A common variant in PNPLA3, which encodes adiponutrin, is associated with liver fat content in humans.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: It has recently been suggested that the rs738409 G allele in PNPLA3, which encodes adiponutrin, is strongly associated with increased liver fat content in three different ethnic groups. The aims of the present study were as follows: (1) to try to replicate these findings in European individuals with quantitative measures of hepatic fat content; (2) to study whether the polymorphism influences hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity; and (3) to investigate whether PNPLA3 expression is altered in the human fatty liver. METHODS: We genotyped 291 Finnish individuals in whom liver fat had been measured using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Hepatic PNPLA3 expression was measured in 32 participants. Hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivities were measured using a euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic (insulin infusion 0.3 mU kg(-1) min(-1)) clamp technique combined with infusion of [3-(3)H]glucose in 109 participants. RESULTS: The rs738409 G allele in PNPLA3 was associated with increased quantitative measures of liver fat content (p = 0.011) and serum aspartate aminotransferase concentrations (p = 0.002) independently of age, sex and BMI. Fasting serum insulin and hepatic and adipose tissue insulin sensitivity were related to liver fat content independently of genotype status. PNPLA3 mRNA expression in the liver was positively related to obesity (r = 0.62, p < 0.0001) and to liver fat content (r = 0.58, p = 0.025) in participants who were not morbidly obese (BMI < 40 kg/m(2)). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: A common variant in PNPLA3 increases the risk of hepatic steatosis in humans.

The hormone-sensitive lipase C-60G promoter polymorphism is associated with increased waist circumference in normal-weight subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is a key enzyme in the mobilization of fatty acids from triglyceride stores in adipocytes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the HSL gene promoter variant C-60G, a polymorphism which previously has been associated with reduced promoter activity in vitro, in obesity and type 2 diabetes. DESIGN: We genotyped two materials consisting of obese subjects and non-obese controls, one material with offspring-parents trios, where the offspring was abdominally obese and one material with trios, where the offspring had type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose homeostasis. HSL promoter containing the HSL C-60G G-allele was generated and tested against a construct with the C-allele in HeLa cells and primary rat adipocytes. HSL mRNA levels were quantified in subcutaneous and visceral fat from 33 obese subjects. RESULTS: We found that the common C-allele was associated with increased waist circumference and WHR in lean controls, but there was no difference in genotype frequency between obese and non-obese subjects. There was a significant increased transmission of C-alleles to the abdominally obese offspring but no increased transmission of C-alleles was observed to offspring with impaired glucose homeostasis. The G-allele showed reduced transcription in HeLa cells and primary rat adipocytes. HSL mRNA levels were significantly higher in subcutaneous compared to visceral fat from obese subjects. CONCLUSION: The HSL C-60G polymorphism is associated with increased waist circumference in non-obese subjects.

Increased risk of obesity associated with the variant allele of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism in physically inactive elderly men.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: The variant allele of the Gly482Ser polymorphism in peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma co-activator-1alpha (PPARGC1A or PGC1alpha), a critical determinant of skeletal muscle metabolism, has been associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. Previous studies indicate that these risks depend on sex and environmental triggers such as age. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible interactions between genotype and age and physical activity on risk of obesity. METHODS: We genotyped PPARGC1A Gly482Ser, in a population-based study comprising 899 women and 902 men aged between 30 and 75 years in Vara, Sweden. RESULTS: Genotyping revealed that 56% of the males and 57% of the females carried the PPARGC1A 482Ser variant allele. Elderly males (>or=50 years) carrying 482Ser had an increased risk of obesity compared with subjects who were homozygous for the wild-type allele (odds ratio [OR]=1.99, 95% CI 1.14-3.47, p=0.015). The risk was restricted to males with a low leisure-time physical activity level, and was significantly weaker (OR=0.44, 95% CI 0.22-0.87, p=0.018) for the homozygous 482Gly carriers among this subgroup. No association with obesity was found in elderly males with a high level of physical activity, in younger males, or in females of any age group or level of physical activity. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our findings confirm that sex and age should be considered when investigating the influence of the PPARGC1A Gly482Ser polymorphism on metabolic disease. The risk of obesity associated with 482Ser is evident only in physically inactive elderly male subjects. Whenever possible, the level of physical activity should be addressed in future studies on disease risk associated with PPARGC1A Gly482Ser.

