Maternal body mass index, gestational weight gain, and early childhood growth: A register-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood obesity is associated with maternal obesity, but the link to gestational weight gain (GWG) is not fully elucidated. We examined the relationship between early pregnancy maternal body mass index (BMI) and GWG on early childhood growth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data from 30 197 mother-child pairs from Uppsala County Mother and Child Cohort were divided into 15 groups according to maternal BMI and GWG, based on World Health Organization classification and Institute of Medicine guidelines, respectively. Postnatal growth patterns were analyzed with linear mixed regression models within maternal BMI groups. Odds ratios of overweight and obesity at 4 years of age were assessed with logistic regression analyses. We treated children of mothers with normal weight and adequate GWG as the reference group, and all analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. RESULTS: GWG was associated with infant BMI z-score at birth, independent of potential confounding factors. Independent of GWG, we observed an overall decrease in BMI z-score from 18 months to 5 years in children of mothers who were underweight, while an increase in BMI z-score was seen in children of mothers who were overweight or obese. In children of normal- and overweight mothers, the risk of childhood overweight and obesity was associated with excessive compared to adequate GWG (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.36 for normal-weight mothers, and aOR 1.25, 95% CI 1.04-1.51 for overweight mothers, respectively). Children of mothers with obesity and excessive GWG had the highest risk of being overweight or obese at 4 years (aOR 2.88, 95% CI 2.40-3.44, and 4.38, 95% CI 3.37-5.67, respectively). Associations did not differ between children of mothers with obesity class 1 and 2-3 when comparing excessive and adequate GWG (aOR 1.33, 95% CI 0.96-1.85, and 1.12, 95% CI 0.74-1.70, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal GWG affects infant birth size and growth until 18 months, although maternal BMI is more crucial for childhood growth beyond 18 months. Further, children of mothers who are normal- or overweight and experience excessive GWG have an increased risk of obesity at 4 years.

Studies in children with obesity in two European treatment centres show a high prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism in the Swedish cohort.

AIM: To investigate the prevalence and possible risk factors for the development of impaired glucose metabolism in children and adolescents with obesity. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study, including 634 patients with obesity and 98 normal weight controls aged 4-18 years from the Beta-cell function in Juvenile Diabetes and Obesity (Beta-JUDO) cohort, a dual-centre study at Uppsala University Hospital (Sweden) and Paracelsus Medical University Hospital (Salzburg, Austria) conducted between 2012 and 2021. A longitudinal subgroup analysis, including 188 of these subjects was performed. Impaired glucose metabolism was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance tests according to American Diabetes Association criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism was 72% in Uppsala patients, 24% in Salzburg patients, 30% in Uppsala controls and 13% in Salzburg controls. The prevalence was lower at the follow-up visits compared with baseline both in Uppsala and Salzburg patients. A family history of type 2 diabetes showed the strongest association with impaired glucose metabolism at the follow-up visits besides belonging to the Uppsala cohort. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism was extraordinarily high in Swedish children and adolescents with obesity, but decreased during the follow-up period.

Metformin restores prohormone processing enzymes and normalizes aberrations in secretion of proinsulin and insulin in palmitate-exposed human islets.

