Skeletal muscle exhibits a remarkable flexibility in the usage of fuel in response to the nutrient intake and energy demands of the organism. In fact, increased physical activity and fasting trigger a transcriptional programme in skeletal muscle cells leading to a switch from carbohydrate to lipid oxidation. Impaired metabolic flexibility has been reported to be associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but it is not known whether the disability to adapt to metabolic demands is a cause or a consequence of these pathological conditions. Inasmuch as a poor nutritional environment during early life is a predisposing factor for the development of metabolic diseases in adulthood, in the present study, we aimed to determine the long-term effects of maternal malnutrition on the metabolic flexibility of offspring skeletal muscle. To this end, the transcriptional responses of the soleus and extensor digitorum longus muscles to fasting were evaluated in adult rats born to dams fed a control (17 % protein) or a low-protein (8 % protein, protein restricted (PR)) diet throughout pregnancy and lactation. With the exception of reduced body weight and reduced plasma concentrations of TAG, PR rats exhibited a metabolic profile that was the same as that of the control rats. In the fed state, PR rats exhibited an enhanced expression of key regulatory genes of fatty acid oxidation including CPT1a, PGC-1α, UCP3 and PPARα and an impaired expression of genes that increase the capacity for fat oxidation in response to fasting. These results suggest that impaired metabolic inflexibility precedes and may contribute to the development of metabolic disorders associated with early malnutrition.

Jerusalem artichoke (JA) has the potential to attenuate lipid disturbances and insulin resistance (IR), but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In the present study, we elucidated the physiological responses and mechanisms of JA intervention with a comprehensive transcriptome analysis. Wistar rats were fed a control diet, a 60 % fructose-enriched diet (FRU), or a FRU with 10 % JA (n 6–7) for 4 weeks. An oral glucose tolerance test was carried out on day 21. Liver samples were collected for biochemical and global gene expression analyses (GeneChip® Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array, Affymetrix). Fructose feeding resulted in IR and hepatic TAG accumulation; dietary JA supplementation significantly improved these changes. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that the expression of malic enzyme 1 (Me1), associated with fatty acid synthesis; decorin (Dcn), related to fibrosis; and cytochrome P450, family 1, subfamily a, polypeptide 2 (Cyp1a2) and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt), associated with inflammation, was differentially altered by the FRU, whereas dietary JA supplementation significantly improved the expression of these genes. We established for the first time the molecular mechanisms driving the beneficial effects of JA in the prevention of type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. We propose that 10 % JA supplementation may be beneficial for the prevention of the onset of these diseases.

