42 research outputs found
Liver and Muscle in Morbid Obesity: The Interplay of Fatty Liver and Insulin Resistance
INTRODUCTION: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can be seen as a manifestation of overnutrition. The muscle is a central player in the adaptation to energy overload, and there is an association between fatty-muscle and -liver. We aimed to correlate muscle morphology, mitochondrial function and insulin signaling with NAFLD severity in morbid obese patients. METHODS: Liver and deltoid muscle biopsies were collected during bariatric surgery in NAFLD patients. NAFLD Activity Score and Younossi's classification for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) were applied to liver histology. Muscle evaluation included morphology studies, respiratory chain complex I to IV enzyme assays, and analysis of the insulin signaling cascade. A healthy lean control group was included for muscle morphology and mitochondrial function analyses. RESULTS: Fifty one NAFLD patients were included of whom 43% had NASH. Intramyocellular lipids (IMCL) were associated with the presence of NASH (OR 12.5, p<0.001), progressive hepatic inflammation (p = 0.029) and fibrosis severity (p = 0.010). There was a trend to an association between IMCL and decreased Akt phosphorylation (p = 0.059), despite no association with insulin resistance. In turn, hepatic steatosis (p = 0.015) and inflammation (p = 0.013) were associated with decreased Akt phosphoryation. Citrate synthase activity was lower in obese patients (p = 0.047) whereas complex I (p = 0.040) and III (p = 0.036) activities were higher, compared with controls. Finally, in obese patients, complex I activity increased with progressive steatosis (p = 0.049) and with a trend with fibrosis severity (p = 0.056). CONCLUSIONS: In morbid obese patients, presence of IMCL associates with NASH and advanced fibrosis. Muscle mitochondrial dysfunction does not appear to be a major driving force contributing to muscle fat accumulation, insulin resistance or liver disease. Importantly, insulin resistance in muscle might occur at a late point in the insulin signaling cascade and be associated with IMCL and NAFLD severity
Targeting of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production does not avert lipid-induced insulin resistance in muscle tissue from mice
Potential cellular and biochemical mechanisms of exercise and physical activity on the ageing process
Exercise in young adults has been consistently shown to improve various aspects of physiological and psychological health but we are now realising the potential benefits of exercise with advancing age. Specifically, exercise improves cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and metabolic health through reductions in oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation and modulating cellular processes within a variety of tissues. In this this chapter we will discuss the effects of acute and chronic exercise on these processes and conditions in an ageing population, and how physical activity affects our vasculature, skeletal muscle function, our immune system, and cardiometabolic risk in older adults
Knowledge and preventive behaviour among pregnant women with latent toxoplasmosis in Malaysia
Latent toxoplasmosis could induce various hormonal and behavioural
perturbations in infected hosts. We aimed to study the latent seroprevalence of
Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) and the relationship between infection, knowledge
and behaviour among 400 pregnant mothers. Plasma samples were tested for the
presence of T. gondii IgG antibodies while a structured questionnaire was used to
record respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, general information and
knowledge on plausible risk factors, symptoms, timing of infection, and preventive
knowledge and behaviour regarding toxoplasmosis. The seroprevalence of latent
toxoplasmosis among respondents was at 31.8%. This study indicated that 69.5%
of them had poor knowledge of toxoplasmosis but most of them (99.8%) practised
preventive behaviours. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that pregnant
women with low education levels (aOR: 1.91, 95% CI 1.18, 3.10; p = 0.008) and
past medical history (aOR: 2.32, 95% CI 1.32, 4.06; p = 0.003) were both twice as
likely to have anti-T. gondii IgG seropositivity. Besides, women who were unsure
regarding the transmission mode of the disease via blood transfusion were four
times more likely (aOR: 3.93, 95% CI 1.54, 10.01; p = 0.004) to have chronic
toxoplasmosis seroprevalence. Women who were unsure regarding the necessities
of avoiding stray cats had aOR of 0.42 (95% CI 0.24, 0.71, p = 0.001) for chronic
toxoplasmosis seroprevalence. Translating the knowledge on toxoplasmosis into
the practice of preventive behaviour via a health education programme is crucial
in reducing the risk of disease transmission especially among pregnant women