Serum Triglyceride Research Articles

Effect of whole-body vibration on blood pressure in obese postmenopausal women. A randomized controlled study

Background. Menopause constitutes a natural biological process that reflects the end of the reproductive life of women and has been related to elevated risk factors for multiple strokes. Multiple studies have revealed that healthy women during menopause have increased abdominal obesity, triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), fasting blood glucose, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP) besides reduced high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Aim. We aim to determine the impact of whole body vibration (WBV) on BP and blood lipid profile in obese postmenopausal women. Subjects and methods. Our study enrolled 30 postmenopausal women with hypertension (HTN) who were aged 55–65 years old and had a BMI of 30–34.9 Kg/m2. An experienced physician diagnosed the participants with either pre-HTN or stage 1 HTN, with BP measurements of 140/90–159/99 mmHg. The participants were assigned into two equal groups (n = 15) in a random manner. Group A received a dietary regimen, whereas Group B received the dietary regimen along with a two-month whole body vibration (WBV) training program for 30 min, 3 sessions/week. Measurements were obtained for all participants, including their BP and serum TC, TG, HDL, and LDL levels pre- and post-therapy. Results. The results demonstrated that average systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), TC, TG, and LDL values significantly decreased in both groups, with a significant reduction favoring group B. Additionally, the average HDL value exhibited a statistically significant increase in both groups, with a significant increase favoring group B. Conclusion. WBV conjugated with a suitable nutritional intervention is considered a safe, user-friendly, and highly efficient physical therapy strategy for ameliorating blood lipid levels and lowering BP in postmenopausal women with HTN.

Contributing factors of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage development in young adults.

The incidence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in young people is relatively low; however, it leads to devastating lifelong neurologic deficits. We focused on spontaneous ICH occurring in young adults between 30 and 50 years of age. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 139 patients, aged 30-50 years, diagnosed with spontaneous ICH between 2011 and 2021. Cases of ICH attributable to discernible causative lesions were excluded. Demographic data, laboratory results, image findings, and clinical outcome were analyzed. After exclusions, 73 patients were included in this study. Common characteristics among the study patients included male sex (83.6%), high body mass index (>25 kg/m2, 45.8%), smoking history (47.2%), heavy alcohol consumption (30.6%), previously diagnosed hypertension (41.1%), high serum triglyceride level (>150 mg/dL, 33.3%), and microbleeds or white matter changes observed on magnetic resonance images (51.3%). In the multivariate analysis, previously diagnosed hypertension was the sole significant risk factor for cerebral small vessel (OR 7.769, P=0.031). Age, brain stem location, Glasgow Coma Scale score at admission, and hematoma volume were associated with poor outcomes. Hypertension, obesity, smoking, and cerebral small vessel disease were important factors associated with non-lesional spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage in young patients. Radiologic changes corresponding to cerebral small vessel disease appeared in young patients (in their 30s) and they were associated with hypertension.

Cigarette Smoking and its Association with Dyslipidemia among Middle-aged Population in Rajshahi District

Background & objective: Dyslipidemia is one of the major risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Many factors contribute to the development of dyslipidemia. Smoking is one of them. Smoking and dyslipidemia are claimed to interact with each other and synergistically increase the risk of heart disease. The present study is, therefore, intended to find the association between smoking and dyslipidemia in the context of the Bangladeshi population. Methods:The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Biochemistry, Rajshahi Medical College (RMC), Rajshahi in collaboration with the Institute of Biological Science, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi over a period of five years between 2017 and 2022. A total of 230 adult (ranging from 30 to 60 years) male subjects who attended at Biochemistry Lab of RMC to have their blood tested for lipid profile were consecutively included in the study. However, individuals with the habit of chewing tobacco, ex-smokers, or those having any diseases influencing lipid profile, taking drugs (like β-blockers, thiazide, statins, fibric acid derivatives, and nicotinic acid) that may influence lipid profile, or obese persons under dietary restrictions were excluded from the study. The subjects who exhibited either serum TC: HDL ratio > 4.5 or serum Tg: HDL ratio > 3.5 or both conditions were considered as cases and the subjects who did not have either of the conditions were considered as controls in the present study. Result: In the present study, over one-third (34.8%) of subjects had a smoking habit with the mean duration of smoking being 13.6 ± 5.0 years. Dyslipidaemia (as defined by serum TC: HDL > 4.5) was found in 33% of subjects, while the same condition, defined by serum Tg: HDL > 3.5, was found in 42.6% of the subjects. While either of the two conditions was present in 13% of subjects, both conditions were concurrently observed in 31.3% of subjects. Of the total 230 subjects, 102(44.3%) were dyslipidaemic. Smoking habit was observed to be significantly higher in the case group (54.9%) than that in the control group (18.8%). The risk of having dyslipidaemia in smokers was > 5-fold (95% CI = 2.9 – 9.5) higher than that in non-smokers (p < 0.001). However, as the duration of smoking was correlated with different lipid profiles, it was not found to be significantly correlated with any of the lipid profiles. Conclusion: The study concluded that smokers are more likely to have dyslipidaemia than non-smokers. The risk of having dyslipidaemia in smokers is much higher than that in non-smokers. While serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and serum triglycerides are increased, serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is reduced. Ibrahim Card Med J 2023; 13 (1&2): 26-31

