Variable Glycemic Responses to Intact and Hydrolyzed Milk Proteins in Overweight and Obese Adults Reveal the Need for Precision Nutrition

peer-reviewedBackground Dietary modifications can contribute to improved pancreatic β cell function and enhance glycemic control. Objectives The objectives of this study were as follows: 1) to investigate the potential of milk protein hydrolysates to modulate postprandial glucose response; 2) to assess individual responses; and 3) to explore the inter- and intraindividual reproducibility of the response. Methods A 14-d randomized crossover study investigated interstitial glucose levels of participants in response to 12% w/v milk protein drinks (intact caseinate and casein hydrolysate A and B) consumed in random order with a 2-d washout between treatments. Milk protein drinks were consumed immediately prior to study breakfast and evening meals. Twenty participants (11 men, 9 women) aged 50 ± 8 y with a body mass index (in kg/m2) of 30.2 ± 3.1 were recruited. Primary outcome was glucose levels assessed at 15-min intervals with the use of glucose monitors. Results Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed that for breakfast there was a significant difference across the 3 treatment groups (P = 0.037). The ability to reduce postprandial glucose was specific to casein hydrolysate B in comparison with intact caseinate (P = 0.039). However, despite this significant difference, further examination revealed that only 3 out of 18 individuals were classified as responders (P < 0.05). High intraclass correlation coefficients were obtained for glucose response to study meals (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.892 for breakfast with intact caseinate). The interindividual CVs were higher than the intraindividual CVs. Mean inter- and intraindividual CVs were 19.4% and 5.7%, respectively, for breakfast with intact caseinate. Conclusion Ingestion of a specific casein hydrolysate successfully reduced the postprandial glucose response; however, at an individual level only 3 participants were classified as responders, highlighting the need for precision nutrition. Exploration of high interindividual responses to nutrition interventions is needed, in combination with the development of precision nutrition, potentially through an n-of-1 approach. This clinical trial was registered as ISRCTN61079365 (https://www.isrctn.com/).Food for Health Irelan

Human Tumour Immune Evasion via TGF-β Blocks NK Cell Activation but Not Survival Allowing Therapeutic Restoration of Anti-Tumour Activity

Immune evasion is now recognized as a key feature of cancer progression. In animal models, the activity of cytotoxic lymphocytes is suppressed in the tumour microenvironment by the immunosuppressive cytokine, Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β. Release from TGF-β-mediated inhibition restores anti-tumour immunity, suggesting a therapeutic strategy for human cancer. We demonstrate that human natural killer (NK) cells are inhibited in a TGF-β dependent manner following chronic contact-dependent interactions with tumour cells in vitro. In vivo, NK cell inhibition was localised to the human tumour microenvironment and primary ovarian tumours conferred TGF-β dependent inhibition upon autologous NK cells ex vivo. TGF-β antagonized the interleukin (IL)-15 induced proliferation and gene expression associated with NK cell activation, inhibiting the expression of both NK cell activation receptor molecules and components of the cytotoxic apparatus. Interleukin-15 also promotes NK cell survival and IL-15 excluded the pro-apoptotic transcription factor FOXO3 from the nucleus. However, this IL-15 mediated pathway was unaffected by TGF-β treatment, allowing NK cell survival. This suggested that NK cells in the tumour microenvironment might have their activity restored by TGF-β blockade and both anti-TGF-β antibodies and a small molecule inhibitor of TGF-β signalling restored the effector function of NK cells inhibited by autologous tumour cells. Thus, TGF-β blunts NK cell activation within the human tumour microenvironment but this evasion mechanism can be therapeutically targeted, boosting anti-tumour immunity

An improved method to study NK-independent mechanisms of MTLn3 breast cancer lung metastasis

Toxicolog

Improved short peptide identification using HILIC-MS/MS: retention time prediction model based on the impact of amino acid position in the peptide sequence

Short peptides can have interesting beneficial effects but they are difficult to identify in complex mixtures. We developed a method to improve short peptide identification based on HILIC-MS/MS. The apparent hydrophilicity of peptides was determined as a function of amino acid position in the sequence. This allowed the differentiation of peptides with the same amino acid composition but with a different sequence (homologous peptides). A retention time prediction model was established using the hydrophilicity and peptide length of 153 di- to tetrapeptides. This model was proven to be reliable (R-2 = 0.992), it was validated using statistical methods and a mixture of 14 synthetic peptides. A whey protein hydrolysate was analysed to assess the ability of the model to identify unknown peptides. In parallel to milk protein database and de nova searches, the retention time prediction model permitted reduction and ranking of potential short peptides, including homologous peptides, present in the hydrolysate. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Impact of enzyme inactivation conditions during the generation of whey protein hydrolysates on their physicochemical and bioactive properties

The thermal inactivation conditions (75 degrees Cx35min, 80 degrees Cx10min, 85 degrees Cx5min and 90 degrees Cx5min) for Protamex following bovine whey protein concentrate (WPC) hydrolysis was studied with the view to limiting WPC hydrolysate (WPH) aggregation while maintaining bioactivity. A decrease in the amount of large WPH aggregates formed was observed at inactivation temperatures 85 degrees C. However, the WPC appeared to be more hydrolysed on heating at 75 degrees Cx35min, as Protamex was active for longer under these heating conditions. Significantly (P0.05). A reduction in thermal treatment from 90 degrees Cx5min to 85 degrees Cx5min was sufficient to decrease the amount of large aggregates formed in the hydrolysate without altering its bioactive properties

ÔØ Å ÒÙ× Ö ÔØ Identification of short peptide sequences in the nanofiltration permeate of a bioactive whey protein hydrolysate Identification of short peptide sequences in the nanofiltration permeate of a bioactive whey protein hydrolysate

Abstract Short peptides in food protein hydrolysates are of significant interest as they may be highly bioactive whilst also being bioavailable. A dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) inhibitory whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) was fractionated using nanofiltratio