Retinal microvascular function and incidence and trajectories of clinically relevant depressive symptoms: the Maastricht Study.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral microvascular dysfunction may contribute to depression via disruption of brain structures involved in mood regulation, but evidence is limited. We investigated the association of retinal microvascular function, a proxy for microvascular function in the brain, with incidence and trajectories of clinically relevant depressive symptoms. METHODS: Longitudinal data are from The Maastricht Study of 5952 participants (59.9 ± 8.5 years/49.7% women) without clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline (2010-2017). Central retinal arteriolar equivalent and central retinal venular equivalent (CRAE and CRVE) and a composite score of flicker light-induced retinal arteriolar and venular dilation were assessed at baseline. We assessed incidence and trajectories of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ⩾10). Trajectories included continuously low prevalence (low, n = 5225 [87.8%]); early increasing, then chronic high prevalence (early-chronic, n = 157 [2.6%]); low, then increasing prevalence (late-increasing, n = 247 [4.2%]); and remitting prevalence (remitting, n = 323 [5.4%]). RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 7.0 years (range 1.0-11.0), 806 (13.5%) individuals had incident clinically relevant depressive symptoms. After full adjustment, a larger CRAE and CRVE were each associated with a lower risk of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (hazard ratios [HRs] per standard deviation [s.d.]: 0.89 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-0.96] and 0.93 [0.86-0.99], respectively), while a lower flicker light-induced retinal dilation was associated with a higher risk of clinically relevant depressive symptoms (HR per s.d.: 1.10 [1.01-1.20]). Compared to the low trajectory, a larger CRAE was associated with lower odds of belonging to the early-chronic trajectory (OR: 0.83 [0.69-0.99]) and a lower flicker light-induced retinal dilation was associated with higher odds of belonging to the remitting trajectory (OR: 1.23 [1.07-1.43]). CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that cerebral microvascular dysfunction contributes to the development of depressive symptoms.

Dietary intake of dicarbonyl compounds and changes in body weight over time in a large cohort of European adults.

Dicarbonyl compounds are highly reactive precursors of advanced glycation end products (AGE), produced endogenously, present in certain foods and formed during food processing. AGE contribute to the development of adverse metabolic outcomes, but health effects of dietary dicarbonyls are largely unexplored. We investigated associations between three dietary dicarbonyl compounds, methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), and body weight changes in European adults. Dicarbonyl intakes were estimated using food composition database from 263 095 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Physical Activity, Nutrition, Alcohol, Cessation of Smoking, Eating Out of Home in Relation to Anthropometry participants with two body weight assessments (median follow-up time = 5·4 years). Associations between dicarbonyls and 5-year body-weight changes were estimated using mixed linear regression models. Stratified analyses by sex, age and baseline BMI were performed. Risk of becoming overweight/obese was assessed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression. MGO intake was associated with 5-year body-weight gain of 0·089 kg (per 1-sd increase, 95 % CI 0·072, 0·107). 3-DG was inversely associated with body-weight change (-0·076 kg, -0·094, -0·058). No significant association was observed for GO (0·018 kg, -0·002, 0·037). In stratified analyses, GO was associated with body-weight gain among women and older participants (above median of 52·4 years). MGO was associated with higher body-weight gain among older participants. 3-DG was inversely associated with body-weight gain among younger and normal-weight participants. MGO was associated with a higher risk of becoming overweight/obese, while inverse associations were observed for 3-DG. No associations were observed for GO with overweight/obesity. Dietary dicarbonyls are inconsistently associated with body weight change among European adults. Further research is needed to clarify the role of these food components in overweight and obesity, their underlying mechanisms and potential public health implications.

Moderate-Intensity and High-Intensity Interval Exercise Training Offer Equal Cardioprotection, with Different Mechanisms, during the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Rats.

