Age‐associated increases in the size of the infrapatellar fat pad in knee osteoarthritis as measured by 3T MRI

Obesity, as a primary risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA), has been shown to alter joint loading, but may also result in metabolic changes characterized by chronic, low‐level inflammation due to increased circulating levels of adipose‐derived cytokines, or “adipokines.” The presence of the infrapatellar fat pad in the knee suggests that local changes in adipokine concentrations may influence knee OA. This study examined the hypotheses that the volume of the infrapatellar fat pad is correlated to the body mass index (BMI) of OA patients, and that fat pad volume is greater in subjects with OA. Fat pad volume was measured in sequential magnetic resonance (MR) images taken over one year in a cohort of 15 control and 15 knee OA subjects. No differences were observed in the fat pad volume between the two groups at baseline, 3, 6, or 12 months. In control subjects, no significant correlations were present between any parameters (age, BMI, weight, volume of fat pad at any time point). However, in the osteoarthritic group, fat pad volume was correlated with age at every time point. One possible explanation is that local factors related to knee OA may also induce enlargement of the fat pad with age. Alternatively, subjects who are prone to growth or enlargement of the fat pad may also be more prone to symptomatic OA. These findings provide intriguing preliminary data on the potential role of the infrapatellar fat pad in OA, although additional study is required to better understand the mechanisms of this relationship. © 2010 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 28:1149–1154, 2010     

不同降糖治疗对非肥胖2型糖尿病患者血浆网膜素-1水平的影响

目的:观测不同葡萄糖耐量的非肥胖人群血浆网膜素-1 (Omentin-1)水平,研究吡格列酮和短期持续皮下胰岛素输注,又称胰岛素泵(Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion,CSII)强化治疗对2型糖尿病患者血浆omentin-1水平的影响.方法:59例非肥胖的初发2型糖尿病(T...     

Alteration of adipokines during peripheral blood stem cell mobilization induced by granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor

Adipokines, soluble mediators produced by adipocytes, have been shown to play a role in various physiological and pathological conditions. We investigated the involvement of adipokines in granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF)‐induced mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells in 21 healthy donors. We found that serum visfatin and resistin levels, but not leptin and adiponectin levels, were significantly elevated by G‐CSF treatment. G‐CSF treatment activated signaling proteins like extracellular signal‐regulated kinase and stimulated secretion of visfatin from 3T3‐L1 adipocytes. These findings suggest that some adipokines may play a role in G‐CSF‐induced mobilization of stem cells from the bone marrow into systemic circulation. J. Clin. Apheresis 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

The apelinergic system: a promising therapeutic target

Importance of the field: Apelin is a bioactive peptide known as the ligand of the G-protein-coupled receptor APJ. In recent years, there has been a growing body of evidence regarding the importance of apelin and APJ in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular, metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases, brain signalling, HIV infection and tumor angiogenesis. Therefore, the apelinergic system is involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases that represent a major burden to our society.

Areas covered in this review: The goal of this paper is to give an up-to-date review of existing information on apelin/APJ since the discovery of apelin in 1998, with particular focus on their involvement in the regulation of human body systems and potential therapeutic applications.

What the reader will gain: An overview of the most important physiological functions of the apelinergic system and the diseases that may benefit in the future from its modulation as a therapeutic target.

Take home message: Today, the established biological effects of apelin involve major cardiovascular actions, neoangiogenesis, immunologic modulation and insulinemia control as well as body fluid and glucose homeostasis. However, the physiological and pathophysiological role of endogenous apelin is still unsettled and a better and profound knowledge of this system in humans is necessary for the development of novel apelinergic-based therapeutic targets.     

Zinc-α2-Glycoprotein: Is There Association between This New Adipokine and Body Composition in Hemodialysis Patients?

Peptides involved in the regulation of body composition are of interest in hemodialysis (HD) patients because protein wasting associated with high fat mass (FM) is present in these patients. Zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG), a new adipokine, is involved in the regulation of lipid metabolism, adiposity, and energy balance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ZAG levels and its relationship with body composition and dietary intake in HD patients. Forty-nine HD patients (28 men, 53.1 ± 12.5 years, and BMI 24.0 ± 4.3 kg/m²) were studied and compared with 20 healthy subjects (9 men, 49.5 ± 15.2 years, and BMI 25.6 ± 4.1 kg/m²). Plasma ZAG levels were measured using the ELISA methods and body composition was evaluated through anthropometric data. Dietary intake was assessed 3 days by 24-hour food recall. Although most of the HD patients (59.2%) were eutrophic according to BMI, 92.3% presented high percentage of body fat (BF), and 43.5%, reduced fat-free mass according to midarm muscle circumference values. ZAG levels were ～2.5-fold higher in HD patients (135.9 ± 40.9 mg/L) compared with healthy individuals (54.6 ± 23.0 mg/L) (p < 0.0001). Circulating ZAG was not associated with dietary intake; however, this peptide was negatively correlated with %BF and, for each 1% reduction in BF, ZAG levels increased by 2.4 mg/L (p = 0.02). In summary, circulating ZAG is increased and inversely correlated with adiposity in HD patients; however, in spite of its higher plasma levels, the majority of HD patients did not show low BF.     

退行性主动脉瓣脂肪因子chemerin的表达

目的 观察脂肪因子chemerin在退行性主动脉瓣疾病(degenerative aortic valve disease,DAVD)瓣膜组织中的表达特点.方法 收集2012年10月至2013年10月在海南省人民医院心脏外科因DAVD行手术切除的主动脉瓣标本30例,男17例,女13例,年龄(55±6)岁;夹层动脉瘤行Bentall手术切除正常三叶式主动脉瓣标本7例,男4例,女3例,年龄(41±8)岁.经苏木精-伊红(HE)染色观察退行性主动脉瓣的病理组织学改变;IHC染色观察脂肪因子chemer in的表达特点;IPP(Image-Pro Plus)软件测量钙化面积和钙化周围(钙化灶周围2 mm区域)chemerin蛋白的累积光密度(integrated optical density,IOD),单元线性回归分析两者间的相关性.结果 与正常瓣膜相比较,肉眼可见DAVD主动脉瓣增厚,存在不同程度的脂肪组织和钙化结节;HE染色可见DAVD损伤部位有泡沫细胞、脂肪细胞、炎症细胞、新生毛细血管和钙化灶.免疫组织化学(IHC)染色观察,脂肪因子chemerin在正常主动脉瓣膜无阳性表达,而在DAVD中阳性表达;单元线性回归分析表明chemerin蛋白的IOD与钙化面积呈正相关(r=0.985,P＜0.05).结论 DAVD瓣膜中脂肪因子chemerin阳性表达,chemerin表达强度与钙化面积呈正相关.