Regulatory roles of miR-155 and let-7b on the expression of inflammation-related genes in THP-1 cells: effects of fatty acids

The main aim of this investigation was to study the regulatory roles of let-7b and miR-155-3p on the expression of inflammation-associated genes in monocytes, macrophages, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated macrophages (AcM). A second goal was to analyze the potential modulatory roles of different fatty acids, including oleic, palmitic, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA), on the expression of these miRNAs in the three cell types. This hypothesis was tested in human acute monocytic leukemia cells (THP-1), which were differentiated into macrophages with 2-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and further activated with LPS for 24 h. Monocytes, macrophages, and AcM were transfected with a negative control, or mimics for miR-155-3p and miR-let-7b-5p. The expression of both miRNAs and some proinflammatory genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR. Interestingly, let-7b mimic reduced the expression of IL6 and TNF in monocytes, and SERPINE1 expression in LPS-activated macrophages. However, IL6, TNF, and SERPINE1 were upregulated in macrophages by let-7b mimic. IL6 expression was higher in the three types of cells after transfecting with miR-155-3p mimic. Similarly, expression of SERPINE1 was increased by miR-155-3p mimic in monocytes and macrophages. However, TLR4 was downregulated by miR-155-3p in monocytes and macrophages. Regarding the effects of the different fatty acids, oleic acid increased the expression of let-7b in macrophages and AcM and also increased the expression of miR-155 in monocytes when compared with DHA but not when compared with non-treated cells. Overall, these results suggest anti- and proinflammatory roles of let-7b and miR-155-3p in THP-1 cells, respectively, although these outcomes are strongly dependent on the cell type. Noteworthy, oleic acid might exert beneficial anti-inflammatory effects in immune cells (i.e., non-activated and LPS-activated macrophages) by upregulating the expression of let-7b

Adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with methylation changes in inflammation-related genes in peripheral blood cells

Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, might be modulated by environmental factors such as the diet, which in turn have been associated with the onset of several diseases such as obesity or cardiovascular events. Meanwhile, Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) has demonstrated favourable effects on cardiovascular risk, blood pressure, inflammation and other complications related to excessive adiposity. Some of these effects could be mediated by epigenetic modifications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate whether the adherence to MedDiet is associated with changes in the methylation status from peripheral blood cells. A subset of 36 individuals was selected within the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED)-Navarra study, a randomised, controlled, parallel trial with three groups of intervention in high cardiovascular risk volunteers, two with a MedDiet and one low-fat control group. Changes in methylation between baseline and 5 years were studied. DNA methylation arrays were analysed by several robust statistical tests and functional classifications. Eight genes related to inflammation and immunocompetence (EEF2, COL18A1, IL4I1, LEPR, PLAGL1, IFRD1, MAPKAPK2, PPARGC1B) were finally selected as changes in their methylation levels correlated with adherence to MedDiet and because they presented sensitivity related to a high variability in methylation changes. Additionally, EEF2 methylation levels positively correlated with concentrations of TNF-alfa and CRP. This report is apparently the first showing that adherence to MedDiet is associated with the methylation of the reported genes related to inflammation with a potential regulatory impact

Epigenetic patterns of two gene promoters (TNF-alpha and PON) in stroke considering obesity condition and dietary intake

Some causal bases of stroke remain unclear, but the nutritional effects on the epigenetic regulation of different genes may be involved. The aim was to assess the impact of epigenetic processes of human tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alfa) and paraoxonase (PON) promoters in the susceptibility to stroke when considering body composition and dietary intake. Twenty-four patients (12 non-stroke/12 stroke) were matched by sex (12 male/12 female), age (mean 70 ± 12 years old), and BMI (12 normal-weight/12 obese; mean 28.1 ± 6.7 kg/m2). Blood cell DNA was isolated and DNA methylation levels of TNF-alfa (-186 to +349 bp) and PON (-231 to +250 bp) promoters were analyzed by the Sequenom EpiTYPER approach. Histone modifications (H3K9ac and H3K4me3) were analyzed also by chromatin immunoprecipitation in a region of TNF-α (-297 to -185). Total TNF-α promoter methylation was lower in stroke patients (p < 0.001) and showed no interaction with body composition (p = 0.807). TNF-α and PON total methylation levels correlated each other (r = 0.44; p = 0.031), especially in stroke patients (r = 0.72; p = 0.008). The +309 CpG methylation site from TNF-α promoter was related to body weight (p = 0.027) and the region containing three CpGs (from −170 to -162 bp) to the percentage of lipid intake and dietary indexes (p < 0.05) in non-stroke patients. The methylation of PON +15 and +241 CpGs was related to body weight (p = 0.021), waist circumference (p = 0.020), and energy intake (p = 0.018), whereas +214 was associated to the quality of the diet (p < 0.05) in non-stroke patients. When comparing stroke vs non-stroke patients regarding the histone modifications analyzed at TNF-α promoter, no changes were found, although a significant association was identified between circulating TNF-alfa level and H3K9ac with H3K4me3. TNF-alfa and PON promoter methylation levels could be involved in the susceptibility to stroke and obesity outcome, respectively. The dietary intake and body composition may influence this epigenetic regulation in non-stroke patients

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Diet-induced hyperinsulinemia differentially affects glucose and protein metabolism: a high-throughput metabolomic approach in rats

Metabolomics is a high-throughput tool that quantifies and identifies the complete set of biofluid metabolites. This “omics” science is playing an increasing role in understanding the mechanisms involved in disease progression. The aim of this study was to determine whether a nontargeted metabolomic approach could be applied to investigate metabolic differences between obese rats fed a high-fat sucrose (HFS) diet for 9 weeks and control diet-fed rats. Animals fed with the HFS diet became obese, hyperleptinemic, hyperglycemic, hyperinsulinemic, and resistant to insulin. Serum samples of overnight-fasted animals were analyzed by 1H NMR technique, and 49 metabolites were identified and quantified. The biochemical changes observed suggest that major metabolic processes like carbohydrate metabolism, Beta-oxidation, tricarboxylic acid cycle, Kennedy pathway, and folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism were altered in obese rats. The circulating levels of most amino acids were lower in obese animals. Serum levels of docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid, unsaturated n-6 fatty acids, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids also decreased in HFS-fed rats. The circulating levels of urea, six water-soluble metabolites (creatine, creatinine, choline, acetyl carnitine, formate, and allantoin), and two lipid compounds (phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelin) were also significantly reduced by the HFS diet intake. This study offers further insight of the possible mechanisms implicated in the development of diet-induced obesity. It suggests that the HFS diet-induced hyperinsulinemia is responsible for the decrease in the circulating levels of urea, creatinine, and many amino acids, despite an increase in serum glucose levels (AU)

Site-specific circadian expression of leptin and its receptor in human adipose tissue / Expresión circadiana específica de la localización de leptina y su receptor en tejido adiposo humano

Introduction: Circadian variability of circulating leptin levels has been well established over the last decade. However, the circadian behavior of leptin in human adipose tissue remains unknown. This also applies to the soluble leptin receptor. Objective: We investigated the ex vivo circadian behavior of leptin and its receptor expression in human adiposetissue (AT). Subjects and methods: Visceral and subcutaneous abdominal AT biopsies (n = 6) were obtained from morbid obese women (BMI 40 kg/m2). Anthropometric variables and fasting plasma glucose, leptin, lipids and lipoprotein concentrations were determined. In order to investigate rhythmic expression pattern of leptin and its receptor, A Texplants were cultured during 24-h and gene expression was analyzed at the following times: 08:00, 14:00, 20:00, 02:00 h, using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: Leptin expression showed an oscillatory pattern that was consistent with circadian rhythm in cultured AT. Similar patterns were noted for the leptin receptor. Leptin showed its achrophase (maximum expression) during the night, which might be associated to a lower degree of fat accumulation and higher mobilization. When comparing both fat depots, visceral A Tanticipated its expression towards afternoon and evening hours. Interestingly, leptin plasma values were associated with decreased amplitude of LEP rhythm. This association was lost when adjusting for waist circumference. Conclusion: Circadian rhythmicity has been demonstrated in leptin and its receptor in human AT cultures ina site-specific manner. This new knowledge paves the way for a better understanding of the autocrine/paracrine role of leptin in human AT (AU)

