[en] The common variants in the fat mass- and obesity-associated (FTO) gene have been previously found to be associated with obesity in various adult populations. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and linkage disequilibrium (LD) blocks in various regions of the FTO gene are associated with predisposition to obesity in Malaysian Malays. Thirty-one FTO SNPs were genotyped in 587 (158 obese and 429 non-obese) Malaysian Malay subjects. Obesity traits and lipid profiles were measured and single-marker association testing, LD testing, and haplotype association analysis were performed. LD analysis of the FTO SNPs revealed the presence of 57 regions with complete LD (D' = 1.0). In addition, we detected the association of rs17817288 with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. The FTO gene may therefore be involved in lipid metabolism in Malaysian Malays. Two haplotype blocks were present in this region of the FTO gene, but no particular haplotype was found to be significantly associated with an increased risk of obesity in Malaysian Malays

[en] The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is on the increase. Among the other factors, obesity is considered to be a major contributor in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes by disturbing the metabolic regulators of the body. These regulators are certain hormones and peptides produced in the adipocytes and control the intermediary metabolism of the body. These regulators regulate the lipid load up to a certain level and beyond that complication arises. Diabetes mellitus is one of the complications among others. This article reviews the roles and mechanisms of action of these regulators under the influence of lipid load and discusses the factors affecting the rehabilitation of the regulators.

No abstract available

[en] Previous authors have described a specific syndrome of coeliac disease, bilateral cerebral calcifications and epileptic seizures. We report a 4-year-old boy with coeliac disease who had bilateral calcifications in the basal ganglia and frontal and parietal lobes, but did not exhibit epileptic seizures. (orig.)

[en] Highlights: • Adipose tissue adaptation to winter cold stress in Tibetan plateau pika was analyzed. • Decreased white adipose tissue (AT) and increased brown AT mass were observed. • Molecular and histological evidence of white AT browning was observed. • The shift from WAT to BAT enables increased thermogenesis in winter pika. The plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae), one of the indigenous animals of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is adapted to life in a cold and hypoxic environment. We conducted a series of genomic, proteomic and morphological studies to investigate whether changes in energy metabolism contribute to adaptation of the plateau pika to cold stress by analyzing summer and winter cohorts. The winter group showed strong morphological and histological features of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in subcutaneous white adipose tissue (sWAT). To obtain molecular evidence of browning of sWAT, we performed reverse transcription and quantitative real-time PCR, which revealed that BAT-specific genes, including uncoupling protein 1 (UCP-1) and PPAR-γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α), were highly expressed in sWAT from the winter group. Compared with the summer group, Western blot analysis also confirmed that UCP-1, PGC-1α and Cox4 protein levels were significantly increased in sWAT from the winter group. Increased BAT mass in the inter-scapular region of the winter group was also observed. These results suggest that the plateau pika adapts to cold by browning sWAT and increasing BAT in order to increase thermogenesis. These changes are distinct from the previously reported adaptation of highland deer mice. Understanding the regulatory mechanisms underlying this adaptation may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for treating obesity and metabolic disorders.

[en] Highlights: • Complement factor B protein is abundantly expressed in inflamed adipose tissue. • Serum complement factor B level showed a correlation with the degree of obesity. • Complement factor B promotes adipocyte maturation and lipid droplet formation. It is well-known that the complement system plays an essential role in host immunity. Observational studies have indicated that complement system-related molecules such as complement factor B (CfB) and other components are correlated with obesity and/or insulin resistance parameters. In this study, we investigated the role of adipocyte-derived CfB in adipose tissue metabolism.

[en] The association between metabolism and cancer has been recently emphasized. This study aimed to find the prognostic significance of obesity in advanced stage rectal cancer patients treated with surgery and radiotherapy (RT). We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 111 patients who were treated with combined surgery and RT for clinical stage 2–3 (T3 or N+) rectal cancer between 2008 and 2014. The prognostic significance of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥25 kg/m"2) in local control was evaluated. The median follow-up was 31.2 months (range, 4.1 to 85.7 months). Twenty-five patients (22.5%) were classified as obese. Treatment failure occurred in 33 patients (29.7%), including local failures in 13 patients (11.7%), regional lymph node failures in 5, and distant metastases in 24. The 3-year local control, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival rates were 88.7%, 73.6%, and 87.7%, respectively. Obesity (n = 25) significantly reduced the local control rate (p = 0.045; 3-year local control, 76.2%), especially in women (n = 37, p = 0.021). Segregation of local control was best achieved by BMI of 25.6 kg/m"2 as a cutoff value. Obese rectal cancer patients showed poor local control after combined surgery and RT. More effective local treatment strategies for obese patients are warranted