Supplementation of Cichorium intybus roots improved the growth performance, immunity response, gut ecology and morphology of broilers chicken Ross308 strain

Gut microbiome plays a key role in maintaining the health of broilers by stimulating the development of immune system, improving the uptake of nutrients and inhibiting several enteric pathogens. “Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs)” are generally used to inhibit the proliferation of pathogenic gut microbiota. Despite its beneficial characteristics, AGPs could cause severe adverse consequences, one of them is development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria which posed major threat to public health. Whereas, the use of AGP from natural origin could be risk free or low toxicity. A research trial was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementation of various natural prebiotics including inulin and chicory (Cichorium intybus) root powder on performance, carcass traits, serum biochemistry, intestinal histology, immune response and gut ecology in broiler chick of Ross308 strain. One-day-old chicks (n = 200) were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments. Growth performance, intestinal histomorphology, antibody titer against ND, ileal Lactobacillus count were significantly (P < 0.05) improved in treatments groups as compared to control (P < 0.05). Total cholesterol levels, serum triglyceride, ileal E. coli count, serum albumin, globulin were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in the dietary treatments groups in comparison to control at 42 day of the experiment. A non-significant difference was found in serum Aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Bilirubin and uric acid among all treatment groups (P > 0.05) which indicates that no physiological dysfunction was induced in treated birds. In conclusion Cichorium intybus root powder and inulin may be considered as risk free alternative to chemically synthesized antibiotic growth promoters.

Impacts of Dietary Standardized Ileal Digestible Lysine to Net Energy Ratio on Lipid Metabolism in Finishing Pigs Fed High-Wheat Diets.

The present study aimed to investigate the impacts of dietary standardized ileal digestible lysine to net energy (SID Lys:NE) ratio on lipid metabolism in pigs fed high-wheat diets. Thirty-six crossbred growing barrows (65.20 ± 0.38 kg) were blocked into two treatment groups, fed high-wheat diets with either a high SID Lys:NE ratio (HR) or a low SID Lys:NE ratio (LR). Each treatment group consisted of three replicates, with six pigs per pen in each replicate. The diminishing dietary SID Lys:NE ratio exhibited no adverse impacts on the carcass trait (p > 0.05) but increased the marbling score of the longissimus dorsi muscle (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, LR diets tended to increase the serum triglyceride concentration (p < 0.1). LR diets upregulated fatty acid transport protein 4 and acetyl-coA carboxylase α expression levels and downregulated the expression level of adipose triglyceride lipase (p < 0.05). LR diets improved energy metabolism via decreasing the expression levels of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) α1, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) (p < 0.05). Additionally, LR diets stimulated hepatic bile acid synthesis via upregulating the expression levels of cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 and cytochrome P450 family 27 subfamily A member 1, and downregulating farnesol X receptor (FXR) and small heterodimer partner (SHP) expression levels (p < 0.05). A lowered SID Lys:NE ratio affected the colonic microbial composition, characterized by increased relative abundances of YRC22, Parabacteroides, Sphaerochaeta, and Bacteroides, alongside a decreased in the proportion of Roseburia, f_Lachnospiraceae_g_Clostridium, Enterococcus, Shuttleworthia, Exiguobacterium, Corynebacterium, Subdoligranulum, Sulfurospirillum, and Marinobacter (p < 0.05). The alterations in microbial composition were accompanied by a decrease in colonic butyrate concentration (p < 0.1). The metabolomic analysis revealed that LR diets affected primary bile acid synthesis and AMPK signaling pathway (p < 0.05). And the mantel analysis indicated that Parabacteroides, Sphaerochaeta, f_Lachnospiraceae_g_Clostridium, Shuttleworthia, and Marinobacter contributed to the alterations in body metabolism. A reduced dietary SID Lys:NE ratio improves energy metabolism, stimulates lipogenesis, and inhibits lipolysis in finishing pigs by regulating the AMPKα/SIRT1/PGC-1α pathway and the FXR/SHP pathway. Parabacteroides and Sphaerochaeta benefited bile acids synthesis, whereas f_Lachnospiraceae_g_Clostridium, Shuttleworthia, and Marinobacter may contribute to the activation of the AMPK signaling pathway. Overall, body metabolism and colonic microbiota collectively controlled the lipid metabolism in finishing pigs.

