The Peripheral Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 (CB1) as a Molecular Target for Modulating Body Weight in Man

The cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor regulates appetite and body weight; however, unwanted central side effects of both agonists (in wasting disorders) or antagonists (in obesity and diabetes) have limited their therapeutic utility. At the peripheral level, CB1 receptor activation impacts the energy balance of mammals in a number of different ways: inhibiting satiety and emesis, increasing food intake, altering adipokine and satiety hormone levels, altering taste sensation, decreasing lipolysis (fat break down), and increasing lipogenesis (fat generation). The CB1 receptor also plays an important role in the gut–brain axis control of appetite and satiety. The combined effect of peripheral CB1 activation is to promote appetite, energy storage, and energy preservation (and the opposite is true for CB1 antagonists). Therefore, the next generation of CB1 receptor medicines (agonists and antagonists, and indirect modulators of the endocannabinoid system) have been peripherally restricted to mitigate these issues, and some of these are already in clinical stage development. These compounds also have demonstrated potential in other conditions such as alcoholic steatohepatitis and diabetic nephropathy (peripherally restricted CB1 antagonists) and pain conditions (peripherally restricted CB1 agonists and FAAH inhibitors). This review will discuss the mechanisms by which peripheral CB1 receptors regulate body weight, and the therapeutic utility of peripherally restricted drugs in the management of body weight and beyond.

The influence of adiponectin on carbohydrates, lipids, and lipoproteins metabolism: analysis of signaling mechanisms

Dysregulation of adipose tissue functions makes a significant contribution to the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, one of the most common diseases in recent years. Adipose tissue is an organ that secretes at least several dozen signaling molecules, adipokines. One of the most studied and at the same time mysterious adipokines is adiponectin. The latter is due to the lack of clear ideas about the biological role of this adipokine, the presence of its several molecular forms with different activity and several types of receptors to this adipokine localized in almost all cells of the body. The purpose of this review is to summarize and analyze the available information about the molecular mechanisms of the effect of adiponectin on metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and lipoproteins. The literature search was conducted by the keywords "adiponectin" and "metabolic syndrome" in the Pubmed and Elibrary.ru databases for the period from 1995 to 2021.According to the results of the literature analysis, it is assumed that adiponectin is involved in energy metabolism as a «satiety» hormone that promotes the utilization and storage of energy-rich substrates, fatty acids and glucose, which prevents the development or mitigates the already developed insulin resistance. This reduces the amount of plasma triglycerides and increases the level of high-density lipoproteins in the plasma. Adiponectin affects metabolic processes by activating the AdipoR1-APPL1-LKB1-AMPK, AdipoR1-APPL1-p38, AdipoR2-PPARa cascades, and possibly by activating the ceramidase and phosphoinositide pathways and insulin signaling. In addition to the AdipoR1/2 receptors, the adhesion molecule T-cadherin may be involved in the transduction of the adiponectin signal in endothelial and muscle cells. The mechanisms of signal transduction from T-cadherin, as well as from AdipoR2, remain unclear. Studies on the mechanisms of the action of individual molecular forms of adiponectin are extremely rare. The analysis shows the complex nature of adiponectin signaling, many of the mechanisms of which remain undiscovered, and it is possible that the near future will bring us significant progress in this area.

Can a Higher Protein/Low Glycemic Index vs. a Conventional Diet Attenuate Changes in Appetite and Gut Hormones Following Weight Loss? A 3-Year PREVIEW Sub-study

Background: Previous research showed that weight-reducing diets increase appetite sensations and/or circulating ghrelin concentrations for up to 36 months, with transient or enduring perturbations in circulating concentrations of the satiety hormone peptide YY.Objective: This study assessed whether a diet that is higher in protein and low in glycemic index (GI) may attenuate these changes.Methods: 136 adults with pre-diabetes and a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 underwent a 2-month weight-reducing total meal replacement diet. Participants who lost ≥8% body weight were randomized to one of two 34-month weight-maintenance diets: a higher-protein and moderate-carbohydrate (CHO) diet with low GI, or a moderate-protein and higher-CHO diet with moderate GI. Both arms involved recommendations to increase physical activity. Fasting plasma concentrations of total ghrelin and total peptide YY, and appetite sensations, were measured at 0 months (pre-weight loss), at 2 months (immediately post-weight loss), and at 6, 12, 24, and 36 months.Results: There was a decrease in plasma peptide YY concentrations and an increase in ghrelin after the 2-month weight-reducing diet, and these values approached pre-weight-loss values by 6 and 24 months, respectively (P = 0.32 and P = 0.08, respectively, vs. 0 months). However, there were no differences between the two weight-maintenance diets. Subjective appetite sensations were not affected by the weight-reducing diet nor the weight-maintenance diets. While participants regained an average of ~50% of the weight they had lost by 36 months, the changes in ghrelin and peptide YY during the weight-reducing phase did not correlate with weight regain.Conclusion: A higher-protein, low-GI diet for weight maintenance does not attenuate changes in ghrelin or peptide YY compared with a moderate-protein, moderate-GI diet.Clinical Trial Registry:ClinicalTrials.gov registry ID NCT01777893 (PREVIEW) and ID NCT02030249 (Sub-study).

