Common variants near MC4R are associated with fat mass, weight and risk of obesity.

To identify common variants influencing body mass index (BMI), we analyzed genome-wide association data from 16,876 individuals of European descent. After previously reported variants in FTO, the strongest association signal (rs17782313, P = 2.9 x 10(-6)) mapped 188 kb downstream of MC4R (melanocortin-4 receptor), mutations of which are the leading cause of monogenic severe childhood-onset obesity. We confirmed the BMI association in 60,352 adults (per-allele effect = 0.05 Z-score units; P = 2.8 x 10(-15)) and 5,988 children aged 7-11 (0.13 Z-score units; P = 1.5 x 10(-8)). In case-control analyses (n = 10,583), the odds for severe childhood obesity reached 1.30 (P = 8.0 x 10(-11)). Furthermore, we observed overtransmission of the risk allele to obese offspring in 660 families (P (pedigree disequilibrium test average; PDT-avg) = 2.4 x 10(-4)). The SNP location and patterns of phenotypic associations are consistent with effects mediated through altered MC4R function. Our findings establish that common variants near MC4R influence fat mass, weight and obesity risk at the population level and reinforce the need for large-scale data integration to identify variants influencing continuous biomedical traits

Under-Reporting of energy intake in elderly Australian women is associated with a higher body mass index

Design: Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day weighed food record. Protein intake was validated by 24-hour urinary nitrogen. To examine under-reporting, participants were grouped according to their energy intake and compared to the Goldberg cut-off equation. Logistic regression was performed to assess the influence of body mass index (BMI) and social-demographic factors on under-reporting. Setting: Community dwelling elderly women from Perth, Western Australia. Participants: 217 elderly women aged 70–80 years. Results: Under-reporters had a higher physical activity level (p<0.001) compared with acceptable-reporters. The under-reporters also had a higher body weight (p=0.006), body mass index (BMI) (p=0.001), waist (p=0.011), hip circumference (p<0.001), whole body fat mass (p<0.001) and percentage body fat (p<0.001) than acceptable-reporters. Under-reporters had a significantly lower intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate and alcohol (p<0.001) and fewer reported food items, compared with acceptable reporters. However, 24-hour urinary nitrogen was only marginally different between the two groups (p=0.053). Participants with a higher BMI were more likely to under-report their energy intake (BMI=25–29.9: odds ratio=2.98[95% CI=1.46–6.09]; BMI≥30: 5.84[2.41–14.14]). Conclusion: Under-reporting energy intake in elderly women was associated with a higher BMI, body fat and higher self-reported physical activity levels. A higher BMI (≥25) appears to be most significant factor in determining if elderly women will underreport their food intake and may be related to body image. These results have implications for undertaking surveys of food intake in elderly women

Synergistic interaction of NaCl and Cd on growth and photosynthetic parameters in soybean genotypes differing in salinity tolerance

The effects of salinity (50 mmol/L NaCl) and Cd (1 μmol/L CdCl(2)) as sole and combined on growth and photosynthetic parameters were studied using two soybean genotypes, Huachun 18 and NGB. The concentrations of Cd(2+), Zn(2+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), K(+) and Na(+) were also determined in seeds and pods. Huachun 18 suffered a more serious decrease than NGB in net photosynthetic rate (P (n)) in the treatments of salinity stress alone and combined stress (NaCl+Cd), showing that it is relatively sensitive to salinity. The decrease in P (n) caused by salt stress in Huachun 18 was mainly due to the reduced total chlorophyll content and photosynthetic efficiency (the ratio of variable fluorescence to maximal fluorescence, F (v)/F (m)), whereas the decease in NGB was mainly related to reduced stomatal conductance (G (s)). The combined stress of both Na and Cd did not induce further decrease in photosynthesis and fluorescence in the two genotypes relative to salt or Cd stress alone. Greater change in the pod concentrations of Zn(2+), Ca(2+), Mg(2+), K(+) and Na(+) was detected under salt stress for Huachun 18 than for NGB. The results suggested that the interactive effect of NaCl-Cd on growth and nutrient uptake differs between the two soybean genotypes