Physical Activity Might Reduce the Adverse Impacts of the FTO Gene Variant rs3751812 on the Body Mass Index of Adults in Taiwan

Minor alleles in the FTO SNPs contributed to the increased risk of obesity among Korean adults: meta-analysis from nationwide big data-based studies

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Many studies have revealed an association between fat mass and the obesity-related gene (FTO) and obesity. On the other hand, no meta-analysis was conducted with data from only Koreans. Therefore, this study performed a meta-analysis using Korean data to provide evidence for the association between FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of obesity among Korean adults.

SUBJECT/METHODS

Meta-analysis was finally conducted with data extracted from seven datasets of four studies performed on Korean adults after the screening passed. Five kinds of FTO SNPs (rs9939609, rs7193144, rs9940128, rs8050136, and rs9926289) were included, and the relationship between FTO SNPs and body mass index (BMI) was investigated using linear regression with an additive model adjusted for covariants, such as age, sex, and area.

RESULTS

The minor alleles of FTO SNPs were associated with increased BMI (odds ratio [OR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.42). In sub-group analysis, FTO rs9939609 T>A was significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.42). The other FTO SNPs together were significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25-1.49). The publication bias was not observed based on Egger's test.

CONCLUSIONS

This meta-analysis showed that minor alleles in the FTO SNPs were significantly associated with an increased BMI among Korean adults. This meta-analysis is the first to demonstrate that minor alleles in the FTO SNPs contribute significantly to the increased risk of obesity among Korean adults using data from a Korean population.

Insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease: The genetics and metabolomics links

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with significant socioeconomic burden worldwide. Although genetics and environmental factors play a role, AD is highly associated with insulin resistance (IR) disorders such as metabolic syndrome (MS), obesity, and type two diabetes mellitus (T2DM). These findings highlight a shared pathogenesis. The use of metabolomics as a downstream systems' biology (omics) approach can help to identify these shared metabolic traits and assist in the early identification of at-risk groups and potentially guide therapy. Targeting the shared AD-IR metabolic trait with lifestyle interventions and pharmacological treatments may offer promising AD therapeutic approach. In this narrative review, we reviewed the literature on the AD-IR pathogenic link, the shared genetics and metabolomics biomarkers between AD and IR disorders, as well as the lifestyle interventions and pharmacological treatments which target this pathogenic link.

Identification and Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the FTO Gene with Indicators of Overweight and Obesity in a Young Mexican Population

(1) Background: obesity is a global public health problem; various factors have been associated with this disease, and genetic factors play a very important role. Previous studies in multiple populations have associated a gene with fat mass and obesity (FTO). Thus, the present work aims to identify and determine associations between genetic variants of FTO with indicators of overweight and obesity in the Mexican population. (2) Methods: a total of 638 subjects were evaluated to compile data on body mass index (BMI), the percentage of body fat (%BF), the waist circumference (WC), the serum levels of triglycerides (TG), and food consumption. A total of 175 genetic variants in the FTO gene were sampled by a microarray in the evaluated population, followed by association statistical analyses and comparisons of means. (3) Results: a total of 34 genetic variants were associated with any of the 6 indicators of overweight and obesity, but only 15 showed mean differences using the recessive model after the Bonferroni correction. The present study shows a wide evaluation of FTO genetic variants associated with a classic indicator of overweight and obesity, which highlights the importance of genetic analyses in the study of obesity.

FTO Common Obesity SNPs Interact with Actionable Environmental Factors: Physical Activity, Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Wine Consumption

Genetic background is estimated to play >50% in common obesity etiology. FTO single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are strongly associated with BMI, typically in European cohorts. We investigated the interaction of common FTO SNPs with actionable environmental factors, namely physical activity, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and wine consumption, and verified FTO common SNPs predisposition to obesity in the Israeli population. Adults’ (>18 years old, n = 1720) FTO common SNPs data and lifestyle and nutrition habits questionnaires were analyzed using binary logistic regression models, adjusted for confounding variables (age, sex) assuming dominant, recessive and additive genetic models. Eighteen FTO SNPs were associated with significant increased obesity risk and interacted with physical activity (p < 0.001), wine consumption (p < 0.014) and SSB consumption (p < 0.01). Inactive rs9939609 risk-allele carriers had significantly higher obesity risk compared to their active counterparts (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.91−3.39 and OR = 3.77, 95% CI 2.47−5.75; p < 0.001 with 3.1 and 3.5 BMI increment for heterozygotes and homozygotes, respectively). SSB consumption (≥1 serving/day) significantly raised obesity risk and wine consumption (1−3 drinks/weekly) significantly lowered obesity risk for rs9939609 risk-allele carriers (OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.05−2.27; p = 0.028 and OR = 0.61, 95% CI 0.47−0.79; p < 0.001, respectively). Our findings demonstrate that actionable lifestyle factors modify the common FTO obesity risk in predisposed carriers, and they have personal and public health implications.

Long-term exercise training down-regulates m6A RNA demethylase FTO expression in the hippocampus and hypothalamus: an effective intervention for epigenetic modification

Background

Exercise boosts the health of some brain parts, such as the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Several studies show that long-term exercise improves spatial learning and memory, enhances hypothalamic leptin sensitivity, and regulates energy balance. However, the effect of exercise on the hippocampus and hypothalamus is not fully understood. The study aimed to find epigenetic modifications or changes in gene expression of the hippocampus and hypothalamus due to exercise.

Methods

Male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sedentary and exercise groups. All mice in the exercise group were subjected to treadmill exercise 5 days per week for 1 h each day. After the 12-week exercise intervention, the hippocampus and hypothalamus tissue were used for RNA-sequencing or molecular biology experiments.

