The Relationship between Overweight/Obesity and Executive Control in College Students: The Mediating Effect of BDNF and 5-HT

The Role of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Diagnosis and Treatment of Epilepsy, Depression, Schizophrenia, Anorexia Nervosa and Alzheimer's Disease as Highly Drug-Resistant Diseases: A Narrative Review

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) belongs to the family of neurotrophins, which are growth factors with trophic effects on neurons. BDNF is the most widely distributed neurotrophin in the central nervous system (CNS) and is highly expressed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Its distribution outside the CNS has also been demonstrated, but most studies have focused on its effects in neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite the advances in medicine in recent decades, neurological and psychiatric diseases are still characterized by high drug resistance. This review focuses on the use of BDNF in the developmental assessment, treatment monitoring, and pharmacotherapy of selected diseases, with a particular emphasis on epilepsy, depression, anorexia, obesity, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. The limitations of using a molecule with such a wide distribution range and inconsistent method of determination are also highlighted.

Association Between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Executive Function Among Chinese Tibetan Adolescents at High Altitude

Objective

To estimate the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and executive function (EF) among Chinese Tibetan adolescents.

Method

Using three stages by stratified cluster sampling, 1,427 Chinese Tibetan adolescents were recruited from Tibet, China. SSB consumption status was obtained by questionnaires and the three core EFs (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) were tested by a modified Eriksen flanker task, N-back shift, and a more-odd shifting task. One-way ANOVA or Chi-square test was used to compare SSB consumption in different categories. Taking the SSB consumption 0 time/week group as the reference, general linear regression (for continuous variable) or Logical regression (classified variable) in three Models was conducted to analyze the relationship between SSB consumption and EF for Chinese Tibetan children and adolescents.

Result

After adjustment of all the covariant in Model 2, all the EF indexes were higher in Chinese Tibetan adolescents with SSB consumption ≥2 times/week than that with SSB consumption of 0 times/week by 21.33 ms (95%CI: 6.72, 35.93), 8.21 ms (95%CI: 7.06, 9.35), 90.46 ms (95%CI: 28.69, 152.23), 147.61 ms (95%CI: 81.42, 213.80), 116.18 ms (95%CI: 74.48, 157.87), 112.41 ms (95%CI: 71.30, 153.52) for incongruent RT, RT difference in incongruent and congruent, 1-back RT, 2-back RT, Heterogeneous RT, RT difference in Heterogeneous and Homogeneous respectively.

Conclusions

The results suggested that SSB consumption was associated with poorer EF in Chinese Tibetan adolescents. SSB consumption should be controlled for healthy brain development of Chinese Tibetan adolescents.

Negative Correlation between Serum Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels and Obesity Predictor Markers and Inflammation Levels in Females with Obesity

BACKGROUND: Obesity has been widely associated with structural and functional changes in the brain, whereas inflammation is one of the potential mechanisms involved in these changes. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to prove the relationship between serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and obesity predictor markers (body mass index and waist to hip ratio) and inflammation (interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) levels in females with obesity. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional study method using 33 females with obesity aged 19-23 years, body mass index (BMI) > 27.5 kg/m2, normal blood pressure, normal resting heart rate (RHR), normal hemoglobin (Hb), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) ≤ 100 mg/dL. The examination of serum BDNF, IL-6, and TNF-α levels using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The data were analyzed using Pearson product-moment test with a significant levels p<0.05. RESULTS: The results indicated that there is a negative correlation between serum BDNF levels and BMI (r = –0.759; p<0.001), WHR (r = –0.675; p<0.001), IL-6 levels (r = –0.530; p<0.001) and TNF-α levels (r = –0.561; p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the study, there is a negative correlation between serum BDNF levels and BMI, waist to hip ratio, and inflammation (interleukin-6 and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha) levels in females with obesity. Further studies are needed to confirm the present findings.

The therapeutic potential of diet on immune-related diseases: based on the regulation on tryptophan metabolism

Tryptophan (TRP), as an essential amino acid, plays crucial roles in maintaining immune homeostasis due to its complex metabolism pathway, including the microbial metabolism, 5-hydroxytryptamine and kynurenine pathways (KP). Metabolites from these pathways can act antioxidant and endogenous ligand of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (including microbiota metabolites: indole, indole aldehyde, indole acetic acid, indole acrylic acid, indole lactate, indole pyruvate acid, indole propionic acid, skatole, tryptamine, and indoxyl sulfate; and KP metabolites: kynurenine, kynurenic acid, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid, xanthurenic acid, and cinnabarinic acid) for regulating immune response. In immune-related diseases, the production of pro-inflammatory cytokine activates indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, a rate-limiting enzyme of KP, leading to abnormal TRP metabolism in vivo. Many recent studies found that TRP metabolism could be regulated by diet, and the diet regulation on TRP metabolism could therapy related diseases. Accordingly, this review provides a critical overview of the relationships among diet, TRP metabolism and immunity with the aim to seek a treatment opportunity for immune-related diseases.