Malnutrition and Biomarkers: A Journey through Extracellular Vesicles

Abstract

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as active components in cellular communication, which are easily altered both morphologically and chemically by the cellular environment and metabolic state of the body. Due to this sensitivity to the conditions of the cellular microenvironment, EVs have been found to be associated with disease conditions, including those associated with obesity and undernutrition. The sensitivity that EVs show to changes in the cellular microenvironment could be a reflection of early cellular alterations related to conditions of malnutrition, which could eventually be used in the routine monitoring and control of diseases or complications associated with it. However, little is known about the influence of malnutrition alone; that is, without the influence of additional diseases on the heterogeneity and specific content of EVs. To date, studies in “apparently healthy” obese patients show that there are changes in the size, quantity, and content of EVs, as well as correlations with some metabolic parameters (glucose, insulin, and serum lipids) in comparison with non-obese individuals. In light of these changes, a direct participation of EVs in the development of metabolic and cardiovascular complications in obese subjects is thought to exist. However, the mechanisms through which this process might occur are not yet fully understood. The evidence on EVs in conditions of undernutrition is limited, but it suggests that EVs play a role in the maintenance of homeostasis and muscle repair. A better understanding of how EVs participate in or promote cellular signaling in malnutrition conditions could help in the development of new strategies to treat them and their comorbidities.

Simultaneous Multipass Resistive-Pulse Sensing and Fluorescence Imaging of Liposomes

“…Figure A,B shows representative expanded i–t traces of resistive pulses corresponding to a liposome entering and leaving the nanopipet at −1.0 and +1.0 V, respectively. The asymmetric shape of the resistive pulse arises from the conical shape of the nanopipet and indicates the direction that the liposome is traveling when translocating through the orifice. ,,,,− A resistive pulse corresponding to a liposome entering the nanopipet exhibits a sharp decrease in current at the leading edge of the pulse, indicating when the liposome first passes through the nanopipet orifice. The current gradually returns to the open-nanopipet baseline current as the liposome travels up into the conically shaped nanopipet and no longer blocks the orifice (Figure A).…”

“…Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small, cell-derived unilamellar liposomes that contain biomolecules in the interior of the liposome (e.g., DNA, RNA, proteins), in addition to membrane-bound proteins on their exterior . Recent studies suggest that the interior and surface contents of EVs are directly correlated with their physical size. − Zhang et al proposed a correlation between the size of EVs derived from AsPC-1 human pancreatic cancer and MDA-MB-231-4175 human breast cancer cell lines and their contents consisting of surface proteins, lipids, DNA, and RNA . They reported diverse organ biodistribution patterns for cancer-derived EVs of different sizes in mouse models and proposed biological functions of the EVs based on vesicle content and location within the body .…”

Extracellular Vesicles and Their Zeta Potential as Future Markers Associated with Nutrition and Molecular Biomarkers in Breast Cancer

“…In the last decade, EVs have been studied due to their active role in cell communication (see Mendivil et al, 2022 [ 17 ]). EVs are microparticles released by all cells into the extracellular space; their release and content respond to the conditions of the cellular microenvironment [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Evaluation of circulating extracellular vesicles and miRNA in neutered and obese female dogs

“…Adipocytes have the ability to release EVs and studies carried out in humans and mice have shown that obesity can alter the size and number of adipocyte-derived EVs, as well as the expression of molecules associated with these EVs, such as miRNAs 12 – 14 . In this sense miR-132, miR-26b, and miR-155 are associated with obesity, lipid metabolism, adipogenesis, macrophage infiltration, inflammation, and insulin secretion, among others 15 – 19 .…”