Point-of-care blood tests using a smartphone-based colorimetric analyzer for health check-up.

A microscale colorimetric assay was designed and implemented for the simultaneous determination of clinical chemistry tests measuring six parameters, including glucose (GLU), total protein (TP), human serum albumin (HSA), uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TGs) in plasma samples. The test kit was fabricated using chromogenic reagents, comprising specific enzymes and binding dyes. Multiple colors that appeared on the reaction well when it was exposed to each analyte were captured by a smartphone and processed by the homemade Check6 application, which was designed as a colorimetric analyzer and simultaneously generated a report that assessed test results against gender-dependent reference ranges. Six blood checkup parameters for four plasma samples were conducted within 12min on one capture picture. The assay achieved wide working concentration ranges of 10.45-600 mg dL-1 GLU, 1.39-10.0g dL-1 TP, 1.85-8.0g dL-1 HSA, 0.86-40.0 mg dL-1 UA, 11.28-600 mg dL-1 TC, and 11.93-400 mg dL-1 TGs. The smartphone-based assay was accurate with recoveries of 93-108% GLU, 93-107% TP, 92-107% HSA, 93-107% UA, 92-107% TC, and 99-113% TGs. The coefficient of variation for intra-assay and inter-assay precision ranged from 3.2-5.2% GLU, 4.6-5.3% TP, 4.3-5.3% HSA, 2.8-6.6% UA, 2.7-6.5% TC, and 1.1-3.9% TGs. This assay demonstrated remarkable accuracy in quantifying the concentration-dependent color intensity of the plasma, even in the presence of other suspected interferences commonly present in serum. The results of the proposed method correlated well with results determined by the microplate spectrophotometer (R2 > 0.95). Measurement of these six clinical chemistry parameters in plasma using a microscale colorimetric test kit coupled with the Check6 smartphone application showed potential for real-time point-of-care analysis, providing cost-effective and rapid assays for health checkup testing.

Identifying gut microbiota with high specificity for ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion

Gut microbiota can regulate the metabolic and immunological aspects of ischemic stroke and modulate the treatment effects. The present study aimed to identify specific changes in gut microbiota in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) ischemic stroke and assess the potential association between gut microbiota and clinical features of ischemic stroke. A total of 63 CSVD patients, 64 cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) patients, and 36 matching normal controls (NCs) were included in this study. The fecal samples were collected for all participants and analyzed for gut microbiota using 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology. The abundances of five gut microbiota, including genera Bifidobacterium, Butyricimonas, Blautia, and Dorea and species Bifidobacterium_longum, showed significant changes with high specificity in the LVO patients as compared to the NCs and CSVD patients. In LVO patients, the genera Bifidobacterium and Blautia and species Bifidobacterium_longum were significantly correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at the admission and discharge of the patients. Serum triglyceride levels could significantly affect the association of the abundance of genus Bifidobacterium and species Bifidobacterium_longum with the NIHSS scores at admission and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge in LVO patients. The identification of five gut microbiota with high specificity were identified in the early stage of LVO stroke, which contributed to performed an effective clinical management for LVO ischemic stroke.

Dietary sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) consumption did not attenuate atherosclerosis in low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout mice.

