Publications by authors named "Horakova O"

Adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays a crucial role in regulation of metabolic homeostasis. To understand the role of the catalytic α2 subunit of AMPK in skeletal muscle energy metabolism, myotube cultures were established from and mice. Myotubes from mice had lower basal oleic acid and glucose oxidation compared to myotubes from mice.

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  • The study investigates how a temporary increase in leptin levels after birth, known as leptin surge, may influence future obesity risk in mice, particularly those genetically prone or resistant to obesity.
  • The research specifically examines the sources of leptin during this surge and how factors like sex and genetics affect its role in weight gain when placed on different diets.
  • Findings reveal that leptin levels at 2 weeks old can predict adult body weight and fat levels, highlighting the importance of early leptin exposure in determining obesity outcomes later in life.
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Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) occurs in subjects with obesity and metabolic syndrome. MASLD may progress from simple steatosis (i.e.

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  • Obesity can harm bones and fat handling in both mice and people.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids may help improve how the body manages sugar and supports healthy bones in those with obesity.
  • A study found that mice on a high-fat diet supplemented with omega-3s had better bone health and less fat in their bones compared to those only on the high-fat diet.
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Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can progress to more severe stages, such as steatohepatitis and fibrosis. Thermoneutral housing together with high-fat diet promoted NAFLD progression in C57BL/6J mice. Due to possible differences in steatohepatitis development between different C57BL/6 substrains, we examined how thermoneutrality affects NAFLD progression in C57BL/6N mice.

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Objective: Non-shivering thermogenesis (NST) mediated by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in brown adipose tissue (BAT) can be activated via the adrenergic system in response to cold or diet, contributing to both thermal and energy homeostasis. Other mechanisms, including metabolism of skeletal muscle, may also be involved in NST. However, relative contribution of these energy dissipating pathways and their adaptability remain a matter of long-standing controversy.

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  • Researchers studied a new drug called MSDC-0602K to see if it has fewer side effects on bones than older drugs known as TZDs, especially in obese mice.
  • The results showed that MSDC-0602K helped maintain bone strength and quality better than the older drug.
  • It also improved the growth of bone-making cells and reduced fat cell levels in the bones, meaning it could be a safer option for treating diabetes-related bone issues.
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Prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) increases in line with obesity and type 2 diabetes, and there is no approved drug therapy. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of n-3 series (omega-3) are known for their hypolipidaemic and anti-inflammatory effects. Existing clinical trials suggest varying effectiveness of triacylglycerol- or ethyl ester-bound omega-3 in the treatment of NAFLD, without affecting advanced stages such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

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Preclinical evidence suggests that n-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA (Omega-3) supplemented as phospholipids (PLs) may be more effective than triacylglycerols (TAGs) in reducing hepatic steatosis. To further test the ability of Omega-3 PLs to alleviate liver steatosis, we used a model of exacerbated non-alcoholic fatty liver disease based on high-fat feeding at thermoneutral temperature. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed for 24 weeks a lard-based diet given either alone (LHF) or supplemented with Omega-3 (30 mg/g diet) as PLs (krill oil; ω3PL) or TAGs (Epax 3000TG concentrate; ω3TG), which had a similar total content of EPA and DHA and their ratio.

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  • Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3) and thiazolidinediones (TZDs) work together to combat dietary obesity and related metabolic issues in mice.
  • In experiments with mice on a high-fat diet, the combination of Omega-3 and TZDs helped restore the fatty acid cycling process in white adipose tissue (WAT), which was negatively impacted by the diet.
  • The study highlights that while both TZDs and Omega-3 have additive effects on metabolism, they influence gene expression and metabolic pathways in different ways.
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n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can exert beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis, especially in obese rodents. Gut incretin hormones regulate glucose and lipid homeostasis, but their involvement in the above effects is not entirely clear. This study aims to assess the effects of chronic n-3 PUFA administration on the insulin and incretin responses in C57BL/6N obese male mice subjected to oral glucose tolerance test (oGTT) after 8 weeks of feeding a corn-oil-based high-fat diet (cHF).

