Maternal nutrition,intrauterine programming and consequential risks in the offspring

It is traditionally believed that genetic susceptibility and adult faulty lifestyle lead to type 2 diabetes, a chronic non-communicable disease. The "Developmental Origins of Health and Disease" (DOHaD) model proposes that the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes originates in the intrauterine life by environmental fetal programming, further exaggerated by rapid childhood growth, i.e. a biphasic nutritional insult. Both fetal under nutrition (sometimes manifested as low birth weight) and over nutrition (the baby of a diabetic mother) increase the risk of future diabetes. The common characteristic of these two types of babies is their high adiposity. An imbalance in nutrition seems to play an important role, and micronutrients seem particularly important. Normal to high maternal folate status coupled with low vitamin B(12) status predicted higher adiposity and insulin resistance in Indian babies. Thus, 1-C (methyl) metabolism seems to play a key role in fetal programming. DOHaD represents a paradigm shift in the model for prevention of the chronic non-communicable diseases.     

Lentivirus-mediated downregulation of hypothalamic insulin receptor expression

Regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance are among the central effects of insulin. For example, intracerebroventricular administration of insulin decreases food intake and body weight, whereas antisense oligodeoxynucleotide downregulation of insulin receptors (IRs) produces hyperphagia. To further examine the role of IRs in the central actions of insulin, we designed an IR antisense lentiviral vector (LV-IRAS) and injected this vector into the third ventricle to selectively decrease IR expression in the rat hypothalamus. Three weeks after LV-IRAS administration, the expression of IRs in the hypothalamus was significantly decreased, whereas no changes were observed in hippocampal IR levels. LV-IRAS administration decreased insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of hypothalamic IRs and translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter GLUT4 in the hypothalamus; no changes in IR signaling were observed in the hippocampus of LV-IRAS-treated rats. Lentivirus-mediated downregulation of IR expression and signaling produced significant increases in body weight, as well as increases in fat mass that were selective for the subcutaneous compartment. Conversely, lean muscle mass and water mass were not affected in LV-IRAS-treated rats compared to rats treated with control virus. Changes in peripheral adiposity were associated with increases in basal hypothalamic leptin signaling in the absence of changes in leptin receptor expression in LV-IRAS rats. Collectively, these data illustrate the important functional relationships between hypothalamic insulin and leptin signaling in the regulation of body composition and provide insight into the mechanisms through which decreases in IR expression and signaling dysregulates leptin activity, thereby promoting increases in peripheral adiposity.     

The increase in hepatic uncoupling by fenofibrate contributes to a decrease in adipose tissue in obese rats

Fenofibrate is a drug that has been suggested to inhibit weight gain by increasing the catabolism of fatty acid in the hepatic mitochondria. We hypothesized that fenofibrate induces an increase in energy expenditure in the hepatic mitochondria, which results in the reduction of adipose tissue. In this study we measured hepatic uncoupling protein (UCP)-2, -3, core temperatures and abdominal fat composition with MRI in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats. The fenofibrate group (n=7) was fed fenofibrate (320 mg/kg) mixed chow. The control group (n=7) was fed chow only. The body weight (531.6+/-7.6 g) of the fenofibrate group was significantly lower than that (744.3+/-14.9 g) of the control group (p<0.005). The areas of visceral and subcutaneous fat in the fenofibrate group (11.0+/-0.9 cm(2), 4.2+/-0.3 cm(2)) were significantly less than those in the control group (21.0+/-0.7 cm(2), 7.4+/-0.4 cm(2)) (p=0.046, respectively). The esophageal and rectal temperatures of the fenofibrate group (37.7+/-0.1 degrees C, 33.1+/-0.2 degrees C) were significantly higher than those of the control group (37.3+/-0.1 degrees C, 32.2+/-0.1 degrees C) (p=0.025, p=0.005). There was de novo expression of UCP-3 in the liver of the fenofibrate group. These data suggest that increased energy dissipation, via hepatic UCP-3 by fenofibrate, contribute to decreased weight gain in obese rats.     

