How social interactions affect emotional memory accuracy: Evidence from collaborative retrieval and social contagion paradigms.

In daily life, emotional events are often discussed with others. The influence of these social interactions on the veracity of emotional memories has rarely been investigated. The authors (Choi, Kensinger, & Rajaram Memory and Cognition, 41, 403-415, 2013) previously demonstrated that when the categorical relatedness of information is controlled, emotional items are more accurately remembered than neutral items. The present study examined whether emotion would continue to improve the accuracy of memory when individuals discussed the emotional and neutral events with others. Two different paradigms involving social influences were used to investigate this question and compare evidence. In both paradigms, participants studied stimuli that were grouped into conceptual categories of positive (e.g., celebration), negative (e.g., funeral), or neutral (e.g., astronomy) valence. After a 48-hour delay, recognition memory was tested for studied items and categorically related lures. In the first paradigm, recognition accuracy was compared when memory was tested individually or in a collaborative triad. In the second paradigm, recognition accuracy was compared when a prior retrieval session had occurred individually or with a confederate who supplied categorically related lures. In both of these paradigms, emotional stimuli were remembered more accurately than were neutral stimuli, and this pattern was preserved when social interaction occurred. In fact, in the first paradigm, there was a trend for collaboration to increase the beneficial effect of emotion on memory accuracy, and in the second paradigm, emotional lures were significantly less susceptible to the "social contagion" effect. Together, these results demonstrate that emotional memories can be more accurate than nonemotional ones even when events are discussed with others (Experiment 1) and even when that discussion introduces misinformation (Experiment 2).

Relationship between sarcopenia and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study.

UNLABELLED: Previous studies have shown that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and sarcopenia may share pathophysiological mechanisms, such as insulin resistance, inflammation, vitamin D deficiency, and decreased physical activity. However, their direct relationship has not been investigated. The association between NAFLD and sarcopenia was examined in 452 apparently healthy adults enrolled in the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study (KSOS), an ongoing prospective observational cohort study. The liver attenuation index (LAI), which was measured using abdominal computed tomography (CT), was used as a parameter for the diagnosis of NAFLD. Sarcopenia was defined using a skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) [SMI (%) = total skeletal muscle mass (kg) / weight (kg) × 100] that was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). After adjusting for age and sex, both SMI and LAI were negatively correlated with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (P < 0.001) and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) (P < 0.001) as well as brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), an indicator of arterial stiffness. Furthermore, SMI and LAI had positive relationships with high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, but both had a negative relationship with triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and total body fat. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for NAFLD risk was 5.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.63-16.33) in the lowest quartile of SMI compared to the highest after adjusting for potential confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Individuals with lower muscle mass exhibited increased risk of NAFLD. This result may provide a novel insight into the mechanism linking between sarcopenia and NAFLD. (Clinical trial no. NCT01594710.)

Implications of C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP-3) and progranulin in patients with acute coronary syndrome and stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND: C1q/TNF-related protein-3 (CTRP-3), an adiponectin paralog, and progranulin were recently identified as novel adipokines which may link obesity with glucose dysregulation and subclinical inflammation. We analyzed the relationship between CTRP-3, progranulin and coronary artery disease (CAD) in Korean men and women. METHODS: Circulating CTRP-3 and progranulin levels were examined in 362 Korean adults with acute coronary syndrome (ACS, n = 69), stable angina pectoris (SAP, n = 85), and control subjects (n = 208) along with various kinds of cardiometabolic risk factors. RESULTS: CTRP-3 concentrations were significantly decreased in patients with ACS or SAP compared to control subjects (P <0.001, respectively), whereas progranulin and adiponectin levels were similar. Correlation analysis adjusted for age and gender exhibited that CTRP-3 levels showed significant negative relationship with glucose (r = -0.110, P = 0.041) and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels (r = -0.159, P = 0.005), and positive relationship with HDL-cholesterol (r = 0.122, P = 0.025) and adiponectin levels (r = 0.194, P <0.001). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio for CAD risk was 5.14 (95% CI, 1.83-14.42) in the second, and 9.04 (95% CI, 2.81-29.14) in the first tertile of CTRP-3 levels compared to third tertile after adjusting for other cardiometabolic risk variables. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ACS or SAP had significantly lower circulating CTRP-3 concentrations compared to control subjects, although progranulin levels were not different. These results suggest the possibility that CTRP-3 might be useful for assessing the risk of CAD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: (Clinical trials No.: NCT01594710).