AIM: To elucidate how proinsulin synthesis and insulin was affected by metformin under conditions of nutrient overstimulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Isolated human pancreatic islets from seven donors were cultured at 5.5 mmol/L glucose and 0.5 mmol/L palmitate for 12, 24 or 72 h. Metformin (25 µmol/L) was introduced after initial 12 h with palmitate. Proinsulin and insulin were measured. Expression of prohormone convertase 1/3 (PC1/3) and carboxypeptidase E (CPE), was determined by western blot. Adolescents with obesity, treated with metformin and with normal glucose tolerance (n = 5), prediabetes (n = 14), or type 2 diabetes (T2DM; n = 7) were included. Fasting proinsulin, insulin, glucose, 2-h glucose and glycated haemoglobin were measured. Proinsulin/insulin ratio (PI/I) was calculated. RESULTS: In human islets, palmitate treatment for 12 and 24 h increased proinsulin and insulin proportionally. After 72 h, proinsulin but not insulin continued to increase which was coupled with reduced expression of PC1/3 and CPE. Metformin normalized expression of PC1/3 and CPE, and proinsulin and insulin secretion. In adolescents with obesity, before treatment, fasting proinsulin and insulin concentrations were higher in subjects with T2DM than with normal glucose tolerance. PI/I was reduced after metformin treatment in subjects with T2DM as well as in subjects with prediabetes, coupled with reduced 2-h glucose and glycated haemoglobin. CONCLUSIONS: Metformin normalized proinsulin and insulin secretion after prolonged nutrient-overstimulation, coupled with normalization of the converting enzymes, in isolated islets. In adolescents with obesity, metformin treatment was associated with improved PI/I, which was coupled with improved glycaemic control.

Screening for Inflammatory Markers Identifies IL-18Rα as a Potential Link between Exenatide and Its Anti-Inflammatory Effect: New Results from the Combat-JUDO Randomized Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is associated with chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation has also been linked to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, metabolic associated fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular disease. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor analogs (GLP-1RA) are clinically used to treat obesity, with known anti-inflammatory properties. How the GLP-1RA exenatide effects inflammation in adolescents with obesity is not fully investigated. METHODS: Forty-four patients were randomized to receive weekly subcutaneous injections with either 2 mg exenatide or placebo for 6 months. Plasma samples were collected at baseline and at the end of the study, and 92 inflammatory proteins were measured. RESULTS: Following treatment with exenatide, 15 out of the 92 proteins were decreased, and one was increased. However, after adjustment for multiple testing, only IL-18Rα was significantly lowered following treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Weekly injections with 2 mg of exenatide lowers circulating IL-18Rα in adolescents with obesity, which may be a potential link between exenatide and its anti-inflammatory effect in vivo. This contributes to exenatide's pharmaceutical potential as a treatment for obesity beyond weight control and glucose tolerance, and should be further studied mechanistically.

Association between alanine aminotransferase as surrogate of fatty liver disease and physical activity and sedentary time in adolescents with obesity.

To compare patterns of sedentary (SED) time (more sedentary, SED + vs less sedentary, SED-), moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) time (more active, MVPA + vs less active, MVPA-), and combinations of behaviors (SED-/MVPA + , SED-/MVPA-, SED + /MVPA + , SED + /MVPA-) regarding nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD) markers. This cross-sectional study included 134 subjects (13.4 ± 2.2 years, body mass index (BMI) 98.9 ± 0.7 percentile, 48.5% females) who underwent 24-h/7-day accelerometry, anthropometric, and biochemical markers (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as first criterion, and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), AST/ALT ratio as secondary criteria). A subgroup of 39 patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging-liver fat content (MRI-LFC). Hepatic health was better in SED- (lower ALT, GGT, and MRI-LFC (p < 0.05), higher AST/ALT (p < 0.01)) vs SED + and in MVPA + (lower ALT (p < 0.05), higher AST/ALT (p < 0.01)) vs MVPA- groups after adjustment for age, gender, and Tanner stages. SED-/MVPA + group had the best hepatic health. SED-/MVPA- group had lower ALT and GGT and higher AST/ALT (p < 0.05) in comparison with SED + /MVPA + group independently of BMI. SED time was positively associated with biochemical (high ALT, low AST/ALT ratio) and imaging (high MRI-LFC) markers independently of MVPA. MVPA time was associated with biochemical markers (low ALT, high AST/ALT) but these associations were no longer significant after adjustment for SED time. CONCLUSION: Lower SED time is associated with better hepatic health independently of MVPA. Reducing SED time might be a first step in the management of pediatric obesity NAFLD when increasing MVPA is not possible. WHAT IS KNOWN: • MVPA and SED times are associated with cardiometabolic risks in youths with obesity. • The relationships between NAFLD markers and concomitant MVPA and SED times have not been studied in this population. WHAT IS NEW: • Low SED time is associated with healthier liver enzyme profiles and LFC independent of MVPA. • While low SED/high MVPA is the more desirable pattern, low SED/low MVPA pattern would have healthier liver enzyme profile compared with high MVPA/high SED, independent of BMI, suggesting that reducing SED time irrespective of MVPA is needed to optimize liver health.