We previously demonstrated the beneficial effects of U.S.-grown sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima), a brown seaweed, on reducing serum triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) and protecting against inflammation and fibrosis in the adipose tissue of diet-induced obesity mice. In this current study, we aimed to explore whether the dietary consumption of sugar kelp can prevent atherosclerosis using low-density lipoprotein receptor knockout (Ldlr KO) mice fed an atherogenic diet. Eight-week-old male Ldlr KO mice were fed either an atherogenic high-fat/high-cholesterol control (HF/HC) diet or a HF/HC diet supplemented with 6% (w/w) sugar kelp (HF/HC-SK) for 16 weeks. Consumption of sugar kelp significantly increased the body weight gain without altering fat mass and lean mass. Also, there were no significant differences in energy expenditure and physical activities between the groups. The two groups did not show significant differences in serum and hepatic TG and TC levels or the hepatic expression of genes involved in cholesterol and lipid metabolism. Although serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity did not differ significantly between the two groups, there were significant increases in the expression of macrophage markers, including adhesion G protein-coupled receptor E1 and cluster of differentiation 68, as well as tumor necrosis factor alpha in the HF/HC-SK group compared to the HF/HC mice. The consumption of sugar kelp did not elicit a significant effect on the development of aortic lesions. Moreover, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated splenocytes isolated from HF/HC-SK-fed mice showed no significant changes in the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory genes compared with those from the HF/HC mice. In summary, the consumption of dietary sugar kelp did not elicit anti-atherogenic and hepatoprotective effects in Ldlr KO mice.

Lupeol improves bile acid metabolism and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in mice via FXR signaling pathway and gut-liver axis

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has a multifactorial and complex pathogenesis. Notably, the disorder of Bile acid (BA) metabolism and lipid metabolism-induced lipotoxicity are the main risk factors of MASLD. Lupeol, traditional regional medicine from Xinjiang, has a long history of use for its anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and immune-modulating properties. Recent research suggests its potential as a therapeutic option for MASLD due to its proposed binding capacity to the nuclear BA receptor, Farnesoid X receptor (FXR), hence could represent a therapeutic option for MASLD. In this study, a natural triterpenoid drug lupeol improved BA metabolism and MASLD in mice through the FXR signaling pathway and the gut-liver axis. Furthermore, lupeol effectively restored gut healthiness and improved intestinal immunity, barrier integrity, and inflammation, as indicated by the reconstructed gut flora. Compared with fenofibrate (Feno), lupeol treatment significantly reduced weight gain, fat deposition, and liver injury, decreased serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) levels, and alleviated hepatic steatosis and liver inflammation. BA analysis showed that lupeol treatment accelerated BA efflux and decreased uptake of BA by increasing hepatic FXR and bile salt export pump (BSEP) expression. Gut microbiota alterations could be related to enhanced fecal BA excretion in lupeol-treated mice. Therefore, consumption of lupeol may prevent HFD-induced MASLD and BA accumulation, possibly via the FXR signaling pathway and regulating the gut microbiota.

Bioactive Peptides from Meretrix lusoria Enzymatic Hydrolysate as a Potential Treatment for Obesity in db/db Mice.

Obesity is acknowledged as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease, often accompanied by increased inflammation and diabetes. Bioactive peptides derived from marine animal proteins show promise as safe and effective anti-obesity agents by regulating adipocyte differentiation through the AMPK signaling pathway. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the anti-obesity and anti-diabetic effects of bioactive compounds derived from a Meretrix lusoria Protamex enzymatic hydrolysate (MLP) fraction (≤1 kDa) through a 6-week treatment (150 mg/kg or 300 mg/kg, administered once daily) in leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice. The MLP treatment significantly decreased the body weight, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol levels while also exhibiting a beneficial effect on hepatic and serum marker parameters in db/db mice. A histological analysis revealed a reduction in hepatic steatosis and epididymal fat following MLP treatment. Furthermore, poor glucose tolerance was improved, and hepatic antioxidant enzyme activities were elevated in MLP-treated mice compared to db/db control mice. Western blot analysis showed an increased expression of the AMPK protein after MLP treatment. In addition, the expression of lipogenic genes decreased in db/db mice. These findings indicate that bioactive peptides, which are known to regulate blood glucose levels, lipid metabolism, and adipogenesis, could be beneficial functional food additives and pharmaceuticals.

Correlations between Gut Microbiota and Hematological, Inflammatory, Biochemical and Oxidative Stress Parameters in Treatment-Naïve Psoriasis Patients.

