributed to impaired systemic insulin action. A mechanistic study revealed that hepatic GHR disrupted systemic insulin sensitivity by increasing RBP4 transcription by activating STAT5. Additionally, overexpression of hepatic GHR promoted TTR transcriptional levels by enhancing the expression of HIF1α, which not only increased the protein stability of RBP4 but also inhibited renal clearance of RBP4 in serum. Conclusions: Hepatic GHR overexpression and activation accelerated systemic insulin resistance by increasing hepatic RBP4 production and maintaining circulating RBP4 homeostasis. Our current study provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes and its associated metabolic complications.

Novel Metabolic Regulation of Bile Acid Responses to Low Cholesterol in Whole-Grain-Diet-Fed Mice.

Hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for chronic metabolic diseases. Nevertheless, a whole-grain diet could ameliorate this issue in a number of ways, including by regulating bile acid metabolism. However, the potential mechanism is unclear. The aim of the current study is to explore the effects of whole-grain diets (brown rice diet and whole wheat diet) on bile acid homeostasis. After intervention for 8 weeks in mouse model, whole-grain diets showed reduced feed conversion ratio, and the lipid levels (total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG)) were also meliorated in the serum and liver of mice. Moreover, whole-grain diets reduced the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) (cholesterol synthesis) in the liver of mice. Interestingly, whole-grain diets not only promoted the mRNA expressions of low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), ATP binding cassette transporter G1 (ABCG1), and scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) (reverse cholesterol transport) but also facilitated the expressions of cytochrome P450, family 7, subfamily a, polypeptide 1 (CYP7a1) and cytochrome P450, family 27, subfamily a, polypeptide 1 (CYP27a1) (bile acid synthesis). Further study found that whole-grain diets promoted intestinal bile acid reabsorption and reduced bile acid excretion. Our study provided a novel metabolic regulation of bile acids in response to reduced cholesterol levels induced by whole-grain diets.

Effects of low-carbohydrate diet and ketogenic diet on glucose and lipid metabolism in type 2 diabetic mice.

OBJECTIVE: With the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, it is urgent to find a suitable treatment. Recently, the ketogenic diet has shown beneficial effects in reducing blood glucose, but some concerns have been raised about its probable side effects, such as hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis. Because a low-carbohydrate diet replaces part of the fat with carbohydrates on the basis of the ketogenic diet, we would like to know whether it does better in treating type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of a low-carbohydrate diet as a substitute for a ketogenic diet intervention in mice with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: C57 BL/6 J mice with type 2 diabetes, constructed by a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin, were fed a standard diet, a high-fat diet, a low-carbohydrate diet, or a ketogenic diet for 14 wk, respectively. Then glucose and insulin tolerance tests were conducted. At the end of the study, blood and liver samples were collected and analyzed for serum biochemical indicators, histopathologic evaluation, hepatic lipid and glycogen content, and expression levels of mRNA and protein. RESULTS: Reduced blood glucose could be observed in both low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets, as well as improvement in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. However, the ketogenic diet decreased liver glycogen content and promoted gluconeogenesis. Mechanistically, this effect was due to inhibition of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase, which could be improved by a low-carbohydrate diet. Regarding lipid metabolism, the ketogenic diet increased lipid oxidation and reduced de novo lipogenesis, but the hepatic lipid content still inevitably increased. On the contrary, the low-carbohydrate diet reduced triacylglycerols and markers of liver damage. CONCLUSIONS: Collectively, these findings suggest that both diets are effective in lowering blood glucose, improving glucose tolerance, and raising insulin sensitivity. Moreover, the low-carbohydrate diet plays a role in inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis and improving lipid metabolism. The results suggest that the two diets have different effects on glucose and lipid metabolism, and that the low-carbohydrate diet might have more benefits in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

l-Arabinose Attenuates Gliadin-Induced Food Allergy via Regulation of Th1/Th2 Balance and Upregulation of Regulatory T Cells in Mice.

Gliadins are the main cause of wheat allergies, and the prevalence of gliadin allergy has increased in many countries. l-Arabinose, a kind of plant-specific five-carbon aldose, possesses beneficial effects on food allergy to gliadins. This study investigated the antiallergic activities and underlying mechanisms of l-arabinose in a wheat gliadin-sensitized mouse model. BALB/c mice were sensitized to gliadin by intraperitoneal injections with gliadin followed by being given a gliadin challenge. l-arabinose-treated mice exhibited a marked reduction in the productions of total immunoglobulin E (IgE), gliadin-specific IgE, gliadin-specific IgG1, and histamine, with an increase in IgG2a level as compared with gliadin-sensitized mice. Beside that, a significant decrease in Th2-related cytokine level, IL-4, and an increase in Th1-related cytokine level, IFN-γ, in the serum and splenocytes were observed after treatment with l-arabinose. l-Arabinose treatment also improved the imbalance of Th1/Th2 immune response on the basis of the expression levels of related cytokines and key transcription factors in the small intestine and spleen of sensitized mice. In addition, gliadin-induced intestinal barrier impairment was blocked by l-arabinose treatment via regulation of TJ proteins and suppression of p38 MAPK and p65 NF-κB inflammation signaling pathways. Notably, the results confirmed that l-arabinose treatment increased CD4+ Foxp3+ T cell populations and Treg-related factors associated with increased expression of IL-2 and activation of STAT5 in gliadin-sensitized mice. In conclusion, l-arabinose attenuated the gliadin-induced allergic symptoms via maintenance of Th1/Th2 immune balance and regulation of Treg cells in a gliadin-induced mouse model, suggesting l-arabinose could be used as a promising agent to alleviate gliadin allergy.