There Is a Clinical Need to Consider the Physical Activity: Sedentary Pattern in Children with Obesity - Position Paper of the European Childhood Obesity Group.

INTRODUCTION: While international prevention guidelines recently advocated, in addition to moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) guidelines, for a minimization of sedentary (SED) time, recommendations remain to be developed for youths with obesity. METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, the Cochrane Library, plus the reference lists of selected articles for relevant publications in English, including original papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, with search terms "sedentary behaviors" or "sedentary time" or "screen time" AND "children" or "adolescents" AND "obesity" or "adiposity" or "cardiometabolic risk" or "cardiometabolic disease." The results were summarized as a narrative review and presented to the scientific board of the European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG), who then discussed their implication in clinical practice and proposed the position outlined in this paper. RESULTS: SED and screen times are associated with adiposity and cardiometabolic risks, independently of youths' physical activity (PA) level. Besides considering MVPA and SED times as separate variables, comprehensive studies have questioned the impact of different patterns of MVPA and SED levels. Although lower body adiposity and better cardiometabolic health are achieved among those with desirable movement behavior patterns (i.e., more MVPA/less SED or active/not SED), youths with intermediate patterns (i.e., high MVPA/high SED and low MVPA/low SED, or active/SED and inactive/not SED) have been found to be associated with intermediate risks. CONCLUSION: There is a need to decrease SED behaviors irrespective of MVPA and to consider PA-SED patterns in youth with obesity. The ECOG encourages anti-obesity strategies targeting both PA and SED behaviors to support the shift from long periods of SED time, especially screen time, to daily routines incorporating bouts of PA. Stepwise or sequential approaches to movement behavior counseling might start with targeting SED at first to decrease cardiometabolic risks when implementing MVPA is not yet possible.

Prevalence of different states of glucose intolerance in Sri Lankan children and adolescents with obesity and its relation to other comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: South Asian adults have higher prevalence of obesity comorbidities than other ethnic groups. Whether this also is true for Sri Lankan children with obesity has rarely been investigated. OBJECTIVE: To investigate prevalence of glucose intolerance and other comorbidities in Sri Lankan children with obesity and compare them with Swedish children. To identify risk factors associated with glucose intolerance. SUBJECTS: A total of 357 Sri Lankan children (185 boys), aged 7 to 17 years with BMI-SDS ≥2.0 from a cross-sectional school screening in Negombo. A total of 167 subjects from this study population were matched for sex, BMI-SDS and age with 167 Swedish subjects from the ULSCO cohort for comparison. METHODS: After a 12 hour overnight fast, blood samples were collected and oral glucose tolerance test was performed. Body fat mass was assessed by bioelectrical impedance assay. Data regarding medical history and socioeconomic status were obtained from questionnaires. RESULTS: Based on levels of fasting glucose (FG) and 2 hours-glucose (2 hours-G), Sri Lankan subjects were divided into five groups: normal glucose tolerance (77.5%, n = 276), isolated impaired fasting glucose according to ADA criteria (9.0%, n = 32), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (8.4%, n = 30), combined impaired fasting glucose (IFG) + impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (3.1%, n = 11) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (2.0%, n = 7). FG, 2 hours-insulin and educational status of the father independently increased the Odds ratio to have elevated 2 hours-G. Sri Lankan subjects had higher percentage of body fat, but less abdominal fat than Swedish subjects. CONCLUSION: High prevalence in Sri Lankan children with obesity shows that screening for glucose intolerance is important even if asymptomatic.

