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Blood levels of iron and copper, even within their normal ranges, have been associated with a wide range of clinical outcomes. The available epidemiological evidence for these associations is often inconsistent and suffers from confounding and reverse causation. This study aims to examine the causal clinical effects of blood iron and copper with Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses. Genetic instruments for the blood levels of iron and copper were curated from existing genome-wide association studies. Candidate clinical outcomes were identified based on a phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) between these genetic instruments and a wide range of phenotypes in 310,999 unrelated individuals of European ancestry from the UK Biobank. All signals passing stringent correction for multiple testing were followed by MR analyses, with replication in independent data sources where possible. We found that genetically predicted higher blood levels of iron and copper are both associated with lower risks of iron deficiency anemia (odds ratio (OR) = 0.75, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–0.85, p = 1.90 × 10−6 for iron; OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78–0.98, p = 0.032 for copper), lipid metabolism disorders, and its two subcategories, hyperlipidemia (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.85–0.96, p = 6.44 × 10−4; OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87–0.98, p = 5.51 × 10−3) and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.84–0.95, p = 5.34 × 10−4; OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99, p = 0.022). Consistently, they are also associated with lower blood levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Multiple sensitivity tests were applied to assess the presence of pleiotropy and the robustness of causal estimates. Regardless of the approaches, consistent evidence was obtained. Moreover, the unique clinical effects of each blood mineral were identified. Notably, genetically predicated higher blood iron is associated with an enhanced risk of varicose veins (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.15–1.42, p = 4.34 × 10−6), while blood copper is positively associated with the risk of osteoarthrosis (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02–1.13, p = 0.010). Sex-stratified MR analysis further revealed some degree of sex differences in their clinical effects. Our comparative PheWAS-MR study of iron and copper comprehensively characterized their shared and unique clinical effects, highlighting their potential causal roles in hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. Given the modifiable nature of blood mineral status and the potential for clinical intervention, these findings warrant further investigation.

This study is to investigate the relationship between berberine (BBR) and mitochondrial complex I in lipid metabolism. BBR reversed high-fat diet-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance in mice. Fatty acid consumption, β-oxidation and lipogenesis were attenuated in liver after BBR treatment which may be through reduction in SCD1, FABP1, CD36 and CPT1A. BBR promoted fecal lipid excretion, which may result from the reduction in intestinal CD36 and SCD1. Moreover, BBR inhibited mitochondrial complex I-dependent oxygen consumption and ATP synthesis of liver and gut, but no impact on activities of complex II, III and IV. BBR ameliorated mitochondrial swelling, facilitated mitochondrial fusion, and reduced mtDNA and citrate synthase activity. BBR decreased the abundance and diversity of gut microbiome. However, no change in metabolism of recipient mice was observed after fecal microbiota transplantation from BBR treated mice. In primary hepatocytes, BBR and AMPK activator A769662 normalized oleic acid-induced lipid deposition. Although both the agents activated AMPK, BBR decreased oxygen consumption whereas A769662 increased it. Collectively, these findings indicated that BBR repressed complex I in gut and liver and consequently inhibited lipid metabolism which led to alleviation of obesity and fatty liver. This process was independent of intestinal bacteria.

Background/Aims: CircRNAs, as miRNA sponges, participate in many important biological processes. However, it remains unclear whether circRNAs can regulate lipid metabolism. This paper aims to study the molecular mechanism of fat deposition and provide useful information for the prevention and therapy of lipid metabolism-related diseases. Methods: CircRNA sequencing was performed to investigate the expression of circRNAs in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of Large White pig and Laiwu pig. The expression of circRNAs was further validated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Furthermore, circRNA-microRNAs (miRNA)-mRNA interaction networks were constructed using bioinformatics tools. In addition, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed for the target genes of circRNAs. Results: In the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Laiwu pig, 70 up-regulated circRNAs and 205 down-regulated circRNAs were identified. Two circRNAs (up-regulated circRNA_26852 and down-regulated circRNA_11897), the expressions of which were confirmed by qRT-PCR, were selected for subsequent analysis. CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction networks were constructed for circRNA_26852 and its target genes as well as circRNA_11897 and its target genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses reveal that the target genes of circRNA_26852 and circRNA_11897 are enriched in pathways related to adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism, as well as in disease-related pathways. Conclusions: In this study, circRNA sequencing and bioinformatics technique were used to analyze, for the first time, the expression of circRNAs in the subcutaneous adipose tissues of Large White pig and Laiwu pig. It is inferred that circRNAs might regulate adipogenic differentiation and lipid metabolism. The results provide a theoretical basis for further study on fat deposition mechanism and provide potential therapy targets for metabolism-related diseases.

