Article
Clinical Neurology
Thais Helena Figueiredo do Bonfim, Renata Leite Tavares, Maria Helena Araujo de Vasconcelos, Mirela Gouveia, Polyana Campos Nunes, Nais Lira Soares, Raquel Coutinho Alves, Jader Luciano Pinto de Carvalho, Adriano Francisco Alves, Ramon de Alencar Pereira, Glebia Alexa Cardoso, Alexandre Sergio Silva, Jailane de Souza Aquino
Summary: This study compared the effectiveness of western and cafeteria diets as obesity-inducing protocols, finding that the cafeteria diet was more effective in inducing obesity and causing a greater number of obesity-related metabolic and neurobehavioral disorders in the evaluated rats.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Haitao Jiang, Wanli Zhang, Xiangxin Li, Yan Xu, Jiankang Cao, Weibo Jiang
Summary: This article summarizes the main strategies for managing obesity and discusses the potential of berry fruits in combating obesity. It also explores the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in berry fruits and highlights the challenges that need to be addressed in the future.
FOOD RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Hamza Anwer, Margaret J. Morris, Daniel W. A. Noble, Shinichi Nakagawa, Malgorzata Lagisz
Summary: Obesity is a global health issue with complex genetic and intergenerational effects. Studies show that transgenerational exposure to obesogenic diets can result in offspring displaying phenotypes related to metabolic syndrome. Maternal exposure may have a stronger impact on offspring traits than paternal exposure. A high-fat diet in multigenerational exposure studies can reduce variation in certain traits.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Diana Sousa, Mariana Rocha, Andreia Amaro, Marcos Divino Ferreira-Junior, Keilah Valeria Naves Cavalcante, Tamaeh Monteiro-Alfredo, Catia Barra, Daniela Rosendo-Silva, Lucas Paulo Jacinto Saavedra, Jose Magalhaes, Armando Caseiro, Paulo Cezar de Freitas Mathias, Susana P. Pereira, Paulo J. Oliveira, Rodrigo Mello Gomes, Paulo Matafome
Summary: Obesogenic environments during the perinatal period can reprogram offspring energy balance mechanisms and increase the risk of metabolic diseases in adulthood. Different obesogenic models have varying effects on metabolic parameters and energy storage pathways in offspring.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Thomas D. Clark, Angela J. Crean, Alistair M. Senior
Summary: Research shows that obesogenic diets have an impact on anxiety-like behavior in rodents, primarily by reducing time spent in open areas. The effects of obesogenic diets are stronger in males than in females, with no significant impact observed from caloric restriction but potential increase observed from protein restriction. Further studies are needed to determine the underlying mechanisms behind these behavioral changes induced by obesogenic diets.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
L. M. Kotze-Horstmann, D. T. Bedada, R. Johnson, L. Mabasa, H. Sadie-Van Gijsen
Summary: The study evaluated the effects of a green Rooibos extract on improving metabolic dysregulation caused by obesity. The extract had an impact on the associations at the systemic, adipose tissue, and cellular levels.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Magdalena Jasinska-Stroschein
Summary: The study found that metabolic disorders may increase susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension in rodent models and explored the effects of various diabetes (obesity)-related procedures on PH. Factors to consider when selecting a PH research animal model include the molecular background of the disease and the molecular activity of the tested agent.
TOXICOLOGY AND APPLIED PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Zora Djuric
Summary: This review discusses dietary changes that can minimize the adverse effects of an obesogenic diet on the intestinal microbiota. Studies show that high-fat diets containing fiber or other healthful components can have beneficial effects on body weight, metabolism, and the microbiota. These findings support the development of dietary interventions independent of weight loss to improve the consequences of obesity.
