Abstract With the advancement of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been comprehensively applied in our modern society. However, the hazardous impacts of nanoscale particles on organisms have not yet ...been thoroughly clarified. Currently, there exist numerous approaches to perform toxicity tests, but common and reasonable bio-indicators for toxicity evaluations are lacking. In this study, we investigated the effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on NIH 3T3 cells to explore the potential application of these nanoparticles in consumer products. Our results demonstrated that AgNPs were taken up by NIH 3T3 cells and localized within the intracellular endosomal compartments. Exposure to AgNPs is a potential source of oxidative stress, which leads to the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the up-regulation of Heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) expression, apoptosis and autophagy. Interestingly, AgNPs induced morphological and biochemical markers of autophagy in NIH 3T3 cells and induced autophagosome formation, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopic analysis, the formation of microtubule-associated protein-1 light chain-3 (LC3) puncta and the expression of LC3-II protein. Thus, autophagy activation may be a key player in the cellular response against nano-toxicity.
Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a worldwide common plasticizer. Nevertheless, DEHP is easily leached out to the environment due to the lack of covalent bonds with plastic. High dose of DEHP ...exposure is often observed in hemodialysis patients because of the continual usage of plastic medical devices. Although the liver is the major organ that catabolizes DEHP, the impact of long-term DEHP exposure on the sensitivity of liver cancer to chemotherapy remains unclear. In this study, we established long-term DEHP-exposed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells and two NOD/SCID mice models to investigate the effects and the underlying mechanisms of long-term DEHP exposure on chemosensitivity of HCC. The results showed long-term DEHP exposure potentially increased epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HCC cells. Next generation sequencing showed that long-term DEHP exposure increased cell adhesion/migratory related genes expression and blunted sorafenib treatment induced genes alterations. Long-term exposure to DEHP reduced the sensitivity of HCC cells to sorafenib-induced anti-migratory effect by enhancing the EMT transcription factors (slug, twist, and ZEB1) and mesenchymal protein (vimentin) expression. In NOD/SCID mice model, we showed that long-term DEHP-exposed HCC cells exhibited higher growth rate. Regarding the anti-HCC effects of sorafenib, subcutaneous HuH7 tumor grew slowly in sorafenib-treated mice. Nonetheless, the anti-tumor growth effect of sorafenib was not observed in long-term DEHP-exposed mice. Higher mesenchymal markers and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression were found in sorafenib-treated long-term DEHP-exposed mice. In conclusion, long-term DEHP exposure promoted migratory activity in HCC cells and decreased sorafenib sensitivity in tumor-bearing mice.
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•Long-term DEHP exposure promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition in HCC cells.•Sorafenib treatment efficacy was inhibited in long-term DEHP exposed HCC cells.•DEHP exposure blunted sorafenib treatment induced global genes alteration in HCC cells.•Chronic DEHP exposure promoted subcutaneous tumor growth and decreased sorafenib sensitivity in mice.
Chili pepper is used as a food, seasoning and has been revered for its medicinal and health claims. It is very popular and is the most common spice worldwide. Capsaicin (CAP) is a major pungent and ...bioactive phytochemical in chili peppers. CAP has been shown to improve mitochondrial biogenesis and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. However, there is limited evidence around the effects of CAP on physical fatigue and exercise performance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of CAP on anti-fatigue and ergogenic functions following physiological challenge. Female Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice from four groups (
= 8 per group) were orally administered CAP for 4 weeks at 0, 205, 410, and 1025 mg/kg/day, which were respectively designated the vehicle, CAP-1X, CAP-2X, and CAP-5X groups. The anti-fatigue activity and exercise performance was evaluated using forelimb grip strength, exhaustive swimming time, and levels of serum lactate, ammonia, glucose, BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatine kinase (CK) after a 15-min swimming exercise. The grip strength and exhaustive swimming time of the CAP-5X group were significantly higher than other groups. CAP supplementation dose-dependently reduced serum lactate, ammonia, BUN and CK levels, and increased glucose concentration after the 15-min swimming test. In addition, CAP also increased hepatic glycogen content, an important energy source for exercise. The possible mechanism was relevant to energy homeostasis and the physiological modulations by CAP supplementation. Therefore, our results suggest that CAP supplementation may have a wide spectrum of bioactivities for promoting health, performance improvement and fatigue amelioration.
