Elsevier

Nutrition

Volume 32, Issue 1, January 2016, Pages 48-55
Nutrition

Applied nutritional investigation
Expression of inflammation-related miRNAs in white blood cells from subjects with metabolic syndrome after 8 wk of following a Mediterranean diet–based weight loss program

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2015.06.008Get rights and content
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Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of a dietary strategy for weight loss (the RESMENA [reduction of metabolic syndrome in Navarra, Spain] diet) on the expression of inflammation-related microRNAS (miRNAs) and genes in white blood cells (WBC) from individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methods

The clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical characteristics of 40 individuals with MetS (20 men and 20 women; age: 48.84 ± 10.02 y; body mass index: 35.41 ± 4.42 kg/m2) were evaluated before and after an 8-wk hypocaloric diet based on the Mediterranean dietary pattern. Nutrient intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and 48-h weighed food records. Total RNA was isolated from WBC and the expression of some inflammation-related miRNAs and mRNAs (IL-6, TNF-α, ICAM-1, IL-18, SERPINE1, VCAM-1, GAPDH) was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The RESMENA nutritional intervention improved most anthropometric and biochemical features. The expression of miR-155-3p was decreased in WBC, whereas Let-7b was strongly upregulated as a consequence of the dietary treatment. However, they were not correlated with the expression of the proinflammatory genes in the same cells. The changes in the expression of let-7b, miR-125b, miR-130a, miR-132-3p, and miR-422b were significantly associated with changes in diet quality when assessed by the Healthy Eating Index. Moreover, low consumption of lipids and saturated fat (g/d) were associated with higher expression of let-7b after the nutritional intervention.

Conclusions

The Mediterranean-based nutritional intervention was able to induce changes in the expression of let-7b and miR-155-3p in WBC from patients with MetS after 8 wk. Moreover, the quality of the diet has an important effect on the miRNAs expression changes. These results should be highlighted because these miRNAs have been associated with inflammatory gene regulation and important human diseases.

Keywords

microRNA
miR-130a
Inflammation
miR-132-3p
Let-7b
miR-155

Cited by (0)

The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. JLM-R and MLM contributed to the analysis and the writing of the manuscript. JB was involved in the fieldwork as well as in the critical reading of the manuscript. MAZ, JAM, and FIM were responsible for general coordination, follow-up, design, financial management, and the editing of the manuscript. All of the authors actively participated in manuscript preparation, and they all read and approved the final manuscript. The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.