Lipid metabolism disorders are a major cause of several chronic metabolic diseases which seriously affect public health. Salusin-α, a vasoactive peptide, has been shown to attenuate lipid metabolism disorders, although its mechanism of action has not been reported. To investigate the effects and potential mechanisms of Salusin-α on lipid metabolism, Salusin-α was overexpressed or knocked down using lentiviral vectors. Hepatocyte steatosis was induced by free fatty acid (FFA) after lentiviral transfection into HepG2 cells. The degree of lipid accumulation was assessed using Oil Red O staining and by measuring several biochemical indices. Subsequently, bioinformatics was used to analyze the signaling pathways that may have been involved in lipid metabolism disorders. Finally, semi-quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to verify the involvement of the liver kinase B1 (LKB1)/AMPK pathway. Compound C, an inhibitor of AMPK, was used to confirm this mechanism's involvement further. The results showed that Salusin-α significantly attenuated lipid accumulation, inflammation and oxidative stress. In addition, Salusin-α increased the levels of LKB1 and AMPK, which inhibited the expression of sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c, fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase. The addition of Compound C abrogated the Salusin-α-mediated regulation of AMPK on downstream signaling molecules. In summary, overexpression of Salusin-α activated the LKB1/AMPK pathway, which in turn inhibited lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells. This provides insights into the potential mechanism underlying the mechanism by which Salusin-α ameliorates lipid metabolism disorders while identifying a potential therapeutic target.

Objectives Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. However, whether there is an independent association between Sleep Apnea-Specific Hypoxic Burden (SASHB) and glycolipid metabolism disorders in patients with OSA is unknown. Methods We enrolled 2,173 participants with suspected OSA from January 2019 to July 2023 in this study. Polysomnographic variables, biochemical indicators, and physical measurements were collected from each participant. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to evaluate independent associations between SASHB, AHI, CT90 and glucose as well as lipid profile. Furthermore, logistic regressions were used to determine the odds ratios (ORs) for abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism across various SASHB, AHI, CT90 quartiles. Results The SASHB was independently associated with fasting blood glucose (FBG) (β = 0.058, P  = 0.016), fasting insulin (FIN) (β = 0.073, P  < 0.001), homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (β = 0.058, P  = 0.011), total cholesterol (TC) (β = 0.100, P  < 0.001), total triglycerides (TG) (β = 0.063, P  = 0.011), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (β = 0.075, P  = 0.003), apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) (β = 0.051, P  = 0.049), apolipoprotein B (apoB) (β = 0.136, P  < 0.001), apolipoprotein E (apoE) (β = 0.088, P  < 0.001) after adjustments for confounding factors. Furthermore, the ORs for hyperinsulinemia across the higher SASHB quartiles were 1.527, 1.545, and 2.024 respectively, compared with the lowest quartile ( P  < 0.001 for a linear trend); the ORs for hyper-total cholesterolemia across the higher SASHB quartiles were 1.762, 1.998, and 2.708, compared with the lowest quartile ( P  < 0.001 for a linear trend) and the ORs for hyper-LDL cholesterolemia across the higher SASHB quartiles were 1.663, 1.695, and 2.316, compared with the lowest quartile ( P  < 0.001 for a linear trend). Notably, the ORs for hyper-triglyceridemia{1.471, 1.773, 2.099} and abnormal HOMA-IR{1.510, 1.492, 1.937} maintained a consistent trend across the SASHB quartiles. Conclusions We found SASHB was independently associated with hyperinsulinemia, abnormal HOMA-IR, hyper-total cholesterolemia, hyper-triglyceridemia and hyper-LDL cholesterolemia in Chinese Han population. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm that SASHB can be used as a predictor of abnormal glycolipid metabolism disorders in patients with OSA. Trial registration ChiCTR1900025714 { http://www.chictr.org.cn/ }; Prospectively registered on 6 September 2019; China.