Collaborative Recall and the Construction of Collective Memory Organization: The Impact of Group Structure.

Collaborative recall synchronizes downstream individual retrieval processes, giving rise to collective organization. However, little is known about whether particular stimulus features (e.g., semantic relatedness) are necessary for constructing collective organization and how group dynamics (e.g., reconfiguration) moderates it. We leveraged novel quantitative measures and a rich dataset reported in recent articles to address, (a) whether collective organization emerges even for semantically unrelated material and (b) how group reconfiguration-changing partners from one recall to the next-influences collective organization. Participants studied unrelated words and completed three consecutive recalls in one of three conditions: Always recalling individually (III), collaborating with the same partners twice before recalling alone (CCI), or collaborating with different group members during two initial recalls, before recalling alone (CRI). Collective organization increased significantly following any collaboration (CCI or CRI), relative to "groups" who never collaborated (III). Interestingly, collaborating repeatedly with the same partners (CCI) did not increase collective organization compared to reconfigured groups, irrespective of the reference group structure (from Recall 1 or 2). Individuals, however, did tend to base their final individual retrieval on the most recent group recall. We discuss how the fundamental processes that underlie dynamic social interactions align the cognitive processes of many, laying the foundation for other collective phenomena, including shared biases, attitudes, and beliefs.

Higher mortality in metabolically obese normal-weight people than in metabolically healthy obese subjects in elderly Koreans.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI) and the presence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in elderly Korean men and women, and especially to compare metabolically obese normal-weight (MONW) and metabolically healthy obese (MHO) subjects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 2317 elderly people (over 60 years of age) were studied using follow-up data from the South-West Seoul (SWS) Study, a prospective cohort study. Mortality from all causes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were evaluated according to the combination of the presence or absence of MetS and Asian-specific body mass index (BMI) criteria (BMI <23 kg/m²; normal weight, BMI 23-24·9 kg/m²; overweight, BMI ≥25 kg/m²; obesity). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10·3 years, 393 subjects died, including 126 from CVD. Among subjects with MetS, all-cause and CVD mortality were significantly higher in normal-weight subjects than overweight or obese individuals in Cox proportional-hazard models adjusted for confounding factors. Furthermore, among six groups with various MetS/BMI combinations, MONW individuals had the highest risk, whereas overweight subjects without MetS had the lowest risk of death from all causes and CVD [HR = 2·2 (95% CI = 1·4-3·4), HR = 3·0 (95% CI = 1·4-6·6) respectively]. Interestingly, all-cause mortality was significantly higher in MONW than MHO individuals. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to MHO subjects, elderly individuals with the MONW phenotype exhibited greater all-cause mortality during 10 years of follow-up.

