Serum carotenoids and Pediatric Metabolic Index predict insulin sensitivity in Mexican American children

Authors

Srinivas Mummidi, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Vidya S. Farook, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Lavanya Reddivari
Joselin Hernandez-Ruiz
Alvaro Diaz-Badillo, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Sharon P. Fowler
Roy G. Resendez, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Feroz Akhtar
Donna M. Lehman, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
Christopher P. Jenkinson, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Rector Arya, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Jane L. Lynch
Jose A. Canas
Ralph A. DeFronzo
Daniel E. Hale
John Blangero, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Juan C. Lopez-Alvarenga, The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyFollow
Ravindranath Duggirala, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Jairam K. P. Vanamala

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-13-2021

Abstract

High concentrations of carotenoids are protective against cardiometabolic risk traits (CMTs) in adults and children. We recently showed in non-diabetic Mexican American (MA) children that serum α-carotene and β-carotene are inversely correlated with obesity measures and triglycerides and positively with HDL cholesterol and that they were under strong genetic influences. Additionally, we previously described a Pediatric Metabolic Index (PMI) that helps in the identification of children who are at risk for cardiometabolic diseases. Here, we quantified serum lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin concentrations in approximately 580 children from MA families using an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-photodiode array and determined their heritabilities and correlations with CMTs. Using response surface methodology (RSM), we determined two-way interactions of carotenoids and PMI on Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (ISI). The concentrations of lycopene and β-cryptoxanthin were highly heritable [h2 = 0.98, P = 7 × 10-18 and h2 = 0.58, P = 1 × 10-7]. We found significant (P ≤ 0.05) negative phenotypic correlations between β-cryptoxanthin and five CMTs: body mass index (- 0.22), waist circumference (- 0.25), triglycerides (- 0.18), fat mass (- 0.23), fasting glucose (- 0.09), and positive correlations with HDL cholesterol (0.29). In contrast, lycopene only showed a significant negative correlation with fasting glucose (- 0.08) and a positive correlation with HDL cholesterol (0.18). Importantly, we found that common genetic influences significantly contributed to the observed phenotypic correlations. RSM showed that increased serum concentrations of α- and β-carotenoids rather than that of β-cryptoxanthin or lycopene had maximal effects on ISI. In summary, our findings suggest that the serum carotenoids are under strong additive genetic influences and may have differential effects on susceptibility to CMTs in children.

Comments

© The Author(s) 2021

Recommended Citation

Mummidi, S., Farook, V. S., Reddivari, L., Hernandez-Ruiz, J., Diaz-Badillo, A., Fowler, S. P., Resendez, R. G., Akhtar, F., Lehman, D. M., Jenkinson, C. P., Arya, R., Lynch, J. L., Canas, J. A., DeFronzo, R. A., Hale, D. E., Blangero, J., Lopez-Alvarenga, J. C., Duggirala, R., & Vanamala, J. (2021). Serum carotenoids and Pediatric Metabolic Index predict insulin sensitivity in Mexican American children. Scientific reports, 11(1), 871. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-79387-8

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Title

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-020-79387-8

Academic Level

faculty

Mentor/PI Department

Office of Human Genetics