Serum Triglyceride Concentrations Research Articles

The protective effect of red cabbage on water-soluble fractions of spent crankcase oil-induced alterations in lipid function biomarkers and atherogenic indices in male Albino rats.

Spent crankcase oil (SCO) contains a cocktail of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), transferred to the associated water-soluble fractions (WSF); and low-dose heavy metals exposures could increase the triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), and very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL) concentrations. Hence, this study estimated the changes in the lipid profile and atherogenic indices (AI) of male Wistar albino rats exposed to the WSF of SCO and treated with aqueous extracts (AE) of red cabbage (RC) for 60 and 90days. Sixty-four male Wistar rats divided into 8 groups (8 animals each) were orally administered 1mL of deionized water, 500mg/kg AE of RC, 1mL of 25%, 50%, and 100% WSF of SCO daily for 60 and 90days, whereas alternate groups were given the stated percentages of the WSF and the AE. Serum TG, TC, LDL, and VLDL concentrations were then analyzed using appropriate kits and the AI estimated thereafter. Although the 60days study presented a nonsignificant (P<0.05) difference in the TG, VLDL, and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-C levels in all the exposed and treated groups, a significantly (P<0.05) elevated TC and non-HDL was recorded for the 100% exposed group alone. Also, the LDL concentration of all exposed groups was higher than all treated groups. The findings at the 90th day was different, such that the 100% and 25% exposed only groups had elevated lipid profile (except HDL-C) concentrations and AI compared with other groups. RC extracts can act as good hypolipidemic agents in WSF of SCO hyperlipidemia potentiating events.

Effects of a high-fat diet on the growth performance, lipid metabolism, and the fatty acids composition of liver and skin fat in Pekin ducks aged from 10 to 40 days

This study aimed to investigate the effect of a high-fat diet on the growth performance, serum, liver, and skin lipid metabolism as well as the fatty acids composition of liver and skin fat in Pekin ducks from 10 to 40 d of age based on a pair-fed group. Two hundred forty healthy male ducks (10 d old, 470.53 ± 0.57 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups (8 replicates per cage of 10 ducks): a normal diet (ND, 3% fat), a high-fat diet (HFD, 9% fat), and a pair-fed diet (PFD, given the ND in an amount equal to that consumed of the HFD to eliminate the effects of feed intake). The results were as follows: compared to ND feeding, HFD feeding significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the feed intake and feed:gain ratio (F:G), along with serum triglyceride and nonesterified fatty acid contents. When compared with the ND and PFD, the HFD significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the liver weight and inhibited hepatic de novo lipogenesis (glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activities), β-oxidation (carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 content), and decreased saturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids deposition. Moreover, the HFD significantly increased (P < 0.05) the total fat content, lipid droplet area, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) content in the liver, as well as the abdominal fat weight, subcutaneous fat weight, the total fat and PUFAs content in skin fat. These results suggested that the HFD improved feed efficiency, which was related to HFD feeding inhibiting hepatic de novo lipogenesis and β-oxidation and promoting the deposition of fat in skin as well as altering the fatty acids composition of the liver and skin fat in Pekin ducks.

Effects of Acute High-Temperature Stress on Physical Responses of Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares)

To understand the physiological reactions of juvenile yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) under acute high-temperature stress, this study measured the changes in biochemical indexes of serum, liver, gill, and muscle of yellowfin tuna under acute high-temperature stress (HT, 34 °C) and a control group (28 °C) for 0 h and 6 h, 24 h and 48 h. The rising speed of water temperature in the HT group was 2 °C/h and the timing started when the temperature reached 34 °C. In the HT group, there was no significant difference between the four adjacent times in cortisol and lactic acid concentration. Serum triglyceride, cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase concentration were significantly different from the four adjacent times. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver and gills increased at 6 h and 24 h, and the gills and liver had antioxidant reactions in a short time. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the gills changed significantly at 6 h, while that in the liver did not change significantly. The gills were more sensitive to temperature stress than the liver and muscle. Acute high-temperature stress affected yellowfin tuna’s antioxidant enzymes and metabolic indexes, resulting negative trend in physiological indexes, indicating that yellowfin tuna juveniles are susceptible to elevated temperature.

