Adipose tissue as target organ in the treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer: new therapeutic perspectives

Breast cancer is the female malignant neoplasia with the highest incidence in the industrialized world. Despite many undeniable therapeutic successes obtained, breast cancer still remains, however, a major health issue. In the last few years, thanks to aromatase inhibitors, the hormone therapy for oestrogen-dependent breast cancer has evolved in terms of efficacy and tolerability; at the same time, it has enabled us to better define the role of oestrogens in the etiopathogenesis of this tumour. Weight increase and obesity have been identified as the most important risk and prognostic factors for breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the association of obesity with postmenopausal breast cancer. A more recent hypothesis suggests that adipocytes and their autocrine (paracrine and endocrine actions) are at the centre of such an etiopathogenetic mechanism. A better understanding of the main mechanisms that link together menopause, body-weight increase and hormone-dependent breast cancer is paramount to enable the identification of key molecules involved in the development of breast carcinoma and suggest new therapeutic options. The present review will discuss important findings on the therapeutic aspects of adipose tissue and adipokines as a target for treatment of hormone-dependent breast cancer.     

瘦素受体在条件性厌味大鼠脑的表达

目的 :观察瘦素受体 (LR)在条件性厌味 (CTA)大鼠脑的表达 .方法 :采用高度特异的抗瘦素受体血清 ,用免疫组化ABC法观察LR在CTA和对照大鼠脑的分布与表达 .结果 :与对照组大鼠相比 ,CTA大鼠皮层Ⅲ层、视交叉上核、弓状核、杏仁基底外侧核、海马CA3、下丘脑外侧区等核团瘦素受体表达增加 (14 6vs 12 0 ,138vs 92 ,118vs 78,10 7vs70 ,85vs 38cells·mm-2 ,P <0 .0 5 ) ,而下丘脑前区、脑桥臂旁核、杏仁中央核瘦素受体表达减弱 (13vs2 6 ,70vs5 5 ,12 2vs 16 2cells·mm-2 ,P <0 .0 5 ) ,孤束核瘦素受体的表达与对照大鼠无显著性差异 (5 0vs 5 7cells·mm-2 ,P >0 .0 5 ) .结论 :瘦素可能通过杏仁核、臂旁核、海马、皮层的瘦素受体参与CTA的形成与维持     

Circulating adipocytokines in non-diabetic and Type 1 diabetic children: relationship to insulin therapy, glycaemic control and pubertal development.

AIM: To determine the influence of Type 1 diabetes mellitus on circulating adipocytokines in children. METHODS: The circulating concentrations of leptin, adiponectin, resistin and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were measured in 91 children, aged 11.1 +/- 2.7 years, with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Ninety-one healthy children were selected as control subjects. RESULTS: Body mass index-adjusted leptin concentrations were higher in the pubertal diabetic children compared with the control children. There was a significant positive correlation between leptin and daily insulin dose in the diabetic group. Circulating adiponectin concentrations were higher in the prepubertal diabetic children and were positively associated with HbA(1c). Resistin concentrations were lower in the prepubertal non-diabetic subjects compared with the pubertal non-diabetic children, whose values were higher than those of the diabetic children. TNF-alpha concentrations were similar in non-diabetic and diabetic children. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating concentrations of adipocytokines are abnormal in Type 1 diabetic children, although the direction of change differs by cytokine. Pubertal development, in addition to insulin treatment and glycaemic control, also influences the concentrations.     

Adipokines in cord blood and risk of wheezing disorders within the first two years of life

BACKGROUND: Adipokines are involved in the regulation of many inflammatory processes and are present at very high concentrations in cord blood of term infants. OBJECTIVE: We analysed data of a large prospective birth cohort study to examine whether adiponectin and leptin concentration in cord blood are determinants of wheezing disorders in children within the first 2 years of life. METHODS: Seven hundred and forty mothers and their newborns were included in this analysis. Adiponectin and leptin concentrations were measured in cord blood. The cumulative incidence of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis was recorded during a 2-year follow-up. RESULTS: During the first 2 years of life, asthma or obstructive bronchitis was reported by the caring paediatricians for 157 (19.6%) of the children. We found a strong interaction of cord blood adiponectin and history of atopic disease in the mother with respect to the risk of physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis (P=0.006). Compared with children with cord blood levels in the middle quintile (reference category), the odds ratios for physician-reported asthma or obstructive bronchitis in the bottom quintile and top quintile were 0.14 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.02-0.90] and 2.12 (95% CI 0.67-6.66), respectively (P for trend=0.0003), among children of mothers with a history of atopy. This association was independent of other established risk factors. Leptin levels in cord blood were not associated with risk of asthma or obstructive bronchitis. CONCLUSIONS: In children of mothers with a history of atopy, concentrations of adiponectin in cord blood could play an important role in determining risk of wheezing disorders in early childhood.     