Evaluation of fasting plasma insulin and proxy measurements to assess insulin sensitivity in horses.

BACKGROUND: Proxies are mathematical calculations based on fasting glucose and/or insulin concentrations developed to allow prediction of insulin sensitivity (IS) and ß-cell response. These proxies have not been evaluated in horses with insulin dysregulation. The first objective of this study was to evaluate how fasting insulin (FI) and proxies for IS (1/Insulin, reciprocal of the square root of insulin (RISQI) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI)) and ß-cell response (the modified insulin-to-glucose ratio (MIRG) and the homeostatic model assessment of ß-cell function (HOMA-ß)) were correlated to measures of IS (M index) using the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (EHC) in horses with insulin resistance (IR) and normal IS. A second objective was to evaluate the repeatability of FI and proxies in horses based on sampling on consecutive days. The last objective was to investigate the most appropriate cut-off value for the proxies and FI. RESULTS: Thirty-four horses were categorized as IR and 26 as IS based on the M index. The proxies and FI had coefficients of variation (CVs) ≤ 25.3 % and very good reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients ≥ 0.89). All proxies and FI were good predictors of the M index (r = 0.76-0.85; P < 0.001). The proxies for IS had a positive linear relationship with the M index whereas proxies for ß-cell response and FI had an inverse relationship with the M index. Cut-off values to distinguish horses with IR from horses with normal IS based on the M index were established for all proxies and FI using receiver operating characteristic curves, with sensitivity between 79 % and 91 % and specificity between 85 % and 96 %. The cut-off values to predict IR were < 0.32 (RISQI), < 0.33 (QUICKI) and > 9.5 µIU/mL for FI. CONCLUSIONS: All proxies and FI provided repeatable estimates of horses' IS. However, there is no advantage of using proxies instead of FI to estimate IR in the horse. Due to the heteroscedasticity of the data, proxies and FI in general are more suitable for epidemiological studies and larger clinical studies than as a diagnostic tool for measurement of IR in individual horses.

Impact of body mass index on relapse in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated according to Nordic treatment protocols.

OBJECTIVES: High body mass index (BMI) is associated with poorer survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but the actual impact on the risk of relapse still needs to be clarified. We evaluated the impact of BMI at diagnosis on the risk of relapse in children with ALL treated according to Nordic Society of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology (NOPHO) protocols. METHOD: In a multicenter study, we collected data on BMI at diagnosis and outcome of 2558 children aged 2.0-17.9 years diagnosed between 1992 and 2016. Patients were divided into four groups according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) childhood BMI cut-offs: underweight, <17; healthy weight, 17-25; overweight, 25-30; and obese, ≥30 kg/m2 . RESULTS: In Cox multivariate regression analyses, an increased risk of relapse was observed in children aged 10-17.9 years with unhealthy BMI at diagnosis (underweight hazard ratio HR: 2.90 [95% confidence interval: 1.24-6.78], P = .01; overweight, HR: 1.95 [1.11-3.43], P = .02, and obese HR: 4.32 [95% 2.08-8.97], P < .001), compared to children with healthy weight. BMI had no impact on relapse in children under 10 years of age. CONCLUSION: High BMI, and especially obesity at diagnosis, is an independent adverse prognostic factor for relapse in older children with ALL.

Fully convolutional networks for automated segmentation of abdominal adipose tissue depots in multicenter water-fat MRI.

