‘When Hunger Makes Everything Better Looking!’: The Effect of Hunger on the Aesthetic Appreciation of Human Bodies, Faces and Objects

Background: Research evidence suggests that physiological state of hunger might affect preference for female body weight, such that hungrier, compared to satiate, men prefer heavier body weight and rate as more attractive heavier female figures. Here, we seek to extend these findings by comparing the effects of fasting and snack on aesthetics judgements of the bodies and faces of conspecifics and of objects in a sample of female and male participants. Methods: Forty-four participants (women: n = 21, mean age = 23.70yrs ± 0.62) provided aesthetic liking judgments of round and slim human bodies, faces and objects, under at least 12 h of overnight fasting and immediately after having eaten a snack (i.e., bananas). An anthropometric measure of adiposity (i.e., Body Mass Index, BMI) was also collected from each observer. Results: Overall, we found that participants’ aesthetic judgements were higher for slim stimuli compared to round ones. However, after fasting, participants rated round stimuli as more attractive compared to when they had a snack. This hunger-based shift in ratings not only was apparent when stimuli depicted a human body or face, but also when they depicted an object, thus suggesting a general modification of observers’ aesthetic preference related to hunger. Importantly, this effect was modulated by participants’ BMI so that only participants with a high BMI provided higher aesthetic judgements for round stimuli after fasting than after a snack. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that both the modification of the physiological state and the individual differences in adiposity level of the observers might affect the aesthetic appreciation of the external world.

Intestinal SEC16B modulates obesity by controlling dietary lipid absorption

ABSTRACTGenome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants in SEC16 homolog B (SEC16B) locus to be associated with obesity and body mass index (BMI) in various populations. SEC16B encodes a scaffold protein located at endoplasmic reticulum (ER) exit sites that is implicated to participate in the trafficking of COPII vesicles in mammalian cells. However, the function of SEC16B in vivo, especially in lipid metabolism, has not been investigated. Here we demonstrated that intestinal SEC16B is required for dietary lipid absorption in mice. We showed that Sec16b intestinal knockout (IKO) mice, especially female mice, were protected from HFD-induced obesity. Loss of SEC16B in intestine dramatically reduced postprandial serum triglyceride output upon intragastric lipid load or during overnight fasting and high-fat diet (HFD) refeeding. Further studies showed that intestinal SEC16B deficiency impaired apoB lipidation and chylomicron secretion. These results revealed that SEC16B plays important roles in dietary lipid absorption, which may shed light on the association between variants in SEC16B and obesity in human.

Lipocalin-2 Variants and Their Relationship With Cardio-Renal Risk Factors

ObjectivesTo investigate the serum, plasma and urine levels of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) variants in healthy humans and their associations with risk factors for cardiometabolic (CMD) and chronic kidney (CKD) diseases.MethodsFifty-nine males and 41 females participated in the study. Blood and urine were collected following an overnight fasting. LCN2 variants were analyzed using validated in-house ELISA kits. Heart rate, blood pressure, lipids profile, glucose, adiponectin, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), creatinine, cystatin C, and biomarkers for kidney function were assessed.ResultsThe levels of hLcn2, C87A and R81E in serum and urine, but not plasma, were significantly higher in men than women. Increased levels of LCN2 variants, as well as their relative ratios, in serum and plasma were positively associated with body mass index, blood pressure, triglyceride and hsCRP (P<0.05). No significant correlations were found between these measures and hLcn2, C87A or R81E in urine. However, LCN2 variants in urine, but not plasma or serum, were correlated with biomarkers of kidney function (P<0.05).ConclusionsBoth the serum and plasma levels of LCN2 variants, as well as their ratios are associated with increased cardiometabolic risk, whereas those in urine are correlated with renal dysfunction. LCN2 variants represent promising biomarkers for CMD and CKD.

