Dietary Modulation of Gene Expression and Metabolic Pathways in Glucose Metabolism
Condition: Metabolic Syndrome; Obesity; Impaired Glucose Tolerance; Impaired Fasting Glucose
MeSH terms: Metabolic Syndrome; Glucose Intolerance
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      Professor Matti Uusitupa, University of Kuopio, Department of Clinical Nutrition (www.uku.fi)
      Docent Matej Oresic, VTT (www.vtt.fi) Ursula Schwab, PhD, Docent, Marjukka Kolehmainen, PhD,
      Docent, Leena Pulkkinen, PhD, Docent, David Laaksonen, MD, PhD, MPH, Docent, Kaisa Poutanen,
      DSc (Tech), Research Professor

      ABSTRACT

      The metabolic syndrome (MS) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are the most important health problems
      worldwide. In Finland the prevalence of T2DM is 12-15% among middle-aged people. The
      prevalence of less marked disturbances in glucose metabolism and MS is 30-40%. Because MS and
      T2DM are important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death
      in western countries, all efforts to reverse the epidemic increase in the incidence of MS and
      T2DM are warranted. The investigators have focused for years on the prevention and
      non-pharmacological treatment of T2DM and its complications including studies on genetic
      regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism after dietary modifications. In the investigators'
      recent projects, the investigators have studied the effects of long-term dietary
      interventions on gene expression profiles of fat tissue in subjects who are at risk of T2DM.
      The ultimate goal of these projects has been to identify genes and gene clusters and their
      biological pathways that respond to dietary modification and modulate glucose and lipid
      metabolism, and to develop dietary strategies for prevention of T2DM. The main goal of this
      project is to find nutrition related early biomarkers for progression of MS to T2DM by using
      modern technologies of systems biology (transcriptomics, metabolomics) of carefully conducted
      dietary interventions involving subjects with MS. The data will be analysed by using
      bioinformatics. The investigators reflect these new data to well-known risk factors for T2DM
      and CVD, e.g., insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, serum lipids and inflammatory factors
      among others. In addition to interventions conducted earlier, a new intervention with a whole
      grain-berry-fish diet and a whole grain diet compared to a control diet with refined foods
      will be performed. The aim is to increase the investigators' understanding on the synergistic
      effects of these foods, because the investigators' previous interventions have shown that
      these individual foods have beneficial effects on glucose and lipid metabolism. On the
      contrary, diets with refined foods may be harmful in long-term due to its high insulin
      response, which may through chronic stress lead to both insulin resistance and beta-cell
      damage.

      The significance of this project is to increase understanding of the pathophysiology of MS,
      T2DM and CVD in physiological, cellular and genetic systems, which may lead to more effective
      and individualised strategies for treatment and prevention, and better identification of
      high-risk individuals responsive to specific dietary modifications. Increasing knowledge of
      dietary factors involved in the progression of MS to T2DM and CVD offers new opportunities to
      individually tailored diets in the management and prevention of these disorders. The results
      will also be beneficial for the food industry in developing new functional foods. These
      results and actions may help delay or even stop the epidemic of MS and T2DM and their
      negative effect on public health currently seen in Finland and worldwide.
    


Intervention name(s): Diet with increased intake of rye bread, berries and fish; Increased intake of whole grain and rye bread; Control diet with decreased intake of rye bread, berries and fish
Intervention type(s): Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement; Dietary Supplement
Intervention description(s): Dietary modification with commercial food items; Dietary modification with commercial food items; Dietary modification with commercial food items
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Systems biology; Nutrigenomics; Metabolomics; Gene expression; Fat tissue; Peripheral mononuclear cells; Gene clusters; Gene expression profiles; Personal diets; Metabolic syndrome; Type 2 Diabetes; Atherosclerosis