Obesity as a predictor of postpartum urinary symptoms.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between pre-pregnancy obesity, and urinary symptoms, especially urinary incontinence, before, during, and 6-18 months after delivery. METHODS: Body Mass Index extracted from obstetric records. Postal questionnaire. MATERIAL AND SETTING: One hundred and eight women with Body Mass Index of at least 30 kg/m2 delivered at the Obstetric Department, Herning Central Hospital, October 1994 to September 1995. As control served 108 matched, normal weight women delivering during the same period. RESULT: Response rate was 83%. Stress incontinence, urgency and the feeling of having a hygienic problem was significantly more common after delivery in both groups, but at any time significantly more common among obese women. Urge incontinence was a numerically small problem after delivery. CONCLUSION: Obesity is a potent risk factor for several urinary symptoms after pregnancy and delivery, and a substantial number of women still have problems 6-18 months postpartum.

Abundance and chemistry of interstellar HOCO+.

We derive HOCO+ column densities approximately 10(15) cm-2 toward the Galactic center and < or = 10(12) cm-2 for cold dark clouds from observations and an LVG model. We mapped the HOCO+ 4(04)-3(03) line toward Sgr A. The fractional abundance of HOCO+ in the Galactic center region is three orders of magnitude larger than predicted by quiescent ion-molecule chemistry and an order of magnitude larger than predicted by a MHD shock model. If HOCO+ traces interstellar CO2, the implied high abundance ([CO2] approximately [CO]) in the Galactic center may result from UV photolysis of grain mantles.

Astronomical identification of the C3H radical.

The C3H radical, a linear carbon chain with a 2 pi electronic ground state, has been identified in the millimeter-wave spectra of two astronomical sources, IRC +10216 and TMC-1, and conclusively confirmed (accompanying Letter) in a laboratory glow discharge. In IRC +10216 four rotational transitions have been observed, three in the lower fine-structure ladder (2 pi 1/2) and one in the upper (2 pi 3/2), each a resolved or partially resolved lambda-doublet. In TMC-1, both lambda components of the lowest lying 3/2 --> 1/2 transition of the 2 pi 1/2 ladder have been observed, each with well-resolved hfs. In IRC +10216 the excitation of C3H is similar to that of SiCC: the rotational temperature Trot within the 2 pi 1/2 ladder is low (8.5 K), owing to rapid radiative decay, while Trot across the ladders is high (approximately 52 K) because interconnecting far-IR radiative transitions are only weakly permitted. The column density of C3H in IRC +10216 averaged over the estimated source diameter of 84" is 2.8 x 10(13) cm-2, an order of magnitude less than that of C2H and C4H. A determination of the spectroscopic constraints of C3H that permitted the entire radio spectrum of this molecule to be calculated to high accuracy has been derived from analysis of the combined astronomical and laboratory data presented in the accompanying Letter.

The spectra of Orion A and IRC + 10216 between 72.2 and 91.1 GHz.

The complete spectra of Orion A and IRC +10216 in the range 72.2 to 91.1 GHz, obtained with the 20 m mm-wave telescope at the Onsala Space Observatory, are presented.

Spectral scan of Orion A and IRC+10216 from 72 to 91 GHz.

