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Topic Review
Ketoacid Analogues Supplementation in CKD
Diet is a key component of care during chronic kidney disease (CKD). In order to reduce the risk of nutritional disorders in very-low protein diets (VLDP), supplementation by nitrogen-free ketoacid analogues (KAs) have been proposed.
  • 872
  • 06 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Nutritional Therapies on the Intestinal Microbiome
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, autoimmune disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with numerous genetic and environmental risk factors. Patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) or ulcerative colitis (UC) often demonstrate marked disruptions of their gut microbiome. The intestinal microbiota is strongly influenced by diet. The association between the increasing incidence of IBD worldwide and increased consumption of a westernized diet suggests host nutrition may influence the progression or treatment of IBD via the microbiome. Several nutritional therapies have been studied for the treatment of CD and UC. While their mechanisms of action are only partially understood, existing studies do suggest that diet-driven changes in microbial composition and function underlie the diverse mechanisms of nutritional therapy. Despite existing therapies for IBD focusing heavily on immune suppression, nutrition is an important treatment option due to its superior safety profile, potentially low cost, and benefits for growth and development. These benefits are increasingly important to patients. In this entry, we will describe the clinical efficacy of the different nutritional therapies that have been described for the treatment of CD and UC. 
  • 864
  • 05 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of metabolic risk factors, characterized by abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, low levels of HDL-c, hypertension, and insulin resistance. Lifestyle modifications, especially dietary habits, are the main therapeutic strategy for the treatment and management of metabolic syndrome, but the most effective dietary pattern for its management has not been established. Specific dietary modifications, such as improving the quality of the foods or changing macronutrient distribution, showed beneficial effects on metabolic syndrome conditions and individual parameters. On comparing low-fat and restricted diets, the scientific evidence supports the use of the Mediterranean DASH diet intervention as the new paradigm for metabolic syndrome prevention and treatment. The nutritional distribution and quality of these healthy diets allows health professionals to provide easy-to-follow dietary advice without the need for restricted diets. Nonetheless, energy-restricted dietary patterns and improvements in physical activity are crucial to improve the metabolic disturbances observed in metabolic syndrome patients.
  • 862
  • 21 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Bile Acids in Metabolic Disease
Bile acids are cholesterol-derived metabolites with a well-established role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fat. More recently, the discovery of bile acids as natural ligands for the nuclear farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and membrane Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5 (TGR5), and the recognition of the effects of FXR and TGR5 signaling have led to a paradigm shift in knowledge regarding bile acid physiology and metabolic health. Bile acids are now recognized as signaling molecules that orchestrate blood glucose, lipid and energy metabolism. Changes in FXR and/or TGR5 signaling modulates the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY), hepatic gluconeogenesis, glycogen synthesis, energy expenditure, and the composition of the gut microbiome.
  • 861
  • 28 Sep 2021
Topic Review
Bioactive Compounds Present in Oilseeds
Oilseeds are a great source of affordable and potent bioactive compounds (e.g., carotenes, flavonoids, PUFAs, organosulphur compounds, phytosterols, and polyphenols) generally used in the pharmaceutical (anti-microbial toxins, adjuvants for cancer therapy, cholesterol-lowering therapeutics), agricultural (animal welfare) and cosmetic (oil-based creams) industries. However, oilseeds also contain certain molecules called anti-nutrients, which are toxic compounds synthesized by plants as a defense mechanism. Controlling these compound’s amounts, namely glucosinolates and phytic acid, is essential to maximize beneficial effects over toxicity.
  • 859
  • 01 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Dietary Fats and MicroRNA expression
Dietary fatty acids (DFAs) play key roles in different metabolic processes in humans and other mammals. DFAs have been considered beneficial for health, particularly polyunsaturated (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).However both polyunsatyrated and saturated DFAs are both present in normal diet. On the other hand , microRNAs (miRNAs) exert their function on DFA metabolism by modulating gene expression and have drawn great attention for their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. DFAs have been shown to induce and repress miRNA expression associated with metabolic disease and inflammation in different cell types and organisms, both in vivo and in vitro, depending on varying combinations of DFAs, doses, and the duration of treatment.  
  • 858
  • 17 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Vitamin K in Preventing Osteoarthritis
Cartilage calcification impairs the function of knee joints. Vitamin K can prevent cartilage calcification by regulating the carboxylation of matrix proteins, such as matrix gla protein. Prevention of calcium crystal formation also suppresses inflammation cytokines production by joint tissues. 
