A study was conducted in hamsters to determine if artichoke leaf extract (ALE) could lower plasma total and non-HDL cholesterol by increasing fecal excretion of neutral bile acids and sterols. Sixty-four Golden Syrian hamsters (8 week old) were fed control diet or a similar diet containing ALE (4.5 g/kg diet) for 6 weeks. ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Data on lipid profile derangements induced by antiretroviral treatment in Africa are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of lipid profile derangements associated with first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART) among Cameroonians living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. METHODS: This ...

An experiment (3 trials) was conducted to determine the AME(n) of 15 corn co-products obtained from various wet and dry milling plants, and to develop prediction equations for AME(n) based on chemical composition. Co-products included distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS, n = 6), high-protein distillers dried grains (n = ...

Background. We compare the effect of 4 different antiretroviral regimens on limb and visceral fat. Methods. A5224s was a substudy of A5202, a trial of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-infected, treatment-naive subjects randomized to blinded abacavir-lamivudine (ABC-3TC) or tenofovir DF-emtricitabine (TDF-FTC) with open-label efavirenz (EFV) or atazanavir-ritonavir (ATV-r). The primary endpoint ...

The dietary impact of specific phytosterols incorporated into phytosterol fatty acid esters has not been elucidated. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that phytosterol esters containing different sterol moieties (sitosterol, sitostanol, or stigmasterol) but the same fatty acid moiety (stearic acid) produce different effects on cholesterol metabolism. Male Syrian hamsters were ...

This study assessed the potential association of some proinflammatory markers with adiposity (total vs. central) and metabolic features in young adults. Measurements included body composition, lifestyle features, blood biochemical, and selected inflammatory indicators on 154 healthy subjects (53 M/101 F; 21.5 ± 3 years; 22.1 ± 2.6 kg/m(2)). Those subjects with higher waist circumference (WC) and ...

Lipoic acid (LA) is an antioxidant with therapeutic properties on several diseases like diabetes and obesity. Apelin is a novel adipokine with potential beneficial actions on glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to examine in 3T3-L1 adipocytes the effects of LA on apelin gene expression ...

Abstract Previous studies showed that feeding diets containing the mature fruits of Sophora japonica L. prevented body weight gain and reduced fat mass in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. This observation has led to the hypothesis that extracts from S. japonica L. may inhibit adipocyte differentiation of preadipocytes. To elucidate the ...

Stress preferentially increases the consumption of high fat foods in women, suggesting the interaction of these two factors may disproportionately predispose women toward excess weight gain. In the present study, female rats were exposed to a chronic high fat or chow diet and were exposed to 4weeks of chronic variable ...

The aim of the study was to compare the metabolic and morphological effects of enfuvirtide plus an optimized background (OB) regimen vs. OB alone (control group) in treatment-experienced patients in the T-20 vs. Optimized Regimen Only (TORO) studies. Body composition and metabolic changes were investigated in patients over 48 weeks, ...

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of mannan oligosaccharides derived from the outer cell wall of a select strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (Bio-Mos, Alltech Inc, USA) on mucus production, selected mucus immune parameters activity, gut morphology and in vivo and ex vivo gut bacterial translocation for ...

To investigate the preventive effects of tea on hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, male C57BL/6J mice were given a high-fat diet containing 29% lard and also green or black tea ad libitum for 14 weeks. Both teas suppressed body weight gain and deposition of white adipose tissue caused by the diet. ...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Elevated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) concentrations are a hallmark of obesity and are considered to contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. As adipose tissue constitutes a major source for PAI-1 in obesity, we investigated the individual contribution of subcutaneous and intra-abdominal fat on PAI-1 concentrations ...

Our previous studies have indicated a close association between visceral fat accumulation and hepatic steatosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study investigated whether visceral fat accumulation was related to the pathogenesis and disease progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)/NAFLD. First, a total of 550 subjects who underwent a health ...

This study aimed to examine combined and independent effects of cardiorespiratory fitness and fatness on cardiovascular risk factors among U.S. adolescents. Data from adolescents age 12 to 19 years participating in the NHANES 1999 to 2002 were used. Fitness level was determined by submaximal treadmill test and was dichotomized as ...

The purpose of this study was to determine if a high-fat diet would result in a higher lipolytic rate in subcutaneous adipose tissue than a lower-fat diet in sedentary nonlean men. Six participants (healthy males; 18-40 years old; body mass index, 25-37 kg/m(2)) underwent 2 weeks on a high-fat or ...

