Evaluating the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon bioaccumulation in adipose tissue of obese women.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are widespread across the environment and humans are unavoidably and constantly exposed to them. As lipophilic contaminants, these substances tend to accumulate in fatty tissues as adipose tissue and exposure to these endocrine disruptors has been associated with severe health hazards including prevalence and incidence of obesity. Previous studies have shown significantly higher concentrations of PAHs in adipose tissue compared to other human samples, such as urine and plasma, which are typically used for PAHs assessment. Therefore, conducting biomonitoring studies in adipose tissue is essential, although such studies are currently limited. In this study, the concentrations of 18 PAHs were measured in subcutaneous (scAT) and visceral adipose tissue (vAT) of 188 Portuguese obese females by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The obtained results were then associated with the patient's data namely: 13 clinical, 4 social, and 42 biochemical parameters. Seventeen PAHs were present, at least, in one sample of both scAT and vAT, most of them with detection frequencies higher than 80%. Indeno [1,2,3-cd]pyrene (InP) was the only PAH never detected. Overall higher concentrations of PAHs were observed in scAT. Median concentrations of ∑PAHs were 32.2 ± 10.0 ng/g in scAT and 24.6 ± 10.0 ng/g in vAT. Thirty-six significant associations (7 with social, 18 with clinical, and 11 with biochemical parameters), including 21 Spearman's correlations were identified (12 positive and 9 negative correlations). Indicating the potential effects of PAHs on various parameters such as obesity evolution, body fat, number of adipocytes, total cholesterol, alkaline phosphatase, macrominerals, uric acid, sedimentation velocity, and luteinizing hormone. This study underscores the significance of biomonitoring PAH levels in adipose tissue and their potential effects on metabolic health. Further research is essential to fully comprehend the metabolic implications of PAHs in the human body and to develop strategies for obesity prevention and treatment.

Leucine improves the growth performance, carcass traits, and lipid nutritional quality of pork in Shaziling pigs.

Leucine is involved in promoting fatty acid oxidation and lipolysis, mediating lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis, thus it has been widely used in livestock production. However, the effects of leucine on fat deposition and nutrition in Shaziling pigs remain unclear. A total of 72 Shaziling pigs (150 days old, weight 35.00 ± 1.00 kg) were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed with basal diet (control group) or basal diet containing 1% leucine (leucine group) for 60 days. The results showed that leucine significantly increased the average daily feed intake but decreased the ratio of feed to gain (P < 0.05), increased the loin muscle area and serum glucose content (P < 0.05) of Shaziling pigs. Besides, leucine regulated the re-distribution of fatty acids from adipose tissue to muscle as it significantly increased the contents of C18:1n-9 and C22:6n-3 (DHA) in the longissimus thoracis while decreased the contents of C22:5n-3 (DPA), C20:5n-3 (EPA), and DHA in the adipose tissue of Shaziling pigs (P < 0.05). Lipidomic analysis showed that the contents of phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), cardiolipins (CLs), and phosphatidylglycerols (PGs) in the longissimus thoracis and the contents of lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs), ceramides (Cers), phosphatidylinositols (PIs) in adipose tissue of Shaziling pigs were decreased in leucine group (P < 0.05). Collectively, this study clarified that dietary addition of 1% leucine have a better effect on growth performance and the deposition of beneficial fatty acids in the muscle of Shaziling pigs, which is conductive to the production of high quality and healthy pork. In addition, leucine altered the lipid composition of muscle and fat in Shaziling pigs. The related results provide a theoretical basis and application guidance for regulating fat deposition in Shaziling pigs, which is important for the healthy breeding of Shaziling pigs.

Comprehensive Matrisome Profiling of Human Adipose Tissue for Soft Tissue Reconstruction.

