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Guglielmi V, Dalle Grave R, Leonetti F, Solini A. Female obesity: clinical and psychological assessment toward the best treatment. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1349794. [PMID: 38765954 PMCID: PMC11099266 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1349794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Obesity is a heterogeneous condition which results from complex interactions among sex/gender, sociocultural, environmental, and biological factors. Obesity is more prevalent in women in most developed countries, and several clinical and psychological obesity complications show sex-specific patterns. Females differ regarding fat distribution, with males tending to store more visceral fat, which is highly correlated to increased cardiovascular risk. Although women are more likely to be diagnosed with obesity and appear more motivated to lose weight, as confirmed by their greater representation in clinical trials, males show better outcomes in terms of body weight and intra-abdominal fat loss and improvements in the metabolic risk profile. However, only a few relatively recent studies have investigated gender differences in obesity, and sex/gender is rarely considered in the assessment and management of the disease. This review summarizes the evidence of gender differences in obesity prevalence, contributing factors, clinical complications, and psychological challenges. In addition, we explored gender differences in response to obesity treatments in the specific context of new anti-obesity drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Guglielmi
- Unit of Internal Medicine and Obesity Center, Department of Systems Medicine, Policlinico Tor Vergata, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Dalle Grave
- Department of Eating and Weight Disorders, Villa Garda Hospital, Garda, VR, Italy
| | - Frida Leonetti
- Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Solini
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular and Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Xue R, Wang Y, Geng L, Xiao H, Kumar V, Lan X, Malhotra A, Singhal PC, Chen J. Comprehensive analysis of the gene expression profile of the male and female BTBR mice with diabetic nephropathy. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128720. [PMID: 38101684 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive insight into the gender-based gene expression-related omics data in a rodent model of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is scarce. In the present study, the gender-based genes regulating different pathways involved in the progression of DN were explored through an unbiased RNA sequence of kidneys from BTBR mice with DN. We identified 17,739 and 17,981 genes in male and female DN mice; 1121 and 655 genes were expressed differentially (DEGs, differentially expressed genes) in male and female DN mice; both genders displayed only 195 DEGs. In the male DN mice, the number of upregulated genes was nearly the same as that of the down-regulated genes. In contrast, the number of upregulated genes was lesser than that of the down-regulated genes in the female DN mice, manifesting a remarkable gender disparity during the progression of DN in this animal model. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG-enriched results showed that most of these DEGs were related to the critical biological processes, including metabolic pathways, natural oxidation, bile secretion, and PPAR signaling; all are highly associated with DN. Notably, the DEGs significantly enriched for steroid hormone biosynthesis pathway were identified in both genders; the number of DEGs increased was 22 in male DN mice and 14 in female DN mice. Specifically, the Ugt1a10, Akr1c12, and Akr1c14 were upregulated in both genders. Interestingly, the Hsd11b1 gene was upregulated in female DN mice but downregulated in male DN mice. These results suggest that a significant gender-based variance in the gene expression occurs during the progression of DN and may be playing a role in the advancement of DN in the BTBR mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xue
- Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Pathogenic Biology, School of Basic Medical Science, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Lei Geng
- Department of Nephrology, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Haiting Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Luzhou City for Aging Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Vinod Kumar
- Department of Dermatology, Postgraduate Institute for Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh 160012, India
| | - Xiqian Lan
- Key Laboratory of Luzhou City for Aging Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, China
| | - Ashwani Malhotra
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY 11030, United States
| | - Pravin C Singhal
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Manhasset, NY 11030, United States.
| | - Jianning Chen
- Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, China.
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Haque N, Ojo ES, Krager SL, Tischkau SA. Deficiency of Adipose Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Protects against Diet-Induced Metabolic Dysfunction through Sexually Dimorphic Mechanisms. Cells 2023; 12:1748. [PMID: 37443781 PMCID: PMC10340611 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms underlying diet-induced obesity are complex and remain unclear. The activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a xenobiotic sensor, by obesogens may contribute to diet-induced obesity through influences on lipid metabolism and insulin resistance acting at various sites, including adipose tissue. Thus, our hypothesis was that conditional AhR depletion, specifically from mature adipose tissue (CadKO), would improve high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic dysfunction. CadKO protects mice from HFD-induced weight gain. CadKO females eat fewer calories, leading to increased energy expenditure (EE) and improved glucose tolerance on HFD. Our exploration of adipose tissue biology suggests that the depletion of AhR from adipocytes provides female mice with an increased capacity for adipogenesis and lipolysis, allowing for the maintenance of a healthy adipocyte phenotype. The HFD-induced leptin rise was reduced in CadKO females, but the hypothalamic leptin receptor (LepR) was increased in the energy regulatory regions of the hypothalamus, suggesting an increased sensitivity to leptin. The estrogen receptor α (ERα) was higher in CadKO female adipose tissue and the hypothalamus. CadKO males displayed a delayed progression of obesity and insulin resistance. In males, CadKO ameliorated proinflammatory adipocytokine secretion (such as TNFα, IL1β, IL6) and displayed reduced inflammatory macrophage infiltration into adipose depots. Overall, CadKO improves weight control and systemic glucose homeostasis under HFD challenge but to a more profound extent in females. CadKO facilitates a lean phenotype in females and mediates healthy adipose-hypothalamic crosstalk. In males, adipose-specific AhR depletion delays the development of obesity and insulin resistance through the maintenance of healthy crosstalk between adipocytes and immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazmul Haque
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA; (N.H.); (E.S.O.); (S.L.K.)
| | - Emmanuel S. Ojo
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA; (N.H.); (E.S.O.); (S.L.K.)
| | - Stacey L. Krager
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA; (N.H.); (E.S.O.); (S.L.K.)
| | - Shelley A. Tischkau
- Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA; (N.H.); (E.S.O.); (S.L.K.)
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL 62702, USA
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