The effects of branched-chain amino acid granules on the accumulation of tissue triglycerides and uncoupling proteins in diet-induced obese mice

It has been demonstrated the involvement of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) on obesity and related metabolic disorder. We investigated the effects of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) on obesity and on glucose/fat homeostasis in mice fed on a high-fat (45%) diet. BCAA was dissolved in 0.5% methylcellulose and added to the drinking water (BCAA-treated group). A high-fat diet was provided for 6 weeks and BCAA was given for 2 weeks. The BCAA-treated group gained almost 7% less body weight and had less epididymal adipose tissue (WAT) mass than the control group (p<0.05). BCAA supplementation also reduced the hepatic and skeletal muscle triglyceride (TG) concentrations (p<0.05). The hepatic levels of PPAR-alpha and uncoupling protein (UCP) 2, and the level of PPAR-alpha and UCP3 in the skeletal muscle were greater in the BCAA-treated group than in the control mice (p<0.05). These results demonstrate that the liver and muscle TG concentration are less in BCAA-treated group. BCAA affects PPAR-alpha and UCP expression in muscle and liver tissue.     

广西某焦化厂工人脂肪肝患病情况调查

目的了解广西某焦化厂工人脂肪肝检出情况及脂肪肝患病的相关因素。方法选择该厂从事焦化作业且工龄1 a以上的工人1078名为接触组,选择不接触焦炉逸散物（COE）工龄1 a以上的后勤保障工人700名为对照组,采用肝脏B超检查确定脂肪肝患病情况并进行统计分析。结果接触组工人脂肪肝患病率为37.20%,较对照组的11.29%明显增高,2组间差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。随着接触工龄的增加,接触组工人脂肪肝检出率也随之上升。结论职业危害因素及不良生活习惯是诱发工人脂肪肝的重要因素,应采取相应的手段及健康教育措施改善职业人群的健康状况。     

Hepatotoxicity of intra-arterial combination chemotherapy in patients with liver cirrhosis and advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Purpose

We have previously reported that 24-h intra-arterial combination chemotherapy (IACC) prolongs the survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC). However, it has also been reported that 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) exacerbates liver damage in patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). The aim of this study was to clarify the hepatotoxicity of IACC in LC patients with aHCC.

Methods

Twenty-one adult Japanese patients (20 men and 1 woman) with aHCC and LC underwent IACC between 2004 and 2007 at our hospital. These patients showed multiple partial responses or stable disease, except for five patients who showed no response and three patients with tumors more than 30 mm in diameter. All patients had inoperable disease on the basis of computed tomography (CT) findings. IACC (leucovorin at 12 mg/h, cisplatin at 10 mg/h, and 5-FU at 250 mg/22 h) was delivered via the proper hepatic artery every 5 days for 4 weeks.

Results

Twelve patients were in Child-Pugh class A (group A), and nine were in class B (group B). The Child-Pugh score was significantly increased after chemotherapy compared with before chemotherapy in both groups. Serum albumin was significantly decreased after chemotherapy, and the number of patients with ascites also increased after chemotherapy. Serum type IV collagen and N-terminal propeptide of type III procollagen were significantly increased after chemotherapy, although there was no significant change in serum aminotransferases.

Conclusions

IACC might cause hepatotoxicity that induces fibrosis without releasing aminotransferases.     

Does an epidemiological comparison support a common cellular lineage for similar subtypes of postmenopausal uterine and ovarian carcinoma? The Norwegian Women and Cancer Study

Uterine and ovarian carcinomas have the same major histological subtypes, but whether they originate from the same cell types is a matter of ongoing debate. Uterine and ovarian endometrioid and clear cell carcinoma (ECC) and uterine and ovarian serous carcinoma (SC) may originate in the same location, or share a common lineage of differentiation. Epidemiologically, a common cellular lineage should be reflected in similar risk associations, and we explored the similarity of uterine and ovarian ECC and uterine and ovarian SC. We included 146,316 postmenopausal participants from the Norwegian Women and Cancer Study. Exposure information was taken from self‐administered questionnaires, and cancer cases were identified through linkage to the Cancer Registry of Norway. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals for uterine and ovarian carcinoma and their subtypes were calculated using multivariable Cox regression models, and a Wald test was used to check for heterogeneity. During 1.6 million person‐years, 1,006 uterine and 601 ovarian carcinomas were identified. Parity, total menstrual lifespan, body mass index and smoking were differentially associated with total uterine and total ovarian carcinoma (p_{heterogeneity} = 0.041, 0.027, <0.001 and 0.001, respectively). The corresponding associations for uterine and ovarian ECC did not differ significantly (p_{heterogeneity} > 0.05). Smoking was differentially associated with uterine and ovarian SC (p_{heterogeneity} = 0.021). Our epidemiological analyses do not contradict a common differentiation lineage for uterine and ovarian ECC. Uterine and ovarian SC are less likely to be of a common lineage of differentiation, based on their difference in risk associated with smoking.     

