Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE): A Marker for Personalized Feedback on Dieting

Abstract

Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) expression and activity is associated with obesity. ACE is a circulating factor that predicts sustained weight loss over a time frame of months. Here, we evaluate whether ACE might also be an early marker (over a 24-hour period) for weight loss. 32 participants (78% females; BMI 28.47 ± 4.87kg/m2) followed a 1200KCal diet with an optional daily (<250KCal) snack and were asked to use an in-house generated health platform to provide recordings of food intake, physical activity and urine collection time and volume. Following a day of dieting, ACE levels in urine negatively correlated with weight loss (p = 0.015). This reduction in ACE levels was significantly more robust in individuals with a BMI > 25 (p = 0.0025). This study demonstrated that ACE levels correlate with BMI and weight loss as early as after 1 day of dieting, and thus ACE could be a potential early "biofeedback" marker for weight loss and diet efficiency.Recording of eating patterns through questionnaires with or without computer assistance has been recognized as an effective step in managing obesity [12][13][14]. However, regardless of interface, reporting of too low or too high caloric/energy intake as compared to true intake is a well-documented problem [11,15,16]. This unconscious bias is associated with under-realization and in some scenarios even over-estimation of foods eaten [11,17]. Even if food tracking was entirely accurate, it might not provide sufficient motivation for people to lose weight [11,18]. Thus, an approach to weight loss is needed that is more directly linked to the desired outcome, weight loss, itself [11,19]. A quantitative and science-based biomarker of weight loss is needed to provide immediate/short-term biological feedback loop during dieting.Urinary metabolic markers for cardiovascular disease, blood pressure and adiposity have been identified [20,21]. Several metabolomics studies involving untargeted proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and ion exchange chromatography (IEC) with human and mice urine samples have identified metabolites associated with BMI and adiposity [20,22]. Quantitative biomarkers have not been considered for providing early (especially over a 24-hour period) feedback to an individual undergoing a weight loss intervention.The extent of reduction in ACE has been shown through blood profiling for protein and steroid hormones to be an important predictor for sustained weight loss on long time scales [23]. The participants who kept their weight off after one year also had decreased ACE concentrations at the end of an eight-week low caloric diet. ACE is a zinc metallopeptidase involved in the conversion of Angiotensin (Ang) I to Angiotensin II [23][24][25][26]. Ang I is obtained by cleavage of Angiotensinogen (AGT) with the help of renin. Ang II is a well-known for its role in increased blood pressure and retention of salt and water [24,27,28]. In addition, animal models have shown that increased adipose specific angiotensin (AGT) expression and sec...

Is diet partly responsible for differences in COVID-19 death rates between and within countries?

“…Anti‐oxidant activities and ACE inhibition have been largely found in many foods [25 ]. Moreover, ACE levels in blood are highly and rapidly sensitive to food intake [26 ].…”

Urinary ACE Phenotyping as a Research and Diagnostic Tool: Identification of Sex-Dependent ACE Immunoreactivity

“…Indeed, it is not realistic to expect that blood ACE could be used as a predictive marker for the maintenance of weight loss in obese patients during dieting. Therefore, attempts were made to estimate changes in urinary ACE during short periods of dieting over 24 h. The authors interpreted their data to indicate that ACE levels in the urine negatively correlated with weight loss following one day of dieting [ 83 ].…”

Foods as First Defense Against COVID-19

“…Many other nutrients and dietary approaches affect ACE levels, with some foods having enhancing activities and others having ACE inhibitory activities [39]. Furthermore, the level of ACE in the blood is highly sensitive to intake of food [40]. Hence, it is vital to maintain a healthy nutritional status.…”