PURPOSE: An approach for the automated segmentation of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in multicenter water-fat MRI scans of the abdomen was investigated, using 2 different neural network architectures. METHODS: The 2 fully convolutional network architectures U-Net and V-Net were trained, evaluated, and compared using the water-fat MRI data. Data of the study Tellus with 90 scans from a single center was used for a 10-fold cross-validation in which the most successful configuration for both networks was determined. These configurations were then tested on 20 scans of the multicenter study beta-cell function in JUvenile Diabetes and Obesity (BetaJudo), which involved a different study population and scanning device. RESULTS: The U-Net outperformed the used implementation of the V-Net in both cross-validation and testing. In cross-validation, the U-Net reached average dice scores of 0.988 (VAT) and 0.992 (SAT). The average of the absolute quantification errors amount to 0.67% (VAT) and 0.39% (SAT). On the multicenter test data, the U-Net performs only slightly worse, with average dice scores of 0.970 (VAT) and 0.987 (SAT) and quantification errors of 2.80% (VAT) and 1.65% (SAT). CONCLUSION: The segmentations generated by the U-Net allow for reliable quantification and could therefore be viable for high-quality automated measurements of VAT and SAT in large-scale studies with minimal need for human intervention. The high performance on the multicenter test data furthermore shows the robustness of this approach for data of different patient demographics and imaging centers, as long as a consistent imaging protocol is used.

Hyperglucagonemia in youth is associated with high plasma free fatty acids, visceral adiposity, and impaired glucose tolerance.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate potential mechanisms for fasting hyperglucagonemia in childhood obesity by studying the associations between fasting plasma glucagon concentrations and plasma lipid parameters and fat compartments. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of children and adolescents with obesity (n = 147) and lean controls (n = 43). Differences in free fatty acids (FFAs), triglycerides, insulin, and fat compartments (quantified by magnetic resonance imaging) across quartiles of fasting plasma glucagon concentration were analyzed. Differences in oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) glucagon response was tested in high vs low FFAs, triglycerides, and insulin. Human islets of Langerhans were cultured at 5.5 mmol/L glucose and in the absence or presence of a FFA mixture with total FFA concentration of 0.5 mmol/L and glucagon secretion quantified. RESULTS: In children with obesity, the quartile with the highest fasting glucagon had higher insulin (201 ± 174 vs 83 ± 39 pmol/L, P < .01), FFAs (383 ± 52 vs 338 ± 109 µmol/L, P = .02), triglycerides (1.5 ± 0.9 vs 1.0 ± 0.7 mmol/L, P < .01), visceral adipose tissue volume (1.9 ± 0.8 vs 1.2 ± 0.3 dm3 , P < .001), and a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT; 41% vs 8%, P = .01) than the lowest quartile. During OGTT, children with obesity and high insulin had a worse suppression of glucagon during the first 10 minutes after glucose intake. Glucagon secretion was 2.6-fold higher in islets treated with FFAs than in those not treated with FFAs. CONCLUSIONS: Hyperglucagonemia in childhood obesity is associated with hyperinsulinemia, high plasma FFAs, high plasma triglycerides, visceral adiposity, and IGT. The glucagonotropic effect of FFAs on isolated human islets provides a potential mechanism linking high fasting plasma FFAs and glucagon levels.

Modification and Validation of the Triglyceride-to-HDL Cholesterol Ratio as a Surrogate of Insulin Sensitivity in White Juveniles and Adults without Diabetes Mellitus: The Single Point Insulin Sensitivity Estimator (SPISE).