Endurance exercise training is a promising cardioprotective strategy in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the impact of its intensity is not clear. We aimed to investigate whether and how isocaloric moderate-intensity exercise training (MIT) and high-intensity interval exercise training (HIIT) could prevent the adverse cardiac remodeling and dysfunction that develop T2DM in rats. Male rats received a Western diet (WD) to induce T2DM and underwent a sedentary lifestyle (n = 7), MIT (n = 7) or HIIT (n = 8). Insulin resistance was defined as the HOMA-IR value. Cardiac function was assessed with left ventricular (LV) echocardiography and invasive hemodynamics. A qPCR and histology of LV tissue unraveled underlying mechanisms. We found that MIT and HIIT halted T2DM development compared to in sedentary WD rats (p < 0.05). Both interventions prevented increases in LV end-systolic pressure, wall thickness and interstitial collagen content (p < 0.05). In LV tissue, HIIT tended to upregulate the gene expression of an ROS-generating enzyme (NOX4), while both modalities increased proinflammatory macrophage markers and cytokines (CD86, TNF-α, IL-1ß; p < 0.05). HIIT promoted antioxidant and dicarbonyl defense systems (SOD2, glyoxalase 1; p < 0.05) whereas MIT elevated anti-inflammatory macrophage marker expression (CD206, CD163; p < 0.01). We conclude that both MIT and HIIT limit WD-induced T2DM with diastolic dysfunction and pathological LV hypertrophy, possibly using different adaptive mechanisms.

Microvascular Dysfunction and Whole-Brain White Matter Connectivity: The Maastricht Study.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular dysfunction is involved in the development of various cerebral disorders. It may contribute to these disorders by disrupting white matter tracts and altering brain connectivity, but evidence is scarce. We investigated the association between multiple biomarkers of microvascular function and whole-brain white matter connectivity. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional data from The Maastricht Study, a Dutch population-based cohort (n=4326; age, 59.4±8.6 years; 49.7% women). Measures of microvascular function included urinary albumin excretion, central retinal arteriolar and venular calibers, composite scores of flicker light-induced retinal arteriolar and venular dilation, and plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction (intercellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, E-selectin, and von Willebrand factor). White matter connectivity was calculated from 3T diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to quantify the number (average node degree) and organization (characteristic path length, global efficiency, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency) of white matter connections. A higher plasma biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction composite score was associated with a longer characteristic path length (ß per SD, 0.066 [95% CI, 0.017-0.114]) after adjustment for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular factors but not with any of the other white matter connectivity measures. After multiple comparison correction, this association was nonsignificant. None of the other microvascular function measures were associated with any of the connectivity measures. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that microvascular dysfunction as measured by indirect markers is not associated with whole-brain white matter connectivity.

Disease severity-based subgrouping of type 2 diabetes does not parallel differences in quality of life: the Maastricht Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Type 2 diabetes is a highly heterogeneous disease for which new subgroups ('clusters') have been proposed based on disease severity: moderate age-related diabetes (MARD), moderate obesity-related diabetes (MOD), severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) and severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD). It is unknown how disease severity is reflected in terms of quality of life in these clusters. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the cluster characteristics and cluster-wise evolution of quality of life in the previously defined clusters of type 2 diabetes. METHODS: We included individuals with type 2 diabetes from the Maastricht Study, who were allocated to clusters based on a nearest centroid approach. We used logistic regression to evaluate the cluster-wise association with diabetes-related complications. We plotted the evolution of HbA1c levels over time and used Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression to evaluate the cluster-wise time to reach adequate glycaemic control. Quality of life based on the Short Form 36 (SF-36) was also plotted over time and adjusted for age and sex using generalised estimating equations. The follow-up time was 7 years. Analyses were performed separately for people with newly diagnosed and already diagnosed type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: We included 127 newly diagnosed and 585 already diagnosed individuals. Already diagnosed people in the SIDD cluster were less likely to reach glycaemic control than people in the other clusters, with an HR compared with MARD of 0.31 (95% CI 0.22, 0.43). There were few differences in the mental component score of the SF-36 in both newly and already diagnosed individuals. In both groups, the MARD cluster had a higher physical component score of the SF-36 than the other clusters, and the MOD cluster scored similarly to the SIDD and SIRD clusters. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Disease severity suggested by the clusters of type 2 diabetes is not entirely reflected in quality of life. In particular, the MOD cluster does not appear to be moderate in terms of quality of life. Use of the suggested cluster names in practice should be carefully considered, as the non-neutral nomenclature may affect disease perception in individuals with type 2 diabetes and their healthcare providers.

