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1.
Insulin Resistance in Obese Children: What Can Metabolomics and Adipokine Modelling Contribute?
Rupérez, FJ, Martos-Moreno, GÁ, Chamoso-Sánchez, D, Barbas, C, Argente, J
Nutrients. 2020;(11)
Abstract
The evolution of obesity and its resulting comorbidities differs depending upon the age of the subject. The dramatic rise in childhood obesity has resulted in specific needs in defining obesity-associated entities with this disease. Indeed, even the definition of obesity differs for pediatric patients from that employed in adults. Regardless of age, one of the earliest metabolic complications observed in obesity involves perturbations in glucose metabolism that can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. In children, the incidence of type 2 diabetes is infrequent compared to that observed in adults, even with the same degree of obesity. In contrast, insulin resistance is reported to be frequently observed in children and adolescents with obesity. As this condition can be prerequisite to further metabolic complications, identification of biological markers as predictive risk factors would be of tremendous clinical utility. Analysis of obesity-induced modifications of the adipokine profile has been one classic approach in the identification of biomarkers. Recent studies emphasize the utility of metabolomics in the analysis of metabolic characteristics in children with obesity with or without insulin resistance. These studies have been performed with targeted or untargeted approaches, employing different methodologies. This review summarizes some of the advances in this field while emphasizing the importance of the different techniques employed.
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Metabolomic analysis in ophthalmology.
Nazifova-Tasinova, N, Radeva, M, Galunska, B, Grupcheva, C
Biomedical papers of the Medical Faculty of the University Palacky, Olomouc, Czechoslovakia. 2020;(3):236-246
Abstract
Modern science takes into account phenotype complexity and establishes approaches to track changes on every possible level. Many "omics" studies have been developed over the last decade. Metabolomic analysis enables dynamic measurement of the metabolic response of a living system to a variety of stimuli or genetic modifications. Important targets of metabolomics is biomarker development and translation to the clinic for personalized diagnosis and a greater understanding of disease pathogenesis. The current review highlights the major aspects of metabolomic analysis and its applications for the identification of relevant predictive, diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for some ocular diseases including dry eye, keratoconus, retinal diseases, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. To date, possible biomarker candidates for dry eye disease are lipid metabolites and androgens, for keratoconus cytokeratins, urea, citrate cycle, and oxidative stress metabolites. Palmitoylcarnitine, sphingolipids, vitamin D related metabolites, and steroid precursors may be used for distinguishing glaucoma patients from healthy controls. Dysregulation of amino acid and carnitine metabolism is critical in the development and progression of diabetic retinopathy. Further work is needed to discover and validate metabolic biomarkers as a powerful tool for understanding the molecular mechanisms of ocular diseases, to provide knowledge on their etiology and pathophysiology and opportunities for personalized clinical intervention at an early stage.
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Assessment of gut microbiota fecal metabolites by chromatographic targeted approaches.
Fiori, J, Turroni, S, Candela, M, Gotti, R
Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis. 2020;:112867
Abstract
Gut microbiota, the specific microbial community of the gastrointestinal tract, by means of the production of microbial metabolites provides the host with several functions affecting metabolic and immunological homeostasis. Insights into the intricate relationships between gut microbiota and the host require not only the understanding of its structure and function but also the measurement of effector molecules acting along the gut microbiota axis. This article reviews the literature on targeted chromatographic approaches in analysis of gut microbiota specific metabolites in feces as the most accessible biological matrix which can directly probe the connection between intestinal bacteria and the (patho)physiology of the holobiont. Together with a discussion on sample collection and preparation, the chromatographic methods targeted to determination of some classes of microbiota-derived metabolites (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, low molecular masses amines and polyamines, vitamins, neurotransmitters and related compounds) are discussed and their main characteristics, summarized in Tables.
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Detection of Early Disease Risk Factors Associated with Metabolic Syndrome: A New Era with the NMR Metabolomics Assessment.
