Project description:The fat body is the main organ of intermediary metabolism in insects and the principal source of hemolymph proteins. As part of our ongoing efforts to understand mosquito fat body physiology and to identify novel targets for insect control, we have conducted a transcriptome analysis of the fat body of Aedes aegypti before and in response to blood feeding.We created two fat body non-normalized EST libraries, one from mosquito fat bodies non-blood fed (NBF) and another from mosquitoes 24 hrs post-blood meal (PBM). 454 pyrosequencing of the non-normalized libraries resulted in 204,578 useable reads from the NBF sample and 323,474 useable reads from the PBM sample. Alignment of reads to the existing reference Ae. aegypti transcript libraries for analysis of differential expression between NBF and PBM samples revealed 116,912 and 115,051 matches, respectively. De novo assembly of the reads from the NBF sample resulted in 15,456 contigs, and assembly of the reads from the PBM sample resulted in 15,010 contigs. Collectively, 123 novel transcripts were identified within these contigs. Prominently expressed transcripts in the NBF fat body library were represented by transcripts encoding ribosomal proteins. Thirty-five point four percent of all reads in the PBM library were represented by transcripts that encode yolk proteins. The most highly expressed were transcripts encoding members of the cathepsin b, vitellogenin, vitellogenic carboxypeptidase, and vitelline membrane protein families.The two fat body transcriptomes were considerably different from each other in terms of transcript expression in terms of abundances of transcripts and genes expressed. They reflect the physiological shift of the pre-feeding fat body from a resting state to vitellogenic gene expression after feeding.
Project description:Abstract Objectives To examine the association between meal habits (i.e., eating breakfast every day, usually ≥80% fullness at breakfast, and not eating snacks at night), body composition and the subsequent changes in mood status in young adults. Methods This is a longitudinal follow-up study based on a randomized trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03828812). Young adults were recruited based in a university campus in Taipei City, Taiwan. In total, 125 participants were recruited and 103 completed the follow-ups. Measured body composition (TANITA BC-418) and moods (Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, DASS) were assessed at baseline, the third month and 15th month from baseline. Baseline meal habits were based on the participants’ recall of their diets in the month before interview. We used mixed-effect model to test the association of baseline total body fat percentage and trunk body fat percentage and moods during follow-ups, adjusting for age, sex, baseline body mass index (BMI), food security status. Results After controlling for sex, age, BMI, and food security status at baseline, having breakfast every day at baseline was associated with 2.04 (se = 0.78, P = 0.0098) lower anxiety score and with 2.58 (se = 1.26, P = 0.0409) lower stress score at baseline. Meal habits were not associated with the subsequent changes in mood status. As for body composition, one % of trunk body fat replacing one % of non-trunk body fat at baseline was associated with 1.19 (se = 0.57, P = 0.0381) higher depression score, 1.02 (se = 0.47, P = 0.0327) higher anxiety score, 2.06 (se = 0.76, P = 0.0075) higher anxiety score at baseline. One % of non-trunk body fat percentage was associated with 2.60 (se = 1.02, P = 0.0116) lower anxiety score, as trunk body fat % is controlled. Baseline body fat composition parameters were not associated with the temporal changes in mood scores. The significance patterns were similar after adjusting for baseline physical activity level, assessed by International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Conclusions Breakfast habits and body composition, especially trunk body fat, was associated with university-based young adults’ emotional health status. Funding Sources Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan.
Project description:The purpose of this paper was to determine the effect of replacing breakfast with a high-fat drink on fat mass (FM), lean mass (LM), percent body fat (%BF), visceral fat (VAT), resting metabolic rate (RMR), fuel utilization (RER), blood lipids and satiety in overweight and obese adults. Healthy adults (n = 42; 21 Females; body mass index (BMI): 32.8 ± 4.6 kg·m-2) were randomized to control (CON; n = 21) or meal replacement (MRP; n = 22) groups. Body composition was measured using a four-compartment model; RMR and RER were assessed from indirect calorimetry. The MRP (70% fat) was consumed once daily for eight weeks. For males, there was no change (p > 0.05) in FM (mean difference (MD) = 0.41 ± 1.19 kg], %BF MD = 0.50 ± 1.09%, LM MD = -0.64 ± 1.79 kg, or VAT MD = -0.31 ± 1.36 cm for MRP versus CON. Similarly, no differences for females for FM MD = -0.73 ± 1.37 kg, %BF MD = -0.57 ± 1.26%, LM MD = 0.31 ± 1.37 kg, or VAT MD: -0.83 ± 1.2 cm. HDL was significantly reduced in the MRP group for females (adjusted mean change: -6.41 ± 4.44 units, p = 0.018). There was no effect on RMR or RER. Satiety increased in the afternoon for MRP (p = 0.021). Despite high fat, no negative impact on lipids resulted; increased satiety may be beneficial for controlling afternoon cravings, but does not affect body composition.