Methylglyoxal, a highly reactive dicarbonyl compound, as a threat for blood brain barrier integrity.

The brain is a highly metabolically active organ requiring a large amount of glucose. Methylglyoxal (MGO), a by-product of glucose metabolism, is known to be involved in microvascular dysfunction and is associated with reduced cognitive function. Maintenance of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is essential to maintain optimal brain function and a large amount of evidence indicates negative effects of MGO on BBB integrity. In this review, we summarized the current literature on the effect of MGO on the different cell types forming the BBB. BBB damage by MGO most likely occurs in brain endothelial cells and mural cells, while astrocytes are most resistant to MGO. Microglia on the other hand appear to be not directly influenced by MGO but rather produce MGO upon activation. Although there is clear evidence that MGO affects components of the BBB, the impact of MGO on the BBB as a multicellular system warrants further investigation. Diminishing MGO stress can potentially form the basis for new treatment strategies for maintaining optimal brain function.

A Citrus and Pomegranate Complex Reduces Methylglyoxal in Healthy Elderly Subjects: Secondary Analysis of a Double-Blind Randomized Cross-Over Clinical Trial.

Reactive α-dicarbonyls (α-DCs), such as methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO), and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG), are potent precursors in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). In particular, MGO and MGO-derived AGEs are thought to be involved in the development of vascular complications in diabetes. Experimental studies showed that citrus and pomegranate polyphenols can scavenge α-DCs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a citrus and pomegranate complex (CPC) on the α-DCs plasma levels in a double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over trial, where thirty-six elderly subjects were enrolled. They received either 500 mg of Citrus sinensis peel extract and 200 mg of Punica granatum concentrate in CPC capsules or placebo capsules for 4 weeks, with a 4-week washout period in between. For the determination of α-DCs concentrations, liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used. Following four weeks of CPC supplementation, plasma levels of MGO decreased by 9.8% (-18.7 nmol/L; 95% CI: -36.7, -0.7 nmol/L; p = 0.042). Our findings suggest that CPC supplementation may represent a promising strategy for mitigating the conditions associated with MGO involvement. This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03781999.

(Pre)diabetes and a higher level of glycaemic measures are continuously associated with corneal neurodegeneration assessed by corneal confocal microscopy: the Maastricht Study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: To assess the associations between glucose metabolism status and a range of continuous measures of glycaemia with corneal nerve fibre measures, as assessed using corneal confocal microscopy. METHODS: We used population-based observational cross-sectional data from the Maastricht Study of N=3471 participants (mean age 59.4 years, 48.4% men, 14.7% with prediabetes, 21.0% with type 2 diabetes) to study the associations, after adjustment for demographic, cardiovascular risk and lifestyle factors, between glucose metabolism status (prediabetes and type 2 diabetes vs normal glucose metabolism) plus measures of glycaemia (fasting plasma glucose, 2 h post-load glucose, HbA1c, skin autofluorescence [SAF] and duration of diabetes) and composite Z-scores of corneal nerve fibre measures or individual corneal nerve fibre measures (corneal nerve bifurcation density, corneal nerve density, corneal nerve length and fractal dimension). We used linear regression analysis, and, for glucose metabolism status, performed a linear trend analysis. RESULTS: After full adjustment, a more adverse glucose metabolism status was associated with a lower composite Z-score for corneal nerve fibre measures (ß coefficients [95% CI], prediabetes vs normal glucose metabolism -0.08 [-0.17, 0.03], type 2 diabetes vs normal glucose metabolism -0.14 [-0.25, -0.04]; linear trend analysis showed a p value of 0.001), and higher levels of measures of glycaemia (fasting plasma glucose, 2 h post-load glucose, HbA1c, SAF and duration of diabetes) were all significantly associated with a lower composite Z-score for corneal nerve fibre measures (per SD: -0.09 [-0.13, -0.05], -0.07 [-0.11, -0.03], -0.08 [-0.11, -0.04], -0.05 [-0.08, -0.01], -0.09 [-0.17, -0.001], respectively). In general, directionally similar associations were observed for individual corneal nerve fibre measures. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to show that a more adverse glucose metabolism status and higher levels of glycaemic measures were all linearly associated with corneal neurodegeneration after adjustment for an extensive set of potential confounders. Our results indicate that glycaemia-associated corneal neurodegeneration is a continuous process that starts before the onset of type 2 diabetes. Further research is needed to investigate whether early reduction of hyperglycaemia can prevent corneal neurodegeneration.