Assessment of Vitamin D Levels in Relation to Statin Therapy in Elderly Hypertensive Patients with Comorbidities

Abstract Background: Statin therapy is commonly used on the long term in hypertensive patients with dyslipidemia and can interfere with vitamin D metabolism. Overweight/obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) are frequently associated with hypertension. The aim of the study was the assessment of vitamin D status in elderly hypertensive patients with metabolic comorbidities with/without statin therapy, in relation to body mass index (BMI) and lipid profile parameters. Material and methods: The study group included 89 hypertensive patients (61 statin-treated) admitted to the Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Clinical Hospital in Târgu Mureș between 2019 and 2021. Vitamin D levels were measured by ELISA method, lipid profile parameters by photometric procedures. Calculated values were LDL-cholesterol and BMI. Results: Obesity and DM were present in association with hypertension in 51% of the subjects. A total of 89% of the enrolled hypertensive patients had hypovitaminosis D. Average serum vitamin D of the studied subjects was 14.27 ± 11.96 ng/mL. No significant difference was obtained in vitamin D levels depending on gender, the presence/absence of statin therapy, and DM as a comorbidity. A negative correlation was seen between serum HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations (r = –0.3988, p = 0.0008) and between HDL levels and BMI (r = –0.3114, p = 0.0475). Conclusions: Suboptimal vitamin D levels were present in the majority of the studied hypertensive patients regardless of the statin therapy, which reveals the importance of concomitant assessment of vitamin D levels, especially in elderly subjects presenting chronic metabolic comorbidities.

Effectiveness of Grape Seed Extract in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver: A Randomized Double-Blind Clinical Study

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as a metabolic disorder has a high prevalence. Increasing serum concentrations of liver enzymes, lipid profiles, and fasting blood sugar (FBS) are the most laboratory findings in NAFLD. Efforts to identify effective treatments with fewer side effects to address these impairments are increasing. Grape seed extract (GSE) is rich in antioxidants (eg, proanthocyanidins (Pas), which it has beneficial effects reported previously). Objectives: We evaluated the effect of GSE on biochemical markers in NAFLD patients. Methods: The current randomized, double-blind clinical trial was investigated the GSE effect on patients with NAFLD. The patients were assigned into 2 groups (GSE and control groups). The duration of treatment was considered 2 months. The GSE group received GSE capsules (200 mg, two times a day for 2 months), and the control group received placebo (200 mg starch). The serum concentration of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), FBS, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and cholesterol were assessed at baseline, 1 month, and 2 months after treatment. Body mass index (BMI) and HDL/LDL ratio were assayed at different times. Results: The levels of AST, ALT, FBS, TG, HDL, LDL, and cholesterol significantly decreased, (P-value &lt; 0.05), and the level of HDL significantly increased in patients who received GSE 200 mg twice a day for 2 months (P-value &lt; 0.05) compared to control group, but BMI and weight did not change significantly (P-value &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: Grape seed extract can be effective in fatty liver patients; such results may be contributed to the antioxidant properties of GSE due to the high amount of PAs and similar constituents in GSE. However, more investigations are needed to clarify the exact involved mechanism of GSE.

Functional genetic variation in 3’UTR of PARP1 indicates a decreased risk and a better severity of ischemic stroke

Aim of the study: Polymorphisms of DNA repair enzyme gene may alter the ability of damage repair, ischemic stroke susceptibility and outcome. This study aimed to explore the association of polymorphisms in PARP1 and the effects of interactions between genes in Chinese.Materials and methods: A total of 500 patients and 500 healthy controls were enrolled for genotyping. Results: Clinical information analysis revealed higher levels of alcohol and smoking exposure in patients with ischemic stroke, as well as chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and higher serum triglycerides concentration. In addition, Polymorphism in PARP1 rs8679 was significantly associated with the decreased ischemic stroke risk. Patients harboring the PARP1 rs8679 AG/GG genotype had a better initial stroke, and as for the mRNA level of PARP1, it was suppressed with mutant genotype in comparison with the wild genotype. Finally, the suppressed of PARP1 was induced by gain-binding ability of miR-124-5p through 3’UTR directly binding.Conclusions: In conclusion, our study demonstrates that the SNP rs8679 in PARP1 3′-UTR might act as a protective factor for the outcome of patients with ischemic stroke.

