FNDC5 expression and circulating irisin levels are modified by diet and hormonal conditions in hypothalamus, adipose tissue and muscle.

Irisin is processed from fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5). However, a controversy exists concerning irisin origin, regulation and function. To elucidate the relationship between serum irisin and FNDC5 mRNA expression levels, we evaluated plasma irisin levels and FNDC5 gene expression in the hypothalamus, gastrocnemius muscle and different depots of adipose tissue in models of altered metabolism. In normal rats, blood irisin levels diminished after 48-h fast and with leptin, insulin and alloxan treatments, and serum irisin concentrations increased in diabetic rats after insulin treatment and acute treatments of irisin increased blood insulin levels. No changes were observed during long-term experiments with different diets. We suggested that levels of circulating irisin are the result of the sum of the irisin produced by different depots of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. This study shows for the first time that there are differences in FNDC5 expression depending on white adipose tissue depots. Moreover, a considerable decrease in visceral and epididymal adipose tissue depots correlated with increased FNDC5 mRNA expression levels, probably in an attempt to compensate the decrease that occurs in their mass. Hypothalamic FNDC5 expression did not change for any of the tested diets but increased with leptin, insulin and metformin treatments suggesting that the regulation of central and peripheral FNDC5/irisin expression and functions are different.

Vitamin D at term of pregnancy and during lactation in white and black women living in Northern Italy.

AIM: Evaluate the vitamin D serum status in a population of white and black mothers who live in the same geographic area of northern Italy (45 degrees 8' N of latitude) and its correlation with vitamin D serum concentrations of the respective newborns at birth, at 2 and 12 months. METHODS: Twelve white woman-infant pairs and 12 black woman-infant pairs were recruited from January through March 2006. The study population had no pre-existing disease and delivered at term of pregnancy (37-41 weeks of gestational age). Only black infants were given vitamin D supplementation from birth to 1 year of age. RESULTS: Eleven black and 12 white women had low vitamin D serum levels at term of pregnancy. Similarly, black and white newborns were both vitamin D deficient at birth. After 12 months white women re-gained physiological vitamin D serum levels, whereas black women maintained a status of vitamin D deficiency. Black newborns who were given supplementation showed lower vitamin D serum concentrations as compared with white newborns at 1 year of age. CONCLUSION: These data showed that all the women living in the same region of northern Italy without any supplementation are equally vitamin D deficient at term of pregnancy regardless of their skin pigmentation. Consequently, every woman should be supplied with additional vitamin D during pregnancy and lactation, though such supplementation seems to exert the most beneficial effects in black women.

Pattern of fluid consumption in a sample of Saudi Arabian adolescents aged 12-13 years.

OBJECTIVE: To study the pattern of fluid consumption in a group of Saudi adolescent boys and girls aged 12-13 years. DESIGN: Prospective study. METHODS: Three hundred forty-four boys and girls attending school in Riyadh recorded their fluid intake for three consecutive days, including one weekend day, in April and May 2002. Types of drink/beverage and total amount consumed were analysed and ranked in order of amount/quantity of consumption. Independent samples t-test was used to compare between genders. RESULTS: Mean daily fluid intake was 1,917 mL (SD 287). Drinking water provided 37%, whereas carbonated soft drinks and fruit juice/drink accounted for 26% and 25%, respectively. Seven percent of total fluid intake amounting to 134 mL came from milk and 5% (103 mL) was from tea/coffee. Fluid intake was higher in boys (2,006 mL) than in girls (1,821 mL) (P=0.049). This was also true for carbonated soft drinks (P=0.050) and tea/coffee (P=0.000). Girls consumed more milk (P=0.001) and fruit juice/drink (P=0.001) than boys. CONCLUSION: Both carbonated soft drink and fruit juice/drink accounted for the largest proportion of total fluid intake by the sampled Saudi adolescents to the detriment of nutritious milk.

Expression of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in human glioma and in vitro inhibition by a specific COX-2 inhibitor, NS-398.

The up-regulation of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) expression is a frequent occurrence in a variety of different tumors. In this study, COX-2 protein expression was investigated in 50 glioma and 3 normal brain specimens by immunohistochemistry. Expression of COX-2 protein was observed in all normal brain and glioma specimens by immunohistochemistry, regardless of histological grade. The immunoreactive score was significantly higher in high-grade glioma than low-grade glioma and normal brain specimens. For a subset of these tumors (nine gliomas and three normal brain), Western blot analysis was also performed. COX-2 protein was detected in all specimens by Western blot analysis. The effect of the specific COX-2 inhibitor NS-398 on monolayer cell cultures and three-dimensional glioma spheroids was investigated using U-87MG and U-251MG human glioblastoma cell lines. The proliferation rate was assessed in monolayer cultures. In addition, a growth assay, a migration assay, an apoptosis assay, and a tumor invasion assay were performed in a three-dimensional spheroid culture system. NS-398 was able to reduce the proliferation of monolayer cell cultures, as well as the growth of spheroids and tumor cell migration, in a dose-dependent manner. There was also a moderate increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the treated spheroids. NS-398 did not have an inhibitory effect on tumor invasion in the coculture spheroid system. Our study provides evidence that COX-2 is up-regulated in the majority of high-grade gliomas and that a potential role of COX-2 inhibitors as an adjuvant therapy for brain tumors may exist.

Mitral valve prolapse secondary to right ventricular enlargement in patients with pulmonary hypertension after toxic rapeseed oil ingestion.

A high incidence of mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been reported in various entities which produce important right ventricular (RV) enlargement with normal or decreased left ventricular (LV) volume. To evaluate the importance of RV enlargement in the genesis of MVP in these cases, we analyzed the echocardiographic studies from 176 patients with 'Síndrome Tóxico'. These patients underwent M-mode, cross-sectional and pulsed Doppler examination because of the suspicion of having dietary pulmonary hypertension, a complication which occurred in almost 20% of patients with this epidemic poisoning and which showed a course of gradual resolution in most of them. RV size was classified according to the RV/LV maximal short-axis dimension ratio as normal, border-line, moderately enlarged and severely enlarged. MPV was diagnosed according to standard M-mode and cross-sectional echocardiographic criteria. A second echocardiographic examination was obtained in 38 patients 12.5 +/- 5.3 months after the first one. The incidence of MVP was 9.3% in patients with normal RV size (N = 107), 9.5% in patients with border-line RV size (N = 23), 30% in patients with moderate RV enlargement (N = 30) and 56% in patients with severe RV enlargement (N = 16) (P less than 0.001). Fourteen (77%) of the 18 patients with MVP and moderate or severe RV enlargement (N = 16) (P less than 0.001). Fourteen (77%) of the 18 patients with MVP and moderate or severe RV enlargement had holosystolic MVP. At pulsed Doppler examination, no patient showed signs of mitral regurgitation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)