Vitamin D has been recognised as a potent immunomodulator and its deficiency is common in different population groups including patients with diabetic foot infection. Diabetic foot infection reflects the altered immune status of the host. As cytokine regulation plays a significant role in infection and wound-healing processes, the present study aimed to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and inflammatory cytokine profiles in patients with diabetic foot infection. The serum concentrations of vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D), IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured in 112 diabetic foot infection cases and 109 diabetic controls. Severe vitamin D deficiency (25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration < 25 nmol/l) was more common in cases than in controls (48·2 v. 20·5 %). Although age, duration of diabetes, HbA1C (glycosylated Hb) concentration and BMI were similar, cases had significantly higher concentrations of IL-6 (P≤ 0·001), IL-1β (P≤ 0·02) and TNF-α (P≤ 0·006) than controls. A significant negative correlation was also observed between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and circulating concentrations of IL-1β (r − 0·323; P≤ 0·001) as well as IL-6 (r − 0·154; P≤ 0·04), but not between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and TNF-α and IFN-γ concentrations. Furthermore, a significant difference in IL-1β (P≤ 0·007) and IL-6 (P≤ 0·02) concentrations was observed in patients with severe 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency compared with patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration ≥ 25 nmol/l, and this difference was remarkable for TNF-α. In conclusion, severe vitamin D deficiency is associated with elevated inflammatory cytokine concentrations in diabetic patients, particularly in those with foot infection. A 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration value < 25 nmol/l is suggested as the ‘cut-off’ for such immunological alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Nutrient restriction during the early stages of life usually leads to alterations in glucose homeostasis, mainly insulin secretion and sensitivity, increasing the risk of metabolic disorders in adulthood. Despite growing evidence regarding the importance of insulin clearance during glucose homeostasis in health and disease, no information exists about this process in malnourished animals. Thus, in the present study, we aimed to determine the effect of a nutrient-restricted diet on insulin clearance using a model in which 30-d-old C57BL/6 mice were exposed to a protein-restricted diet for 14 weeks. After this period, we evaluated many metabolic variables and extracted pancreatic islet, liver, gastrocnemius muscle (GCK) and white adipose tissue samples from the control (normal-protein diet) and restricted (low-protein diet, LP) mice. Insulin concentrations were determined using RIA and protein expression and phosphorylation by Western blot analysis. The LP mice exhibited lower body weight, glycaemia, and insulinaemia, increased glucose tolerance and altered insulin dynamics after the glucose challenge. The improved glucose tolerance could partially be explained by an increase in insulin sensitivity through the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor/protein kinase B and AMP-activated protein kinase/acetyl-CoA carboxylase in the liver, whereas the changes in insulin dynamics could be attributed to reduced insulin secretion coupled with reduced insulin clearance and lower insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE) expression in the liver and GCK. In summary, protein-restricted mice not only produce and secrete less insulin, but also remove and degrade less insulin. This phenomenon has the double benefit of sparing insulin while prolonging and potentiating its effects, probably due to the lower expression of IDE in the liver, possibly with long-term consequences.

Coeliac disease (CD) patients may exhibit a pro-inflammatory profile and fatty acids (FA) can influence inflammation through a variety of cellular pathways in them. The aims of the present study were to (1) evaluate the FA composition of erythrocytes obtained from newly diagnosed CD patients by lipidomic analysis and compare it with that in healthy subjects and (2) determine the effects of 1-year gluten-free diet (GFD) intervention. A total of twenty CD patients (five men and fifteen women; mean age 34·0 (sem 1·7) years) were evaluated at diagnosis and after 1 year of GFD intervention. A total of twenty healthy subjects (seven men and thirteen women; mean age 40·2 (sem 2·5) years) served as controls. CD patients on an unrestricted diet exhibited a significant 2·08-fold higher concentration of arachidic acid when compared with healthy subjects, suggesting that it can be considered as a putative marker of CD. Besides, the arachidonic acid (AA):dihomo-γ-linolenic acid ratio was 2·01-fold significantly lower in CD patients than in healthy subjects (P< 0·01), underlying an inefficient synthesis of PUFA from their precursors in terms of desaturase activity. In addition, mainly due to lower concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid, the inflammation marker AA:docosahexaenoic acid ratio was 1·40-fold significantly higher in CD patients than in healthy subjects. After 1 year of GFD intervention, FA concentrations in CD patients were still different from those observed in healthy subjects. The lipidomic analysis of erythrocyte membranes confirmed the presence of an altered FA composition in CD patients and the GFD's ability to modify FA profile, even if 1-year GFD intervention seems to be not sufficient to restore FA concentrations to normality. This procedure, being easier and non-invasive compared with the evaluation of the FA pattern of the intestinal mucosa, could offer more potentiality for also evaluating therapeutic interventions in CD patients by using FA supplementation.

Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages has been implicated in the pathogenesis of CVD. The objective of the present study was to elucidate acute haemodynamic and microcirculatory responses to the ingestion of sugary drinks made from sucrose, glucose or fructose at concentrations similar to those often found in commercial soft drinks. In a randomised cross-over study design, twelve young healthy human subjects (seven men) ingested 500 ml tap water in which was dissolved 60 g of either sucrose, glucose or fructose, or an amount of fructose equivalent to that present in sucrose (i.e. 30 g fructose). Continuous cardiovascular monitoring was performed for 30 min before and at 60 min after ingestion of sugary drinks, and measurements included beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP) and impedance cardiography. Additionally, microvascular endothelial function testing was performed after iontophoresis of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside using laser Doppler flowmetry. Ingestion of fructose (60 or 30 g) increased diastolic and mean BP to a greater extent than the ingestion of 60 g of either glucose or sucrose (P< 0·05). Ingestion of sucrose and glucose increased cardiac output (CO; P< 0·05), index of contractility (P< 0·05) and stroke volume (P< 0·05), but reduced total peripheral resistance (TPR; P< 0·05), which contrasts with the tendency of fructose (60 and 30 g) to increase resistance. Microvascular endothelial function did not differ in response to the ingestion of various sugary drinks. In conclusion, ingestion of fructose, but not sucrose, increases BP in healthy human subjects. Although sucrose comprises glucose and fructose, its changes in TPR and CO are more related to glucose than to fructose.

The present study investigated the effects of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on the bioavailability of Fe from ferric pyrophosphate (FP), a water-insoluble compound, in Fe-deficient anaemic rats that were subjected to a Hb repletion assay. Male Wistar rats (n 64) were fed adequate or low (8 mg/kg) Fe diets for 15 d followed by 1 or 2 weeks of Fe repletion with diets providing 35 mg Fe/kg as ferrous sulphate (FS), FP or FP that was mixed with 7·5 % FOS in the form of yacon flour or Raftilose P95 (RAF), a purified source of FOS. The effects of FOS were observed within the 1st week of the repletion period. Fe bioavailability was improved by FOS supplementation, as measured by Hb regeneration efficiency and hepatic Fe stores, which were more pronounced in the RAF group. Moreover, RAF supplementation resulted in a higher biological value relative to that of the FP group. FOS supplementation resulted in caecal enlargement, in addition to acidification and Fe species redistribution in the caecal contents relative to the control rats. These effects occurred concomitantly with decreased ferroportin (FPN)-1 expression in the caecal mucosa, which was similar in magnitude to that observed in the FS group. Caecum mucosal morphometry was influenced by FOS supplementation, whereas crypt fission and cell proliferation were highest in the caecum of the RAF group. These results reinforce the effects of FOS as Fe bioavailability enhancers in anaemic rats that are sustained by early changes in their caecal environment (decreased mucosal FPN-1 expression and increased Fe absorbability, crypt fission and cellularity).

Nutritional requirements for vitamin D during pregnancy have been inadequately described, and there are conflicting data on the impact of gestation on vitamin D status. In the present study, we conducted a longitudinal analysis of total and free (unbound) serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), vitamin D-binding protein (DBP) and albumin concentrations in a random sample of thirty women from the Screening for Pregnancy Endpoints Ireland pregnancy cohort study at 15, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36 and 40 weeks of gestation and at 2 months postpartum. Concentrations of serum 25(OH)D, DBP and albumin were determined, and free 25(OH)D was calculated from the concentrations of total 25(OH)D, DBP and albumin. Serum albumin concentration decreased during pregnancy (P< 0·001), with a nadir at 36 weeks (P< 0·005), during which the concentration was approximately 80 % of the postnatal concentration. Serum DBP concentration increased during pregnancy and at 28 weeks of gestation, which was almost double the postnatal level (P< 0·001). Total and free 25(OH)D concentrations decreased (both P< 0·005) as pregnancy progressed, and both were lowest at 36 weeks of gestation. At 15 weeks, 10 and 63 % of the women had serum 25(OH)D concentration < 30 and 50 nmol/l, respectively, which increased to 53 and 80 % at 36 weeks of gestation. The time course of decreasing concentrations of 25(OH)D during gestation among women recruited during May–July, who delivered between October and November, and among those recruited in August–September, who delivered between February and March, was similar. The lower percentage of free 25(OH)D during pregnancy is mainly due to increased DBP.