Hernandez-Baixauli, J, Quesada-Vázquez, S, Mariné-Casadó, R, Gil Cardoso, K, Caimari, A, Del Bas, JM, Escoté, X, Baselga-Escudero, L
Nutrients. 2020;(3)
Abstract
The metabolic syndrome is a multifactorial disease developed due to accumulation and chronification of several risk factors associated with disrupted metabolism. The early detection of the biomarkers by NMR spectroscopy could be helpful to prevent multifactorial diseases. The exposure of each risk factor can be detected by traditional molecular markers but the current biomarkers have not been enough precise to detect the primary stages of disease. Thus, there is a need to obtain novel molecular markers of pre-disease stages. A promising source of new molecular markers are metabolomics standing out the research of biomarkers in NMR approaches. An increasing number of nutritionists integrate metabolomics into their study design, making nutrimetabolomics one of the most promising avenues for improving personalized nutrition. This review highlight the major five risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome and related diseases including carbohydrate dysfunction, dyslipidemia, oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut microbiota dysbiosis. Together, it is proposed a profile of metabolites of each risk factor obtained from NMR approaches to target them using personalized nutrition, which will improve the quality of life for these patients.
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5.
Biomarkers of appetite: is there a potential role for metabolomics?
Horner, K, Hopkins, M, Finlayson, G, Gibbons, C, Brennan, L
Nutrition research reviews. 2020;(2):271-286
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Abstract
Knowing the biological signals associated with appetite control is crucial for understanding the regulation of food intake. Biomarkers of appetite have been defined as physiological measures that relate to subjective appetite ratings, measured food intake, or both. Several metabolites including amino acids, lipids and glucose were proposed as key molecules associated with appetite control over 60 years ago, and along with bile acids are all among possible appetite biomarker candidates. Additional metabolites that have been associated with appetite include endocannabinoids, lactate, cortisol and β-hydroxybutyrate. However, although appetite is a complex integrative process, studies often investigated a limited number of markers in isolation. Metabolomics involves the study of small molecules or metabolites present in biological samples such as urine or blood, and may present a powerful approach to further the understanding of appetite control. Using multiple analytical techniques allows the characterisation of molecules, such as carbohydrates, lipids, amino acids, bile acids and fatty acids. Metabolomics has proven successful in identifying markers of consumption of certain foods and biomarkers implicated in several diseases. However, it has been underexploited in appetite control or obesity. The aim of the present narrative review is to: (1) provide an overview of existing metabolites that have been identified in human biofluids and associated with appetite control; and (2) discuss the potential of metabolomics to deepen understanding of appetite control in humans.
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Omics Biomarkers in Obesity: Novel Etiological Insights and Targets for Precision Prevention.
Aleksandrova, K, Egea Rodrigues, C, Floegel, A, Ahrens, W
Current obesity reports. 2020;(3):219-230
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Omics-based technologies were suggested to provide an advanced understanding of obesity etiology and its metabolic consequences. This review highlights the recent developments in "omics"-based research aimed to identify obesity-related biomarkers. RECENT FINDINGS Recent advances in obesity and metabolism research increasingly rely on new technologies to identify mechanisms in the development of obesity using various "omics" platforms. Genetic and epigenetic biomarkers that translate into changes in transcriptome, proteome, and metabolome could serve as targets for obesity prevention. Despite a number of promising candidate biomarkers, there is an increased demand for larger prospective cohort studies to validate findings and determine biomarker reproducibility before they can find applications in primary care and public health. "Omics" biomarkers have advanced our knowledge on the etiology of obesity and its links with chronic diseases. They bring substantial promise in identifying effective public health strategies that pave the way towards patient stratification and precision prevention.
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Microbiome 101: Studying, Analyzing, and Interpreting Gut Microbiome Data for Clinicians.
Allaband, C, McDonald, D, Vázquez-Baeza, Y, Minich, JJ, Tripathi, A, Brenner, DA, Loomba, R, Smarr, L, Sandborn, WJ, Schnabl, B, et al
Clinical gastroenterology and hepatology : the official clinical practice journal of the American Gastroenterological Association. 2019;(2):218-230
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Abstract
Advances in technical capabilities for reading complex human microbiomes are leading to an explosion of microbiome research, leading in turn to intense interest among clinicians in applying these techniques to their patients. In this review, we discuss the content of the human microbiome, including intersubject and intrasubject variability, considerations of study design including important confounding factors, and different methods in the laboratory and on the computer to read the microbiome and its resulting gene products and metabolites. We highlight several common pitfalls for clinicians, including the expectation that an individual's microbiome will be stable, that diet can induce rapid changes that are large compared with the differences among subjects, that everyone has essentially the same core stool microbiome, and that different laboratory and computational methods will yield essentially the same results. We also highlight the current limitations and future promise of these techniques, with the expectation that an understanding of these considerations will help accelerate the path toward routine clinical application of these techniques developed in research settings.
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Applications of Innovative Lipidomic Methods for Blood Lipid Biomarkers.
