Association of the GCKR rs780094 polymorphism with metabolic traits including carotid intima-media thickness in Japanese community-dwelling men, but not in women

Background: The glucokinase regulator gene (GCKR) rs780094 has been shown to be strongly associated with some metabolic traits and atherosclerotic parameters, while the association between GCKR rs780094 and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) has not been fully investigated in the general population. The associations between the GCKR rs780094 genotype and metabolic traits including CIMT were examined in a Japanese community-dwelling population. Methods: A total of 2491 Japanese adults (907 men and 1584 women) who participated in a medical screening program for the general population from 29 to 94 years of age during 2008 to 2010 were enrolled. GCKR rs780094 was genotyped by the TaqMan polymerase chain reaction method, and associations with metabolic markers including CIMT were evaluated. Results: GCKR rs780094 AA genotype was significantly associated with higher TG (p < 0.001 vs. GG), lower HDL-C (p = 0.021 vs. GG), and lower HbA1c (p = 0.023 vs. GG). The AA genotype showed significantly thinner CIMT (p = 0.001 vs. GX). These associations were seen only in men. Conclusions: GCKR rs780094 was associated with TG, HDL-C, and HbA1c levels, as well as with CIMT in Japanese community-dwelling men, but not women

Leptin to high-molecular-weight adiponectin ratio is independently correlated with carotid intima-media thickness in men, but not in women.

BACKGROUND: The leptin:adiponectin ratio (L:A ratio) is an independent predictor of carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the leptin:high-molecular-weight adiponectin ratio (L:HA ratio) is associated with CIMT in the general population. METHODS: We investigated the relationship between the L:HA ratio and CIMT in 233 Japanese study participants (106 men and 127 women). RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, CIMT was significantly correlated with the log L:HA ratio (beta = 0.11, p = 0.014) in men, whereas no correlation was observed in women (beta = 0.01, p = 0.50). Conclusion: The L:HA ratio is closely correlated with CIMT in men, but not in women

エルゴステロールの紫外線照射反応に及ぼす照射波長とプレビタミンD_2の生成量について

In the ultraviolet (hereafter called UV) irradiation of ergosterol, the effects of wavelength (UV irradiation lamp 254nm and 310nm) were investigated on the formation of pre-vitamin D_2. The determination of pre-vitamin D_2 used high performance liquid chromatography. The results were as follows: (19 The precursor of vitamin D_2 is pre-vitamin D_2. It was formed when ergosterol (solution alcohol) was exposed to UV irradiation (254nm and 310nm). (2) The formation rate of pre-vitamin D_2 with the irradiation of 254nm-lamp increased about 3 times higher than those with the irradiation of 310nm-lamp (after 60 minuts). (39 When eregsterol was irradiated with 254nm-lamp and 310nm-lamp at the same time, the formation rate of pre-vitamin D_2 increased about 1.4 times higher than those with 254nm-lamp only. (4) The ergosterol contents decreased gradually as the UV irradiation time went on

Uptake of Aortic 18F-FDG Is Correlated with Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Leptin in a General Population

Objective: This study investigated the relationship between aortic 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) uptake and clinical and laboratory findings related to atherosclerosis in a general population. Copyright:Methods: 18F-FDG uptake in the ascending aorta was measured on the positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scans of 211 Japanese adults. The maximum target-to-background ratio (TBR) was compared with clinical and laboratory atherosclerosis findings.Results: By multivariate regression analysis adjusted for age and sex, TBR-ascending aorta (TBR-A) was significantly correlated with various clinical and laboratory parameters, such as body mass index, log visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), log fasting immunoreactive insulin, log homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, log total adiponectin and log-leptin, in all subjects. Furthermore, by multivariate linear regression analysis adjusted for confounding factors, TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C (β=0.001, p=0.03) and log-leptin (β =0.336, p<0.01) in all subjects.Conclusion: TBR-A was significantly correlated with LDL-C and log-leptin independent from confounding factors. Our results suggest that aortic 18F-FDG uptake is a good marker of atherosclerosis, even in a general population

White blood cell count and cardiovascular biomarkers of atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association with white blood cells (WBC) and atherosclerotic parameters including cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in the general population. METHODS: We investigated the relationship between WBC count and metabolic syndrome components, CAVI and CIMT in 3738 Japanese study participants. RESULTS: WBC count weakly correlated with CAVI in men (beta = 0.61, p = 0.043), but not in women (beta = 0.35, p = 0.17). On the other hand, WBC did not correlate with CIMT in either men or women (p = 0.41 and p = 0.71, respectively). CONCLUSION: WBC count was associated with lipids, blood pressure and body mass index, although the correlations with CAVI and CIMT were weak or absent

High-rate deposition of YBa_2Cu_3O_<7-x> films by hot cluster epitaxy

The growth rate and crystallinity of YBa_2Cu_3O_ (YBCO) films were investigated in connection with the cluster size and the growth mode in order to clarify the high-rate deposition of high-quality epitaxial films from clusters in the plasma flash evaporation method. The films were deposited from clusters that were not accelerated by bias voltage but were self-activated in a thermal plasma. With increasing cluster size, the growth rate increased drastically at the point of the growth mode transition from spiral to two-dimensional cluster nucleus growth. After the transition, the film was still well epitaxial and have the minimum value of the full width at half maximum of the (005) x-ray rocking curve (FWHM_). A 1-μm-thick, nonspiral growth, monolayer smooth epitaxial YBCO film was successfully deposited at a growth rate of 16 nm/s. FWHM_ for the films was less than 0.14°. It was revealed experimentally that the deposition from "hot" clusters with large sticking probability onto a high-temperature substrate is highly effective for the deposition of high-quality films at a high rate

Scanning tunneling microscopy of epitaxial YBa_2Cu_3O_<7-x> films prepared by thermal plasma flash evaporation method

The surface morphology of epitaxial YBa_2Cu_3O_ films prepared by thermal plasma flash evaporation was extensively investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. Under epitaxial film growth conditions with the deposition rate up to 0.42 μm/min, two-dimensional nucleus growth and spiral growth were observed. The main deposition species in this process was found to be the cluster ranging from 0.3 to 9 nm and the size of the cluster influenced the growth mode strongly. Theoretical analysis based on the two-dimensional critical radius revealed that smaller clusters became weakly bonded nuclei resulting in spiral growth and larger clusters became stable nuclei resulting in two-dimensional nucleus growth, which we named two-dimensional cluster nucleus growth. The clusters generated in the plasma boundary layer undoubtedly involve sufficient energy necessary for crystallization and show quite different characteristics from those of the clusters generated in vacuum by adiabatic expansion process. Hence, this process must be named "hot cluster epitaxy.