Maternal dietary fat during lactation shapes single nucleus transcriptomic profile of postnatal offspring hypothalamus in a sexually dimorphic manner in mice

Maternal overnutrition during lactation predisposes offspring to develop metabolic diseases and exacerbates the relevant syndromes in males more than females in later life. The hypothalamus is a heterogenous brain region that regulates energy balance. Here we combined metabolic trait quantification of mother and offspring mice under low and high fat diet (HFD) feeding during lactation, with single nucleus transcriptomic profiling of their offspring hypothalamus at peak lacation to understand the cellular and molecular alterations in response to maternal dietary pertubation. We found significant expansion in neuronal subpopulations including histaminergic (Hdc), arginine vasopressin/retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor β (Avp/Rorb) and agouti-related peptide/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/Npy) in male offspring when their mothers were fed HFD, and increased Npy-astrocyte interactions in offspring responding to maternal overnutrition. Our study provides a comprehensive offspring hypothalamus map at the peak lactation and reveals how the cellular subpopulations respond to maternal dietary fat in a sex-specific manner during development.

Mitochondrial stress in the spaceflight environment

Space is a challenging environment that deregulates individual homeostasis. The main external hazards associated with spaceflight include ionizing space radiation, microgravity, isolation and confinement, distance from Earth, and hostile environment. Characterizing the biological responses to spaceflight environment is essential to validate the health risks, and to develop effective protection strategies. Mitochondria energetics is a key mechanism underpinning many physiological, ecological and evolutionary processes. Moreover, mitochondrial stress can be considered one of the fundamental features of space travel. So, we attempt to synthesize key information regarding the extensive effects of spaceflight on mitochondria. In summary, mitochondria are affected by all of the five main hazards of spaceflight at multiple levels, including their morphology, respiratory function, protein, and genetics, in various tissues and organ systems. We emphasize that investigating mitochondrial biology in spaceflight conditions should become the central focus of research on the impacts of spaceflight on human health, as this approach will help resolve numerous challenges of space health and combat several health disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

A single nucleotide mutation in the dual-oxidase 2 (DUOX2) gene causes some of the panda's unique metabolic phenotypes

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an iconic bear native to China, famous for eating almost exclusively bamboo. This unusual dietary behavior for a carnivore is enabled by several key adaptations including low physical activity, reduced organ sizes and hypothyroidism leading to lowered energy expenditure. These adaptive phenotypes have been hypothesized to arise from a panda-unique single-nucleotide mutation in the dual-oxidase 2 (DUOX2) gene, involved in thyroid hormone synthesis. To test this hypothesis, we created genome-edited mice carrying the same point mutation as the panda and investigated its effect on metabolic phenotype. Homozygous mice were 27% smaller than heterozygous and wild-type ones, had 13% lower body mass-adjusted food intake, 55% decreased physical activity, lower mass of kidneys (11%) and brain (5%), lower serum thyroxine (T4: 36%), decreased absolute (12%) and mass-adjusted (5%) daily energy expenditure, and altered gut microbiota. Supplementation with T4 reversed the effects of the mutation. This work uses a state-of-the-art genome editing approach to demonstrate the link between a single-nucleotide mutation in a key endocrine-related gene and profound adaptive changes in the metabolic phenotype, with great importance in ecology and evolution.

Protein quality and quantity influence the effect of dietary fat on weight gain and tissue partitioning via host-microbiota changes

We investigated how protein quantity (10%-30%) and quality (casein and whey) interact with dietary fat (20%-55%) to affect metabolic health in adult mice. Although dietary fat was the main driver of body weight gain and individual tissue weight, high (30%) casein intake accentuated and high whey intake reduced the negative metabolic aspects of high fat. Jejunum and liver transcriptomics revealed increased intestinal permeability, low-grade inflammation, altered lipid metabolism, and liver dysfunction in casein-fed but not whey-fed animals. These differential effects were accompanied by altered gut size and microbial functions related to amino acid degradation and lipid metabolism. Fecal microbiota transfer confirmed that the casein microbiota increases and the whey microbiota impedes weight gain. These data show that the effects of dietary fat on weight gain and tissue partitioning are further influenced by the quantity and quality of the associated protein, primarily via effects on the microbiota.

Differential effects of food availability on minimum and maximum rates of metabolism

Metabolic rates reflect the energetic cost of living but exhibit remarkable variation among conspecifics, partly as a result of the constraints imposed by environmental conditions. Metabolic rates are sensitive to changes in temperature and oxygen availability, but effects of food availability, particularly on maximum metabolic rates, are not well understood. Here, we show in brown trout (Salmo trutta) that maximum metabolic rates are immutable but minimum metabolic rates increase as a positive function of food availability. As a result, aerobic scope (i.e. the capacity to elevate metabolism above baseline requirements) declines as food availability increases. These differential changes in metabolic rates likely have important consequences for how organisms partition available metabolic power to different functions under the constraints imposed by food availability.

