Expanding the role of bitter taste receptor in extra oral tissues : TAS2R38 is expressed in human adipocytes

Increasing evidence indicates that taste receptors mediate a variety of functions in extra-oral tissues. The present study investigated the expression of bitter taste receptor TAS2R38 in human adipocytes, the possible link with genetic background and the role of TAS2R38 in cell delipidation and lipid accumulation rate in vitro. Subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissues were collected in 32 obese and 18 lean subjects. The TAS2R38 gene expression and protein content were examined in whole tissues, differentiated adipocytes and stroma-vascular fraction cells (SVF). The P49A SNP of TAS2R38 gene was determined in each collected sample. The effect of two bitter agonists (6-n-propylthiouracil and quinine) was tested. TAS2R38 mRNA was more expressed in SAT and VAT of obese than lean subjects and the expression/protein content was greater in mature adipocytes. The expression levels were not linked to P49A variants. In in vitro differentiated adipocytes, bitter agonists induced a significant delipidation. Incubation with 6-n-propylthiouracil induced an inhibition of lipid accumulation rate together with an increase in TAS2R38 and a decrease in genes involved in adipocyte differentiation. In conclusion, TAS2R38 is more expressed in adipocytes of obese than lean subjects and is involved in differentiation and delipidation processes

Effect of short-term dietary intervention and probiotic mix supplementation on the gut microbiota of elderly obese women

Accumulating literature is providing evidence that the gut microbiota is involved in metabolic disorders, but the question of how to effectively modulate it to restore homeostasis, especially in the elderly, is still under debate. In this study, we profiled the intestinal microbiota of 20 elderly obese women (EO) at the baseline (T0), after 15 days of hypocaloric Mediterranean diet administered as part of a nutritional-metabolic rehabilitation program for obesity (T1), and after a further 15 days of the same diet supplemented with a probiotic mix (T2). Fecal samples were characterized by Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. The EO microbiota showed the typical alterations found in obesity, namely, an increase in potential pro-inflammatory components (i.e., Collinsella) and a decrease in health-promoting, short-chain fatty acid producers (i.e., Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae members), with a tendency to reduced biodiversity. After 15 days of the rehabilitation program, weight decreased by (2.7 \ub1 1.5)% and the gut microbiota dysbiosis was partially reversed, with a decline of Collinsella and an increase in leanness-related taxa. During the next 15 days of diet and probiotics, weight dropped further by (1.2 \ub1 1.1)%, markers of oxidative stress improved, and Akkermansia, a mucin degrader with beneficial effects on host metabolism, increased significantly. These findings support the relevant role of a correct dietetic approach, even in the short term, to modulate the EO gut microbiota towards a metabolic health-related configuration, counteracting the increased risk of morbidity in these patients

Differences in visceral fat and fat bacterial colonization between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. An in vivo and in vitro study

Crohn's disease (CD) is notably characterized by the expansion of visceral fat with small adipocytes expressing a high proportion of anti-inflammatory genes. Conversely, visceral fat depots in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients have never been characterized. Our study aims were a) to compare adipocyte morphology and gene expression profile and bacterial translocation in omental (OM) and mesenteric (MES) adipose tissue of patients with UC and CD, and b) to investigate the effect of bacterial infection on adipocyte proliferation in vitro. Specimens of OM and MES were collected from 11 UC and 11 CD patients, processed and examined by light microscopy. Gene expression profiles were evaluated in adipocytes isolated from visceral adipose tissue using microarray and RTqPCR validations. Bacteria within adipose tissue were immuno-detected by confocal scanning laser microscopy. Adipocytes were incubated with Enterococcus faecalis and cells counted after 24 h. Morphology and molecular profile of OM and MES revealed that UC adipose tissue is less inflamed than CD adipose tissue. Genes linked to inflammation, bacterial response, chemotaxis and angiogenesis were down-regulated in adipocytes from UC compared to CD, whereas genes related to metallothioneins, apoptosis pathways and growth factor binding were up-regulated. A dense perinuclear positivity for Enterococcus faecalis was detected in visceral adipocytes from CD, whereas positivity was weak in UC. In vitro bacterial infection was associated with a five-fold increase in the proliferation rate of OM preadipocytes. Compared to UC, visceral adipose tissue from CD is more inflamed and more colonized by intestinal bacteria, which increase adipocyte proliferation. The influence of bacteria stored within adipocytes on the clinical course of IBD warrants further investigation

