Endocrine Abstracts

In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the role of dietary fibre in obesity management. Much of this interest stems from animal and human studies that suggest increased intake of fermentable fibre can improve body composition.A growing number of reports have demonstrated that the principal products of colonic fermentation of dietary fibre, short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), contribute to energy homeostasis via effects on cellular metabolic p...

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including propionate, are the main metabolic by-products in the fermentation of non-digestible dietary fibre by the gut microbiota. SCFAs have wide-ranging effects in vivo, and their receptors, free fatty acid receptor 2 (FFAR2) and free fatty acid receptor 3 (FFAR3), are expressed at numerous tissue sites. Sodium propionate supplementation has been shown to increase energy expenditure, induce sympathetic neuron action potentials and p...

The anorectic gut hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and Peptide YY (PYY) are secreted by enteroendocrine L cells in response to short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut microbiota following dietary fibre consumption. SCFAs, acetate, propionate and butyrate, activate the G protein-coupled receptors Free Fatty Acid Receptor 2 and 3 (FFAR2, FFAR3). Increasing intestinal levels of propionate can prevent weight gain in overweight adults. In rodents, FFAR2-mediated gut...

Multiple aspects of physiology and pathophysiology, including endocrine function, are influenced by endogenous circadian timing mechanisms. In mammals, cell autonomous clocks are present in all major tissues throughout the body. These clocks are synchronised via complex signalling pathways and are believed to drive local aspects of physiology.Recently published data have revealed 24-h rhythms in up to 20% of the adipose transcriptome, suggesting profound...

Intestinal nutrient sensing and transport are gaining increasing attention in the field of obesity research. To date, in vitro studies in this area have largely used two dimensional (2D) cell culture models. However, 2D cell cultures are limited by a lack of cellular heterogeneity, behaviour, and communication observed in vivo. There has consequently been growing interest for the application of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture ...

Intestinal nutrient sensing and transport are gaining increasing attention in the field of obesity research. To date, in vitro studies in this area have largely used two dimensional (2D) cell culture models. However, 2D cell cultures are limited by a lack of cellular heterogeneity, behaviour, and communication observed in vivo. There has consequently been growing interest for the application of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture ...

Lactate is a metabolite that activates the G-protein coupled receptor, Hydroxycarboxylic acid Receptor 1 (HCAR1) to regulate physiological processes such as lipolysis, cancer cell survival, and neuroprotection. Lactate exists in two forms, L+ and D-, with the L isoform predominant in the human body. Interestingly, both isoforms are only found together in the gastrointestinal tract. L-lactate is synthesised as a by-product of anaerobic respiration, whereas D-lactate, is a produ...

Background: Obesity is the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue to the extent that health may be impaired. Determination of the mechanisms governing adipose deposition and body weight regulation are now a scientific priority. High dietary fat intake is generally considered to be a factor in obesity’s multi-factorial aetiology and the metabolic syndrome. Yet not all dietary fats appear to be obese genic to the same degree.Objective: To study the ...

The Hydroxycarboxylic Acid Receptor 1 (HCAR1) is a Gαi/o-coupled GPCR known to be activated by both L- and D-lactate; metabolites produced by gut microbiota and anaerobic metabolism. Elevated D-lactate levels are indicative of dysbiosis and inflammatory bowel disease. As lactate can be transported into cells, it has the potential to activate HCAR1 at the plasma membrane and within intracellular locations resulting in diversified responses. Whether HCAR1 signalling is spat...

A major limitation of nutritional science is the objective assessment of dietary intake in free-living populations. Monitoring individuals’ response to policy recommendations is based on self-reported dietary assessment tools, which are known to have high misreporting rates estimated at 30–88%. We have developed a novel analytical pipeline capable to classify people into consumers of a healthy or unhealthy diet based on urinary metabolic patterns, without relying on ...