For effective translation of research from tissue engineering and regenerative medicine domains, the cell-instructive extracellular matrix (ECM) of specific tissues must be accurately realized. As adipose tissue is gaining traction as a biomaterial for soft tissue reconstruction, with highly variable clinical outcomes obtained, a quantitative investigation of the adipose tissue matrisome is overdue. In this study, the human adipose tissue matrisome is profiled using quantitative sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra - mass spectrometry (SWATH-MS) proteomics across a cohort of 13 fat-grafting patients, to provide characterization of ECM proteins within the tissue, and to understand human population variation. There are considerable differences in the expression of matrisome proteins across the patient cohort, with age and lipoaspirate collection technique contributing to the greatest variation across the core matrisome. A high abundance of basement membrane proteins (collagen IV and heparan sulfate proteoglycan) is detected, as well as fibrillar collagens I and II, reflecting the hierarchical structure of the tissue. This study provides a comprehensive proteomic evaluation of the adipose tissue matrisome and contributes to an enhanced understanding of the influence of the matrisome in adipose-related pathologies by providing a healthy reference cohort and details an experimental pipeline that can be further exploited for future biomaterial development.

Visible spectroscopy on lamb fat and muscle to authenticate the duration of pasture finishing.

Pasture-based livestock systems are considered environmentally-sustainable and welfare-friendly farming systems that can meet consumer demand for good-quality produce. However, trust in products labelled as 'grass-fed' depends on the ability to reliably authenticate pasture origin. The two objectives of this study were (i) to test the ability of visible spectroscopy combined with discriminant analysis on lamb perirenal fat (PF), dorsal fat (DF) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle to discriminate different durations of pasture-finishing; and (ii) to determine the timing of appearance of the pasture signature and its stabilization in these tissues. Four groups of 35 lambs were used over two years, i.e. lambs fed concentrate in-stall (L0) and lambs grazing alfalfa for 21d (L21), 42d (L42) and 63d (L63) before slaughter. No one tissue satisfactorily discriminated the four treatment groups, with ≤75% of lambs correctly classified. However, visible spectroscopy discriminated L0 from L21 + L42 + L63 lambs with an accuracy of 92.8%, 92.0%, and 85.3% lambs correctly classified on PF, DF and muscle, respectively, and discriminated L0 + L21 from L42 + L63 lambs with an accuracy of 90.1%, 76.5% and 92.3% on PF, DF and muscle, respectively. The pasture fingerprint or signature on the spectrum appeared in most lambs between 0 and 21d in PF and DF and between 0 and 42d in muscle. Pasture signature gradually stabilized with increasing time on pasture but was not entirely stabilized in any tissue within the range of grazing durations explored. These promising results need to be confirmed on larger datasets with different breeds and grazing conditions.

Estimation of carcass chemical composition in beef-on-dairy cattle using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of cold half-carcass or 11th rib cut.

The aim of the present study was to estimate the chemical composition (water, lipid, protein, mineral, and energy contents) of carcasses measured postmortem using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of cold half-carcass or 11th rib cut. One hundred and twenty beef-on-dairy (dam: Swiss Brown, sire: Angus, Limousin, or Simmental) bulls (n = 66), heifers (n = 42), and steers (n = 12) were included in the study. The reference carcass composition measured after grinding, homogenization, and chemical analyses was estimated from DXA variables using simple or multiple linear regressions with model training on 70% (n = 84) and validation on 30% (n = 36) of the observations. In the validation step, the estimates of water and protein masses from the half-carcass (R2 = 0.998 and 0.997; root mean square error of prediction [RMSEP], 1.0 and 0.5 kg, respectively) and 11th rib DXA scans (R2 = 0.997 and 0.996; RMSEP, 1.5 and 0.5 kg, respectively) were precise. Lipid mass was estimated precisely from the half-carcass DXA scan (R2 = 0.990; RMSEP = 1.0 kg) with a slightly lower precision from the 11th rib DXA scan (R2 = 0.968; RMSEP = 1.7 kg). Mineral mass was estimated from half-carcass (R²â€…= 0.975 and RMSEP = 0.3 kg) and 11th rib DXA scans (R2 = 0.947 and RMSEP = 0.4 kg). For the energy content, the R2 values ranged from 0.989 (11th rib DXA scan) to 0.996 (half-carcass DXA scan), and the RMSEP ranged from 36 (half-carcass) to 55 MJ (11th rib). The proportions of water, lipids, and energy in the carcasses were also precisely estimated (R2 ≥ 0.882) using either the half-carcass (RMSEP ≤ 1.0%) or 11th rib-cut DXA scans (RMSEP ≤ 1.3%). Precision was lower for the protein and mineral proportions (R2 ≤ 0.794, RMSEP ≤ 0.5%). The cattle category (sex and breed of sire) effect was observed only in some estimative models for proportions from the 11th rib cut. In conclusion, DXA imaging of either a cold half-carcass or 11th rib cut is a precise method for estimating the chemical composition of carcasses from beef-on-dairy cattle.