L-Arabinose suppresses gluconeogenesis through modulating AMP-activated protein kinase in metabolic disorder mice.

l-Arabinose is a kind of plant-specific five-carbon aldose with benefits in type 2 diabetes mellitus. It has been shown to have good properties in improving glucose homeostasis, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still not clear. Hepatic gluconeogenesis is critical for regulating glucose homeostasis. Here, this study aimed to investigate whether l-arabinose could improve glucose metabolism via suppressing hepatic gluconeogenesis. High-fat-high-sucrose diet (HFHSD) or high-sucrose diet (HSD)-fed mice were supplemented with or without l-arabinose for 12 weeks. Fasting blood glucose levels were measured and glucose tolerance test and the histological analysis were performed after l-arabinose administration. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC1α), Forkhead box O1 (FoxO1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) expression levels were determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. As expected, l-arabinose apparently decreased body weight and attenuated hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance caused by HFHSD or HSD. l-Arabinose also had beneficial effects on glycogen synthesis by inactivating GSK3ß. The expression levels of gluconeogenic genes were all decreased by l-arabinose administration in vivo and in vitro. In addition, our work revealed that AMPK is required for the inhibitory effects of l-arabinose on hepatic gluconeogenesis. l-Arabinose significantly up-regulated the phosphorylated levels of AMPK and its downstream protein ACC. Furthermore, blocking AMPK signaling through an inhibitor (compound C) or siAMPK significantly attenuated the inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis and the promotion of glycogen synthesis with l-arabinose, indicating that the inhibitory effect of l-arabinose on hepatic gluconeogenesis was AMPK dependent. Our work revealed that l-arabinose is a promising natural product for the regulation of hyperglycemia through inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis by activating AMPK.

Circulating miR-27a-3p as a candidate for a biomarker of whole grain diets for lipid metabolism.

As a worldwide epidemic, overweight and obesity have long been an issue of great interest in a wide range of health areas, and the whole grain diet has been proven to be an effective and healthy manner to prevent them. Recent developments in the field of microRNAs (miRNAs) have led to a renewed interest in lipid metabolism, however, whether a whole grain diet regulates lipid metabolism through miRNAs is still unknown. Hence, our current study was carried out to explore the changes of miRNAs in mice with the treatment of whole grain diets (the brown rice group, BR and whole wheat group, WW) and to screen out miRNAs that can serve as a biomarker to evaluate and regulate lipid metabolism. After whole grain diet treatment for 8 weeks, the lipids both in serum and liver were reduced, as well as the body weight. Moreover, there were 136 miRNAs with significant differences among our three dietary patterns (the CS diet, BR diet and WW diet) analyzed by serum miRNAs sequencing, and only 16 miRNAs showed simultaneous differences in the BR or WW groups compared to the CS group, showing a consistent trend of change. The serum miRNA sequencing and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that miR-27a-3p was decreased in serum and WAT, while it was elevated both in the liver and ileum. We propose that circulating miR-27a-3p could be a novel candidate for a biomarker of whole grain diets for lipid metabolism through the assessment of the KEGG pathway, GO enrichment and the conservative analysis of miRNAs. The potential mechanisms of action could be through binding the 3'UTR of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGCR) and fatty acid synthase (FASN), which were key enzymes for lipid synthesis, achieving regulation of lipid metabolism. A luciferase assay was also performed to verify the above mechanism, which shows that miR-27a-3p mimics transfection, repressing the luciferase activity of the two reporters carrying miR-27a-3p regulatory elements found in the 3'-UTR of HMGCR and FASN, respectively. Our study has provided new molecular mechanisms of whole grain diets for lipid metabolism, as well as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity.

Geniposide reduces cholesterol accumulation and increases its excretion by regulating the FXR-mediated liver-gut crosstalk of bile acids.

Hypercholesterolemia is the main risk factor to threaten human health and geniposide has been found to have hypolipidemic functions. However, its underlying mechanism is not clear. In this study, we firstly confirmed the hypolipidemic functions of geniposide in C57BL/6 and ApoE-/- mice (i.p, 50 mg/kg/d). Then hepatic or arterial lipid accumulation was analyzed through histomorphology. Moreover, the effects of geniposide on the bile acid metabolism were analyzed by the hepatic RNA-seq and biological molecular analysis. Mechanistically, GW4064, an FXR agonist, was carried out to verify the mechanisms of geniposide in human HepG2 and Caco2 cells. As expected, geniposide decreased the lipid accumulations both in plasma and liver. Morever, the atherosclerotic plaque shrank in HCD-fed ApoE-/- mice with geniposide treatment. The molecular analysis revealed that geniposide accelerated the hepatic synthesis of bile acids through inactivating the negative feedback regulation of bile acids mediated by FXR, led to the enhancive reverse cholesterol transport and cholesterol catabolism. What's more, geniposide reduced ileal FXR-mediated reabsorption of bile acids, resulting in the increasing excretion of bile acids. Our study pointed out the regulatory functions of geniposide on FXR-mediated liver-gut crosstalk of bile acids and geniposide might be a novel strategy for maintaining cholesterol homeostasis.