Creatine and low-dose lithium supplementation separately alter energy expenditure, body mass, and adipose metabolism for the promotion of thermogenesis.

Nutraceutical approaches to promote adipose tissue thermogenesis may help to prevent obesity onset. Creatine is a critical regulator of adipose metabolic function and low-dose lithium supplementation has been shown to promote adipose thermogenesis. In the present study, we sought to directly compare the two supplements for their effects on adipose metabolism and thermogenesis. We show that both supplements increase daily energy expenditure (EE) and reduce body mass in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Lithium increased brown adipose tissue (BAT) mitochondrial and lipolytic proteins that are associated with thermogenesis, while creatine increased BAT UCP1 and mitochondrial respiration. The BAT thermogenic findings were not observed in females. White adipose tissue and skeletal muscle markers of thermogenesis were unaltered with the supplements. Together, the data show that low-dose lithium and creatine have diverging effects on markers of BAT thermogenesis and that each increase daily EE and lower body mass in a sex-dependent manner.

Effects of gonadal sex steroids on sexual behavior in the big brown bat, Eptesicus fuscus, upon arousal from hibernation.

Vespertilionid bats are thought to have a dissociated pattern of reproduction; mating occurs in autumn as well as during periodic arousals from hibernation when testes are regressed and ovaries are "in stasis." Sex steroid levels in both sexes are basal at this time. This pattern would indicate that sex steroids per se may not be activating sexual behavior. Gonadectomy of male and female big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, months before the mating season, did not significantly affect the probability of expressing sexual behavior in either sex when staged behavior tests were conducted. Ovariectomized females, in fact, mated significantly more and exhibited proceptive behavior. Males mated at the same frequency whether they were intact, orchidectomized, or given testosterone implants. These results argue that gonadal sex steroids are not the direct activators of sexual behavior in this species. However, when males were allowed to mate freely within a large flight cage, orchidectomized males were not seen to mate, while intact males mated at the same frequency as in the staged trials. Females are apparently either differentiating between the two groups of males or there is male-male competition for mates within a system that has multiple matings with different individuals in both sexes.

Crystal growth inhibitors in human urine. Effect on calcium oxalate kinetics.

The nucleation and growth of oxalate trihydrate from supersaturated solutions containing a high molecular weight inhibitor fraction found in urine were sharply reduced to the extend that calcium oxalate dihydrate was formed. The kinetics of the later hydrate were found to be reduced with increasing inhibitor concentration. The effect of the negatively charged urine inhibitor on crystal growth of calcium oxalate was found to correlate with inhibition found in studies involving high molecular weight mucopolysaccharides such as heparin.

Kinetics of crystal growth and dissolution of calcium and magnesium fluorides.

Kinetic results of the crystal growth and dissolution of seed crystals of calcium fluoride and magnesium fluoride, obtained conductimetrically and potentiometrically, indicate that both processes are controlled by a surface reaction mechanism. An initial reaction surge in the case of magnesium fluoride is consistent with a concomitant secondary nucleation process. The activation energies for the growth and dissolution of calcium fluoride, 14.5 and 1.4 kcal mole-1, also point to surface reaction control. The heat of solution of this salt, obtained calorimetrically, was 2.9 +/- 0.1 kcal mole-1.