Assessment of the water, lipid, protein, mineral, and energy contents of beef carcass allows for an understanding of the bovine growth physiology and is key to determining the carcass's commercial value at the slaughterhouse. Direct measurement of the carcass chemical composition requires postmortem grinding and homogenization of a half-carcass to perform chemical analyses. This reference method is expensive, time-consuming, and destructive of edible meat. The aim of the present study was to develop an alternative and nondestructive method to determine carcass chemical composition based on image scans obtained using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Equations were calibrated to estimate the carcass composition based on the DXA scans of a whole half-carcass or a single-rib cut in an accurate, precise, fast, and reproducible way. These were established for seven types of beef-on-dairy cattle of different sexes and breeds of sire, which are among the most commonly used in specialized beef-on-dairy fattening production systems worldwide.

Accumulation of organophosphorus pollutants in adipose tissue of obese women - metabolic alterations.

Organophosphorus pesticides (OPPs) and organophosphate esters (OPEs) are organophosphorus compounds created as substitutes for persistent environmental pollutants, namely organochlorines pesticides and brominated flame retardants, respectively. However, there is evidence that organophosphorus compounds are also widespread across the environment and have adverse effects on biota. In humans, OPPs and OPEs were reported to be carcinogenic, neurotoxic, hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, amongst others. As lipophilic compounds, these accumulate in fat tissues as adipose tissue. Yet biomonitoring studies and analytical methodologies to assess these compounds in the human body are scarce, particularly in adipose tissue. In this study, the presence of six OPPs and seven OPEs was determined in samples of subcutaneous adipose tissue (scAT) and visceral adipose tissue (vAT) from 188 adult obese women. OPPs and OPEs were quantified by gas chromatography (GC) flame photometric detection and confirmed in GC tandem mass spectrometry. The detection frequencies ranged between 0.5-1.6% and 48-53%, respectively for OPPs and OPEs. Organophosphorus pollutants were present in both adipose tissues and median concentrations were 0.008 ± 0.020 µg/g scAT and 0.009 ± 0.020 µg/g vAT. A total of 32 Spearman's correlations were found between organophosphorus pollutants concentrations in adipose tissue and several biochemical parameters (18 positive and 14 negative). Our results show that anthropometric and hormonal parameters, cholesterol, glycaemia, macrominerals, urea and sedimentation velocity might be influenced by the presence of these compounds. The presence of organophosphorus pollutants in the environmental and their possible effect on female metabolic processes is concerning. Particularly because presently OPEs usage is not controlled or limited by any regulation. More studies are needed to fully understand these pollutants behaviour and hazard effects on human health, biota, and the environment so control regulations can be drawn to prevent and lessen their effects.

Bromethalin Exposure and Possible Toxicosis in a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

A free-living Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) displayed acute onset neurologic signs. Postmortem analysis of adipose tissue identified desmethylbromethalin, the active metabolite of bromethalin. Antemortem signs, detection of desmethylbromethalin, and results of other diagnostics support the possibility of secondary bromethalin toxicosis. Investigation of bromethalin's potential risk to wildlife is critically needed.

Microplastics in marine mammal blubber, melon, & other tissues: Evidence of translocation.