Project description:Accumulating evidence suggests that later timing of energy intake (EI) is associated with increased risk of obesity. In this study, 83 individuals with overweight and obesity underwent assessment of a 7-day period of data collection, including measures of body weight and body composition (DXA) and 24-h measures of EI (photographic food records), sleep (actigraphy), and physical activity (PA, activity monitors) for 7 days. Relationships between body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat (DXA) with meal timing, sleep, and PA were examined. For every 1 h later start of eating, there was a 1.25 (95% CI: 0.60, 1.91) unit increase in percent body fat (False Discovery Rate (FDR) adjusted p value = 0.010). For every 1 h later midpoint of the eating window, there was a 1.35 (95% CI: 0.51, 2.19) unit increase in percent body fat (FDR p value = 0.029). For every 1 h increase in the end of the sleep period, there was a 1.64 (95% CI: 0.56, 2.72) unit increase in percent body fat (FDR p value = 0.044). Later meal and sleep timing were also associated with lower PA levels. In summary, later timing of EI and sleep are associated with higher body fat and lower levels of PA in people with overweight and obesity.
Project description:Antenna is the main chemosensory organ in mosquitoes. Characterization of the transcriptional changes after blood meal, especially those related to chemoreception, may help to explain mosquito blood sucking behavior and to identify novel targets for mosquito control. Anopheles sinensis is an Asiatic mosquito species which transmits malaria and lymphatic filariasis. However, studies on chemosensory biology in female An. sinensis are quite lacking. Here we report a transcriptome analysis of An. sinensis female antennae pre- and post- blood meal. We created six An. sinensis antenna RNA-seq libraries, three from females without blood meal and three from females five hours after a blood meal. Illumina sequencing was conducted to analyze the transcriptome differences between the two groups. In total, the sequenced fragments created 21,643 genes, 1,828 of them were novel. 12,861 of these genes were considered to be expressed (FPKM >1.0) in at least one of the two groups, with 12,159 genes expressed in both groups. 548 genes were differentially expressed in the blood-fed group, with 331 genes up-regulated and 217 genes down-regulated. GO enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes suggested that there were no statistically over represented GO terms among down-regulated genes in blood-fed mosquitoes, while the enriched GO terms of the up-regulated genes occurred mainly in metabolic process. For the chemosensory gene families, a subtle distinction in the expression levels can be observed according to our statistical analysis. However, the firstly comprehensive identification of these chemosensory gene families in An. sinensis antennae will help to characterize the precise function of these proteins in odor recognition in mosquitoes. This study provides a first global view in the changes of transcript accumulation elicited by blood meal in An. sinensis female antennae.
Project description:Obesity is a state of excess energy storage resulting in body fat accumulation, and postmenopausal obesity is a rising issue. In this study using ovariectomized (OVX) rats, we mimicked low estrogen levels in a postmenopausal state in order to investigate the effects of different amounts and types of dietary fatty acids on body fat accumulation and body lipid metabolism. At 9 weeks of age, rats (n = 40) were given an ovariectomy, eight of which were sham-operated to serve as a control group (S). We then divided OVX rats into four different intervention groups: diet with 5% soybean oil (C), and diet with 5% (L), 15% (M), and 20% (H) (w/w) experimental oil, containing 60% monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and with a polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio of 5. After OVX, compared to the S group, the C group showed significantly higher body weight, and insulin and leptin levels. Compared to the C group, the H group had lower hepatic triglyceride level and FAS enzyme activity, and higher hepatic ACO and CPT-1 gene expressions and enzyme activities. An OVX leads to severe weight gain and lipid metabolism abnormalities, while according to previous studies, high fat diet may worsen the situation. However, during our experiment, we discovered that the experimental oil mixture with 60% MUFAs and P/S = 5 may ameliorate these imbalances.