(IO) is used as functional food to treat diabetes. This study investigated the effect of IO supplementation on body composition in relation to changes in energy expenditure and exercise performance. ...Male Institute of Cancer Research mice were divided into four groups (
= 8 per group) and orally administered IO once daily for 6 wk at 0 (vehicle), 824 (IO-1×), 1648 (IO-2×), and 2472 mg/kg (IO-3×). IO supplementation increased muscle volume, exhaustive treadmill time, and glycogen storage in mice. Serum free fatty acid levels after acute exercise improved in the IO supplementation group, which exhibited changes in energy expenditure through the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) pathway. RNA sequencing revealed significantly increased PPAR signaling; phenylalanine, ascorbate, aldarate, and cholesterol metabolism; chemical carcinogenesis; and ergosterol biosynthesis in the IO group compared with the vehicle group. Thus, IO supplements as nutraceuticals have a positive effect on lipid transport and exercise performance. In addition, this study was only IO supplementation without training-related procedures.
Summary
A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different dietary macronutrient patterns on changes in resting energy expenditure (REE) in ...relation to weight loss, categorized as minimal (<5%) and moderate to high (>5%). Changes in REE were assessed using a DerSimonian and Laird random‐effects meta‐analysis. A diet lower in carbohydrates (CHO) or higher in fat and protein was associated with smaller reductions in REE, with these trends being more pronounced among participants who experienced moderate to high weight loss. Adjusted meta‐regression analysis indicated that, within the participants who experienced moderate to high weight loss, each 1% increase in CHO intake was associated with a reduction of 2.30 kcal/day in REE (95% CI: −4.11 to −0.47, p = 0.013). In contrast, a 1% increase in protein and fat intake was correlated with an increase in REE by 3.00 (95% confidence interval CI 1.02, 5.07, p = 0.003) and 0.5 (95% CI −2.43, 3.41, p = 0.740) kcal/day, respectively. No significant associations were found among participants who experienced minimal weight loss. These findings indicate that, under a caloric deficit, the impact of dietary macronutrient composition on REE may vary depending on the degree of weight loss and individual metabolic responses.
Rice bran, a byproduct of rice milling, is rich in fiber and phytochemicals and confers several health benefits. However, its effects on gut microbiota and obesity-related muscle atrophy in ...postmenopausal status remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of rice bran on gut microbiota, muscle synthesis, and breakdown pathways in estrogen-deficient ovariectomized (OVX) mice receiving a high-fat diet (HFD). ICR female mice were divided into five groups: sham, OVX mice receiving control diet (OC); OVX mice receiving HFD (OH); OVX mice receiving control diet and rice bran (OR); and OVX mice receiving HFD and rice bran (OHR). After twelve weeks, relative muscle mass and grip strength were high in rice bran diet groups. IL-6, TNF-α, MuRf-1, and atrogin-1 expression levels were lower, and Myog and GLUT4 were higher in the OHR group. Rice bran upregulated the expression of occludin and ZO-1 (gut tight junction proteins). The abundance of Akkermansiaceae in the cecum was relatively high in the OHR group. Our finding revealed that rice bran supplementation ameliorated gut barrier dysfunction and gut dysbiosis and also maintained muscle mass by downregulating the expression of MuRf-1 and atrogin-1 (muscle atrophy-related factors) in HFD-fed OVX mice.
Primary liver cancer is the fifth leading death of cancers in men, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for approximately 90% of all primary liver cancer cases. Sorafenib is a first-line drug ...for advanced-stage HCC patients. Sorafenib is a multi-target kinase inhibitor that blocks tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Despite sorafenib treatment extending survival, some patients experience side effects, and sorafenib resistance does occur. 3-Hydroxymethyl glutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) is the rate-limiting enzyme for ketogenesis, which synthesizes the ketone bodies, β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) and acetoacetate (AcAc). β-HB is the most abundant ketone body which is present in a 4:1 ratio compared to AcAc. Recently, ketone body treatment was found to have therapeutic effects against many cancers by causing metabolic alternations and cancer cell apoptosis. Our previous publication showed that HMGCS2 downregulation-mediated ketone body reduction promoted HCC clinicopathological progression through regulating c-Myc/cyclin D1 and caspase-dependent signaling. However, whether HMGCS2-regulated ketone body production alters the sensitivity of human HCC to sorafenib treatment remains unclear. In this study, we showed that HMGCS2 downregulation enhanced the proliferative ability and attenuated the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib by activating expressions of phosphorylated (p)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p-P38, and p-AKT. In contrast, HMGCS2 overexpression decreased cell proliferation and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of sorafenib in HCC cells by inhibiting ERK activation. Furthermore, we showed that knockdown HMGCS2 exhibited the potential migratory ability, as well as decreasing zonula occludens protein (ZO)-1 and increasing c-Myc expression in both sorafenib-treated Huh7 and HepG2 cells. Although HMGCS2 overexpression did not alter the migratory effect, expressions of ZO-1, c-Myc, and N-cadherin decreased in sorafenib-treated HMGCS2-overexpressing HCC cells. Finally, we investigated whether ketone treatment influences sorafenib sensitivity. We showed that β-HB pretreatment decreased cell proliferation and enhanced antiproliferative effect of sorafenib in both Huh7 and HepG2 cells. In conclusion, this study defined the impacts of HMGCS2 expression and ketone body treatment on influencing the sorafenib sensitivity of liver cancer cells.
