An Updated Framework for Industry Funding of Food and Nutrition Research: Managing Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity.

Although the food and beverage industry plays a critical role in advancing food and nutrition science, industry-funded research is subject to intense scrutiny as a result of various perceived and real biases related to funding sources. To address this, the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS) Assembly on Scientific Integrity has updated its Guiding Principles for Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research to provide a modernized framework for minimizing bias and promoting integrity in industry-funded research. Existing best practices for managing conflicts and maintaining trust in science, as well as coverage related to conflicts in industry-funded research, were reviewed to inform the development of the updated Guiding Principles. The updated Guiding Principles continue to provide conflict-of-interest guidelines to protect the integrity and credibility of the scientific record. These updates provide clarification, strengthen the guardrails that separate the funding from the science, and reflect the shift within the scientific community toward increased transparency and open science. If the principles are followed as intended, there should be little reason to dispute the results of industry-funded studies, other than to debate the science itself. This article issues a challenge to the research community to strive for just that.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D regulates lipid metabolism and glucose utilization in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

It is well established that adipose tissue can both store and metabolize vitamin D. The active form of vitamin D, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D], regulates adipocyte differentiation and inflammation, highlighting the multifaceted role that vitamin D plays in adipose tissue physiology. However, there is limited evidence regarding vitamin D regulation of mature adipocyte lipid metabolism. We hypothesize that 1,25(OH)2D alters lipid and glucose metabolism in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes to reduce triacylglycerol (TAG) accumulation. In this study, 1,25(OH)2D (10 nmol/L) stimulated a 21% reduction in TAG accumulation in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes after 4 days (P = .01) despite a significant increase in fatty acid uptake (P < .01). Additionally, 1,25(OH)2D stimulated a 2.5-fold increase in 14CO2 production from [1-14C] palmitic acid (P < .01), indicative of an elevated rate of fatty acid ß-oxidation, while stimulating a 9% reduction in de novo fatty acid synthesis (P = .03). Interestingly, d-[U-13C]glucose incorporation into fatty acids was reduced by 30% in response to 1,25(OH)2D (P < .01), indicating a reduced contribution of glucose as a substrate for de novo lipogenesis. Consistent with these findings, mRNA expression of the anaplerotic enzyme pyruvate carboxylase was reduced by 41% (P < .01). In summary, 1,25(OH)2D stimulated fatty acid oxidation and reduced TAG accumulation in differentiated adipocytes. Furthermore, 1,25(OH)2D reduced glucose utilization as a substrate for fatty acid synthesis potentially by downregulating pyruvate carboxylase and stimulating glucose disposal as glycerol. Collectively, these 1,25(OH)2D-induced changes in lipid metabolism and glucose utilization may contribute to the reduction in TAG accumulation and be protective against excessive fat mass accumulation and associated metabolic disorders.