Recently, a genetic variant (rs738409; C→G) of the PNPLA3 gene was identified to be associated with increased hepatic fat deposition, and the effect was more pronounced in Hispanics. Animal models have also shown that PNPLA3 expression can be regulated by dietary carbohydrate. The aim of this study was to examine ...

The aim of the study is to investigate the influence of and interaction between lifestyle behaviors (diet and physical activity (PA)) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in obesity-candidate genes (ADRB2, APOB and NOS3) on general and central adiposity. Six-hundred-and-twenty-one European-American (EA) and African-American (AA) youths aged 13-19 years were classified by ...

Body fat distribution is an important predictor of the metabolic consequences of obesity, but the cellular mechanisms regulating regional fat accumulation are unknown. We assessed the changes in adipocyte size (photomicrographs) and number in response to overfeeding in upper- and lower-body s.c. fat depots of 28 healthy, normal weight adults ...

To investigate the effects of a nutritional intervention on the body weight, body composition, blood glucose and lipid levels of obese postmenopausal women taking atypical antipsychotics in Greece. In a case-control design, 25 obese postmenopausal women treated with antipsychotic medications and 28 obese healthy comparisons were followed for 3 months. ...

The purpose of this study was to examine interrelationships between insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs), and adiposity in 49 African-American and 77 Latino obese adolescents (15.3 ± 0.1 and 15.4 ± 0.2 years; BMI: 33.0 ± 0.7 and 35.0 ± 1.0 kg/m(2), respectively). Immunoradiometric assays were used ...

Aim:  To clarify the impact of visceral fat on chronic liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatitis C, we investigated the effects of lifestyle modifications on the amount of visceral fat, liver biochemistry and serum ferritin levels in patients with liver disease. Methods:  Eighty-two patients (NAFLD, ...

Objective:Although differences in body composition parameters among African American (AA), Hispanic American (HA) and European American (EA) children are well documented, the factors underlying these differences are not completely understood. Environmental and genetic contributors have been evaluated as contributors to observed differences. This study evaluated the extent to which African ...

Abdominal visceral fat plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, which is a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Ultrasonography (US) distinctively quantifies visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. We measured the maximum preperitoneal visceral fat thickness (Vmax) and the minimum subcutaneous fat thickness (Smin) by US ...

Increased waist circumference (WC), a surrogate measure for abdominal fat mass, is associated with higher cardiovascular risk not only in adults but also in youth. Identifying healthy dietary patterns that prevent abdominal fat accumulation is of paramount importance for public health. This study investigated the association between adherence to Mediterranean ...

BACKGROUND: Body weight loss is a well-known complication after gastrectomy, and is mainly due to reduced fat volume. The effect of vagotomy on the postoperative fat volume was investigated in patients with early stage gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy. METHODS: Subcutaneous fat area (SFA) and visceral fat area (VFA) were ...

Clinical studies have shown that the consumption of coffee mannooligosaccharides (MOS) decreases body fat, suggesting that MOS consumption may be useful for weight management. This study was undertaken to determine whether consumption of coffee MOS improves body composition when consumed as part of a weight-maintaining diet. In this double-blind, randomized, ...

Interest has recently focused on epicardial fat, but little is known about epicardial adipocyte size and its relation with insulin resistance and adipokines. Biopsies were collected from subcutaneous, epicardial-, and peritoneal fat from 21 males undergoing elective cardiac surgery either for coronary artery bypass grafting (n=11) or for valve replacement ...

To measure mesenteric fat thickness with ultrasound scan in neonates and to assess the correlation with waist circumference. Ninety five healthy newborns had the maximum thickness of mesenteric leaves measured by ultrasound examinations of abdomen with an Envisor scanner (Philips Ultrasound, Bothell, Wash) and a L12-5 transducer (Philips Ultrasound). The ...

Quantification of abdominal fat and its regional distribution has become increasingly important in assessing the cardiovascular risk. To examine the effects of 16 weeks of a hypocaloric diet with a caloric restriction of 500 Kcal per day (WL) or the same dietary intervention plus resistance training (WL+RT) on regional variation ...

Cross-talk between adipose tissue and liver is disturbed in the metabolic syndrome. Moreover, the relative fatty acid composition of adipose and liver fat is poorly characterized. Long-TE (1) H MRS can determine the unsaturation and polyunsaturation of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to use long-TE (1) H ...

Fatty liver is commonly associated with insulin-resistant conditions, often related to increased abdominal visceral fat. Our objective was to elucidate the specific roles of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, insulin-resistance and abdominal fat distribution. The study population comprised 13 diabetic obese (DO), 10 nondiabetic obese (NDO), and nine normal-weight control ...