BACKGROUND: The triglyceride-to-HDL cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio was introduced as a tool to estimate insulin resistance, because circulating lipid measurements are available in routine settings. Insulin, C-peptide, and free fatty acids are components of other insulin-sensitivity indices but their measurement is expensive. Easier and more affordable tools are of interest for both pediatric and adult patients. METHODS: Study participants from the Relationship Between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease [43.9 (8.3) years, n = 1260] as well as the Beta-Cell Function in Juvenile Diabetes and Obesity study cohorts [15 (1.9) years, n = 29] underwent oral-glucose-tolerance tests and euglycemic clamp tests for estimation of whole-body insulin sensitivity and calculation of insulin sensitivity indices. To refine the TG/HDL ratio, mathematical modeling was applied including body mass index (BMI), fasting TG, and HDL cholesterol and compared to the clamp-derived M-value as an estimate of insulin sensitivity. Each modeling result was scored by identifying insulin resistance and correlation coefficient. The Single Point Insulin Sensitivity Estimator (SPISE) was compared to traditional insulin sensitivity indices using area under the ROC curve (aROC) analysis and χ(2) test. RESULTS: The novel formula for SPISE was computed as follows: SPISE = 600 × HDL-C(0.185)/(TG(0.2) × BMI(1.338)), with fasting HDL-C (mg/dL), fasting TG concentrations (mg/dL), and BMI (kg/m(2)). A cutoff value of 6.61 corresponds to an M-value smaller than 4.7 mg · kg(-1) · min(-1) (aROC, M:0.797). SPISE showed a significantly better aROC than the TG/HDL-C ratio. SPISE aROC was comparable to the Matsuda ISI (insulin sensitivity index) and equal to the QUICKI (quantitative insulin sensitivity check index) and HOMA-IR (homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance) when calculated with M-values. CONCLUSIONS: The SPISE seems well suited to surrogate whole-body insulin sensitivity from inexpensive fasting single-point blood draw and BMI in white adolescents and adults.

Initial hyperinsulinemia and subsequent ß-cell dysfunction is associated with elevated palmitate levels.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity-related diabetes in childhood is increasing and circulating levels of nonesterified fatty acids may constitute a link. Here, the association between palmitate and insulin secretion was investigated in vivo and in vitro. METHODS: Obese and lean children and adolescents (n = 80) were included. Palmitate was measured at fasting; insulin and glucose during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Human islets were cultured for 0 to 7 d in presence of 0.5 mmol/l palmitate. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), insulin content and apoptosis were measured. RESULTS: Obese subjects had fasting palmitate levels between 0.10 and 0.33 mmol/l, with higher average levels compared to lean subjects. While obese children with elevated palmitate (>0.20 mmol/l) had accentuated insulin levels during OGTT, obese adolescents with high palmitate had delayed first-phase insulin response. In human islets exposed to palmitate for 2 d GSIS was twofold enhanced, but after 7 d attenuated. Intracellular insulin content decreased time-dependently in islets cultured in the presence of palmitate and cleaved caspase 3 increased. CONCLUSION: The rapid accentuated and delayed insulin secretory responses observed in obese children and adolescents, respectively, with high palmitate levels may reflect changes in islet secretory activity and integrity induced by extended exposure to the fatty acid.

Rise in fasting and dynamic glucagon levels in children and adolescents with obesity is moderate in subjects with impaired fasting glucose but accentuated in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes.

Background: Fasting levels of glucagon are known to be elevated in youth and adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Children and adolescents with obesity were previously reported to show increasing fasting and post-glucose-challenge hyperglucagonemia across the spectrum of glucose tolerance, while no data are available in those with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). Materials and methods: Individuals from the Beta-JUDO study population (Uppsala and Salzburg 2010-2016) (n=101, age 13.3 ± 2.8, m/f =50/51) were included (90 with overweight or obesity, 11 with normal weight). Standardized OGTT were performed and plasma glucose, glucagon and insulin concentrations assessed at baseline, 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes. Patients were grouped according to their glycemic state in six groups with normal glucose metabolism (NGM) and normal weight (NG-NW), NGM with obesity or overweight (NG-O), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), IGT+IFG and T2D, and in two groups with NGM and impaired glucose metabolism (IGM), for statistical analysis. Results and conclusion: Glucagon concentrations were elevated in young normoglycemic individuals with overweight or obesity (NG-O) compared to normoglycemic individuals with normal weight. Glucagon levels, fasting and dynamic, increased with progressing glycemic deterioration, except in IFG, where levels were comparable to those in NG-O. All glycemic groups showed an overall suppression of glucagon during OGTT. An initial increase of glucagon could be observed in T2D. In T2D, glucagon showed a strong direct linear correlation with plasma glucose levels during OGTT. Glucagon in adolescents, as in adults, may play a role in the disease progression of T2D.