Plasma factor D is cross-sectionally associated with low-grade inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease: The Maastricht study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The complement system, particularly the alternative complement pathway, may contribute to vascular damage and development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We investigated the association of factor D, the rate-limiting protease in alternative pathway activation, with adverse cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: In 2947 participants (50.6% men, 59.9 ± 8.2 years, 26.5% type 2 diabetes [T2D], oversampled) we measured markers of low-grade inflammation (LGI, composite score, in SD) and, endothelial dysfunction (ED, composite score, in SD), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT, µm), ankle-brachial index (ABI), CVD (yes/no) and plasma concentrations of factor D (in SD). Associations were estimated using multiple linear and logistic regression, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and dietary factors. RESULTS: Factor D (per SD) significantly associated with LGI (0.171 SD [0.137; 0.205]), ED (0.158 SD [0.123; 0.194]) and CVD (OR 1.15 [1.04; 1.27]) but not significantly with cIMT (-6.62 µm [-13.51; 0.27]) or ABI (-0.003 [-0.007; 0.001]). Interaction analyses show that factor D more strongly associated with ED in non-diabetes (0.237 SD [0.189; 0.285] than in T2D (0.095 SD [0.034; 0.157]), pinteraction <0.05. These results were largely corroborated by additional analyses with C3 and C3a. In contrast, factor D inversely associated with cIMT in non-diabetes (-13.37 µm [-21.84; -4.90]), but not in T2D (4.49 [-7.91; 16.89]), pinteraction <0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma factor D is independently associated with LGI, ED, and prevalent CVD but not with ABI or cIMT. Hence, greater plasma factor D concentration in CVD may potentially induce complement activation which, in turn, might contribute to further disease progression via a process that may involve inflammation and endothelial dysfunction but was not directly related to atherosclerosis or arterial injury. The observation that, in participants without diabetes, factor D associated with worse ED but smaller cIMT warrants further investigation.

Habitual intake of advanced glycation endproducts is not associated with worse insulin sensitivity, worse beta cell function, or presence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: The Maastricht Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A diet high in advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) is a potential risk factor for insulin resistance, beta cell dysfunction, and ultimately type 2 diabetes. We investigated associations between habitual intake of dietary AGEs and glucose metabolism in a population-based setting. METHODS: In 6275 participants of The Maastricht Study (mean ± SD age: 60 ± 9, 15.1% prediabetes and 23.2% type 2 diabetes), we estimated habitual intake of dietary AGEs Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML), Nε-(1-carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL), and Nδ-(5-hydro-5-methyl-4-imidazolon-2-yl)-ornithine (MG-H1) by combining a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) with our mass-spectrometry dietary AGE database. We determined insulin sensitivity (Matsuda- and HOMA-IR index), beta cell function (C-peptidogenic index, glucose sensitivity, potentiation factor, and rate sensitivity), glucose metabolism status, fasting glucose, HbA1c, post-OGTT glucose, and OGTT glucose incremental area under the curve. Cross-sectional associations between habitual AGE intake and these outcomes were investigated using a combination of multiple linear regression and multinomial logistic regression adjusting for several potential confounders (demographic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle factors). RESULTS: Generally, higher habitual intake of AGEs was not associated with worse indices of glucose metabolism, nor with increased presence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Higher dietary MG-H1 was associated with better beta cell glucose sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The present study does not support an association of dietary AGEs with impaired glucose metabolism. Whether higher intake of dietary AGEs translates to increased incidence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes on the long term should be investigated in large prospective cohort studies.

