Publications by authors named "Reeby Thomas"

High-fat diets (HFDs) shape the gut microbiome and promote obesity, inflammation, and liver steatosis. Fish and soybean are part of a healthy diet; however, the impact of these fats, in the absence of sucrose, on gut microbial dysbiosis and its association with liver steatosis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of sucrose-free soybean oil-and fish oil-based high fat diets (HFDs) (SF-Soy-HFD and SF-Fish-HFD, respectively) on gut dysbiosis, obesity, steatosis, hepatic inflammation, and insulin resistance.

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Background: High-fat diets cause gut dysbiosis and promote triglyceride accumulation, obesity, gut permeability changes, inflammation, and insulin resistance. Both cocoa butter and fish oil are considered to be a part of healthy diets. However, their differential effects on gut microbiome perturbations in mice fed high concentrations of these fats, in the absence of sucrose, remains to be elucidated.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is manifested by hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, hepatocyte death, and systemic inflammation. Obesity induces steatosis and chronic inflammation in the liver. However, the precise mechanism underlying hepatic steatosis in the setting of obesity remains unclear.

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Obesity and metabolic syndrome involve chronic low-grade inflammation called metabolic inflammation as well as metabolic derangements from increased endotoxin and free fatty acids. It is debated whether the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in monocytic cells can contribute to amplify metabolic inflammation; if so, by which mechanism(s). To test this, metabolic stress was induced in THP-1 cells and primary human monocytes by treatments with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), palmitic acid (PA), or oleic acid (OA), in the presence or absence of the ER stressor thapsigargin (TG).

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Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation. Obese people have higher levels of caveolin-1 (CAV1), a structural and functional protein present in adipose tissues (ATs). We aimed to define the inflammatory mediators that influence gene regulation and the associated mechanisms in obesity.

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Steroid receptor RNA activator gene (SRA1) emerges as a player in pathophysiological responses of adipose tissue (AT) in metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D). We previously showed association of the AT SRA1 expression with inflammatory cytokines/chemokines involved in metabolic derangement. However, the relationship between altered adipose expression of SRA1 and the innate immune Toll-like receptors (TLRs) as players in nutrient sensing and metabolic inflammation as well as their downstream signaling partners, including interferon regulatory factors (IRFs), remains elusive.

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Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is implicated in the pathophysiology of diabetes and obesity. Previously, we demonstrated an association between the CAV1 rs1997623 C > A variant and metabolic syndrome (MetS). Here, we decipher the functional role of rs1997623 in CAV1 gene regulation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Chronic low-grade inflammation from obesity contributes to metabolic syndrome, and high LDL cholesterol is known to induce inflammation.
  • A study examined the connection between IL-23 expression in adipose tissue and inflammatory markers in individuals with varying LDL cholesterol levels, finding that IL-23 was higher in those with elevated LDL-c.
  • This increase in IL-23 was positively correlated with multiple inflammatory biomarkers and inversely correlated with adiponectin levels, suggesting that IL-23 could serve as a useful inflammatory biomarker in individuals with elevated LDL cholesterol.
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In obesity, macrophage activation and infiltration in adipose tissue (AT) underlie chronic low-grade inflammation-induced insulin resistance. Although dectin-1 is primarily a pathogen recognition receptor and innate immune response modulator, its role in metabolic syndromes remains to be clarified. This study aimed to investigate the gene expression in subcutaneous AT in the context of obesity and associated inflammatory markers.

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Inflammation has profound but poorly understood effects on metabolism, especially in the context of obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Here, we report that hepatic interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) is a direct transcriptional regulator of glucose homeostasis through induction of , a component of serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A, and subsequent suppression of glucose production. Global ablation of IRF3 in mice on a high-fat diet protected against both steatosis and dysglycemia, whereas hepatocyte-specific loss of IRF3 affects only dysglycemia.

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IL-6 was found to be overexpressed in the adipose tissue of obese individuals, which may cause insulin resistance. However, the regulation of IL-6 in adipocytes in obesity setting remains to be explored. Since IL-1β and TNFα are increased in obese adipose tissue and promote inflammation, we investigated whether cooperation between IL-1β and TNFα influences the production of IL-6.

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Steroid receptor RNA activator 1 () is involved in pathophysiological responses of adipose tissue (AT) in obesity. In vitro and animal studies have elucidated its role in meta-inflammation. Since AT expression in obesity/type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the relationship with immune-metabolic signatures remains unclear, we assessed AT expression and its association with immune-metabolic markers in individuals with obesity/T2D.