Relationships between sarcopenic obesity and insulin resistance, inflammation, and vitamin D status: the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that insulin resistance, low-grade inflammation and vitamin D deficiency are associated with obesity and sarcopenia. However, their relationships with sarcopenic obesity (SO) are unclear. We evaluated the impact of homoeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) levels on SO in Korean adults. STUDY SUBJECT/MEASUREMENTS: This study included 493 apparently healthy adults (180 men and 313 women) enrolled in the Korean Sarcopenic Obesity Study. Sarcopenia was defined as a skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) of 1 SD below the sex-specific mean value for a young reference group. Obesity was defined as a visceral fat area (VFA) ≥100 cm(2) . We classified the participants into four sarcopenia/obesity groups based on both SMI and VFA. RESULTS: The prevalence of SO was 17·8% in men and 24·9% in women. In women, the SO group had higher HOMA-IR and hsCRP levels compared with the non-SO group. In men, the 25[OH]D levels were significantly lower in the SO group than the non-SO group. Both hsCRP and HOMA-IR levels were negatively correlated with SMI and positively correlated with VFA in both men and women, whereas 25[OH]D levels were positively correlated with SMI in both men and women. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR and 25[OH]D levels were independently associated with SO in men, while HOMA-IR and hsCRP were significant factors predicting SO in women. CONCLUSION: Insulin resistance, inflammation and vitamin D deficiency were associated with SO in a Korean adult population.

The effects of caloric restriction on fetuin-A and cardiovascular risk factors in rats and humans: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The liver-secreted protein fetuin-A is associated with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis. We examined the effect of caloric restriction (CR) on fetuin-A levels and concomitant changes in hepatic steatosis and cardiovascular risk factors in rats and humans. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: We performed a randomized, controlled clinical trial to examine circulating fetuin-A levels and cardiovascular risk parameters including visceral fat area (VFA), atherogenic lipid profile, inflammatory markers, adipokines levels and brachial artery endothelial function in 76 overweight women with type 2 diabetes before and after 12 weeks of CR. In addition, the effects of CR on hepatic steatosis and fetuin-A mRNA expression were evaluated in Otuska Long Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats, an animal model of obesity and type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Circulating fetuin-A levels were significantly decreased after 12 weeks of CR and were accompanied by improvements in VFA, blood pressure, glucose, lipid profiles and liver function. The CR group also showed a significant decrease in apolipoprotein B, leptin and insulin resistance compared to those in the control group, although endothelial function was not different. Multiple regression analysis showed that the changes in fetuin-A levels were independently associated with CR and changes in hsCRP and adiponectin (R² = 0·156). Moreover, CR significantly reduced hepatic steatosis and fetuin-A expression, as well as weight, glucose, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels, in OLETF rats. CONCLUSION: Caloric restriction significantly reduced the hepatic expression of fetuin-A and its circulating levels and improved several cardiovascular risk factors in obese rats and humans with type 2 diabetes.

Emotional content enhances true but not false memory for categorized stimuli.

Past research has shown that emotion enhances true memory, but that emotion can either increase or decrease false memory. Two theoretical possibilities-the distinctiveness of emotional stimuli and the conceptual relatedness of emotional content-have been implicated as being responsible for influencing both true and false memory for emotional content. In the present study, we sought to identify the mechanisms that underlie these mixed findings by equating the thematic relatedness of the study materials across each type of valence used (negative, positive, or neutral). In three experiments, categorically bound stimuli (e.g., funeral, pets, and office items) were used for this purpose. When the encoding task required the processing of thematic relatedness, a significant true-memory enhancement for emotional content emerged in recognition memory, but no emotional boost to false memory (exp. 1). This pattern persisted for true memory with a longer retention interval between study and test (24 h), and false recognition was reduced for emotional items (exp. 2). Finally, better recognition memory for emotional items once again emerged when the encoding task (arousal ratings) required the processing of the emotional aspect of the study items, with no emotional boost to false recognition (EXP. 3). Together, these findings suggest that when emotional and neutral stimuli are equivalently high in thematic relatedness, emotion continues to improve true memory, but it does not override other types of grouping to increase false memory.