Impact of clinical characteristics of individual metabolic syndrome on the severity of insulin resistance in Chinese adults

The impact the metabolic syndrome (MetS) components on the severity of insulin resistance (IR) has not been reported. We enrolled 564 subjects with MetS and they were divided into quartiles according to the level of each component; and an insulin suppression test was performed to measure IR. In males, steady state plasma glucose (SSPG) levels in the highest quartiles, corresponding to body mass index (BMI) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), were higher than the other three quartiles and the highest quartiles, corresponding to the diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides, were higher than in the lowest two quartiles. In females, SSPG levels in the highest quartiles, corresponding to the BMI and triglycerides, were higher than in all other quartiles. No significant differences existed between genders, other than the mean SSPG levels in males were greater in the highest quartile corresponding to BMI than that in the highest quartile corresponding to HDL-cholesterol levels. The factor analysis identified two underlying factors (IR and blood pressure factors) among the MetS variables. The clustering of the SSPG, BMI, triglyceride and HDLcholesterol was noted. Our data suggest that adiposity, higher FPG and triglyceride levels have stronger correlation with IR and subjects with the highest BMI have the highest IR.     

Assessing body shape index as a risk predictor for cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome among Iranian adults

ObjectiveSeveral studies have concluded a positive association between abdominal obesity, general obesity, and chronic diseases. However, the best anthropometric measures to predict the risk for chronic diseases should be clarified in each population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the predictive power of A Body Shape Index (ABSI), body mass index (BMI), and waist-to-height ratio and Clinica Universidad de Navarra-Body Adiposity Estimator for metabolic syndrome (MetS) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks among Iranians in different age and sex categories.MethodsThis population-based cross-sectional study conducted on 9555 individuals, ages ≥19 y. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, and biochemical markers were measured using standard protocols. Hypertension, hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia, high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were considered as the CVD risks.ResultsMean (SD) of age and BMI of participants were 38.7 y (mean 15.5) and 25.7 kg/m² (mean 4.6), respectively. ABSI demonstrated the weakest correlations and lowest area under curve (AUC) for various risk factors and MetS. However, the highest odds ratio was observed for ABSI and MetS in different age and sex categories.ConclusionsBased on the AUC, we concluded that ABSI is a weak predictor for CVD risks and MetS. More studies are needed to determine the best predictor of CVD risk among the Iranian population.     

Visceral adiposity after tibolone use

Objective

To evaluate the differences in visceral fat between women using tibolone and those not using tibolone.

Methods

Sixty-five healthy postmenopausal women were included in the study: 26 who were taking tibolone (2.5 mg/day); and 39 who were not receiving tibolone treatment. Anthropometric measurements were performed, with subcutaneous and visceral fat measured via ultrasound. Differences between the groups were determined via Student t test.

Results

There were no significant differences in age (P = 0.796), weight (P = 0.256), height (P = 0.456), body mass index (P = 0.08), waist circumference (P = 0.420), or waist–hip ratio (P = 0.1) between the groups. Hip circumference was significantly lower in the study group than in the control group (97.7 ± 12.2 cm vs 103 ± 8.1 cm; P < 0.04). There were no significant differences between the groups in subcutaneous fat measurements (P = 0.56). There were significantly lower visceral fat measurements (2.8 ± 1.1 cm vs 3.9 ± 1.6 cm; P < 0.004) and a significantly lower visceral fat–subcutaneous fat ratio (1.1 ± 0.3 vs 1.5 ± 0.7; P < 0.005) in the study group than in the control group.

Conclusion

Postmenopausal women who use tibolone have lower visceral fat measurements than do woman of similar age who do not use tibolone.     

Proportional correlates of adipolin and cathepsin S in metabolic syndrome patients with and without prediabetes

BackgroundAdipolin and cathepsin S are intricately involved in pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and prediabetes (PreDM).Aims & methodsThis cross-sectional study aimed to compare and correlate between these metabolic biomarkers as well as between them and adiposity, atherogenicity and hematological indices in MetS patients. Our cross-sectional study involved recruiting 29 normoglycemic MetS, 30 newly diagnosed drug naïve PreDM-MetS patients versus 29 lean, healthy and normoglycemic controls.ResultsAdipolin and cathepsin S plasma levels were significantly higher in both MetS (normoglycemic and PreDM) groups vs. healthy controls. Evidently proportional adipolin-cathepsin S association was markedly signified in 59 MetS participants (normoglycemic and PreDM). Distinctively unlike adipolin, inverse cathepsin S-diastolic blood pressure (DBP) but direct cathepsin S-monocyte count and its monocyte -to- lymphocyte ratio cross-correlated were marked. Notably unlike cathepsin S, adipolin was positively associated with each of FPG, A1C and TG, visceral adiposity index, lipid accumulation product and atherogenic index of plsama in the MetS pool of participants (N = 59).ConclusionsGiven the intergroup discrepancies in adiposity, atherogenicity indices and their correlations (as well as hematological indices) with biomarkers; this cross-sectional study cannot rule out either biomarker as an associative predictor or as a surrogate indicator and putative prognostic tool for the prediction/prevention and treatment of metabolism dysregularities.