Multiscale Analysis Reveals Altered Characteristics in Femur and Mandible of Mice on a High Phosphate Diet.

Excessive phosphate used as flavor enhancers and preservatives in processed foods can exacerbate cardiovascular and kidney diseases. In clinical and pre-clinical studies, chronic (over 52 weeks) high-phosphate diet (HPD) negatively affects bone health. We previously demonstrated that 12-week-HPD decreases exercise capacity and skeletal muscle metabolism in adult male mice; however, alteration of bone characteristics associated with HPD independent of disease complications is not well-characterized.

Hepatic protein kinase Cbeta deficiency mitigates late-onset obesity.

Although aging is associated with progressive adiposity and a decline in liver function, the underlying molecular mechanisms and metabolic interplay are incompletely understood. Here, we demonstrate that aging induces hepatic protein kinase Cbeta (PKCβ) expression, while hepatocyte PKCβ deficiency (PKCβ) in mice significantly attenuates obesity in aged mice fed a high-fat diet. Compared with control PKCβ mice, PKCβ mice showed elevated energy expenditure with augmentation of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production which was dependent on β3-adrenergic receptor signaling, thereby favoring negative energy balance.

The TAS1R2 sweet taste receptor regulates skeletal muscle mass and fitness.

Muscle fitness and mass deteriorate under the conditions of obesity and aging for reasons yet to be fully elucidated. Herein, we describe a novel pathway linking peripheral nutrient sensing and skeletal muscle function through the sweet taste receptor TAS1R2 and the involvement of ERK2-PARP1-NAD signaling axis. Muscle-specific deletion of TAS1R2 (mKO) in mice produced elevated NAD levels due to suppressed PARP1 activity, improved mitochondrial function, increased muscle mass and strength, and prolonged running endurance.

Distinct Effects of High-Fat and High-Phosphate Diet on Glucose Metabolism and the Response to Voluntary Exercise in Male Mice.

The prevalence of metabolic diseases is rapidly increasing and a principal contributor to this is diet, including increased consumption of energy-rich foods and foods with added phosphates. Exercise is an effective therapeutic approach to combat metabolic disease. While exercise is effective to combat the detrimental effects of a high-fat diet on metabolic health, the effects of exercise on a high-phosphate diet have not been thoroughly investigated.

Cardiac-derived TGF-β1 confers resistance to diet-induced obesity through the regulation of adipocyte size and function.

Regulation of organismal homeostasis in response to nutrient availability is a vital physiological process that involves inter-organ communication. Understanding the mechanisms controlling systemic cross-talk for the maintenance of metabolic health is critical to counteract diet-induced obesity. Here, we show that cardiac-derived transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) protects against weight gain and glucose intolerance in mice subjected to high-fat diet.