Relationships between psychosocial outcomes in adolescents who are obese and their parents during a multi-disciplinary family-based healthy lifestyle intervention: One-year follow-up of a waitlist controlled trial (Curtin University's Activity, Food and Attitudes Program)

Background: Limited studies have investigated relationships in psychosocial outcomes between adolescents who are obese and their parents and how psychosocial outcomes change during participation in a physical activity and healthy eating intervention. This study examined both adolescent and parent psychosocial outcomes while participating in a one - year multi-disciplinary family-based intervention: Curtin University’s Activity, Food, and Attitudes Program (CAFAP). Methods: Following a waitlist control period, the intervention was delivered to adolescent (n = 56, ages 11–16) and parent participants over 8 weeks, with one-year maintenance follow-up. Adolescent depression and quality of life, family functioning, and parent depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed at six time points: baseline and prior to intervention (e.g., waitlist control period), immediately following intervention, and at 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. Relationships between adolescent and parent psychosocial outcomes were assessed using Spearman correlations and changes in both adolescent and parent outcomes were assessed using linear mixed models. Changes in adolescent psychosocial outcomes were compared to changes in behavioural (physical activity and healthy eating) and physical (weight) outcomes using independent samples t-tests.Results: The majority of psychosocial outcomes were significantly correlated between adolescents and parents across the one-year follow-up. Adolescent depression, psychosocial and physical quality of life outcomes significantly improved before or following intervention and were maintained at 6-months or one-year follow-up. Parent symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were reduced during waitlist and primarily remained improved. Changes in adolescent psychosocial outcomes were shown to be partially associated with behavioural changes and independent of physical changes. Conclusions: Adolescents in CAFAP improved psychosocial and physical quality of life and reversed the typical trajectory of depressive symptoms in adolescents who are obese during a one-year maintenance period. CAFAP was also effective at maintaining reductions in parent symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress demonstrated during the waitlist period. Trial Registration: The trial was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (No. 12611001187932)

Site-Specific <i>N</i>‑Glycosylation of Endothelial Cell Receptor Tyrosine Kinase VEGFR‑2

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) is an important receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) that plays critical roles in both physiologic and pathologic angiogenesis. The extracellular domain of VEGFR-2 is composed of seven immunoglobulin-like domains, each with multiple potential <i>N</i>-glycosylation sites (sequons). <i>N</i>-glycosylation plays a central role in RTK ligand binding, trafficking, and stability. However, despite its importance, the functional role of <i>N</i>-glycosylation of VEGFR-2 remains poorly understood. The objectives of the present study were to characterize <i>N</i>-glycosylation sites in VEGFR-2 via enzymatic release of the glycans and concomitant incorporation of ¹⁸O into formerly <i>N</i>-glycosylated sites followed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis to determine <i>N</i>-glycosylation site occupancy and the site-specific <i>N</i>-glycan heterogeneity of VEGFR-2 glycopeptides. The data demonstrated that all seven VEGFR-2 immunoglobulin-like domains have at least one occupied <i>N</i>-glycosylation site. MS/MS analyses of glycopeptides and deamidated, deglycosylated (PNGase F-treated) peptides from ectopically expressed VEGFR-2 in porcine aortic endothelial (PAE) cells identified <i>N</i>-glycans at the majority of the 17 potential <i>N</i>-glycosylation sites on VEGFR-2 in a site-specific manner. The data presented here provide direct evidence for site-specific, heterogeneous <i>N</i>-glycosylation and <i>N</i>-glycosylation site occupancy on VEGFR-2. The study has important implications for the therapeutic targeting of VEGFR-2, ligand binding, trafficking, and signaling