The association of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes with hippocampal subfields volume: The Maastricht study.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We investigated whether prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and continuous measures of hyperglycemia are associated with tissue volume differences in specific subfields of the hippocampus. METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from 4,724 participants (58.7 ± 8.5 years, 51.5% women) of The Maastricht Study, a population-based prospective cohort. Glucose metabolism status was assessed with an oral glucose tolerance test, and defined as type 2 diabetes (n = 869), prediabetes (n = 671), or normal glucose metabolism (n = 3184). We extracted 12 hippocampal subfield volumes per hemisphere with FreeSurfer v6.0 using T1w and FLAIR 3T MRI images. We used multiple linear regression and linear trend analysis, and adjusted for total intracranial volume, demographic, lifestyle, and cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Type 2 diabetes was significantly associated with smaller volumes in the hippocampal subfield fimbria (standardized beta coefficient ± standard error (ß ± SE) = -0.195 ± 0.04, p-value < 0.001), the hippocampus proper, i.e. Cornu Ammonis (CA) 1, CA2/3, CA4, dentate gyrus, subiculum and presubiculum (ß ± SE < -0.105 ± 0.04, p-value < 0.006); as well as the hippocampal tail (ß ± SE = -0.162 ± 0.04, p-value < 0.001). Prediabetes showed no significant associations. However, linear trend analysis indicated a dose-response relation from normal glucose metabolism, to prediabetes, to type 2 diabetes. Multiple continuous measures of hyperglycemia were associated with smaller volumes of the subfields fimbria (ß ± SE < -0.010 ± 0.011, p-value < 0.001), dentate gyrus (ß ± SE < -0.013 ± 0.010, p-value < 0.002), CA3 (ß ± SE < -0.014 ± 0.011, p-value < 0.001), and tail (ß ± SE < -0.006 ± 0.012, p-value < 0.003). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Type 2 diabetes and measures of hyperglycemia are associated with hippocampal subfield atrophy, independently of lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors. We found evidence for a dose-response relationship from normal glucose metabolism, to prediabetes, to type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes stages could give a window of opportunity for the early prevention of brain disease.

Lower heart rate variability, an index of worse autonomic function, is associated with worse beta cell response to a glycemic load in vivo-The Maastricht Study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated, using population-based data, whether worse autonomic function, estimated from lower 24-hour heart rate variability (HRV), was associated with beta cell function, assessed from beta cell response during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from The Maastricht Study, a population-based cohort study (N = 2,007; age, mean ± SD:60 ± 8 years; 52% men; and 24% with type 2 diabetes). We used linear regression analyses with adjustment for potential confounders (demographic, cardiovascular, and lifestyle factors) to study the associations of time- and frequency-domain HRV (composite scores) with overall beta cell response (estimated from a composite score calculated from: C-peptidogenic index, overall insulin secretion, beta cell glucose sensitivity, beta cell potentiation factor, and beta cell rate sensitivity). In addition, we tested for interaction by sex and glucose metabolism status. RESULTS: After full adjustment, lower time- and frequency-domain HRV was significantly associated with lower overall beta cell response composite score (standardized beta, -0.055 [-0.098; -0.011] and - 0.051 [-0.095; -0.007], respectively). These associations were not modified by sex and there was no consistent pattern of interaction by glucose metabolism status. CONCLUSION: The present etiological study found that worse autonomic function, estimated from lower HRV, was associated with worse beta cell function, estimated from a composite score in a population-based sample which covered the entire spectrum of glucose metabolism. Hence, autonomic dysfunction may contribute to beta cell dysfunction and, ultimately, to the alteration of glucose metabolism status from normal glucose metabolism to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Effects of fructose added to an oral glucose tolerance test on plasma glucose excursions in healthy adults.

