Gene expression profiling in peripheral white blood cells in response to the intake of food with different glycemic index using a DNA microarray

Acute effect of fructose, sucrose, and isomaltulose on uric acid metabolism in healthy participants

Fructose is associated with hyperuricemia and gout development. Focusing on fructose and fructose-containing disaccharides, we investigated the effects of three different types of carbohydrates (fructose, sucrose, and isomaltulose) on uric acid metabolism and gene expression profiling in peripheral white blood cells. In a randomized crossover study, ten healthy participants ingested test drinks of fructose, sucrose, and isomaltulose, each containing 25 g of fructose. Plasma glucose, serum and urine uric acid, and xanthine/hypoxanthine concentrations were measured. Microarray analysis in peripheral white blood cells and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were examined at 0 and 120 in after the intake of test drinks. Serum uric acid concentrations for group fructose were significantly higher than group sucrose at 30-120 min and were significantly higher than those for group isomaltulose at 30-240 min. Several genes involved in the "nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathway" were markedly changed in group fructose. No significant differences in the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor, nuclear factor-kappa B, interleukin-1β, and interleukin-18 were noted. This study indicated that fructose intake (monosaccharide) elevated serum uric acid concentrations compared with disaccharide intake. Differences in the quality of carbohydrates might reduce the rapid increase of postprandial serum uric acid concentrations.

Time-Restricted Feeding and Metabolic Outcomes in a Cohort of Italian Adults

BACKGROUND

research exploring the effects of food timing and frequency on health and disease is currently ongoing. While there is an increasing body of scientific literature showing the potential health benefits of intermittent fasting (IF) in laboratory settings and in animals, studies regarding IF on humans are limited. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the relationship between the feeding/fasting time window and metabolic outcomes among adult individuals.

METHODS

dietary and demographic data of 1936 adult subjects living in the south of Italy were examined. Food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) were administered to determine the period of time between the first and the last meal of a typical day. Subjects were then divided into those with a time feeding window lasting more than 10 h, within 8 h (TRF-8) and within 10 h.

RESULTS

after adjustment for potential confounding factors related to eating habits (such as adherence to the Mediterranean diet, having breakfast/dinner), TRF-10 was inversely associated with being overweight/obese (OR = 0.05, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07), hypertension (OR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.45), and dyslipidemias (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.10, 0.63), while TRF-8 only with being overweight/obese (OR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.15) and hypertension (OR = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.17, 0.60). No associations were found with type-2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

individuals with a restricted feeding time window were less likely to be overweight, obese and hypertensive. Further studies are needed to clearly validate the results of the present study.

Skipping Breakfast for 6 Days Delayed the Circadian Rhythm of the Body Temperature without Altering Clock Gene Expression in Human Leukocytes

Breakfast is often described as “the most important meal of the day” and human studies have revealed that post-prandial responses are dependent on meal timing, but little is known of the effects of meal timing per se on human circadian rhythms. We evaluated the effects of skipping breakfast for 6 days on core body temperature, dim light melatonin onset, heart rate variability, and clock gene expression in 10 healthy young men, with a repeated-measures design. Subjects were provided an isocaloric diet three times daily (3M) or two times daily (2M, i.e., breakfast skipping condition) over 6 days. Compared with the 3M condition, the diurnal rhythm of the core body temperature in the 2M condition was delayed by 42.0 ± 16.2 min (p = 0.038). On the other hand, dim light melatonin onset, heart rate variability, and clock gene expression were not affected in the 2M condition. Skipping breakfast for 6 days caused a phase delay in the core body temperature in healthy young men, even though the sleep–wake cycle remained unchanged. Chronic effects of skipping breakfast on circadian rhythms remain to be studied.

Gene expression profiles in bovine granulocytes reflect the aberration of liver functions

Liver performs several important functions; however, predicting its functions is difficult. Methods of analyzing gene expression profiles, for example, microarray, provide functional information of tissues. Liver and peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were collected from Holstein cows subjected to two different physiological conditions (non-pregnant and pregnant), and PBLs were fractionated by gradient cell separation. RNA from PBLs and liver were applied to oligo-DNA microarray and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). It revealed a group of stable bovine liver genes under constant physiological conditions. When they applied to physiological conditions including non-pregnant and pregnant, the profiles of some genes in liver were consistent with those in PBLs. Microarray data subjected to a principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the hepatic gene expression profiles were more consistent with those of granulocytes than mononuclear cells. The relationship of gene profiles in liver with granulocytes was confirmed by RT-qPCR and hierarchical cluster analysis. Gene profiles of granulocytes were more reliable than those of mononuclear cells, which reflected liver functions. These results suggest that the genes expressed in PBLs, particularly granulocytes, may be convenient bioindicators for the diagnosis of clinical disorder and/or detecting aberration of liver functions in cows subjected to different physiological conditions.

