Transcriptional expression of SLC16A7 as a biomarker of occult lymph node metastases in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Glucose is the main energy substrate of tumor cells. This study aims to assess whether the transcriptional expression of glucose metabolism-related genes is associated with occult lymph node metastases in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients.

Methods: We examined the transcriptional expression of a panel of glucose metabolism-related genes in a cohort of 53 patients with HNSCC without cervical lymph node involvement at the time of diagnosis (cN0) and subsequently treated with elective neck dissection.

Intestinal Taste Receptor Expression and Its Implications for Health: An Integrative Analysis in Female Rats after Chronic Insect Supplementation.

Taste receptors are found in the gastrointestinal tract, where they are susceptible to dietary modulation, a key point that is crucial for diet-related responses. Insects are sustainable and good-quality protein sources. This study analyzed the impact of insect consumption on the modulation of taste receptor expression across various segments of the rat intestine under healthy or inflammatory conditions.

Multi-tissue profiling of oxylipins reveal a conserved up-regulation of epoxide:diol ratio that associates with white adipose tissue inflammation and liver steatosis in obesity.

Background: Obesity drives maladaptive changes in the white adipose tissue (WAT) which can progressively cause insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD). Obesity-mediated loss of WAT homeostasis can trigger liver steatosis through dysregulated lipid pathways such as those related to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-derived oxylipins. However, the exact relationship between oxylipins and metabolic syndrome remains elusive and cross-tissue dynamics of oxylipins are ill-defined.

Assessing the impact of insect protein sources on intestinal health and disease: insights from human and rat models.

The exploration of edible insects, specifically and , as sustainable sources of protein for human consumption is an emerging field. However, research into their effects on intestinal health, especially in relation to inflammation and permeability, remains limited. Using and models of intestinal health and disease, in this study we assess the impact of the above insects on intestinal function by focusing on inflammation, barrier dysfunction and morphological changes.

Survivin/BIRC5 as a novel molecular effector at the crossroads of glucose metabolism and radioresistance in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Metabolic reprogramming and abnormal glucose metabolism are hallmarks of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Certain oncogenes can promote cancer-related metabolic changes, but understanding their crosstalk in HNSCC biology and treatment is essential for identifying predictive biomarkers and developing target therapies.

Methods: We assessed the value of survivin/BIRC5 as a radioresistance factor potentially modulated by glucose for predicting therapeutic sensitivity and prognosis of HNSCC in a cohort of 32 patients.

Relationship between transcriptional expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase and local control of disease in patients with oral cavity carcinomas.

Background: The altered cellular metabolism is one of the hallmarks of the cancer cells, favoring the process of aerobic glycolysis, known as the Warburg effect. The pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex is one of the elements involved in this metabolic process. The present study aims to evaluate the relationship between the transcriptional expression of PDHB and the risk of local recurrence in patients with oral cavity carcinomas.

Bitter taste receptors along the gastrointestinal tract: comparison between humans and rodents.

For decades bitter taste receptors (TAS2R) were thought to be located only in the mouth and to serve as sensors for nutrients and harmful substances. However, in recent years Tas2r have also been reported in extraoral tissues such as the skin, the lungs, and the intestine, where their function is still uncertain. To better understand the physiological role of these receptors, in this paper we focused on the intestine, an organ in which their activation may be similar to the receptors found in the mouth.

GSPE Pre-Treatment Exerts Long-Lasting Preventive Effects against Aging-Induced Changes in the Colonic Enterohormone Profile of Female Rats.

The impact that healthy aging can have on society has raised great interest in understanding aging mechanisms. However, the effects this biological process may have on the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) have not yet been fully described. Results in relation to changes observed in the enteroendocrine system along the GIT are controversial.

Administration of Alphitobius diaperinus or Tenebrio molitor before meals transiently increases food intake through enterohormone regulation in female rats.

Background: It has been previously shown that acutely administered insect Alphitobius diaperinus protein increases food intake in rats and modifies the ex vivo enterohormone secretory profile differently than beef or almond proteins. In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether these effects could be maintained for a longer period and determine the underlying mechanisms.

Results: We administered two different insect species to rats for 26 days and measured food intake at different time points.

Prognostic capacity of the transcriptional expression of lactate dehydrogenase A in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: To analyze the relationship between the transcriptional expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and the disease control in patients with a head and squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: We determined the transcriptional expression of LDHA in 110 HNSCC patients treated with surgery.

Results: Five-year disease-free survival for patients with a high transcriptional expression of LDHA (n = 51) was 39.

Differential effects of a cafeteria diet and GSPE preventive treatments on the enterohormone secretions of aged young female rats.

Grape seed derived procyanidins (GSPE) have been shown to effectively prevent intestinal disarrangements induced by a cafeteria diet in young rats. However, little is known about the effects of procyanidins and cafeteria diet on enterohormone secretion in aged rats, as the ageing processes modify these effects. To study these effects in aged rats, we subjected 21-month-old and young 2-month-old female rats to two sub-chronic preventive GSPE treatments.

Molecular composition of lipid and protein fraction of almond, beef and lesser mealworm after in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion and correlation with the hormone-stimulating properties of the digesta.

The current production of meat presents many disadvantages for the environment and much research focuses on alternative protein sources. Insects are novel protein sources highly valued for their nutritional and sustainable potential. However, many aspects concerning biological and nutritional properties of the insects after digestion, in comparison with other protein sources, are still overlooked.

Intestinal Morphometric Changes Induced by a Western-Style Diet in Wistar Rats and GSPE Counter-Regulatory Effect.

