No abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on changes in body composition, energy and substrate metabolism, cardiometabolic risk factors and liver function enzymes after an energy-restricted diet intervention in obese women. In the present randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, eighty-three obese (30 kg/m 2 . BMI , 40 kg/m 2 ) premenopausal women consumed 300 mg/d of EGCG or placebo (lactose). We measured body weight and adiposity (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry), energy expenditure and fat oxidation rates (indirect calorimetry), blood lipid levels (TAG, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol), insulin resistance, C-reactive protein and liver function markers (aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, g-glutamyltransferase, urea, bilirubin and 2-keto[1-13 C]isocaproate oxidation) before and after the intervention in the EGCG and control groups. We did not find any significant difference in the changes in body weight (2 0·3 kg, 95 % CI 25·0, 4·3), fat mass (2 0·7 kg, 95 % CI 23·5, 2·1), energy (0·3 kJ/kg per d, 95 % CI 2 3·1, 2·7) and fat (20·1 g/min, 95 % CI 2 0·03, 0·01) metabolism, homeostasis assessment model for insulin resistance (0·2, 95 % CI 2 0·2, 0·7), total cholesterol (20·21 mmol/l, 95 % CI 20·55, 0·13), LDL-cholesterol (2 0·15 mmol/l, 95 % CI 20·50, 0·20), TAG (2 0·14 mmol/l, 95 % CI 20·56, 0·29) and liver function markers between the EGCG and control groups. In conclusion, the present results suggest that dietary supplementation with 300 mg/d of EGCG for 12 weeks did not enhance energy-restricted diet-induced adiposity reductions, and did not improve weight-loss-induced changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in obese Caucasian women. The intake of 300 mg/d of EGCG for 12 weeks did not cause any adverse effect on liver function biomarkers.

SummaryKlebsiella pneumoniae is an important cause of community-acquired and nosocomial pneumonia.

Nutrigenomics is a new application of omics technologies in nutritional science. Nutrigenomics aims to identify molecular markers of diet-related diseases and mechanisms of interindividual variability in response to food. The aim of this study was to evaluate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) as a model system and readily available source of RNA to discern gene expression signatures in relation to personalized therapy of obesity. PBMC were collected from obese men before and after an 8-week low-calorie diet (LCD) to lose weight. Changes in gene expression before and after the LCD were initially screened using a DNA-microarray platform and validated by qRT-PCR. Global gene expression analysis identified 385 differentially expressed transcripts after the LCD. Further analyses showed a decrease in some specific oxidative stress and inflammation genes. Interestingly, expression of these genes was directly related to body weight, while a lower IL8 gene expression was associated with higher fat mass decrease. Collectively, these observations suggest that PBMCs are a suitable RNA source and model system to perform nutrigenomics studies related to obesity and development of personalized dietary treatments. IL8 gene expression warrant further research as a putative novel biomarker of changes in body fat percentage in response to an LCD. 251

No abstract