Acute effects of dietary plant nutrients on transcriptome profiles: evidence from human studies

The health benefits of long-term dietary plant ingestion are well-established. However, literature on acute nutritional challenges is very limited. This study aimed to identify available evidence on transcriptomics responses to acute ingestion of plants or plant extracts and identify signature gene profiles that may serve as biomarkers of health status. We systematically searched electronic databases and extracted information based-on inclusion criteria such as human clinical studies, single plant-based nutrients and outcomes reported on acute transcriptome responses. A total of 11 studies reported on acute intake of plant dietary interventions. Four studies investigating natural oil extracts with three reporting on whole plants and two studies on natural plant-derived extracts. Gene expression was found to be associated with immune response (7 studies), inflammation (9 studies), metabolism (8 studies), cellular processes and cancer. The finding of this systematic review suggests that acute ingestion may significantly impact diverse physiological and pathological pathways including inflammatory, immune, cancer and oxidative stress pathways. Transcriptomics approach is proven to be an effective strategy in discovery of these anticipated mechanisms. Further studies are now required to validate and continue exploring the short-term health impact of dietary plants and their bioactive phytochemicals on gene expression and function.

Nutrigenomic Information in the openEHR Data Set

BACKGROUND

The traditional concept of personalized nutrition is based on adapting diets according to individual needs and preferences. Discussions about personalized nutrition have been on since the Human Genome Project, which has sequenced the human genome. Thenceforth, topics such as nutrigenomics have been assessed to help in better understanding the genetic variation influence on the dietary response and association between nutrients and gene expression. Hence, some challenges impaired the understanding about the nowadays important clinical data and about clinical data assumed to be important in the future.

OBJECTIVE

Finding the main clinical statements in the personalized nutrition field (nutrigenomics) to create the future-proof health information system to the openEHR server based on archetypes, as well as a specific nutrigenomic template.

METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted in electronic databases such as PubMed. The aim of this systemic review was to list the chief clinical statements and create archetype and templates for openEHR modeling tools, namely, Ocean Archetype Editor and Ocean Template Design.

RESULTS

The literature search led to 51 articles; however, just 26 articles were analyzed after all the herein adopted inclusion criteria were assessed. Of these total, 117 clinical statements were identified, as well as 27 archetype-friendly concepts. Our group modeled four new archetypes (waist-to-height ratio, genetic test results, genetic summary, and diet plan) and finally created the specific nutrigenomic template for nutrition care.

CONCLUSION

The archetypes and the specific openEHR template developed in this study gave dieticians and other health professionals an important tool to their nutrigenomic clinical practices, besides a set of nutrigenomic data to clinical research.

Modulation of the peripheral blood transcriptome by the ingestion of probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk in healthy, young men

The metabolic health benefits of fermented milks have already been investigated using clinical biomarkers but the development of transcriptomic analytics in blood offers an alternative approach that may help to sensitively characterise such effects. We aimed to assess the effects of probiotic yoghurt intake, compared to non-fermented, acidified milk intake, on clinical biomarkers and gene expression in peripheral blood. To this end, a randomised, crossover study was conducted in fourteen healthy, young men to test the two dairy products. For a subset of seven subjects, RNA sequencing was used to measure gene expression in blood collected during postprandial tests and after two weeks daily intake. We found that the postprandial response in insulin was different for probiotic yoghurt as compared to that of acidified milk. Moreover changes in several clinical biomarkers were associated with changes in the expression of genes representing six metabolic genesets. Assessment of the postprandial effects of each dairy product on gene expression by geneset enrichment analysis revealed significant, similar modulation of inflammatory and glycolytic genes after both probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk intake, although distinct kinetic characteristics of the modulation differentiated the dairy products. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor was a major contributor to the down-regulation of the inflammatory genesets and was also positively associated with changes in circulating insulin at 2h after yoghurt intake (p = 0.05). Daily intake of the dairy products showed little effect on the fasting blood transcriptome. Probiotic yoghurt and acidified milk appear to affect similar gene pathways during the postprandial phase but differences in the timing and the extent of this modulation may lead to different physiological consequences. The functional relevance of these differences in gene expression is supported by their associations with circulating biomarkers.

