Publications by authors named "Marina Romani-Perez"

Obesity is a major health challenge due to its high prevalence and associated comorbidities. The excessive intake of a diet rich in fat and sugars leads to a persistent imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, which increases adiposity. Here, we provide an update on relevant diet-microbe-host interactions contributing to or protecting from obesity.

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Background: The metabolic disturbances of obesity can be mitigated by strategies modulating the gut microbiota. In this study, we sought to identify whether innate or adaptive immunity mediates the beneficial metabolic effects of the human intestinal bacterium Bacteroides uniformis CECT 7771 in obesity.

Methods: We evaluated the effects of orally administered B.

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Recent evidence suggests a role of sensory neurons expressing the sodium channel Nav1.8 on the energy homeostasis control. Using a murine diphtheria toxin ablation strategy and ad libitum and time-restricted feeding regimens of control or high-fat high-sugar diets, here we further explore the function of these neurons on food intake and on the regulation of gastrointestinal elements transmitting immune and nutrient sensing.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sensory neurons with the sodium channel Nav1.8 are crucial for understanding how our bodies regulate energy balance, but their role in females is largely unknown.
  • In experiments using mice that lack these neurons, male mice were resistant to weight gain on a high-fat, high-sugar diet, while female mice exhibited improved glucose tolerance and higher insulin levels.
  • The findings highlight significant sex-dependent differences in how Nav1.8 neurons influence metabolism, suggesting potential for developing tailored treatments for metabolic disorders based on sex.
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Bile acids (BAs) are a complex class of metabolites that have been described as specific biomarkers of gut microbiota activity. The development of analytical methods allowing the quantification of an ample spectrum of BAs in different biological matrices is needed to enable a wider implementation of BAs as complementary measures in studies investigating the functional role of the gut microbiota. This work presents results from the validation of a targeted ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for the determination of 28 BAs and six sulfated BAs, covering primary, secondary, and conjugated BAs.

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Increasing knowledge of the microbiome has led to significant advancements in the agrifood system. Case studies based on microbiome applications have been reported worldwide and, in this review, we have selected 14 success stories that showcase the importance of microbiome research in advancing the agrifood system. The selected case studies describe products, methodologies, applications, tools, and processes that created an economic and societal impact.

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Food addiction (FA) is characterized by behavioral and neurochemical changes linked to loss of food intake control. Gut microbiota may influence appetite and food intake via endocrine and neural routes. The gut microbiota is known to impact homeostatic energy mechanisms, but its role in regulating the reward system is less certain.

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Impaired glucose homeostasis in obesity is mitigated by enhancing the glucoregulatory actions of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), and thus, strategies that improve GLP-1 sensitivity and secretion have therapeutic potential for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This study shows that Holdemanella biformis, isolated from the feces of a metabolically healthy volunteer, ameliorates hyperglycemia, improves oral glucose tolerance and restores gluconeogenesis and insulin signaling in the liver of obese mice. These effects were associated with the ability of H.

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This study investigated the immune mechanisms whereby administration of Bacteroides uniformis CECT 7771 reduces metabolic dysfunction in obesity. C57BL/6 adult male mice were fed a standard diet or a Western diet high in fat and fructose, supplemented or not with B. uniformis CECT 7771 for 14 weeks.

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Obesity currently represents a major societal and health challenge worldwide. Its prevalence has reached epidemic proportions and trends continue to rise, reflecting the need for more effective preventive measures. Hypothalamic circuits that control energy homeostasis in response to food intake are interesting targets for body-weight management, for example, through interventions that reinforce the gut-to-brain nutrient signalling, whose malfunction contributes to obesity.

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Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and is associated with chronic-low-grade inflammation and metabolic morbidities. Energy-dense diets and a sedentary lifestyle are determinants of obesity. The gut microbiome is a novel biological factor involved in obesity via interactions with the host and the diet.

