L’inflammation postprandiale : les données récentes suggèrent un rôle préventif des protéines alimentaires et de leur nature

¹ Unité 914, AgroParisTech, INRA, Physiologie de la nutrition et du comportement alimentaire, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris
² UFR de Biologie et nutrition humaines, AgroParisTech, 16 rue Claude Bernard, 75005 Paris, France

^* francois.mariotti@agroparistech.fr

Abstract

It is now well known that a high-energy meal that is rich in saturated fat and sugars induces the transient appearance of some metabolic dysregulations and inflammatory-related phenomena in the postprandial state, in close association with the increase in plasma triglycerides and glucose. Documented features of postprandial inflammation include the increase in plasma inflammatory markers related to the systemic level (e.g. proinflammatory cytokines) or the vascular endothelium (e.g. adhesion molecules), the activation of blood leucocytes, and different physiological markers of ‘‘endothelial dysfunction’’, which relates to the transition of the endothelium toward a pro-inflammatory atherogenic phenotype. The role of fat and carbohydrates in postprandial inflammation has been much studied, while the impact of dietary protein has been overlooked. The present review will focus on the few recent studies that have examined the effect of dietary protein, and different dietary protein sources, on postprandial inflammation and reported a favorable impact on endothelial function. The literature also showed that arginine and cysteine are important amino acids in mediating these effects. Some further studies in this setting are warranted to better characterize and analyze the potential benefit of different dietary protein sources for cardiovascular risk.