Microbiota Changes in Fathers Consuming a High Prebiotic Fiber Diet Have Minimal Effects on Male and Female Offspring in Rats

Background: Consuming a diet high in prebiotic fiber has been associated with improved metabolic and gut microbial parameters intergenerationally, although studies have been limited to maternal intake with no studies examining this effect in a paternal model. Method: Male Sprague Dawley rats were allocated to either (1) control or (2) oligofructose-supplemented diet for nine weeks and then mated. Offspring consumed control diet until 16 weeks of age. Bodyweight, body composition, glycemia, hepatic triglycerides, gastrointestinal hormones, and gut microbiota composition were measured in fathers and offspring. Results: Paternal energy intake was reduced, while satiety inducing peptide tyrosine tyrosine (PYY) gut hormone was increased in prebiotic versus control fathers. Increased serum PYY persisted in female prebiotic adult offspring. Hepatic triglycerides were decreased in prebiotic fathers with a similar trend (p = 0.07) seen in female offspring. Gut microbial composition showed significantly reduced alpha diversity in prebiotic fathers at 9 and 12 weeks of age (p < 0.001), as well as concurrent differences in beta diversity (p < 0.001), characterized by differences in Bifidobacteriaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Erysipelotrichaceae, and particularly Bifidobacterium animalis. Female prebiotic offspring had higher alpha diversity at 3 and 9 weeks of age (p < 0.002) and differences in beta diversity at 15 weeks of age (p = 0.04). Increases in Bacteroidetes in female offspring and Christensenellaceae in male offspring were seen at nine weeks of age. Conclusions: Although paternal prebiotic intake before conception improves metabolic and microbiota outcomes in fathers, effects on offspring were limited with increased serum satiety hormone levels and changes to only select gut bacteria.

LEPTIN: FROM APPETITE SUPPRESSION TO AUTOIMMUNITY

The hormone leptin is released by adipocytes accordingly to current energy stores to suppress appetite. Apart from this, leptin acts as a proinflammatory cytokine and strongly stimulates inflammation. Immune-modulating properties are partly achieved by affecting T-cell maturation, polarization, and viability. Leptin rises inflammatory cells count, increases proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and impairs regulatory T-lymphocytes differentiation. Leptin secretion and signalization disturbances have recently started to be observed in the context of autoimmunity. In this review, we discuss signaling pathways affected by the satiety hormone, its effect on T-lymphocyte maturation, differentiation and polarization, and relation to other immune-modulating agents. In the end, we highlight the rising evidence connecting hyperleptinemia state which is almost always related to obesity, with autoimmune disorders and take a brief overview of possible mechanisms behind leptin’s potency to induce self-reactivity.

Effects of long-term consumption of sucralose associated with high-fat diet in mice

Sucralose is a widely consumed non-nutritive sweetener (NNS). Studies have shown that some NNS can favor weight gain by altering the intestinal microbiota, satiety hormone production, or aspects related to...

RD43 rice flour: Effect on starch digestibility and qualities of noodles, glycemic response, short-acting satiety hormone and appetite control in humans

The aim of this study was to develop wheat noodles substituted with 10-40% RD43 rice flour. Starch digestibility and physicochemical and sensory properties of RD43 rice noodles and its effect...

Weight Loss, but Not Dairy Composition of Diet, Moderately Affects Satiety and Postprandial Gut Hormone Patterns in Adults

ABSTRACT Background Inclusion of dairy in diet patterns has been shown to have mixed effects on weight loss. A prevailing hypothesis is that dairy improves weight loss by influencing endocrine systems associated with satiety and food intake regulation. Objectives The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of weight loss with or without adequate dietary dairy on subjective and objective appetitive measures. Methods Men and women who were habitual low dairy consumers (n = 65, 20–50 y) participated in a 12-wk randomized controlled feeding weight loss trial. During the 12-wk intervention, a low-dairy (&lt;1 serving dairy/d) was compared with an adequate-dairy (3–4 servings dairy/d) diet, both with a 500-kcal deficit/d. Test days, before and at the end of the intervention, began with 2 fasting blood draws and visual analog scale (VAS) measures, followed by a standard breakfast (25% of prescribed restricted calories), 5 postbreakfast blood draws and VASs, a standard lunch (40% of restricted energy amount), and 12 postlunch blood draws and VASs. Blood samples were used for satiety hormone measurements. On a separate day when matching standard meals were consumed, an ad libitum buffet meal was provided as dinner, at a self-selected time. Meal duration and intermeal interval were recorded. Results Weight loss (−6.1 kg), irrespective of dairy, resulted in reduced fasting insulin (−20%) and leptin (−25%), and increased fasting acylated ghrelin (+25%) and VAS desire to eat (+18%) (P &lt; 0.05). There were no effects of dairy on objective or subjective satiety measures. Weight loss marginally reduced the intermeal interval (289 min compared with 276 min, P = 0.059) between lunch and the ad libitum buffet. Conclusions These results do not support the hypothesis that inclusion of dairy in long-term dietary patterns influences appetite during weight loss. Weight loss per se has a modest impact on select systems that regulate hunger and satiety. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00858312.

Single-cell analysis reveals cellular heterogeneity and molecular determinants of hypothalamic leptin-receptor cells

Hypothalamic nuclei which regulate homeostatic functions express leptin receptor (LepR), the primary target of the satiety hormone leptin. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has facilitated the discovery of a variety of hypothalamic cell types. However, low abundance of LepR transcripts prevented further characterization of LepR cells. Therefore, we perform scRNA-seq on isolated LepR cells and identify eight neuronal clusters, including three uncharacterized Trh-expressing populations as well as 17 non-neuronal populations including tanycytes, oligodendrocytes and endothelial cells. Food restriction had a major impact on Agrp neurons and changed the expression of obesity-associated genes. Multiple cell clusters were enriched for GWAS signals of obesity. We further explored changes in the gene regulatory landscape of LepR cell types. We thus reveal the molecular signature of distinct populations with diverse neurochemical profiles, which will aid efforts to illuminate the multi-functional nature of leptin’s action in the hypothalamus.