Nutrition
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Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with comorbidities and poor prognosis. However, this association in patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) has not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) within the first 48 h after ICU admission are associated with prognostic indicators (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation [APACHE] II, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA] score, Charlson comorbidity index [CCI]), clinical complications, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, mechanical ventilation duration, and mortality. ⋯ We found a strong association between 25(OH)D concentrations and the prognostic indicator CCI and clinical complications (acute respiratory insufficiency, acute liver failure, and infections), but no associations with the prognostic indicators APACHE II and SOFA score, CRP, mechanical ventilation duration, or mortality. The main comorbidities associated with low 25(OH)D were cancer and liver disease, suggesting that the determination of 25(OH)vitamin D is relevant during the ICU stay.
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Mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle has emerged as key to the development of obesity and its related metabolic disorders. Leucine (Leu) is an essential amino acid that has been reported to increase mitochondrial biogenesis in muscle cells, as has its metabolite β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB). However, two questions-which one is more potent and what is the cellular mechanisms of the action of Leu and HMB-remain to be answered. Therefore we aimed to investigate the effects of Leu and HMB on mitochondrial function in C2 C12 myotubes and analyze the underlying molecular mechanism. ⋯ Our results provide evidence indicating that as with Leu, HMB alone could increase mitochondrial biogenesis and function via regulation of PPARβ/δ and CDK4 pathways. Moreover, HMB seems to be more potent than Leu in the positive regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis and function in C2 C12 myotubes because the dosage used for HMB was much lower than that for Leu.
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Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in host energy homeostasis, which is affected by both high-fat diets (HFDs) and high-sucrose diets (HCDs). Probiotics treatment can effectively modulate intestinal microbiota. However, it remains unclear whether probiotics can effectively improve HFD- and HCD-induced microbiota dysbiosis. ⋯ Probiotics treatment can mitigate diet-induced obesity partly through modulating intestinal microbiota, especially in HCD-induced obesity.
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Imbalanced diets (e.g., excessive protein, fat, and carbohydrates) may contribute to numerous disorders, such as steatosis. However, previous studies in the pancreas are scarce and limited to the evaluation of sphingolipid metabolism in the islets of Langerhans that constitute only ∼5% of the organ mass. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of high-fat, high-protein, and high-carbohydrate diets on the development of pancreatic steatosis in conjunction with sphingolipid profile in the organ. ⋯ As it has been established that pancreatic steatosis is a disease with growing prevalence and possible serious complications, further investigations of the topic are warranted. The complete and precise comprehension of pancreatic steatosis pathogenesis could contribute to the invention of novel therapies for the disease.
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The aim of this study was to verify the prevalence of metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype and associated factors in South American adolescents who are overweight. ⋯ The prevalence of MHO in South American overweight adolescents was high and varied according to the definition used. Age, sex, WC, and triacylglycerolslevel were independent predictors of the MHO phenotype in this population.