bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Prebiotics and milk oligosaccharides affect colonic metabolome and stressor‐induced immunomodulation in mice
Authors: Bailey Michael T , Jaggers Robert M , Mackos Amy R , Chichlowski Maciej , Berg Brian 
Published: November 2023

There are extensive bidirectional interactions between the gut microbiota and the central nervous system (CNS). Dietary interventions that impact the microbiota, such as prebiotics and milk oligosaccharides, have been shown to reduce risk of many deleterious effects of stressor exposure. However, the mechanisms through which the microbiota influence the host are not well understood. We tested whether exposure to a social stressor, called social disruption (SDR), results in metabolomic changes in the colon, and whether prebiotics (blend of galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and polydextrose (PDX)) and/or milk oligosaccharide sialyllactose (Lacprodan SAL‐10®, SL) support a normal metabolome in the presence of stress. Male mice (postnatal day (P) 48–64) were placed on one of the experimental diets for 14d: a) SL [2.2g/kg], b) GOS+PDX [15g/kg each] + SL [2.2g/kg] or c) Control [cellulose as fiber source]. Mice were then randomly assigned to either the non‐stressed control group or to the Social Disruption Stressor (SDR Stressor) condition. SDR stressor entails repeated social defeat for 2 hrs per day on 6 consecutive days. Metabolites in the colonic contents were then assessed using LC/MS, while serum cytokine levels were assessed by ELISA. Mice fed a control diet and exposed to the stressor showed significant differences in 116 out of 529 detected metabolites, compared to control diet non‐stressed mice. This was partly due to significant reductions in dipeptides and amino acids, as well as significant increases in nucleotides and sphingolipids. Interestingly, stress‐exposed mice fed diets enriched with prebiotics (either a combination of GOS, PDX, and SL or SL alone) showed similar changes in dipeptides, nucleotides, and sphingolipids, but also showed increases in polyunsaturated fatty acids and endocannabinoids, as compared with the non‐stress groups. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and endocannabinoids can have anti‐inflammatory effects, thus we determined whether the experimental diets would attenuate stressor‐induced increases in inflammatory cytokines. Serum IL‐6 and IL‐1β were significantly increased in stressor‐exposed mice, but this effect tended to be attenuated in mice fed both treatment diets (diet × stress condition interactions, p‐values = 0.081 and 0.056, respectively). This study demonstrates that dietary prebiotics and milk oligosaccharides can impact the colonic metabolome to potentially attenuate stressor‐induced immunomodulation.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Mead Johnson Nutrition
Effects of the Food Matrix and Western Diet on the Mouse Microbiome
Authors: Hintze Korry , Hisatome Takumaru , Kellen Sara , Hunter Ashli , Aardema Nicklas , Ward Robert , Benninghoff Abby , Lefevre Michael 
Published: November 2023

Rodent studies that measure effects of dietary components on the microbiome generally use basal diets such as the AIN diet series which is formulated with purified ingredients and has nutrient profile that optimizes growth and fertility and poorly models human intakes. Previously, we used NHANES data to formulate the Total Western Diet (TWD), a rodent diet that emulates average American intake levels for macro and micronutrients using nutrient density. However, the TWD is comprised of purified ingredients and does not recapitulate the complex food matrix consumed by Americans. Using the latest version of the USDA Food Intakes Converted to Retail Commodities Database, we modified the TWD by using the most commonly consumed whole foods as dietary ingredients. The TWD2 has the same micro and macronutrient content as the previous TWD but contains 25 food ingredients including: sweeteners (sucrose and high fructose corn syrup); flours (wheat, potato, corn, rice and oat); meats (beef, poultry, pork, eggs and fish); dairy (lactose, whey and casein); fruits/vegetables (oranges, apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, soy, snap beans, peanuts and cashews). To test whether the Western dietary pattern and/or the food matrix affected the microbiome, mice