Free fatty acid determination in plasma by GC-MS after conversion to Weinreb amides.

Circulating free fatty acids (FFAs) play important physiological roles as contributing components in cellular structure as well as energy utilization. Elevated levels of circulating FFAs are associated with metabolic aberrations in humans. FFAs differ in chain length and saturation and may be altered in metabolically dysregulated conditions, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus. Potentially, alterations in circulating levels of specific FFAs could also be important in terms of prognostic value. Various methods have been used to analyze FFAs. In this study, a straightforward and accurate method for the determination of FFAs in plasma has been established and evaluated, through conversion of plasma FFAs into acid fluorides followed by conversion to Weinreb amides (dimethylamide). The method is mild, efficient, selective, and quantitative for FFAs, when analyzed with capillary gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Standard curves were linear over the range of 1,000-20,000 ng/mL with a correlation coefficient (r(2)) of 0.998, and coefficient of variation of triplicate analysis was <10 %. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) technique was reproducible and repeatable, and recoveries were above 90 %. From the generated MS spectra, five specific FFAs were identified. An explicit interest was the quantification of palmitate (C16:0) and palmitoleate (C16:1), which have been connected with detrimental and positive effects on the insulin-producing beta cells, respectively. The results demonstrate the suitability of Weinreb amides for efficient and rapid isolation of FFAs in plasma, prior to quantitative GC-MS analysis. We suggest that the method can be used as a routine standardized way of quantifying FFAs.

Short-term effects of canagliflozin on glucose and insulin responses in insulin dysregulated horses: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, study.

BACKGROUND: Decreasing hyperinsulinemia is crucial in preventing laminitis in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses. Complementary pharmacological treatments that efficiently decrease postprandial hyperinsulinemia in ID horses are needed. OBJECTIVES: Compare short-term effects of canagliflozin vs placebo on glucose and insulin responses to an oral sugar test (OST) as well as the effects on body weight and triglyceride concentrations in horses with ID. ANIMALS: Sixteen privately-owned ID horses. METHODS: A single-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel design study. The horses were randomized (ratio 1:1) to either once daily PO treatment with 0.6 mg/kg canagliflozin or placebo. The study consisted of an initial 3-day period for obtaining baseline data, a 3-week double-blind treatment period at home, and a 3-day follow-up period similar to the initial baseline period but with continued double-blind treatment. Horses were subjected to an 8-sample OST in the morning of the third day on both visits. RESULTS: Maximal geometric least square (LS) mean insulin concentration (95% confidence interval [CI]) during the OST decreased after 3 weeks of canagliflozin treatment compared with placebo (83.2; 55.4-125.0 vs 215.2; 143.2-323.2 µIU/mL). The geometric LS mean insulin response (insulin AUC0-180 ) for canagliflozin-treated horses was >66% lower compared with placebo. Least square mean body weight decreased by 11.1 (4-18.1) kg and LS mean triglyceride concentrations increased by 0.99 (0.47-1.5) mmol/L with canagliflozin treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Canagliflozin is a promising drug for treatment of ID horses that requires future studies.

Metformin Can Attenuate Beta-Cell Hypersecretion-Implications for Treatment of Children with Obesity.