We hypothesized that olanzapine may contribute to visceral adiposity, a core symptom of metabolic syndrome. Using computed tomography, we examined the effect of olanzapine on visceral and subcutaneous fat distribution, body mass index, fasting glucose, and lipids in an unselected population of 14 schizophrenic patients. We found a 6-week olanzapine ...

The adipocyte has recently begun to be considered not just as a fat deposition tissue, but also as a true endocrine organ. Adipose tissue produces a wide variety of adipocytokines, of which visfatin is one. Since visfatin has recently been described as a mimic of insulin action, the authors evaluate ...

We explored whether the distribution of adipose cell size, the estimated total number of adipose cells, and the expression of adipogenic genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue are linked to the phenotype of high visceral and low subcutaneous fat depots in obese adolescents. A total of 38 adolescents with similar degrees ...

Each abdominal fat depot, such as mesenteric or epididymal, differently contributes to the development of insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to identify the genetic regions that contribute to fat accumulation in epididymal/mesenteric fat and to examine whether or not the genetic regions that affect glucose metabolism and ...

Many interfering factors may reduce the reliability of waist circumference (WC) measurement in estimating the risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with obesity. Therefore, we determined the independent associations of para- and perirenal ultrasonographic fat thickness with the main markers of kidney function. A cross-sectional study was performed in ...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of fat gain and its distribution on endothelial function in lean healthy humans. BACKGROUND: Endothelial dysfunction has been identified as an independent predictor of cardiovascular events. Whether fat gain impairs endothelial function is unknown. METHODS: A randomized controlled study ...

Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein in mammalian milk, is reported to exert a modulatory effect on lipid metabolism. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether enteric-coated LF (eLF) might improve visceral fat-type obesity, an underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled design, Japanese men ...

Examine whether cardiometabolic risk factors are predicted by fitness or fatness among adolescents. Participants are 4955 (2614 female) sixth-grade students with complete data from 42 US middle schools. Fasting blood samples were analyzed for total cholesterol, HDL- and LDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and insulin concentrations. Waist circumference and blood pressure were ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationships between the percentage predicted cardiorespiratory fitness (%CRF) and the anthropometric and metabolic cardiovascular disease risk factors in asymptomatic, premenopausal women. METHODS: Data are baseline values obtained in 97 healthy premenopausal women (age 49.9 +/- 1.9 years; body mass index 23.2 +/- 2.2 kg/m(2)) participating in ...

Epistasis is generally defined as the interaction between two or more genes or their mRNA or protein products to influence a single trait. Experimental evidence suggested that epistasis could be important in the determination of the genetic architecture of complex traits in domestic animals. Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase alpha (ACACA) and ...

CONTEXT: Obesity is a major risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but the primary pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study the relative role of visceral and sc in vitro lipolysis for liver fat accumulation. PATIENTS: Eighteen morbidly obese women participated in the study. DESIGN: Hepatic ...

We examined the role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on the association between physical activity (PA) and abdominal fat content in adolescents. Abdominal fat content was measured by waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at 3 regions (R1, R2, and R3). PA and CRF were assessed by ...

The objective of the study was to investigate the relationship between visceral and subcutaneous adiposity measured by computed tomography and bone mineral density (BMD) and to identify the metabolic factors associated with BMD. We studied 461 subjects recruited from the health-care center at Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine. ...

Body mass index (BMI) has been shown to influence the outcome of various surgical procedures. The purpose of this study is to assess the relationship between BMI, gender, and the distribution of subcutaneous and perirenal fat. A retrospective review was performed for 123 patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy. ...

As shown in previous studies, pentraxin 3 (PTX3) can be a useful inflammatory marker for metabolic syndrome and central obesity. Serum PTX3 levels are also an independent factor associated with visceral fat area. The aim of this study was to assess the role of PTX3 as an inflammatory maker in ...

We aimed to assess the usefulness of a threshold-based, 3-dimensional (3D) segmentation in comparison with the traditional 2-dimensional (2D) short axis-based method for measurement of epicardial fat volume with 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). One hundred patients (52 males; mean age, 58.36+/-11.0 years) who underwent coronary CT angiography were enrolled ...

OBJECTIVE: Both animal and human studies have associated the endocannabinoid system with obesity and markers of metabolic dysfunction. Blockade of the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) caused weight loss and reduction in waist size in both obese and type II diabetics. Recent studies on common variants of the CB1 receptor gene ...

WNT10B has been implicated as a potential regulator of adipogenesis in cellular and animal models of obesity. In this study, we attempted to characterize the associations between common genetic polymorphisms of WNT10B and fat accumulation in a sample of 1029 Korean female subjects. Direct sequencing of genomic DNAs of 45 ...