  • 856
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Micronutrient Effects on Testosterone Concentrations
This entry discusses the role of both micro and macronutrients on endogenous testosterone production
  • 856
  • 02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Dietary Assessment Tools for Preschool-Aged Children
Preschool-aged children in the U.S. have suboptimal diets. Interventions to improve child nutrition focus on parents and their role in shaping social and physical home environments, which influence children’s eating behaviors. Dietary assessment tools selected to measure intervention objectives, and how results are interpreted in key findings, are essential when examining children’s diets. Dietary assessment tools can be used to capture habitual or acute dietary intake as well as a variety of dietary outputs—foods and food groups consumed (e.g., fruits and vegetables), energy (calories), macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats and protein), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), and dietary scores or quality indices (e.g., diet diversity, Healthy Eating Index).
  • 854
  • 16 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Creatine in Health and Disease
Creatine has been mostly studied as an ergogenic aid for exercise, training, and sport, several health and potential therapeutic benefits have been reported. This is because creatine plays a critical role in cellular metabolism, particularly during metabolically stressed states, and limitations in the ability to transport and/or store creatine can impair metabolism. 
  • 844
  • 10 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Microbial Metabolite Trimethylamine N-Oxide
Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is one among a group of selective uremic toxins that may rise to high levels in the circulation or accumulate in various organs. Diet and microbiota each have a direct impact on many chronic, inflammatory, and metabolic diseases. As the field develops, a new perspective is emerging. The effects of diet may depend on the microbiota composition of the intestine. A diet that is rich in choline, red meat, dairy, or egg may promote the growth, or change the composition, of microbial species. 
  • 844
  • 11 Nov 2021
Topic Review
Mosaic of Autoimmunity
The “mosaic of autoimmunity” was a term originally coined by Shoenfeld and Isenberg in 1989, and refers to the interplay between genetic, hormonal, immunological, and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including RA [1]. 
  • 841
  • 10 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Vitamin D and Glomerulonephritis
Vitamin D presents a plethora of different functions that go beyond its role in skeletal homeo-stasis. It is an efficient endocrine regulator of the Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System (RAAS) and erythropoiesis, exerts immunomodulatory effects, reduces the cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. In Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, Vitamin D function is im-paired; the renal hydrolyzation of its inactive form by the action of 1α-hydroxylase declines at the same pace of reduced nephron mass. Moreover, Vitamin D major carrier, the D-binding pro-tein (DBP), is less represented due to Nephrotic Syndrome (NS), proteinuria, and the alteration of the cubilin–megalin–amnionless receptor complex in the renal proximal tubule. In Glomeru-lonephritis (GN), Vitamin D supplementation demonstrated to significantly reduce proteinuria and to slow kidney disease progression. It also has potent antiproliferative and immunomodu-lating functions, contributing to the inhibitions of kidney inflammation. Vitamin D preserves the structural integrity of the slit diaphragm guaranteeing protective effects on podocytes. Acti-vated Vitamin D has been demonstrated to potentiate the antiproteinuric effect of RAAS inhibi-tors in IgA nephropathy and Lupus Nephritis, enforcing its role in the treatment of glomerulo-nephritis: calcitriol treatment, through Vitamin D receptor (VDR) action, can regulate the hepa-ranase promoter activity and modulate the urokinase receptor (uPAR), guaranteeing podocyte preservation. It also controls the podocyte distribution by modulating mRNA synthesis and protein expression of nephrin and podocin. Maxalcalcitol is another promising alternative: it has about 1/600 affinity to vitamin D binding protein (DBP), compared to Calcitriol, overcoming the risk of hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and calcifications, and it circulates principally in un-bound form with easier availability for target tissues. Doxercalciferol, as well as paricalcitol, showed a lower incidence of hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria than Calcitriol. Paricalcitol demonstrated a significant role in suppressing RAAS genes expression: it significantly decreases angiotensinogen, renin, renin receptors, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA levels, thus reducing proteinuria and renal damage.
  • 840
  • 11 Oct 2021
Topic Review
Butyrate
Butyrate emerged because it might have a potential in alleviating obesity and related comorbidities. 
  • 839
  • 09 Mar 2021
Topic Review
Agaricus blazei ,Grifola frondosa Extracts
Extracts of the mushrooms also appear to be safe in preclinical and clinical studies. Whereas special focus has been on their antitumor effects, the mushrooms' anti-allergic properties have also been investigated. The anti-allergic mechanism was amelioration of a skewed Th1/Th2 balance. Here, a brief review is given of the preclinical and clinical findings with AbM and GF.