Polysaccharide CM1 from Cordyceps militaris hinders adipocyte differentiation and alleviates hyperlipidemia in LDLR(+/−) hamsters

Background Cordyceps militaris is cultured widely as an edible mushroom and accumulating evidence in mice have demonstrated that the polysaccharides of Cordyceps species have lipid-lowering effects. However, lipid metabolism in mice is significantly different from that in humans, making a full understanding of the mechanisms at play critical. Methods After 5 months, the hamsters were weighed and sampled under anesthesia after overnight fasting. The lipid-lowering effect and mechanisms of the polysaccharide CM1 was investigated by cellular and molecular technologies. Furthermore, the effect of the polysaccharide CM1 (100 μg/mL) on inhibiting adipocyte differentiation was investigated in vitro. Results CM1, a polysaccharide from C. militaris, significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride and epididymal fat index in LDLR(+/−) hamsters, which have a human-like lipid profile. After 5 months’ administration, CM1 decreased the plasma level of apolipoprotein B48, modulated the expression of key genes and proteins in liver, small intestine, and epididymal fat. CM1 also inhibited preadipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells by downregulating the key genes involved in lipid droplet formation. Conclusions The polysaccharide CM1 lowers lipid and adipocyte differentiation by several pathways, and it has potential applications for hyperlipidemia prevention.

α-1 Adrenoceptor Activation in the Dorsal Raphe Nucleus Decreases Food Intake in Fasted Rats

The dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus is involved in a myriad of physiological functions, such as the control of sleep-wake cycle, motivation, pain, energy balance, and food intake. We have previously demonstrated that in ad libitum fed rats the intra-DR administration of phenylephrine, an α-1 receptor agonist, does not affect food intake, whereas clonidine, an α-2 receptor agonist, potently stimulates food intake. These results indicated that in fed rats an increased adrenergic tonus blocked food intake, since the activation of α-2 auto-receptors, which decreases pre-synaptic release of adrenaline/noradrenaline, affected food intake. Thus, in this study we assessed whether the response to adrenergic stimuli would differ after overnight fasting, a situation of low adrenergic activity in the DR. Intra-DR administration of adrenaline and noradrenaline blocked food intake evoked by overnight fasting. Similarly, phenylephrine administration decreased hunger-induced food intake. These changes in food intake were accompanied by changes in other behaviors, such as increased immobility time and feeding duration. On the other hand, intra-DR administration of clonidine did not affect food-intake or associated behaviors. These results further support the hypothesis that in fed animals, increased adrenergic tonus in DR neurons inhibiting feeding, while in fasted rats the adrenergic tonus decreases and favors food intake. These data indicate a possible mechanism through which adrenergic input to the DRN contributes to neurobiology of feeding.

STUDY OF ROLE OF CIRCULATING ANTIOXIDANTS IN DEVELOPMENT OF SENILE CATARACT

Introduction: Senile cataract is the commonest worldwide cause of treatable blindness, most often due to excess reactive oxygen species [ROS]. Anti-oxidant vitamins namely beta-carotene, ascorbate and tocopherol and enzymes like superoxide dismutase (SOD), constitute rst line defenses against ROS assault, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels indicate the total burden of lipid peroxidation in-vivo. Objectives: We aimed to compare the levels of above ve analytes in senile cataract patients in contrast to apparently healthy controls and also among smoking and non-smoking sub groups of both cases and controls. Methods: A hospital-based case-control study, was conducted with 102 cases of senile cataract and 102 control subjects, following strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Recruited individuals were sub-categorized into smokers and non-smokers. After overnight fasting (12 hours), 10 ml blood was drawn aseptically. Serum and plasma were separated and used for biochemical estimations of all ve analytes, following established protocols. Levels were compared between cases and controls as well as between the smoking and non-smoking sub-sections of both groups. Results: Signicantly lower levels of plasma ascorbate and serum tocopherol were seen in cases as compared to controls (P=0.0078 and P<0.0001 respectively). Signicantly lower levels of serum beta carotene (P<0.0001), tocopherol (P<0.0001), plasma ascorbate (P<0.0001), and SOD (P<0.0001). Signicantly higher level of serum MDA (P= 0.0494) was seen in the smokers, as compared to non-smokers Conclusions: Lowered serum tocopherol and plasma ascorbate were signicant factors leading to senile cataract. Furthermore, smoking was found crucial in loss of anti-oxidant defenses and subsequent development of cataract.

