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Chia (Salvia hispanica)-supplemented diet ameliorates non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its metabolic abnormalities in humans.
Medina-Urrutia, A, Lopez-Uribe, AR, El Hafidi, M, González-Salazar, MDC, Posadas-Sánchez, R, Jorge-Galarza, E, Del Valle-Mondragón, L, Juárez-Rojas, JG
Lipids in health and disease. 2020;(1):96
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a public health problem lacking an approved pharmacological treatment. Omega-3 fatty acids have shown to reverse NAFLD. Chia is a seed rich in α-linolenic acid (ALA), antioxidants, and fiber; therefore, it could be useful to treat NAFLD. METHODS In a single arm experimental design study, the effect of 25 g/day of milled chia was assessed in 25 patients with NAFLD. After two weeks of dietary stabilization (basal condition) and eight weeks of a chia-supplemented isocaloric diet, liver:spleen attenuation index and visceral abdominal fat (VAF) were measured by computed tomography. Lipids, lipoproteins, free fatty acids (FFA), and ALA plasma concentrations were also determined. RESULTS Dietary chia supplementation induced an increase in plasma ALA concentration (75%) and dietary fiber (55%) consumption. After chia supplementation, VAF (9%), body weight (1.4%), total cholesterol (2.5%), non-high density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.2%), and circulating FFA (8%) decreased. Furthermore, NAFLD regressed in 52% of the treated patients (P < 0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study show that 25 g/day of milled chia ameliorates NAFLD. Chia is an accessible vegetal source of omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber, which could have the potential to prevent metabolic abnormalities in NAFLD patients. Considering that there is no pharmacological treatment approved for NAFLD, the findings of the present study suggest that a chia-supplemented diet could be an innovative alternative to control this disease. RETROSPECTIVELY REGISTERED https://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT03942822.
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Anthropometric cutoffs and associations with visceral adiposity and metabolic biomarkers after spinal cord injury.
Sumrell, RM, Nightingale, TE, McCauley, LS, Gorgey, AS
PloS one. 2018;(8):e0203049
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES To examine associations of different anthropometric measurements of central adiposity to visceral adipose tissue (measured via multi-axial magnetic resonance imaging; MRI) and cardiometabolic disease risk factors in men with spinal cord injury (SCI). Additionally, to determine population-specific seated/supine waist and abdominal circumference cutoffs, which may identify men at increased risk of cardiometabolic disease. PARTICIPANTS/METHODS Twenty-two men with chronic SCI underwent MRI scans, anthropometric measurements along with assessments of various cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. Pearson/part (accounting for age as a covariate) correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the associations between study variables. Abdominal and waist circumference cutoffs were extrapolated using the slope of linear regression equations. RESULTS Seated/supine abdominal and waist circumferences were (P < 0.01) associated with MRI visceral fat cross-sectional area (VATCSA), VAT volume and CSA:TotalCSA. Low density lipoprotein, non-high-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol were positively associated with seated/supine abdominal and waist circumferences after controlling for age; r = 0.50-0.61, r = 0.46-0.58, r = 0.52-0.58, P < 0.05, respectively. Tumor necrosis factor alpha was associated with seated/supine abdominal and waist circumferences after accounting for age; r = 0.49-0.51 and r = 0.48-0.56, P < 0.05 respectively. The population-specific cutoffs were 86.5cm and 88.3cm for supine waist and abdominal circumferences, respectively, as well as 89cm and 101cm for seated waist and abdominal circumferences, respectively. After dichotomizing VATCSA (< or ≥ 100cm2), peak oxygen uptake, triglycerides, insulin sensitivity and glycated hemoglobin were different (P < 0.05) between groups. After dichotomizing (< or ≥ 86.5cm) supine waist circumference, VATCSA, triglycerides and insulin sensitivity were different (P < 0.05) between groups. CONCLUSIONS Seated/supine circumferences are associated with both central adiposity and biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease risk in persons with SCI. Population-specific cutoffs are proposed herein to identify central adiposity and potential cardiometabolic disease risk after SCI.
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Consumption of policosanol enhances HDL functionality via CETP inhibition and reduces blood pressure and visceral fat in young and middle-aged subjects.