Marine mammals consume large quantities of microplastic particles, likely via trophic transfer (i.e., through prey who have consumed plastic) and direct consumption from seawater or sediment. Microplastics have been found in the stomachs, gastro-intestinal tracts, and feces of cetaceans and pinnipeds. Translocation of ingested microplastics has been documented in other organs of several aquatic species, but has not been examined in marine mammals. Marine mammals have highly specialized lipid-rich tissues which may increase susceptibility to lipophilic microplastics. Here we demonstrate the occurrence of microplastics, ranging in size, mass concentration, and particle count concentration from 24.4 µm - 1387 µm, 0.59 µg/g - 25.20 µg/g, and 0.04 - 0.39 particles/g, respectively, in four tissues (acoustic fat pad, blubber, lung, & melon) from twelve marine mammal species inclusive of mysticetes, odontocetes, and phocids. Twenty-two individuals were examined for microplastics using a combination of Raman spectroscopy and pyrolysis gas chromatography with mass spectrometry. Overall, 68% of individuals had at least one microplastic particle in at least one of the four tissue types, with the most common polymer and shape observed being polyethylene and fibers, respectively. These findings suggest some proportion of ingested microplastics translocate throughout marine mammal bodies posing an exposure risk to both marine mammals and people. For people, exposure could be directly through consumption for those who rely on marine mammals as food and indirectly to peoples globally who consume the same prey resources as marine mammals. Some individuals examined represent samples obtained over two decades ago, suggesting that this process, and thus exposure risk, has occurred for some time.

Assessment of synthetic musks, polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants in adipose tissue of obese northern Portuguese women - Metabolic implications.

Obesity is a worldwide multifactorial disease linked to persistent pollutants exposure amongst other factors. Humans are daily exposed to an assort of pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants and synthetic musks. These, also known as endocrine disruptors, were all found in human adipose tissue, the preferable matrix for the assessment of long-time accumulation. There are several accounts of hazardous effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and brominated flame retardants on the human organism, whereas for synthetic musks little is still known. Hence, in this study, the levels of polychlorinated biphenyls, brominated flame retardants, and synthetic musks were measured in samples of adipose tissue from 188 Obese Portuguese Women (subcutaneous or scAT and visceral or vAT). After which, associations between pollutants levels and several biochemical parameters from assorted of metabolic processes were studied. Brominated flame retardants were not found in any sample analysed, synthetic musks were found in all the samples analysed (100 % detection frequency) with median levels of 0.4 ± 0.6 µg/g in scAT and 0.4 ± 0.7 µg/g in vAT and polychlorinated biphenyls were found in the majority of samples (<90 % detection frequency) with median levels of 0.1 ± 0.3 µg/g in both tissues. Median concentrations of synthetic musks and polychlorinated biphenyls were similar between scAT and vAT. In total 315 associations were achieved with pollutants levels in adipose tissue, including 273 Spearman's correlations (146 negative and 127 positive). Additionally, 3 multiple linear regressions were achieved. Synthetic musks behave differently than polychlorinated biphenyls and other well-known persistent pollutants in the human body. Synthetic musks behaviour is yet poorly known and their high levels and detection frequencies enforces the need for more studies about their impact on human health. Understanding how these chemicals alter the metabolism is crucial knowledge and hopefully will contribute to improving the treatment and follow-up of obesity in the female population.

Assessment of the presence of UV filters and UV stabilizers in stranded dolphin blubber.

The presence of ultraviolet filters (UVFs) and stabilizers (UVSs) was evaluated for the first time in the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). UVFs and UVSs are compounds of growing concern because their effects on the environment are not completely known. UVFs and UVSs are added to personal care products (PCPs), such as cosmetics and products related to sun care and once released to the aquatic ecosystem, marine organisms can bioaccumulate these substances. This work aimed to determine the presence of 12 UVFs and UVSs in cetacean blubber samples to assess the pollution to which these animals of the highest trophic chain levels are exposed due to human activity. Analytical determinations were carried out using a method based on microwave-assisted extraction combined with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry detection. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the target compounds in the blubber tissues of five necropsied common bottlenose dolphins. Three of the 12 studied compounds, namely 2-ethylhexyl 2-cyano-3,3-diphenylprop-2-enoate (octocrilene, OC), 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (benzophenone 3, BP3) and 3-methylbutyl (E)-3-(4methoxyphenyl) prop-2-enoate (IMC), were detected in several samples. Of the identified compounds, OC was present in all the samples and at the highest concentration within the range from 52.61 ± 18.59 to 108.0 ± 11.32 ng·g-1.