Longitudinal trends in lipid profile in indian children and youth with type-1 diabetes: a 5-year follow up from a single centre.

High prevalence of dyslipidaemia in children and adolescents with type-1 diabetes (T1D) places them at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis leading to mortality caused by cardiovascular disease(CVD). Thus, screening for fasting blood lipids when diabetes is stabilized in children aged 11 years and above is routinely recommended with follow-up every 5 years. (1) To characterize the lipid profile of children and adolescents with respect to diabetes duration. (2) To describe longitudinal changes in lipid profile over a 5-year period in patients with T1D. This longitudinal 5-year follow-up study included 112 patients with T1D aged 3-18 years. Demographic data, anthropometry and laboratory measurements were performed using standard protocols at baseline and endline. P value < 0.05 was considered significant. The prevalence of dyslipidaemia in our study was 49.5% with abnormal LDL as the most frequently deranged parameter. Duration of illness played a major role in deterioration of lipid profile mediated by triglyceride and VLDL. Duration of illness and fibre intake in diet significantly predicted the change in lipid profile which were driven by triglycerides and VLDL. Glycemic control, insulin sensitivity and serum TSH also significantly altered components of lipid profile with no impact on overall dyslipidaemia. A total of 6.5% subjects had LDL concentrations >130 mg/dl and the same proportion had non-HDL cholesterol concentrations >145 mg/dl at baseline while at endline, 11.9% subjects had LDL concentrations >130 mg/dl and 15.6% subjects had non-HDL cholesterol concentrations >145 mg/dl. 28.6% subjects with LDL > 130 mg/dl and non-HDL cholesterol >145 mg/dl at baseline had persistently elevated concentrations while 10.3% and 14.4% additional subjects developed elevated LDL and non-HDL cholesterol concentrations respectively during the study period. The deterioration of lipid profile in T1D, due to increase in disease duration was chiefly mediated by increase in serum triglyceride and VLDL concentrations which may be prevented by improving glycaemic control, insulin sensitivity and fibre intake in diet.

Preliminary observations on the use of ertugliflozin in the management of hyperinsulinaemia and laminitis in 51 horses: A case series

SummaryBackgroundHyperinsulinaemia‐associated laminitis (HAL) is encountered commonly in equine practice. There are currently no registered medications which specifically target hyperinsulinaemia in horses and ponies. Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) have been demonstrated to limit post‐prandial insulin responses and prevent the development of diet‐induced laminitis.ObjectivesThe objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of an SGLT2i, ertugliflozin, in the management of hyperinsulinaemia and laminitis.Study designRetrospective case series.MethodsMedical records of 51 horses and ponies that had presented with laminitis and hyperinsulinaemia and had been treated with oral ertugliflozin at 0.05 mg/kg once daily for a minimum of 30 days were reviewed.ResultsAfter 30 days of treatment with ertugliflozin, there was a reduction in insulin concentrations from a median of &gt;300 μu/ml (IQR: 149, &gt;300) to 43 μu/ml (IQR: 20, 66) (p &lt; 0.001). Modified Obel laminitis scores improved, reducing from a median of 10/12 to 1/12 (p &lt; 0.001). Median serum triglyceride concentrations increased from 0.6 (IQR: 0.4, 0.9) before treatment to 1.4 (IQR: 0.8, 3.7) mmol/L after 30 days of treatment (p &lt; 0.001) before declining, however, none of the horses developed any clinical signs of hyperlipaemia. Ten horses (19%) were reported to have polyuria and polydipsia during treatment, otherwise no adverse clinical effects were identified.Main limitationsThe study was limited by the absence of a control group, the retrospective data collection and the short period of follow‐up.ConclusionsErtugliflozin may be effective in reducing insulin concentrations in horses and ponies with equine metabolic syndrome and its use may hasten recovery from laminitis associated with hyperinsulinaemia.

Influence of Expander Conditioning Prior to Pelleting on Pellet Quality, Broiler Digestibility and Performance at Constant Amino Acids Composition while Decreasing AMEN.

