Ghrelin O-Acyl Transferase: Bridging Ghrelin and Energy Homeostasis

Ghrelin O-acyl transferase (GOAT) is a recently identified enzyme responsible for the unique n-acyl modification of ghrelin, a multifunctional metabolic hormone. GOAT structure and activity appears to be conserved from fish to man. Since the acyl modification is critical for most of the biological actions of ghrelin, especially metabolic functions, GOAT emerged as a very important molecule of interest. The research on GOAT is on the rise, and several important results reiterating its significance have been reported. Notable among these discoveries are the identification of GOAT tissue expression patterns, effects on insulin secretion, blood glucose levels, feeding, body weight, and metabolism. Several attempts have been made to design and test synthetic compounds that can modulate endogenous GOAT, which could turn beneficial in favorably regulating whole body energy homeostasis. This paper will focus to provide an update on recent advances in GOAT research and its broader implications in the regulation of energy balance

Ultrasound assessment of patellar ligament length in athletes and non-athletes

Determining the length of patellar ligament is important both clinically and in research where it has been linked to various knee pathologies including patellar dislocation & instability. Within published literature; plain film radiography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerised tomography have been used to study/asses the patellar ligament. Ultrasound has been proposed as a non-invasive, low-cost alternative but there is currently no consensus as to the techniques employed and questions remain about inter-operator variability. This study aims to evaluate variations in patellar ligament length (PLL) between athletes and non-athletes and address inter-operator variability through the use of ultrasound. Each ligament was measured following a modified form of a recently published technique by two investigators; blinded to each other’s results; using a GE LOGIQ e system with a 12L-RS transducer. Once the technique was clearly delineated there was no statically significant difference between the measurements obtained from the two investigators. Average PLL was found to be 47.1±7.8 mm and 45.1±4.0 mm in athletes and non-athletes respectively with no significant difference in means between the two groups regardless of limb dominance, gender or height. The difference in the PLL between the two limbs was significantly affected by body mass index value (BMI) (H(2)=9.577, p=0.008), specifically between the normal and overweight groups (p=0.007). Previous work has related patellar ligament length to force output rather than age but our findings show no significant correlation between the two. This study validates a pre-existing ultrasound technique with specific modifications to control inter-operator variability