Nutrient patterns in relation to metabolic health status and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adropin in adults.

The present study aimed to investigate the association of nutrient patterns (NPs) with metabolic health status and serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adropin in Iranian adults. This cross-sectional survey was performed on 527 adults aged 20-60 years in Isfahan, Iran. To evaluate dietary intake, a validated 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was used. Participants were categorized as metabolically healthy (MH) and metabolically unhealthy (MU) according to their glycemic and lipid profile, insulin resistance (IR), and inflammation status. An overnight fasting blood sample was collected from each participant and serum levels of BDNF and adropin were assessed. A total of 42.50% of participants were recognized as MU. Three NPs were recognized by factor analysis that labeled as "high animal protein" (NP1), "high vegetable" (NP2), and "high carbohydrate" (NP3) patterns. Moderate adherence to NP2 was related to a lower risk of MU (ORT2 vs. T1 = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.18-0.76). Moreover, high adherence of NP2 (T3 vs. T1) was inversely associated with hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.11-0.65; P-trend < 0.001) and high hs-CRP values (OR = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.09-1.00; P-trend = 0.03). No significant association was observed between adherence of NP1 and NP3 with MU in crude and adjusted models. However, negative associations were found between moderate adherence to NP3 and insulin resistance (IR) (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.06-0.91) as well as high adherence to NP1 and hypertension (OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09-0.61; P-trend < 0.001). NPs were not associated with serum BDNF and adropin values.

Diet in relation to Metabolic, sleep and psychological health Status (DiMetS): protocol for a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Metabolic disturbances are of major health concerns in the world. In addition to their high prevalence, these disorders have substantial roles in developing other physical and mental diseases. Diet could have a considerable influence on managing the progression of these conditions and their consequent health-related effects. The aim of the 'Diet in relation to Metabolic, sleep and psychological health Status' Project is to explore the association of nutrition with metabolic, sleep and mental health, considering potential mediators including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and adropin. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This cross-sectional study will be conducted on adults (20-65 years) working in schools of Isfahan, Iran. A multistage cluster random sampling method will be used to select participants. Anthropometric, body composition and biochemical values including fasting blood glucose, lipid profile, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, insulin, BDNF, adropin, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, uric acid, creatinine and C reactive protein will be measured for each participant. National Cholesterol Education Program and Adult Treatment Panel III will be considered to define metabolic syndrome. Diet will be assessed through a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire. Furthermore, sleep status, mental health, quality of life, physical activity and demographic status of individuals will be assessed by validated questionnaires. The collected data will be analysed using appropriate statistical methods. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol was approved by the local Ethics Committee of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences. All participants will provide written informed consent. Dissemination will be through conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

An Unhealthy Plant-Based Diet Increases Risk of Hypertension but not Framingham Risk Score in Adults.

Backgrounds: We investigated the relation of plant-based diets (PDs) with hypertension (HTN) and Framingham risk score (FRS) in Iranian adults. Objectives: We hypothesized that healthy PDs might have positive effects on blood pressure (BP) and FRS, whereas less-healthy plant-based foods might have negative effects. Methods: The current cross-sectional study was performed on 527 middle-aged adults (45.7% women), who were selected through a multistage cluster random-sampling method. The assessment of dietary intakes was performed by using a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Twelve-hour fasting blood samples were collected to evaluate total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein concentrations. BP was measured through the standard method and HTN was defined as BP ≥130/80 mmHg. FRS was used to predict the 10-y risk for development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Results: The prevalence of HTN and high FRS among study participants were, respectively, 62% and 15.6%. After adjustment for potential confounders, plant-based diet index (PDI) and healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI) were not significantly associated with HTN [odds ratio (OR): 0.99; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.55, 1.79 and OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.45, 1.53, respectively)]. However, those in the highest tertile of unhealthy plant-based diet index (uPDI) in comparison with those in the bottom tertile had a 100% increased odds of HTN (OR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.04, 3.88). Greater adherence to PDI, hPDI, and uPDI was not related to high FRS chance, in fully adjusted model (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.15, 1.65; OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.26, 4.04; and OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 0.56, 7.52, respectively). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that less-healthy PDs would enhance the chance of HTN in Iranian adults, although PDIs were not significantly related to the 10-y risk of developing CVD.

