The role of free fatty acids in the inflammatory and cardiometabolic profile in adolescents with metabolic syndrome engaged in interdisciplinary therapy

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate if interdisciplinary therapy can influence the cardiometabolic and serum free fatty acid profile. The second aim was to evaluate if there is an association between serum free fatty acids, inflammation and cardiometabolic biomarkers in obese adolescents with and without metabolic syndrome submitted to a long-term interdisciplinary therapy. The study involved 108 postpuberty obese adolescents, who were divided according to metabolic syndrome (MetS) diagnosis: MetS (n=32) and Non-MetS (n=76). The interdisciplinary therapy consisted of a 1-year period of nutrition, psychology, physical exercise and clinical support. After therapy, both groups improved metabolic, inflammatory (leptin, adiponectin, leptin/adiponectin ratio, adiponectin/leptin ratio and C-reactive protein) and cardiometabolic profile (PAI-1 and ICAM). Metabolic syndrome prevalence reduced from 28.70% to 12.96%. Both groups reduced myristic acid (C14:0) and increased docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22:6n3), heneicosapentaenoic acid (HPA, C21:5n3) and arachidonic acid (C20:4n6). After adjustment for metabolic syndrome and the number of metabolic syndrome parameters, multiple regression analysis showed that changes in VCAM and PAI-1 were negatively associated with changes in cis-linoleic acid (C18:2n6c). Additionally, changes in trans-linoleic acid (C18:2n6t) were also positively associated with these biomarkers. Moreover, leptin and leptin/adiponectin ratio were negatively associated with changes in docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, C22:5n3) and stearidonic acid (SDA, C18:4n3). Adiponectin/leptin ratio was positively associated with docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, C22:5n3). Changes in adiponectin were positively correlated with changes in omega 3, such as heneicosapentaenoic acid (HPA, C21:5n3) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA, C22:5n3). Results support that interdisciplinary therapy can control inflammatory and cardiometabolic profile in obese adolescents. Moreover, serum fatty acids can be influenced by lifestyle changes and are able to modulate these biomarkers.

Coacervate whey protein improves inflammatory milieu in mice fed with high-fat diet

Background

Functional foods with bioactive properties may help in treat obesity, as they can lead to a decreased risks of inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chitosan coacervate whey protein on the proinflammatory processes in mice fed with high-fat diet.

Methods

Mice were divided into two groups receiving either a normolipidic or high-fat diet; the animals in each of the two diet groups were given a diet supplement of either coacervate (gavage, 36 mg protein/kg of body weight) or tap water for four weeks [groups: normolipidic diet plus water (C); normolipidic diet and coacervate (CC); high-fat diet and water (H); and high-fat diet and coacervate (HC)].

Results

The high-fat diet promoted inflammation, possibly by decreased adiponectin/sum of adipose tissues ratio and increased phosphorylation of NF-κB p50. In HC we observed a positive correlation between IL-10 and TNF-α in mesenteric adipose tissue, retroperitoneal adipose tissue and liver tissue. We also observed a positive correlation between lipopolisaccharide with IL-10 in the liver tissue.

Conclusions

High-fat diet treatment promoted metabolic alterations and inflammation, and chitosan coacervate whey protein modulated inflammatory milieu.

Metabolic profile response to administration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate in high-fat-fed mice

BACKGROUND

Obesity is associated with increased adipose tissue and glucose intolerance. High-fat diets (HFDs) are known to induce obesity and increase proinflammatory adipokines. The consumption of green tea may improve the health of obese individuals because it contains a potent antioxidant that has effects on body weight, energy expenditure and serum cholesterol concentrations.

METHODS

We examined the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) (50 mg/kg body weight per day) or saline after 30 or 60 days of treatment. Mice were distributed into four groups: 1) NS: normolipidic diet receiving saline; 2) NE: normolipidic diet receiving EGCG; 3) HFS: high-fat diet receiving saline; 4) HFE: high-fat diet receiving EGCG.

RESULTS

We observed that administration of a HFD plus EGCG treatment for 60 days reduced delta weight, the relative weights of the mesenteric adipose tissue (MES), retroperitonial adipose tissue (RET), epididymal adipose tissue (EPI), the sum of the adipose tissues (SAT), reduced triacylglycerol (TG) and improved both high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and the adiponectin/STA ratio when compared with HFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the chronic administration of EGCG (60 days) promoted a significant improvement in glucose tolerance, decreased adipose tissue deposits, weight mass, TG and HDL-C only when associated with high-fat diet treatment.