In children with obesity, insulin hypersecretion is proposed to precede insulin resistance. We investigated if metformin could be used to attenuate insulin secretion from palmitate-treated isolated islets and its implication for children with obesity. Human islets were exposed to palmitate for 0.5 or 1 day, when metformin was introduced. After culture, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was measured. Children with obesity, who had received metformin for over six months (n = 21, age 13.9 ± 1.8), were retrospectively evaluated. Children were classified as either "reducing" or "increasing" based on the difference between AUC0-120 of insulin during OGTT before and after metformin treatment. In human islets, GSIS increased after culture in palmitate for up to 1 day but declined with continued palmitate exposure. Whereas adding metformin after 1 day of palmitate exposure increased GSIS, adding metformin after 0.5 days reduced GSIS. In children with "reducing" insulin AUC0-120 (n = 9), 2 h glucose and triglycerides decreased after metformin treatment, which was not observed in patients with "increasing" insulin AUC0-120 (n = 12). In isolated islets, metformin attenuated insulin hypersecretion if introduced when islet secretory capacity was maintained. In children with obesity, improved glycemic and lipid levels were accompanied by reduced insulin levels during OGTT after metformin treatment.

Adolescents with obesity treated with exenatide maintain endogenous GLP-1, reduce DPP-4, and improve glycemic control.

Background: GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are increasingly used to treat adolescent obesity. However, the effect on endogenous GLP-1 secretory patterns following treatment in adolescents is unknown. The GLP-1RA exenatide was shown to significantly lower BMI and 2-hour glucose in adolescents with obesity, in the placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial Combat-JUDO. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of weekly injections of 2 mg exenatide extended release on secretory patterns of endogenous hormones during OGTT. Subjects and Measurements: This study was a pre-planned sub-study of the Combat-JUDO trial, set at the Pediatric clinic at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden and Paracelsus Medical University, Austria. 44 adolescents with obesity were included and randomized 1:1 to treatment:placebo. 19 patients in the treatment group and 18 in the placebo group completed the trial. Before and after treatment, GLP-1, glucose, insulin, glucagon and glicentin levels were measured during OGTT; DPP-4 and proinsulin were measured at fasting. A per-protocol approach was used in the analyses. Results: Exenatide treatment did not affect GLP-1 levels during OGTT. Treatment significantly lowered DPP-4, proinsulin and the proinsulin-to-insulin ratio at fasting, increased glicentin levels but did not affect insulin, C-peptide or glucagon levels during OGTT. Conclusion: Weekly s.c. injections with 2 mg of exenatide maintains endogenous total GLP-1 levels and lowers circulating DPP-4 levels. This adds an argument in favor of using exenatide in the treatment of pediatric obesity. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT02794402.

Obesity in adolescents associated with vascular aging - a study using ultra-high-resolution ultrasound.

Background: Obesity in adolescents is increasing worldwide and associated with an elevated cardiovascular risk later in life. In a group-comparative study, we investigated the association between adiposity in adolescents and signs of vascular aging and inflammation. Methods: Thirty-nine adolescents (10-18 years old), 19 with obesity and 20 with normal weight, were enrolled. The intima thickness and intima/media thickness ratio (I/M) were assessed using high-resolution ultrasound in the common carotid artery (center frequency 22 MHz) and the distal radial artery (RA; 50 MHz). Increased intima and high I/M are signs of vascular aging. Body characteristics, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), plasma lipids, and glycemic parameters were measured. Results: Adolescents with obesity, compared to normal-weight peers, had elevated plasma lipid, insulin c-peptide, and hs-CRP levels, the latter increasing exponentially with increasing adiposity. Obese adolescents had a thicker RA intima layer [0.005 mm; 95% confidence intervals (0.000, 0.009); P = 0.043] and a higher RA I/M [0.10; (0.040, 0.147); P < 0.0007]. Group differences for the RA I/M remained significant after adjustment for age, sex, fasting plasma insulin, and body mass index, both separately and together (P = 0.032). The RA I/M was correlated with hs-CRP, and both were correlated with the analyzed cardiovascular risk factors. Receiver operating curve c-values for RA I/M (0.86) and hs-CRP (0.90) strongly indicated correct placement in the obese or non-obese group. Conclusions: Adolescents with obesity had significantly more extensive vascular aging in the muscular RA, than normal-weight peers. The findings support an inflammatory link between obesity and vascular aging in adolescents.