Psoriasis is an inflammatory dermatosis with a complex pathogenesis, significantly impacting the quality of life of patients. The role of oxidative stress and gut microbiota in the pathogenesis of this disease is increasingly studied, appearing to underlie the comorbidities associated with this condition. We present the first prospective observational study conducted in Romania evaluating the interrelationship between gut microbiota and hematological, inflammatory, biochemical, and oxidative stress parameters in treatment-naïve psoriasis patients. Significant differences were observed in terms of microbiota composition, with lower levels of Firmicutes and Enterobacteriaceae in the psoriasis group compared to the control group. Moreover, a negative correlation was found between the serum triglyceride levels in patients with psoriasis and the Enterobacteriaceae family (p = 0.018, r = -0.722), and a positive correlation was found between the serum glucose levels and the Firmicutes/Bacteroides ratio (p = 0.03, r = 0.682). Regarding the oxidant-antioxidant status, a significant correlation was found between the FORT level and Lactobacillus (p = 0.034, r = 0.669). Lastly, the Firmicutes level negatively correlated with the DLQI level, independent of the clinical severity of the disease (p = 0.02, r = -0.685). In conclusion, even though the number of included patients is small, these results may serve as a starting point for future research into the involvement of the microbiota-inflammation-oxidative stress axis in psoriasis development.

Association between the Serum Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor and Peripheral Arterial Stiffness According to the Cardio-Ankle Vascular Index in Patients Undergoing Kidney Transplantation.

High soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) levels are correlated with cardiovascular (CV) disease. Arterial stiffness is associated with aging-related vascular diseases and is an independent risk factor for CV morbidity and mortality. It can be measured by the cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI). We evaluated the association between serum suPAR levels and arterial stiffness according to the CAVI in kidney transplantation (KT) recipients. In this study, 82 patients undergoing KT were enrolled. Serum suPAR levels were analyzed using an enzyme immunoassay. The CAVI was measured using a plethysmograph waveform device, and patients with a CAVI of 9.0 were assigned to the peripheral arterial stiffness (PAS) group. Twenty KT patients (24.4%) had PAS, were of older age (p = 0.042), and had higher serum triglyceride (p = 0.023) and suPAR levels (p 0.001) than the normal group. After adjusting for factors significantly associated with PAS by multivariate logistic regression analysis, serum suPAR levels (odds ratio [OR] 1.072, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.023-1.123; p = 0.004) were independently associated with PAS in KT patients. The logarithmically transformed suPAR level (log-suPAR) was also positively correlated with the left or right CAVI values (all p 0.001) from the results of the Spearman correlation analysis in KT patients. Serum suPAR levels are positively associated with left or right CAVI values and are independently associated with PAS in KT patients.

1589-P: Serum Triglyceride Better Indicator Compared with FiB4 Score for Diagnosis of Liver Fibrosis Assessed via Liver Fibroscan in Indian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Receiving SGLT2i Therapy

1589-P: Serum Triglyceride Better Indicator Compared with FiB4 Score for Diagnosis of Liver Fibrosis Assessed via Liver Fibroscan in Indian Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Receiving SGLT2i Therapy

Arsenic exposure at environmentally relevant levels induced metabolic toxicity in development mice: Mechanistic insights from integrated transcriptome and metabolome

Emerging evidence has linked arsenic exposure and metabolic homeostasis, but the mechanism is incompletely understood, especially at relatively low concentrations. In this study, we used a mouse model to evaluate the health impacts and metabolic toxicity of arsenic exposure in drinking water at environmentally relevant levels (0.25 and 1.0 ppm). Our results indicated that arsenic damaged intestinal barrier and induced arsenic accumulation, oxidative stress, and pathological changes in the liver and illum. Interestingly, arsenic increased the hepatic triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), while reduced serum TG and TC levels. The liver transcriptome found that arsenic exposure caused transcriptome perturbation and promoted hepatic lipid accumulation by regulating the exogenous fatty acids degradation and apolipoproteins related genes. The serum metabolomics identified 74 and 88 differential metabolites in 0.25 and 1.0 ppm, respectively. The KEGG disease and subcellular location analysis indicated that arsenic induced liver and intestinal diseases, and the mitochondrion might be the target organelle for arsenic-induced toxicity. Co-enrichment of transcriptome and metabolome identified 24 metabolites and 9 genes as metabolic toxicity biomarkers. Moreover, 40 male (20 nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cases and 20 healthy controls) was further selected to validate our findings. Importantly, the significantly changed L-palmitoylcarnitine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, 2-hydroxycaproic acid and 6 genes of Hadha, Acadl, Aldh3a2, Cpt1a, Cpt2, and Acox1 were found in the NAFLD cases. The results from integrated multi-omics and chemical-protein network analysis indicated that L-palmitoylcarnitine played a critical role in metabolic toxicity by regulating mitochondrial fatty acids β-oxidation genes (Cpt1a, Cpt2). In conclusion, these findings provided new clues for the metabolic toxicity of arsenic exposure at environmentally relevant levels, which involved in the late-life NAFLD development. Our results also contribute to understanding the human responses and phenotypic changes to this hazardous material exposure in the environment.