Background and objective: Previous experimental studies have shown that fructose interacts with glucose metabolism by increasing hepatic glucose uptake. However, human studies investigating the effects of small ('catalytic') amounts of fructose, added to an oral glucose load, on plasma glucose levels remain inconclusive. The aim of this study, therefore, was to repeat and extend these previous studies by examining the plasma glucose response during a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) with the addition of different doses of fructose. Methods: Healthy adults (n = 13) received an OGTT without addition of fructose and OGTTs with addition of different doses of fructose (1, 2, 5, 7.5 and 15 g) in a random order, on six separate occasions. Plasma glucose levels were measured every 15 min for 120 min during the study. Findings: The plasma glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) of the OGTT without addition of fructose was not significantly different from any OGTT with fructose (p ≥ 0.2 for all fructose doses). Similar results were observed when these data were clustered with data from a similar, previous study (pooled mean difference: 10.6; 95%CI: 45.0; 23.8 for plasma glucose iAUC of the OGTT without addition of fructose versus an OGTT with 5 g fructose; fixed-effect meta-analysis, n = 38). Of interest, serum fructose increased from 4.8 µmol/L (interquartile range: 4.1-5.9) at baseline to 5.3 µmol/L (interquartile range: 4.8-7.5) at T = 60 min during an OGTT without addition of fructose (p = 0.002). Conclusion: Low doses of fructose added to an OGTT do not affect plasma glucose levels in healthy adults. The role of endogenous fructose production, as a potential explanation of these null-findings, deserves further investigation.

Habitual Intake of Dietary Dicarbonyls is Associated with Greater Insulin Sensitivity and Lower Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes: The Maastricht Study.

BACKGROUND: Dicarbonyls are reactive precursors of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). Dicarbonyls are formed endogenously, but also during food processing. Circulating dicarbonyls are positively associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, but the consequences of dietary dicarbonyls are unknown. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to examine the associations of dietary intake of dicarbonyls with insulin sensitivity, ß-cell function, and the prevalence of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. METHODS: In 6282 participants (aged 60 ± 9 y; 50% men, 23% type 2 diabetes [oversampled]) of the population-based cohort the Maastricht Study, we estimated the habitual intake of the dicarbonyls methylglyoxal (MGO), glyoxal (GO), and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) using food frequency questionnaires. Insulin sensitivity (n = 2390), ß-cell function (n = 2336), and glucose metabolism status (n = 6282) were measured by a 7-point oral glucose tolerance test. Insulin sensitivity was assessed as the Matsuda index. Additionally, insulin sensitivity was measured as HOMA2-IR (n = 2611). ß-cell function was assessed as the C-peptidogenic index, overall insulin secretion, glucose sensitivity, potentiation factor, and rate sensitivity. Cross-sectional associations of dietary dicarbonyls with these outcomes were investigated using linear or logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, cardiometabolic risk factors, lifestyle, and dietary factors. RESULTS: Higher dietary MGO and 3-DG intakes were associated with greater insulin sensitivity after full adjustment, indicated by both a higher Matsuda index (MGO: Std. ß [95% CI] = 0.08 [0.04, 0.12]; 3-DG: 0.09 [0.05, 0.13]) and a lower HOMA2-IR (MGO: Std. ß = -0.05 [-0.09, -0.01]; 3-DG: -0.04 [-0.08, -0.01]). Moreover, higher MGO and 3-DG intakes were associated with a lower prevalence of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (OR [95% CI] = 0.78 [0.65, 0.93] and 0.81 [0.66, 0.99]). There were no consistent associations of MGO, GO, and 3-DG intakes with ß-cell function. CONCLUSION: Higher habitual consumption of the dicarbonyls MGO and 3-DG was associated with better insulin sensitivity and lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes, after excluding individuals with known diabetes. These novel observations warrant further exploration in prospective cohorts and intervention studies.

Circulating and adipose tissue immune cells in tissue-specific insulin resistance in humans with overweight and obesity.