CISTACANTOS DE GIGANTORHYNCHUS ECHINODISCUS (ACANTHOCEPHALA, GIGANTORHYNCHIDAE), EN TERMITAS NEOTROPICALES (ISOPTERA, TERMITIDAE)

Specimens of Labiotermes emersoni (Araujo, 1954) and Orthognathotermes heberi Raw & Egler, 1985, were collected at Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Soldiers of the two species were suspected to carry larval acanthocephalan parasites due to different sizes and shape of their heads and because some specimens had a conspicuous, cylindrical, whitish 'body' in the hemocoel, around the digestive tract in the abdomen. The termites showed shape alteration and light pigmentation dystrophy of the heads induced by the larval acanthocephalans. These alterations were documented photographically and the cystacanths described. The encysted juveniles removed from the hemocoel of infected soldier termites and processed accordingly, were determined as Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851). The proboscis had the typical cylindrical shape and the characteristic two distal circles of large hooks (6+12), covered with small, almost rootless spines, and a very short neck. This is the first record from Brazil of any species of termites infected with acanthocephalans of the genus Gigantorhynchus Hamann, 1892 and the first record of G. echinodiscus cystacanths infecting the intermediate host.Los especímenes de Labiotermes emersoni (Araujo, 1954) y Orthognathotermes heberi Raw & Egler, 1985, se colectaron en el Parque Nacional de Serra da Canastra, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. Se sospechaba que soldados de las dos especies eran portadores de larvas de acantocéfalos parásitos debido a diferentes tamaños y formas de la cabeza, además de un “cuerpo” blanquecino, cilíndrico visible en el hemocele de algunos ejemplares, alrededor del tubo digestivo en el abdomen. Los termitas mostraron alteración de forma y leve distrofia de pigmentación en sus cabezas inducidas por los acantocéfalos larvales. Estas alteraciones se documentaron fotográficamente y se describen los cistacantos. Las formas juveniles enquistadas retiradas del hemocele de soldados infectados se identificaron como Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Diesing, 1851). Los probóscides tenían la típica forma cilíndrica y los característicos dos círculos distales de grandes ganchos (6+12), cubiertos de pequenas espinas, casi sin raíces y un cuello muy corto. Este es el primer registro de dos especies de termitas infectadas por acantocéfalos del género Gigantorhynchus Hamann, 1892 y el primero registro de cistacantos de G. echinodiscus infectando el hospedero intermediário

RNA-seq dataset of subcutaneous adipose tissue: Transcriptional differences between obesity and healthy women

In this data article, we present the dataset from the RNA-Seq analysis of subcutaneous adipose tissue collected from 5 healthy normal weight women (NW, age 37 +/- 6.7 years, BMI 24.3 +/- 0.9 kg/m(2)) and 5 obese women (OBF, age 41 +/- 12.5 years, BMI 38.2 +/- 4.6 kg/m(2)). Raw data obtained from Illumina NextSeq 500 sequencer were processed through BlueBee (R) Genomics Platform while differential expression analysis was performed with the DESeq2 R package and deposited in the GEO public repository with GSE166047 as accession number. Specifically, 20 samples divided between NW (control), OBF (obese women), OBM (obese male) and OBT2D (obese women with diabetes) are deposited in the GSE166047. We hereby describe only 10 samples (5 healthy normal weight women reported as NW and 5 obese women reported as OBF) because we refer to the data published in the article "Transcriptional characterization of Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in obesity affected women highlights metabolic dysfunction and implications for lncRNAs" (DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.09.014). Pathways analyses were performed on g:Profiler, Enrichr, ClueGO and GSEA to gain biological insights on gene expression. Raw data reported in GEO database along with detailed methods description reported in this data article could be reused for comparisons with other datasets on the topic to obtain transcriptional differences in a wider co-hort. Moreover, detailed pathways analysis along with cross-referenced data with other datasets will allow to identify novel dysregulated pathways and genes responsible for this regulation. The biological interpretation of this dataset, along with related in vitro experiments, is reported by Rey et al., in Genomics (DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2021.09.014). (C) 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc

Adiponectin levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients : possible influence on neuroinflammation?

