RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity has grown very fast over recent decades and now it represents a serious public health problem. The number of adipocytes is set in childhood and adolescence and then, an effective understanding of the development of adipose tissue during these periods will help in the prevention of this pathology. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to determine which adipose tissue characteristics are related to a high weight Z-score in childhood. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The current study included 82 children aged 5-130 months who underwent inguinal hernia surgery. Anthropometric variables were measured, and a nutritional and physical activity questionnaire was completed. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples, taken during the operation, were analyzed for preadipocyte number, adipocyte volume, fatty acid composition (gas chromatography of FAME), and relative gene expression of various genes (real time PCR). RESULTS: The results showed that children with a higher weight Z-score spend more time in sedentary activities and less time running or involved in active games. SCD-1 activity index, arachidonic/linoleic index, and adipocyte volume were significantly higher in children with a weight Z-score greater than 0. The preadipocyte number and the genetic expression of the studied genes did not differ between the groups. A multiple regression analysis was done to determine which variables were related to the weight Z-score. R2 values indicated that the model which included adipocyte volume, SREBP-1c, SCD-1 expression, and activity index, predicted 59% of the variability in the weight Z-score among the children. The main variables associated with adipocyte volume were PPARγ, Adiponectin, CB1R expressions, as well as the SCD-1 activity and normalized weight. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that in childhood, the weight Z-score is related to adipocyte volume and adipose tissue gene expression.
RESUMO
Gut mesodermal tissues originate from the splanchnopleural mesenchyme. However, the embryonic gastrointestinal coelomic epithelium gives rise to mesenchymal cells, whose significance and fate are little known. Our aim was to investigate the contribution of coelomic epithelium-derived cells to the intestinal development. We have used the transgenic mouse model mWt1/IRES/GFP-Cre (Wt1(cre)) crossed with the Rosa26R-EYFP reporter mouse. In the gastrointestinal duct Wt1, the Wilms' tumor suppressor gene, is specific and dynamically expressed in the coelomic epithelium. In the embryos obtained from the crossbreeding, the Wt1-expressing cell lineage produces the yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) allowing for colocalization with differentiation markers through confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Wt1(cre-YFP) cells were very abundant throughout the intestine during midgestation, declining in neonates. Wt1(cre-YFP) cells were also transiently observed within the mucosa, being apparently released into the intestinal lumen. YFP was detected in cells contributing to intestinal vascularization (endothelium, pericytes and smooth muscle), visceral musculature (circular, longitudinal and submucosal) as well as in Cajal and Cajal-like interstitial cells. Wt1(cre-YFP) mesenchymal cells expressed FGF9, a critical growth factor for intestinal development, as well as PDGFRα, mainly within developing villi. Thus, a cell population derived from the coelomic epithelium incorporates to the gut mesenchyme and contribute to a variety of intestinal tissues, probably playing also a signaling role. Our results support the origin of interstitial cells of Cajal and visceral circular muscle from a common progenitor expressing anoctamin-1 and SMCα-actin. Coelomic-derived cells contribute to the differentiation of at least a part of the interstitial cells of Cajal.