Prediction of fatty acid composition in intact and minced fat of European autochthonous pigs breeds by near infrared spectroscopy.

The fatty acids profile has been playing a decisive role in recent years, thanks to technological, sensory and health demands from producers and consumers. The application of NIRS technique on fat tissues, could lead to more efficient, practical, and economical in the quality control. The study aim was to assess the accuracy of Fourier Transformed Near Infrared Spectroscopy technique to determine fatty acids composition in fat of 12 European local pig breeds. A total of 439 spectra of backfat were collected both in intact and minced tissue and then were analyzed using gas chromatographic analysis. Predictive equations were developed using the 80% of samples for the calibration, followed by full cross validation, and the remaining 20% for the external validation test. NIRS analysis of minced samples allowed a better response for fatty acid families, n6 PUFA, it is promising both for n3 PUFA quantification and for the screening (high, low value) of the major fatty acids. Intact fat prediction, although with a lower predictive ability, seems suitable for PUFA and n6 PUFA while for other families allows only a discrimination between high and low values.

A Liquid Biopsy-Based Approach to Isolate and Characterize Adipose Tissue-Derived Extracellular Vesicles from Blood.

Obesity is a major risk factor for multiple chronic diseases. Anthropometric and imaging approaches are primarily used to assess adiposity, and there is a dearth of techniques to determine the changes in adipose tissue (AT) at the molecular level. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a novel and less invasive source of biomarkers for various pathologies. Furthermore, the possibility of enriching cell or tissue-specific EVs from the biofluids based on their unique surface markers has led to classifying these vesicles as "liquid biopsies", offering valuable molecular information on hard-to-access tissues. Here, we isolated small EVs from AT (sEVAT) of lean and diet-induced obese (DIO) mice, identified unique surface proteins on sEVAT by surface shaving followed by mass spectrometry, and developed a signature of five unique proteins. Using this signature, we pulled out sEVAT from the blood of mice and validated the specificity of isolated sEVAT by measuring the expression of adiponectin, 38 adipokines on an array, and several adipose tissue-related miRNAs. Furthermore, we provided evidence of sEV applicability in disease prediction by characterizing sEVAT from the blood of lean and DIO mice. Interestingly, sEVAT-DIO cargo showed a stronger pro-inflammatory effect on THP1 monocytes compared to sEVAT-Lean and a significant increase in obesity-associated miRNA expression. Equally important, sEVAT cargo revealed an obesity-associated aberrant amino acid metabolism that was subsequently validated in the corresponding AT. Lastly, we show a significant increase in inflammation-related molecules in sEVAT isolated from the blood of nondiabetic obese (>30 kg/m2) individuals. Overall, the present study offers a less-invasive approach to characterize AT.

Imaging-based assessment of fatty acid composition in human bone marrow adipose tissue at 7 T: Method comparison and in vivo feasibility.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of chemical shift-encoded imaging of the fatty acid composition (FAC) of human bone marrow adipose tissue at 7 T, and to determine suitable image-acquisition parameters using simulations. METHODS: The noise performance of FAC estimation was investigated using simulations with a range of inter-echo time, and accuracy was assessed using a phantom experiment. Furthermore, one knee of 8 knee-healthy subjects (ages 35-54 years) was imaged, and the fractions of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were mapped. Values were compared between reconstruction methods, and between anatomical regions. RESULTS: Based on simulations, ΔTE = 0.6 ms was chosen. The phantom experiment demonstrated high accuracy of especially SFA using a constrained reconstruction model (slope = 1.1, average bias = -0.2%). The lowest accuracy was seen for PUFA using a free model (slope = 2.0, average bias = 9.0%). For in vivo images, the constrained model resulted in lower intersubject variation compared with the free model (e.g., in the femoral shaft, the SFA percent-point range was within 1.0% [vs. 3.0%]). Furthermore, significant regional FAC differences were detected. For example, using the constrained approach, the femoral SFA in the medial condyle was lower compared with the shaft (median [range]: 27.9% [27.1%, 28.4%] vs. 32.5% [31.8%, 32.8%]). CONCLUSION: Bone marrow adipose tissue FAC quantification using chemical-shift encoding is feasible at 7 T. Both the noise performance and accuracy of the technique are superior using a constrained signal model.