Effects of a single bout of strenuous exercise on platelet activation in female ApoE/LDLR-/- mice

Strenuous physical exercise leads to platelet activation that is normally counterbalanced by the production of endothelium-derived anti-platelet mediators, including prostacyclin (PGI₂) and nitric oxide (NO). However, in the case of endothelial dysfunction, e.g. in atherosclerosis, there exists an increased risk for intravascular thrombosis during exercise that might be due to an impairment in endothelial anti-platelet mechanisms. In the present work, we evaluated platelet activation at rest and following a single bout of strenuous treadmill exercise in female ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice with early (3-month-old) and advanced (7-month-old) atherosclerosis compared to female age-matched WT mice. In sedentary and post-exercise groups of animals, we analyzed TXB₂ generation and the expression of platelet activation markers in the whole blood ex vivo assay. We also measured pre- and post-exercise plasma concentration of 6-keto-PGF_1α, nitrite/nitrate, lipid profile, and blood cell count. Sedentary 3- and 7-month-old ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice displayed significantly higher activation of platelets compared to age-matched wild-type (WT) mice, as evidenced by increased TXB₂ production, expression of P-selectin, and activation of GPIIb/IIIa receptors, as well as increased fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor (vWf) binding. Interestingly, in ApoE/LDLR^-/- but not in WT mice, strenuous exercise partially inhibited TXB₂ production, the expression of activated GPIIb/IIIa receptors, and fibrinogen binding, with no effect on the P-selectin expression and vWf binding. Post-exercise down-regulation of the activated GPIIb/IIIa receptor expression and fibrinogen binding was not significantly different between 3- and 7-month-old ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice; however, only 7-month-old ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice showed lower TXB₂ production after exercise. In female 4-6-month-old ApoE/LDLR^-/- but not in WT mice, an elevated pre- and post-exercise plasma concentration of 6-keto-PGF_1α was observed. In turn, the pre- and post-exercise plasma concentrations of nitrite (NO₂^-) and nitrate (NO₃^-) were decreased in ApoE/LDLR^-/- as compared to that in age-matched WT mice. In conclusion, we demonstrated overactivation of platelets in ApoE/LDLR^-/- as compared to WT mice. However, platelet activation in ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice was not further increased by strenuous exercise, but was instead attenuated, a phenomenon not observed in WT mice. This phenomenon could be linked to compensatory up-regulation of PGI₂-dependent anti-platelet mechanisms in ApoE/LDLR^-/- mice.

Individuals with higher metabolic rates have lower levels of reactive oxygen species in vivo

There is increasing interest in the effect of energy metabolism on oxidative stress, but much ambiguity over the relationship between the rate of oxygen consumption and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Production of ROS (such as hydrogen peroxide, H2O2) in the mitochondria is primarily inferred indirectly from measurements in vitro, which may not reflect actual ROS production in living animals. Here, we measured in vivo H2O2 content using the recently developed MitoB probe that becomes concentrated in the mitochondria of living organisms, where it is converted by H2O2 into an alternative form termed MitoP; the ratio of MitoP/MitoB indicates the level of mitochondrial H2O2 in vivo. Using the brown trout Salmo trutta, we tested whether this measurement of in vivo H2O2 content over a 24 h-period was related to interindividual variation in standard metabolic rate (SMR). We showed that the H2O2 content varied up to 26-fold among fish of the same age and under identical environmental conditions and nutritional states. Interindividual variation in H2O2 content was unrelated to mitochondrial density but was significantly associated with SMR: fish with a higher mass-independent SMR had a lower level of H2O2. The mechanism underlying this observed relationship between SMR and in vivo H2O2 content requires further investigation, but may implicate mitochondrial uncoupling which can simultaneously increase SMR but reduce ROS production. To our knowledge, this is the first study in living organisms to show that individuals with higher oxygen consumption rates can actually have lower levels of H2O2.

Experimental Evolution on a Wild Mammal Species Results in Modifications of Gut Microbial Communities

Comparative studies have shown that diet, life history, and phylogeny interact to determine microbial community structure across mammalian hosts. However, these studies are often confounded by numerous factors. Selection experiments offer unique opportunities to validate conclusions and test hypotheses generated by comparative studies. We used a replicated, 15-generation selection experiment on bank voles (Myodes glareolus) that have been selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolism, predatory behavior toward crickets, and the ability to maintain body mass on a high-fiber, herbivorous diet. We predicted that selection on host performance, mimicking adaptive radiation, would result in distinct microbial signatures. We collected foregut and cecum samples from animals that were all fed the same nutrient-rich diet and had not been subjected to any performance tests. We conducted microbial inventories of gut contents by sequencing the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. We found no differences in cecal microbial community structure or diversity between control lines and the aerobic or predatory lines. However, the cecal chambers of voles selected for herbivorous capability harbored distinct microbial communities that exhibited higher diversity than control lines. The foregut communities of herbivorous-selected voles were also distinct from control lines. Overall, this experiment suggests that differences in microbial communities across herbivorous mammals may be evolved, and not solely driven by current diet or other transient factors.