Legumes and nuts intake in relation to metabolic health status, serum brain derived neurotrophic factor and adropin levels in adults.

There is controversial evidence about the relationship between consumption of legumes and nuts with metabolic disturbances. The present study was undertaken to explore the association of legumes and nuts intake with metabolic health status among Iranian adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 527 adults (45.7% female, aged 20-65 years) chosen through a multistage cluster random-sampling approach. Dietary intakes of individuals were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were gathered to evaluate biochemical parameters. Metabolic health status of subjects was determined according to the criteria defined by Wildman. Data of covariates were collected using pre-tested procedures. The overall prevalence of metabolic unhealthy (MU) phenotype was 42.5%. After controlling all confounders, participants with highest intake of legumes and nuts had lower odds of MU status, compared with the lowest intake (OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.18-0.71). This association was stronger in normal-weight rather than overweight/obese adults and also in women rather than men. Higher consumption of legumes and nuts was additionally related to decreased odds of hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension. A marginally inverse association was observed between legumes and nuts intake with low brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, in fully-adjusted model (ORT3 vs. T1 0.50; 95% CI 0.25-1.01). Each tertile increase in legumes and nuts intake was marginally related to higher adropin levels ([Formula: see text] = 4.06; P = 0.07). In conclusion, this study demonstrated that higher intake of legumes and nuts is associated with lower chance of MU both in normal weight and overweight/obese adults. The association may be facilitated through serum BDNF and adropin.

Association between Mediterranean dietary pattern with sleep duration, sleep quality and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in Iranian adults.

Data on the association between Mediterranean diet, sleep and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were limited in Middle Eastern populations. We examined the association between Mediterranean dietary pattern with sleep quality/quantity, and serum BDNF in Iranian adults. This cross-sectional study was performed among 535 middle-aged adults (54% men), selected by multistage cluster random sampling method. The Pittsburgh sleep quality index and a validated food frequency questionnaire were used to assess sleep quality, sleep quantity, and Mediterranean diet score (MDS). Twelve-hour fasting blood samples were taken to evaluate serum BDNF values. Participants in the highest tertile of MDS, in comparison to those in the lowest tertile, had lower odds of having short sleep (OR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.21-0.91) and poor sleep quality (OR = 0.48, 95%CI: 0.22-0.96), after adjustment for potential confounders. Among specific domains of sleep quality, lower odds of subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, and daytime dysfunction were associated with increased MDS. Higher adherence to MDS among individuals with overweight or obesity reduced the odds of having short sleep; this relation was not seen among individuals with normal weight. In contrast, the association between sleep quality and the MDS was significant in individuals with normal weight, but not those with overweight or obesity. Participants with higher adherence to MDS had lower odds for low BDNF values; however, this relation was not statistically significant. Overall, Iranian adults with a higher adherence to MDS had considerably lower odds of having short sleep and poor sleep quality. BDNF would not be an intermediate molecule for this connection.

Total fat and omega-3 fatty acids intake in relation to serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels and psychological disorders in Iranian adults.