Kim, JY, Kim, SM, Kim, SJ, Lee, EY, Kim, JR, Cho, KH
International journal of molecular medicine. 2017;(4):889-899
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Abstract
It is well-known that policosanol can improve serum lipid profiles, although the physiological mechanism is still unknown. Here, we investigated functional and structural changes in lipoproteins after consumption of policosanol. To investigate the physiological effect of policosanol, we analyzed serum parameters in young non-smoker (YN; n=7, 24.0±2.4 years), young smoker (YS; n=7, 26.3±1.5 years), and middle-aged subjects (MN; n=11, 52.5±9.8 years) who consumed policosanol daily (10 mg/day) for 8 weeks. After 8 weeks, systolic blood pressure was significantly lowered to 4% (7 mmHg, p=0.022) from initial levels in the YS and MN groups. Moisture content of facial skin increased up to 38 and 18% from initial levels in the YS and MN groups, respectively. Serum triglyceride (TG) levels decreased to 28 and 26% from initial levels in the YN and MN groups, respectively. The percentage of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) in total cholesterol was elevated in all subjects (YN, 36%; YS, 35%; MN, 8%) after 8 weeks of policosanol consumption. All groups showed a reduction in serum glucose and uric acid levels. Serum cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) activity was significantly diminished up to 21 and 32% from initial levels in the YN and MN groups, respectively. After 8 weeks, oxidation of the low-density lipoprotein fraction was markedly reduced accompanied by decreased apolipoprotein B (apoB) fragmentation. In the HDL fraction, paraoxonase activity was elevated by 17% along with elevation of apoA-I and cholesterol contents. Electron microscopy revealed that the size and number of HDL particles increased after 8 weeks, and the YS group showed a 2-fold increase in particle size. Daily consumption of policosanol for 8 weeks resulted in lowered blood pressure, reduced serum TG level and CETP activity, and elevated HDL-C contents. These functional enhancements of HDL can prevent and/or attenuate aging-related diseases, hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
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Effects of weight loss and exercise on apelin serum concentrations and adipose tissue expression in human obesity.
Krist, J, Wieder, K, Klöting, N, Oberbach, A, Kralisch, S, Wiesner, T, Schön, MR, Gärtner, D, Dietrich, A, Shang, E, et al
Obesity facts. 2013;(1):57-69
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Apelin is an adipokine which plays a role in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and may contribute to the link between increased adipose tissue mass and obesity related metabolic diseases. Here we investigate the role of omental and subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissue apelin and its receptor APJ mRNA expression in human obesity and test the hypothesis that changes in circulating apelin are associated with reduced fat mass in three weight loss intervention studies. METHODS Apelin serum concentration was measured in 740 individuals in a cross-sectional (n = 629) study including a subgroup (n = 161) for which omental and SC apelin mRNA expression has been analyzed and in three interventions: 12 weeks exercise (n = 60), 6 months calorie-restricted diet (n = 19), 12 months after bariatric surgery (n = 32). RESULTS Apelin mRNA is significantly higher expressed in adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes and correlates with circulating apelin, BMI, body fat, C-reactive protein, and insulin sensitivity. Obesity surgery-induced weight loss causes a significant reduction in omental and SC apelin expression. All interventions led to significantly reduced apelin serum concentrations which significantly correlate with improved insulin sensitivity, independently of changes in BMI. CONCLUSIONS Reduced apelin expression and serum concentration may contribute to improved insulin sensitivity beyond significant weight loss.
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Visceral adipose tissue volume estimated at imaging sites 5-6 cm above L4-L5 is optimal for predicting cardiovascular risk factors in obese Japanese men.
So, R, Sasai, H, Matsuo, T, Tsujimoto, T, Eto, M, Saotome, K, Tanaka, K
The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine. 2012;(4):297-305
Abstract
The association between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been clearly demonstrated. Although typical VAT area at 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae (L4-L5) is used to approximate VAT volume, growing evidence has suggested that this measurement site may not be ideal. However, these findings for Asian people remain unclear. Thus, we searched for the better VAT measurement sites associated with CVD risk factors in obese, Japanese men. Eighty-two obese men were included in a cross-sectional study. Among these participants, 37 men completed the 12-week intervention (90 min and 3 d/week) were used for addressing longitudinal association between the VAT measurement sites and CVD risk factors. Consecutive MRI images (from 3 cm below L4-L5 to 20 cm above L4-L5) were used to explore the relationship between each VAT area and CVD risk factors (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin and blood pressure). The images located only 5-9 cm above L4-L5 had significant correlations with HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, but L4-L5 site did not in the cross-sectional analysis. In response to exercise, the image located 5 cm above L4-L5 showed the highest correlations with changes in total cholesterol (r = 0.46) and glucose (r = 0.36). Also, the image located 6 cm above L4-L5 showed highest correlations with changes in triglycerides (r = 0.37) and insulin (r = 0.37). Thus, the range of VAT images located 5-6 cm above L4-L5 may be optimal for identifying CVD risk factors compared to a typical site of L4-L5.