Western-style diet is an obesogenic diet for rodents and humans due to its content of saturated fat and refined sugars, mainly sucrose and, in consequence, sucrose-derived fructose. This type of diets relates with intestinal disturbances when consumed regularly. The aim of this work was to analyse the adaptive morphologic and functional changes at intestinal level derived from the unhealthy components of a Cafeteria diet in rats.

Semaphorin-3F/Neuropilin-2 Transcriptional Expression as a Predictive Biomarker of Occult Lymph Node Metastases in HNSCC.

The expression of the semaphorin-3F (SEMA3F) and neuropilin-2 (NRP2) is involved in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis. The present study analyzes the relationship between the transcriptional expression of the SEMA3F-NRP2 genes and the presence of occult lymph node metastases in patients with cN0 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. We analyzed the transcriptional expression of SEMA3F and NRP2 in a cohort of 53 patients with cN0 squamous cell carcinoma treated with an elective neck dissection.

GLP1 Exerts Paracrine Activity in the Intestinal Lumen of Human Colon.

GLP1 produced in the upper part of the gut is released after food intake and acts by activating insulin secretion, but the role of GLP1 in the colon, where it is predominantly produced, remains unknown. Here we characterized the apical versus basolateral secretion of GLP1 and PYY and the paracrine mechanisms of action of these enterohormones in the human colon. We stimulated human colon tissue in different ex vivo models with meat peptone and we used immunofluorescence to study the presence of canonical and non-canonical receptors of GLP1.

Effect of an Acute Insect Preload vs. an Almond Preload on Energy Intake, Subjective Food Consumption and Intestinal Health in Healthy Young Adults.

Protein is considered the most satiating macronutrient, and its effect on satiety and food intake is source-dependent. For the first time, we compared the effect of the administration of an insect or almond preload, both containing 20 g of protein, on appetite and food intake in human subjects. Participants consumed both foods and a vehicle as a liquid preload on three separate days.

The Hidden One: What We Know About Bitter Taste Receptor 39.

Over thousands of years of evolution, animals have developed many ways to protect themselves. One of the most protective ways to avoid disease is to prevent the absorption of harmful components. This protective function is a basic role of bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs), a G protein-coupled receptor family, whose presence in extraoral tissues has intrigued many researchers.

Application of emerging technologies to obtain legume protein isolates with improved techno-functional properties and health effects.

Current demand of consumers for healthy and sustainable food products has led the industry to search for different sources of plant protein isolates and concentrates. Legumes represent an excellent nonanimal protein source with high-protein content. Legume species are distributed in a wide range of ecological conditions, including regions with drought conditions, making them a sustainable crop in a context of global warming.

Resistin and IL-15 as Predictors of Invasive Mechanical Ventilation in COVID-19 Pneumonia Irrespective of the Presence of Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

The cytokine signature present in COVID-19 could provide information on the pathogenic mechanisms of the disease and could identify possible prognostic biomarkers and possible therapeutic targets. In this longitudinal work, we studied the clinical and biochemical parameters and circulating cytokine levels of 146 patients at the time of admission for COVID-19 and 4-6 weeks later. The main objective of this study was to determine whether basal cytokines could be early prognostic biomarkers of COVID-19, and also to analyze the impact of comorbidities, such as obesity or metabolic syndrome (MS), in the cytokine profile.

Functional and genomic comparative study of the bitter taste receptor family TAS2R: Insight into the role of human TAS2R5.

Bitterness is perceived in humans by 25 subtypes of bitter taste receptors (hTAS2R) that range from broadly tuned to more narrowly tuned receptors. hTAS2R5 is one of the most narrowly tuned bitter taste receptors in humans. In this study, we review the literature on this receptor and show there is no consensus about its role.

Grape-Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract Reverts Obesity-Related Metabolic Derangements in Aged Female Rats.

Obesity and ageing are current issues of global concern. Adaptive homeostasis is compromised in the elderly, who are more likely to suffer age-related health issues, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. The current worldwide prevalence of obesity and higher life expectancy call for new strategies for treating metabolic disorders.

Succinate Pathway in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Potential as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is characterized by high rates of mortality and treatment-related morbidity, underscoring the urgent need for innovative and safe treatment strategies and diagnosis practices. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of cancer and can lead to the accumulation of tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates, such as succinate, which function as oncometabolites. In addition to its role in cancer development through epigenetic events, succinate is an extracellular signal transducer that modulates immune response, angiogenesis and cell invasion by activating its cognate receptor SUCNR1.

Glucagon Shows Higher Sensitivity than Insulin to Grapeseed Proanthocyanidin Extract (GSPE) Treatment in Cafeteria-Fed Rats.

The endocrine pancreas plays a key role in metabolism. Procyanidins (GSPE) targets β-cells and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-producing cells; however, there is no information on the effects of GSPE on glucagon. We performed GSPE preventive treatments administered to Wistar rats before or at the same time as they were fed a cafeteria diet during 12 or 17 weeks.

Predictive Biomarkers of COVID-19 Severity in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients with Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome.

In SARS-CoV-2-infected patients, obesity, hypertension, and diabetes are dangerous factors that may result in death. Priority in detection and specific therapies for these patients are necessary. We wanted to investigate the impact of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) on the clinical course of COVID-19 and whether prognostic biomarkers described are useful to predict the evolution of COVID-19 in patients with obesity or MS.

The aspartate aminotransaminase/alanine aminotransaminase (De Ritis) ratio predicts sensitivity to radiotherapy in head and neck carcinoma patients.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between the aspartate aminotransaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) ratio and local disease control in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) treated with radiotherapy/chemoradiotherapy.

Methods: We calculated the pre-treatment AST/ALT ratio in 670 patients with HNSCC treated with radiotherapy (n = 309, 46.1%) or chemoradiotherapy (n = 361, 53.