Association of adiponectin, resistin, and vascular inflammation: analysis with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin and resistin are adipokines that are linked to obesity, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography is a promising imaging technique that can be used to evaluate vascular inflammation. METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured adiponectin and resistin levels, as well as traditional cardiovascular risk factors, in 60 obese subjects and 60 nonobese controls. In addition, we compared carotid intima-media thickness and target-to-background ratio (TBR) measured using (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography. The mean TBR values were significantly higher in the obese group compared with normal subjects, although their mean carotid intima-media thickness levels were not significantly different. Serum adiponectin levels showed a significant negative correlation with mean TBR values (r = -0.215, P = 0.020), whereas resistin levels were positively correlated with mean TBR values (r = 0.214, P = 0.021). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that mean TBR values were independently associated with body mass index, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and resistin levels (R(2) = 0.308). CONCLUSIONS: Adiponectin and resistin may be useful as biomarkers to reflect vascular inflammation. In particular, resistin levels were independently associated with vascular inflammation even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors.

Effects of a three-month combined exercise programme on fibroblast growth factor 21 and fetuin-A levels and arterial stiffness in obese women.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the relationship between brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) reflecting arterial stiffness and the levels of novel hepatokines fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) and fetuin-A. In addition, we evaluated the effect of a 3-month combined aerobic and resistance exercise programme on FGF21 and fetuin-A levels as well as arterial stiffness in obese women. METHODS: Forty nondiabetic, obese women (body mass index = 27·6 ± 2·4 kg/m(2) ) were included in the study and were compared before and after a 3-month exercise programme, which was composed of 45 min of aerobic exercise at an intensity of 60-75% of the age-predicted maximum heart rate (300 kcal/session) and 20 min of resistance training (100 kcal/session) five times a week. All exercise sessions were supervised by a professional exercise physiologist. RESULTS: At baseline, baPWV levels were correlated with age, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), high density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting glucose and serum FGF21 levels. In a multiple stepwise regression analysis using baPWV as a dependent variable, baPWV levels were associated with age, BMI, SBP, FGF21 and fetuin-A levels (R(2) = 0·744). After the exercise programme, BMI, waist circumference, SBP, diastolic blood pressure and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased. Moreover, baPWV values were significantly improved (P < 0·001) along with modest decrease in FGF21 levels (P = 0·043). However, fetuin-A levels were not changed significantly (P = 0·202). CONCLUSIONS: A 3-month combined exercise programme decreases the FGF21 levels as well as arterial stiffness in obese Korean women.

Association of circulating omentin-1 level with arterial stiffness and carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Adipokines contribute directly to the atherosclerotic process, connecting metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes to cardiovascular disease. Omentin-1 is a recently discovered novel adipokine, so data about the relationship of this adipokine to vascular health in type 2 diabetes is limited. METHODS: We enrolled 60 people with type 2 diabetes, with or without carotid plaque, and 30 participants with normal glucose tolerance. We measured serum omentin-1, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), as well as other cardiovascular risk factors. Vascular health was assessed by brachial ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). RESULTS: Serum omentin-1 levels were significantly decreased in type 2 diabetes patients compared to normal glucose controls and was further reduced in type 2 diabetes patients with carotid plaque compared to those without carotid plaque. Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure, history of use of statins, angiotensin receptor blockers or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and serum omentin-1 level were independent factors determining baPWV in people with type 2 diabetes (r2 = 0.637). Furthermore, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, circulating omentin-1 level was an independent decisive factor for the presence of carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes patients, even after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and history of smoking and medication (odds ratio, 0.621; 95% confidence interval, 0.420-0.919; P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Circulating omentin-1 level was independently correlated with arterial stiffness and carotid plaque in type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for other cardiovascular risk factors and detailed medication history.

Neural correlates of anxiety under interrogation in guilt or innocence contexts.