CURRENT OPINION IN CLINICAL NUTRITION AND METABOLIC CARE
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Weiyue Zhang, Xin Guo, Lulu Chen, Ting Chen, Jiayu Yu, Chaodong Wu, Juan Zheng
Summary: The ketogenic diet (KD) has shown promising effects in managing various cardio-metabolic diseases (CMDs) like obesity, heart failure, and hypertension, but remains controversial in diabetes and dyslipidemia. Current evidence suggests that KD is generally protective against obesity-related cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) but contradictory in diabetes and other metabolic disorder-related CVDs. More rigorous research focusing on clinical safety, treatment duration, and plan of KDs is needed to address the existing controversies.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenjuan Zhang, Xuerui Ma, Yijia Zhang, Wanjing Tong, Xing Zhang, Yong Liang, Maoyong Song
Summary: This study investigated the obesogenic effects and underlying mechanisms of bisphenol P (BPP) on mice. It was found that BPP exposure significantly increased visceral fat volume in mice at a dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 14 days, while subcutaneous fat volume remained unchanged. Metabolomic analysis revealed that BPP perturbed the metabolic pathways of mouse livers, with acetyl-CoA identified as a potential key metabolite responsible for BPP-induced visceral fat.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Solomon A. Sowah, Alessio Milanese, Ruth Schuebel, Jakob Wirbel, Ece Kartal, Theron S. Johnson, Frank Hirche, Mirja Grafetstaetter, Tobias Nonnenmacher, Romy Kirsten, Marina Lopez-Nogueroles, Agustin Lahoz, Kathrin Schwarz, Jurgen G. Okun, Cornelia M. Ulrich, Johanna Nattenmuller, Arnold von Eckardstein, Daniel Mueller, Gabriele Stangl, Rudolf Kaaks, Tilman Kuehn, Georg Zeller
Summary: This study analyzed the changes in gut microbiota in overweight and obese adults under intermittent and continuous calorie restriction diets. The results showed that both diets led to weight loss, but there were no significant differences in gut microbiome composition between the two groups. Overall weight loss was associated with metabolic improvements, but not with changes in the gut microbiome. However, there were significant correlations between gut bacterial families and metabolic biomarkers, anthropometric measures, and dietary composition.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Han Fang, Fernando F. Anhe, Jonathan D. Schertzer
Summary: This study demonstrates that dietary sugar can disrupt the balance of intestinal microbiota, lower protective immunity, and exacerbate metabolic diseases.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ana Lopez-Moreno, Angel Ruiz-Moreno, Jesus Pardo-Cacho, Klara Cerk, Alfonso Torres-Sanchez, Pilar Ortiz, Marina Ubeda, Margarita Aguilera
Summary: Integrated data from molecular and improved culturomics studies reveal the dysbiosis of the gut microbiome triggered by xenobiotics, such as obesity and metabolic disorders. The research focused on the xenobiotic obesogen, Bisphenol A (BPA), and found that certain bacterial taxa, particularly Bacillus spp., exhibited higher BPA biodegradation potential in overweight/obese individuals compared to those with normal weight.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jeff S. Volek, Stephen D. Phinney, Ronald M. Krauss, Richard J. Johnson, Laura R. Saslow, Barbara Gower, William S. Yancy, Janet C. King, Frederick M. Hecht, Nina Teicholz, Bruce R. Bistrian, Osama Hamdy
Summary: The decades-long dietary experiment outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, focusing on limiting fat and increasing carbohydrate intake, has not been effective in addressing the escalating epidemics of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it is argued that personalizing the level of dietary carbohydrate should be a high priority based on evidence of metabolic variability among Americans.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Paulo Cesar Trindade da Costa, Evandro Leite de Souza, Diego Cabral Lacerda, Jose Patrocinio Ribeiro Cruz Neto, Ludmilla Christine Silva de Sales, Cristiane Cosmo Silva Luis, Paula Brielle Pontes, Marinaldo Pacifico Cavalcanti Neto, Jose Luiz de Brito Alves
Summary: Supplementing with quercetin during pregnancy and lactation can reduce the risk of maternal cardio-metabolic disorders and improve cardiovascular health in offspring. Epigenetic mechanisms involving AMPK, NF-κB, and PI3K pathways may be associated with these changes.
Review
Toxicology
Nonhlakanipho F. Sangweni, Kwazi Gabuza, Barbara Huisamen, Lawrence Mabasa, Derick van Vuuren, Rabia Johnson
Summary: A breakthrough in oncology research was the discovery of doxorubicin (Dox), a chemotherapy drug with a higher therapeutic index. However, its clinical significance is tainted by its adverse side effects, particularly cardiotoxicity, due to its lack of specificity in distinguishing cancer cells from healthy cells. Dox induces cytotoxicity by stimulating the production of pro-oxidants and inhibiting antioxidant enzymatic activity in both cancer and cardiac cells. The low antioxidant capacity of cardiac muscle makes it susceptible to oxidative damage and triggers cell death pathways.
ARCHIVES OF TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Zainonesa Abrahams-October, Sheridon Lloyd, Brendon Pearce, Rabia Johnson, Mongi Benjeddou
Summary: SLC22A2 gene polymorphisms can influence individual drug responses and show diversity among different ethnic populations. The promoter haplotype structure of the SLC22A2 gene in the Xhosa population of South Africa and its effects on gene expression levels have been investigated.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lawrence Mabasa, Anri Kotze, Samukelisiwe Shabalala, Clare Kimani, Kwazi Gabuza, Rabia Johnson, Nonhlakanipho F. Sangweni, Vinesh Maharaj, Christo J. F. Muller
Summary: The study suggests that Marula leaf extracts may inhibit hepatic steatosis by influencing the association between Mthfr and genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Sihle E. Mabhida, Babu Muhamed, Jyoti R. Sharma, Teke Apalata, Sibusiso Nomatshila, Lawrence Mabasa, Mongi Benjeddou, Charity Masilela, Khanyisani Ziqubu, Samukelisiwe Shabalala, Rabia Johnson
Summary: This review examines the genetic evidence on the association between the MTHFR gene and hypertension risk in African populations, comparing it to global data. The findings suggest a limited amount of literature on the topic in Africa, particularly among the black African population.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sihle E. Mabhida, Jyoti R. Sharma, Teke Apalata, Charity Masilela, Sibusiso Nomatshila, Lawrence Mabasa, Hannah Fokkens, Mongi Benjeddou, Babu Muhamed, Samukelisiwe Shabalala, Rabia Johnson
Summary: The study found a lack of association between MTHFR (rs1801133) and the risk of HTN in an indigenous South African population, but identified an interaction between rs1801133, age, and gender.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Nonhlakanipho F. Sangweni, Derick van Vuuren, Lawrence Mabasa, Kwazi Gabuza, Barbara Huisamen, Sharnay Naidoo, Reenen Barry, Rabia Johnson
Summary: Doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity is a serious health burden, especially in developing countries. The high cost and questionable efficacy of current preventative strategies have led to the need for alternative medicines, such as flavonoids. Our studies suggest that flavonoids from Galenia africana could be suitable candidates for preventing cardiotoxicity, but further research is required.