Physical pellet quality and AMEN concentration are strongly related to each other in broiler feeding. A study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between dietary AMEN concentration and feed processing on pellet quality, nutrient digestibility, broiler performance, serum markers, and yield of commercial cuts. Six diets were formulated. The first diet had the recommended AMEN concentration, each further diet was calculated with 40 kcal/kg less, from 0 to -200 kcal/kg, resulting in six levels for each feed phase: starter (1-14 d), grower (15-28 d), and finisher (29-35 d). These diets were processed with and without expander conditioning prior to pelleting, using an average corn particle size of 1.6 mm, ground with a roller mill. A total of 1008 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were placed in a 6 × 2 (6 energy levels and 2 conditionings) factorial trial with six boxes as replications, with three in each broiler performance trial period. Excreta were collected 2 days before the end of each feed phase for apparent total tract digestibility measurement. On day 36, four broilers from each replication (pen) were weighed and then euthanized for blood collection, following which the gastrointestinal organs were weighed, and the ileal and gizzard contents were collected. On day 37, all remaining broilers were slaughtered after fasting to measure commercial cuts and abdominal fat. The results show that the pellet durability index (PDI) was most affected by energy reducing and expander conditioning prior to pelleting, and it was better when diets had energy reduced by 40 to 200 kcal/kg (p &gt; 0.001), as when expander conditioning was used. Digestibility of nutrients was slightly affected by treatments, as was the broiler performance; however, feed efficiency was improved in broiler-fed diets without AMEN reduction and when an expander was used, with p = 0.050 and p = 0.031, respectively. No effects were observed on the weight of gastrointestinal tract organs and serum markers, except for liver (p = 0.037) and α-amylase (p = 0.047). The lowest liver weight and lowest serum protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, gamma-glutamyl, and lipase concentrations were obtained when diets were formulated without energy reduction (Ross-0). There was no effect on commercial cuts relative to live weight at slaughter. The energy reduction was well reflected in the proportion of abdominal fat, which decreased when AMEN was reduced (p = 0.001). The present study shows it is possible to use diets with up to 200 kcal/kg reduction in AMEN without losses in performance, and the use of expander conditioning prior to pelleting promotes higher pellet quality and broiler feed efficiency.

Inverse association of a traditional Korean diet composed of a multigrain rice-containing meal with fruits and nuts with metabolic syndrome risk: The KoGES

Hansik, a traditional Korean diet, may have a beneficial impact on metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk as dietary westernization increases its prevalence. We examined the hypothesis that adherence to the hansik diet may be inversely associated with the risk of MetS and its components and sought to understand the gender differences in 58,701 men and women aged over 40. Hansik was defined using 14 components from which the Korean dietary pattern index (Kdiet-index) was generated by summing their scores. Low-hansik intake was defined as the Kdiet-index with <8. MetS was categorized based on the 2005 revised NCEP-ATP III criteria modified for Asians. The Kdiet-index score was negatively associated with the dietary inflammation index and showed that the high intake of a meal with multigrain rice, fruits, and their products, and nuts, and low intake of fried foods were inversely associated with MetS by 0.707, 0.864, 0.769, and 0.918 times, respectively, after adjusting for covariates. More women and participants with more educated and lower income belonged to the high-hansik group, and participants with high self-rated health scores consumed more hansik. All participants on a high-hansik diet were associated with a 0.87 time lower risk of MetS. Specifically, the association between hansik intake and MetS risk was not significant among men following stratification by gender. Body composition, including the body mass index, waist circumference, and fat mass, was inversely associated with hansik intake, while the skeletal muscle mass index was positively associated with the hansik intake in each gender and all participants. In all the participants in the high-hansik group, no significant changes were seen in the serum glucose and HDL concentration. However, a high-hansik intake showed lower blood pressure and serum LDL and triglyceride concentrations only in men and a higher glomerular filtration rate in both genders. Hansik intake might improve MetS risk, with its primary beneficial effects on body composition, dyslipidemia, and blood pressure gender-dependently.

