Direct comparison of methionine restriction with leucine restriction on the metabolic health of C57BL/6J mice

EKL was the recipient of a BBSRC postgraduate studentship. This work was funded by Tenovus Scotland project grant to MD and NM (G13/07) and BBSRC DTG. MD is also supported by the British Heart Foundation (PG/09/048/27675, PG/11/8/28703 and PG/14/43/30889) and Diabetes UK (14/0004853). NM is funded by British Heart Foundation (PG/16/90/32518).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Gene-chip studies of adipogenesis-regulated microRNAs in mouse primary adipocytes and human obesity

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adipose tissue abundance relies partly on the factors that regulate adipogenesis, i.e. proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes. While components of the transcriptional program that initiates adipogenesis is well-known, the importance of microRNAs in adipogenesis is less well studied. We thus set out to investigate whether miRNAs would be actively modulated during adipogenesis and obesity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Several models exist to study adipogenesis <it>in vitro</it>, of which the cell line 3T3-L1 is the most well known, albeit not the most physiologically appropriate. Thus, as an alternative, we produced EXIQON microarray of brown and white <it>primary </it>murine adipocytes (prior to and following differentiation) to yield global profiles of miRNAs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found 65 miRNAs regulated during <it>in vitro </it>adipogenesis in primary adipocytes. We evaluated the similarity of our responses to those found in non-primary cell models, through literature data-mining. When comparing primary adipocyte profiles, with those of cell lines reported in the literature, we found a high degree of difference in 'adipogenesis' regulated miRNAs suggesting that the model systems may not be accurately representing adipogenesis. The expression of 10 adipogenesis-regulated miRNAs were studied using real-time qPCR and then we selected 5 miRNAs, that showed robust expression, were profiled in subcutaneous adipose tissue obtained from 20 humans with a range of body mass indices (BMI, range = 21-48, and all samples have U133+2 Affymetrix profiles provided). Of the miRNAs tested, mir-21 was robustly expressed in human adipose tissue and positively correlated with BMI (R2 = 0.49, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, we provide a preliminary analysis of miRNAs associated with primary cell <it>in vitro </it>adipogenesis and demonstrate that the inflammation-associated miRNA, mir-21 is up-regulated in subcutaneous adipose tissue in human obesity. Further, we provide a novel transcriptomics database of EXIQON and Affymetrix adipocyte profiles to facilitate data mining.</p

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ROTC ARMY CADET EXERCISE TRAINING FOR THE ARMY COMBAT FITNESS TEST

Kelsey A. Rushing, Simone A. Cannon, Jake A. Mintz, Brandon M. Roberts, Gregor W. Jenkins, Gordon Fisher, FACSM, Eric P. Plaisance, FACSM, Cody E. Morris. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. Purpose: The Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Program challenges student cadets mentally as well as physically to develop specific skills pertaining to critical thinking as well as leadership. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a physical fitness training program to improve the fitness performance capabilities of cadets in the events that were tested by the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT).Methods: Twenty-six student cadets of the University of Alabama at Birmingham ROTC program participated in the study. Over an 8-month period, the ROTC cadets trained on campus three days per week for one hour per session. Training was performed in a circuit training format and each participant cycled through each of the four training stations (Strength, Conditioning, Core, and Endurance) for 15 minutes each session (for a total training time of 60 minutes). Each cadet had body mass and body composition assessed as well as each component of the ACFT [maximum dead lift (MDL), standing power throw (SPT), hand release push-up (HRP), sprint-drag-carry (SDC), leg tuck/plank (LTK/PLK), and 2-mile run (2MR)]. Each variable was evaluated at three time points (pre-, mid-, and post-training program). Results: There was a significant difference in the 2MR score between time points [F(2,50) = 4.530, p = 0.016, = 0.153]. Upon using a Bonferroni correction to determine differences between groups, there was a significant difference between time point 1 and 3 (p = 0.02). However, no significant differences existed between time point 1 and 2 (p = 0.773) and time point 2 and 3 (p = 0.266). No other variables displayed a significant change across the three time points: body mass (p = 0.741), body fat percentage (p = 0.238), MDL (p = 0.061), SPT (p = 0.308), HRP (p = 0.126), SDC (p = 0.132), LTK/PLK (p = 0.583). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest overall ineffectiveness of the Army ROTC exercise training program to improve ACFT performance over the span of an academic year with the exception of a steady improvement in aerobic endurance with the 2MR. Though the training program consisted of exercises tailored specifically to the ACFT, results showed that it did not necessarily improve the overall score

PILOT STUDY TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF KETONE SUPPLEMENTATION TO IMPROVE FUNCTIONAL OUTCOMES IN ADOLESCENTS POST SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSION

Kelsey A. Rushing, Payton E. Butler, Grace Graves, Alex B. Rich, Maggie C. Steen, Ervin Watson, Kaitlyn G. Willis, Allyn Abadie, Eric P. Plaisance, FACSM, Cody E. Morris. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL. BACKGROUND: Sports-related concussions (SRC), a form of mild traumatic brain injury, occur as a result of collision or physical contact during participation in athletics, with most of these injuries occurring in adolescents. Following SRC, glucose disposal and utilization are decreased in affected areas of the brain. Current treatment strategies (rest, hydration, and over-the-counter medications) neglect to address metabolic changes that could have long-term consequences. Emerging evidence suggests that ketone metabolism is not impaired following SRC, leading to the hypothesis that exogenous ketones could represent an effective strategy to decrease cerebral inflammation and cognitive dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to determine if ketone supplementation within 7-14 days of SRC will attenuate associated perturbations in energy metabolism. METHODS: Five athletes (3 male and 2 female) aged 12-19 y who had suffered a SRC within 7-14 days were enrolled in a 4-week intervention, with measures occurring at enrollment (baseline), 7, 14, and 30 days. As part of standard of care, a licensed healthcare professional conducted the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool, Return-to-Sport, and Return-to-School assessments. Trained research personnel used the C3Logix Concussion Management System to evaluate cognitive function, balance, reaction time, and stability. The single-blind procedure involved participants being counterbalanced to one of two groups, to either receive the ketone supplement or a placebo control. A 2x4 (group x time) repeated-measures ANOVA was used to evaluate differences in the proposed outcomes. RESULTS: The current sample size is too small to draw definitive statistical conclusions. From August 2020 through April 2022 (20 months), 71 total patients were seen in the single-site clinic during the period studied. Of those 71, only 24 (34%) were considered eligible for the study due to defined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Of the eligible sample, six participants were initially enrolled (8% of total patients, 25% of eligible sample) and one participant dropped out. No outcome variables showed significant differences between groups (p \u3e .05): Balance Error Scoring System, Memory and Processing, Simple Reaction Time, Choice Reaction Time, Neuromotor Function, Symptom Severity, Visual Acuity. CONCLUSION: The results of the current feasibility study show that additional studies with multiple sites are needed to recruit a sufficient sample size, including more acute cases, to fully investigate this hypothesis. Future studies should aim to recruit additional clinic sites to improve recruitment and retention of an adequate sample to fully investigate this hypothesis. Sponsor: Faculty Development Grant Program funded by the Faculty Senate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham