Lipoprotein Lipase Overexpression in Skeletal Muscle Attenuates Weight Regain by Potentiating Energy Expenditure

Moderate weight loss improves numerous risk factors for cardiometabolic disease; however, long-term weight loss maintenance (WLM) is often thwarted by metabolic adaptations that suppress energy expenditure and facilitate weight regain. Skeletal muscle has a prominent role in energy homeostasis; therefore, we investigated the effect of WLM and weight regain on skeletal muscle in rodents. In skeletal muscle of obesity-prone rats, WLM reduced fat oxidative capacity and downregulated genes involved in fat metabolism. Interestingly, even after weight was regained, genes involved in fat metabolism were also reduced. We then subjected mice with skeletal muscle lipoprotein lipase overexpression (mCK-hLPL), which augments fat metabolism, to WLM and weight regain and found that mCK-hLPL attenuates weight regain by potentiating energy expenditure. Irrespective of genotype, weight regain suppressed dietary fat oxidation and downregulated genes involved in fat metabolism in skeletal muscle. However, mCK-hLPL mice oxidized more fat throughout weight regain and had greater expression of genes involved in fat metabolism and lower expression of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism during WLM and regain. In summary, these results suggest that skeletal muscle fat oxidation is reduced during WLM and regain, and therapies that improve skeletal muscle fat metabolism may attenuate rapid weight regain.     

Conversion from mycophenolate mofetil to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium in liver transplant patients presenting gastrointestinal disorders: a pilot study.

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are one of the main adverse events in patients treated by mycophenolic acid (MPA). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the effect of conversion from mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) in liver transplant patients presenting GI side-effects Since January 2003, stable liver transplant patients receiving MMF and presenting GI disorders, without evidence of other origin than MMF were enrolled. Conversion was performed without a washout period at an equimolar daily dosage. Thirty-six patients were included after a median delay of 45 months after liver transplantation (LT) (16 women and 20 men, median age of 47 years). Diarrhoea was the main clinical symptom (n = 28, 77.7%). At the time of inclusion, patients were treated with MMF since 18 months (range 3-28) and GI disorders were known for 9 months (range 3-12). After a median follow-up of 12 months after conversion, GI disorders were resolved in 20 patients (55%), improved in 6 patients (17%) and not modified or worsened in 10 patients (28%). Our results strongly suggest that conversion from MMF to EC-MPS in liver transplant patients can improve gastrointestinal disorders in a majority of the patients, and therefore might be considered as the best therapeutic option.     

Predictive value and limitations of animal models for human transplantation: do we need more models for facial transplantation?

Animal models have traditionally provided the basis for preliminary investigation of new techniques prior to trials taking place in human subjects. The timing of when to proceed with human trials is difficult, as the accuracy of preclinical models can only be determined with hindsight. This review outlines the progression from transplantation in animal models to man. Now that many transplant procedures are well established, it is possible to assess the predictive value and limitations of animal models. These results are of great importance in the current debate about composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) and in particular facial transplantation. This progression of CTA from animal models to man is outlined and compared with early renal, cardiac, and liver transplants. There is some evidence to suggest that animal models may have been misleading in CTA and that this has effectively delayed the transition to humans. The role for animal models in facial transplantation, which is currently making the step to clinical trials, is discussed.     

Hospital Episode Statistics and trends in ophthalmic surgery 1998 – 2004

Background  

Hospital episode statistics (HES) is a UK national database for the National Health Service (NHS), now available online. The purpose of this study was to observe trends in ophthalmic operations performed during the period from 1998 to 2004, using this data.     

The immunolocalisation of the neuroendocrine specific protein PGP9.5 during neurogenesis in the rat.

We have examined the immunolocalisation of the protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 during neurogenesis in the rat embryo. PGP9.5 was first present at 11.5 days gestation (E11.5): all morphologically recognisable nerve cell bodies and fibres were immunoreactive. In routinely processed, wax-embedded tissues, using a standard immunocytochemical technique, PGP9.5 polyclonal antibody specifically demonstrated the developing nervous system and primitive adrenal chromaffin cells.