血清瘦素在男生青春发育期的动态观察

目的 探讨血清瘦素在男生青春期发育中的作用。方法 健康男生170名，调查首次遗精时间，测定血清瘦素、睾酮、促卵泡成熟激素、黄体生成激素水平，采用多元Logistic回归模型分析男生青春期发育的影响因素；同时，连续两年观察，分析血清瘦素在青春期的动态变化。结果 末次研究已遗精组血清瘦素、睾酮、促卵泡成熟激素、黄体生成激素水平均明显高于未遗精组。多因素分析显示血清瘦素、睾酮、促卵泡成熟激素、体重为男生青春期发育的独立影响因素。初次资料分析，遗精前组血清瘦素、睾酮明显高于未遗精组。结论 血清瘦素、睾酮、促卵泡成熟激素、体重为男生青春期发育的独立影响因素，男生遗精前期血清瘦素、睾酮已有明显改变。     

乳腺癌患者血清Leptin和VEGF的表达

目的：研究瘦素（Leptin）、血管内皮生长因子（VEGF）在乳腺癌患者血清中的表达，探讨其在乳腺癌诊断中的意义。方法：选择乳腺癌患者36例，乳腺良性增生病变患者31例，另选56例健康女性作为对照。分别用放射免疫分析（RIA）和酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）测定这些患者术前血清Leptin、VEGF。结果：正常对照组与良性病变组、乳腺癌组Leptin存在明显差异，正常对照组与乳腺癌组，良性病变组与乳腺癌组VEGF存在明显差异。乳腺癌患者术前血清Leptin、VEGF含量与有无淋巴结转移具有相关性。结论：乳腺癌患者术前血清Leptin、VEGF可作为鉴别乳腺良恶性肿瘤有无转移的指标。     

Changes in cerebral endothelial barrier antigen, without alteration of permeability for intravenously injected leptin in diet-induced obesity in rats

Leptin, a potent anorectic, 16-kDa, adipose tissue-derived protein, predominantly acts in hypothalamic nuclei, signaling obesity and modulating ingestive behavior. To reach this brain area, leptin, probably has to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In some cases of obesity, enhanced leptin levels in the blood do not result in anorectic effects, probably due to an altered leptin transport across the BBB. Therefore, we investigated the BBB in lean and diet-induced obese Lewis rats. To obtain information about the presence of microvessels with barrier dysfunction we examined three brain areas (hypothalamus, cortex, hippocampus) using a monoclonal antibody which detects intact microvessels of the BBB (anti-endothelial barrier antigen, anti-EBA). The results showed a significantly reduced EBA staining in the brain sections of the obese animals, except the hippocampus, compared to the control group. In a second step we injected I125-labeled leptin intravenously (i.v.) in permanent i.v.-cannulated, unrestrained Lewis rats (lean and obese). We measured the radioactivity in the cerebrospinal fluid after puncture of the cisterna magna, in the blood and brain tissue 90 min after injection. The leptin content in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain was not reduced in obese compared to lean rats, thus showing a similar transport capacity of the BBB in both experimental groups. Therefore, the results of the in vivo investigations do not indicate an impairment of the BBB in diet-induced obesity, despite the immunohistological findings. Further functional and morphological studies are necessary to evaluate the specific role of other organs and distinct forms of leptin (free and protein-bound) in the pathogenesis of diet-induced obesity.     

