Effect of açaí juice intake on the expression profile of microRNAs in plasma of type 2 diabetic patients

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic and inflammatory disease, characterized by hyperglycemia, which impairs the function of various organs including the kidney, leading to diabetic nephropathy. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, with important role in the regulation and gene expression of proteins, which can be modified by inflammatory cytokines and thus contribute to the pathogenesis of DM. Açai is a fruit from the Amazon, rich in lipids, proteins, fibers, vitamins, minerals and with high content of antioxidants. A recent study by our group showed that açai reduced oxidative/nitrosative stress and inflammatory markers in mesangial cells cultured in medium with high glucose (an experimental model of DM, well described in the literature), suggesting an inflammatory modulation via antioxidant system, in this model of diabetes. The objective is to verify the effect of açai juice on the expression of miRNAs in plasma of type 2 diabetic patients. Patients will be recruited from outpatient clinic at UNIFESP, and there will be collected: information on diet, body composition data, blood samples for analysis of glycemia, insulin, nitric oxide, lipid profile, urea, creatinine, and miRNAs expression in plasma (-17, -21, -26a, -29a, -30b, -126, -146a, -155, -199a, -1934) and urine samples for analysis of microalbuminuria, before and after intervention with açai juice, supplemented daily, for 4 consecutive weeks. For statistical significance, p<0.05 will be considered.