Overnight fasting affects avoidance learning and relief

Prolonged fasting influences threat and reward processing, two fundamental systems underpinning adaptive behaviors. In animals, overnight fasting sensitizes the mesolimbic-dopaminergic activity governing avoidance, reward, and fear-extinction learning. Despite evidence that overnight fasting may also affect reward and fear learning in humans, effects on human avoidance learning have not been studied yet. Here, we examined the effects of 16h-overnight fasting on instrumental avoidance and relief from threat omission. To this end, 50 healthy women were randomly assigned to a fasting (N=25) or a re-feeding group (N=25) and performed an Avoidance-Relief Task. We found that fasting decreases unnecessary avoidance during signaled safety; this effect was mediated via a reduction in relief pleasantness during signaled absence of threat. A fasting-induced reduction in relief was also found during fear extinction learning. We conclude that fasting optimizes avoidance and safety learning. Future studies should test whether these effects also hold for anxious individuals.

Serum Adiponectin and Resistin Levels in Association with Bronchial Asthma in Adults

Background The association between obesity and bronchial asthma has been demonstrated by many studies, either observational or interventional studies in both children and adults. However, the mechanism behind this association is still unknown. Many studies proposed that adipokines provide a mechanistic link between asthma and obesity. Adipokines may be proinflammatory (e.g. resistin) or anti-inflammatory (e.g. adiponectin). The Effects of these adipokines on the lungs have been proposed to have the potential to cause or exacerbate existing asthma. Objective To determine serum levels of adiponectin and resistin in adult asthmatics in comparison to non-asthmatics. Methods 96 subjects were included in this study; 64 with bronchial asthma and 32 healthy individuals as control group. All the patients were subjected to the following: Full history, clinical examination, calculation of body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio, body fat percentage, asthma control test (ACT), Skin prick test (SPT) for common allergens, CBC, Total IgE, Pulmonary functions and measurement of serum adiponectin and resistin after overnight fasting by ELISA. Results The present study proved that patients with bronchial asthma had higher levels of serum Adiponectin and serum Resistin in comparison to control subjects. Conclusion Serum Resistin is increased in bronchial asthma and act as proinflammatory marker while serum Adiponectin might not act as anti-inflammatory in asthma in fact, it may exacerbate inflammation. Interaction between different adipokines need to be further studied.

Influence of Freezing-Thawing Cycles on the Glycemic Index of the Iraqi White Bread after Oral Ingestion

Background: The quality of bread depends not only on the quality of its ingredients, proper techniques during preparation, and storage also played a role in the rate of staling. Aims: The present study aims to investigate the impact of freezing and thawing on the glycemic response of Iraqi local white bread. Methods: In this prospective cross-over study, twelve healthy subjects (seven males, five females), aged 21–53 years, were recruited from Al-Rafidain University Campus and the local community. After overnight fasting, commercial Iraqi local white bread (200 g) was administered as fresh bread, following 1-week or 2-week freezing and thawing. Peak glucose response, 2 hr incremental area under the glucose response curve (AUC0-120) was evaluated as an outcome. Results: The different freezing and thawing conditions resulted in lower blood glucose AUC values compared to fresh white bread. In particular, compared to the fresh bread (AUC 14176±1134 mg min/dl), AUC was significantly lower when the bread was 1-week frozen and thawed (13205±660 mg min/dl, P<0.01), or 2-week frozen and thawed (12828±642 mg min/dl, P<0.01). Meanwhile, compared to the 1-week frozen bread, the 2-week freezing cycle did not produce a significantly lower AUC value. Conclusion: One or two freezing and thawing cycles decreased the glycemic response of the fresh Iraqi local white bread in healthy non-obese volunteers.