Although several studies have confirmed the bone-protective properties of dried plum, its exact mechanisms of action remain unclear. Recent research has shown that osteocytes may control bone formation via the production of sclerostin and bone resorption via the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and its inhibitor osteoprotegerin (OPG). To investigate the mechanism of action of dried plum in reversing bone loss, we measured serum levels of RANKL, OPG and sclerostin in osteopenic postmenopausal women (n 160). Participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group of either 100 g dried plum/d or 75 g dried apple/d (comparative control) for 1 year. All participants received 500 mg Ca plus 400 IU (10 μg) vitamin D daily. Bone mineral densities (BMD) of the lumbar spine, forearm, hip and whole body were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 months to assess bone biomarkers. Dried plum significantly increased the BMD of the ulna and spine in comparison with the control group. In comparison with corresponding baseline values, dried plum increased the RANKL levels by only +1·99 v. +18·33 % and increased the OPG levels by +4·87 v. − 2·15 % in the control group. Serum sclerostin levels were reduced by − 1·12 % in the dried plum group v. +3·78 % in the control group. Although percentage changes did not reach statistical significance (P≤ 0·05), these preliminary data may indicate that the positive effects of dried plum on bone are in part due to the suppression of RANKL production, the promotion of OPG and the inhibition of sclerostin.

In the present study, a method was developed for determining the alimentary tract Ca absorption capacity of ruminant animals by measuring the absorption rate of Sr after the administration of an oral dose of strontium chloride acting as a tracer analogue of Ca. A close correlation between the absorption rates of the two tracers was observed upon simultaneous administration of an oral dose of stable Sr and radioactive calcium (r 0·98). The Ca absorption capacity of the rumen and small intestine was determined separately by either directing the solution into the rumen or by diverting it into the post-ruminal tract by vasopressin-induced closure of the ruminoreticular groove. The animals were treated with 1α-hydroxyvitamin D3 administered via subcutaneously implanted mini-osmotic pumps. The effect of elevated plasma 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol concentrations on the Ca absorption capacity of the alimentary tract was then determined. An increased rate of Sr absorption was observed in both the rumen and small intestine of sheep after treatment, although it is unclear whether the rumen possesses the same vitamin D-dependent Ca absorption pathway as the small intestine.

