Healthy dietary pattern, characterized by the consumption of fruits, vegetables, white meats, skim dairy products, nuts and moderate intake of vegetable oils and alcohol, is an important factor for a lower risk of chronic disease such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. This beneficial effect can be explained, at least partially, by its modulating role on biomarkers of insulin sensitivity and atherosclerosis as well as of inflammation and endothelial function. On the other hand, the intake of specific dietary […]

It is largely accepted the important role of food and feeding habits on health maintenance and development of non transmissible chronic diseases (NTCD). Epidemiologic evidences show that increasing vegetable consumption positively impacts health. On the other hand, in vivo and in vitro studies in animals show that non-nutrient bioactive food substances partly explain the role of food on the maintenance of health and on the risk reduction of these diseases. The modulation of gene expression of proteins that are involved […]

Insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose transport is a key-defect for the development of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes. However, it is known that both an acute bout of exercise and chronic endurance exercise training can bring beneficial effects on insulin action in insulin-resistant states. However, little is currently known about the molecular effects of acute exercise on muscle insulin signaling in the post-exercise state in insulin-resistant organisms. This review provides new insight into the mechanism through which […]

Obesity is currently a worldwide pandemic. It affects more than 300 million humans and it will probably increase over the next 20 years. The consumption of calorie-rich foods is responsible for most of the obesity cases, but not all humans exposed to high-calorie diets develop the disease. This fact has prompted researchers to investigate the mechanisms linking the consumption of high-calorie diets to the generation of an imbalance between energy intake and expenditure. According to recent studies, the exposure to […]

It is known that low chronic inflammation occurs in several stages of non transmissible chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes mellitus, among others. Observational studies and clinical trials indicate that diet plays an important role in the reduction of such diseases. The present manuscript discusses the studies that linked diet macronutrient composition and the levels of inflammatory markers. It has been suggested that the consumption of high glycemic index diets, which have low fiber content and are rich […]

The peroxisome proliferators-activated receptors (PPARs) are transcription factors belonging to the family of nuclear receptors that regulate glucose homeostasis, lipid metabolism and inflammation. Three proteins, encoded by distinct genes, have been identified: PPARa, PPARb and PPARg, which control gene expression by binding to specific response elements (PPREs) in the promoters. Recent studies suggest that activation of PPARg might decrease atherosclerosis progression and increase the insulin sensitivity, might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of a diverse array of […]

Atherosclerosis is a result from the association of lipid deposition in the arterial wall and inflammatory process. This inflammatory process may be detected by clinical markers of systemic inflammation, such as ultrasensible C-reactive protein, which is associated with cardiovascular risk, independently of lipid levels. Statins reduce the inflammation associated to atherosclerosis, which may be verified by a reduction of the C-reactive protein levels. It seems that statins alter immune function by modulating post-translational protein prenylation. Individual genetic variations are associated […]

Atherosclerosis is a complex and multifactorial disease, which determines clinical events that cause significant morbi-mortality, represented by acute myocardial infarction, angina and sudden death. It is associated with lipid disturbances, platelet activation, thrombosis, endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, altered matrix metabolism, among other disturbances. All these abnormalities are usual and more pronounced in diabetic patients, as well as in the post-prandial state. Among the coronary artery disease risk factors that are not usually employed in clinical practice in the whole […]

Sedentary behavior-related diseases can be prevented by lifestyle changes. Part of the cardiovascular benefits of physical activity (PA) may be due to low-grade inflammation. This study describes the PA of a population of Japanese and analyses its association with metabolic syndrome (MS) adjusted a number of variables. This was based on a database previously created following a population-based study of Japanese-Brazilians. 1,330 subjects aged > 30 years, of both sexes, living in Bauru, were included and they were submitted to […]

The worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity is becoming one of the most important clinical-epidemiological phenomena of the present days. Environmental factors such as changes in life-style and feeding behavior associated with poorly characterized genetic determinants are though to play the most important roles in the pathogenesis of this disease. During the last ten years, since the discovery of leptin, great advances were obtained in the characterization of the hypothalamic mechanisms involved in the control of food intake and […]

The overtraining syndrome is characterized by an excessive training that results in several adverse effects the main of which being the decay in performance. Its incidence among elite athletes has been experiencing a significant increase lately, which prompted a rush of interest in the search for efficient measures to prevent and treat this condition. It is necessary, however, to clarify possible mechanisms involved in the development of overtraining. Several hypothesis are being proposed, such as a greater activation of both […]

To evaluate markers of inflammation, we studied 48 patients with type 1 diabetes [DM1, 23F:25M, 19.9±9.8 years and duration of DM of 5 (1-21) years& and 66 non-DM subjects, matched for sex, age, and stages of puberty according to Tanner. C-reactive protein (CRP), a1-acid glycoprotein (AGP) and fibrinogen were measured by turbidimetric immunoassay and urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) was determined in timed overnight urine samples by RIA. Microalbuminuria was defined when two out of three urine samples had AER […]