Considering contradictory findings of previous investigations and growing prevalence of psychological disorders, we investigated association between dietary total fat and omega-3 fatty acids intake with serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, depression, anxiety and psychological distress in Iranian adults. Using a multistage cluster random sampling method, 533 middle-aged adults were included in this cross-sectional study. A validated semi-quantitative 168-item food frequency questionnaire was used to examine dietary intakes. A 12-h fasting blood sample was drawn to measure serum BDNF. Serum BDNF values in the first decile were considered low level. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used to assess depression, anxiety and psychological distress. A U-shaped relationship between fat intake and prevalence of anxiety and distress was found. The third quartile of fat intake compared to the first quartile was significantly related to 80% decreased odds of depression (OR = 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.80), in fully-adjusted model. Participants in the third quartile of fat intake compared to those in the first quartile had significantly 45% lower odds for distress, in the crude model (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.92); however, this association disappeared after considering confounders. There was no significant association between omega-3 fatty acids intake and odds of depression, anxiety or distress. Prevalence of low-BDNF values was higher in participants with depression, as compared to non-depressed subjects (14.9 vs. 9%; P = 0.06). This cross-sectional study illustrated a U-shaped relationship between fat intake and prevalence of anxiety and distress. Moderate intake of fat was related to lower odds of depression. Prevalence of low-BDNF values was slightly higher in subjects with depression compared to non-depressed individuals.

Virtual screening based on the structure of more than 105 compounds against four key proteins of SARS-CoV-2: MPro, SRBD, RdRp, and PLpro.

Background: SARS-CoV-2 initially originated in Wuhan (China) around December 2019, and spread all over the world. Currently, WHO (Word Health Organization) has licensed several vaccines for this viral infection. However, not everyone can be vaccinated. People with underlying health conditions that weaken their immune systems or those with severe allergies to some vaccine components, may not be able to be vaccinated. Moreover, no vaccination is 100% safe, and the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 mutations may reduce the efficacy of immunizations. Therefore, it is urgent to develop effective drugs to protect people against this virus. Material and method: We performed structure-based virtual screening (SBVS) of a library that was built from ChemDiv and PubChem databases against four SARS-CoV-2 target proteins: S-protein (spike), main protease (MPro), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, and PLpro. A virtual screening study was performed using PyRx and AutoDock tools. Results: Our results suggest that twenty-five top-ranked drugs with the highest energy binding as the potential inhibitors against four SARS-CoV-2 targets, relative to the reference molecules. Based on the energy binding, we suggest that these compounds could be used to produce effective anti-viral drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Conclusion: The discovery of novel compounds for COVID-19 using computer-aided drug discovery tools requires knowledge of the structure of coronavirus and various target proteins of the virus. These compounds should be further assessed in experimental assays and clinical trials to validate their actual activity against the disease. These findings may contribute to the drug design studies against COVID-19.

Dietary total antioxidant capacity in relation to metabolic health status in overweight and obese adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies evaluated the relationship between individual dietary antioxidants and metabolic health conditions, data on the association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and metabolic health among children and adolescents is limited. This study investigated the relationship between dietary total antioxidant capacity and metabolic health status in Iranian overweight/obese adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 203 overweight/obese adolescents. Dietary intakes were evaluated by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Ferric Reducing-Antioxidant Power (FRAP) was considered to indicate dietary total antioxidant capacity. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure status were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine circulating insulin, glucose, and lipid profile. Two different methods (modified International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and IDF criteria along with insulin resistance) were applied to classify participants as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) or metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO). RESULTS: According to IDF and IDF/HOMA definitions, a total of 79 (38.9%) and 67 (33.0%) adolescents were respectively defined as MUO. Considering IDF criteria, the highest tertile of FRAP was related to lower odds of being MUO in the maximally-adjusted model (OR: 0.40; 95%CI: 0.16-0.96), compared to the lowest tertile. However, based on the IDF/HOMA-IR criteria, no significant relation was found between FRAP and odds of MUO (OR: 0.49; 95%CI: 0.19-1.23) after considering all possible confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with higher intakes of dietary antioxidants have a lower possibility of being MUO based on IDF criteria. However, no substantial relation was found considering HOMA-IR/IDF definition. Further prospective cohort studies need to be done to confirm these findings.

Adherence to Mediterranean Diet and Its Association with Metabolic Health Status in Overweight and Obese Adolescents.

Background: Obesity is becoming more prevalent around the world and greatly contributes to chronic disease progression. Previous studies have investigated individual food groups in relation to metabolic health status of adolescents, mainly in Western countries. Limited data are available on the association between dietary patterns and metabolic health in Middle East nations, where childhood overweight/obesity is increasing drastically. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between the Mediterranean diet and metabolic health status among Iranian adolescents. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 203 overweight/obese adolescents. Dietary intakes were evaluated by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Anthropometric parameters and blood pressure were measured. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine circulating insulin, glucose, and lipid profile. Two different methods were applied to classify participants as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) or unhealthy obese (MUO): International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and IDF along with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) criteria. Results: A total of 79 (38.9%) and 67 (33.0%) adolescents were, respectively, categorized as MUO, based on IDF and IDF/HOMA definitions. Considering IDF criteria, higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was related to lower odds of being MUO, both in the crude (OR: 0.17; 95%CI: 0.08-0.37) and fully adjusted model (OR: 0.33; 95% CI: 0.13-0.84). Excluding each component from the score made the association insignificant, except for two components of meat and dairy products. Based on the IDF/HOMA-IR criteria, there was no significant association between Mediterranean diet score and MUO, after considering all potential confounders (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.17-1.30). Conclusions: We found an inverse association between the Mediterranean diet and odds of MUO among Iranian adolescents, based on IDF criteria. No significant relation was found when MUO was defined based on HOMA-IR/IDF criteria. Further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Dietary total, plant and animal protein intake in relation to metabolic health status in overweight and obese adolescents.

Few studies have investigated dietary total protein intake and its subtypes in relation to metabolic health status. We explored the relation between dietary total, plant and animal protein intake with metabolic health status in Iranian overweight/obese adolescents. Overweight/obese adolescents (n = 203) were selected for this cross-sectional study by multistage cluster random-sampling method. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to evaluate dietary intakes. Total, plant and animal protein intake were considered as percentage of energy intake. Anthropometric indices, blood pressure, lipid and glycemic profiles were collected. Participants were classified as metabolically healthy obese (MHO) or unhealthy obese (MUO) based on International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and IDF/Homeostasis Model Assessment Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) definitions. Subjects had a mean age of 13.98 years, and 50.2% of them were girls. Based on IDF criteria, adolescents in the top tertile of total (OR = 0.32; 95% CI 0.13-0.77), plant (OR = 0.30; 95% CI 0.10-0.91), and animal (OR = 0.20; 95% CI 0.08-0.54) protein intake had lower odds of being MUO compared to the reference category. Considering IDF/HOMA-IR criteria, subjects in the highest tertile of total (OR = 0.31; 95% CI 0.12-0.79) and animal (OR = 0.17; 95% CI 0.06-0.49) protein intake were less likely to be MUO. However, no substantial association was observed with plant protein intake. Also, an inverse association was observed between each SD increase in total and animal protein with MUO odds. We found inverse association between total, plant and animal protein intake and chance of being MUO in adolescents. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings.

Tensile-Tearing Fracture Analysis of U-Notched Spruce Samples.

Spruce wood (Picea Mariana) is a highly orthotropic material whose fracture behavior in the presence of U-shaped notches and under combined tensile-tearing loading (so-called mixed-mode I/III loading) is analyzed in this work. Thus, several tests are carried out on U-notched samples with different notch tip radii (1 mm, 2 mm, and 4 mm) under various combinations of loading modes I and III (pure mode I, pure mode III, and three mixed-mode I/III loadings), from which both the experimental fracture loads and the fracture angles of the specimens are obtained. Because of the linear elastic behavior of the spruce wood, the point stress (PS) and mean stress (MS) methods, both being stress-based criteria, are used in combination with the Virtual Isotropic Material Concept (VIMC) for predicting the fracture loads and the fracture angles. By employing the VIMC, the spruce wood as an orthotropic material is modeled as a homogeneous and isotropic material with linear elastic behavior. The stress components required for calculating the experimental values of notch stress intensity factors are obtained by finite element (FE) analyses of the test configuration using commercial FE software from the fracture loads obtained experimentally. The discrepancies between the experimental and theoretical results of the critical notch stress intensity factors are obtained between -12.1% and -15% for the PS criterion and between -5.9% and -14.6% for the MS criterion, respectively. The discrepancies related to fracture initiation angle range from -1.0% to +12.1% for the PS criterion and from +1.5% to +12.2% for the MS criterion, respectively. Thus, both the PS and MS models have good accuracy when compared with the experimental data. It is also found that both failure criteria underestimate the fracture resistance of spruce wood under mixed-mode I/III loading.

