Author Correction: Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

This is a corrigendum for the article of the same title, published in Scientific Reports (2017) 7/1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17577-

Carnosine supplementation improves serum resistin concentrations in overweight or obese otherwise healthy adults: A pilot randomized trial

Adipokines play an important role in the regulation of glucose metabolism. We have previously shown that carnosine supplementation in overweight or obese non-diabetic individuals improves glucose metabolism but does not change adiponectin concentrations. However, its effect on other adipokines has not been investigated. Herein we further determined the effect of carnosine supplementation on serum adipsin, resistin and leptin. Twenty-two overweight or obese otherwise healthy adults were randomly assigned to receive either 2 g of carnosine (n = 13) or identically looking placebo (n = 9) for 12 weeks. Serum adipsin, leptin and resistin were analyzed using a bead-based multiplex assay. Carnosine supplementation decreased serum resistin concentrations compared to placebo (mean change from baseline: -35 ± 83 carnosine vs. 35 ± 55 ng/mL placebo, p = 0.04). There was a trend for a reduction in serum leptin concentrations after carnosine supplementation (-76 ± 165 ng/mL carnosine vs. 20 ± 28 ng/mL placebo, p = 0.06). The changes in leptin and resistin concentrations were inversely related to the change in concentration for urinary carnosine (r = -0.72, p = 0.0002; r = -0.67, p = 0.0009, respectively), carnosine-propanal (r = -0.56, p = 0.005; r = -0.63, p = 0.001, respectively) and carnosine-propanol (r = -0.61, p = 0.002; r = -0.60, p = 0.002, respectively). There were no differences between groups in change in adipsin concentrations. Our findings show carnosine supplementation may normalize some, but not all, of the serum adipokine concentrations involved in glucose metabolism, in overweight and obese individuals. Further clinical trials with larger samples are needed to confirm these results

Muscle Carnosine Is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Humans

Background Carnosine is a naturally present dipeptide abundant in skeletal muscle and an over-the counter food additive. Animal data suggest a role of carnosine supplementation in the prevention and treatment of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease but only limited human data exists. Methods and Results Samples of vastus lateralis muscle were obtained by needle biopsy. We measured muscle carnosine levels (high-performance liquid chromatography), % body fat (bioimpedance), abdominal subcutaneous and visceral adiposity (magnetic resonance imaging), insulin sensitivity (euglycaemic hyperinsulinemic clamp), resting energy expenditure (REE, indirect calorimetry), free-living ambulatory physical activity (accelerometers) and lipid profile in 36 sedentary non-vegetarian middle aged men (45±7 years) with varying degrees of adiposity and glucose tolerance. Muscle carnosine content was positively related to % body fat (r = 0.35, p = 0.04) and subcutaneous (r = 0.38, p = 0.02) but not visceral fat (r = 0.17, p = 0.33). Muscle carnosine content was inversely associated with insulin sensitivity (r = -0.44, p = 0.008), REE (r = -0.58, p<0.001) and HDL-cholesterol levels (r = -0.34, p = 0.048). Insulin sensitivity and physical activity were the best predictors of muscle carnosine content after adjustment for adiposity. Conclusion Our data shows that higher carnosine content in human skeletal muscle is positively associated with insulin resistance and fasting metabolic preference for glucose. Moreover, it is negatively associated with HDL-cholesterol and basal energy expenditure. Intervention studies targeting insulin resistance, metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors are necessary to evaluate its putative role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease

Prevalence, clustering and sociodemographic distributions of non-communicable disease risk factors in Nepalese adolescents: secondary analysis of a nationwide school survey

OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence, clustering and sociodemographic distribution of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors in adolescents in Nepal. DESIGN: Data originated from Global School Based Student Health Survey, Nepal conducted in 2015-2016. SETTING: The study sites were the secondary schools in Nepal; 74 schools were selected based on the probability proportional to school enrolment size throughout Nepal. PARTICIPANTS: 5795 school-going children aged 13-17 years were included in the study. PRIMARY OUTCOMES: NCD risk factors: smoking, alcohol consumption, insufficient fruit and vegetable intake, insufficient physical activity and overweight/obesity were the primary outcomes. Sociodemographic distributions of the combined and individual NCD risk factors were determined by Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: Findings revealed the prevalence of smoking (6.04%; CI 4.62 to 7.88), alcohol consumption (5.29%; CI 4.03 to 6.92), insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (95.33%; CI 93.89 to 96.45), insufficiently physical activity (84.77%; CI 81.04 to 87.88) and overweight/obesity (6.66%; CI 4.65 to 9.45). One or more risk factors were present in 99.6%, ≥2 were in 83% and ≥3 were in 11.2%. Risk factors were more likely to cluster in male, 17 years of age and grade 7. Prevalence of smoking (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR)=2.38; CI 1.6 to 3.51) and alcohol consumption (aPR=1.81; CI 1.29 to 2.53) was significantly high in male, and in 16 and 17 years of age. Prevalence of insufficient physical activity and overweight/obesity was significantly lower in higher grades. CONCLUSION: Insufficient fruit and vegetable intake and insufficient physical activity were highly prevalent in the populations studied. Risk factors were disproportionately distributed and clustered in particular gender, age and grade. The study population requires an age and gender specific preventive public health intervention

Inflammatory and other biomarkers: role in pathophysiology and prediction of gestational diabetes mellitus

Understanding pathophysiology and identifying mothers at risk of major pregnancy complications is vital to effective prevention and optimal management. However, in current antenatal care, understanding of pathophysiology of complications is limited. In gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), risk prediction is mostly based on maternal history and clinical risk factors and may not optimally identify high risk pregnancies. Hence, universal screening is widely recommended. Here, we will explore the literature on GDM and biomarkers including inflammatory markers, adipokines, endothelial function and lipids to advance understanding of pathophysiology and explore risk prediction, with a goal to guide prevention and treatment of GDM.Sally K. Abell, Barbora De Courten, Jacqueline A. Boyle and Helena J. Teed

Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial

Correction/corrigendum to this article published: Baye, E., Ukropec, J., de Courten, M.P.J. et al. Author Correction: Effect of carnosine supplementation on the plasma lipidome in overweight and obese adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial. Sci Rep 10, 4384 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61335-

Liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 is associated with improved pancreatic insulin secretion in adults with overweight and obesity

Aims: To examine association of liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), an endogenous ghrelin antagonist with anorexiant effects, to key cardiometabolic risk factors in people with overweight and obesity. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we sought to identify associations between LEAP2 levels and cardiometabolic risk factors, including body composition (dual X-ray absorptiometry), insulin and glucose metabolism (oral and intravenous glucose tolerance tests and hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamps), plasma lipids and inflammation markers (ELISA and multiplex assays). Results: In 65 participants with overweight or obesity (63.1% male, mean age 31.3 ± 8.5 years), LEAP2 levels were associated with total body fat, but not with body mass index or waist-hip ratio in both univariable and age- and sex-adjusted models (P < 0.05). Higher LEAP2 level was also positively associated with higher insulin secretion in univariable (P = 0.047) and multivariable models adjusted for age, sex and body fat (P = 0.03), but not with fasting glucose levels (P ≥ 0.05). Higher LEAP2 levels were associated insulin resistance (P = 0.07) after adjustment for age and sex, but the association disappeared after an additional adjustment for body fat (P = 0.2). There was an inverse association between LEAP2 levels and nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) activity in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in age-, sex- and body fat-adjusted models (P = 0.04). There were no associations with cardiovascular risk factors (lipids, blood pressure) or other inflammation markers. Conclusions: These results provide important insights into the association between LEAP2 and cardiometabolic health in a high-risk population of individuals with overweight and obesity. This is a first report of an association between LEAP2 and insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and NFκB activity. LEAP2 may represent an important potential therapeutic target to promote insulin secretion in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity