(1) Background: Exercise is effective in promoting and maintaining bone mass. The aim of this study was to detect the exercise-induced metabolic changes in bone tissue of zebrafish. (2) Methods: Thirty-eight zebrafish (Danio rerio, six months old) were analyzed. The exercise group (n = 19) received 8 weeks of counter-current swimming training. The control group (n = 19) was not subjected to exercise. Mineralization was quantified, and alkaline phosphatase (Alp) and anti-tartrate acid phosphatase (Trap) activities were estimated (n = 12). The metabolomics (n = 12) and transcriptomics (n = 14) data of bone tissue were used for the integration analyses. (3) Results: The results showed that the exercise training improved the bone mineralization of zebrafish, e.g., the exercise group (5.74 × 10⁴ ± 7.63 × 10³) had a higher mean optical density than the control group (5.26 × 10⁴ ± 8.56 × 10³, p = 0.046) for the caudal vertebrae. The amount of mineralized matrix in scales of the exercised zebrafish was also higher (0.156 ± 0.012 vs. 0.102 ± 0.003, p = 0.005). Both histological staining and biochemical analysis revealed increased Alp activity (0.81 ± 0.26 vs. 0.76 ± 0.01, p = 0.002) and decreased Trap activity (1.34 ± 0.01 vs. 1.36 ± 0.01, p = 0.005) in the exercise group. A total of 103 different metabolites (DMs, VIP ≥ 1, fold change (FC) ≥ 1.20 or ≤0.83, p < 0.050) were identified. Alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis were the significantly enriched metabolic pathways (p < 0.050). A total of 35 genes (q ≤ 0.050 (BH), |Log2FC| ≥ 0.5) were coenriched with the 103 DMs in the four identified pathways. Protein–protein interaction network analysis of the 35 genes showed that entpd3, entpd1, and cmpk2 were the core genes. (4) Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis contributed to exercise-induced improvements in bone mass.

(1) Background: Optimal bone mass accumulation during adolescence is crucial for maximising peak bone mass during adulthood. Dietary antioxidant vitamins may contribute to bone mass accumulation. This 2.5-year-long longitudinal study aimed to evaluate the relationships between dietary vitamin A, C, and E intakes and the annual changes in bone parameters among Chinese adolescents. (2) Method: Subjects aged 10–18 years (n = 1418) were recruited from a secondary school in Jiangmen, China. Dietary vitamin A, C, and E intakes were assessed using 24 h dietary records over 3 consecutive days. The Sahara Clinical Bone Sonometer was used to measure the broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) and the speed of sound (SOS). Their annual changes were then calculated (i.e., BUA%/year, SOS%/year). The associations were detected after adjusting for the baseline bone phenotype; age; sex; weight; height; pubertal stage; physical activity; and dietary intakes of vitamin D, calcium and energy. (3) Results: A curvilinear relationship was found between the dietary intake of vitamin C and BUA%/year (p = 0.026); further analyses in the subgroups revealed that this relationship was observed in male adolescents (p = 0.012). A positive association was observed only in boys with a dietary vitamin C intake of ≥159.01 mg/day (β = 0.395, p = 0.036). Moreover, a linear positive association was shown between the dietary intake of vitamin E and BUA%/year in female adolescents (β = 0.082, p = 0.033). (4) Conclusion: Our findings indicated that dietary vitamin C intake has a threshold effect on bone mass gain in male adolescents and that dietary vitamin E intake could be a positive predictor of bone mass gain in female adolescents.

Background: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet effectively lowers blood pressure and improves blood lipid profiles. However, it remains unclear how the DASH diet contributes to gut microbiota and how the gut microbes affect these processes. This study aimed to examine the associations of DASH diet adherence with blood pressure and lipid levels, and to explore whether the gut microbiota mediated these relationships. Methods: A total of 879 Chinese aged over 18 years were recruited. DASH diet adherence was evaluated by a food frequency questionnaire. Blood pressure and lipid measurements were obtained during physical examinations. The gut microbiota was analysed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Greater DASH diet adherence was correlated with lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP; sβ = −0.180 and p = 0.027) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; sβ = −0.268 and p = 0.002). Five bacterial genera were associated with the DASH diet (q-value < 0.15). Among them, Bifidobacterium was inversely linked to both DBP and LDL-C (p < 0.050). Two species (Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense and Bifidobacterium longum) were detected within the Bifidobacterium genus. Both of them explained the associations of the DASH diet with DBP and/or LDL-C (average causal mediation effect = −0.027 to −0.018; p < 0.050; proportion mediated = 8.22% to 9.04%). Conclusions: This study found favourable correlations of the DASH diet with both DBP and LDL-C. Bifidobacterium partially explained these relationships. These results may offer valuable insights into managing blood pressure and lipid levels through dietary and gut microbiota modulation.

A localized food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to capture habitual dietary intake in the Pearl River Delta population. This study aimed to evaluate the reproducibility and validity of this FFQ. A total of 219 adults were enrolled in the Pearl River Delta region. In the reproducibility analysis, the participants completed the FFQ twice at a 18-month interval. Validity was assessed using the 24-hour dietary record collected over 9 days across 3 seasons (spring, summer, and winter). For the reproducibility, the ranges of correlation coefficients and kappa values were 0.38 to 0.80 ( P < .001) and 0.29 to 0.50 ( P < .050), respectively. The consistency for the same and adjacent quartiles was over 80% for most nutrients (87%). For the validity, the ranges of correlation coefficients of the crude, energy adjusted, and kappa values between FFQ and 24-hour dietary record were 0.16 to 0.61, 0.16 to 0.39, and 0.25 to 0.36, respectively, and all these values were statistically significant (all P < .050). The consistency for the same and adjacent quartiles was over 70% for most nutrients (91%). The FFQ used in this study demonstrated acceptable reproducibility and validity (except for fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folate), making it a practical instrument for ranking long-term dietary nutrient intake among adults in the Pearl River Delta, South China.