BACKGROUND: Diaclyglycerol (DAG) oil has the potential as an effective weight control agent as well as an agent to modify overweight related complications. OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine the efficacy of DAG oil (Enova oilTM) on regulating energy expenditure (EE), fat oxidation, body composition, lipid profiles and hepatic lipogenesis in comparison with conventional oils. DESIGN: Twenty-six overweight hypertriglyceridemic women consumed DAG or control oil for 28 days separated by a 4-week washout period using a randomized crossover design. Forty grams of either DAG or control oil were consumed daily by each study subject. RESULTS: DAG oil consumption for a period of 4-week does not alter total EE, fat oxidation, lean mass, fasting lipid profile or fatty acids synthesis rate, but effectively reduces (p<0.05) body weight and adiposity. CONCLUSION: DAG oil maybe an useful agent in the battle against obesity. However, its body weight/composition control effects are not from increasing of lean mass, or postprandial EE and fat oxidation. The consumption of DAG oil for a period of 4-week does not necessarily modify fasting lipid profiles or hepatic lipogenesis to reduce risk of coronary heart diseases in overweight hypertriglyceridemic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Diaclyglycerol (DAG) oil has the potential as an effective weight control agent as well as an agent to modify overweight related complications. OBJECTIVE: We aim to examine the efficacy of DAG oil (Enova oilTM) on regulating energy expenditure (EE), fat oxidation, body composition, lipid profiles and hepatic lipogenesis in comparison with conventional oils. DESIGN: Twenty-six overweight hypertriglyceridemic women consumed DAG or control oil for 28 days separated by a 4-week washout period using a randomized crossover design. Forty grams of either DAG or control oil were consumed daily by each study subject. RESULTS: DAG oil consumption for a period of 4-week does not alter total EE, fat oxidation, lean mass, fasting lipid profile or fatty acids synthesis rate, but effectively reduces (p<0.05) body weight and adiposity. CONCLUSION: DAG oil maybe an useful agent in the battle against obesity. However, its body weight/composition control effects are not from increasing of lean mass, or postprandial EE and fat oxidation. The consumption of DAG oil for a period of 4-week does not necessarily modify fasting lipid profiles or hepatic lipogenesis to reduce risk of coronary heart diseases in overweight hypertriglyceridemic subjects.

The TRIB1 locus (8q24.13) is a novel locus associated with plasma TGs and CAD risk. Trib1 is a regulator of MAPK activity, and has been shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis and VLDL production in mice. However, the functional relationship between common SNPs at the TRIB1 locus and plasma lipid traits is unknown; TRIB1 has not been identified as an eQTL. This cluster of SNPs falls within an intergenic region 25kb to 50kb downstream of the TRIB1 coding region. By phylogenetic footprinting analysis and DNA genotyping, we identified an evolutionarily conserved region (CNS1) within the risk locus that harbours two common SNPs in tight LD with GWAS risk SNPs and significantly associated with CAD. We investigated the regulatory function of CNS1 by luciferase reporter assays in HepG2 cells and demonstrate that this region has promoter activity. In addition, the rs2001844 risk allele significantly reduces luciferase activity, suggesting that altered expression of the EST-based gene may be associated with plasma TGs. We identified an EST within the risk locus directly downstream of CNS1. We performed 5'/3' RACE using HepG2 RNA, identified multiple variants of this EST-based gene, and confirmed its transcription start site within CNS1. We hypothesize that this EST is a long noncoding RNA due to low abundance, poor conservation, and absence of significant ORF. Over-expression of a short variant implicates its function in the regulation of target gene transcription, although the mechanism of action remains unknown. We conclude that the risk locus at 8q24.13 harbours a novel EST-based gene that may explain the relationship between GWAS SNPs at this locus and plasma lipid traits.

