Background and Aims. The secretion of several adipocytokines, such as adiponectin, retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP4), adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (aFABP), and visfatin, is altered in subjects with abdominal adiposity; these endocrine alterations could contribute to increased cardiovascular risk. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship among adiponectin, RBP4, aFABP, and visfatin, and incident cardiovascular disease. Methods and Results. A case-control study, nested within a prospective cohort, on 2945 subjects enrolled for a diabetes screening program was performed. We studied 18 patients with incident fatal or nonfatal IHD (Ischemic Heart Disease) or CVD (Cerebrovascular Disease), compared with 18 matched control subjects. Circulating adiponectin levels were significantly lower in cases of IHD with respect to controls. Circulating RBP4 levels were significantly increased in CVD and decreased in IHD with respect to controls. Circulating aFABP4 levels were significantly increased in CVD, while no difference was associated with IHD. Circulating visfatin levels were significantly lower in cases of both CVD and IHD with respect to controls, while no difference was associated with CVD. Conclusions. The present study confirms that low adiponectin is associated with increased incidents of IHD, but not CVD, and suggests, for the first time, a major effect of visfatin, aFABP, and RBP4 in the development of cardiovascular disease.

Laura Pala

Matteo Monami

Silvia Ciani

Ilaria Dicembrini

Alessandro Pasqua

Anna Pezzatini

Paolo Francesconi

Barbara Cresci

Edoardo Mannucci

Carlo Maria Rotella

Adipokines as Possible New Predictors of Cardiovascular Diseases: A Case Control Study

Objective. To summarize the recent studies on effect of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on hepatic steatosis and hepatic and adipose lipid metabolism highlighting the potential regulatory mechanisms. Methods. Sixty-four published experiments were summarized in which trans-10, cis-12 CLA was fed either alone or in combination with other CLA isomers to mice, rats, hamsters, and humans were compared. Summary and Conclusions. Dietary trans-10, cis-12 CLA induces a severe hepatic steatosis in mice with a more muted response in other species. Regardless of species, when hepatic steatosis was present, a concurrent decrease in body adiposity was observed, suggesting that hepatic lipid accumulation is a result of uptake of mobilized fatty acids (FA) from adipose tissue and the liver's inability to sufficiently increase FA oxidation and export of synthesized triglycerides. The potential role of liver FA composition, insulin secretion and sensitivity, adipokine, and inflammatory responses are discussed as potential mechanisms behind CLA-induced hepatic steatosis.

Diwakar Vyas

Anil Kumar G. Kadegowda

Richard A. Erdman

Dietary Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Hepatic Steatosis:  Species-Specific Effects on Liver and Adipose Lipid Metabolism and Gene Expression

The present study was designed to investigate the impact of exercise training on lipogenic gene expression in liver and lipid partitioning following the ingestion of a high fructose load. Female rats were exercise-trained for 8 wk or kept sedentary before being submitted to a fasting/refeeding protocol. Rats were further subdivided as follow: rats were fasted for 24 h, refed a standard diet for 24 h, starved for another 24 h, and refed with a standard or a high-fructose diet 24 h before sacrifice. Fructose refeeding was associated with an increase in hepatic lipid content, endocannabinoid receptor 1, sterol regulatory element-binding protein1c, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase1 gene expression in both Sed and TR rats. However, desaturation indexes measured in liver (C16 : 1/C16 : 0 and C18 : 1/C18 : 0) and plasma (C18 : 1/C18 : 0) were higher (<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML"><mml:mrow><mml:mi>P</mml:mi><mml:mo>&lt;</mml:mo><mml:mn>0.01</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>) in TR than in Sed rats following fructose refeeding. It is concluded that exercise training does not significantly affect fat accumulation and the molecular expression of genes involved in lipogenesis after fasting and fructose refeeding but does modify the partitioning of lipids so as to provide more unsaturated fatty acids in liver without affecting liver fat content.

Siham Yasari

Denis Prud'homme

Frédérique Tesson

Marek Jankowski

Jolanta Gutkowska

Emile Levy

Jean-Marc Lavoie

Effects of Exercise Training on Molecular Markers of Lipogenesis and Lipid Partitioning in Fructose-Induced Liver Fat Accumulation

One segment of the population that is particularly inclined to liver fat accumulation is postmenopausal women. Although nonalcoholic hepatic steatosis is more common in men than in women, after menopause there is a reversal in gender distribution. At the present time, weight loss and exercise are regarded as first line treatments for NAFLD in postmenopausal women, as it is the case for the management of metabolic syndrome. In recent years, there has been substantial evidence coming mostly from the use of the animal model, that indeed estrogens withdrawal is associated with modifications of molecular markers favouring the activity of metabolic pathways ultimately leading to liver fat accumulation.  In addition, the use of the animal model has provided physiological and molecular evidence that exercise training provides estrogens-like protective effects on liver fat accumulation and its consequences. The purpose of the present paper is to present information relative to the development of a state of NAFLD resulting from the absence of estrogens and the role of exercise training, emphasizing on the contribution of the animal model on these issues.

Abdolnaser Pighon

NAFLD, Estrogens, and Physical Exercise: The Animal Model

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of glucose intolerance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia with visceral fat accumulation. This study was undertaken to assess which components of metabolic syndrome (MS), including uric acid and proinflammatory markers, are related to adiponectin levels in overweight and obese women with MS. Ninety-one women (60 with MS and 31 controls) were assessed in relation to classical and inflammatory parameters of MS. In comparison to controls, patients with MS showed significant differences in parameters that are typically associated with MS and in inflammatory markers. Fibrinogen, CRP, and C3 were positively, whereas albumin was inversely correlated with abdominal adiposity and insulin resistance. Adiponectin was inversely correlated with waist circumference and uric acid levels. Activities of adiponectin and proinflammatory markers are not correlated in overweight and obese women with MS. In addition to abdominal adiposity, uric acid may be implicated in a decrease of adiponectin in MS patients.

Andr&#233;a Name Colado Sim&#227;o

Marcell Alysson Batisti Lozovoy

Tathiana Name Colado Sim&#227;o

Helena Kaminami Morimoto

Isaias Dichi

Adiponectinemia Is Associated with Uricemia but Not with Proinflammatory Status in Women with Metabolic Syndrome

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Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism publishes original research articles and&nbsp;review articles covering the broad and multidisciplinary field of human nutrition and metabolism.

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Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism publishes original research articles and review articles covering the broad and multidisciplinary field of human nutrition and metabolism.

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism