ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effects of ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and melatonin on brown adipose tissue (BAT) plasticity in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). METHODS: We employed a 7-week experimental design for a study on 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats divided into five groups: (1) a control-diet fed group; (2) a high-fat diet (HFD)-fed group; (3) a group that received an HFD and a BHB solution in their drinking water; (4) a group that received an HFD with 10 mg/kg/day melatonin in their drinking water; and (5) a group that received an HFD and were also treated with the combination of BHB and melatonin. Following the treatment period, biochemical indices, gene expression levels of key thermogenic markers (including uncoupling protein 1 [UCP1], PR domain containing 16 [PRDM16], Cidea, fat-specific protein 27 [Fsp27], and metallothionein 1 [MT1]), and stereological assessments of BAT were evaluated. RESULTS: Treatment with BHB and melatonin significantly boosted blood ketone levels, improved lipid profiles, and reduced weight gain from an HFD. It also downregulated genes linked to WAT, namely, Cidea and Fsp27, and upregulated key BAT markers, including UCP1, PRDM16 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1-alpha. Additionally, the co-treatment increased MT1 receptor expression and enhanced the structural density of BAT. CONCLUSION: The combined oral administration of BHB and melatonin successfully prevented the whitening of BAT in obese rats fed an HFD, indicating its potential as a therapeutic strategy for obesity-related BAT dysfunction. The synergistic effects of this treatment underscore the potential of a combined approach to address BAT dysfunction in obesity.
ABSTRACT
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and cancer incidence and mortality are rapidly growing. These massive amounts of cancer patients require rapid diagnosis and efficient treatment strategies. However, the currently utilized methods are invasive and cost-effective. Recently, the effective roles of exosomes as promising diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarkers have been revealed. Exosomes are membrane-bound extracellular vesicles containing RNAs, DNAs, and proteins, and are present in a wide array of body fluids. Exosomal cargos have shown the potential to detect various types of cancers at early stages with high sensitivity and specificity. They can also delivery therapeutic agents efficiently. In this article, an overview of recent advances in the research of exosomal biomarkers and their applications in cancer diagnosis and treatment has been provided. Furthermore, the advantages and challenges of exosomes as liquid biopsy targets are discussed and the clinical implications of using exosomal miRNAs have been revealed.