The TRIB1 locus (8q24.13) is a novel locus associated with plasma TGs and CAD risk. Trib1 is a regulator of MAPK activity, and has been shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis and VLDL production in mice. However, the functional relationship between common SNPs at the TRIB1 locus and plasma lipid traits is unknown; TRIB1 has not been identified as an eQTL. This cluster of SNPs falls within an intergenic region 25kb to 50kb downstream of the TRIB1 coding region. By phylogenetic footprinting analysis and DNA genotyping, we identified an evolutionarily conserved region (CNS1) within the risk locus that harbours two common SNPs in tight LD with GWAS risk SNPs and significantly associated with CAD. We investigated the regulatory function of CNS1 by luciferase reporter assays in HepG2 cells and demonstrate that this region has promoter activity. In addition, the rs2001844 risk allele significantly reduces luciferase activity, suggesting that altered expression of the EST-based gene may be associated with plasma TGs. We identified an EST within the risk locus directly downstream of CNS1. We performed 5'/3' RACE using HepG2 RNA, identified multiple variants of this EST-based gene, and confirmed its transcription start site within CNS1. We hypothesize that this EST is a long noncoding RNA due to low abundance, poor conservation, and absence of significant ORF. Over-expression of a short variant implicates its function in the regulation of target gene transcription, although the mechanism of action remains unknown. We conclude that the risk locus at 8q24.13 harbours a novel EST-based gene that may explain the relationship between GWAS SNPs at this locus and plasma lipid traits.

The TRIB1 locus (8q24.13) is a novel locus associated with plasma TGs and CAD risk. Trib1 is a regulator of MAPK activity, and has been shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis and VLDL production in mice. However, the functional relationship between common SNPs at the TRIB1 locus and plasma lipid traits is unknown; TRIB1 has not been identified as an eQTL. This cluster of SNPs falls within an intergenic region 25kb to 50kb downstream of the TRIB1 coding region. By phylogenetic footprinting analysis and DNA genotyping, we identified an evolutionarily conserved region (CNS1) within the risk locus that harbours two common SNPs in tight LD with GWAS risk SNPs and significantly associated with CAD. We investigated the regulatory function of CNS1 by luciferase reporter assays in HepG2 cells and demonstrate that this region has promoter activity. In addition, the rs2001844 risk allele significantly reduces luciferase activity, suggesting that altered expression of the EST-based gene may be associated with plasma TGs. We identified an EST within the risk locus directly downstream of CNS1. We performed 5'/3' RACE using HepG2 RNA, identified multiple variants of this EST-based gene, and confirmed its transcription start site within CNS1. We hypothesize that this EST is a long noncoding RNA due to low abundance, poor conservation, and absence of significant ORF. Over-expression of a short variant implicates its function in the regulation of target gene transcription, although the mechanism of action remains unknown. We conclude that the risk locus at 8q24.13 harbours a novel EST-based gene that may explain the relationship between GWAS SNPs at this locus and plasma lipid traits.

The TRIB1 locus (8q24.13) is a novel locus associated with plasma TGs and CAD risk. Trib1 is a regulator of MAPK activity, and has been shown to regulate hepatic lipogenesis and VLDL production in mice. However, the functional relationship between common SNPs at the TRIB1 locus and plasma lipid traits is unknown; TRIB1 has not been identified as an eQTL. This cluster of SNPs falls within an intergenic region 25kb to 50kb downstream of the TRIB1 coding region. By phylogenetic footprinting analysis and DNA genotyping, we identified an evolutionarily conserved region (CNS1) within the risk locus that harbours two common SNPs in tight LD with GWAS risk SNPs and significantly associated with CAD. We investigated the regulatory function of CNS1 by luciferase reporter assays in HepG2 cells and demonstrate that this region has promoter activity. In addition, the rs2001844 risk allele significantly reduces luciferase activity, suggesting that altered expression of the EST-based gene may be associated with plasma TGs. We identified an EST within the risk locus directly downstream of CNS1. We performed 5'/3' RACE using HepG2 RNA, identified multiple variants of this EST-based gene, and confirmed its transcription start site within CNS1. We hypothesize that this EST is a long noncoding RNA due to low abundance, poor conservation, and absence of significant ORF. Over-expression of a short variant implicates its function in the regulation of target gene transcription, although the mechanism of action remains unknown. We conclude that the risk locus at 8q24.13 harbours a novel EST-based gene that may explain the relationship between GWAS SNPs at this locus and plasma lipid traits.