Search Results (78)

Collagen and its derivatives, including hydrolyzed collagen peptides, have emerged as promising bioactive compounds with potential benefits in obesity and metabolic syndrome prevention and management. This study aimed to evaluate the potential effects of a low-molecular-weight bovine collagen hydrolysate (COLLinstant^® LMW) on metabolic health using Caenorhabditis elegans and C57BL/6 diet-induced obese mice. In C. elegans, C-LMW (2 mg/mL) improved healthspan by significantly reducing fat accumulation (as measured with Nile Red) and reactive oxygen species measured through dihydroethidium, slowing the aging process measured with lipofuscin, and extending the median lifespan of the nematodes. In 32 male 20-week-old diet-induced obese mice, C-LMW supplementation (1 mg/animal/day) for 8 weeks led to a significant reduction in mesenteric, visceral and total adipose tissue (−28% −15% and −18%, respectively; p > 0.05), improved glucose tolerance, and partially restored glucose homeostasis, as demonstrated by intraperitoneal glucose tolerance (−26% AUC, p < 0.05). Additionally, collagen hydrolysate supplementation led to a significant impact on gut microbiota composition by increasing microbial diversity and modulating beneficial bacterial populations, which may contribute to the observed metabolic improvements. These findings suggest that bovine-derived collagen peptides exert anti-obesogenic and metabolic regulatory effects, supporting their potential as functional dietary ingredients for obesity management. Full article

Obesity and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are two chronic conditions whose prevalence continues to rise globally. Emerging evidence suggests a bidirectional interplay between them, mediated by shared pathophysiological pathways. This narrative review explores the mechanisms Ilinking obesity to IBD development and progression, focusing on the role of adipose tissue dysfunction. Both diseases exhibit intestinal dysbiosis, low-grade systemic inflammation, and impaired epithelial barrier integrity, contributing to immune activation. Visceral adiposity, particularly mesenteric fat, acts as an immunometabolic organ producing cytokines and adipokines that may exacerbate intestinal inflammation. In Crohn’s disease, mesenteric fat expansion, or “creeping fat”, is associated with transmural inflammation, fibrosis, and luminal narrowing. Epidemiological data on obesity as a risk factor for IBD remain inconsistent due to methodological heterogeneity and confounders. Similarly, the impact of obesity on IBD outcomes, including disease activity, phenotype, and the need for surgery, is debated. While mesenteric surgical approaches like Kono-S anastomosis showed initial promise in reducing recurrence, recent randomized trials offer conflicting results. Finally, metabolic drugs such as statins, metformin, and GLP-1 receptor agonists have demonstrated anti-inflammatory properties with potential utility in IBD management. Prospective studies are warranted to elucidate the clinical significance of obesity and metabolic dysfunction in IBD and evaluate targeted therapeutic strategies. Full article

Background: Studies on ketogenic diets with a higher percentage of fat composition have revealed conflicting results regarding the modulation of lipid metabolism and tissue inflammation. Furthermore, studies on soy protein consumption in ketogenic diets remain limited. In this study, the effects of ketogenic diets on hepatic and adipose tissue inflammation and of soy protein replacement in ketogenic diets were investigated. Methods: Mice were randomly assigned to a control diet (C), ketogenic diet (KD), or ketogenic with soy protein (KS) groups for an 18-week experiment. Both ketogenic diet groups were fed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet during the first 12 weeks and a ketogenic diet during the last 6 weeks of the experiment. The KS group was fed the same diet as the KD group, but soy protein was substituted for casein during the last 6 weeks. Results: The KD and KS groups exhibited higher plasma β-hydroxybutyrate levels; a higher incidence of hyperlipidemia; and lower blood glucose, mesenteric fat mass, adipose tissue TNF-α, IL-1β levels, and NLRP3 protein expression compared with the C group. In the gut microbiota analysis, the KD group had a higher F-B ratio than the C group. Greater A. muciniphila abundance and a lower F-B ratio were noted in the KS group compared with the KD group. Conclusions: Although ketogenic diets decreased mesenteric fat mass and adipose tissue inflammation and modulated NLRP3 expression, they were associated with hepatic inflammation and gut dysbiosis. Soy protein consumption in a ketogenic diet did not differ from casein consumption regarding diet-induced tissue inflammation, but it may have altered the gut microbiota. Full article