were fed for 15 weeks either: AIN93‐G, TWD, TWD2 or TWD‐F (TWD matched for total fiber to TWD2). Bacterial DNA from fecal samples harvested at sacrifice was extracted and microbiome composition was determined by 16s sequencing. Bacteriodetes was the majority phylum in mice fed the whole food TWD2 while Firmicutes was the majority phylum in all other treatments formulated with purified ingredients. Other notable phylum level differences included a significant increase in Proteobacteria (P < 0.05) in TWD2 fed mice compared to the other treatments and increased Tenericutes in AIN93‐G fed mice compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05). TWD2 fed mice had a significantly more diverse microbiome compared to all treatments except the TWDF (observed operational taxonomic units, P < 0.05). Lastly, beta diversity analysis revealed that TWD2 fed mice clustered apart from all other treatments as measured by principle coordinates analysis. Our data suggests that a diet with a complex food matrix, compared to purified diets induces profound changes in the microbiome even when macro and micronutrient contents are the same.Support or Funding InformationFunding provided by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station
High Prevalence of Asthma and Its Determinants among Hispanic/Latino Children enrolled in Michigan Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Programs
Authors: Farabi Nabila , Song SuJin , Crockett Elahé T , Song Won O 
Published: November 2023

Increasing prevalence of asthma in the US children is a major public health issue. Children of Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker (MSFW) families are one of the most vulnerable populations in the US with high rates of health disparities. Little is known about the prevalence, comorbidity, and determinants of asthma in children enrolled in Michigan Migrant and Seasonal Head Start (MSHS) programs. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence and determinants of asthma among Hispanic/Latino children enrolled in Michigan MSHS programs. Sociodemographic and health information of 905 children aged 0–5 years were obtained from the 2012–2013 ChildPlus dataset collected by Michigan Telamon Corporation. Data were collected through interviews with parents by Telamon's family service specialists and health specialists at each of the 18 Michigan MSHS centers. Health specialists at each center asked parents if their child/children have ever received asthma treatment (Y/N) and measured children's height and weight. Weight status of children was categorized into “underweight,” “normal weight,” “overweight,” and “obese” according to age‐and sex‐specific WHO growth chart standards for children 0–23 months and CDC growth chart standards for children ≥24 months. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify asthma determinants. The overall prevalence of asthma among Michigan MSHS children was 5.5%, which was higher than those of general US (4.3%) and Hispanic (4.0%) children of similar age group. Obese children had a higher odds ratio of asthma compared to non‐obese children (OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.29–4.84). Sociodemographic determinants of asthma in this group were children's age and health insurance status; parents' employment statuses; annual household income from agriculture, number of children in household, and participation in federal government nutrition programs (WIC and SNAP). Children's gender, parents' age, parents' English proficiency level, parents' education level, total annual income of households, annual income of households from non‐agriculture, number of people living in households, and primary language at home did not show any significant association with asthma. MSHS children are vulnerable to asthma and their sociodemographic status as well as obesity status are key determinants of asthma. Our study suggests that implementing appropriate public health programs for combating high prevalence of asthma and obesity among MSFW's children should be prioritized.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by the REPID (Research Education Program to Increase Diversity in Health Researchers) of Michigan State University (5‐R25‐HL108864) which is funded by the National Institutes of Health ‐ National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NIH‐NHLBI).