Project description:Objective. To document the effect of a diet free from animal-sourced nutrients on body composition indices. Methods. This was a nonrandomized interventional (n = 241)-control (n = 84) trial with a 10-week, low-fat, plant-based diet supplemented with two daily meal replacements. The meals were allowed to be eaten to full satiety without prespecified calorie restrictions. Control subjects received weekly lectures on the rationale and expected benefits of plant-based nutrition. Body composition indices were measured with bioimpedance analysis. Results. Relative to controls, in cases, postintervention body fat percentage was reduced by 4.3 (95% CI 4.1-4.6)% points (a relative decrement of -13.4%), visceral fat by 1.6 (95% CI 1.5-1.7) fat cross-sectional surface units, and weight by 5.6 kg (95% CI 5.2-6), while muscle mass was reduced by 0.3 kg (95% CI 0.06-0.5) with a relative increase of muscle mass percentage of 4.2 (3.9-4.4)% points. Analysis of covariance showed significantly larger adjusted fat reductions in cases compared to controls. Late follow-up revealed further weight loss in 60% of cases and no significant change in controls. Conclusions. Low-fat, plant-based diet in free-living nonresidential conditions eaten ad libitum enables significant and meaningful body fat reductions with relative preservation of muscle mass. This trial is registered with NCT02906072, ClinicalTrials.gov.
Project description:The northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens, employs diapause as an essential survival strategy during winter, inducing important phenotypic changes such as enhanced stress tolerance, lipid accumulation, and extended longevity. During diapause, the cessation of reproductive development represents another distinctive phenotypic change, underlining the need for adjusted modulation of gene expressions within the ovary. Although considerable advancements in screening gene expression profiles in diapausing and non-diapausing mosquitoes, there remains a gap in tissue-specific transcriptomic profiling that could elucidate the complicated formation of diverse diapause features in Cx. pipiens. Here, we filled this gap by utilizing RNA sequencing, providing a detailed examination of gene expression patterns in the fat body and ovary during diapause compared to non-diapause conditions. Functional annotation of upregulated genes identified associations with carbohydrate metabolism, stress tolerance, immunity, and epigenetic regulation. The validation of candidate genes using quantitative real-time PCR verified the differentially expressed genes identified in diapausing mosquitoes. Our findings contribute novel insights into potential regulators during diapause in Cx. pipiens, thereby opening possible avenues for developing innovative vector control strategies.
Project description:BackgroundFoods that increase obesity risk are ubiquitous in the US food environment. Such foods may be the target of hedonic eating, which may facilitate weight gain and lead to obesity. The study tested whether meal composition during an ad libitum buffet meal was associated with 1-year weight and percent body fat changes among healthy younger adults without obesity. Hyper-palatable foods (HPF) were the study focus; comparisons were conducted with high energy dense (HED) and ultra-processed foods (UPF).DesignYounger adults without obesity (N = 82; 43% male; mean age 26.8) completed an ad libitum buffet meal and provided body composition measurements at baseline and 1-year follow up. Multiple regression models tested associations between the proportion of the target food consumed (HPF, HED, or UPF) during the ad libitum meal and 1) weight change and 2) percent body fat change. The proportion of HPF was characterized by HPF group, specifically carbohydrate and sodium (CSOD) foods or fat and sodium (FSOD) foods.ResultsParticipants who consumed a greater proportion of CSOD HPF in their ad libitum buffet meals had significantly greater weight change (b = 0.354, p = .003) and percent body fat change (b = 0.247, p = .036) at 1-year follow up. In contrast, no significant associations were found between the proportion of FSOD HPF, HED, or UPF consumed and anthropometric outcomes (p values = .099-.938).ConclusionsEating a greater proportion of hyper-palatable CSOD foods ad libitum appears to be a pattern of hedonic eating, which may increase an individual's risk for weight and body fat gain in early adulthood.
Project description:Akt signaling regulates diverse physiologies in a wide range of organisms. We examine the impact of increased Akt signaling in the fat body of 2 mosquito species, the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi and the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti. Overexpression of a myristoylated and active form of A. stephensi and Ae. aegypti Akt in the fat body of transgenic mosquitoes led to activation of the downstream signaling molecules forkhead box O (FOXO) and p70 S6 kinase in a tissue and blood meal-specific manner. In both species, increased Akt signaling in the fat body after blood feeding significantly increased adult survivorship relative to nontransgenic sibling controls. In A. stephensi, survivorship was increased by 15% to 45%, while in Ae. aegypti, it increased 14% to 47%. Transgenic mosquitoes fed only sugar, and thus not expressing active Akt, had no significant difference in survivorship relative to nontransgenic siblings. Expression of active Akt also increased expression of fat body vitellogenin, but the number of viable eggs did not differ significantly between transgenic and nontransgenic controls. This work demonstrates a novel mechanism of enhanced survivorship through increased Akt signaling in the fat bodies of multiple mosquito genera and provides new tools to unlock the molecular underpinnings of aging in eukaryotic organisms.