A diet containing 10 % cocoa, a rich source of polyphenols and fibre, is able to modify intestinal immune status as well as microbiota composition. The present study was aimed at investigating whether cocoa flavonoid content is uniquely responsible for these modulatory effects of cocoa, and to establish whether these effects depend on the rat strain. To this end, 3-week-old Wistar and Brown Norway rats were fed, for 4 weeks, either a standard diet or the following three isoenergetic diets containing increasing proportions of cocoa flavonoids from different sources: one with 0·2 % polyphenols (from conventional defatted cocoa), and two others with 0·4 and 0·8 % polyphenols (from non-fermented cocoa, very rich in polyphenols). Serum Ig concentrations, faecal IgA levels, microbiota composition and IgA-coating bacterial proportion were evaluated at the beginning and at the end of the study. After the nutritional intervention, the composition of lymphocytes in Peyer's patches and mesenteric lymph nodes was evaluated. In some respects, the Wistar strain was more sensitive to the impact of the cocoa diets than the Brown Norway strain. After 4 weeks of dietary intervention, similar modulatory effects of the diets containing 0·2 and 0·8 % polyphenols on mucosal IgA levels and microbiota composition were found, although the 0·2 % diet, with a higher proportion of theobromine and fibre, had more impact, suggesting that polyphenols are not the only components involved in such effects.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an inflammatory bowel disease that causes gastrointestinal lesions, bleeding, diarrhoea and nutritional complications. Insufficient nutrient intake can additionally deteriorate nutritional status. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether UC patients adhere to national dietary guidelines and to assess their dietary habits. An online questionnaire (n 93) was used to assess health-related conditions, current nutritional knowledge, professional dietary guidance and food avoidance. A 24 h dietary recall (n 81) was used to assess nutrient intakes, which were then compared with the national recommended intake values. The results showed that the nutritional knowledge of participants was limited with unofficial sources being used, including websites. Numerous food groups, predominantly fibre-rich foods and fruit and vegetables, were largely avoided by the participants. Almost half of the study population eliminated foods such as dairy products to alleviate symptoms, possibly unnecessarily. Energy intakes were significantly (P< 0·05) lower than the national recommended intake values in women aged 18–65 years and men aged 18–60 years. Fat intake exceeded the national recommended intake values (P< 0·0001), at the expense of carbohydrate and fibre intakes, which were significantly (P< 0·005) lower than the national recommended intake values. Protein intake was significantly high in women aged 19–50 years (P< 0·00) and men aged 19–50 years (P< 0·005). Vitamin C, vitamin B12 and Ca intake levels were overachieved by all participants (P< 0·001), while women aged 19–50 years did not achieve their dietary Fe reference nutrient intake levels (P< 0·001). Osteopaenia, osteoporosis and anaemia were reported by 12, 6 and 31 % of the participants, respectively. Findings indicate that food avoidance may contribute to nutrient deficiencies in UC patients. Low intakes of these food groups, especially during remission, are preventing patients from adhering to dietary guidelines.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS) (0, 1, 2 and 3 %) supplementation on the growth performance, haemato-immunological parameters, cultivable autochthonous (non-adherent) intestinal microbiota and stress resistance of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fry (3·23 (sem 0·14) g). These parameters were measured after feeding the carp fry with the experimental diets for 7 weeks. Dietary FOS supplementation had no significant effects on the growth performance and food intake of carp fry compared with the control treatment. It also had no significant effects on the following haematological parameters: erythrocyte count; leucocyte counts (WBC); haematocrit; Hb; mean corpuscular volume; mean corpuscular Hb content; mean corpuscular Hb concentration. However, WBC and respiratory burst activity were significantly affected by dietary FOS supplementation. Evaluation of the cultivable autochthonous intestinal microbiota revealed a significant increase in the levels of total viable heterotrophic aerobic bacteria and lactic acid bacteria in fish fed diets supplemented with 2 and 3 % FOS. Furthermore, dietary FOS supplementation significantly increased the survival rate and stress resistance of carp fry compared with the control treatment. These results encourage conducting further research on the administration of FOS and other prebiotics in carp fry studies.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is significantly associated with hyperlipidaemia and oxidative stress. We have previously reported that astaxanthin (ASTX), a xanthophyll carotenoid, lowers plasma total cholesterol and TAG concentrations in apoE knockout mice. To investigate whether ASTX supplementation can prevent the development of NAFLD in obesity, male C57BL/6J mice (n 8 per group) were fed a high-fat diet (35 %, w/w) supplemented with 0, 0·003, 0·01 or 0·03 % of ASTX (w/w) for 12 weeks. The 0·03 % ASTX-supplemented group, but not the other groups, exhibited a significant decrease in plasma TAG concentrations, suggesting that ASTX at a 0·03 % supplementation dosage exerts a hypotriacylglycerolaemic effect. Although there was an increase in the mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and diglyceride acyltransferase 2, the mRNA levels of acyl-CoA oxidase 1, a critical enzyme in peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation, exhibited an increase in the 0·03 % ASTX-supplemented group. There was a decrease in plasma alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) concentrations in the 0·03 % ASTX-supplemented group. There was a significant increase in the hepatic mRNA expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and its downstream genes, which are critical for endogenous antioxidant mechanism, in the 0·03 % ASTX-supplemented group. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in the mRNA abundance of IL-6 in the primary splenocytes isolated from the 0·03 % ASTX-supplemented group upon lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation when compared with that in the splenocytes isolated from the control group. In conclusion, ASTX supplementation lowered the plasma concentrations of TAG, ALT and AST, increased the hepatic expression of endogenous antioxidant genes, and rendered splenocytes less sensitive to LPS stimulation. Therefore, ASTX may prevent obesity-associated metabolic disturbances and inflammation.