Influences of Breakfast on Clock Gene Expression and Postprandial Glycemia in Healthy Individuals and Individuals With Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

OBJECTIVE

The circadian clock regulates glucose metabolism by mediating the activity of metabolic enzymes, hormones, and transport systems. Breakfast skipping and night eating have been associated with high HbA1c and postprandial hyperglycemia after lunch and dinner. Our aim was to explore the acute effect of breakfast consumption or omission on glucose homeostasis and clock gene expression in healthy individuals and individuals with type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a crossover design, 18 healthy volunteers and 18 volunteers with 14.5 ± 1.5 years diabetes, BMI 30.7 ± 1.1 kg/m2, and HbA1c 7.6 ± 0.1% (59.6 ± 0.8 mmol/mol) were randomly assigned to a test day with breakfast and lunch (YesB) and a test day with only lunch (NoB). Postprandial clock and clock-controlled gene expression, plasma glucose, insulin, intact glucagon-like peptide 1 (iGLP-1), and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) plasma activity were assessed after breakfast and lunch.

RESULTS

In healthy individuals, the expression level of Per1, Cry1, Rorα, and Sirt1 was lower (P < 0.05) but Clock was higher (P < 0.05) after breakfast. In contrast, in individuals with type 2 diabetes, Per1, Per2, and Sirt1 only slightly, but significantly, decreased and Rorα increased (P < 0.05) after breakfast. In healthy individuals, the expression level of Bmal1, Rorα, and Sirt1 was higher (P < 0.05) after lunch on YesB day, whereas the other clock genes remained unchanged. In individuals with type 2 diabetes, Bmal1, Per1, Per2, Rev-erbα, and Ampk increased (P < 0.05) after lunch on the YesB day. Omission of breakfast altered clock and metabolic gene expression in both healthy and individuals with type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

Breakfast consumption acutely affects clock and clock-controlled gene expression leading to normal oscillation. Breakfast skipping adversely affects clock and clock-controlled gene expression and is correlated with increased postprandial glycemic response in both healthy individuals and individuals with diabetes.

Meal Frequency and Timing Are Associated with Changes in Body Mass Index in Adventist Health Study 2

Background: Scientific evidence for the optimal number, timing, and size of meals is lacking.Objective: We investigated the relation between meal frequency and timing and changes in body mass index (BMI) in the Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2), a relatively healthy North American cohort.Methods: The analysis used data from 50,660 adult members aged ≥30 y of Seventh-day Adventist churches in the United States and Canada (mean ± SD follow-up: 7.42 ± 1.23 y). The number of meals per day, length of overnight fast, consumption of breakfast, and timing of the largest meal were exposure variables. The primary outcome was change in BMI per year. Linear regression analyses (stratified on baseline BMI) were adjusted for important demographic and lifestyle factors.Results: Subjects who ate 1 or 2 meals/d had a reduction in BMI per year (in kg · m^-2 · y^-1) (-0.035; 95% CI: -0.065, -0.004 and -0.029; 95% CI: -0.041, -0.017, respectively) compared with those who ate 3 meals/d. On the other hand, eating >3 meals/d (snacking) was associated with a relative increase in BMI (P < 0.001). Correspondingly, the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (≥18 h) decreased compared with those who had a medium overnight fast (12-17 h) (P < 0.001). Breakfast eaters (-0.029; 95% CI: -0.047, -0.012; P < 0.001) experienced a decreased BMI compared with breakfast skippers. Relative to subjects who ate their largest meal at dinner, those who consumed breakfast as the largest meal experienced a significant decrease in BMI (-0.038; 95% CI: -0.048, -0.028), and those who consumed a big lunch experienced a smaller but still significant decrease in BMI than did those who ate their largest meal at dinner.Conclusions: Our results suggest that in relatively healthy adults, eating less frequently, no snacking, consuming breakfast, and eating the largest meal in the morning may be effective methods for preventing long-term weight gain. Eating breakfast and lunch 5-6 h apart and making the overnight fast last 18-19 h may be a useful practical strategy.

Fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials

We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based microarrays/biochips, such as antibody/protein microarrays, bead/suspension arrays, capillary/sensor arrays, DNA microarrays/polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based arrays, glycan/lectin arrays, immunoassay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based arrays, microfluidic chips and tissue arrays, have been developed and used for the assessment of allergy/poisoning/toxicity, contamination and efficacy/mechanism, and quality control/safety. DNA microarray assays have been used widely for food safety and quality as well as searches for active components. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling may be useful for such purposes due to its advantages in the evaluation of pathway-based intracellular signaling in response to food materials.

Whole-Blood Gene Expression Profiles in Large-Scale Epidemiological Studies: What Do They Tell?

In nutrigenomics, gene expression profiling is used to investigate transcriptional mechanisms associated with nutrients and diet. Blood samples collected in the framework of dietary interventions and epidemiological studies allow the use of humans as the model system, as opposed to using cell lines or animal models. Here, we review recent publications in the field of gene expression profiling, based on a systematic literature search focusing on studies from the last 5 years and including studies that investigated either single nutrients, foods, food groups, or dietary patterns. Findings highlight the role of inflammatory processes as key mediators of the association between diet and disease and point to the relevance of using blood as the target tissue in nutrigenomics. However, recurring challenges include study design issues, practical and statistical challenges, and biological interpretation of the results. Many of the published studies have small sample size, and given the nature of gene expression data, their conclusions have limited impact. These challenges should be addressed by future nutrigenomics studies in order to increase their relevance and validity.