Background/Objectives: Metabolic syndrome is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, with high-fat diet (HFD) intake being a significant driving force. Despite long-term research, new interventions are still being sought to improve cardiovascular disorders associated with metabolic syndrome. Methods: To explore the therapeutic potential of a slow-releasing H₂S donor, we evaluated the effects of 3 weeks of treatment with GYY-4137 on systolic blood pressure (sBP), cardiac parameters, adiposity, selected plasma markers, and the vascular function of the thoracic aortas (TAs) and mesenteric arteries (MAs) isolated from male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) fed an HFD for 8 weeks. Results: HFD administration induced cardiac remodeling, increased adiposity, and decreased adrenergic contractility in both TAs and MAs. Moreover, although high-fat intake improved TAs relaxation, it decreased aortic protein expression of endothelial NO synthase and the involvement of NO in vasoactive responses of both TAs and MAs. In addition, protein expression of inducible NOS and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) in aortas was increased, as were plasma levels of chemerin, which has been proposed as a possible link among metabolic and vascular disorders and inflammation. Treatment with GYY-4137 reduced sBP, improved relaxation of the MAs, partially restored the contractility of the TAs, generally restored NO signaling, and decreased the protein expression of the inducible NOS and TNFα, as well as plasma chemerin levels. Conclusions: A slow H₂S-releasing donor could partially ameliorate the metabolic changes induced by increased fat intake during essential hypertension and trigger beneficial vasoactive effects associated with the NO signaling restoration and suppression of inflammation. Full article

Liaoning cashmere goats is a dual-purpose breed valued for premium cashmere fiber and meat yields, and there is currently a lack of optimized strategies for meat quality, including skeletal muscle development and lipid partitioning. This investigation systematically examines how melatonin administration modulates gastrointestinal microbiota and antioxidant capacity to concurrently enhance skeletal muscle hypertrophy and redirect lipid deposition patterns, ultimately improving meat quality and carcass traits in Liaoning cashmere goats. Thirty female half-sibling kids were randomized into control and melatonin-treated groups (2 mg/kg live weight with subcutaneous implants). Postmortem analyses at 8 months assessed carcass traits, meat quality, muscle histology, plasma metabolites, and gut microbiota (16S rRNA sequencing). Melatonin supplementation decreased visceral adiposity (perirenal, omental, and mesenteric fat depots with a p < 0.05) while inducing muscle fiber hypertrophy (longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and biceps femoris (BF) with p < 0.05). The melatonin-treated group demonstrated elevated postmortem pH₂₄h values, attenuated muscle drip loss, enhanced intramuscular protein deposition, and improved systemic antioxidant status (characterized by increased catalase and glutathione levels with concomitant reduction in malondialdehyde with p < 0.05). Melatonin reshaped gut microbiota, increasing α-diversity (p < 0.05) and enriching beneficial genera (Prevotella, Romboutsia, and Akkermansia), while suppressing lipogenic Desulfovibrio populations, and concomitant with improved intestinal morphology as evidenced by elevated villus height-to-crypt depth ratios. These findings establish that melatonin-mediated gastrointestinal microbiota remodeling drives anabolic muscle protein synthesis while optimizing fat deposition, providing a scientifically grounded strategy to enhance meat quality. Full article

