Rosiglitazone decreases intra- to extramyocellular fat ratio in obese non-diabetic adults with metabolic syndrome

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Background Insulin resistance is intrinsically related to intramyocellular (IMCL) rather than extramyocellular (EMCL) triglyceride content. Conflicting results have been reported on the ability of insulin sensitizer agents, such as thiazolidinediones, to modify muscle fat distribution. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of rosiglitazone on muscle fat compartment distribution in an adult population of obese non-diabetic metabolic syndrome patients. Patients and methods Fifteen obese, non-diabetic, metabolic syndrome patients were studied by means of proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H-NMR) spectroscopy before and after treatment with rosiglitazone 8 mg/day for 6 months. Anthropometrical and metabolic variables were assessed. Results After rosiglitazone, body weight and hip circumference increased [100.9 (91.12-138.7) vs. 107.0 (79.6-142.8) kg and 118 (107-126) vs. 122 (110-131) cm]; while waist-hip ratio (WHR) decreased from 0.93 (0.87-1.00) to 0.89 (0.82-0.97) (P < 0.001 for all). Additionally, fasting plasma glucose, insulin and homeostatis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) significantly decreased while adiponectin increased over threefold [9.7 (3.7-17.7) vs. 38.0 (19.3-42.4) mu g/ml] without any changes in resistin. Finally, the IMCL did not change [267.54 (213.94-297.94) vs. 305.75 (230.80-424.75) arbitrary units (AU), P = 0.15] while the EMCL increased [275.53 (210.39-436.66) vs. 411.39 (279.92-556.59) AU; P < 0.01] therefore decreasing the IMCL-to-EMCL (IMCL/EMCL) ratio [1.07 (0.78-1.23) vs. 0.71 (0.53-0.96); P < 0.01]. Conclusion Rosiglitazone treatment increased body weight and hip circumference and decreased WHR. More importantly, it decreased the IMCL/EMCL ratio by increasing the EMCL without any significant change on the IMCL.2712329Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Research Supporting Agency of Rio de Janeiro State [E-26/150.141/99, E-26/170.522/00]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [CNPq 52 1850/96-7]Research Supporting Agency of Rio de Janeiro State [E-26/150.141/99, E-26/170.522/00

Gravitational Waves and Gamma-Rays from a Binary Neutron Star Merger: GW170817 and GRB 170817A

On 2017 August 17, the gravitational-wave event GW170817 was observed by the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors, and the gamma-ray burst (GRB) GRB 170817A was observed independently by the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor, and the Anti-Coincidence Shield for the Spectrometer for the International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory. The probability of the near-simultaneous temporal and spatial observation of GRB 170817A and GW170817 occurring by chance is $5.0\times {10}^{-8}$. We therefore confirm binary neutron star mergers as a progenitor of short GRBs. The association of GW170817 and GRB 170817A provides new insight into fundamental physics and the origin of short GRBs. We use the observed time delay of $(+1.74\pm 0.05)\,{\rm{s}}$ between GRB 170817A and GW170817 to: (i) constrain the difference between the speed of gravity and the speed of light to be between $-3\times {10}^{-15}$ and $+7\times {10}^{-16}$ times the speed of light, (ii) place new bounds on the violation of Lorentz invariance, (iii) present a new test of the equivalence principle by constraining the Shapiro delay between gravitational and electromagnetic radiation. We also use the time delay to constrain the size and bulk Lorentz factor of the region emitting the gamma-rays. GRB 170817A is the closest short GRB with a known distance, but is between 2 and 6 orders of magnitude less energetic than other bursts with measured redshift. A new generation of gamma-ray detectors, and subthreshold searches in existing detectors, will be essential to detect similar short bursts at greater distances. Finally, we predict a joint detection rate for the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor and the Advanced LIGO and Virgo detectors of 0.1-1.4 per year during the 2018-2019 observing run and 0.3-1.7 per year at design sensitivity