Allergic inflammation triggers dyslipidemia via IgG signalling.

Allergic diseases begin early in life and are often chronic, thus creating an inflammatory environment that may precede or exacerbate other pathologies. In this regard, allergy has been associated to metabolic disorders and with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, but the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We used a murine model of allergy and atherosclerosis, different diets and sensitization methods, and cell-depleting strategies to ascertain the contribution of acute and late phase inflammation to dyslipidemia. Untargeted lipidomic analyses were applied to define the lipid fingerprint of allergic inflammation at different phases of allergic pathology. Expression of genes related to lipid metabolism was assessed in liver and adipose tissue at different times post-allergen challenge. Also, changes in serum triglycerides (TGs) were evaluated in a group of 59 patients ≥14 days after the onset of an allergic reaction. We found that allergic inflammation induces a unique lipid signature that is characterized by increased serum TGs and changes in the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism in liver and adipose tissue. Alterations in blood TGs following an allergic reaction are independent of T-cell-driven late phase inflammation. On the contrary, the IgG-mediated alternative pathway of anaphylaxis is sufficient to induce a TG increase and a unique lipid profile. Lastly, we demonstrated an increase in serum TGs in 59 patients after undergoing an allergic reaction. Overall, this study reveals that IgG-mediated allergic inflammation regulates lipid metabolism.

A commensal-derived sugar protects against metabolic disease.

Obesity is a worsening global epidemic that is regulated by the microbiota through unknown bacterial factors. We discovered a human-derived commensal bacterium, Clostridium immunis , that protects against metabolic disease by secreting a phosphocholine-modified exopolysaccharide. Genetic interruption of the phosphocholine biosynthesis locus ( licABC ) results in a functionally inactive exopolysaccharide, which demonstrates the critical requirement for this phosphocholine moiety. This C. immunis exopolysaccharide acts via group 3 innate lymphoid cells and modulating IL-22 levels, which results in a reduction in serum triglycerides, body weight, and visceral adiposity. Importantly, phosphocholine biosynthesis genes are less abundant in humans with obesity or hypertriglyceridemia, findings that suggest the role of bacterial phosphocholine is conserved across mice and humans. These results define a bacterial molecule-and its key structural motif-that regulates host metabolism. More broadly, they highlight how small molecules, such as phosphocholine, may help fine-tune microbiome- immune-metabolism interactions.

Maternal intervention with a combination of galacto-oligosaccharides and hyocholic acids during late gestation and lactation increased the reproductive performance, colostrum composition, antioxidant and altered intestinal microflora in sows.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) and hyocholic acids (HCA) during late gestation and lactation on reproductive performance, colostrum quality, antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota in multiparous sows. A total of 60 healthy multiparous cross-bred sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly fed 4 groups diets as follows: the basal diets (CTRL group), or the basal diets containing only 600 mg/kg GOS (GOS group), 600 mg/kg GOS + 100 mg/kg HCA (GOS + Low HCA group), and 600 mg/kg + 200 mg/kg HCA (GOS + High HCA group) from d 85 of gestation to weaning. Multiple parameters of sows were determined. There was a trend of shortening the labor process of sows (p = 0.07) in the GOS group and GOS + Low/High HCA group. Compared with the CTRL group, the GOS + Low/High HCA group increased the average piglets weight at birth (p < 0.05), and increased the IgA concentration of colostrum (p < 0.05). In addition, serum triglyceride (TG) concentration was lower (p < 0.05), and serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) was higher (p < 0.05) in the GOS and GOS + Low/High HCA groups than in the CTRL group at farrowing. Serum catalase (CAT) activities was higher in the GOS and GOS + High HCA groups than in the CTRL group at farrowing. The 16S rRNA analysis showed that GOS combination with high-dose HCA shaped the composition of gut microbiota in different reproductive stages (d 107 of gestation, G107; d 0 of lactation, L0; d 7 of lactation, L7). At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Desulfobacterota in G107, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria in L0, and Planctomycetota in L7 was increased in GOS + High HCA group (p < 0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that Streptococcus was positively correlated with the serum TG but negatively correlated with the average piglets weight at birth (p < 0.05). This investigation demonstrated that the administration of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) in conjunction with hyocholic acids (HCA), to sows with nutrient restrictions during late gestation and lactation, further improved their antioxidant capacity and milk quality. The observed beneficial effects of GOS + HCA supplementation could potentially be linked to an improvement in gut microbiota disorders of the sows.

