Effects of supplementation of chromium histidinate on glucose, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in cats

Understanding Cr(III) Action on Mitochondrial ATP Synthase and AMPK Efficacy: Insights from Previous Studies-a Review

Chromium supplementation has been notably recognized for its potential health benefits, especially in enhancing insulin sensitivity and managing glucose metabolism. However, recent studies have begun to shed light on additional mechanisms of action for chromium, expanding our understanding beyond its classical effects on the insulin-signaling pathway. The beta subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase is considered a novel site for Cr(III) action, influencing physiological effects apart from insulin signaling. The physiological effects of chromium supplementation have been extensively studied, particularly in its role in anti-oxidative efficacy and glucose metabolism. However, recent advancements have prompted a re-evaluation of chromium's mechanisms of action beyond the insulin signaling pathway. The discovery of the beta subunit of mitochondrial ATP synthase as a potential target for chromium action is discussed, emphasizing its crucial role in cellular energy production and metabolic regulation. A meticulous analysis of relevant studies that were earlier carried out could shed light on the relationship between chromium supplementation and mitochondrial ATP synthase. This review categorizes studies based on their primary investigations, encompassing areas such as muscle protein synthesis, glucose and lipid metabolism, and antioxidant properties. Findings from these studies are scrutinized to distinguish patterns aligning with the new hypothesis. Central to this exploration is the presentation of studies highlighting the physiological effects of chromium that extend beyond the insulin signaling pathway. Evaluating the various independent mechanisms of action that chromium impacts cellular energy metabolism and overall metabolic balance has become more important. In conclusion, this review is a paradigm shift in understanding chromium supplementation, paving the way for future investigations that leverage the intricate interplay between chromium and mitochondrial ATP synthase.

Using Bayesian and weighted regression to evaluate the association of idiopathic oligoastenoteratozoospermia with seminal plasma metal mixtures

Idiopathic oligoastenoteratozoospermia (iOAT) affects 30% of infertile men of reproductive age. However, the associations between Cr, Fe, Cu, Se or Co levels and iOAT risk have not been determined. This research aimed to assess the associations between Cr, Fe, Cu, Se and Co levels as well as their mixtures in seminal plasma and the risk of iOAT and severe iOAT. Therefore, a case‒control study including 823 participants (416 iOAT patients and 407 controls) recruited from October 2021 to August 2022 at the reproductive medicine center of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University was conducted in Anhui, China. The concentrations of Cr, Fe, Cu, Se and Co in seminal plasma were detected via inductively coupled plasma‒mass spectrometry. Binary logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between the levels of Cr, Fe, Cu, Se and Co and the risk of iOAT and severe iOAT; additionally, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regressions were performed to evaluate the joint effect of seminal plasma levels of Cr, Fe, Cu, Se and Co on the risk of iOAT and explore which elements contributed most to the relationship. We found significant associations between the concentrations of Fe, Cu and Se in seminal plasma and iOAT risk after adjusting for covariates (Fe, lowest tertile vs. second tertile: aOR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.31, 2.64; Cu, lowest tertile vs. second tertile: aOR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.37, 2.76; Se, lowest tertile vs. second tertile: aOR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.17, 2.35). A lower Se concentration in seminal plasma (lowest tertile vs. second tertile: aOR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.10, 3.10) was positively associated with the risk of severe iOAT. Additionally, we also observed an association between the concentration of Cr in seminal plasma and the risk of iOAT before adjusting for covariates (Cr, third tertile vs. lowest tertile: OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.03, 2.02). According to the BKMR analyses, the risk of iOAT increased when the overall concentrations were less than the 25th percentile. The results from the WQS regression indicated that a negative WQS index was significantly associated with the iOAT risk, while a positive WQS index was not. Se and Fe had significant weights in the negative direction. In conclusion, lower Cu, Fe and Se levels in seminal plasma were positively associated with iOAT risk, while higher Cr levels in seminal plasma were positively associated with iOAT risk according to the single element model, and lower levels of Se were related to a greater risk of severe iOAT; when comprehensively considering all the results from BKMR and WQS regression, Fe, Se and Cr levels contributed most to this relationship.