Effects of dietary adenosine and adenosine 5'-monophosphate supplementation on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and lipid metabolism in adipose tissues of finishing pigs.

This study investigated the effects of adenosine (ADO) and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and lipid metabolism in adipose tissues of finishing pigs. The pigs were allocated to three treatment groups: the control diet, 0.2%ADO diet, or 0.2%AMP diet. Compared with CON group (CON), both ADO and AMP groups increased in carcass straight length (P < 0.05) and decreased in drip loss (P < 0.05), while AMP group tended to increase in redness value (P = 0.05) and decreased in free amino acid content in longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle (P < 0.05). Additionally, ADO or AMP supplementation increased the ADO or AMP content in serum, adipose tissue, and LT muscle (P < 0.05), as well as the protein level of adenosine 2A receptor (A2a) in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Moreover, both ADO and AMP groups showed an increase in the expression of lipolysis genes (ATGL and HSL) in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Overall, AMP supplementation could improve meat quality, and ADO and AMP supplementation regulate the lipid metabolism of finishing pigs.

Optimization of a simple, effective, and greener methodology for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon extraction from human adipose tissue.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are environmentally persistent organic pollutants formed during incomplete combustion and pyrolysis processes. Humans are continuously exposed to PAHs which are linked to severe health effects such as diabetes, cancer, infertility, and poor foetal development, amongst others. PAHs are lipophilic compounds prone to accumulating in adipose tissue. Even though adipose tissue is the ideal matrix to assess over time accumulation of lipophilic pollutants, only a few analytical methods have been developed for this matrix. Aiming to reduce the existent gap, a method for the extraction of PAHs from adipose tissue samples using ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was developed. The behaviour of PAHs (retention, adsorption, and volatilization) over several steps of the analytical procedure was studied. Validation tests were performed on the optimized method. PAHs were quantified using a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system equipped with a photodiode array (PDA) and fluorescence (FLD) detector inline. The method achieved a low matrix effect and presents low method detection (MDL) and quantification (MQL) limits, showing suitability for a selective and sensitive determination of PAHs in adipose tissue. The extraction is performed with 0.4 g of adipose tissue and 6 mL of n-hexane and it does not require clean-up afterwards. Additionally, an Eco-Scale score of 74 and an Analytical GREEnness score of 0.66 were obtained. The method achieved is effective, simpler, greener, and easy to perform, being an alternative to conventional extraction methods. Furthermore, this method can be used as a multi-analyte methodology since it has been previously validated by the authors for the analysis of other lipophilic compounds. Naphthalene (Naph), acenaphthene (Ace), fluorene (Flu), phenanthrene (Phe), anthracene (Ant), fluoranthene (Fln), pyrene (Pyr) and benzo[k]fluoranthene (B[k]Ft) were found in all the tested adipose tissue samples.

Assessment of Fatty Acid Content in the Milk of Women from the West Pomeranian Region of Poland with Regard to Supplementation and the Amount of Adipose Tissue.

The total amount of fat in the milk of nursing mothers depends on maternal reserves, as well as food intake and its synthesis in the mammary glands. The aim of this study was to assess the contents of fatty acids in the milk of women from the West Pomeranian region of Poland with regards to supplementation and the amount of adipose tissue. We also wanted to find out whether these women, who have direct access to the sea and potential access to fresh marine fish, have higher levels of DHA. METHODS: We analyzed milk samples obtained 6-7 weeks postpartum from 60 women. The content of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) in lipids was determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) using a Clarus 600 device (PerkinElmer). RESULTS: Women using dietary supplements had significantly higher levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6 n-3) (p = 0.000) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (20:5 n-3) (p = 0.000). The levels of eicosatrienoic acid (ETA) (C20:3 n-3) and γ-linolenic acid (GLA) increased with the amount of body fat, and the level of DHA was lowest in subjects where body fat exceeded 40% (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: The contents of fatty acids in the milk of women from the West Pomeranian region of Poland were similar to that reported by other authors. The levels of DHA in women using dietary supplements was also comparable to the values reported worldwide. BMI had an effect on the levels of ETE and GLA acids.