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Article Synopsis
  • * In a 17-week study with obese mice, the combination of CECT 7771 and WBE was found to be the most effective in reducing weight gain and fat, with CECT 7771 playing a significant role in improving glucose metabolism.
  • * This combination also enhanced immune responses in the gut and reduced inflammation, suggesting it could be a promising strategy for combating obesity and related health issues.
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The aim of EU project MyNewGut is to contribute to future public health-related recommendations supported by new insight in gut microbiome and nutrition-host relationship. In this Opinion Paper, we first revisit the concept of dietary fiber, taking into account their interaction with the gut microbiota. This paper also summarizes the main effects of dietary fibers with prebiotic properties in intervention studies in humans, with a particular emphasis on the effects of arabinoxylans and arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides on metabolic alterations associated with obesity.

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Background And Aims: Studies indicate that dietary fat quantity and quality influence the gut microbiota composition which may as a consequence impact metabolic health. This systematic review aims to summarize the results of available studies in humans on dietary fat intake (quantity and quality), the intestinal microbiota composition and related cardiometabolic health outcomes.

Methods: We performed a systematic review (CRD42018088685) following PRISMA guidelines and searched for literature in Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases.

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The gut microbiota coexists in partnership with the human host through adaptations to environmental and physiological changes that help maintain dynamic homeostatic healthy states. Break-down of this delicate balance under sustained exposure to stressors (e.g.

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Obesity continues to be one of the major public health problems due to its high prevalence and co-morbidities. Common co-morbidities not only include cardiometabolic disorders but also mood and cognitive disorders. Obese subjects often show deficits in memory, learning and executive functions compared to normal weight subjects.

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Purpose Of Review: Update on the development of microbiome-based interventions and dietary supplements to combat obesity and related comorbidities, which are leading causes of global mortality.

Recent Findings: The role of intestinal dysbiosis, partly resulting from unhealthy diets, in the development of obesity and metabolic disorders, is well documented by recent translational research. Human experimental trials with whole-faecal transplants are ongoing, and their results will be crucial as proof of concept that interventions intended to modulate the microbiome composition and function could be alternatives for the management of obesity and related comorbidities.

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Control of estrous cycle and reproductive capacity involves a large number of central and peripheral factors, integrating numerous nutritional and metabolic signals. Here we show that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a peptide with anorexigenic and insulinotropic actions, and the GLP-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 (Ex4) exert a regulatory influence on the gonadal axis, in both adult and prepubertal female rats. In adult rats, Glp-1 receptor expression varies during the estrous cycle at the hypothalamus, pituitary, and ovary.

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Diabetes alters microvascular function in the vascular beds of organs, including the lungs. Cardiovascular complications of pulmonary vascular affectation may be a consequence of the overactivation of the vasoconstrictive and proliferative components of the renin-angiotensin system. We previously reported that pulmonary physiology and surfactant production is improved by the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist liraglutide (LIR) in a rat model of lung hypoplasia.

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Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exendin-4 (Ex-4), potently stimulate hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity after either central or peripheral administration. Because several GLP-1 derivative drugs, including synthetic Ex-4, are currently in use to treat patients with type II diabetes mellitus, the characterization of Ex-4 effects on the HPA axis is highly relevant. Herein, the roles of CRH and AVP on these effects were investigated by administering the antagonists astressin and d(CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP, respectively.

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Exendin-4 (Ex-4) is a natural agonist of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, currently being used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus due to its insulinotropic properties. Previous studies have revealed that acute administration of both GLP-1 and, in particular, Ex-4 potently stimulates hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. In this work, the effects of prolonged Ex-4 exposure on HPA function were explored.

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The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is found in a variety of tissues outside of the pancreas. For example, GLP-1R is expressed in the lung, where it has been implicated in the regulation of the lipid fraction of surfactants, suggesting it fulfills an important role in lung function. Here, we show that GLP-1R expression is strongly up-regulated immediately after birth in neonatal rats, particular in male offspring.

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The discovery of gut hormones regulating the energy balance has aroused great interest in the scientific community. Some of these hormones modulate appetite and satiety, acting on the hypothalamus or the solitary tract nucleus in the brainstem. In general, the endocrine signals generated in the gut have direct or indirect (through the autonomous nervous system) anorexigenic effects.

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