[en] Kinky hair syndrome is a sex-linked recessively inherited copper metabolic disorder with severe neuro degenerative change and infant death. In 1962, Menges and associates described five boys of a related pedigree with severe psychomotor retardation, seizures and widespread cerebral and cerebellar degeneration. In 1969, Weissenberg and associates specified the radiological characterization of the syndrome. Symmetrical metaphyseal spurring and diaphyseal periosteal reaction of the long bones, anterior rib flaring, a malformed cerebral arterial system and subdural effusion. In 1972, Danks and associates found the disease to be associated with a defect of copper metabolism, confirmed by studies with labelled Cu. Authors experienced a case with characteristic clinical picture, and report cerebral and abdominal arteriographic changes and plain radiographic findings with brain CT, DSA and post-mortem angiography.

[en] Right ventricular (RV) apical pacing induces dyssynchrony by a left bundle branch block type electrical activation sequence in the heart and may impair left ventricular (LV) function. Whether these functional changes are accompanied by changes in myocardial perfusion, oxidative metabolism and efficiency, and the relation with the induction of LV dyssynchrony are unknown. Our study was designed to investigate the acute effects of RV pacing on these parameters. Ten patients with normal LV ejection fraction and VVI/DDD pacemaker were studied during AAI pacing/sinus rhythm without RV pacing (pacing-OFF) and with RV pacing (pacing-ON) at the same heart rate. Dynamic [¹⁵O]water and [¹¹C]acetate positron emission tomography was used to measure perfusion and oxidative metabolism (k_mono) of the LV. An echocardiographic examination was used to assess LV stroke volume (SV) and LV dyssynchrony. Myocardial efficiency of forward work was calculated as systolic blood pressure x cardiac output/LV mass/k_mono. RV pacing decreased SV in all subjects (mean decrease 13%, from 76 ± 7 to 66 ± 7 ml, p = 0.004), but global perfusion and k_mono were unchanged. The efficiency tended to be lower with pacing-ON (70 ± 20 vs 81 ± 21 mmHg l/g, p = 0.066). In patients with dyssynchrony during pacing (n = 6) efficiency decreased by 23% (from 78 ± 25 to 60 ± 14 mmHg l/g, p = 0.02), but in patients without dyssynchrony no change in efficiency was detected. Accordingly, heterogeneity in myocardial perfusion and oxidative metabolism was detected during pacing in patients with dyssynchrony but not in those without dyssynchrony. RV pacing resulted in a significant decrease in SV. However, deleterious effects on LV oxidative metabolism and efficiency were observed only in patients with dyssynchrony during RV pacing. (orig.)

[en] Gender differences in personality are considered to have biological bases. In an attempt to understand the gender differences of personality on neurobiological bases, we conducted correlation analyses between regional brain glucose metabolism and temperament factors of personality in males and females. Thirty-six healthy right-handed volunteers (18 males, 33.8 ± 17.6 y;18 females, 36.2 ± 20.4 y) underwent FDG PET at resting state. Three temperament factors of personality (novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), reward dependence (RD)) were assessed using Cloninger's 240-item Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) within 10 days of FDG PET scan. Correlation between regional glucose metabolism and each temperament factor was tested using SPM2. In males, a significant negative correlation between NS score and glucose metabolism was observed in the bilateral superior temporal gyri, the hippocampus and the insula, while it was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri, the right superior temporal gyrus and the left cingulate cortex and the putamen in females. A positive HA correlation was found in the right midbrain and the left cingulate gyrus in males, but in the bilateral basal ganglia in females. A negative RD correlation was observed in the right middle frontal and the left middle temporal gyri in males, while the correlation was found in the bilateral middle frontal gyri and the right basal ganglia and the superior temporal gyrus in females. These data demonstrate different cortical and subcortical metabolic correlates of temperament factors of personality between males and females. These results may help understand biological substrate of gender differences in personality and susceptibility to neuropsychiatric illnesses