A Traditional Korean Diet Reduced Total Blood Cholesterol And Increased Telomere Length of Peripheral Blood Cells in Perimenopausal Korean Women
Authors: Shin Phil‐Kyung , Kim Myung Sunny , Lee Hae‐Jeung , Park Seon‐Joo , Kwon Dae Young , Choi Sang‐Woon 
Published: November 2023

A traditional Korean diet (K‐diet), which can be represented as high consumption of vegetables and multigrain rice, moderate to high consumption of legumes, fish and fermented foods, and low consumption of red meat, has been regarded as a healthy diet. Telomere is a region of repetitive nucleotide sequences at each end of a chromosome and plays a critical role in cell senescence. Recent studies have suggested that telomere length can be an indicator of healthy lifestyles and cardiovascular disease risk. We, therefore, investigated the healthy aging effect of K‐diet by measuring telomere length. Ten obese perimenopausal women were recruited and randomly divided into either K‐diet group (n = 5) or control diet group (n = 5). The K‐diet is a traditional Korean diet, while the control diet is a Westernized Korean diet, which is commonly consumed in Korea nowadays. Subjects were housed at a metabolic unit condition during the 2 weeks of dietary intervention. Blood samples were collected at baseline, 2‐week, and 6‐month. DNA was extracted from buffy coats. Telomere length, assessed by a ratio of telomere/single copy gene (T/S), was determined by a quantitative real‐time PCR method. The 36B4 gene and human embryonic kidney 293 (HEK 293) cells were used as a single copy gene and a positive control, respectively. T/S value (dCt) was calculated by subtracting the Ct of 36B4 from the Ct of telomere. Relative quantification of telomere length (ddCt) was adjusted by Ct of HEK 293 cell. Total blood cholesterol levels and blood CRP levels were measured by conventional methods. Comparison between groups was performed using t‐test, 2‐way repeated measure ANOVA and spearman's correlation. Two weeks of K‐diet significantly reduced blood total cholesterol levels (239.40±15.14 vs 198.20±13.25, p=0.0163) but not control diet. A significant interaction between time and diet group was observed in the total blood cholesterol (p interaction=0.0034). At the six months follow up K‐diet group still demonstrated the reduced cholesterol levels (p=0.0028), but not control diet. Between 0 and 2 weeks, telomere lengths were not significantly different in both groups. However, at the 6 months follow‐up K‐diet group, who continued consuming K‐diet, showed significantly longer telomere length than controls (6.53±0.19 vs 5.95±0.05, p=0.0396). In the K‐diet group there was an increasing trend of telomere length during the 3 check points (p‐trend=0.0961) but not in controls. Interestingly, the level of telomere length is negatively correlated with BMI and CRP. The K‐diet, which reduced total blood cholesterol level, can influence telomere length of peripheral blood cells. It appears that telomere length, which is also well correlated with BMI and CRP, could be a good biomarker for healthy diet and cardiovascular disease risk.Support or Funding InformationKorean Food Research Institute
Human Milk Oligosaccharides and Food Sensitization at 12 months in the CHILD Cohort
Authors: Azad Meghan B , Robertson Bianca , Sharma Atul K , Subbarao Padmaja , Becker Allan B , Mandhane Piushkumar J , Turvey Stuart E , Lefebvre Diana L , Sears Malcolm R , Bode Lars 
Published: November 2023

RationaleHuman milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) provide selective substrates for infant gut microbiota and influence immune system maturation. HMOs appear to modify allergic disease development in rodent models, but this has not been confirmed in humans.MethodsWe studied a representative subset of 421 mother‐infant dyads from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development (CHILD) birth cohort. Milk samples were collected at 4 months postpartum (median 16 weeks, interquartile range 14 – 19) and analyzed by rapid high‐throughput HPLC to quantify the 20 most abundant HMOs. Skin prick testing was performed at 12 months to determine sensitization (≥2mm wheal) to egg, milk, soy and peanut. Associations were examined for total and individual HMO levels (univariate analysis: Wilcoxon rank‐sum test) and overall HMO profiles (multivariable classifier: partial least squares discriminant analysis tested for significance by leave‐one‐out‐cross‐validation). Discriminant scores were examined in regression models with