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  • Omega-3 fatty acids show differing antisteatotic effects in obese rodents based on their lipid form: phospholipids (krill oil) versus triacylglycerols.
  • Mice fed with Omega-3 phospholipids (ω3PL-H) experienced significant reductions in body weight gain, fat tissue, and liver lipids compared to those on a high-fat diet alone or those given triacylglycerols (ω3TG).
  • Enhanced fatty acid oxidation and gene expression related to lipid metabolism were more prominent in the ω3PL-H group, suggesting that their benefits may stem from improved intestinal fat processing.
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Omega-3 polyunsatuarted fatty acids (PUFA) are associated with hypolipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, omega-3 PUFA, usually administered as triacylglycerols or ethyl esters, could also compromise glucose metabolism, especially in obese type 2 diabetics. Phospholipids represent an alternative source of omega-3 PUFA, but their impact on glucose homeostasis is poorly explored.

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Metformin is currently the most prescribed drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in humans. It has been well established that long-term treatment with metformin improves glucose tolerance in mice by inhibiting hepatic gluconeogenesis. Interestingly, a single dose of orally administered metformin acutely lowers blood glucose levels, however, little is known about the mechanism involved in this effect.

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We found previously that white adipose tissue (WAT) hyperplasia in obese mice was limited by dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 PUFA). Here we aimed to characterize the underlying mechanism. C57BL/6N mice were fed a high-fat diet supplemented or not with omega-3 PUFA for one week or eight weeks; mice fed a standard chow diet were also used.

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Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance, which represent characteristic features of the metabolic syndrome. Development of obesity is also linked to changes in fatty acid and amino acid metabolism observed in animal models of obesity as well as in humans. The aim of this study was to explore whether plasma metabolome, namely the levels of various acylcarnitines and amino acids, could serve as a biomarker of propensity to obesity and impaired glucose metabolism.

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Background: The marine n-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) exert numerous beneficial effects on health, but their potency to improve treatment of type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients remains poorly characterized. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a combination intervention using EPA + DHA and the insulin-sensitizing drug pioglitazone in overweight/obese T2D patients already treated with metformin.

Methods: In a parallel-group, four-arm, randomized trial, 69 patients (66 % men) were assigned to 24-week-intervention using: (i) corn oil (5 g/day; Placebo), (ii) pioglitazone (15 mg/day; Pio), (iii) EPA + DHA concentrate (5 g/day, containing ~2.

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Decreased metabolic flexibility, i.e. a compromised ability to adjust fuel oxidation to fuel availability supports development of adverse consequences of obesity.

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Objective: Resolution of low-grade inflammation of white adipose tissue (WAT) is one of the keys for amelioration of obesity-associated metabolic dysfunctions. We focused on the identification of adipokines, which could be involved at the early stages of resolution of WAT inflammation.

Methods And Procedure: Male C57BL/6J mice with obesity induced in response to a 22-week feeding corn oil-based high-fat (cHF) diet were divided into four groups and were fed with, for 2 weeks, control cHF diet or cHF-based diets supplemented with: (i) concentrate of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, mainly eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids (cHF+F); (ii) thiazolidinedione drug rosiglitazone (cHF+TZD); and (iii) both compounds (cHF+F+TZD).

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Insulin resistance, the key defect in type 2 diabetes (T2D), is associated with a low capacity to adapt fuel oxidation to fuel availability, i.e., metabolic inflexibility.

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Experimental replication is fundamental for practicing science. To reduce variability, it is essential to control sources of variation as much as possible. Diet is an important factor that can influence many processes and functional outcomes in studies performed with rodent models.

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Aims/hypothesis: Diets rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), protect against insulin resistance and obesity in rodents and increase insulin sensitivity in healthy humans. We tested whether the anti-diabetic effects of EPA and DHA involve enhanced production of the endogenous insulin sensitiser, adiponectin.

Methods: We studied the effects, in an obesity-promoting high-fat diet, of partial replacement of vegetable oils by EPA/DHA concentrate (6% EPA, 51% DHA) over a 5-week period in adult male C57BL/6J mice that either had free access to food or had their food intake restricted by 30%.

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The mechanisms controlling fat depot-specific metabolism are poorly understood. During starvation of mice, downregulation of lipogenic genes, suppression of fatty acid synthesis, and increases in lipid oxidation were all more pronounced in epididymal than in subcutaneous fat. In epididymal fat, relatively strong upregulation of uncoupling protein 2 and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase genes was found.

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Aims/hypothesis: Intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids reduces adipose tissue mass, preferentially in the abdomen. The more pronounced effect of marine-derived eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids on adiposity, compared with their precursor alpha-linolenic acid, may be mediated by changes in gene expression and metabolism in white fat.

Methods: The effects of EPA/DHA concentrate (6% EPA, 51% DHA) admixed to form two types of high-fat diet were studied in C57BL/6J mice.

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