Fasting until noon triggers increased postprandial hyperglycemia and impaired insulin response after lunch and dinner in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE

Skipping breakfast has been consistently associated with high HbA1c and postprandial hyperglycemia (PPHG) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to explore the effect of skipping breakfast on glycemia after a subsequent isocaloric (700 kcal) lunch and dinner.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In a crossover design, 22 patients with diabetes with a mean diabetes duration of 8.4 ± 0.7 years, age 56.9 ± 1.0 years, BMI 28.2 ± 0.6 kg/m(2), and HbA1c 7.7 ± 0.1% (61 ± 0.8 mmol/mol) were randomly assigned to two test days: one day with breakfast, lunch, and dinner (YesB) and another with lunch and dinner but no breakfast (NoB). Postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, free fatty acids (FFA), glucagon, and intact glucagon-like peptide-1 (iGLP-1) were assessed.

RESULTS

Compared with YesB, lunch area under the curves for 0-180 min (AUC0-180) for plasma glucose, FFA, and glucagon were 36.8, 41.1, and 14.8% higher, respectively, whereas the AUC0-180 for insulin and iGLP-1 were 17% and 19% lower, respectively, on the NoB day (P < 0.0001). Similarly, dinner AUC0-180 for glucose, FFA, and glucagon were 26.6, 29.6, and 11.5% higher, respectively, and AUC0-180 for insulin and iGLP-1 were 7.9% and 16.5% lower on the NoB day compared with the YesB day (P < 0.0001). Furthermore, insulin peak was delayed 30 min after lunch and dinner on the NoB day compared with the YesB day.

CONCLUSIONS

Skipping breakfast increases PPHG after lunch and dinner in association with lower iGLP-1 and impaired insulin response. This study shows a long-term influence of breakfast on glucose regulation that persists throughout the day. Breakfast consumption could be a successful strategy for reduction of PPHG in type 2 diabetes.

Aging and cardiovascular diseases: the role of gene-diet interactions

In the study of longevity, increasing importance is being placed on the concept of healthy aging rather than considering the total number of years lived. Although the concept of healthy lifespan needs to be defined better, we know that cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the main age-related diseases. Thus, controlling risk factors will contribute to reducing their incidence, leading to healthy lifespan. CVDs are complex diseases influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Numerous gene variants that are associated with a greater or lesser risk of the different types of CVD and of intermediate phenotypes (i.e., hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes) have been successfully identified. However, despite the close link between aging and CVD, studies analyzing the genes related to human longevity have not obtained consistent results and there has been little coincidence in the genes identified in both fields. The APOE gene stands out as an exception, given that it has been identified as being relevant in CVD and longevity. This review analyzes the genomic and epigenomic factors that may contribute to this, ranging from identifying longevity genes in model organisms to the importance of gene-diet interactions (outstanding among which is the case of the TCF7L2 gene).

Whole blood gene expression profile associated with spontaneous preterm birth in women with threatened preterm labor

Threatened preterm labor (TPTL) is defined as persistent premature uterine contractions between 20 and 37 weeks of gestation and is the most common condition that requires hospitalization during pregnancy. Most of these TPTL women continue their pregnancies to term while only an estimated 5% will deliver a premature baby within ten days. The aim of this work was to study differential whole blood gene expression associated with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) within 48 hours of hospital admission. Peripheral blood was collected at point of hospital admission from 154 women with TPTL before any medical treatment. Microarrays were utilized to investigate differential whole blood gene expression between TPTL women who did (n = 48) or did not have a sPTB (n = 106) within 48 hours of admission. Total leukocyte and neutrophil counts were significantly higher (35% and 41% respectively) in women who had sPTB than women who did not deliver within 48 hours (p<0.001). Fetal fibronectin (fFN) test was performed on 62 women. There was no difference in the urine, vaginal and placental microbiology and histopathology reports between the two groups of women. There were 469 significant differentially expressed genes (FDR<0.05); 28 differentially expressed genes were chosen for microarray validation using qRT-PCR and 20 out of 28 genes were successfully validated (p<0.05). An optimal random forest classifier model to predict sPTB was achieved using the top nine differentially expressed genes coupled with peripheral clinical blood data (sensitivity 70.8%, specificity 75.5%). These differentially expressed genes may further elucidate the underlying mechanisms of sPTB and pave the way for future systems biology studies to predict sPTB.