The Relationship Between Linoleic Acid Intake and Psychological Disorders in Adults.

Background: The association between linoleic acid (LA) intake and mental disorders has not been extensively studied in Middle-Eastern populations. We investigated the association between LA intake and the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress in a large group of Iranian adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 3,362 middle-aged adults. LA intake was determined through a validated dish-based 106-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). The validated Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) were used to define psychological disorders. Results: The prevalence of depression, anxiety, and psychological distress among the study population was 28.6, 13.6, and 22.6%, respectively. After adjustment for potential confounders, individuals in the top quartile of LA intake had 41% more likely to be depressed compared to those in the bottom quartile (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.02-1.95). Stratified analysis by sex revealed that men in the fourth quartile of LA intake, compared to the first quartile, had 80% higher odds of depression, after considering all potential confounders (OR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.01-3.19). More consumption of LA was also associated with higher odds of depression in older adults (OR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.46-4.10) and normal-weight individuals (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.13-2.72). Additionally, higher intake of LA was related to 90% higher odds of psychological distress in older participants (OR = 1.90, 95% CI: 1.08-3.36). No significant relation was found between LA intake and anxiety. Conclusion: We found that higher intake of LA, as percentage of energy, was positively associated with depression, especially in men, older adults, and normal-weight subjects. Higher intake of LA was also related to higher odds of psychological distress in older individuals. More studies, particularly prospective cohorts, are needed to confirm these findings.

Serum vitamin D levels in relation to type-2 diabetes and prediabetes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies.

BACKGROUND: Findings of observational studies that investigated the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and abnormal glucose homeostasis were contradictory. This meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies evaluated the association of vitamin D status and risk of type-2 diabetes (T2D) and prediabetes in adults. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted on all published articles in five electronic databases (including MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Institute for Scientific Information, Scopus and Google scholar), up to August 2020. Twenty-eight prospective cohort and nested case-control studies and 83 cross-sectional and case-control investigations that reported relative risks (RRs) or odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for abnormal glucose homeostasis in relation to serum vitamin D levels in adults were included in the analysis. RESULTS: In prospective studies, high versus low level of vitamin D was respectively associated with significant 35%, 30% and 51% decrease in risk of T2D (RR:0.65; 95%CI: 0.55-0.76; 27 effect sizes), combined T2D and pre-diabetes (RR:0.70; 95%CI: 0.52-0.95; 9 effect sizes) and pre-diabetes (RR:0.49; 95%CI: 0.26-0.93; 2 effect sizes). These inverse associations were significant in almost all subgroups. Dose-response analysis in prospective studies showed that each 10 ng/ml increase in serum vitamin D levels resulted in 12% and 11% reduced risk of T2D (RR:0.88; 95%CI: 0.83-0.94) and combined T2D and prediabetes (RR:0.89; 95%CI: 0.87-0.92), respectively. In cross-sectional and case-control studies, highest versus lowest level of serum vitamin D was linked to reduced odds of T2D (OR:0.64; 95%CI: 0.57-0.72; 42 effect sizes) and combined T2D and pre-diabetes (OR:0.79; 95%CI: 0.74-0.85; 59 effect sizes); but not pre-diabetes (OR:0.64; 95%CI: 0.17-2.37; 11 effect sizes). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies disclosed that serum vitamin D level was reversely associated with the risk of T2D and combined T2D and prediabetes in adults, in a dose-response manner. However, the association was not remarkable for pre-diabetes.