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IL-8/MCP-1 act as neutrophil/monocyte chemoattractants, respectively. Oxidative stress emerges as a key player in the pathophysiology of obesity. However, it remains unclear whether the TNF-α/oxidative stress interplay can trigger IL-8/MCP-1 expression and, if so, by which mechanism(s).

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Short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) acetate, a byproduct of dietary fiber metabolism by gut bacteria, has multiple immunomodulatory functions. The anti-inflammatory role of acetate is well documented; however, its effect on monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) production is unknown. Similarly, the comparative effect of SCFA on MCP-1 expression in monocytes and macrophages remains unclear.

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Ceramide kinase (CERK) phosphorylates ceramide to produce ceramide-1-phosphate (C1P), which is involved in the development of metabolic inflammation. TNF-α modulates inflammatory responses in monocytes associated with various inflammatory disorders; however, the underlying mechanisms remain not fully understood. Here, we investigated the role of CERK in TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses in monocytes.

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Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is a monomeric glycoprotein that has been implicated in the tumor growth and progression of different types of cancer. GM-CSF is produced by various non-immune cells including MDA-MB-231 in response to various stimuli. However, the role of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the regulation of GM-CSF in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells so far remains unclear.

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Obesity is associated with elevated levels of TNF-α and proinflammatory CD11c monocytes/macrophages. TNF-α mediated dysregulation in the plasticity of monocytes/macrophages is concomitant with pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases, including metabolic syndrome, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Since neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase2: SMPD3) is a key enzyme for ceramide production involved in inflammation, we investigated whether nSMase2 contributed to the inflammatory changes in the monocytes/macrophages induced by TNF-α.

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Article Synopsis
  • * The study found significant correlations between IL-2 and other inflammatory markers, including various interleukins and chemokines, suggesting a complex interaction in the inflammatory process of obesity.
  • * Increased AT-IL-2 expression was identified as a potential independent predictor of metabolic inflammation and insulin resistance, indicating its role as a novel biomarker for these conditions.
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Repetitive intermittent hyperglycemia (RIH) is an independent risk factor for complications associated with type-2 diabetes (T2D). Glucose fluctuations commonly occur in T2D patients with poor glycemic control or following intensive therapy. Reducing blood glucose as well as glucose fluctuations is critical to the control of T2D and its macro-/microvascular complications.

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Metabolic inflammation is associated with increased expression of saturated free fatty acids, proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adipose oxidative stress. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α recruits the inflammatory cells such as monocytes, macrophages, and neutrophils in the adipose tissue; however, the mechanisms promoting the MIP-1α expression remain unclear. We hypothesized that MIP-1α co-induced by palmitate and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in monocytic cells/macrophages could be further enhanced in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress.

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Article Synopsis
  • Obesity increases the risk of insulin resistance syndrome (IRS), but the impact of different intensities of physical activity (PA) on IRS is not well-studied.
  • A study with 60 metabolically healthy obese participants revealed that longer durations of light PA lead to improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammatory markers compared to shorter bouts of moderate or vigorous PA.
  • The findings suggest focusing on maintaining longer, low-intensity PA throughout the day can be a more effective lifestyle change for preventing IRS in individuals with obesity.
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Interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) are emerging as the metabolic transcriptional regulators in obesity/type-2 diabetes (T2D). IRF5 is implicated with macrophage polarization toward the inflammatory M1-phenotype, nonetheless, changes in the adipose expression of IRF5 in T2D and relationship of these changes with other markers of adipose inflammation remain unclear. Therefore, we determined the IRF5 gene expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue samples from 46 T2D patients including 35 obese (Body Mass Index/BMI 33.

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Interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-5 is known to be involved in M1 macrophage polarization, however, changes in the adipose expression of IRF5 in obesity and their relationship with the local expression of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines are unknown. Therefore, IRF5 gene expression was determined in the subcutaneous adipose tissue samples from 53 non-diabetic individuals (6 lean, 18 overweight, and 29 obese), using real-time RT-PCR. IRF5 protein expression was also assessed using immunohistochemistry and/or confocal microscopy.

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Overexpression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in different types of cancer is associated with tumor growth and progression. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is involved in the induction of GM-CSF in different cells; however, the underlying molecular mechanism in this production of GM-CSF has not been fully revealed. Recently, it was noted that TNFα mediates inflammatory responses through long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (ACSL1).

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Elevated levels of IL-8 (CXCL8) in obesity have been linked with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The mechanisms that lead to the profound production of IL-8 in obesity remains to be understood. TNF-α and saturated free fatty acids (FFAs) are increased in obese humans and correlate with insulin resistance.

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