Patient-derived colon epithelial organoids reveal lipid-related metabolic dysfunction in pediatric ulcerative colitis.

Background & Aims: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is associated with epithelial metabolic derangements which exacerbate gut inflammation. Patient-derived organoids recapitulate complexities of the parent tissue in health and disease; however, whether colon organoids (colonoids) model metabolic impairments in the pediatric UC epithelium is unclear. This study determined the functional metabolic differences in the colon epithelia using epithelial colonoids from pediatric patients.

Wheat germ supplementation has modest effects on gut health markers but improves glucose homeostasis markers in adults classified as overweight: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Wheat germ (WG), a by-product of flour milling, is rich in bioactive substances that may help improve health complications associated with increased adiposity. This study investigated the effects of WG on gut health, metabolic, and inflammatory markers in adults classified as overweight. We hypothesized that WG, because of its many bioactive components, would improve gut health and metabolic, and inflammatory markers in overweight adults.

Supplemental wheat germ modulates phosphorylation of STAT3 in the gut and NF-κBp65 in the adipose tissue of mice fed a Western diet.

Background: Commensal gut bacteria, including can produce metabolites that stimulate the release of gut antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) via the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3 pathway and prevent obesity-associated leaky gut and chronic inflammation. We have previously reported that wheat germ (WG) selectively increased cecal in obese mice.

Objectives: This study investigated the effects of WG on gut STAT3 activation and AMPs (Reg3γ and Reg3β) as well as the potential of WG to inhibit nuclear Nf-κB-activation and immune cell infiltration in the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) of mice fed a Western diet (i.

Targeted Assessment of Mucosal Immune Gene Expression Predicts Clinical Outcomes in Children with Ulcerative Colitis.

Background And Aims: We aimed to determine whether a targeted gene expression panel could predict clinical outcomes in paediatric ulcerative colitis [UC] and investigated putative pathogenic roles of predictive genes.

Methods: In total, 313 rectal RNA samples from a cohort of newly diagnosed paediatric UC patients (PROTECT) were analysed by a real-time PCR microfluidic array for expression of type 1, 2 and 17 inflammation genes. Associations between expression and clinical outcomes were assessed by logistic regression.

Dried Plum's Polyphenolic Compounds and Carbohydrates Contribute to Its Osteoprotective Effects and Exhibit Prebiotic Activity in Estrogen Deficient C57BL/6 Mice.

Evidence of dried plum's benefits on bone continues to emerge. This study investigated the contribution of the fruit's polyphenol (PP) and carbohydrate (CHO) components on a bone model of postmenopausal osteoporosis to explore their prebiotic activity. Osteopenic ovariectomized mice were fed diets supplemented with dried plum, a crude extract of dried plum's polyphenolic compounds, or the PP or CHO fraction of the crude extract.

The Promise of Patient-Derived Colon Organoids to Model Ulcerative Colitis.

Physiologic, molecular, and genetic findings all point to impaired intestinal epithelial function as a key element in the multifactorial pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). The lack of epithelial-directed therapies is a conspicuous weakness of our UC therapeutic armamentarium. However, a critical barrier to new drug discovery is the lack of preclinical human models of UC.

The willingness of cooperative societies to sponsor house ownership in Akure, Nigeria.

Housing cooperatives are the organizations among others, which have played important roles in meeting the housing needs of people. In Nigeria, housing finance is through the formal and informal institutions; and personal residences accounted between 75 and 90 per cent of household wealth, that represents between 3 and 6 times their annual income. Finance is an important determinant of success and failure of housing ownership.

Astaxanthin-Shifted Gut Microbiota Is Associated with Inflammation and Metabolic Homeostasis in Mice.

Background: Astaxanthin is a red lipophilic carotenoid that is often undetectable in human plasma due to the limited supply in typical Western diets. Despite its presence at lower than detectable concentrations, previous clinical feeding studies have reported that astaxanthin exhibits potent antioxidant properties.

Objective: We examined astaxanthin accumulation and its effects on gut microbiota, inflammation, and whole-body metabolic homeostasis in wild-type C57BL/6 J (WT) and β-carotene oxygenase 2 (BCO2) knockout (KO) mice.

Role of zinc transporter ZIP12 in susceptibility-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) phenotypes and mitochondrial function.

Brain zinc dysregulation is linked to many neurological disorders. However, the mechanisms regulating brain zinc homeostasis are poorly understood. We performed secondary analyses of brain MRI GWAS and exome sequencing data from adults in the UK Biobank.

A Comparative Study of Modern and Heirloom Wheat on Indicators of Gastrointestinal Health.

Wheat consumption has declined amid growing concerns about gluten-sensitivity. To determine if genetic manipulation of wheat contributes to systemic and localized gut inflammation, we compared the effects of the modern variety Gallagher and a blend of two heirloom varieties, Turkey and Kharkof, on measures of gut inflammation, structural characteristics, and barrier integrity under normal and Western diet (WD) conditions in C57BL/6 mice. Indicators of gut inflammation, including lymphocyte infiltration and cytokine expression, were largely unaffected by WD or wheat, although WD elevated interferon-γ () and heirloom varieties modestly reduced interleukin-17 () in the context of WD.

Acute Freeze-Dried Mango Consumption With a High-Fat Meal has Minimal Effects on Postprandial Metabolism, Inflammation and Antioxidant Enzymes.

Objective: Postprandial fluxes in oxidative stress, inflammation, glucose, and lipids, particularly after a high-fat meal (HFM), have been implicated in the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The aim of this study is to determine whether acute freeze-dried mango consumption modulates the postprandial response to an HFM. We hypothesized that the addition of mango, which is a rich source of many bioactive components, to an HFM would lower postprandial triglycerides, glucose, and inflammation, and increase antioxidant enzymes, compared to a standard HFM alone.

Wheat Germ Supplementation Increases Lactobacillaceae and Promotes an Anti-inflammatory Gut Milieu in C57BL/6 Mice Fed a High-Fat, High-Sucrose Diet.

Background: A link between high-fat diet consumption and obesity-related diseases is the disruption of the gut bacterial population, which promotes local and systemic inflammation. Wheat germ (WG) is rich in bioactive components with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of WG supplementation in modulating the gut bacterial population and local and systemic inflammatory markers of mice fed a high-fat, high-sucrose (HFS) diet.

Effect of dietary components on miRNA and colorectal carcinogenesis.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers diagnosed and among the commonest causes of cancer-related mortality globally. Despite the various available treatment options, millions of people still suffer from this illness and most of these treatment options have several limitations. Therefore, a less expensive, non-invasive or a treatment that requires the use of dietary products remains a focal point in this review.

Wheat germ supplementation alleviates insulin resistance and cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction in an animal model of diet-induced obesity.

Obesity is strongly associated with insulin resistance (IR), along with mitochondrial dysfunction to metabolically active tissues and increased production of reactive O2 species (ROS). Foods rich in antioxidants such as wheat germ (WG), protect tissues from damage due to ROS and modulate some negative effects of obesity. This study examined the effects of WG supplementation on markers of IR, mitochondrial substrate metabolism and innate antioxidant markers in two metabolically active tissues (i.

Mango Supplementation Modulates Gut Microbial Dysbiosis and Short-Chain Fatty Acid Production Independent of Body Weight Reduction in C57BL/6 Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Background: High-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity is associated with changes in the gut microbiota. Fiber and other bioactive compounds in plant-based foods are suggested to prevent gut dysbiosis brought on by HF feeding. Mango is high in fiber and has been reported to have anti-obesogenic, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory properties.