Genetic Variants in CD36 Involved in Fat Taste Perception: Association with Anthropometric and Clinical Parameters in Overweight and Obese Subjects Affected by Type 2 Diabetes or Dysglycemia—A Pilot Study

Abstract

Obesity and overweight represent a growing health problem worldwide. Genes regulating the intake and metabolism of different nutrients can positively or negatively influence the efficacy of nutritional interventions against obesity and its complications. The aim of this study was to assess changes in anthropometric and clinical parameters and the adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) over time in relation to nutrigenetic variants in overweight or obese subjects affected by Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) or dysglycemia, who were included in a nutritional program. A total of 23 subjects were included in this study. Clinical parameters, physical activity levels, and the adherence to a MedDiet were evaluated at baseline, at 6 (T6), and at 12 months (T12) during and after a diet/lifestyle intervention. In a single blood sample from each subject, rs1984112 (A>G) and rs1761667 (G>A) in CD36; rs7950226 (G>A) in BMAL1; and rs1801260 (A>G), rs4864548 (A>G), and rs3736544 (G>A) in CLOCK were genotyped with Real-Time PCR. Significant associations were observed between CD36 rs1761667 and weight (p = 0.025), hip circumference (p = 0.042), triglycerides (p = 0.047), and HbA1c (p = 0.012) at baseline. Moreover, the genotype AA in CD36 rs1761667 was significantly associated with a lower BMI when compared to G carriers at baseline, at T6, and also at T12. In addition, subjects with the AA genotype at CD36 rs1984112 had significantly lower levels of HbA1c (p = 0.027) than the GG and AG genotypes at baseline. These results show that variants in CD36 can have an impact on anthropometric and clinical parameters in overweight or obese subjects affected by T2D or dysglycemia, and that it might influence the success of the diet/lifestyle intervention.

Circadian Gene Variants: Effects in Overweight and Obese Pregnant Women

“…Therefore, genetic variants in fat taste preference are associated with cardiovascular risk factors, modulating lipid metabolism. In addition, CD36 contributes preferentially to the intake of some nutrients and adversely affects the con-sumption of others, suggesting interindividual variability in body weight regulation [26]. Future investigations must be conducted to shed light on the functional role of CD36, BMAL1, and CLOCK on lipid metabolism in pregnancy.…”

“…In particular, rs7950226 (G>A) in the BMAL1 gene and rs1801260 (A>G), rs4864548 (G>A), and rs3736544 (G>A) in the CLOCK gene were reported to be significantly correlated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, metabolic syndrome, sleep reduction, and evening preference [22][23][24][25]. Moreover, rs1984112 (A>G) and rs1761667 (G>A) in the CD36 gene have been identified to be involved in lipid metabolism, regulation of fat intake, and body weight regulation [26][27][28][29].…”

“…Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the association between variants in candidate genes-namely, BMAL1 rs7950226 (G>A), CLOCK rs1801260 (A>G), CLOCK rs4864548 (G>A), and CLOCK rs3736544 (G>A)-and overweight/obesity in 291 pregnant women. The genetic variants of the CD36 gene, reducing CD36 transcript, could explain the differences in fat perception and fat preferences [26,30]; on the other hand, the relationship between overweight/obesity and SNPs in CD36 among pregnant women has not been fully clarified. Therefore, two selected variants in CD36 (rs1984112 A>G and rs1761667 G>A) were also included in this study.…”