adjustment for potential confounders and known allergy risk factors.ResultsOverall, 59/421 infants (14.0%) were sensitized to one or more food allergen by 12 months. Total HMO levels were similar in milk consumed by sensitized vs. non‐sensitized infants (14,010 ± 3,510 vs. 13,937 ± 4,085 nmol/mL; p=0.96) and individual HMO levels were not significantly associated with food sensitization (all p>0.09). However, overall HMO profiles differed significantly (mean discriminant score: 0.129 vs. 0.209, p<0.001; area‐under‐the‐curve: 0.73, 95%CI 0.66–0.79). This association was robust to cross‐validation and remained significant in adjusted models, where each 0.1‐unit increase in HMO discriminant score was associated with a 2.5‐fold increased odds of food sensitization (adjusted OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.78–3.41, p<0.001), independent of maternal food allergy, ethnicity, household pets, and lactation time postpartum. HMO profiles associated with higher odds of food sensitization were characterized by lower concentrations of fucosyl‐disialyllacto‐N‐hexaose (FDSLNH), lacto‐N‐fucopentaose‐I (LNFPI), LNFPII, and higher concentrations of lacto‐N‐hexaose (LNH) and lacto‐N‐tetraose (LNT).ConclusionHMO composition is associated with food sensitization in the first year of life. Ongoing research in the CHILD study will seek to confirm these findings in a larger sample of mother‐infant dyads, and evaluate associations with confirmed food allergy at 3 and 5 years of age.Support or Funding InformationThis study was funded by Research Manitoba and supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Allergy, Genes and Environment Network of Centres of Excellence.
A Combination of Milk Fat Globule Membrane and Prebiotics Modulate Pain Hypersensitivity and Cognitive Responses to Maternal Separation Stress
Authors: Waworuntu Rosaline V , Neufeld Karen‐Anne McVey , O'Mahony Siobhain M , Pusceddu Matteo , Berg Brian M , Dinan Ted G , Cryan John F 
Published: November 2023

Nutritional interventions targeting the microbiota‐gut‐brain axis may be able to modulate stress‐induced dysfunction of physiological processes and brain development. Maternal separation (MS) stress of rat pups is a robust model of early life stress that induces long‐term alterations to behavior and brain neurochemistry. In this study the effects of milk fat globule membrane (Lacprodan MFGM‐10®, 15 g/kg) and a polydextrose / galactooligosaccharide (7 g/kg each) prebiotic blend were evaluated on early life stress induced alterations. The maternal separation protocol was conducted as described in O'Mahony et al., 2009. Rats were separated from their mothers for 3 h /day from postnatal day (PND) 2 to 12. Starting at weaning (PND 21), both non‐separated (NS) and maternally separated (MS) offspring were randomized into separate experimental groups and were provided drinking water with or without supplementation of MFGM, prebiotic blend or a combination of both. Visceral sensitivity was assessed using the colorectal distension test conducted at PND 79. MS rats demonstrated visceral hypersensitivity to colorectal distension reflected by a lower pain threshold and a higher number of pain behaviours when compared to NS rats. This increase in sensitivity in MS rats was ameliorated by MFGM (p=0.01) and also the combination of MFGM and the prebiotic blend (p=0.045). Furthermore, MS rats showed significant impairments in spatial and reference memory in the Morris water maze, which was carried out between PND 61–65. Cognitive performance in this test was improved by the prebiotic blend (p=0.007) and MFGM alone (p=0.019) as well as the combination of both (p<0.0001). Interestingly, the combination of MFGM and prebiotic reversed the impact of early life stress on the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression in the hippocampus, which is associated with negative feedback of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. In conclusion, feeding MFGM and prebiotics to rats ameliorated the visceral pain sensitivity and cognitive impairment caused by MS. The changes to MR expression indicate that regulation of the negative feedback of the HPA axis may be partially involved. Further studies are needed to confirm this as well as elaborate on the specific mechanism of actions related to gut and brain neurochemistry.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Science Foundation Ireland and Mead Johnson Nutrition.
Disparities in Healthy Food Access: Are We Improving?
