{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,29]],"date-time":"2026-09-29T20:00:52Z","timestamp":1790712052002,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"15","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1753401600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"USDA-ARS","award":["6026-10700-001-000D"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["6026-10700-001-000D"]}]},{"name":"USDA-ARS","award":["5P20GM109096"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["5P20GM109096"]}]},{"name":"National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health","award":["6026-10700-001-000D"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["6026-10700-001-000D"]}]},{"name":"National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health","award":["5P20GM109096"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["5P20GM109096"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Gut-derived tryptophan (Trp) metabolites play important roles in metabolic and cardiovascular regulation. Although animal studies suggest their protective effects against metabolic dysfunction, data in adolescents, particularly those with obesity, remain limited. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between circulating gut-derived Trp metabolites and markers of cardiometabolic, vascular, and platelet health in adolescents with obesity. Methods: Data were analyzed from 28 adolescents (ages 13\u201318; mean BMI = 36 \u00b1 6.4 kg\/m2). Fasting blood was collected to assess lipid profiles using a clinical analyzer and insulin resistance using the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Gut-derived Trp metabolites were measured by UPLC\u2013mass spectrometry, peak oxygen uptake (VO2 peak) by gas exchange during an incremental cycle ergometer test, and body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Platelet spare respiratory capacity (SRC), endothelial function, and liver fat were measured using high-resolution respirometry, flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery, and magnetic resonance imaging respectively. Results: Indole-3-propionic acid was inversely associated with diastolic blood pressure (rho = \u22120.39, p = 0.047), total cholesterol (rho = \u22120.55, p = 0.002), and LDL-C (rho = \u22120.57, p = 0.0014), independent of sex and obesity severity. Indoxyl sulfate was positively correlated with fasting glucose (rho = 0.47, p = 0.012), and adolescents with impaired fasting glucose had 1.6-fold higher IS levels. Indole-3-acetaldehyde declined with age (rho = \u22120.50, p = 0.007), and Indole-3-acetic acid and indole were higher in Hispanics vs. non-Hispanics. No significant associations were observed between Trp metabolites and FMD, VO2 peak, or SRC. Conclusions: Gut-derived Trp metabolites, particularly indole-3-propionic and indoxyl sulfate, are associated with markers of cardiometabolic risk in adolescents with obesity. These findings support their potential relevance in early-onset cardiovascular disease risk.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17152430","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]],"date-time":"2025-07-25T11:38:41Z","timestamp":1753443521000},"page":"2430","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Associations Between Serum Gut-Derived Tryptophan Metabolites and Cardiovascular Health Markers in Adolescents with Obesity"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-9200-9569","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jeny E.","family":"Rivera","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Renny","family":"Lan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mario G.","family":"Ferruzzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7842-0625","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elisabet","family":"B\u00f8rsheim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3759-2778","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emir","family":"Tas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Eva C.","family":"Diaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Nutrition Center, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Arkansas Children\u2019s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA"},{"name":"Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2025, January 15). 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