Obesity, metabolic syndrome, impaired fasting glucose, and microvascular dysfunction: a principal component analysis approach

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We aimed to evaluate the multivariate association between functional microvascular variables and clinical-laboratorial-anthropometrical measurements.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data from 189 female subjects (34.0±15.5 years, 30.5±7.1 kg/m²), who were non-smokers, non-regular drug users, without a history of diabetes and/or hypertension, were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA). PCA is a classical multivariate exploratory tool because it highlights common variation between variables allowing inferences about possible biological meaning of associations between them, without pre-establishing cause-effect relationships. In total, 15 variables were used for PCA: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), fasting plasma glucose, levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and functional microvascular variables measured by nailfold videocapillaroscopy. Nailfold videocapillaroscopy was used for direct visualization of nutritive capillaries, assessing functional capillary density, red blood cell velocity (RBCV) at rest and peak after 1 min of arterial occlusion (RBCV_max), and the time taken to reach RBCV_max (TRBCV_max).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 35% of subjects had metabolic syndrome, 77% were overweight/obese, and 9.5% had impaired fasting glucose. PCA was able to recognize that functional microvascular variables and clinical-laboratorial-anthropometrical measurements had a similar variation. The first five principal components explained most of the intrinsic variation of the data. For example, principal component 1 was associated with BMI, waist circumference, systolic BP, diastolic BP, insulin, TG, CRP, and TRBCV_max varying in the same way. Principal component 1 also showed a strong association among HDL-c, RBCV, and RBCV_max, but in the opposite way. Principal component 3 was associated only with microvascular variables in the same way (functional capillary density, RBCV and RBCV_max). Fasting plasma glucose appeared to be related to principal component 4 and did not show any association with microvascular reactivity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In non-diabetic female subjects, a multivariate scenario of associations between classic clinical variables strictly related to obesity and metabolic syndrome suggests a significant relationship between these diseases and microvascular reactivity.</p

Adiponectin is related to intramyocellular lipid content in non-diabetic adults

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Objective: Insulin resistance (IR) is associated with intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) content and low serum adiponectin (ADP) levels and ADP is also involved in muscle fat oxidation. However, the relationship between ADP and IMCL content is still controversial and in this study we explored it further in non-diabetic adults. Design: Cross-sectional clinical study. Subjects: Thirty-three adult subjects, 24 obese non-diabetic patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) and 9 lean healthy controls. Measurements: Proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-NMRS) was performed to quantify IMCL content. The latter plus serum ADP, anthropometrics and biochemical parameters were evaluated and compared in these 2 groups. Results: MS patients had higher body mass index, waist, waist-to-hip ratio, glucose, insulin, and triglycerides and lower HDL cholesterol (HDL(c)) compared to controls. Homeostasis model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR) [3.25 (2.58-4.13) vs 1.02 (0.73-1.29); p<0.0001] and IMCL content [266.1 (189.9-296.3) vs 72.85 (55.3-109.4) AU, p<0.0001] were higher, and quantitative insulin-sensitivity check index (QUICK!) [0.32 (0.31-0.33) vs 0.38 (0.37-0.40); p<0.0001] and ADP [8.6 (4.05-15.95) vs 21.1 (12.9-24.4) mu g/ml; p=0.02] were lower in MS subjects compared to controls. IMCL content was directly associated to glucose, insulin, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR and inversely to HDLc, QUICK! and, more importantly, to ADP (r=-0.41; p<0.05). Only in the MS group, ADP partially influenced IMCL content. Conclusion: ADP is inversely related to IMCL content in non-diabetic adults. This finding has possible implications for the role of ADP in muscle fat oxidation, IR, and MS. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 33: 382-387, 2010) (C)2010, Editrice Kurtis336382387Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)CNPq [CNPq]Research Supporting Agency of Rio de Janeiro State (FAPERJ) [E-26/150.141/99, E-26/170.522/00