Introducción: La variabilidad circadiana de los niveles de leptina circulante se ha establecido en la última década, pero actualmente se desconoce el comportamiento circadiano de leptina y su receptor en tejido adiposo (TA) humano. Objetivo: Investigar si existe un comportamiento circadiano en la expresión de leptina y su receptor en TA humano. Sujetos y métodos: Se obtuvieron biopsias de TA visceral y subcutáneo abdominal de mujeres (n = 6) obesas mórbidas (IMC 40 kg/m2). Se determinaron variables antropométricas y concentraciones plasmáticas en ayunas de glucosa, leptina, lípidos y lipoproteínas. Para investigar los patrones de expresión rítmica de los genes, se cultivaron explantes de TA durante 24-h y se analizó la expresión génica a diferentes horas: 08:00, 14:00, 20:00,02:00 h, usando PCR cuantitativa a tiempo real. Resultados: La leptina mostró un patrón oscilatorio de expresión comparable a un ritmo circadiano en TA cultivado. LEPR expresó patrones circadianos similares. Laleptina presentó su acrofase (máxima expresión) durante la noche, pudiendo asociarse al bajo grado de acumulación y elevada movilización de grasa. Cuando se comparan ambos depósitos grasos, en el TA visceral se anticipóla expresión hacia la tarde/noche. Fue interesante comprobar, cómo los valores plasmáticos de leptina se asociaron con una disminución de amplitud del ritmo de LEP, pero al ajustar para la circunferencia de cintura, dicha asociación desapareció. Conclusión: Demostramos ritmicidad circadiana deleptina y su receptor en TA humano, siendo específica de la localización adiposa. Estos descubrimientos preparan el terreno para una mejor comprensión del papel autocrino/paracrino de la leptina en el TA humano (AU)

Influence of dietary macronutrient composition on adiposity and cellularity of different fat depots in Wistar rats

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The aim of this study was to investigate the role of dietary macronutrient content on adiposity parameters and adipocyte hypertrophy/hyperplasia in subcutaneous and visceral fat depots from Wistar rats using combined histological and computational approaches. For this purpose, male Wistar rats were distributed into 4 groups and were assigned to different nutritional interventions: Control group (chow diet); high-fat group, HF (60% E from fat); high-fat-sucrose group, HFS (45% E from fat and 17% from sucrose); and high-sucrose group, HS (42% E from sucrose). At day 35, rats were sacrificed, blood was collected, tissues were weighed and fragments of different fat depots were kept for histological analyses with the new softwareAdiposoft. Rats fed with HF, HFS and HS diets increased significantly body weight and total body fat against Control rats, being metabolic impairments more pronounced on HS rats than in the other groups. Cellularity analyses usingAdiposoft revealed that retroperitoneal adipose tissue is histologically different than mesenteric and subcutaneous ones, in relation to bigger adipocytes. The subcutaneous fat pad was the most sensitive to the diet, presenting adipocyte hypertrophy induced by HF diet and adipocyte hyperplasia induced by HS diet. The mesenteric fat pad had a similar but attenuated response in comparison to the subcutaneous adipose tissue, while retroperitoneal fat pad only presented adipocyte hyperplasia induced by the HS diet intake after 35 days of intervention. These findings provide new insights into the role of macronutrients in the development of hyperplastic obesity, which is characterized by the severity of the clinical features. Finally, a new tool for analyzing histological adipose samples is presented (AU)

Influence of acute and chronic administration of benzylamine on glucose tolerance in diabetic and obese mice fed on very high-fat diet

The combination of vanadate plus benzylamine has been reported to stimulateglucose transport in rodent adipocytes and to mimic other insulin actions in diversestudies. However, benzylamine alone activates glucose uptake in human fat cells andincreases glucose tolerance in rabbits. The aim of this work was to unravel the benzylamineantihyperglycemic action and to test whether its chronic oral administrationcould restore the defective glucose handling of mice rendered slightly obese anddiabetic by very high-fat diet (VHFD). When VHFD mice were i.p. injected withbenzylamine at 0.7 to 700 ìmol/kg before glucose tolerance test, they exhibitedreduced hyperglycemic response without alteration of insulin secretion. Whole bodyglucose turnover, as assessed by the glucose isotopic dilution technique, wasunchanged in mice perfused with benzylamine (total dose of 75 ìmol/kg). However,their in vivo glycogen synthesis rate was increased. Benzylamine appeared thereforeto directly facilitate glucose utilisation in peripheral tissues. When given chronicallyat 2000 or 4000 ìmol/kg/d in drinking water, benzylamine elicited a slightreduction of water consumption but did not change body weight or adiposity anddid not modify oxidative stress markers. Benzylamine treatment improved glucosa tolerance but failed to normalize the elevated glucose fasting plasma levels of VHFDmice. There was no influence of benzylamine ingestion on lipolytic activity, basal andinsulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and on inflammatory adipokine expression inadipocytes. The improvement of glucose tolerance and the lack of adverse effects onadipocyte metabolism, reported here in VHFD mice allow to consider orally givenbenzylamine as a potential antidiabetic strategy which deserves to be further studied in other diabetic models (AU)