OBJECTIVE: A proinflammatory adipose tissue (AT) microenvironment and systemic low-grade inflammation may differentially affect tissue-specific insulin sensitivity. This study investigated the relationships of abdominal subcutaneous AT (aSAT) and circulating immune cells, aSAT gene expression, and circulating inflammatory markers with liver and skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in people with overweight and obesity. METHODS: Individuals with overweight and obesity from the PERSonalized Glucose Optimization Through Nutritional Intervention (PERSON) Study (n = 219) and the Maastricht Study (replication cohort; n = 1256) underwent a seven-point oral glucose tolerance test to assess liver and muscle insulin sensitivity, and circulating inflammatory markers were determined. In subgroups, flow cytometry was performed to identify circulating and aSAT immune cells, and aSAT gene expression was evaluated. RESULTS: The relative abundances of circulating T cells, nonclassical monocytes, and CD56dim CD16+ natural killer cells were inversely associated with liver, but not muscle, insulin sensitivity in the PERSON Study. The inverse association between circulating (classical) monocytes and liver insulin sensitivity was confirmed in the Maastricht Study. In aSAT, immune cell populations were not related to insulin sensitivity. Furthermore, aSAT gene expression of interleukin 6 and CD14 was positively associated with muscle, but not liver, insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings demonstrate that circulating immune cell populations and inflammatory gene expression in aSAT show distinct associations with liver and muscle insulin sensitivity.

Pyridoxamine prevents increased atherosclerosis by intermittent methylglyoxal spikes in the aortic arches of ApoE-/- mice.

Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a reactive glucose metabolite linked to diabetic cardiovascular disease (CVD). MGO levels surge during intermittent hyperglycemia. We hypothesize that these MGO spikes contribute to atherosclerosis, and that pyridoxamine as a MGO quencher prevents this injury. To study this, we intravenously injected normoglycemic 8-week old male C57Bl6 ApoE-/- mice with normal saline (NS, n = 10) or 25 µg MGO for 10 consecutive weeks (MGOiv, n = 11) with or without 1 g/L pyridoxamine (MGOiv+PD, n = 11) in the drinking water. We measured circulating immune cells by flow cytometry. We quantified aortic arch lesion area in aortic roots after Sudan-black staining. We quantified the expression of inflammatory genes in the aorta by qPCR. Intermittent MGO spikes weekly increased atherosclerotic burden in the arch 1.8-fold (NS: 0.9 ± 0.1 vs 1.6 ± 0.2 %), and this was prevented by pyridoxamine (0.8 ± 0.1 %). MGOiv spikes increased circulating neutrophils and monocytes (2-fold relative to NS) and the expression of ICAM (3-fold), RAGE (5-fold), S100A9 (2-fold) and MCP1 (2-fold). All these changes were attenuated by pyridoxamine. This study suggests that MGO spikes damages the vasculature independently of plasma glucose levels. Pyridoxamine and potentially other approaches to reduce MGO may prevent excess cardiovascular risk in diabetes.

Alcohol consumption and microvascular dysfunction: a J-shaped association: The Maastricht Study.

BACKGROUND: Microvascular dysfunction (MVD) is an important contributor to major clinical disease such as stroke, dementia, depression, retinopathy, and chronic kidney disease. Alcohol consumption may be a determinant of MVD. OBJECTIVE: Main objectives were (1) to study whether alcohol consumption was associated with MVD as assessed in the brain, retina, skin, kidney and in the blood; and (2) to investigate whether associations differed by history of cardiovascular disease or sex. DESIGN: We used cross-sectional data from The Maastricht Study (N = 3,120 participants, 50.9% men, mean age 60 years, and 27.5% with type 2 diabetes [the latter oversampled by design]). We used regression analyses to study the association between total alcohol (per unit and in the categories, i.e. none, light, moderate, high) and MVD, where all measures of MVD were combined into a total MVD composite score (expressed in SD). We adjusted all associations for potential confounders; and tested for interaction by sex, and history of cardiovascular disease. Additionally we tested for interaction with glucose metabolism status. RESULTS: The association between total alcohol consumption and MVD was non-linear, i.e. J-shaped. Moderate versus light total alcohol consumption was significantly associated with less MVD, after full adjustment (beta [95% confidence interval], -0.10 [-0.19; -0.01]). The shape of the curve differed with sex (Pinteraction = 0.03), history of cardiovascular disease (Pinteraction < 0.001), and glucose metabolism status (Pinteraction = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The present cross-sectional, population-based study found evidence that alcohol consumption may have an effect on MVD. Hence, although increasing alcohol consumption cannot be recommended as a policy, this study suggests that prevention of MVD may be possible through dietary interventions.