Today I should like to show you an interesting news, that emerged in Spain, on overweight.
There is a new method, based on biomarkers, to predict and prevent overweight, obesity and its complications. It has been developed and patented, by the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Nutrition and Biotechnology (LBNB) of the University of the Balearic Islands (UIB).
Specifically, they have investigated, within the European project BIOCLAIMS, in the field of new nutrigenomics technology, based on the interaction of nutrients genes, to identify good biomarkers and to prevent these diseases, before they occur, as reported by the UIB .
The fact that it is acquired or not a particular predisposition to obesity, is the result of several factors, often brought about by physiological or pathological changes, that occur at certain stages of life.
This applies to power, during the early stages of development and maternal nutrition, during pregnancy, which have a decisive role.
A pregnant woman eateing chocolate
The researchers, led by the director of LBNB, Andreu Palou, suggest that the effects of maternal nutrition, during pregnancy, are recorded, in our genes and chromosomes, and this may determine that the offspring have a greater or lesser predisposition to obesity.
Andreu Palou, director of the LBNB and coordinator of the European project BIOCLAIMS
In previous studies, in model rats, the researchers, at the UIB, had described a 20% reduction, in caloric intake of mothers, during the first half of pregnancy, is sufficient to print, in offspring, predisposed to developing overweight and obesity which, although it does not manifest in young ages, will appear, as the age advances.
The team of the Dr. Palou had observed that, the combination of many genes, that are expressed and detected in a fraction of blood cells, could reflect alterations, that occur in organs, that are vital to the regulation, in adulthood, of energy metabolism and body weight, as are the liver, the adipose tissue and the hypothalamus.
They had also observed that, some alterations, in these organs, could be responsible, for future imbalances of energy balance and promote obesity.
The researchers of the LBMNB studyied the possibility of quantitative expression of multiple genes, in blood fraction of PBMC, obtained few weeks after birth, may reveal alterations of future predisposition, to obesity.
Therefore, they studied the expression of 20,000 genes, in these PBMC cells, at early ages.
They compared the offspring of pregnant rats, who had a normal pregnancy (and, thus, not likely to gain weight), with the offspring of rats, who ever had moderate intake restriction, during the first half of pregnancy and, therefore, they had acquired predisposition to obesity.
The study found altered expression of 224 genes, that behave differently, in young rats, in adulthood are more likely, to develop obesity and associated complications, compared with those, who have less prone to gaining weight.
To meet the expression of several groups or combinations of these genes reflects the future trend, to develop or not obesity, with different probabilities. They depend on the number and selection of genes, under study.
These results have led to a patent, which shall belong to the UIB and the Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) and they will be published, in the open access journal “Scientific Reports”, from the Nature group.
The patent has been presented, at the International Symposium Biomarkers and Health Claims on Food: BIOCLAIMS Meeting with stakeholders, held at the UIB and which has gathered more than one hundred scientists experts and jurists, in the field of nutrition and health of all Europe.
Well, I find so interesting this study and I hope that you do it too.
Until my next post, kind regards,
Luis.
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