Ginkgolide B alleviates oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting GPX4 ubiquitination to improve diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the leading cause of end‑stage renal disease. Although Ginkgo biloba extract has a protective effect on DN, the protective effect and mechanism of its active ingredient Ginkgolide B (GB) on DN remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether GB improves DN via alleviating oxidative stress and ferroptosis by inhibiting GPX4 ubiquitination in PA-G-induced mouse podocytes and DN mice. The study in vitro showed that GB effectively reduced serum total cholesterol, triglyceride concentrations and lipid accumulation in PA-G-induced MPC5 cells. In addition, GB promoted the expression of ferroptosis markers GPX4 and FTH1, while inhibited the expression of TfR1, fibrosis markers α-SMA and Collagen α1, as well as intracellular iron content and ROS levels. Interference of GPX4 expression with siRNA counteracted the effect of GB. And GB inhibited GPX4 ubiquitination in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo the experimental results showed that GB effectively reduced hyperglycemia, serum total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, reduced urinary albumin excretion and the number of renal lipid droplets, and improved changes in renal structure in DN mice. GB inhibited the expression of ferroptosis marker TfR1 and fibrosis markers α-SMA and Collagen α1, while promoted the expression of ferroptosis markers GPX4 and FTH1. In conclusion, the results suggested that GB may improve DN via protecting the kidney from ferroptosis and oxidative stress damage by inhibiting the ubiquitination of GPX4. These findings suggested that GB, a natural medicine, may be an effective therapeutic option for DN.

Anti-obesity effects of corn peptide on 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and C57BL/6J obese mice

ABSTRACT Corn peptide (CP) is a small, natural, biologically active peptide obtained by protease-catalysed hydrolysis of corn. CP exerts antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidant, and antitumor effects, as well as prevents cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although CP plays a role in preventing obesity-related diseases, its role in reducing obesity has not yet been determined. In this study, we analysed the inhibitory effects of CP on lipid droplet accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced C57BL/6J Obese Mice. The results show that CP could inhibit preadipocyte differentiation and oil accumulation in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Oral CP administration reduced serum triglyceride (TG) content, epididymal fat weight, abnormal liver fat droplet accumulation, and C/EBPα expression. Furthermore, combination of CP administration and exercise reduced body, liver, and adipose tissue weights; decreased serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels; and inhibited hepatic lipid droplet accumulations and epididymal fat cell hypertrophy. Additionally, this combination inhibited the expression of transcription factors, C/EBPα, C/EBPβ, and PPARγ, and adipogenic factors, FABP4 in mice. In conclusion, oral administration of CP inhibited lipid droplet accumulation and counteracted HFD-induced obesity in mice.

ODP248 The Effects of Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein-3 on Metabolism During Short Term Fasting in Mice in Vivo

Abstract IGFBP-3 is the main abundant circulating IGFBP and plays an important role in the metabolic effect of IGF-1. We investigated the effects of IGFBP-3 on metabolism in short-term fasting and found that when IGFBP-3 was added to mice, serum triglyceride concentration were significantly enhanced. Fasting also significantly enhanced triglyceride concentration in liver and serum to the same degree as IGFBP-3. IGFBP-3 transfection suppressed the expression of ketogenesis and beta oxidation genes in liver after 24 h fasting. Also, they were shown significantly increase oflipolysis related protein expression in peripheral adipocyte and decrease the adipocyte size. Additionally, fat accumulation was more increased in the liver transfected with IGFBP-3 after fasting than controls. These in vivo findings demonstrate that IGFBP-3 has potent lipid metabolism and fasting-antagonizing capability and suggest a role for IGFBP-3 in the pathogenesis and homeostasis control of metabolism. Presentation: No date and time listed

Effects of Rosa roxburghii on insulin resistance in obese rats and its mechanisms