Pathogenesis of pregnancy toxemia (PT) is believed to be associated with the disruption of lipid metabolism. The present study aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of lipid metabolism disorder in the livers of ewes with PT. In total, 10 pregnant ewes were fed normally (control group) whereas another 10 were subjected to 70% level feed restriction for 15 days to establish a pathological model of PT. Results showed that, as compared with the controls, the levels of blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) and cholesterol were greater (P<0.05) and blood glucose level was lower (P<0.05) in PT ewes. The contents of NEFAs, BHBA, cholesterol and triglyceride were higher (P<0.05) and glycerol content was lower (P<0.05) in hepatic tissues of PT ewes than those of the controls. For ewes with PT, excessive fat vacuoles were observed in liver sections stained with hematoxylin–eosin; furthermore, inner structures of hepatocytes including nuclei, mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum were damaged seriously according to the results of transmission electron microscope. Real-time PCR data showed that compared with the controls, the expression of hepatic genes involved in fatty acid oxidation (FAO) and triglyceride synthesis (TGS) was enhanced (P<0.05) whereas that related to acetyl-CoA metabolism (ACM) was repressed (P<0.05) in PT ewes. Generally, our results showed that negative energy balance altered the expression of genes involved in FAO, ACM and TGS, further caused lipid metabolism disorder in livers, resulting in PT of ewes. Our findings may provide the molecular basis for novel therapeutic strategies against this systemic metabolic disease in sheep.

Abstract Context Identification of modifiable risk factors, including genetic and acquired disorders of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, is increasingly recognized as an opportunity to prevent premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) in at-risk youth. Pediatric endocrinologists are at the forefront of this emerging public health concern and can be instrumental in beginning early interventions to prevent premature CVD-related events during adulthood. Aim In this article, we use informative case presentations to provide practical approaches to the management of pediatric dyslipidemia. Cases We present 3 scenarios that are commonly encountered in clinical practice: isolated elevation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), combined dyslipidemia, and severe hypertriglyceridemia. Treatment with statin is indicated when the LDL-C is ≥190 mg/dL (4.9 mmol/L) in children ≥10 years of age. For LDL-C levels between 130 and 189 mg/dL (3.4-4.89 mmol/L) despite dietary and lifestyle changes, the presence of additional risk factors and comorbid conditions would favor statin therapy. In the case of combined dyslipidemia, the primary treatment target is LDL-C ≤130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L) and the secondary target non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol <145 mg/dL (3.7 mmol/L). If the triglyceride is ≥400 mg/dL (4.5 mmol/L), prescription omega-3 fatty acids and fibrates are considered. In the case of triglyceride >1000 mg/dL (11.3 mmol/L), dietary fat restriction remains the cornerstone of therapy, even though the landscape of medications is changing. Conclusion Gene variants, acquired conditions, or both are responsible for dyslipidemia during childhood. Extreme elevations of triglycerides can lead to pancreatitis. Early identification and management of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular risk factors is extremely important.

