1,720,977 research outputs found
Assessment of abdominal fat distribution in obese patients: anthropometry versus computerized tomography.
No full textThe accuracy of waist to hip girth ratio (WHR) in assessing visceral/subcutaneous abdominal fat distribution has not yet been clearly established in the obese population. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between WHR and visceral/subcutaneous fat distribution, both assessed by computerized tomography (CT), in a group of 28 obese patients (15 male, 13 female). Furthermore, 33 normal weight or slightly overweight subjects (23 male, 10 female) were studied as a control group. Obese subjects of both sexes were found to have higher values of WHR than non-obese; conversely visceral:subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR) values did not differ significantly. Significant correlation between WHR and BMI was present both in males (r = 0.41, P < 0.01) and in females (r = 0.54, P < 0.01). In normal weight males significant correlations between WHR and visceral fat area or VSR were found. In obese males these correlations were much weaker. In normal weight females a significant correlation was found between waist circumference and visceral fat area, whereas in obese females no positive correlations were found between anthropometric measurements and CT indices of visceral fat distribution. In conclusion, WHR cannot be considered as a reliable index of visceral/subcutaneous fat distribution in obese patients, particularly if they are females
Fat body of the frog Rana esculenta: An ultrastructural study
No full textIn the frog, the fat body is the largest body lipid deposit and is associated with the gonad. The aim of the present work was to investigate the fine structure of the fat body at different periods of the annual cycle and during prolonged starvation. Results indicate that fat body cells of Rana esculenta caught in autumn and after winter hibernation resemble mammalian adipocytes of white adipose tissue and contain markers of adipose tissue, such as S-100 protein and lipoproteinlipase. However, unlike mammalian adipocytes, fat body adipocytes consistently show small lipid droplets associated with their single, large lipid deposits, a lack of a definite external lamina, and the presence of cellular prolongations and spicula at their surfaces. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy in association with lanthanum tracer experiments suggest that in fat body adipocytes a vesicular-tubular system connects the cytoplasm and the interstitial space. In June (i.e., during the reproductive period), fat body adipocytes appear to have lost much of their lipid deposit and adjacent adipocytes show interdigitation of their plasma membranes and prominent Golgi complexes. In starved frogs, fat body cells can be almost devoid of lipid and in regression to a near-mesenchymal state. Nevertheless, these fat bodies still contain lipoproteinlipase activity ( apprx 45% of that found in lipid-filled ones), indicating persistent adipose differentiation of the cells therein. Results presented here show that the R. esculenta fat body is an adipose organ undergoing reversible extreme changes in adipocyte fat content, which are associated with definite ultrastructural features. The fat body represents a suitable model for studying adipose tissue under different and extreme physiological conditions
Omental and epigastric adipose tissue lipolytic activity in human obesity: effect of abdominal fat distribution and relationship with hyperinsulinemia.
No full textIt has been shown that visceral obesity is associated with an increased incidence of hyperinsulinemia. In such a condition, hyperinsulinemia could be due to an increased lipolytic activity of omental adipose tissue (AT), through an enhanced portal flux of FFA. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the lipolytic activity of omental and epigastric AT obtained from morbid obese patients either with prevalently visceral or subcutaneous abdominal fat accumulation, evaluated by computerized tomography. The relationship between plasma insulin values and in vitro lipolytic activity in both tissues was studied. Thirteen visceral (VO) and 13 subcutaneous (SO) obese patients, matched for sex and body mass index, undergoing vertical banded gastroplasty, were studied. Before surgery, in each patient an OGTT was performed. During surgery, samples of epigastric subcutaneous and omental AT were obtained for evaluation of fat cell weight (FCW) and basal, noradrenaline 10(-5)M and isoprenaline 10(-5) M induced lipolytic activities. No significant differences in basal lipolysis were found between the two types of obesity, both in omental and in epigastric AT. In omental AT, a higher noradrenaline and isoprenaline induced lipolysis was observed in VO than in SO. Isoprenaline induced lipolysis of omental AT (expressed per cell surface area) correlated directly with FCW. VO patients showed plasma insulin values after OGTT significantly higher than SO patients. In the whole group of patients, independently from fat distribution, significant correlations were found between the incremental areas of the plasma insulin curve during OGTT and the noradrenaline an isoprenaline induced lipolytic activities both in omental and epigastric adipose tissue
Tryptophan Metabolism as Source of New Prognostic Biomarkers for FAP Patients
Full text linkFamilial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a common inherited form of colorectal cancer (CRC), causes the development of hundreds to thousands of colonic adenomas in the colorectum beginning in early adolescence. In absence of a prophylactic surgery, FAP patients almost inevitably develop CRC by the age of 40 to 50. The lack of valuable prognostic biomarkers for FAP patients makes it difficult to predict when the progression from adenoma to malignant carcinoma occurs. Decreased tryptophan (TRP) plasma levels and increased indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) enzymatic activities have been associated to tumour progression in CRC. In the present study, we aimed at investigating whether an altered TRP metabolism might also exist in FAP patients. Our results highlighted that plasma levels of TRP and its main catabolites are comparable between FAP patients and healthy subject. On the contrary, FAP patients presented significantly higher TRP levels with respect to high-grade adenoma (ADE) subjects and CRC patients. Obtained data lead us to evaluate IDO1 and TPH1 enzymes activity in the study groups. For both enzymes, it was possible to discriminate correctly between FAP subject and ADE/CRC patients with high sensitivities and specificities. By receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the cut-off values of IDO1 and TPH1 enzymatic activities associated to the presence of an active malignant transformation have been calculated as >38 and >5.5, respectively. When these cut-off values are employed, the area under the curve (AUC) is > 0.8 for both, indicating that TRP metabolism in patients with FAP may be used to monitor and predict the tumorigenic evolution
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
LIPOPROTEIN SUB-FRACTION LEVELS AND COMPOSITION IN OBESE SUBJECTS BEFORE AND AFTER GASTROPLASTY
No full textObesity is frequently associated with several alterations of plasma lipid levels and lipoprotein metabolism. To evaluate the effects of severe obesity and weight loss on plasma lipoprotein sub-class levels and composition 11 grossly obese patients were examined before and six and 12 months after gastroplasty. Plasma lipoproteins were isolated by ultracentrifugation in a zonal rotor under rate flotation conditions. Mean body weight was 121.9 kg before gastroplasty, 97.6 kg after six months, and 90.7 kg after 12 months. Total plasma cholesterol was not affected by the weight reduction. Obese patients were characterized by increased levels of IDL and small dense LDL (LDL3). LDL levels, but not LDL3, were reduced following weight reduction. Plasma apo B levels of obese patients were always higher than in controls and were not affected by the weight reduction. After 12 month's weight loss total HDL cholesterol increased without modification of HDL sub-class cholesterol distribution, which was similar to that of normal controls. Plasma apo AI in obese patients was not affected by changes in body weight, and remained below normal. The percentage protein-lipid composition of LDL2 and HDL3 in obese patients was characterized by a decreased cholesterol ester content before gastroplasty which was normalized 12 months after gastroplasty. The presence of IDL and LDL3 in increased concentrations in severely obese patients may represent a vascular risk factor since similar abnormalities were recently observed in non-obese patients affected with vascular diseases
Effetti del glucomannano (GM) sulla glicemia e trigliceridemia post-prandiale in soggetti obesi.
No full text- …