Interrogation elicits anxiety in individuals under scrutiny regardless of their innocence, and thus, anxious responses to interrogation should be differentiated from deceptive behavior in practical lie detection settings. Despite its importance, not many empirical studies have yet been done to separate the effects of interrogation from the acts of lying or guilt state. The present fMRI study attempted to identify neural substrates of anxious responses under interrogation in either innocent or guilt contexts by developing a modified "Doubt" game. Participants in the guilt condition showed higher brain activations in the right central-executive network and bilateral basal ganglia. Regardless of the person's innocence, we observed higher activation of the salience, theory of mind and sensory-motor networks-areas associated with anxiety-related responses in the interrogative condition, compared to the waived conditions. We further explored two different types of anxious responses under interrogation-true detection anxiety in the guilty (true positive) and false detection anxiety in the innocent (false positive). Differential neural responses across these two conditions were captured at the caudate, thalamus, ventral anterior cingulate and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. We conclude that anxiety is a common neural response to interrogation, regardless of an individual's innocence, and that there are detectable differences in neural responses for true positive and false positive anxious responses under interrogation. The results of our study highlight a need to isolate complex cognitive processes involved in the deceptive acts from the emotional and regulatory responses to interrogation in lie detection schemes.

Mnemonic transmission, social contagion, and emergence of collective memory: Influence of emotional valence, group structure, and information distribution.

Social transmission of memory and its consequence on collective memory have generated enduring interdisciplinary interest because of their widespread significance in interpersonal, sociocultural, and political arenas. We tested the influence of 3 key factors-emotional salience of information, group structure, and information distribution-on mnemonic transmission, social contagion, and collective memory. Participants individually studied emotionally salient (negative or positive) and nonemotional (neutral) picture-word pairs that were completely shared, partially shared, or unshared within participant triads, and then completed 3 consecutive recalls in 1 of 3 conditions: individual-individual-individual (control), collaborative-collaborative (identical group; insular structure)-individual, and collaborative-collaborative (reconfigured group; diverse structure)-individual. Collaboration enhanced negative memories especially in insular group structure and especially for shared information, and promoted collective forgetting of positive memories. Diverse group structure reduced this negativity effect. Unequally distributed information led to social contagion that creates false memories; diverse structure propagated a greater variety of false memories whereas insular structure promoted confidence in false recognition and false collective memory. A simultaneous assessment of network structure, information distribution, and emotional valence breaks new ground to specify how network structure shapes the spread of negative memories and false memories, and the emergence of collective memory. (PsycINFO Database Record

Association between vascular inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: Analysis by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

BACKGROUND: Growing evidence suggests that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with cardiovascular disease as well as metabolic syndrome. FDG-PET is a novel imaging technique that detects vascular inflammation, which may reflect rupture-prone vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. METHODS: Vascular inflammation was measured as the maximum target-to-background ratio (maxTBR), along with various cardiometabolic risk factors in 51 subjects with NAFLD, and compared with 100 age- and gender-matched subjects without NAFLD. The liver attenuation index (LAI), which was measured using computed tomography, was used as a parameter for the diagnosis of NAFLD. RESULTS: After adjusting for age and sex, both maxTBR and LAI values were associated with several cardiometabolic risk parameters. Furthermore, there was a significant inter-relationship between LAI and maxTBR values (r=-0.227, P=0.005). Individuals with NAFLD had higher maxTBR values than those without NAFLD (P=0.026), although their carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) values did not differ. The proportion of subjects with NAFLD showed a step-wise increment following the tertiles of maxTBR values (P for trend=0.015). In multiple logistic regression analysis, maxTBR tertiles were independently associated with NAFLD after adjusting for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-cholesterol, glucose, BUN, creatinine and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (P=0.030). However, their relationship was attenuated after further adjustment for waist circumference or high sensitive C-reactive protein. CONCLUSION: Patients with NAFLD have an increased risk for vascular inflammation as measured via FDG-PET/CT even without difference in CIMT. (Clinical trials No. NCT01958411, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/).

Effects of Inhalable Microparticles of Seonpyejeongcheon-Tang in an Asthma Mouse Model: - Effects of Microparticles of SJT.