Objective: To investigate the effects of Rosa roxburghii on insulin resistance in obese rats and the regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/ protein kinase Bβ(PKBβ/Akt2)/ glucose transporter 4(GLUT4) signaling pathway. Methods: Five-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC), model group (M), positive control group (PC), low-dose rosa roxburghii group (LD) and high-dose rosa roxburghii group (HD), with 10 rats in each group. The rats in the NC group were fed with normal diet, while those in the M, PC, LD and HD groups were fed with high-fat diet. From the 13th week, according to the dose standard of 6 ml/kg, rats in the LD group were intragastrically administered with 100 mg/kg Rosa roxburghii Tratt, the HD group were treated with 300 mg/kg Rosa roxburghii Tratt, the PC group were treated with 0.11 g/kg Chiglitazar sodium, and the NC and M groups were intragastrically administered with the same volume of normal saline. The body weight was measured every week until 20 weeks. The rats were sacrificed 24 h after the last experiment. Blood and skeletal muscle were collected. Serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) contents were detected by colorimetric method, serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was detected by xanthine oxidase method, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content was detected by thiobarbituric acid method, blood glucose (FBG) value was detected by glucose oxidase method, insulin (FINS) content was detected by ELISA, and PI3K, Akt2, and GLUT4 protein and gene expressions were detected by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results: Compared with the NC group, the body weight, serum MDA, TG, TC, FBG, FINS, HOMA-IR levels in the M group were significantly increased (P＜0.01), while SOD activity, PI3K、Akt2、GLUT4 protein and mRNA expression levels were significantly increased(P＜ 0.01). Compared with group M, the body weight, serum MDA, TG, TC, FBG, FINS, and HOMA-IR were decreased significantly in LD group, HD group and PC group (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01), while SOD activity, PI3K, Akt2, GLUT4 protein and mRNA expression levels were increased significantly (P＜0.05 or P＜0.01). Conclusion: Rosa roxburghii can improve insulin resistance in obese rats by antioxidant stress and up-regulating the expressions of PI3K, Akt2, and GLUT4 proteins and genes, which may be related to the PI3K/Akt2/GLUT4 signaling pathway.

Carbohydrate metabolism and lipid profile in patients with Parkinson's disease with subthalamic deep brain stimulation.

Assessment of potential effect of subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) on glucose metabolism in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Although a valuable alternative to pharmacotherapy in advanced PD, STN-DBS is thought to negatively affect the cardiometabolic profile of patients (including body mass, lipid profile). Exacerbation of glucose metabolism dysregulation after DBS could therefore be assumed. Two groups of patients with Parkinson's disease were included: 20 treated pharmacologically (PHT) and 20 newly qualified for STN-DBS (DBS) - with the first assessment prior to surgery, and the second 11 months after surgery on average. Body mass index (BMI), plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglycerides (TG) and glucose levels during a three-point oral glucose tolerance test were measured three times (median intervals between visits 12 and 14 months respectively). Significant differences between the two groups were noted with respect to changes in BMI, and serum concentration of TG and HDL-C over the course of the study. In the DBS group, a significant increase in BMI (26.42 vs. 27.24 kg/m2, p = 0.03) and TG level (103.8 vs. 142.8 mg/dL, p < 0.001) with a simultaneous decrease in HDL-C level (54.4 vs. 46 mg/dL, p < 0.01) was observed. Mean glucose level after oral glucose administration was lower in the DBS than in the PHT group (147.4 vs. 120.2 mg/dL, p = 0.03 after one hour and 109.9 vs. 82.3 mg/dL, p < 0.01 after two hours) during the second visit. Also inter-visit changes in fasting glucose levels (8.4 mg/dL in the PHT group and -5.8 mg/dL in the DBS group, p = 0.02) differed over the study duration. Our observations are similar to previous ones indicating less favourable changes in BMI and some lipid fractions in patients treated surgically. Interestingly, such a trend was not observed for glucose metabolism parameters, suggesting that mechanisms other than simple body mass changes are involved in early biochemical changes after STN-DBS in PD patients. The metabolic consequences of DBS require further investigation as an additional factor potentially affecting the outcome of therapy, and routine patient follow-up should not be limited to neurological and psychological assessments.