Plasma leptin concentrations are increased in women with premenstrual syndrome

Leptin is a metabolic regulator of the hypothalamic- pituitary-gonadal axis, and plays an important role in human reproduction. Its neuro-endocrine effects are mediated by interactions with receptors in the hypothalamus, where emotional drive is also controlled. We postulated that circulating leptin concentrations are increased in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and that this may be associated with the psychological symptoms of the disease. We obtained fasting venous samples from 32 women with PMS and 28 women with asymptomatic menstrual cycles, matched for age, body mass index and menstrual cycle length. Leptin concentrations were measured by radioimmunoassay. Leptin concentrations increased significantly during the luteal phases of the menstrual cycles of the control and PMS groups as compared with the follicular phase, having excluded the 11 women with PMS and six controls found to be anovulatory on the basis of mid-luteal plasma progesterone concentrations from the analysis. A greater increase was observed in women with PMS than the controls (P: = 0.00006 and 0.003 respectively). Although leptin concentrations in the follicular and luteal phases were higher in PMS than the controls, the difference was only statistically significant between the follicular phases (P: = 0.001). There was no clear relationship between leptin and oestradiol or progesterone in this study. These findings suggest that leptin may play a role in the pathophysiology of the disease, and requires further evaluation.     

血瘦素遗传度的双生子分析

目的　观察遗传因素对血瘦素的影响。方法　 5 7对双生子 ,用微卫星 DNA基因扫描和分型技术 ,根据基因型的一致性来鉴别卵性。双生子间异同比较估计遗传和环境的相对效应 ,用放免法测定血清瘦素。结果　异卵双生子 (dizygotic,DZ)瘦素的对内方差大于同卵双生子 (monozygotic,MZ)的对内方差 (P<0 .0 5 ) ,前者为后者的 2倍多。但当校正体重指数 (body mass index,BMI)、性别和血尿酸 (uricacid,UA)后 ,MZ的对内方差接近于 DZ的对内方差。血瘦素的遗传度 8% ,校正 BMI、性别等的影响后血瘦素的遗传度为 0 .18%。血压与瘦素在简单相关分析时相关 (收缩压 r=0 .35 5 ,P<0 .0 0 1;舒张压 r=0 .339,P<0 .0 0 1) ,多元逐步回归分析时仅 BMI、性别和 UA入选方程 (R2 =0 .788,P<0 .0 0 1)。结论　遗传因素对血瘦素影响不大 ,血瘦素主要受环境因素影响。     

血清趋化素、瘦素、脂联素浓度与学龄前单纯性肥胖儿童糖脂代谢的关系

目的 研究血清趋化素、瘦素、脂联素水平与3~6岁学龄前期儿童单纯性肥胖及代谢的关系,为学龄前单纯性肥胖儿童临床监测及治疗效果提供依据。方法 选取2019年1月—2020年5月于大连市妇幼保健院儿童保健门诊体检的3~6岁儿童为研究对象,获取单纯性肥胖儿童41例作为研究组,另获取同年龄、同时期儿童43例作为对照组。测量其身高和体重,并计算身高别体重;测定血清趋化素、瘦素、脂联素、空腹血糖(FPG)、空腹胰岛素(FINS)、甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇(HDL-c)、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL-c),同时计算胰岛素抵抗指数。结果 单纯性肥胖组的FINS、胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR),LDL-c,血清趋化素,瘦素明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(t=3.288、2.927、4.939、3.078、5.456,P＜0.05),HDL-c,脂联素明显低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(t=-5.179、-3.145,P＜0.05)。而两组FPG、TG、TC差异无统计学意义(t=0.391、0.768、-0.266,P＞0.05); 趋化素与身高别体重、FINS、HOMA-IR、 LDL-c、瘦素呈正相关(r=0.339、0.416、0.227、0.376、0.266,P＜0.05),与HDL-c、脂联素呈负相关(r=-0.410、-0.309,P＜0.05)。瘦素与身高别体重、FINS、HOMA-IR、 LDL-c、趋化素呈正相关(r=0.492、0.375、0.279、0.269、0.266,P＜0.05),与HDL-c、脂联素呈负相关(r=-0.467、-0.326,P＜0.05)。脂联素与身高别体重、FINS、HOMA-IR,LDL-c、趋化素、瘦素呈负相关(r=-0.296、-0.351、-0.278、-0.229、-0.309、-0.326,P＜0.05),与HDL-c呈正相关(r=0.234,P=0.032)。结论 血清趋化素、瘦素、脂联素水平与学龄前单纯性肥胖儿童糖脂代谢密切相关,这些指标对于识别、监测、干预学龄前单纯性肥胖儿童有着重要意义。