OBJECTIVES: Allergic asthma generally presents with symptoms of wheezing, coughing, breathlessness, and airway inflammation. Seonpyejeongcheon-tang (SJT) consists of 12 herbs. It originated from Jeongcheon-tang (JT), also known as Ding-chuan-tang, composed of 7 herbs, in She-sheng-zhong-miao-fang. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of local delivery of SJT via inhalable microparticles in an asthma mouse model. METHODS: Microparticles containing SJT were produced by spray-drying with leucine as an excipient. SJT microparticles were evaluated with respect to their aerodynamic properties, in vitro cytotoxicity, in vivo toxicity, and therapeutic effects on ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma in comparison with orally-administered SJT. RESULTS: SJT microparticles provided desirable aerodynamic properties (fine particle fraction of 48.9% ± 6.4% and mass median aerodynamic diameter of 3.7 ± 0.3 µm). SJT microparticles did not show any cytotoxicity against RAW 264.7 macrophages at concentrations of 0.01 - 3 mg/mL. Inhaled SJT microparticles decreased the levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17A, eotaxin and OVA-IgE in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice with OVA-induced asthma. These effects were verified by histological evaluation of the levels of infiltration of inflammatory cells and collagen, destructions of alveoli and bronchioles, and hyperplasia of goblet cells in lung tissues. The effects of SJT microparticles in the asthma model were equivalent to those of orally-administered SJT extract. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that SJT is a promising agent for inhalation therapy for patients with asthma.

Association between body size phenotype and sleep duration: Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (KNHANES V).

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies reported the presence of unique subsets of body size phenotypes that are more susceptible or more resistant to the development of obesity-associated metabolic disorders, although the underlying mechanism is not yet fully elucidated. We investigated the association between body size phenotypes and sleep duration after adjusting potential confounding factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed data from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey V (KNHANES V), a nation-wide, population-based health survey including 9077 Korean adults. The average amount of sleep per night was categorized as: ≤6, 7, 8, and ≥9 h. Body size phenotypes were classified based on body mass index (BMI) and presence of metabolic syndrome; metabolically healthy and normal weight (MHNW), metabolically abnormal but normal weight (MANW), metabolically healthy but obese (MHO), and metabolically abnormal obese (MAO). RESULTS: According to sleep duration, there were significant differences in age, gender, BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure (all P <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that obese groups (MHO and MAO) had significantly shorter sleep durations than non-obese groups (MHNW and MANW) (6.78±0.04 vs. 6.93±0.03, P <0.001). Sleep duration was significantly different according to body size phenotype, irrespective of confounding factors, such as age, gender, smoking status, alcohol consumption, physical activity, income, and education (MHO; 6.73±0.05, MAO; 6.82±0.05, MHNW; 6.94±0.04, and MANW; 6.91±0.05; P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Sleep duration is independently associated with body size phenotype after adjusting for confounding factors in the Korean population.

Vascular inflammation in metabolically abnormal but normal-weight and metabolically healthy obese individuals analyzed with ¹8F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography.

Recent studies have suggested that body size phenotype may contribute to atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography is a useful imaging technique for detecting vascular inflammation that may reflect plaque vulnerability. Therefore, we analyzed which body size phenotypes cause the increased vascular inflammation using FDG positron emission tomography. We compared (18)F-FDG uptake, measured using the blood-normalized standardized uptake value, known as the target-to-background ratio (TBR), along with various cardiometabolic risk parameters in 250 participants without a history of cardiovascular disease. Body size phenotypes were classified according to body mass index and the presence/absence of metabolic syndrome. Cardiometabolic risk factors were significantly different among the body size phenotype groups. In particular, the maximum TBR (maxTBR) values in the metabolically abnormal but normal-weight, metabolically healthy obese (MHO), and metabolically abnormal obese groups were significantly greater than those of the metabolically healthy normal-weight (MHNW) group. Components of metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and Framingham Risk Score were associated with maxTBR value. Interestingly, although the Framingham Risk Score of the MHO group was almost similar to that of the MHNW group, maxTBR value of MHO subjects was significantly higher than that of MHNW subjects (1.38 [1.20, 1.50] vs 1.22 [1.12, 1.37], p = 0.006). In conclusion, the present study suggests that unique subsets of body size phenotype, such as MHO or metabolically abnormal but normal weight, may have distinct effects on vascular inflammation.