Lipid metabolism disorders, which are closely linked to obesity, are significantly modulated by the enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (11β-HSD1), a key regulator of glucocorticoid (GC) activation. This study explored the therapeutic potential of H8, a curcumin analog and selective inhibitor of 11β-HSD1, in mitigating these disorders. Employing an in vitro model of GC-induced differentiation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and an in vivo C57BL/6 mice model characterized by 11β-HSD1 overexpression, we demonstrated that treatment with H8 effectively reduced GC levels in both serum and cultured cells. Lipid accumulation, evaluated through Oil Red O and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, was significantly diminished by H8 in both cellular and animal models. Mechanistic investigations revealed that H8 modulated lipid metabolism through dual mechanisms: inhibition of 11β-HSD1 and activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway. Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence analyses corroborated these lipid-modulating effects, while RNA and protein profiling identified significant alterations in markers of lipid synthesis. Further examination of the interplay between 11β-HSD1 and AMPK led us to hypothesize that H8 ameliorates lipid metabolism disorders primarily through its inhibitory effects.

Abstract Context Severe hypothyroidism has profound effects on lipoprotein metabolism including high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol elevations but effects on HDL function metrics are unknown. Objective To determine the impact of severe short-term hypothyroidism on HDL particle characteristics, HDL cholesterol efflux capacity (CEC), and HDL antioxidative capacity. Design Observational study with variables measured during severe short-term hypothyroidism (median TSH 81 mU/L) and after 20 weeks of thyroid hormone supplementation (median TSH 0.03 mU/L) (Netherlands Trial Registry ID 7228). Setting University hospital setting in The Netherlands. Patients Seventeen patients who had undergone a total thyroidectomy for differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Main outcome measures HDL particle characteristics (nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry), CEC (human THP-1-derived macrophage foam cells and apolipoprotein B-depleted plasma), and HDL anti-oxidative capacity (inhibition of low-density lipoprotein oxidation). Results During hypothyroidism plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein A-I were increased (P ≤ 0.001). HDL particle concentration was unchanged, but there was a shift in HDL subclasses toward larger HDL particles (P < 0.001). CEC was decreased (P = 0.035), also when corrected for HDL cholesterol (P < 0.001) or HDL particle concentration (P = 0.011). HDL antioxidative capacity did not change. Conclusion During severe short-term hypothyroidism CEC, an important antiatherogenic metric of HDL function, is impaired. HDL cholesterol and larger HDL particles are increased but HDL particle concentration is unchanged. Combined, these findings suggest that HDL quality and quantity are not improved, reflecting dysfunctional HDL in hypothyroidism.

The present study aimed to analyze the effects of Porphyromonas gingivalis infection on atherosclerosis caused by lipid metabolism disorders in apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE−/−) mice. A total of 20 male ApoE−/− mice were randomly divided into two groups (n=10/group). The mice in the ApoE−/− infected group were orally inoculated with P. gingivalis for 6 weeks, whereas those in the ApoE−/− control group were orally administered PBS. Blood biochemistry was performed to determine the serum levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the mice. ELISA was used to determine the protein levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-6 and oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) in the serum of mice. In addition, a comprehensive comparison of atherosclerotic plaques and pathological changes in the liver between the P. gingivalis-infected group and the control group was performed. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to measure the expression levels of genes related to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ)-liver X receptor α (LXRα)-ATP-binding cassette transporter (ABC)A1/ABCG1 pathway in the liver. A total of 6 weeks after P. gingivalis inoculation, the levels of TC, TG, LDL, ox-LDL, IL-6 and MCP-1 in the serum of the ApoE−/− P. gingivalis-infected group were significantly higher compared with those in the ApoE−/− control group, whereas HDL levels were significantly lower. Furthermore, compared with in the ApoE−/− control group and the C57B6/L with P. gingivalis infection group, the severity of atherosclerotic plaques in the ApoE−/− group infected with P. gingivalis was more severe, and the vacuolar degeneration of liver cells was more pronounced, manifested by decreased levels of ABCA1, ABCG1, LXRα and PPARγ. In conclusion, P. gingivalis may amplify lipid metabolism disorders and aggravate the symptoms of atherosclerosis through the CD36-mediated PPARγ-LXRα-ABCA1/ABCG1 signaling pathway.