Dairy products derived from the milk of cows fed in pastures are characterised by higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid (ALA), and several studies have shown their ability to reduce cardiovascular risk. However, their specific metabolic effects compared with standard dairy in a high-fat diet (HFD) context remain largely unknown; this is what we determined in the present study with a focus on the metabolic and intestinal parameters. The experimental animals were fed for 12 weeks a HFD containing 20 % fat in the form of a pasture dairy cream (PDC) or a standard dairy cream (SDC). Samples of plasma, liver, white adipose tissue, duodenum, jejunum and colon were analysed. The PDC mice, despite a higher food intake, exhibited lower fat mass, plasma and hepatic TAG concentrations, and inflammation in the adipose tissue than the SDC mice. Furthermore, they exhibited a higher expression of hepatic PPARα mRNA and adipose tissue uncoupling protein 2 mRNA, suggesting an enhanced oxidative activity of the tissues. These results might be explained, in part, by the higher amounts of ALA in the PDC diet and in the liver and adipose tissue of the PDC mice. Moreover, the PDC diet was found to increase the proportions of two strategic cell populations involved in the protective function of the intestinal epithelium, namely Paneth and goblet cells in the small intestine and colon, compared with the SDC diet. In conclusion, a PDC HFD leads to improved metabolic outcomes and to a stronger gut barrier compared with a SDC HFD. This may be due, at least in part, to the protective mechanisms induced by specific lipids.

Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) may induce significant metabolic and inflammatory anomalies, increasing the risk of obesity and CVD later in life. Similarly, alterations in the adipose tissue may lead to metabolic changes in children with a history of extra-uterine growth restriction (EUGR). These mechanisms may induce alterations in immune response during early life. The aim of the present study was to compare pro-inflammatory markers in prepubertal EUGR children with those in a reference population. A total of thirty-eight prepubertal children with a history of EUGR and a reference group including 123 healthy age- and sex-matched children were selected. Perinatal data were examined. In the prepubertal stage, the concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers were measured in both groups. The serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) and plasma concentrations of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), IL-6, IL-8, monocyte chemotactic protein type 1 (MCP-1), neural growth factor, TNF-α and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 were determined. The plasma concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers CRP, HGF, IL-8, MCP-1 and TNF-α were higher in the EUGR group than in the reference group (P< 0·001). After adjustment for gestational age, birth weight and length, blood pressure values and TNF-α concentrations remained higher in the EUGR group than in the reference group. Therefore, further investigations should be conducted in EUGR children to evaluate the potential negative impact of metabolic, nutritional and pro-inflammatory changes induced by the EUGR condition.

To elucidate the effects of maternal dietary betaine supplementation on hepatic expression of cholesterol metabolic genes in newborn piglets and the involved epigenetic mechanisms, we fed gestational sows with control or betaine-supplemented diets (3 g/kg) throughout pregnancy. Neonatal piglets born to betaine-supplemented sows had higher serum methionine concentration and hepatic content of betaine, which was associated with significantly up-regulated hepatic expression of glycine N-methyltransferase. Prenatal betaine exposure increased hepatic cholesterol content and modified the hepatic expression of cholesterol metabolic genes in neonatal piglets. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 was down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels, while 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) was down-regulated at the mRNA level, but up-regulated at the protein level, in betaine-exposed piglets. The transcriptional repression of HMGCR was associated with CpG island hypermethylation and higher repressive histone mark H3K27me3 (histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation) on the promoter, whereas increased HMGCR protein content was associated with significantly decreased expression of miR-497. Furthermore, LDL receptor was significantly down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in the liver of betaine-exposed piglets, which was associated with promoter CpG hypermethylation. In addition, the expression of cholesterol-27α-hydroxylase (CYP27α1) was up-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels, while the expression of cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7α1) was increased at the mRNA level, but unchanged at the protein level associated with increased expression of miR-181. These results indicate that maternal betaine supplementation increases hepatic cholesterol content in neonatal piglets through epigenetic regulations of cholesterol metabolic genes, which involve alterations in DNA and histone methylation and in the expression of microRNA targeting these genes.