Procyanidin B1 and Coumaric Acid from Highland Barley Alleviated High-Fat-Diet-Induced Hyperlipidemia by Regulating PPARα-Mediated Hepatic Lipid Metabolism and Gut Microbiota in Diabetic C57BL/6J Mice.

A whole-grain highland barley (WHB) diet has been recognized to exhibit the potential for alleviating hyperlipidemia, which is mainly characterized by lipids accumulation in the serum and liver. Previously, procyanidin B1 (PB) and coumaric acid (CA) from WHB were found to alleviate serum lipid accumulation in impaired glucose tolerance mice, while the effect on modulating the hepatic lipid metabolism remains unknown. In this study, the results showed the supplementation of PB and CA activated the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and the target genes of cholesterol 7-α hydroxylase (CYP7A1) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (Cpt1) in the liver cells of high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced diabetic C57BL/6J mice, resulting in decreases in the serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) contents, and an increase in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) content. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA indicated that supplementation with PB and CA ameliorated the gut microbiota dysbiosis, which was associated with a reduction in the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae and an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Desulfovibrio, and Akkermansia. Spearman's correlation analysis revealed that these genera were closely related to obesity-related indices. In summary, the activation of PPARα expression by PB and CA from WHB was important for the alleviation of hyperlipidemia and the structural adjustment of the gut microbiota.

Clinical value of adding Dapagliflozin in patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors in nephrotic patients on immunosuppression are underexplored. We evaluated dapagliflozin's impact in non-diabetic primary nephrotic syndrome. Randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 non-diabetic primary nephrotic syndrome patients, equally assigned to dapagliflozin and control groups. All patients received the standard of care medication and the Dapagliflozin group received 10mg dapagliflozin in addition. Demographic data, nephrotic syndrome etiology, proteinuria levels, eGFR, and immunosuppression doses, were well-matched. After 6months of follow up primary outcomes included changes in and eGFR. Both groups exhibited significant reductions in proteinuria after 6months, with the dapagliflozin group achieving a mean UPCR reduction of - 94.7%, and the control group - 86.7% (p < 0.001). However, the comparative change in proteinuria between both groups did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.158). Dapagliflozin initially led to a transient eGFR decline. Dapagliflozin also resulted in a significant mean body weight reduction (p < 0.001) and notable improvements in triglyceride levels compared to the control group (p = 0.045). In primary nephrotic syndrome patients, adjunct dapagliflozin may enhance the standard of care. While notable, the reduction in proteinuria was comparable to that of the control group by the study's end. Furthermore, after 6months, eGFR remained stable in both groups. However, significant weight loss and serum triglyceride reduction were particularly pronounced in the dapagliflozin group. Further long-term investigations are necessary to address potential immunosuppression-related confounding effects in patients with primary glomerular disease.

Establishment of a novel obesity mouse model: the induction of intestinal microbiota dysbiosis

To establish and evaluate an intestinal microbiota dysbiosis-induced obesity mouse model. 50 C57BL/6 J male healthy mice were randomly divided into an obesity model group and the control group. The body weight, body length, and Lee’s index of the two groups of mice at week 1 and week 10 were compared. Serum glucose (GLU), total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were measured by enzyme-labeled colorimetric methods. Illumina HiSeq 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to characterize intestinal microbiota in feces. The success rate of model establishment in obese mice was 52%. The body weight, body length, Lee’s index, and abdominal fat (wet weight) in the obese model group were all higher than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01). Serum GLU and TC levels in the obesity model group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05), and there was no difference in TG levels between the two groups (P > 0.05). The control group contained more abundant intestinal microbiota phyla and genera than did the obesity model group; the differences between the two groups were significant (FDR ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.05). Intestinal microbiota dysbiosis can be used to generate an obesity model in mice.