Authors: DeWeese Robin , Ohri‐Vachaspati Punam 
Published: November 2023

IntroductionEvidence suggests that residents with greater access to supermarkets may consume more fruits and vegetables, whereas greater convenience store availability is associated with less nutritious food intake. In cross‐sectional national and regional data, lower supermarket availability and higher convenience store availability has been observed in low‐income, high‐minority neighborhoods compared to higher income and white neighborhoods. The objective of this study is to longitudinally examine food store availability by census tract characteristics.MethodsLists of retail food outlets within a one‐mile radius of four New Jersey cities were obtained from commercial databases for 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Using a standardized protocol, outlets were classified as supermarkets, small grocery stores, convenience stores, meat markets, and vegetables markets. Census tracts were categorized by income, race/ethnicity, and education levels. Descriptive statistics examined trends in prevalence of store types by neighborhood characteristics.ResultsCommunities with a majority of non‐Hispanic black residents had fewer supermarkets compared to communities with no majority race across all four years. The difference was significant in 2012 (0.10±0.31 vs 0.30±0.56, p=.014) and 2013 (0.12±0.35 vs 0.28±0.55, p=0.046). In contrast, majority non‐Hispanic white communities had significantly fewer convenience stores (range: 0.92–1.12) compared to majority Hispanic (range: 3.38–4.19) and non‐Hispanic black (range: 2.54–3.38) communities in all four years.ConclusionsDisparities in access to healthy foods remain, and may contribute to the health disparities observed among minorities. Interventions that increase the amount of healthy foods in corner stores could ensure minority neighborhoods have access to nutritious foods, even in the absence of supermarkets.Support or Funding InformationFunding was provided by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (1R01HD071583‐01A1)
Nutrition Resilience in the Seattle Obesity Study: How to Eat Better for Less
Authors: Aggarwal Anju , Delaney Joseph A.C. , Drewnowski Adam 
Published: November 2023

Socioeconomic factors may pose a barrier to adopting higher quality diets, lower body weights and better health. However, some population sub‐groups appear to consume higher quality diets despite multiple socioeconomic constraints. In prior research based on NHANES data, we identified this phenomenon as “nutrition resilience”. The Seattle Obesity Study (SOS) is an ongoing exploration of socioeconomic, psychosocial, and environmental determinants of diet quality, body weights and health. The SOS is based on a stratified sample of adult male and female residents of Seattle‐King County. In the present analyses, based on 1,700 participants, nutrition resilience (NR) was defined as the intersection of higher quality diets and lower diet costs. Data on socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral and environmental variables, and body weights were collected using telephone and in‐person surveys. Diet quality was measured using Healthy Eating Index (HEI‐2010) scores obtained using the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Daily diet cost estimate for each participant was also obtained using the FHCRC FFQ. Median splits of diet quality (HEI‐2010) and estimated diet cost were used to categorize participants into four quadrants. The NR participants i.e. high quality low cost quadrant accounted for 20% of the sample. The NR diets were comparable in quality to “high quality high cost” quadrant (HEI score = 78 for both) but at significantly lower diet cost ($7.7/1800kcal/d vs. $10.8/1800kcal/d respectively). A series of regression analyses examined the potential contributions of age, gender, race/ethnicity, incomes and education, food‐related attitudes and behaviors to nutrition resilience. The NR group did not differ by demographics or income. However, the NR group was more likely to be college educated, prioritized the importance of eating healthy, had fewer meals away from home, and was more likely to cook dinner meals at home (p‐value <0.05 for each). The NR diets were characterized by HEI scores reflecting more whole grains, more dairy, more total proteins foods, more seafood and plant proteins, but less saturated fats, less sodium and significantly less empty calories as compared to the other three groups. Adjusted analyses showed that the NR group had the lowest BMI of all the four quadrants. In particular, the NR group had significantly lower BMI than the “low cost low quality” group (β=−2.1, 95% CI: −3.2, −1.1). Exploring the mechanisms underlying the NR phenomenon may offer unique insights into targeted dietary interventions aimed at minorities and other vulnerable populations.Support or Funding InformationThe study was supported by NIH grant NIDDK R01DK076608.