The spectra of the Orion KL molecular cloud and the envelope of the carbon star IRC+10216 have been surveyed at 1 MHz resolution over the interval 72.2-91.1 GHz to a sensitivity (in terms of main beam brightness temperature) usually better than 0.1 K. Some complementary data have been obtained at selected higher and lower frequencies. Detected lines are reported in Table 1. Approximately 170 lines from 24 known interstellar molecules were detected in Orion (Table 2); the corresponding numbers for IRC+10216 are 45 and 12, respectively (Table 3). Some 15 recombination lines of hydrogen (alpha, beta, gamma, delta) and helium (alpha) are also identified in Orion (Table 2). More than 100 of the Orion lines can be attributed to astronomically new transitions, the vast majority of which belong to only five species: SO2 (in total 17 lines), CH3CH2CN (19), CH3OH (16), (CH3)2O (21) and CH3OOCH (32). The rare occurrence of unidentified lines (5 definite lines in each object) is significant, possibly indicating that, in the case of Orion, the dominant chemical constituents are recognized. For IRC+10216 our results are less conclusive in this respect, partly due to the less effective excitation conditions in the envelope. We report (or confirm) the existence in these sources of several molecules which previously had only been found elsewhere: methylformate (CH3OOCH), isocyanic acid (HNCO), cyanodiacetylene (HC5N), vinyl cyanide (CH2CHCN), ketene (H2CCO) and probably the formyl radical (HCO) in Orion; and in IRC+10216 the first species containing the methyl group, methyl cyanide (CH3CN). The first astronomical detections of the isotopically rare species 34SO2 (Orion), and 29SiS and, tentatively, Si34S (IRC+10216) are also reported, as well as a number of newly identified high energy methanol lines. Multi-transition analysis of several molecular species is presented and gives information on physical conditions and chemical abundances in the Orion KL region (Tables 5 and 6). Gaussian decomposition of 0.25 MHz resolution profiles into "ridge", "hot core" and "plateau" emissions is used in an attempt to individually characterize these subregions. Striking chemical differences among the subregions emerge: (i) The estimated abundance ratios [SO, SO2, SiO]/[CO] are enhanced by a factor approximately > 100 in the plateau relative to the ridge, [HCN, HDO]/[CO] by a factor approximately > 10, while [HCO+, OCS, HNC, HC3N]/[CO] seem to be less enhanced in the plateau (by a factor approximately >10). (ii) The ratio of chemically saturated to unsaturated species differs markedly between the hot core and the ridge cloud (specifically HC3N vs. CH3CH2CN, and CH2CHCN) with the latter region more closely resembling both the cloud TMC-1 and IRC+10216. The chemical selectivity in the ridge cloud is very pronounced, with CH3OH as abundant as H2CO while (CH3)2O and CH3OOCH are an order of magnitude less abundant. We have neither detected CH3CH2OH and CH3COOH (acetic acid)--isomers of the two latter species, respectively--nor HCOOH, CH3CHO, or CH2CHCHO. H2C2O (ketene) is two orders of magnitude less abundant than H2CO. From the isotopic species of CH3OH, OCS, and HC3N we find 12C/13C approximately 40, in agreement with independent estimates by others and a factor of two lower than the solar system isotope ratio. The observed intensities of the hydrogen recombination lines are consistent with optically thin LTE emission, indicating that our He alpha/H alpha intensity ratio is relatively model independent and thus is an accurate measure of the helium abundance. We estimate a helium abundance by mass of 28 +/- 2%. The excitation conditions and relative abundances in the IRC+10216 envelope are reviewed. It is emphasized that the low detection rate of molecular lines in this object does not necessarily imply a poorer chemistry compared with that in interstellar clouds, but is partly a reflection of low abundances and unsatisfied excitation requirements. However, the CH3CN data indicate less favorable conditions for species containing methyl groups in this environment relative to interstellar clouds. The chemistry appears to be dominated by linear, especially unsaturated carbon-chain, molecules (Table 9). Rotational temperatures for HC3N and HC5N are estimated to be on the order of 15 K. Guided by the selective chemistry in IRC+10216 we tentatively assign two close doublets at 76.2 and 98.0 GHz to the radical C3H. In addition to Orion KL and IRC+10216 a few other sources have been observed, however in a less systematic way. We present selected data for W 51 M. The W 51 M methanol data, including newly identified high energy lines, indicate a rotational temperature of about 100 K.

Amitraz--(TAKTIC) for the control of pig mange.

The efficiency of amitraz (TAKTIC) on pig mange was evaluated. Controlled trials as well as a field trial document the high acaricidal activity of the product. Spraying or washing with amitraz in a 0.1 per cent water emulsion twice with 1--2 weeks' interval effectively cure scabietic piglets and strongly reduce scabietic lesions and scratchings in sows with chronical mange. duct. Spraying with amitraz in a 0.1 per cent water emulsion twice with 1--2 weeks interval effectively cure scabietic piglets and strongly reduce scabietic lesions and scratchings in sows with chronical mange.