Consensus Clustering of temporal profiles for the identification of metabolic markers of pre-diabetes in childhood (EarlyBird 73)

In longitudinal clinical studies, methodologies available for the analysis of multivariate data with multivariate methods are relatively limited. Here, we present Consensus Clustering (CClust) a new computational method based on clustering of time pro les and posterior identi cation of correlation between clusters and predictors. Subjects are rst clustered in groups according to a response variable temporal pro le, using a robust consensus-based strategy. To discover which of the remaining variables are associated with the resulting groups, a non-parametric hypothesis test is performed between groups at every time point, and then the results are aggregated according to the Fisher method. Our approach is tested through its application to the EarlyBird cohort database, which contains temporal variations of clinical, metabolic, and anthropometric pro les in a population of 150 children followed-up annually from age 5 to age 16. Our results show that our consensus-based method is able to overcome the problem of the approach-dependent results produced by current clustering algorithms, producing groups de ned according to Insulin Resistance (IR) and biological age (Tanner Score). Moreover, it provides meaningful biological results con rmed by hypothesis testing with most of the main clinical variables. These results position CClust as a valid alternative for the analysis of multivariate longitudinal data

Poverty profile: The rural North and Northeast of Brazil

Fortunately, both poverty and extreme poverty have shown a significant decrease in Brazil. According to data from the National Household Sample Survey (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios - PNAD), poverty dropped over 20 per cent between 2004 and 2013, to about 9 per cent of the Brazillian population. Extreme poverty fell from about 7 per cent to 4 per cent over the same period. Much of this decline was due to the expansion of the labour market and the significant increase in transfers to poor households, through both social security and the Bolsa Família programme (Rocha 2013). [...

Metabonomics in neonatal nutrition research

Maternal obesity and early post-natal nutrition might associate with increased obesity risk in later life. We have investigated the effect of breastfeeding and infant formulas differing in protein content on the urinary and fecal metabolism of term infants born from overweight and obese mothers using a metabonomic approach. Metabolic differences were observed between breast and formula fed infants both in urine and stool samples. Metabolic profiles of formula fed infants exhibited a distinct metabolic pattern that was associated with the processing of dietary proteins from the host and the gut microbiota. Metabonomics appears as a powerful tool to measure the physiological response to infant formula versus the gold standard breastfeeding. In future, nutritional phenotyping will combine metabonomics and nutritional profiling to study specific nutritional requirements and measure the efficacy of tailored nutritional interventions on growth and development endpoints. It will then open novel opportunities to develop targeted nutritional solutions for health maintenance and disease prevention.   Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Neonatology and Satellite Meetings · Cagliari (Italy) · October 26th-31st, 2015 · From the womb to the adult Guest Editors: Vassilios Fanos (Cagliari, Italy), Michele Mussap (Genoa, Italy), Antonio Del Vecchio (Bari, Italy), Bo Sun (Shanghai, China), Dorret I. Boomsma (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Gavino Faa (Cagliari, Italy), Antonio Giordano (Philadelphia, USA

Transcriptomics and Metabonomics Identify Essential Metabolic Signatures in Calorie Restriction (CR) Regulation across Multiple Mouse Strains

Calorie restriction (CR) has long been used to study lifespan effects and oppose the development of a broad array of age-related biological and pathological changes (increase healthspan). Yet, a comprehensive comparison of the metabolic phenotype across different genetic backgrounds to identify common metabolic markers affected by CR is still lacking. Using a system biology approach comprising metabonomics and liver transcriptomics we revealed the effect of CR across multiple mouse strains (129S1/SvlmJ, C57BL6/J, C3H/HeJ, CBA/J, DBA/2J, JC3F1/J). Oligonucleotide microarrays identified 76 genes as differentially expressed in all six strains confirmed. These genes were subjected to quantitative RT-PCR analysis in the C57BL/6J mouse strain, and a CR-induced change expression was confirmed for 14 genes. To fully depict the metabolic pathways affected by CR and complement the changes observed through differential gene expression, the metabolome of C57BL6/J was further characterized in liver tissues, urine and plasma levels using a combination or targeted mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Overall, our integrated approach commonly confirms that energy metabolism, stress response, lipids regulators and the insulin/IGF-1 are key determinants factors involved in CR regulation

Balgacyclamides, Antiplasmodial Heterocyclic Peptides fromMicrocystis aeruguinosaEAWAG 251

The isolation and structural characterization of three new heterocyclic and macrocyclic peptides, balgacyclamides A-C, from Microcystis aeruginosa EAWAG 251 are reported. The constitutions were determined by 2D-NMR methods and mass spectrometry, and the configurations were assigned after ozonolysis and hydrolysis by HPLC-MS methods using Marfey's method as well as GC-MS using authentic standards. Balgacyclamides A and B were active against Plasmodium falciparum K1 in the low micromolar range, while displaying low toxicity to rat myoblasts

Transcriptomics and Metabonomics Identify Essential Metabolic Signatures in Calorie Restriction (CR) Regulation across Multiple Mouse Strains

Calorie restriction (CR) has long been used to study lifespan effects and oppose the development of a broad array of age-related biological and pathological changes (increase healthspan). Yet, a comprehensive comparison of the metabolic phenotype across different genetic backgrounds to identify common metabolic markers affected by CR is still lacking. Using a system biology approach comprising metabonomics and liver transcriptomics we revealed the effect of CR across multiple mouse strains (129S1/SvlmJ, C57BL6/J, C3H/HeJ, CBA/J, DBA/2J, JC3F1/J). Oligonucleotide microarrays identified 76 genes as differentially expressed in all six strains confirmed. These genes were subjected to quantitative RT-PCR analysis in the C57BL/6J mouse strain, and a CR-induced change expression was confirmed for 14 genes. To fully depict the metabolic pathways affected by CR and complement the changes observed through differential gene expression, the metabolome of C57BL6/J was further characterized in liver tissues, urine and plasma levels using a combination or targeted mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Overall, our integrated approach commonly confirms that energy metabolism, stress response, lipids regulators and the insulin/IGF-1 are key determinants factors involved in CR regulation

Impact of breast-feeding and high- and low-protein formula on the metabolism and growth of infants from overweight and obese mothers

BACKGROUND: The combination of maternal obesity in early pregnancy and high protein intake in infant formula feeding might predispose to obesity risk in later life. METHODS: This study assesses the impact of breast- or formula-feeding (differing in protein content by 1.65 or 2.7g/100 kcal) on the metabolism of term infants from overweight and obese mothers. From birth to 3 mo of age, infants received exclusively either breast- or starter formula-feeding and until 6 mo, exclusively either a formula designed for this study or breast-feeding. From 6 to 12 mo, infants received complementary weaning food. Metabonomics was conducted on the infants' urine and stool samples collected at the age of 3, 6, and 12 mo. RESULTS: Infant formula-feeding resulted in higher protein-derived short-chain fatty acids and amino acids in stools. Urine metabonomics revealed a relationship between bacterial processing of dietary proteins and host protein metabolism stimulated with increasing protein content in the formula. Moreover, formula-fed infants were metabolically different from breast-fed infants, at the level of lipid and energy metabolism (carnitines, ketone bodies, and Krebs cycle). CONCLUSION: Noninvasive urine and stool metabolic monitoring of responses to early nutrition provides relevant readouts to assess nutritional requirements for infants' growth