Introduction: Lipomas are among the most encountered neoplasms in clinical practice, occurring mainly in adults between the fourth and sixth decades of life. Deep-seated lipomas in children are found in the thorax, chest wall, mediastinum, pleura, pelvis, retroperitoneum, and paratesticular area. Herein, we present a case of a three-year-old child with a giant mesenteric lipoma, along with a review of the literature on mesenteric lipomas in childhood. Case presentation: A three-year-old male toddler was referred to our hospital for severe, intermittent abdominal pain. Imaging studies at admission revealed a fat lesion occupying most of the peritoneal cavity and dislocating adjacent structures. An urgent laparotomy was performed. A giant lipoma arising from the mesentery and leading to the torsion of the mesenteric radix was confirmed and completely excised alongside an adherent small tract of jejunum. The child recovered uneventfully and is still being followed-up with no signs of recurrence. Discussion: Lipomas of the mesentery in children are very rare, and they are reported to be more common among children younger than three years of age. Mesenteric lipomas appeared to be more frequent in males than females. Even though they might be asymptomatic, voluminous lipomas can also create a lead point for intermittent torsion of the mass causing ischemia and infarction. Abdominal pain was the most frequent symptom, and the ileum was the tract of bowel more frequently involved by the tumor. Laparotomy was reported to be the preferable approach to safely remove this abdominal mass, especially in case of huge dimensions. Full article

Melatonin is involved in various functions such as the timing of circadian rhythms, energy metabolism, and body mass gain in experimental animals. However, its effects on adipose tissue lipid metabolism are still unclear. This study analyzes the effects of melatonin on the relative gene expression of lipolytic proteins in rat mesenteric adipose tissue and free fatty acid (FFA) and glycerol plasma levels of male Wistar rats fed a high-fat (HFD) or maintenance diet. Four experimental groups were established: control, obese, and control or obese plus 2.3 mg/kg/day of melatonin in tap water. After 11 weeks, animals were sacrificed at different times throughout a 24 h cycle, and mesenteric adipose tissue and plasma samples were collected and analyzed. Cgi58, Perilipin, and Dgat1 gene expression, as well as FFA and glycerol concentrations, showed rhythm patterns in the control group. HFD disrupted those rhythm patterns and increased FFA and glycerol concentrations during the dark photoperiod. In both melatonin-treated groups, almost all analyzed genes showed circadian patterns. Notably, melatonin significantly prevented the increase in FFA levels during the dark photoperiod in obese rats (obese group: ~1100 mM vs. obese + melatonin group: ~600 μM, similar to control levels). However, the rhythmic pattern observed in control animals was not sustained. According to our results, melatonin could regulate circadian gene transcription of mesenteric adipose tissue lipolysis proteins. The effect of melatonin on preventing elevated FFA plasma levels associated with high-fat diet intake warrants further investigation. Full article

Summary: Anti PD1/PD-L1 agents, including pembrolizumab, have revolutionized the oncological treatment of different types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer. The most frequent complications associated with this type of treatment are mild and are located at the thyroid, pulmonary or hepatic level. Sarcoid like reaction and mesenteric panniculitis secondary to pembrolizumab treatment are two very rare adverse effects. We present the case of a patient with these complications. Purpose: the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer has undergone a major change in the last 10 years, largely due to the advent of immunotherapy. Anti PD1 agents such as pembrolizumab have increased the median survival of these patients from 13 to 26 months. Most frequent immunorelated side effects are hypothyroidism, pneumonitis or elevated liver enzymes. However, there are other adverse effects, including sarcoid-like reaction and mesenteric panniculitis, which should be known by the professionals involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this type of patient. We present the case of a 62-year-old man with a history of unresectable and non-irradiable stage IIIB epidermoid lung carcinoma with a PD-L1 expression of 30% in whom pembrolizumab was discontinued after 4 cycles due to immunorelated arthritis. One year later he consulted for severe abdominal pain. A PET-CT scan was performed, showing hilar lymphadenopathy and inflammation of abdominal mesenteric fat. A biopsy of lesions in both areas showed non-necrotizing granulomatous lymphadenitis in hilar adenopathy and patchy fibrosis of mesenteric fat. The picture was classified as sarcoidosis-like reaction and mesenteric panniculitis secondary to pembrolizumab. Anti-PD1 agents cause hyperactivation of the immune system through T-cell proliferation. Sarcoid-like reaction is a very rare complication that can mask progressive tumor disease. Awareness of immunorelated complications by oncologists, internists, and radiologists is important for an appropriate diagnostic approach and targeted test ordering. Full article