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Expanding role for the apelin/APJ system in physiopathology

Apelin is a bioactive peptide known as the ligand of the G protein-coupled receptorAPJ. Diverse active apelin peptides exist under the form of 13, 17 or 36 aminoacids, originated from a common 77-amino-acid precursor. Both apelin and APJmRNA are widely expressed in several rodent and human tissues and have functionaleffects in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Apelin has beenshown to be involved in the regulation of cardiovascular functions, fluid homeostasis,vessel formation and cell proliferation. More recently, apelin has been describedas an adipocyte-secreted factor (adipokine), up-regulated in obesity. By acting as circulatinghormone or paracrine factor, adipokines are involved in physiological regulations(fat depot development, energy storage, metabolism or eating behavior) or inthe promotion of obesity-associated disorders (type 2 diabetes and cardiovasculardysfunctions). In this regard, expression of apelin gene in adipose tissue is increasedby insulin and TNFalpha. This review will consider the main roles of apelin in physiopathologywith particular attention on its role in energy balance regulation and inobesity-associated disorders (AU)

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Influence of acute and chronic administration ofbenzylamine on glucose tolerance in diabetic andobese mice fed on very high-fat diet

The combination of vanadate plus benzylamine has been reported to stimulateglucose transport in rodent adipocytes and to mimic other insulin actions in diversestudies. However, benzylamine alone activates glucose uptake in human fat cells andincreases glucose tolerance in rabbits. The aim of this work was to unravel the benzylamineantihyperglycemic action and to test whether its chronic oral administrationcould restore the defective glucose handling of mice rendered slightly obese anddiabetic by very high-fat diet (VHFD). When VHFD mice were i.p. injected withbenzylamine at 0.7 to 700 ìmol/kg before glucose tolerance test, they exhibitedreduced hyperglycemic response without alteration of insulin secretion. Whole bodyglucose turnover, as assessed by the glucose isotopic dilution technique, wasunchanged in mice perfused with benzylamine (total dose of 75 ìmol/kg). However,their in vivo glycogen synthesis rate was increased. Benzylamine appeared thereforeto directly facilitate glucose utilisation in peripheral tissues. When given chronicallyat 2000 or 4000 ìmol/kg/d in drinking water, benzylamine elicited a slightreduction of water consumption but did not change body weight or adiposity anddid not modify oxidative stress markers. Benzylamine treatment improved glucose tolerance but failed to normalize the elevated glucose fasting plasma levels of VHFDmice. There was no influence of benzylamine ingestion on lipolytic activity, basal andinsulin-stimulated glucose uptake, and on inflammatory adipokine expression inadipocytes. The improvement of glucose tolerance and the lack of adverse effects onadipocyte metabolism, reported here in VHFD mice allow to consider orally givenbenzylamine as a potential antidiabetic strategy which deserves to be further studiedin other diabetic models (AU)

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Expanding role for the apelin/APJ systemin physiopathology

Apelin is a bioactive peptide known as the ligand of the G protein-coupled receptorAPJ. Diverse active apelin peptides exist under the form of 13, 17 or 36 aminoacids, originated from a common 77-amino-acid precursor. Both apelin and APJmRNA are widely expressed in several rodent and human tissues and have functionaleffects in both the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Apelin has beenshown to be involved in the regulation of cardiovascular functions, fluid homeostasis,vessel formation and cell proliferation. More recently, apelin has been describedas an adipocyte-secreted factor (adipokine), up-regulated in obesity. By acting as circulatinghormone or paracrine factor, adipokines are involved in physiological regulations(fat depot development, energy storage, metabolism or eating behavior) or inthe promotion of obesity-associated disorders (type 2 diabetes and cardiovasculardysfunctions). In this regard, expression of apelin gene in adipose tissue is increasedby insulin and TNFá. This review will consider the main roles of apelin in physiopathologywith particular attention on its role in energy balance regulation and inobesity-associated disorders (AU)

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