The effect of chlorpyrifos on thermogenic capacity of bank voles selected for increased aerobic exercise metabolism

Agro-chemicals potentially cause adverse effects in non-target organisms. The rate of animal energy metabolism can influence their susceptibility to pesticides by influencing food consumption, biotransformation and elimination rates of toxicants. We used experimental evolution to study the effects of inherent differences in energy metabolism rate and exposure to the organophosphate insecticide, chlorpyrifos (CPF) on thermogenic capacity in a wild rodent, the bank vole (Myodes = Clethrionomys glareolus). The voles were sampled from four replicate lines selected for high swim-induced aerobic metabolism (A) and four unselected control (C) lines. Thermogenic capacity, measured as the maximum cold-induced rate of oxygen consumption (VO2cold), was higher in the A - than C lines, and it decreased after continuous exposure to CPF via food or after a single dose administered via oral gavage, but only when measured shortly after exposure. VO2cold measured 24 h after repeated exposure was not affected. In addition, gavage with a single dose led to decreased food consumption and loss in body mass. Importantly, the adverse effects of CPF did not differ between the selected and control lines. Therefore, exposure to CPF has adverse effects on thermoregulatory performance and energy balance in this species. The effects are short-lived and their magnitude is not associated with the inherent level of energy metabolism. Even without severe symptoms of poisoning, fitness can be compromised under harsh environmental conditions, such as cold and wet weather.

Limits to sustained energy intake. XXIII. Does heat dissipation capacity limit the energy budget of lactating bank voles?

Understanding factors limiting sustained metabolic rate (SusMR) is a central issue in ecological physiology. According to the heat dissipation limit (HDL) theory, the SusMR at peak lactation is constrained by the maternal capacity to dissipate body heat. To test that theory, we shaved lactating bank voles (Myodes glareolus) to experimentally elevate their capacity for heat dissipation. The voles were sampled from lines selected for high aerobic exercise metabolism (A; characterized also by increased basal metabolic rate) and unselected control lines (C). Fur removal significantly increased the peak-lactation food intake (mass-adjusted least square means ± s.e.; shaved: 16.3 ± 0.3 g day(-1), unshaved: 14.4 ± 0.2 g day(-1); P<0.0001), average daily metabolic rate (shaved: 109 ± 2 kJ day(-1), unshaved: 97 ± 2 kJ day(-1); P<0.0001) and metabolisable energy intake (shaved: 215 ± 4 kJ day(-1), unshaved: 185 ± 4 kJ day(-1); P<0.0001), as well as the milk energy output (shaved: 104 ± 4 kJ day(-1); unshaved: 93 ± 4 kJ day(-1); P=0.021) and litter growth rate (shaved: 9.4 ± 0.7 g 4 days(-1), unshaved: 7.7 ± 0.7 g 4 days(-1); P=0.028). Thus, fur removal increased both the total energy budget and reproductive output at the most demanding period of lactation, which supports the HDL theory. However, digestive efficiency was lower in shaved voles (76.0 ± 0.3%) than in unshaved ones (78.5 ± 0.2%; P<0.0001), which may indicate that a limit imposed by the capacity of the alimentary system was also approached. Shaving similarly affected the metabolic and reproductive traits in voles from the A and C lines. Thus, the experimental evolution model did not reveal a difference in the limiting mechanism between animals with inherently different metabolic rates.

Flexibility in metabolic rate confers a growth advantage under changing food availability

Phenotypic flexibility in physiological, morphological and behavioural traits can allow organisms to cope with environmental challenges. Given recent climate change and the degree of habitat modification currently experienced by many organisms, it is therefore critical to quantify the degree of phenotypic variation present within populations, individual capacities to change and what their consequences are for fitness.

Flexibility in standard metabolic rate (SMR) may be particularly important since SMR reflects the minimal energetic cost of living and is one of the primary traits underlying organismal performance. SMR can increase or decrease in response to food availability, but the consequences of these changes for growth rates and other fitness components are not well known.

We examined individual variation in metabolic flexibility in response to changing food levels and its consequences for somatic growth in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta).

SMR increased when individuals were switched to a high food ration and decreased when they were switched to a low food regime. These shifts in SMR, in turn, were linked with individual differences in somatic growth; those individuals that increased their SMR more in response to elevated food levels grew fastest, while growth at the low food level was fastest in those individuals that depressed their SMR most.

Flexibility in energy metabolism is therefore a key mechanism to maximize growth rates under the challenges imposed by variability in food availability and is likely to be an important determinant of species’ resilience in the face of global change.