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) is a complex systemic entity, characterized by the progressive and relapsing inflammatory involvement of any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Its clinical pattern may be categorized as penetrating, stricturing or non-penetrating non-stricturing. Methods: In this paper, we performed a database search (Pubmed, MEDLINE, Mendeley) using combinations of the queries “crohn”, “stricture” and “elastography” up to 19 June 2024 to summarize current knowledge regarding the diagnostic utility of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) elastography techniques in the evaluation of stricturing CD by means of an assessment of the transmural intestinal fibrosis. We decided to include papers published since 1 January 2017 for further evaluation (n = 24). Results: Despite growing collective and original data regarding numerous applications of mostly ultrasound elastography (quantification of fibrosis, distinguishing inflammatory from predominantly fibrotic strictures, assessment of treatment response, predicting disease progression) constantly emerging, to date, we are still lacking a uniformization in both cut-off values and principles of measurements, i.e., reference tissue in strain elastography (mesenteric fat, abdominal muscles, unaffected bowel segment), units, not to mention subtle differences in technical background of SWE techniques utilized by different vendors. All these factors imply that ultrasound elastography techniques are hardly translatable throughout different medical centers and practitioners, largely depending on the local experience. Conclusions: Nonetheless, the existing medical evidence is promising, especially in terms of possible longitudinal comparative studies (follow-up) of patients in the course of the disease, which seems to be of particular interest in children (lack of radiation, less invasive contrast media) and terminal ileal disease (easily accessible). Full article

Chronic alcohol use leads to metabolic dysfunction in adipose tissue. The underlying mechanisms and the contribution of alcohol-induced adipose tissue dysfunction to systemic metabolic dysregulation are not well understood. In our previous studies, we found that chronic alcohol feeding induces mesenteric lymphatic leakage, perilymphatic adipose tissue (PLAT) inflammation, and local insulin resistance in rats. The goal of this study was to further explore the link between alcohol-induced lymphatic leakage and PLAT immunometabolic dysregulation, locally and systemically, using in vivo and ex vivo approaches. Male rats received a Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet, of which 36% of the calories were from alcohol, for 10 weeks. Time-matched control animals were pair-fed. Adipokine levels were measured in PLAT, subcutaneous fat, plasma, and mesenteric lymph samples. Glucose tolerance was assessed after 10 weeks. Further, we used a novel ex vivo lymph-stimulated naïve PLAT explant approach to modeling lymph leakage to assess changes in adipokine secretion and expression of proinflammatory markers after stimulation with lymph from alcohol- or pair-fed animals. Our data show that chronic alcohol-fed rats presented PLAT-specific decreases in adiponectin and leptin levels, alterations in the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolic pathways, and associated impaired whole-body glucose homeostasis. Further, we found that direct naïve PLAT stimulation with lymph contents from alcohol-fed animals increased IL-6 expression in demonstrating the ability of lymph contents to differentially impact naïve adipose tissue. Overall, chronic alcohol feeding leads to depot-specific alterations in metabolic profile, impaired systemic glucose tolerance, and lymph-induced adipose tissue inflammation. The specific lymph components leading to PLAT immunometabolic dysregulation remain to be determined. Full article