Stark, KD
Journal of oleo science. 2019;(6):503-510
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Assessing dietary intake is critical for understanding the relationship between diet and health. Fatty acid blood biomarkers have been particularly useful in determining dietary intakes and assessing the risk of chronic disease. However, fatty acid analysis involves the removal of fatty acids from their complex lipid structures resulting in a loss of potentially useful biological information. "Lipidomics" involves the use of mass spectrometry to identify lipids in their native form. Lipidomic approaches present challenges as an alternative to fatty acid analysis. This includes different types of lipidomic approaches and a lack of consensus on the lipids reported in different studies. Distinguishing between macrolipidomic approaches to characterize highly abundant lipids and microlipidomic approaches examining low abundant bioactive lipids and the use of brutto, medio, genio, and infinio to describe the level of information of lipidomic data can provide clarity to the field. Using lipidomic measurements for understanding docosahexaenoic acid metabolism during pregnancy will also be examined.
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A Metabonomics Approach to Drug Toxicology in Liver Disease and its Application in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Su, G, Wang, H, Bai, J, Chen, G, Pei, Y
Current drug metabolism. 2019;(4):292-300
Abstract
BACKGROUND The progression of liver disease causes metabolic transformation in vivo and thus affects corresponding endogenous small molecular compounds. Metabonomics is a powerful technology which is able to assess global low-molecular-weight endogenous metabolites in a biological system. This review is intended to provide an overview of a metabonomics approach to the drug toxicology of diseases of the liver. METHODS The regulation of, and relationship between, endogenous metabolites and diseases of the liver is discussed in detail. Furthermore, the metabolic pathways involved in drug interventions of liver diseases are reviewed. Evaluation of the protective mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in liver diseases using metabonomics is also reviewed. Examples of applications of metabolite profiling concerning biomarker discovery are highlighted. In addition, new developments and future prospects are described. RESULTS Metabonomics can measure changes in metabolism relating to different stages of liver disease, so metabolic differences can provide a basis for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of various diseases. CONCLUSION Metabonomics has great advantages in all aspects of the therapy of liver diseases, with good prospects for clinical application.
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Factors influencing the cardiometabolic response to (poly)phenols and phytosterols: a review of the COST Action POSITIVe activities.
Gibney, ER, Milenkovic, D, Combet, E, Ruskovska, T, Greyling, A, González-Sarrías, A, de Roos, B, Tomás-Barberán, F, Morand, C, Rodriguez-Mateos, A
European journal of nutrition. 2019;(Suppl 2):37-47
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Abstract
PURPOSE Evidence exists regarding the beneficial effects of diets rich in plant-based foods regarding the prevention of cardiometabolic diseases. These plant-based foods are an exclusive and abundant source of a variety of biologically active phytochemicals, including polyphenols, carotenoids, glucosinolates and phytosterols, with known health-promoting effects through a wide range of biological activities, such as improvements in endothelial function, platelet function, blood pressure, blood lipid profile and insulin sensitivity. We know that an individual's physical/genetic makeup may influence their response to a dietary intervention, and thereby may influence the benefit/risk associated with consumption of a particular dietary constituent. This inter-individual variation in responsiveness has also been described for dietary plant bioactives but has not been explored in depth. To address this issue, the European scientific experts involved in the COST Action POSITIVe systematically analyzed data from published studies to assess the inter-individual variation in selected clinical biomarkers associated with cardiometabolic risk, in response to the consumption of plant-based bioactives (poly)phenols and phytosterols. The present review summarizes the main findings resulting from the meta-analyses already completed. RESULTS Meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials conducted within POSITIVe suggest that age, sex, ethnicity, pathophysiological status and medication may be responsible for the heterogeneity in the biological responsiveness to (poly)phenol and phytosterol consumption and could lead to inconclusive results in some clinical trials aiming to demonstrate the health effects of specific dietary bioactive compounds. However, the contribution of these factors is not yet demonstrated consistently across all polyphenolic groups and cardiometabolic outcomes, partly due to the heterogeneity in trial designs, low granularity of data reporting, variety of food vectors and target populations, suggesting the need to implement more stringent reporting practices in the future studies. Studies investigating the effects of genetic background or gut microbiome on variability were limited and should be considered in future studies. CONCLUSION Understanding why some bioactive plant compounds work effectively in some individuals but not, or less, in others is crucial for a full consideration of these compounds in future strategies of personalized nutrition for a better prevention of cardiometabolic disease. However, there is also still a need for the development of a substantial evidence-base to develop health strategies, food products or lifestyle solutions that embrace this variability.