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Liver is the site of splanchnic cortisol production in obese nondiabetic humans.
Basu, R, Basu, A, Grudzien, M, Jung, P, Jacobson, P, Johnson, M, Singh, R, Sarr, M, Rizza, RA
Diabetes. 2009;(1):39-45
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the contribution of liver and viscera to splanchnic cortisol production in humans. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS D4 cortisol was infused intravenously; arterial, portal venous, and hepatic venous blood was sampled; and liver and visceral fat were biopsied in subjects undergoing bariatric surgery. RESULTS Ratios of arterial and portal vein D4 cortisol/cortisol(total) (0.06 +/- 0.01 vs. 0.06 +/- 0.01) and D4 cortisol/D3 cortisol (1.80 +/- 0.14 vs. 1.84 +/- 0.14) did not differ, indicating that no visceral cortisol production or conversion of D4 cortisol to D3 cortisol via 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11beta-HSD-1) occurred. Conversely, ratios of both D4 cortisol to cortisol(total) (0.05 +/- 0.01; P < 0.05) and D4 cortisol to D3 cortisol (1.33 +/- 0.11; P < 0.001) were lower in the hepatic vein than in the portal vein, indicating production of both cortisol and D3 cortisol by the liver. The viscera did not produce either cortisol (-8.1 +/- 2.6 microg/min) or D3 cortisol (-0.2 +/- 0.1 microg/min). In contrast, the liver produced both cortisol (22.7 +/- 3.90 microg/min) and D3 cortisol (1.9 +/- 0.4 microg/min) and accounted for all splanchnic cortisol and D3 cortisol production. Additionally, 11beta-HSD-1 mRNA was approximately ninefold higher (P < 0.01) in liver than in visceral fat. Although 11beta-HSD-2 gene expression was very low in visceral fat, the viscera released cortisone (P < 0.001) and D3 cortisone (P < 0.01) into the portal vein. CONCLUSIONS The liver accounts for all splanchnic cortisol production in obese nondiabetic humans. In contrast, the viscera releases cortisone into the portal vein, thereby providing substrate for intrahepatic cortisol production.
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Substantial changes in epicardial fat thickness after weight loss in severely obese subjects.
Iacobellis, G, Singh, N, Wharton, S, Sharma, AM
Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.). 2008;(7):1693-7
Abstract
We sought to evaluate the effect of weight loss on echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness, as index of visceral adiposity, and whether epicardial fat change after the weight loss can be proportionally different from overall body weight changes and related to cardiac parameters changes in severely obese subjects. This was an interventional study in 20 severely obese subjects (12 women, 8 men, BMI 45+/-5 kg/m(2), 35+/-10 years) who underwent 6-month very low calorie diet weight loss program. Baseline and after 6-month weight loss anthropometrics, echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness, left ventricular mass (LVM), and diastolic function parameters were assessed. Subjects lost 20% of original body weight, BMI reduced by 19% of original BMI, waist circumference decreased by 23% of initial waist circumference. Epicardial fat thickness decreased from 12.3+/-1.8 to 8.3+/-1 mm P<0.001 after the 6-month very low calorie diet, as -32% of baseline epicardial fat thickness. LVM and diastolic function changes were better correlated with epicardial fat changes. We showed that significant weight loss can be associated with significant reduction in the epicardial fat thickness, marker of visceral adiposity in severely obese subjects. Epicardial fat decrease, therefore visceral fat decrease, can be proportionally higher than overall adiposity decrease. Epicardial fat changes are significantly associated with obesity-related cardiac morphological and functional changes during weight loss. Measurement of echocardiographic epicardial fat thickness may provide an additional tool in understanding the metabolic risk associated with variation in fat distribution.