Implications of Pericardial, Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue on Vascular Inflammation Measured Using 18FDG-PET/CT.

OBJECTIVE: Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT) is associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk factors and cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relative implications of PAT, abdominal visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue on vascular inflammation have not been explored. METHOD AND RESULTS: We compared the association of PAT, abdominal visceral fat area (VFA), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) with vascular inflammation, represented as the target-to-background ratio (TBR), the blood-normalized standardized uptake value measured using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (18FDG-PET) in 93 men and women without diabetes or CVD. Age- and sex-adjusted correlation analysis showed that PAT, VFA, and SFA were positively associated with most cardiometabolic risk factors, including systolic blood pressure, LDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, insulin resistance and high sensitive C-reactive proteins (hsCRP), whereas they were negatively associated with HDL-cholesterol. In particular, the maximum TBR (maxTBR) values were positively correlated with PAT and VFA (r = 0.48 and r = 0.45, respectively; both P <0.001), whereas SFA showed a relatively weak positive relationship with maxTBR level (r = 0.31, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that both PAT and VFA are significantly and similarly associated with vascular inflammation and various cardiometabolic risk profiles.

Adipose gene expression profiles related to metabolic syndrome using microarray analyses in two different models.

BACKGROUND: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) agonist has a wide-ranging influence on multiple components of metabolic syndrome. The Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rat is a useful animal model of metabolic syndrome. To determine genes related to metabolic syndrome, we examined overlapping genes that are simultaneously decreased by PPAR-γ agonists and increased in OLETF rats using microarrays in two different models. METHODS: In the first microarray analysis, PPAR-γ agonist-treated db/db mice were compared to standard diet-fed db/db mice. In the second microarray analysis, OLETF rats were compared to Long-Evans Tokushima Otsuka (LETO) rats (control of OLETF rats). RESULTS: Among the overlapping genes, in the present study, we validated that lipocalin-2 expression was significantly decreased in the visceral adipose tissue of PPAR-γ agonist-treated db/db mice compared to standard diet-fed db/db mice and increased in OLETF rats compared to LETO rats using real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Furthermore, we showed for the first time that lipocalin-2 expression was significantly increased in the visceral adipose tissues of obese humans compared with nonobese humans. In addition, the expression level of lipocalin-2 in human visceral adipose tissue had a significant positive correlation with body mass index, serum interleukin-6, adipocyte fatty acid binding protein levels, and white blood cell count. CONCLUSION: Lipocalin-2 was confirmed to be a significant adipokine affected by PPAR-γ agonist and obesity in the present study. Also, for the first time in human visceral adipose tissue, it was determined that the expression of lipocalin-2 from obese humans was significantly increased and correlated with circulating inflammatory markers.

AMPK activator-mediated inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress ameliorates carrageenan-induced insulin resistance through the suppression of selenoprotein P in HepG2 hepatocytes.

Carrageenan (CGN) has been shown to cause inflammation through toll-like receptor 4, which may play an important role in insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Selenoprotein P (SeP) has recently been identified as a novel hepatokine that causes insulin resistance. Here, we report that treatment of HepG2 cells with CGN increased both CCAAT enhancer binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) and SeP expression. Pretreatment with 4-phenylbutyrate (4-PBA), an endoplasmic reticulum stress inhibitor, and PD98059, a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor, reversed CGN-induced SeP expression. Moreover, both 4-PBA and knock-down of SeP improved CGN-induced insulin resistance. In addition, we found that adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activators ameliorated CGN-induced insulin resistance in addition to suppressing CHOP and SeP expression. In conclusion, CGN-induced ER stress increased the expression of SeP through the JNK pathway, while AMPK activators ameliorated CGN-induced insulin resistance via SeP inhibition through the AMPK-mediated alleviation of ER stress in hepatocytes.