To determine the mechanism of monocyte priming in humans, the study team will conduct a complete feeding trial in normal weight and metabolically healthy human subjects (20-45 years of age) using a western diet (WD), characterized as being high-saturated fat, high-fructose, and high-calorie for 8 weeks.
The goal is to challenge metabolically healthy human subjects with a high-calorie, Western diet for 8 weeks to identify the metabolite(s) responsible for monocyte priming and use redox proteomics, RNAseq and Chipseq to determine the genes and pathways involved in monocyte priming in humans. To reflect some key components of the typical Western intake, the Study Team will compose the diet to be high in saturated fat (15% of total energy intake) and fructose (14% of total energy intake) with excess energy intake that is 25% higher than estimated total energy expenditure. A total of 30 participants, including 15 men and 15 women, will complete a run-in phase where weight stability will be achieved on the control diet. After weight is stabilized during the run-in period, participants will enter the experimental phase of the dietary intervention, where overfeeding will begin with additional calories provided by the key nutrients as noted above. Participants will be monitored throughout the feeding trial. After completion of the 8-week overfeeding period, individuals will be allowed to return to a normal dietary intake. All study participants will be given access to counseling for weight reduction should it be needed following the overfeeding period.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
8
Participants that successfully complete the run-in phase will participate in the experimental diet for 8 weeks of feeding. The Participants' adherence will be monitored using direct observation, written daily food diaries, and food waste inventory (i.e., participants are trained to estimate portion of uneaten foods). Participants will be asked to eat one meal onsite 2-3 weekdays (e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday), at which time they will receive meals and snacks for the remainder of that day and enough until the next scheduled visit.
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Measurement of Mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphate 1 (MKP-1) activity
Analyze plasma from all subjects for their plasma lipid composition using an unbiased lipidomics approach in order to identify the lipid species responsible for monocyte priming
Time frame: change in at the endpoint of week 8
Measurement of Monocyte protein S-glutathionylation
To identify which proteins alter their S-glutathionylation status (and possibly their expression levels) in response to HCD-induced monocyte priming, and which signaling pathways are altered in these cells. Isolate S-glutathionylated proteins from all samples and subject them to redox proteomics approach to identify S-glutathionylated proteins and to determine the extent and directionality of modifications on their cysteine residues.
Time frame: change in at the endpoint of week 8
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