Maternal obesity during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. This might be due to undesired obesity-induced changes in the maternal gut microbiota and related changes in the maternal immune adaptations during pregnancy. The current study examines how obesity affects gut microbiota and immunity in pregnant obese and lean mice during mid-pregnancy (gestational day 12 (GD12)). C57BL/6 mice were fed a high-fat diet or low-fat diet from 8 weeks before mating and during pregnancy. At GD12, we analyzed the gut microbiota composition in the feces and immune responses in the intestine (Peyer’s patches, mesenteric lymph nodes) and the peripheral circulation (spleen and peripheral blood). Maternal obesity reduced beneficial bacteria (e.g., Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia) and changed intestinal and peripheral immune responses (e.g., dendritic cells, Th1/Th2/Th17/Treg axis, monocytes). Numerous correlations were found between obesity-associated bacterial genera and intestinal/peripheral immune anomalies. This study shows that maternal obesity impacts the abundance of specific bacterial gut genera as compared to lean mice and deranges maternal intestinal immune responses that subsequently change peripheral maternal immune responses in mid-pregnancy. Our findings underscore the opportunities for early intervention strategies targeting maternal obesity, ideally starting in the periconceptional period, to mitigate these obesity-related pregnancy effects. Full article

Background: Obesity has become a widespread issue globally. Morin, a flavonoid with traditional use in managing hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, has demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in experimental studies. This research aims to explore the anti-obesity potential of morin in rats subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) and investigate whether its effects are mediated through PPARα regulation. Methods: Young adult male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8/group): normal, morin (50 mg/kg/BWT, oral), HFD, and HFD + morin (50 mg/kg/BWT, oral). Treatments were administered daily for 17 consecutive weeks. Results: Morin mitigated the elevation in glucose levels and decreased fasting glucose and insulin levels, along with the HOMA-IR index, in HFD-fed rats. Furthermore, morin reduced calorie intake, final body weights, and the masses of subcutaneous, epididymal, peritoneal, and mesenteric fat in these rats. It also attenuated the rise in systolic blood pressure in HFD-fed rats and decreased serum levels of triglycerides, cholesterol, free fatty acids, LDL-c, and leptin, while increasing levels of HDL-c and adiponectin in both normal and HFD-fed rats. Moreover, morin restored normal liver structure and reduced fat vacuole accumulation in HFD-fed rats. Notably, it upregulated mRNA levels of PPARα in the livers and white adipose tissue of both normal and HFD-fed rats. Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential use of morin to enhance fatty acid oxidation in white adipose tissue and mitigate obesity, warranting further clinical investigation into its therapeutic applications. Full article

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can alter adipose tissue function; however, the relative effects of plant and marine n3-PUFAs are less clear. Our objective was to directly compare the n3-PUFAs, plant-based α-linolenic acid (ALA) in flaxseed oil, and marine-based eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in high-purity oils versus n6-PUFA containing linoleic acid (LA) for their effects on the adipose tissue and oral glucose tolerance of obese rats. Male fa/fa Zucker rats were assigned to faALA, faEPA, faDHA, and faLA groups and compared to baseline fa/fa rats (faBASE) and lean Zucker rats (lnLA). After 8 weeks, faEPA and faDHA had 11–14% lower body weight than faLA. The oral glucose tolerance and total body fat were unchanged, but faEPA had less mesenteric fat. faEPA and faDHA had fewer large adipocytes compared to faLA and faALA. EPA reduced macrophages in the adipose tissue of fa/fa rats compared to ALA and DHA, while faLA had the greatest macrophage infiltration. DHA decreased (~10-fold) T-cell infiltration compared to faBASE and faEPA, whereas faALA and faLA had an ~40% increase. The n3-PUFA diets attenuated tumour necrosis factor-α in adipose tissue compared to faBASE, while it was increased by LA in both genotypes. In conclusion, EPA and DHA target different aspects of inflammation in adipose tissue. Full article