BIOCHEMICAL ENERGY AND HEMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF SHEEP SUPPLEMENTED WITH SOY MOLASSES

Soy molasses is a by-product of the soy industry, with low commercial cost and rich in carbohydrates and proteins. Despite the great variety of by-products and being potentially beneÞ cial, it is not fully understood how the interaction between the nutrients in this product and the physiological changes in sheep occurs. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the effects of supplementation levels with soy molasses on the energy metabolites and hematological parameters of sheep. The treatments consisted of 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12% of inclusion of soy molasses in dry matter basis for a basal diet of corn silage, which met the nutritional needs of the sheep in maintenance, distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The energy metabolites evaluated were: cholesterol, triglycerides, very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDL), and fructosamine. The hematological parameters were: red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrits, and platelets, in addition to leukocytes, rods, neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Supplementation with soy molasses did not signiÞ cantly alter (P&gt; 0.05) the serum concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL, and fructosamine. There was no signiÞ cant difference in the blood cell, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet concentrations in sheep receiving soy molasses supplementation (P&gt; 0.05), which may indicate that the level of inclusion was sufÞ cient to meet the nutritional needs of the animals, without damage. Leukocyte, rod, neutrophil, eosinophil, monocyte, and lymphocyte concentrations did not change (P&gt; 0.05) with the inclusion of soy molasses in the sheep’s diet, indicating the absence of intoxication, diseases, and infections. It can be concluded that supplementation with soy molasses does not alter the energy metabolites and hematological parameters of sheep in maintenance.

Influence of acute and chronic intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposure prior to aerobic exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in geriatric patients-a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intermittent hypoxic-hyperoxic exposure (IHHE) and aerobic training have been proposed as non-pharmacological interventions to reduce age-related risk factors. However, no study has yet examined the effects of IHHE before aerobic exercise on cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute and chronic effects of IHHE prior to aerobic cycling exercise on blood lipid and lipoprotein concentrations as well as blood pressure in geriatric patients. Methods: In a randomized, controlled, and single-blinded trial, thirty geriatric patients (72-94years) were assigned to two groups: intervention (IG; n = 16) and sham control group (CG; n = 14). Both groups completed 6 weeks of aerobic cycling training, 3 times a week for 20min per day. The IG and CG were additionally exposed to IHHE or sham IHHE (i.e., normoxia) for 30min prior to aerobic cycling. Blood samples were taken on three occasions: immediately before the first, ∼10min after the first, and immediately before the last session. Blood samples were analyzed for total (tCh), high-density (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (Tgl) serum concentration. Resting systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was assessed within 1week before, during (i.e., at week two and four), and after the interventions. Results: The baseline-adjusted ANCOVA revealed a higher LDL-C concentration in the IG compared to the CG after the first intervention session (ηp 2 = 0.12). For tCh, HDL-C, Tgl, and tCh/HDL-C ratio there were no differences in acute changes between the IG and the CG (ηp 2 ≤ 0.01). With regard to the chronic effects on lipids and lipoproteins, data analysis indicated no differences between groups (ηp 2 ≤ 0.03). The repeated measures ANOVA revealed an interaction effect for SBP (ηp 2 = 0.06) but not for DBP (ηp 2 ≤ 0.01). Within-group post-hoc analysis for the IG indicated a reduction in SBP at post-test (d = 0.05). Conclusion: Applying IHHE prior to aerobic cycling seems to be effective to reduce SBP in geriatric patients after 6 weeks of training. The present study suggests that IHHE prior to aerobic cycling can influence the acute exercise-related responses in LDL-C concentration but did not induce chronic changes in basal lipid or lipoprotein concentrations.

Can Taurine Supplementation in a Diet with Soybean Meal Instead of Fish Meal Improve the Growth Performance, Feed Utilization, and Antioxidant Capacity of Spotted Knifejaw (Oplegnathus punctatus)?