FRONTIERS IN CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Francis Adu-Amankwaah, Kudzanai Ian Tapfuma, Raeesa Hoosen Hussan, Ndivhuwo Tshililo, Lucinda Baatjies, Maano Valerie Masiphephethu, Lawrence Mabasa, Vuyo Mavumengwana
Summary: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women globally. This study investigated the potential use of nine Fynbos plants in treating breast cancer and found that E. racemosa and S. africana-lutea are promising candidates for further development of therapeutic agents.
SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Virology
Nomfundo Mahlangeni, Renee Street, Suranie Horn, Angela Mathee, Noluxabiso Mangwana, Stephanie Dias, Jyoti Rajan Sharma, Pritika Ramharack, Johan Louw, Tarylee Reddy, Swastika Surujlal-Naicker, Sizwe Nkambule, Candice Webster, Mongezi Mdhluli, Glenda Gray, Christo Muller, Rabia Johnson
Summary: Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has shown to be a valuable method for early detection of outbreaks. In this study, changes in SARS-CoV-2 RNA levels in wastewater during Easter holidays in Cape Town were monitored. The results revealed significant differences in viral load between the study weeks, with higher viral loads in 2022 compared to 2021. The study highlights the potential of wastewater-based epidemiology in tracking outbreaks during holiday periods.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Rifqah Abeeda Roomaney, Brian van Wyk, Annibale Cois, Victoria Pillay van-Wyk
Summary: South Africa has a high burden of HIV and non-communicable diseases, which may lead to diseases clustering in unique ways. This study identified four disease classes and explored the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with each class.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nonhlakanipho F. Sangweni, Kwazi Gabuza, Ruzayda van Aarde, Lawrence Mabasa, Derick van Vuuren, Barbara Huisamen, Reenen Barry, Rabia Johnson
Summary: In this study, the protective effects of 7-hydroxyflavanone (7H), a flavonoid with antioxidative properties, against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity (DIC) were investigated in an in vitro model. The results showed that 7H co-treatment alleviated oxidative stress, improved mitochondrial function, and attenuated apoptosis and necrosis. These findings suggest that 7H could be a potential cardioprotective agent against DIC.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Ntombizodwa Paulinah Ndou, Thivhulawi Malwela, Maria Sonto Maputle, Ndidzulafhi Selina Raliphaswa, Lawrence Mabasa, Amidou Samie, Mutshinyalo Lizzy Netshikweta
Summary: This study investigated the implementation of preconception care (PCC) recommendations at health facilities in selected districts of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The findings revealed partial implementation of PCC recommendations, with dependence on clients' initiation and a knowledge gap among professional nurses and women of childbearing age. The study suggests the need to empower healthcare professionals and women regarding PCC and its benefits.
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Kudakwashe Nyambo, Francis Adu-Amankwaah, Kudzanai Ian Tapfuma, Lucinda Baatjies, Lauren Julius, Liezel Smith, Mkhuseli Ngxande, Krishna Govender, Lawrence Mabasa, Afsatou Traore, Maano Valerie Masiphephethu, Idah Sithole Niang, Vuyo Mavumengwana
Summary: Medicinal plants in the Limpopo province of South Africa have been found to have potential antimycobacterial and cytotoxic activity. The extracts from Rauvolfia caffra and Schinus molle showed promising results, and a compound called norajmaline exhibited potential antimycobacterial activity. Additionally, these plants exhibited inhibitory effects on triple-negative breast cancer cells, indicating their potential in developing new treatments for breast cancer.
BMC COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE AND THERAPIES
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Oncology
Marc Hendricks, Annibale Cois, Jennifer Geel, Jaques Van Heerden, Kirsten Donald, Mariana Kruger
PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jani van der Hoven, Elizabeth Allen, Renee de Waal, Annibale Cois, Gary Maartens, Landon Myer, Thoko Malaba, Hlengiwe Madlala, Dorothy Nyemba, Florence Phelenyane, Andrew Boulle, Ushma Mehta, Emma Kalk
PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY
(2022)