Effects of organic chromium sources on growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant status, breast amino acid and fatty acid profiles in broilers

BACKGROUND

Trivalent chromium (Cr) is involved in carbohydrate, lipid, protein and nucleic acid metabolism in animals. This study evaluated the effects of different organic Cr forms with Cr methionine (CrMet), Cr picolinate (CrPic), Cr nicotinate (CrNic), and Cr yeast (Cr-yeast) at the level of 400 μg kg-1 Cr, on growth performance, lipid metabolism, antioxidant status, breast amino acid and fatty acid profiles of broilers. In total, 540 one-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly assigned to five treatments with six replicates (18 broilers per replicate) until day 42.

RESULTS

The results showed growth performance was not affected by Cr sources. The Cr-yeast group had lower serum cortisol levels than the CrNic group (P < 0.05). Besides, Cr-yeast increased methionine and cysteine content in breast compared with the control group. Liver malondialdehyde content was lower in the CrMet group than the CrPic group on day 42 (P < 0.05). The n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) values were increased, but the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was decreased in both CrMet and CrNic groups (P < 0.05). There were no significant effects on broilers' serum antioxidant status and breast total essential amino acid content among all treatments.

CONCLUSIONS

Diets supplemented with organic Cr could regulate lipid metabolism, and improve amino acid and fatty acid profiles in broiler breast. Moreover, Cr-yeast was the most effective source in improving methionine and cysteine content, whereas CrMet was more effective than CrNic in increasing n-3 PUFA value and decreasing n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in breast meat and effectively strengthened liver antioxidant ability than CrPic. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Correlation between urinary chromium level and semen quality in men attending an andrology laboratory

Chromium is an essential element that is required for the normal physiology but can be toxic to humans above a certain level. In spite of growing interest in research on chromium exposure to human health consensus about its effect on human, semen quality has not been achieved. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the impact of chromium exposure on semen parameters. A total of 760 males attending andrology laboratory of Tongji Hospital, Wuhan, for routine semen analysis were enrolled and requested to provide semen and urine samples. The urine level of chromium was evaluated using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) was applied to examine semen parameters. Associations between semen parameters and urinary chromium were analyzed by means of multivariate linear regression analysis. Multivariate analysis showed a negative association between the urinary concentrations of chromium and progressive motility (β = - 0.014, p = 0.040) and total motility (β = - 1.077, p = 0.048), while other semen parameters did not show any statistically significant changes. Urinary chromium could influence semen quality parameters and impair male fecundity.

Effects of supplementation of chromium histidinate on glucose, lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in cats

In recent years, two meta-analyses of chromium (Cr) supplementation have shown beneficial effects on glucose metabolism. Chromium histidinate (CrHis) reduces serum glucose levels in rats fed a high-fat diet but no study has been conducted on cats until now. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CrHis on glucose and lipid metabolism in cats. To challenge the glucose metabolism, 16 cats were fed a high-carbohydrate high-fat diet for three months. One group (n = 8) received 800 ug CrHis per day for two months, while the other group (n = 8) served as control group. An oral glucose tolerance test was conducted, blood samples were taken, and biochemical parameters and oxidative stress were measured. CrHis serum levels were significantly increased (p = 0.027) in the treatment group, while fructosamine levels were significantly lower (p = 0.029) in the control group. In both groups, glucose (p < 0.01), b-hydroxy-butyrate (p = 0.024) and 8-hydroxy-deoxyguanosine (p = 0.028) levels decreased significantly and cholesterol levels increased significantly (p < 0.01). In conclusion, CrHis did not improve glucose or lipid metabolism and did not affect oxidative stress in healthy cats.