Risk factors for deterioration of long-term liver function after radiofrequency ablation therapy

AIM:To identify factors that influence long-term liver function following radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in patients with viral hepatitis-related hepatocellular carcinoma.METHODS:A total of 123 patients with hepatitis B virus-or hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)(n=12 and n=111,respectively)were enrolled.Cumulative rates of worsening Child-Pugh(CP)scores(defined as a 2-point increase)were examined.RESULTS:CP score worsening was confirmed in 22patients over a mean follow-up period of 43.8±26.3mo.Multivariate analysis identified CP class,platelet count,and aspartate aminotransferase levels as significant predictors of a worsening CP score(P=0.000,P=0.011 and P=0.024,respectively).In contrast,repeated RFA was not identified as a risk factor for liver function deterioration.CONCLUSION:Long-term liver function following RFA was dependent on liver functional reserve,the degreeof fibrosis present,and the activity of the hepatitis condition for this cohort.Therefore,in order to maintain liver function for an extended period following RFA,suppression of viral hepatitis activity is important even after the treatment of HCC.     

Morphologic alterations of the parcellated superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia spectrum

Morphologic abnormalities of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) as well as its sub-regions such as Heschl's gyrus (HG) or planum temporale (PT) have been reported in schizophrenia patients, but have not been extensively studied in schizotypal subjects. In the present study, magnetic resonance images were acquired from 65 schizophrenia patients, 39 schizotypal disorder patients, and 72 healthy controls. Volumetric analyses were performed using consecutive 1-mm coronal slices on the temporal pole (TP) and superior temporal sub-regions [planum polare (PP), HG, PT, rostral STG, and caudal STG]. The HG was significantly smaller in schizophrenia patients compared with controls but not in schizotypal patients, while volume reductions of the left PT and bilateral caudal STG were common to both disorders. The TP gray matter was larger in female schizotypal patients compared with female schizophrenia patients. There were no significant group differences in the PP and rostral STG volume. In the subgroup of early phase schizophrenia patients (illness duration <1.0 year), smaller volumes for the left PP and rostral STG were correlated with hallucinations and delusions. Our findings suggest that morphologic changes in the posterior regions of the STG are common to the schizophrenia spectrum, whereas less involvement of the HG, and possibly the PP and rostral STG might be related to the sparing of schizotypal patients from developing overt psychosis.     

Estimation of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid intakes in pregnant Japanese women without nausea by using a self-administered diet history questionnaire

Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intakes during pregnancy affect fetal development and maternal mental health; therefore, an accurate assessment of EPA and DHA intakes is required. We hypothesized that a self-administered diet history questionnaire (DHQ) that was developed for non-pregnant adults could be used for estimating EPA and DHA intakes in pregnant Japanese women; thus, we evaluated the validity and reproducibility of the DHQ during pregnancy. We recruited 262 healthy participants with singleton pregnancies during their second trimester at a university hospital in Tokyo between June 2010 and July 2011. Plasma concentrations of EPA and DHA were measured as reference values. Fifty-eight women completed the DHQ twice, within a 4- to 5-week period to assess the reproducibility of the results. Among the participants without pregnancy-associated nausea (n = 180), significantly positive correlations were observed between energy-adjusted intakes and plasma concentrations of EPA (r_s = 0.388), DHA (r_s = 0.264), and EPA + DHA (r_s = 0.328). More than 60% of the participants without nausea fell into the same or adjacent quintiles according to energy-adjusted intakes and plasma concentrations of EPA, DHA, and EPA + DHA. Meanwhile, among the participants with nausea, a low correlation for EPA and no correlation for DHA and EPA + DHA were found. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the 2-time DHQ measurements were 0.691 (EPA) and 0.663 (DHA). The results indicate that the DHQ has an acceptable level of validity and reproducibility for assessing EPA, DHA, and EPA + DHA intakes in pregnant Japanese women without nausea.