1.
Dietary Intake of Carotenoid-Rich Vegetables Reduces Visceral Adiposity in Obese Japanese men-A Randomized, Double-Blind Trial.
Takagi, T, Hayashi, R, Nakai, Y, Okada, S, Miyashita, R, Yamada, M, Mihara, Y, Mizushima, K, Morita, M, Uchiyama, K, et al
Nutrients. 2020;(8)
Abstract
Metabolic syndrome, whose main diagnostic component is obesity, is a risk factor for lifestyle-related diseases, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Diet is known to affect the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. However, the effect of diet on metabolic syndrome in Japanese subjects has not been thoroughly explored. In the present study, we investigated the effect of carotenoid-rich vegetables, particularly lycopene- and lutein-rich vegetables, on the metabolic syndrome in obese Japanese men. We conducted an 8-week long randomized, double-blinded, controlled clinical trial in which, 28 middle-aged (40 ≤ age < 65) Japanese men with high body mass index (BMI ≥ 25) were randomized into four dietary groups: high lycopene + high lutein (HLyHLu), high lycopene + low lutein (HLyLLu), low lycopene + high lutein (LLyHLu), and low lycopene + low lutein (LLyLLu). Our results showed that daily beverage-intake increased the plasma levels of carotenoids without adverse effects, and the visceral fat level was significantly decreased in all the groups. The waist circumference was significantly decreased only in the HLyLLu group, whereas the CoQ10 oxidation rate was decreased in all the groups. The gene expression profiles of whole blood samples before and after ingestion differed only in the LLyLLu group, indicating the effect of carotenoids on gene expression profile. In conclusion, our results suggest that dietary uptake of carotenoid-rich vegetables increases their concentration in blood and reduces the intra-abdominal visceral fat.
2.
Effects of TNF-alpha neutralization on adipocytokines and skeletal muscle adiposity in the metabolic syndrome.
Lo, J, Bernstein, LE, Canavan, B, Torriani, M, Jackson, MB, Ahima, RS, Grinspoon, SK
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. 2007;(1):E102-9
Abstract
In a prior study, we have shown that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha neutralization improves inflammatory markers and total adiponectin in patients with the metabolic syndrome, without improving insulin sensitivity. In this study, we sought to extend our understanding of the effects of TNF-alpha neutralization in this human model of obesity by investigating the responses of high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, resistin, leptin, and muscle adiposity to etanercept in patients with the metabolic syndrome. Fifty-six men and women with the metabolic syndrome enrolled in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Circulating concentrations of total and HMW adiponectin, resistin, and leptin were determined at baseline and after 4 wk of treatment with etanercept. Muscle adiposity was measured by computed tomography (CT). Although etanercept increased total adiponectin concentration, the HMW form, which is thought to mediate insulin sensitivity, was unchanged. Thus the ratio of HMW to total adiponectin decreased following etanercept treatment compared with placebo (-0.03 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.06 +/- 0.03, P = 0.02). Resistin tended to decrease in the etanercept-treated group compared with placebo (-0.6 +/- 0.7 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.7 ng/ml, P = 0.06), whereas leptin was not altered. Etanercept decreased muscle attenuation on CT [-0.61 +/- 0.64 Hounsfield units (HU) vs. 1.54 +/- 0.77 HU in placebo, P = 0.04], suggesting an increase in muscle adiposity. Together, these results demonstrate that neutralization of TNF-alpha in obese humans results in differential effects on critical adipokines and body composition indexes. These findings may help to explain the lack of effect on insulin sensitivity and extend our knowledge of the biological effects of TNF-alpha neutralization in obesity.