Caloric dose-responsive genes in blood cells differentiate the metabolic status of obese men

• Published in: The Journal of nutritional biochemistry Vol. 43; pp. 156 - 165
• Main Authors: Gille, Doreen, Zangger, Nadine, Soneson, Charlotte, Bütikofer, Ueli, Delorenzi, Mauro, Schwander, Flurina, Kopf-Bolanz, Katrin A., Chollet, Magali, Walther, Barbara, Laederach, Kurt, Vergères, Guy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-05-2017
• Subjects: Adult; Diet, High-Fat; Dose–Response; Energy Intake - genetics; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation; High-fat meal; Humans; Insulin; Lipids - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Obesity - blood; Obesity - genetics; Oxidative phosphorylation; Postprandial Period; High-fat meal; Oxidative phosphorylation; Gene expression; Insulin; Dose–Response
• ISSN: 0955-2863; 1873-4847
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2017.02.012

We have investigated the postprandial transcriptional response of blood cells to increasing caloric doses of a meal challenge to test whether the dynamic response of the human organism to the ingestion of food is dependent on metabolic health.
The randomized crossover study included seven normal weight and seven obese men consuming three doses (500/1000/1500 kcal) of a high-fat meal. The blood cell transcriptome was measured before and 2, 4, and 6 h after meal ingestion (168 samples). We applied univariate and multivariate statistics to investigate differentially expressed genes in both study groups.
We identified 624 probe sets that were up- or down-regulated after the caloric challenge in a dose-dependent manner. These transcripts were most responsive to the 1500 kcal challenge in the obese group and were associated with postprandial insulin and oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, the data revealed a separation of the obese group into individuals whose response was close to the normal weight group and individuals with a transcriptional response indicative of a loss of metabolic flexibility.
The molecular signature provided by the postprandial transcriptomic response of blood cells to increasing caloric doses of a high-fat meal challenge may represent a sensitive way to evaluate the qualitative impact of food on human health.