Objective To assess the relationship between antimüllerian hormone (AMH) and parameters related to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design Prospective study. Setting Academic tertiary care center. ...Patient(s) A total of 290 women. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Parameters related to insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Result(s) Women with polycystic ovary morphology had significantly higher AMH levels than women in the control group. The prevalence of PCOS increased from 21% in the low-AMH (<4 ng/mL) group to 37% in the moderate-AMH (4–11 ng/mL) group and 80% in the high-AMH (>11 ng/mL) group. However, significant differences in insulin resistance parameters were not observed among groups. The results of the correlation analysis revealed that AMH levels were positively correlated with LH, total T, A, and total cholesterol content; however, AMH levels were negatively correlated with age, body mass index, and the number of menstrual cycles per year. AMH levels were not correlated with insulin resistance parameters. Conclusion(s) Elevated serum AMH levels increase the risk of PCOS but do not affect the risk of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.
There is increasing evidence showing the role of fatty acids and their derived lipid intermediates in the regulation of skeletal muscle mass synthesis and function. However, the role of omega-3 fatty ...acids remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the potential effects of omega-3 fatty acids on sarcopenia-related performances among the elderly. Eligible literature and reports of randomized controlled trials were comprehensively searched from the PubMed, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) databases until July 2018. A total of 10 articles were available for the meta-analysis. There were minor benefits for muscle mass gain (0.33 kg; 95% CI: 0.05, 0.62) and timed up and go performance (-0.30 s; 95% CI: -0.43, -0.17). Subgroup analyses regarding muscle mass and walk speed indicated that omega-3 fatty acid supplements at more than 2 g/day may contribute to muscle mass gain (0.67 kg; 95% CI: 0.16, 1.18) and improve walking speed, especially for those receiving more than 6 months of intervention (1.78 m/sec; 95% CI: 1.38, 2.17). Our findings provide some insight into the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on muscle mass, especially for those taking supplements at more than 2 g/day. We also observed that a long period of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation may improve walking speed.
•The present study addresses sources of error affecting the validity of mobile-based dietary assessments in a free-living setting.•A two-stage data modification process that included manual data ...cleaning and reanalyzing of prepackaged foods improved the accuracy of an image-assisted mobile nutrition app.•Stage 1 errors were commonly observed and associated with wrong food code selections, portion size estimates, misreporting, and missing condiments.•Stage 2 errors related to the mobile nutrition app were associated with prepackaged and restaurant/street foods that only provide limited micronutrient information.•Reanalyzing food codes with missing nutrients substantially improved the accuracy of micronutrient intake levels and enhanced correlations between the app and 24-h dietary recall.•Results highlight the importance of addressing errors in mobile-based dietary assessments and continually updating and expanding prepackaged food databases with full nutrient information.
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Mobile nutrition applications (apps) provide a simple way for individuals to record their diet, but the validity and inherent errors need to be carefully evaluated. The aim of this study was to assess the validity and clarify the sources of measurement errors of image-assisted mobile nutrition apps.
This was a cross-sectional study with 98 students recruited from School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, Taipei Medical University. A 3-d nutrient intake record by Formosa Food and Nutrient Recording App (FoodApp) was compared with a 24-h dietary recall (24-HDR). A two-stage data modification process, manual data cleaning, and reanalyzing of prepackaged foods were employed to address inherent errors. Nutrient intake levels obtained by the two methods were compared with the recommended daily intake (DRI), Taiwan. Paired t test, Spearman's correlation coefficients, and Bland–Altman plots were used to assess agreement between the FoodApp and 24-HDR.
Manual data cleaning identified 166 food coding errors (12%; stage 1), and 426 food codes with missing micronutrients (32%) were reanalyzed (stage 2). Positive linear trends were observed for total energy and micronutrient intake (all Ptrend < 0.05) after the two stages of data modification, but not for dietary fat, carbohydrates, or vitamin D. There were no statistical differences in mean energy and macronutrient intake between the FoodApp and 24-HDR, and this agreement was confirmed by Bland–Altman plots. Spearman's correlation analyses showed strong to moderate correlations (r = 0.834 ∼ 0.386) between the two methods. Participants’ nutrient intake tended to be lower than the DRI, but no differences in proportions of adequacy/inadequacy for DRI values were observed between the two methods.
Mitigating errors significantly improved the accuracy of the Formosa FoodApp, indicating its validity and reliability as a self-reporting mobile-based dietary assessment tool. Dietitians and health professionals should be mindful of potential errors associated with self-reporting nutrition apps, and manual data cleaning is vital to obtain reliable nutrient intake data.
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