Results

In both groups, numerous differentially expressed genes of the hippocampus (up-regulated: 53, down-regulated: 49) and hypothalamus (up-regulated: 24, down-regulated: 40) were observed. In the exercise group, increased level of N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) was observed in the hippocampus and hypothalamus (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) of the hippocampus and hypothalamus were down-regulated in the exercise group (p < 0.001). In addition, the Fto co-expression genes of the mouse brain were studied and analyzed using database to determine the potential roles of exercise-downregulated FTO in the brain.

Conclusion

The findings demonstrate that long-term exercise might elevates the levels of m⁶A-tagged transcripts in the hippocampus and hypothalamus via down-regulation of FTO. Hence, exercise might be an effective intervention for epigenetic modification.

The FTO rs17817449 Polymorphism is Not Associated With Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, or Cardiorespiratory Fitness: Findings From the GENADIO Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Genetic variants within the FTO gene have been associated with increased adiposity and metabolic markers; however, there is limited evidence regarding the association of FTO gene variants with physical activity-related variables. The authors aimed to investigate the association of the rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of FTO with physical activity, sedentary time, and cardiorespiratory fitness in Chilean adults.

METHODS

A total of 409 participants from the GENADIO study were included and genotyped for the rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of FTO in this cross-sectional study. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured with ActiGraph accelerometers. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed using the Chester step test. The associations were assessed by using multivariate regression analyses.

RESULTS

No associations were found for FTO variant with physical activity levels and cardiorespiratory fitness. The risk allele (G) of the FTO was found to be associated with sedentary time in the minimally adjusted model (β = 19.7 min/d; 95% confidence interval, 4.0 to 35.5, per each copy of the risk allele; P = .006), but the association was no longer significant when body mass index was included as a confounder (P = .211).

CONCLUSION

The rs17817449 single-nucleotide polymorphism of the FTO gene was not associated with the level of physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and sedentary behaviors in Chilean adults.

Genetic test for the prescription of diets in support of physical activity

Owing to the fields of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics today we can think of devising approaches to optimize health, delay onset of diseases and reduce its severity according to our genetic blue print. However this requires a deep understanding of nutritional impact on expression of genes that may result in a specific phenotype. The extensive research and observational studies during last two decades reporting interactions between genes, diet and physical activity suggest a cross talk between various genetic and environmental factors and lifestyle interventions. Although considerable efforts have been made in unraveling the mechanisms of gene-diet interactions the scientific evidences behind developing commercial genetic tests for providing personalized nutrition recommendations are still scarce. In this scenario the current mini-review aims to provide useful insights into salient feature of nutrition based genetic research and its commercial application and the ethical issue and concerns related to its outcome.

The interaction between FTO rs9939609 and physical activity is associated with a 2-fold reduction in the risk of obesity in Korean population

OBJECTIVE

FTO (fat mass and obesity-associated) gene is a well-known genetic risk factor for obesity. We investigated whether physical activity modulates the effect of FTO rs9939609 on obesity in Korean population.

METHODS

The study analyzed the correlation between physical activity and obesity in 8840 individuals representing the Korea Association Resource (KARE). The association between obesity-related traits and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) was assessed using linear regression models. Physical activity was defined as 3 hours or more of daily intense activity.

RESULTS

Participants carrying rs9939609 (AT+AA) genotypes showed higher BMI compared with those carrying the wild-type (TT) homozygote. The highest significant association was observed between obesity-related traits (ß = .334, P value = 1.76 × 10^-6 ). FTO rs9939609 (AT+AA) increased the risk of obesity (OR = 1.42, CI [1.13-1.79]), which was correlated with BMI correlations. However, active exercise by subjects carrying the same genotype reduced the risk of obesity by nearly 2-fold (OR = 0.62, CI [0.25-0.84]). In contrast, TT genotype was not statistically significant in reducing the risk of obesity in the active exercise group.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results support a previous finding correlating FTO and obesity-related traits and suggest that the interaction with genetic variation and physical activity is an important risk factor for obesity.

Genetic and Epigenetic Modulation of Cell Functions by Physical Exercise

Since ancient times, the importance of physical activity (PA) and of a wholesome diet for human health has been clearly recognized. However, only recently, it has been acknowledged that PA can reverse at least some of the unwanted effects of a sedentary lifestyle, contributing to the treatment of pathologies such as hypertension and diabetes, to the delay of aging and neurodegeneration, and even to the improvement of immunity and cognitive processes. At the same time, the cellular and molecular bases of these effects are beginning to be uncovered. The original research articles and reviews published in this Special Issue on “Genetic and Epigenetic Modulation of Cell Functions by Physical Exercise” focus on different aspects of the genetics and molecular biology of PA effects on health and, in addition, on the effects of different genotypes on the ability to perform PA. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Physical Activity and Brain Health

Physical activity (PA) has been central in the life of our species for most of its history, and thus shaped our physiology during evolution. However, only recently the health consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, and of highly energetic diets, are becoming clear. It has been also acknowledged that lifestyle and diet can induce epigenetic modifications which modify chromatin structure and gene expression, thus causing even heritable metabolic outcomes. Many studies have shown that PA can reverse at least some of the unwanted effects of sedentary lifestyle, and can also contribute in delaying brain aging and degenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes, and multiple sclerosis. Most importantly, PA improves cognitive processes and memory, has analgesic and antidepressant effects, and even induces a sense of wellbeing, giving strength to the ancient principle of “mens sana in corpore sano” (i.e., a sound mind in a sound body). In this review we will discuss the potential mechanisms underlying the effects of PA on brain health, focusing on hormones, neurotrophins, and neurotransmitters, the release of which is modulated by PA, as well as on the intra- and extra-cellular pathways that regulate the expression of some of the genes involved.