Different circulating ghrelin responses to isoglucidic snack food in healthy individuals.

The last decade has seen much debate on ghrelin as a potential target for treating obesity. Despite a close connection between snack food intake and obesity, snacking is controversially reviewed as a good habit in a healthy nutritional regimen. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether a different nutrient composition influences postprandial ghrelin levels and glucose increments induced by 6 isoglucidic snack food. 20 healthy individuals (10 M/10 F; BMI 23.1 ± 0.5; age 33 ± 0.67 years, mean and SE) from H San Raffaele Scientific Institute and Milan University were enrolled. The subjects underwent OGTT (50 g) and 6 isoglucidic test-meal loads to assess the ghrelin circulating levels and the area under glycemic curves induced by 6 commercial snacks. 3 h after hazelnut chocolate intake, ghrelin was significantly lower than with wafer chocolate intake (p<0.002). As a response to all snacks, the glycemic curves were not different even though hazelnut chocolate showed the lowest glycemic curve. Moreover, snack fat content was found to be inversely correlated to 3-h plasma ghrelin levels (p<0.0001; R (2)=0.77) and positively associated with satiety scores (p<0.02; R (2)=0.28). Also energy load was inversely correlated to 3-h plasma ghrelin (p<0.0001; R (2)=0.73). Our results indicate that snack food administered in equivalent glucidic loads elicits postprandial ghrelin suppression and satiety ratings in different ways. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of ghrelin as hunger-hormone in the regulation of energy balance.

Active Subjects With Autoimmune Type 1 Diabetes Have Better Metabolic Profiles Than Sedentary Controls.

Previous studies in humans with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) and in nonobese diabetic mice have investigated the beneficial immunomodulatory potential of aerobic physical activity. Performing high volume of aerobic exercise may favorably regulate autoimmunity in diabetes. We tested whether increased physical activity is a self-sufficient positive factor in T1D subjects. During a 3-month observational period, active (six males; 40.5 ± 6.1 years; BMI: 24.5 ± 2.1) and sedentary (four males, three females; 35.9 ± 8.9 years; BMI: 25.7 ± 3.8) T1D individuals on insulin pump therapy were studied for metabolic, inflammatory, and autoimmune parameters. At baseline and at the end of a 3-month period, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), autoantibodies (anti-GAD, anti-ZnT8, anti-IA2, and ICA) and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-α) were evaluated. During the third month of the period, physically active T1D patients showed a significant reduction in the average glucose levels (-9%, p = 0.025, by CGM) compared to the first month values, and even their hyperglycemic episodes (>180 mg/dl) diminished significantly (-24.2%, p = 0.032 vs. first month). Moreover, active T1D subjects exhibited an improved body composition with respect to sedentary controls. No significant changes were detected as to the autoimmune and inflammatory profiles. This study confirms the beneficial role of physical exercise associated with insulin pump therapy in order to improve metabolic control in individuals with T1D. These preliminary positive observations need to be challenged in a prolonged interventional follow-up.

The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise in the syndromic thread of diabetes and autoimmunity.

A unifying thread over the wide spectrum of diabetes might be the triggering of innate immunological and inflammatory pathways leading to insulin resistance, beta-cell dysfunction and beta-cell destruction: the hybrid features of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In fact, hyperglycemia can arise from a deficit in insulin action, insulin secretion, or both. Regularly exercising at moderate intensity has been shown to efficiently and positively impact upon physiological imbalances caused by several morbid conditions. Even in different immunological dysfunctions, physical exercise has been prescribed as a complementary therapeutic strategy. In fact, as suggested by our observations, there is a putative inverse relationship between autoimmunity markers (GAD, IA) and exercise-derived energy expenditure in type 1 pre-diabetic subjects. Exercise also has been shown to maintain muscle mitochondrial function and thus ability to maintain fuel metabolism and islet cell function. An additional benefit is the enhancement of antioxidant defense system and thus reducing oxidative stress. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to address the importance of physical exercise in a broad range of metabolic disorders that set out a common milieu in which type 1 and type 2 diabetes could be identified as one extensive syndrome.