To determine the impact of replacing fish meal (FM) in the diet with various levels of soybean meal (SBM) on the spotted knifejaw Oplegnathus punctatus, a 56 day feeding trial was done. Seven diets were formulated with SBM to replace 0% (SBM0), 30% (SBM30), 40% (SBM40), 50% (SBM50), 60% (SBM60), and 70% (SBM70) of FM protein, and SBM50 + T was developed on the basis of SBM50 with the addition of 1.2% taurine. There were triplicate groups of 18 fish (initial weight: 14.62 ± 0.02 g). The weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency (FE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) values of the SBM0, SBM30, and SBM50 + T groups were found to be significantly higher than those of the SBM60 and SBM70 groups (p &lt; 0.05). The daily energy gain (DEG), daily nitrogen gain (DNG), daily lipid gain (DLG), energy retention (ER), nitrogen retention (NR), and lipid retention (LR) values decreased significantly with increasing dietary SBM levels (p &lt; 0.05). The highest retention of most amino acids (except lysine) was observed in the SBM30 group (p &lt; 0.05). The lipid content of the whole body and dorsal muscle decreased significantly as dietary SBM levels increased (p &lt; 0.05). Fish fed the SBM70 diet had the lowest serum triglyceride (TG) concentrations (p &lt; 0.05). The effects of different treatments on total cholesterol (T-CHO) were not significant (p &gt; 0.05). Fish fed the SBM0 and SBM30 diets had the highest amylase (AMS) and lipase (LPS) activities (p &lt; 0.05). The lowest liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were observed in the SBM70 group. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration of the SBM50 to SBM70 groups were significantly higher than that of other groups (p &lt; 0.05). The levels of interleukin 8 (il-8) mRNA were highest in fish fed the SBM0, SBM30, and SBM50 + T diets (p &lt; 0.05), while the level of transforming growth factor β1 (tgf-β1) was the opposite (p &lt; 0.05). According to the broken line regression of WG and FE, the highest level of FM substitution by SBM for Oplegnathus punctatus was 24.07–25.31%.

Piperine attenuates hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-induced obesity in Sprague-Dawley rats

Substantial evidence suggests that pepper consumption is associated with a reduced risk of obesity-related complications. However, whether piperine, the main component of pepper, improves obesity-induced hepatic lipid accumulation and insulin resistance and the action mechanism of piperine still remain unclear. We hypothesized that piperine attenuates high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and improves the related metabolic complications in HFD-induced obese rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley (SD) male rats were fed a control diet (CON) or an HFD for 16 weeks. Obese rats were divided into 4 groups: HFD and HFD with daily gavage of piperine 2.7 mg/kg body weight (PIP-Low), 13.5 mg/kg body weight (PIP-Medium), and 27 mg/kg body weight (PIP-High) for another 8 weeks. Rats were euthanized after an 8-hour fast, and the liver, heart, kidney, and white adipose tissue were collected and stored at –80 °C. Piperine administration significantly reduced weight gain, plasma insulin, and glucose concentration. For oral piperine at a dose of 27 mg/kg body weight, body weight significantly decreased by 5.7% compared with that in the HFD group. Additionally, oral piperine administration considerably reduced serum triglyceride concentration. Furthermore, piperine administration reversed the HFD-induced downregulation of adenosine 5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling molecules and increased the plasma levels of adiponectin and the messenger RNA expression of the adiponectin receptor; additionally, it increased the phosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B. Overall, oral piperine administration reversed HFD-induced liver lipid accumulation and insulin resistance, possibly via the inactivation of adiponectin-AMPK and PI3K-Akt signaling. These findings imply that piperine could serve as an effective agent for healthy weight loss.

Exploring associations of anthropometric parameters and serum triglycerides with serum thyroid hormones in young women

Establishing links between serum thyroid hormone panel and triglyceride (TG) concentrations with non-invasively obtained measurements of anthropometric parameters of young women may provide preliminary knowledge about the homeostasis of metabolic processes and body composition and about the strategic role of the tested parameters as early screening tests for assessing the health status of apparently healthy women in the period preceding pregnancy. The study was conducted in 381 healthy female students (aged 18–26 years, mean ± SD = 22.1 ± 1.3). Anthropometric indices (BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, FAT%) were calculated and serum concentrations of thyroid hormones (TSH, fT3, fT4) were determined using electrochemiluminescence immunoassays and serum triglycerides (TG) with a commercially available test. No association was established between serum TSH and anthropometric indices in healthy young women. Increased serum concentrations of fT4, fT3 and TG were found in overweight subjects, i.e. BMI > 24.9 kg/m2 (p < 0.05). A significant negative association between fT3 and TG was found in underweight subjects (r = − 0.258, p = 0.049) and a significantly positive association in normal-weight subjects (r = 0.139, p = 0.019). In healthy young women differences in BMI are not related to thyroid function. The opposite directions between the associations fT3 vs TG in underweight compared to normal-weight young prepregnant females may suggest dependencies of fT3 and TG in the regulation of specific BMI-dependent metabolic processes.