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A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutrition and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 December 2022) | Viewed by 18500

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Elena Grasselli

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Guest Editor

DISTAV, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy
Interests: endocrine disruptors; obesogens; hormones; lipid Metabolism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Ilaria Demori

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Guest Editor

DISTAV, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, dell'Ambiente e della Vita, Università di Genova, Genova, Italy
Interests: nutrition and metabolism; nutrition and stress; physiology of stress; Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology (PNEI)
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic non-communicable diseases represent a major threat for human health in Western- lifestyle countries. Hormonal unbalances play a role in the pathogenesis of severe conditions such as obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Dysfunctions affecting the main endocrine glands (pituitary, thyroid, adrenals, pancreas, etc.) have detrimental effects on metabolic regulation.

Food intake and diet composition are the main signals for the production and secretion of gastrointestinal and pancreatic hormones that allow the proper digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients, thus regulating energy homeostasis. The gut microbiota represents a huge source of signaling molecules able to crosstalk with hormones from the host. Moreover, micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals are necessary for the proper function of the endocrine system. Finally, the recent obesogen hypothesis has underlined how endocrine disruptors found in food products can negatively influence lipid homeostasis, thus contributing to metabolic disease.

In this scenario, the bidirectional communication between nutrition and endocrinology can be regarded as a causal network at the basis of human health. From this point of view, dietary interventions are needed within the framework of integrated preventive and therapeutic strategies against endocrine and metabolic diseases.

In this Special Issue, we welcome high-quality research papers, observational and clinical trials, and narrative and systematic reviews in the field of endocrinology, metabolism, diet, and human health.

Prof. Dr. Elena Grasselli
Prof. Dr. Ilaria Demori
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

diabetes
obesity
antioxidants
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)
stress hormones
thyroid hormones
insulin resistance
dyslipidemia
macronutrients
micronutrients
mediterranean diet
ketogenic diet
carbohydrates
proteins
lipids
metabolic syndrome
endocrine dysfunctions
endocrine disruptors
obesogens
gut microbiota

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 5224 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Initial Combinations of Gemigliptin Plus Metformin Compared with Glimepiride Plus Metformin on Gut Microbiota and Glucose Regulation in Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: The INTESTINE Study

by Soo Lim, Minji Sohn, Jose C. Florez, Michael A. Nauck and Jiyoung Ahn

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010248 - 03 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4721

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of medications can be affected by alterations in gut microbiota in human beings. Among antidiabetic medications, incretin-based therapy such as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors might affect gut microbiomes, which are related to glucose metabolism. This was a randomized, controlled, active-competitor study that aimed to compare the effects of combinations of gemigliptin–metformin vs. glimepiride–metformin as initial therapies on gut microbiota and glucose homeostasis in drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes. Seventy drug-naïve patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age, 52.2 years) with a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level ≥7.5% were assigned to either gemigliptin–metformin or glimepiride–metformin combination therapies for 24 weeks. Changes in gut microbiota, biomarkers linked to glucose regulation, body composition, and amino acid blood levels were investigated. Although both treatments decreased the HbA1c levels significantly, the gemigliptin–metformin group achieved HbA1c ≤ 7.0% without hypoglycemia or weight gain more effectively than did the glimepiride–metformin group (59% vs. 24%; p < 0.05). At the phylum level, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio tended to decrease after gemigliptin–metformin therapy (p = 0.065), with a notable depletion of taxa belonging to Firmicutes, including Lactobacillus, Ruminococcus torques, and Streptococcus (all p < 0.05). However, regardless of the treatment modality, a distinct difference in the overall gut microbiome composition was noted between patients who reached the HbA1c target goal and those who did not (p < 0.001). Treatment with gemigliptin–metformin resulted in a higher achievement of the glycemic target without hypoglycemia or weight gain, better than with glimepiride–metformin; these improvements might be related to beneficial changes in gut microbiota. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Human Health)

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10 pages, 686 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence of Lactose Intolerance in Patients with Hashimoto Thyroiditis and Impact on LT4 Replacement Dose

by Elisa Marabotto, Diego Ferone, Afscin Djahandideh Sheijani, Lara Vera, Sebastiano Ziola, Edoardo Savarino, Giorgia Bodini, Manuele Furnari, Patrizia Zentilin, Vincenzo Savarino, Massimo Giusti, Fabiola Andrea Navarro Rojas, Marcello Bagnasco, Manuela Albertelli and Edoardo G. Giannini

Nutrients 2022, 14(15), 3017; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14153017 - 22 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2215

