16 research outputs found
Aerobic fitness does not modulate protein metabolism in response to increased exercise: a controlled trial
© 2009 Smith et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens
Longitudinal assessment of cognitive and psychosocial functioning after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: Exploring disaster impact on middle-aged, older, and oldest-old adults
The authors examined the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on cognitive and psychosocial functioning in a lifespan sample of adults 6-14 months after the storms. Participants were recruited from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study. Most were assessed during the immediate impact period and retested for this study. Analyses of pre- and post-disaster cognitive data confirmed that storm-related decrements in working memory for middle-aged and older adults observed in the immediate impact period had returned to pre-hurricane levels in the post-disaster recovery period. Middle-aged adults reported more storm-related stressors and greater levels of stress than the two older groups at both waves of testing. These results are consistent with a burden perspective on post-disaster psychological reactions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Preexercise medium-chain triglyceride ingestion does not alter muscle glycogen use during exercise
Insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness from three minimal models: effects of energy restriction and body fat in adult male rhesus monkeys
Gut Microbiome and Metabolome Variations in Self-Identified Muscle Builders Who Report Using Protein Supplements
Muscle builders frequently consume protein supplements, but little is known about their effect on the gut microbiota. This study compared the gut microbiome and metabolome of self-identified muscle builders who did or did not report consuming a protein supplement. Twenty-two participants (14 males and 8 females) consumed a protein supplement (PS), and seventeen participants (12 males and 5 females) did not (No PS). Participants provided a fecal sample and completed a 24-h food recall (ASA24). The PS group consumed significantly more protein (118 ± 12 g No PS vs. 169 ± 18 g PS, p = 0.02). Fecal metabolome and microbiome were analyzed by using untargeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Metabolomic analysis identified distinct metabolic profiles driven by allantoin (VIP score = 2.85, PS 2.3-fold higher), a catabolic product of uric acid. High-protein diets contain large quantities of purines, which gut microbes degrade to uric acid and then allantoin. The bacteria order Lactobacillales was higher in the PS group (22.6 ± 49 No PS vs. 136.5 ± 38.1, PS (p = 0.007)), and this bacteria family facilitates purine absorption and uric acid decomposition. Bacterial genes associated with nucleotide metabolism pathways (p < 0.001) were more highly expressed in the No PS group. Both fecal metagenomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that the PS group’s higher protein intake impacted nitrogen metabolism, specifically altering nucleotide degradation
Trait Energy and Fatigue May Be Connected to Gut Bacteria among Young Physically Active Adults: An Exploratory Study
Recent scientific evidence suggests that traits energy and fatigue are two unique unipolar moods with distinct mental and physical components. This exploratory study investigated the correlation between mental energy (ME), mental fatigue (MF), physical energy (PE), physical fatigue (PF), and the gut microbiome. The four moods were assessed by survey, and the gut microbiome and metabolome were determined from 16 S rRNA analysis and untargeted metabolomics analysis, respectively. Twenty subjects who were 31 ± 5 y, physically active, and not obese (26.4 ± 4.4 kg/m2) participated. Bacteroidetes (45%), the most prominent phyla, was only negatively correlated with PF. The second most predominant and butyrate-producing phyla, Firmicutes (43%), had members that correlated with each trait. However, the bacteria Anaerostipes was positively correlated with ME (0.048, p = 0.032) and negatively with MF (−0.532, p = 0.016) and PF (−0.448, p = 0.048), respectively. Diet influences the gut microbiota composition, and only one food group, processed meat, was correlated with the four moods—positively with MF (0.538, p = 0.014) and PF (0.513, p = 0.021) and negatively with ME (−0.790, p < 0.001) and PE (−0.478, p = 0.021). Only the Firmicutes genus Holdemania was correlated with processed meat (r = 0.488, p = 0.029). Distinct metabolic profiles were observed, yet these profiles were not significantly correlated with the traits. Study findings suggest that energy and fatigue are unique traits that could be defined by distinct bacterial communities not driven by diet. Larger studies are needed to confirm these exploratory findings
Cannabinoid Administration Attenuates the Progression of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus
Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), the primary psychoactive component in marijuana, is FDA approved to ameliorate AIDS-associated wasting. Because cannabinoid receptors are expressed on cells of the immune system, chronic Δ9-THC use may impact HIV disease progression. We examined the impact of chronic Δ9-THC administration (0.32 mg/kg im, 2 × daily), starting 28 days prior to inoculation with simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac251; 100 TCID50/ml, iv), on immune and metabolic indicators of disease during the initial 6 month asymptomatic phase of infection in rhesus macaques. SIVmac251 inoculation resulted in measurable viral load, decreased lymphocyte CD4+/CD8+ ratio, and increased CD8+ proliferation. Δ9-THC treatment of SIV-infected animals produced minor to no effects in these parameters. However, chronic Δ9-THC administration decreased early mortality from SIV infection (p = 0.039), and this was associated with attenuation of plasma and CSF viral load and retention of body mass (p = NS). In vitro, Δ9-THC (10 μm) decreased SIV (10 TCID50) viral replication in MT4-R5 cells. These results indicate that chronic Δ9-THC does not increase viral load or aggravate morbidity and may actually ameliorate SIV disease progression. We speculate that reduced levels of SIV, retention of body mass, and attenuation of inflammation are likely mechanisms for Δ9-THC-mediated modulation of disease progression that warrant further study