Vitamin D has regulatory effects on innate immunity. In the present study, we aimed to assess the effect of prenatal vitamin D3 (vitD3) supplementation on neonatal innate immunity in a randomised, placebo-controlled trial by evaluating cathelicidin (LL-37) expression and the killing capacity of macrophages. Healthy pregnant women (n 129) attending a clinic in Dhaka were randomised to receive either a weekly oral dose of 0·875 mg vitD3 or placebo starting from 26 weeks of gestation up to delivery. Serum, plasma and monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were obtained from the cord blood. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration was measured in serum. MDM were stimulated with or without Toll-like-receptor 4 ligand (TLR4L). Innate immune function was assessed by measuring LL-37 peptide levels in the culture supernatant of MDM by ELISA, LL-37 transcript levels by quantitative PCR, and ex vivo bactericidal capacity of MDM. vitD3 supplementation did not increase LL-37 peptide levels in plasma or in the extracellular fluid of macrophages with or without TLR4L induction. However, stimulated intracellular LL-37 expression (ratio of stimulated:unstimulated MDM) was significantly reduced in the vitamin D group v. placebo (P= 0·02). Multivariate-adjusted analyses showed that intracellular LL-37 peptide concentration from stimulated MDM was inversely associated with 25(OH)D concentration in serum (P= 0·03). TLR4L stimulation increased the bactericidal capacity of MDM compared with the unstimulated ones (P= 0·01); however, there was no difference in killing capacity between the two groups. A weekly dose of 0·875 mg vitD3 to healthy pregnant women suppressed the intracellular LL-37 peptide stores of activated macrophages, but did not significantly affect the ex vivo bactericidal capacity of cord blood MDM.

The gut microbiota plays important roles in proper gut function and can contribute to or help prevent disease. Whole grains, including oats, constitute important sources of nutrients for the gut microbiota and contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. In particular, whole grains provide NSP and resistant starch, unsaturated TAG and complex lipids, and phenolics. The composition of these constituents is unique in oats compared with other whole grains. Therefore, oats may contribute distinctive effects on gut health relative to other grains. Studies designed to determine these effects may uncover new human-health benefits of oat consumption.

Probiotic bacteria express a wide range of molecular structures that bind to receptors on innate immune cells and mediate health-promoting effects in the host. We have recently demonstrated in a colitis model that favourable effects of the probiotic mixture VSL#3 may in part be due to the suppression of intestinal chemokine expression. To obtain more insights into the underlying mechanisms, in the present study, we analysed the modulation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BM-DC) from BALB/c (T helper (Th)2 biased) v. C57BL/6 (Th1 biased) mice. Our findings showed that VSL#3 differed from pure Toll-like receptor (TLR) ligands by inducing the production of various cytokines, including IL-12 p70 subunit (IL-12p70), IL-23 and IL-10. Dedicated TLR arrays were employed to profile mRNA from BM-DC cultured with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), VSL#3, or a combination of both. This approach led to the identification of (1) a cluster of genes that were up- or down-regulated, irrespective of the stimulus, (2) a cluster of genes that were synergistically up-regulated by LPS and VSL#3 in BM-DC from C57BL/6 mice, but not in those from BALB/c mice, and (3) a cluster of LPS-induced genes that were suppressed by VSL#3, in particular chemokine genes. These data show that this probiotic mixture has both pro- and anti-inflammatory effects on BM-DC and suggest that their immune-modulating properties in vivo may depend on the genetic background of the host.