Abstract

Purpose: to determine lactose intolerance (LI) prevalence in women with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and assess the impact of LI on LT4 replacement dose. Methods. consecutive patients with HT underwent Lactose Breath Test and clinical/laboratory data collection. Unrelated gastrointestinal disorders were carefully ruled out. Lactose-free diet and shift to lactose-free LT4 were proposed to patients with LI. Results: we enrolled 58 females (age range, 23–72 years) with diagnosis of HT. In total, 15 patients were euthyroid without treatment, and 43 (74%) euthyroid under LT4 (30 of them with a LT4 formulation containing lactose). Gastrointestinal symptoms were present in 84.5% of patients, with a greater prevalence in change in bowel habits in lactose-intolerant patients (p < 0.0001). The cumulative LT4 dose required did not differ in patients with or without LI. No significant difference in both TSH values and LT4 dose were observed in patients shifted to lactose-free LT4 and diet at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline. Conclusion: the prevalence of LI in patients with HT was 58.6%, not different from global prevalence of LI. In the absence of other gastrointestinal disorders, LI seems not to be a major cause of LT4 malabsorption and does not affect the LT4 required dose in HT patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Human Health)

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14 pages, 714 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Dietitian-Led Nutrition Therapy of Food Order on 5-Year Glycemic Control in Outpatients with Type 2 Diabetes at Primary Care Clinic: Retrospective Cohort Study

by Ayasa Nitta, Saeko Imai, Shizuo Kajiayama, Mikuko Matsuda, Takashi Miyawaki, Shinya Matsumoto, Shintaro Kajiyama, Yoshitaka Hashimoto, Neiko Ozasa and Michiaki Fukui

Nutrients 2022, 14(14), 2865; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14142865 - 13 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3894

Abstract

The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the effect of 5-year follow-up of dietitian-led medical nutrition therapy (eating vegetables before carbohydrates) on glycemic control in outpatients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) at a primary care clinic. A total of 138 patients with dietitian-led medical nutrition therapy (intervention group) and 104 patients without dietitian-led nutrition therapy (control group) were compared for glycemic control, serum lipid, blood pressure, and diabetic complications for 5 years. Each patient in the intervention group received dietary education focused on food order (eating vegetables before carbohydrates) by dietitians. A significant improvement in HbA1c after 5 years in the intervention group [8.5 ± 1.7% (69 mmol/mol) to 7.6 ± 1.1% (59 mmol/mol), p < 0.001] was observed, whereas no change was observed in the control group [7.9 ± 1.2% (62 mmol/mol) to 8.0 ± 1.2% (63 mmol/mol)]. Dietary intake of protein, fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, and salt in the intervention group demonstrated significant reduction, while the intake of dietary fiber significantly increased after the dietary education. Simple dietary education of ‘eating vegetables before carbohydrates’ presented by dietitians achieved good glycemic control after a 5-year period in outpatients with T2DM at primary care clinic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Human Health)

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Review

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30 pages, 4143 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Treatment of Dyslipidemia through Targeted Therapy of Gut Microbiota

by Brandon Flaig, Rachel Garza, Bhavdeep Singh, Sevag Hamamah and Mihai Covasa

Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15010228 - 02 Jan 2023

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4497

Abstract

Dyslipidemia is a multifaceted condition with various genetic and environmental factors contributing to its pathogenesis. Further, this condition represents an important risk factor for its related sequalae including cardiovascular diseases (CVD) such as coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke. Emerging evidence has shown that gut microbiota and their metabolites can worsen or protect against the development of dyslipidemia. Although there are currently numerous treatment modalities available including lifestyle modification and pharmacologic interventions, there has been promising research on dyslipidemia that involves the benefits of modulating gut microbiota in treating alterations in lipid metabolism. In this review, we examine the relationship between gut microbiota and dyslipidemia, the impact of gut microbiota metabolites on the development of dyslipidemia, and the current research on dietary interventions, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics and microbiota transplant as therapeutic modalities in prevention of cardiovascular disease. Overall, understanding the mechanisms by which gut microbiota and their metabolites affect dyslipidemia progression will help develop more precise therapeutic targets to optimize lipid metabolism. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Human Health)

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Other

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16 pages, 733 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

The Role of the Stress Response in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease: A Psychoneuroendocrineimmunology-Based Perspective

by Ilaria Demori and Elena Grasselli

Nutrients 2023, 15(3), 795; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15030795 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2208

Abstract

The novel term metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), which has been proposed to describe the major cause of hepatic disease, pinpoints the coexistence of multiple metabolic disturbances and liver steatosis, giving rise to different phenotypic manifestations. Within the psychoneuroendocrineimmunological (PNEI) network that regulates body–mind interactions, the stress response plays a pervasive role by affecting metabolic, hormonal, immune, and behavioral balance. In this perspective, we focus on chronic psychosocial stress and high levels of cortisol to highlight their role in MAFLD pathogenesis and worsening. From a PNEI perspective, considering the stress response as a therapeutic target in MAFLD allows for simultaneously influencing multiple pathways in the development of MAFLD, including dysmetabolism, inflammation, feeding behaviors, gut–liver axis, and dysbiosis, with the hope of better outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases in Human Health)

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