Nutrition
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The scientific community is on the look-out for safe biomolecules useful in the prevention of obesity and related aberrations such as fatty liver. This study analyzed the influence of resveratrol on hepatic triacylglycerol metabolism. ⋯ Resveratrol partly prevents the increase in liver fat accumulation induced by high-fat high-sucrose feeding by increasing fatty acid oxidation and decreasing lipogenesis. These effects are mediated by the activation of the AMPK/SIRT1 axis.
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The effects of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Aloe vera (AV) gel on lipid profiles in rats with induced hypercholesterolemia were studied. ⋯ The combination of LGG and AV gel may have a therapeutic potential to decrease cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
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Obesity is a complex condition that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors and is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) is well characterized in the control of blood pressure. This study investigated whether the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism affects obesity in relation to sodium intake in children. ⋯ These findings demonstrate that the association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and obesity in relation to sodium intake is gender dependent in children.
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Comparative Study
Mild zinc deficiency in male and female rats: early postnatal alterations in renal nitric oxide system and morphology.
Fetal and postnatal zinc deficiencies induce an increase in arterial blood pressure and impair renal function in male adult rats. We therefore hypothesized that these renal alterations are present in early stages of life and that there are sexual differences in the adaptations to this nutritional injury. The aim was to study the effects of moderate zinc deficiency during fetal life and lactation on renal morphology, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and the nitric oxide system in male and female rats at 21 d of life. ⋯ Zinc deficiency during fetal life and lactation induces an early decrease in renal functional units, associated with a decrease in nitric oxide activity and an increase in oxidative stress, which would contribute to increased arterial blood pressure and renal dysfunction in adulthood. The sexual differences observed in this model may explain the dissimilar development of hypertension and renal diseases in adult life.