  • 838
  • 30 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Leptin in Gestational Diabetes
Leptin is highly expressed in placenta, mainly by trophoblastic cells, where it has an important autocrine trophic effect. Moreover, increased leptin levels are found in the most frequent pathology of pregnancy: gestational diabetes, where leptin may mediate the increased size of placenta and the fetus, which becomes macrosomic. In fact, leptin mediates the increased protein synthesis observed in trophoblasts from gestational diabetic subjects. In addition, leptin seems to facilitate nutrients transport to the fetus in gestational diabetes by increasing the expression of the glycerol transporter aquaporin-9. The high plasma leptin levels found in gestational diabetes may be potentiated by leptin resistance at central level, and obesity-associated inflammation is playing a role in this leptin resistance. Therefore, the importance of anti-inflammatory nutrients to modify the pathology of pregnancy is clear. In fact, nutritional intervention is the first line approach to the treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus. However, more nutritional intervention studies with some nutraceuticals, such as polyphenols or polyunsaturated fatty acids, or nutritional supplementation with micronutrients or probiotics in pregnant women are needed, in order to achieve a high level of evidence. In this context, Mediterranean diet has been recently found to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes in a multicenter randomized trial. This review will focus on the impact of maternal obesity on placental inflammation and nutrients transport considering the mechanisms by which leptin may influence maternal and fetal health in this setting, as well as its role in pregnancy pathologies
  • 837
  • 05 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Preventing Nutritional Deficiencies during COVID-19
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic is posing a threat to communities and healthcare systems worldwide. Malnutrition, in all its forms, may negatively impact the susceptibility and severity of SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) infection in both children and older adults. Both undernutrition and obesity have been evoked as conditions associated with a higher susceptibility to the infection and poor prognosis. In turn, the COVID-19 infection may worsen the nutritional status through highly catabolic conditions, exposing individuals to the risk of malnutrition, muscle wasting, and nutritional deficiencies. Accordingly, the relationship between malnutrition and COVID-19 is likely to be bidirectional. Furthermore, the modification of nutritional behaviors and physical activity, required to limit the spread of the virus, are posing a challenge to health at both the extremes of life. Thus far, even the most advanced healthcare systems have failed to address the alarming consequences of malnutrition posed by this pandemic. If not properly addressed, we may run the risk that new and old generations will experience the consequences of COVID-19 related malnutrition. 
  • 836
  • 08 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Metabolomics Meets Nutritional Epidemiology
Metabolomics is one of the most complex omics tools; the added complexity stems from the fact that there is not one set of metabolites making up the metabolome. Indeed, the metabolome is highly dynamic and diverse with metabolites originating external to the host and metabolites that are synthesised endogenously. This added complexity means that the metabolome can be informative both regarding external exposures including dietary intake and on the metabolic phenotype.
  • 836
  • 18 Nov 2021
Topic Review
VitD and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
Vitamin D is a steroid hormone traditionally connected to phosphocalcium metabolism. The discovery of pleiotropic expression of its receptor and of the enzymes involved in its metabolism have led to exploration of the other roles of this vitamin, namely on autoimmune thyroid disease. Most of the existing data support a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and a greater tendency for development and/or higher titers of antibodies linked to Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, and/or postpartum thyroiditis. The nature of this relationship is yet unknown, it may be due to vitamin D's immunoregulatory role, emerge as a consequence of the autoimmune disease, or be a result physiopathological process underlying the autoimmune disease. Our thesis is that, due to its immunoregulatory role, vitamin D plays a minor role in conjunction with myriad other factors. In some cases, a vicious cycle is generated, thus contributing to the deficiency and aggravating the autoimmune process.
  • 836
  • 21 Sep 2020
Topic Review
PKA-p38MAPK-NFAT5-Pathway and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
In Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the absence of dystrophin from the dystrophin-associated protein complex (DAPC) causes muscle membrane instability, which leads to myofiber necrosis, hampered regeneration, and chronic inflammation. The resulting disabled DAPC-associated cellular pathways have been described both at the molecular and the therapeutical level, with the Toll-like receptor nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells pathway (NF-ƘB), Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription proteins, and the transforming growth factor-β pathways receiving the most attention. The protein kinase A/ mitogen-activated protein kinase/nuclear factor of activated T-cells 5/organic osmolytes (PKA-p38MAPK-NFAT5-organic osmolytes) pathway. This pathway plays an important role in osmotic homeostasis essential to normal cell physiology via its regulation of the influx/efflux of organic osmolytes. Besides, NFAT5 plays an essential role in cell survival under hyperosmolar conditions, in skeletal muscle regeneration, and in tissue inflammation, closely interacting with the master regulator of inflammation NF-ƘB. 
  • 835
  • 26 Apr 2021
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