Cross-sectional associations of persistent organic pollutants measured in adipose tissue and metabolic syndrome in clinically diagnosed middle-aged adults.

INTRODUCTION: Although often overlooked in clinical settings, accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is thought to be a relevant risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: One hundred and seventeen patients undergoing non-oncological surgery were randomly recruited and classified as MetS + if presented 3 out of the 5 MetS components: waist circumference (WC), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP, respectively), serum glucose, insulin, triglycerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, according International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. Seventeen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured in adipose tissue samples. Linear, logistic and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression models, adjusted for age and sex, were performed. RESULTS: One third of the participants were males (36.8%) with a median age of 44 years, showing clinical evidences of MetS (35.0%). Adjusted linear regression models showed that WC correlated positively with all OCP concentrations. Higher fasting serum glucose levels were related to higher HCB and γ-HCH concentrations. The remaining OCPs and PCBs were not associated with this MetS component. HCB was inversely associated with HDL cholesterol levels, while PCB-180 was positively associated. HCB and γ-HCH concentrations were also positively correlated with DBP and SBP levels. PCB-138 was also positively associated with SBP. Adjusted logistic models revealed that exposure to HCB and γ-HCH were associated with increased odds of MetS [ORs (95%CI) 1.53 (1.22-1.92) and 1.39 (1.10-1.76) respectively; p < 0.01]. No associations were observed for the remaining POPs. WQS models showed a positive and significant mixture effect of POPs on the odds of MetS (exp [beta] = 2.34; p < 0.001), with γ-HCH (52.9%), o,p'-DDT (26.9%) and HCB (19.7%) driving the association. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support that POPs accumulated in VAT, specifically HCB and (gamma)-HCH, are associated with both isolated components and clinically diagnosed SMT.

Positional and compositional analysis of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adipose tissue triglyceride by 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance.

The synthesis and turnover of triglyceride in adipose tissue involves enzymes with preferences for specific fatty acid classes and/or regioselectivity regarding the fatty acid position within the glycerol moiety. The focus of the current study was to characterize both the composition of fatty acids and their positional distribution in triglycerides of biopsied human subcutaneous adipose tissue, from subjects with wide ranges of body mass index (BMI) and insulin sensitivity, using 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The triglyceride sn2 position was significantly more enriched with monounsaturated fatty acids compared with that of sn1,3, while the abundance of saturated fatty acids was significantly lower in the sn2 position compared with that of sn1,3. Furthermore, the analysis revealed significant positive correlations between the total fraction of palmitoleic acid with both BMI and insulin sensitivity scores (homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance index). Additionally, we established that 13 C NMR chemical shifts for ω-3 signals, centered at 31.9 ppm, provided superior resolution of the most abundant fatty acid species, including palmitoleate, compared with the ω-2 signals that were used previously. 13 C NMR spectroscopy reveals for the first time a highly nonhomogenous distribution of fatty acids in the glycerol sites of human adipose tissue triglyceride, and that these distributions are correlated with different phenotypes, such as BMI and insulin sensitivity.

Assessing dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry prediction of intramuscular fat content in beef longissimus steaks.

This study assessed the capability of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to predict intramuscular fat (IMF) content of beef longissimus steaks against chemical IMF as the gold standard. DEXA performance of fat% prediction was assessed using a leave-one-out cross validation method among Angus and Nellore steaks, which generated a chemical fat% range of 14.05-36.82% and 2.46-7.84%, respectively, and using pooled data. There was a significant positive association between DEXA predicted fat and chemical fat content. However, higher precision was found for pooled data (R2 = 0.95, RMSECV = 1.95) and Angus (R2 = 0.75, RMSECV = 2.39) than Nellore (R2 = 0.15, RMSECV = 1.22) group. Accuracy also had the same response with average slope values close to 1 for pooled data and Angus and a lower value (0.42) for Nellore group. DEXA precisely predicts IMF content across a wide range of fat content. However, its precision and accuracy of prediction within low-fat content samples are lower than in high-fat content.