Background and Objective: The dynamic assessment of disease activity during the follow-up of patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) remains a significant challenge. In this study, we aimed to identify the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US) in the evaluation of activity of CD. Methods: In the retrospective study, patients diagnosed with CD in our hospital were included. All the diagnoses were confirmed by clinical symptoms and ileocolonoscopical results. All patients underwent intestinal ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) examinations within 1 week of the ileocolonoscopy examinations. Acuson Sequoia (Siemens Healthineers, Mountain View, CA, USA) and Resona R9 Elite (Mindray Medical Systems, China) with curved array and Line array transducers were used. The CEUS examination was performed with SonoVue (Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy). DCE-US analysis was performed by UltraOffice (version: 0.3-2010, Mindray Medical Systems, China) software. Two regions of interest (ROIs) were set in the anterior section of the infected bowel wall and its surrounding normal bowel wall 2 cm distant from the inflamed area. Time–intensity curves (TICs) were generated and quantitative perfusion parameters were obtained after curve fittings. The Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn’s disease (SES-CD) was regarded as the reference standard to evaluate the activity of CD. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were used to determine the diagnostic efficiency of DCE-US quantitative parameters. Results: From March 2023 to November 2023, 52 CD patients were included. According to SES-CD score, all patients were divided into active group with the SES-CD score > 5 (n = 39) and inactive group SES-CD score < 5 (n = 13). Most of the active CD patients showed bowel wall thickness (BWT) > 4.2 mm (97.4%, 38/39) or mesenteric fat hypertrophy (MFH) on intestinal ultrasound (US) scan (69.2%, 27/39). Color Doppler signal of the bowel wall mostly showed spotty or short striped blood flow signal in active CD patients (56.4%, 22/39). According to CEUS enhancement patterns, most active CD patients showed a complete hyperenhancement of the entire intestinal wall (61.5%, 24/39). The TICs of active CD showed an earlier enhancement, higher peak intensity, and faster decline. Among all CEUS quantitative parameters, amplitude-derived parameters peak enhancement (PE), wash-in area under the curve (WiAUC), wash-in rate (WiR), wash-in perfusion index (WiPI), and wash-out rate (WoR) were significantly higher in active CD than in inactive CD (p < 0.05). The combined AUROC of intestinal ultrasound features and DCE-US quantitative perfusion parameters in the diagnosis of active CD was 0.987, with 97.4% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 98.1% accuracy. Conclusions: DCE-US with quantitative perfusion parameters is a potential useful noninvasive imaging method to evaluate the activity of Crohn’s disease. Full article

The Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) is an important freshwater aquaculture turtle due to its taste and nutritional and medicinal value. More ecological culturing modes, such as rice–turtle co-culture, should be developed to meet the ecological benefit demand. We compared growth, physiological parameters, and transcriptome data to detect the physiological responses and regulatory mechanisms of pond-cultured turtles as compared to co-cultured turtles. The co-cultured turtles grew slower than pond-cultured turtles. The gonadosomatic index of co-cultured male turtles was lower than that of pond-cultured male turtles, and both the mesenteric fat index and limb fat index were lower in co-cultured turtles than in pond-cultured turtles (p < 0.05). The blood GLU of the co-cultured turtles was significantly lower than the GLU of the pond-cultured turtles (p < 0.05), while the values of CRE, UA, BUN, AKP, ACP, GOT, and CAT were higher in the co-cultured turtles than in the pond-cultured turtles (p < 0.05). In total, 246 and 598 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the brain and gut from turtles cultured in the two different modes, respectively. More DEGs were related to environmental information processing, metabolism, and human diseases. In the brain, the top enriched pathways of DEGs included the longevity regulating pathway, glycerolipid metabolism, cytokine–cytokine receptor interaction, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, while in the gut, the top enriched pathways of DEGs included the cell cycle, DNA replication, cellular senescence, and p53 signaling pathway. The turtles acclimated to the different culturing conditions by adjusting their growth, physiological, and biochemical characteristics and related gene expression during a short culture period. Full article