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin (APN) is a key player in energy homeostasis strictly associated with cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Since APN also belongs to anti-inflammatory-acting adipokines and may influence both neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative processes, we decided to study the APN levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: We assessed APN levels by ELISA immunoassay in both the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of a cohort of familial and sporadic ALS patients, characterized by normal body mass index and absence of dysautonomic symptoms. The screening of serum APN levels was also performed in patients affected by other neurological disorders, including fronto-temporal dementia (FTD) patients. Means were compared using the non-parametric Wilcoxon test, and Pearson's or Spearman's rho was used to assess correlations between variables. RESULTS: In the whole ALS group, serum APN levels were not different when compared to the age- and sex-matched control group (CTR), but a gender-specific analysis enlightened a significant opposite APN trend between ALS males, characterized by lower values (ALS 9.8\u2009\ub1\u20095.2 vs. CTR 15\u2009\ub1\u20099.7 \u3bcg/ml), and ALS females, showing higher amounts (ALS 26.5\u2009\ub1\u200911.6 vs. CTR 14.6\u2009\ub1\u20095.2 \u3bcg/ml). This sex-linked difference was significantly enhanced in familial ALS cases (p\u2009 64\u20090.01). The APN levels in ALS cerebrospinal fluids were unrelated to serum values and not linked to sex and/or familiarity of the disease. Finally, the screening of serum APN levels in patients affected by other neurological disorders revealed the highest serum values in FTD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Opposite serum APN levels are gender-related in ALS and altered in several neurological disorders, with the highest values in FTD, which shares with ALS several overlapping and neuropathological features. Further investigations are needed to clarify the possible involvement of APN in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Possible involvement of APN in neuroinflammatory neurodegenerative diseases

Comparison of Protein- or Amino Acid-Based Supplements in the Rehabilitation of Men with Severe Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Background: Weight loss is associated with a reduction in all body compartments, including muscle mass (MM), and this effect produces a decrease in function and muscle strength. Our objective was to assess the impact of protein or amino acid supplements on MM loss in middle-aged men (age 35 kg/m2) during weight loss. Materials and Methods: We conducted a single-site randomized controlled trial (Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05143398) with 40 in-patient male subjects with severe obesity. Participants underwent an intervention program consisting of a low-calorie balanced diet and structured physical activity. They were randomly assigned to 4-week treatment groups: (1) control (CTR, N = 10), (2) protein (P, N = 10), (3) branched-chain amino acid (BCAA, N = 10), and (4) essential amino acid mixture with tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates (PD-E07, N = 10) supplementation. Results: Following 4 weeks of intervention, all groups showed similar reductions in body weight compared to baseline. When examining the delta values, a notable increase in muscle mass (MM) was observed in the PD-E07 intervention group [MM (kg): 2.84 ± 3.57; MM (%): 3.63 ± 3.14], in contrast to the CTR group [MM (kg): −2.46 ± 3.04; MM (%): −0.47 ± 2.28], with a statistical significance of p = 0.045 and p = 0.023, respectively. However, the MM values for the P group [MM (kg): −2.75 ± 5.98, p = 0.734; MM (%): −0.44 ± 4.02, p = 0.990] and the BCAA group [MM (kg): −1 ± 3.3, p = 0.734; MM (%): 0.34 ± 2.85, p = 0.956] did not exhibit a statistically significant difference when compared to the CTR group. Conclusions: Amino acid-based supplements may effectively mitigate the loss of MM typically observed during weight reduction. Further validation through large-scale studies is necessary

Perioperative serum VEGF and extracellular domains of EGFR and HER2 in early breast cancer

Background: The prognostic role of serum levels of molecular biomarkers during the perioperative period in patients with early breast cancer is not clear. Patients and Methods: Serum VEGF and extracellular domains (ECD) of EGFR and HER2 were prospectively determined in 119 consecutive patients with early breast cancer on the day before and after surgery. Results: After a median follow-up of 93 months, the preoperative value and the absolute change from pre- to postoperative serum levels of VEGF and HER2 ECD did not predict disease-free survival (DFS). A decrease after surgery of EGFR ECD correlated with a statistically significant lower DFS; each 1 ng/ml decrease in EGFR ECD serum level was associated with an increase of event risk of 15% on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio 1.15 95% confidence interval 1.04.-1.28, p=0.006). Conclusion: The perioperative absolute change of EGFR ECD significantly correlated with disease outcome of patients with early breast cancer. No correlation was found between preoperative and perioperative absolute change of serum VEGF and HER2 ECD