Psychosocial profile of the metabolically healthy but obese postmenopausal woman.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Garrel.
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BACKGROUND: There is considerable interest in validating the most convenient method to estimate insulin sensitivity in clinical research protocols that could best indicate cardiovascular risk factors. To address this issue we examined the interrelationships of several cardiovascular risk factors with surrogate indexes such as fasting insulin, the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and the revised QUICKI vs the euglycaemic-hyperinsulinemic (EH) clamp in a non-diabetic overweight or obese postmenopausal female population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study involving 88 obese postmenopausal women (age: 57.5+/-5.0 yrs; body mass index: 32.52+/-4.4 kg/m2; percent body fat: 46.35+/-4.9%). METHODS: Insulin sensitivity was determined by the EH clamp technique as well as by surrogate indexes such as fasting insulin, HOMA, log HOMA, QUICKI and revised QUICKI. Body composition and body fat distribution were measured using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography, respectively. RESULTS: Correlations between insulin resistance indexes (fasting insulin, revised QUICKI, QUICKI, log HOMA, HOMA) vs glucose disposal were similar (range of r's=0.40 to 0.49), suggesting that no index was superior to another with respect to its relationship with the EH clamp. Correlations between the insulin resistance indexes with plasma lipids were comparable among all indexes, however, systolic blood pressure, visceral fat and C-reactive protein were moderately superior with index vs the EH clamp. CONCLUSION: Surrogate measures of insulin resistance, in particular fasting insulin, are simple tools appropriate for epidemiological studies that can be used as substitutes for the EH clamp to estimate glucose disposal and cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese postmenopausal women.
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The consequences of high serum concentrations of the interleukin (IL)-2 receptor alpha chain (sIL-2Ralpha) in several diseases are poorly understood. The objective of this study was to determine the form of sIL-2Ralpha in burn patients and its biological role. sIL-2Ralpha was measured in 18 severely burned individuals who received nutritional support with a normal or low fat content. sIL-2Ralpha was elevated throughout the study and it was notably lower in patients fed a low fat diet. Serum IL-6 and sIL-2Ralpha significantly correlated (r = 0.74, p < 0.05) in burn patients. The presence of sIL-2Ralpha was associated with a decrease in DR molecules in the CD2(-) and CD11b(+) cells of these patients. Western blot analysis of serum protein with N-terminal or C-terminal specific antibodies indicated that sIL-2Ralpha represents the extracellular domain of this molecule. Patient serum inhibited specifically murine, but not human IL-2-dependent T-cell proliferation. To determine the significance of sIL-2Ralpha, recombinant sIL-2Ralpha was used in different cellular model involving IL-2. sIL-2Ralpha inhibited natural killer cell activity by 50% in the presence of IL-2. The basal proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells was inhibited by sIL-2Ralpha, but phytohemagglutinin-induced proliferation was unaffected by this form of receptor. Interferon (INF)-gamma production induced by OKT-3 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells was not altered by sIL-2Ralpha, but IL-2 induced increase in INF-gamma production was suppressed. The decreasing production of INF-gamma in the presence of IL-4 was significantly increased in the presence of sIL-2Ralpha in media. These results show that the large amount of sIL2-Ralpha circulating in burn patients is related to the inflammatory response. The amount of dietary fat modulates sIL2Ralpha concentration in burn patients, confirming the beneficial effect of low fat administration after burn trauma. Inhibition of T-cell activation in burn patients is not directly related to sIL-2Ralpha, although the presence of sIL-2Ralpha in serum can inhibit some IL-2 mediated response, such as the emergence of TH1 and TH2 cells.
In human skin, large burned surfaces heal using two concomitant phenomena: re-epithelialization and dermal neoformation. Numerous studies report the role of interactions between keratinocytes and fibroblasts, but the relationship between wound healing myofibroblasts and keratinocytes is not clear, even though these two cell types coexist during healing. We investigated the influence of myofibroblasts on keratinocyte growth and differentiation using an in vitro skin model. A histological study was performed to determine the speed and quality of epithelialization. When the dermis was populated with fibroblasts, a continuous epidermis was formed in 7-10 days. In contrast, with wound healing myofibroblasts or without cell in dermis, the complete reepithelialization never occurred over the 10-day period studied. After 7 further days of epidermal differentiation, histology showed an epidermis more disorganized and expression of basement membrane constituents was reduced when wound healing myofibroblasts or no cells were added in the dermis instead of fibroblasts. These results suggest that wound healing myofibroblasts are not efficient to stimulate keratinocyte growth and differentiation. Treatment of fibroblasts with TGFbeta1 induced an increase of epidermal cell differentiation as seen when myofibroblasts were present. However, this cytokine did not change re-epithelialization rate and induced an increase of basement membrane matrix deposition in opposition to myofibroblasts. Thus, TGFbeta1 action is not sufficient to explain all the different keratinocyte reactions towards fibroblasts and wound healing myofibroblasts. Our conclusion is that myofibroblasts seem to have a limited role in the re-epithelialization process and might be more associated with the increased extracellular matrix secretion.
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Myofibroblasts play an important role in normal wound healing. They are present transiently during tissue repair. Their differentiation from fibroblasts and their role in granulation tissues are most likely to be modulated by cytokines. As these cells are derived from normal fibroblasts, their responses to cytokines are assumed to be similar. Until now, however, the difficulties in obtaining and maintaining normal human wound healing myofibroblasts in vitro have hampered comparison. The present study was designed to determine the effect of TGF-beta 1 and IFN-gamma, two cytokines known to modulate fibroblast morphology, on wound healing myofibroblasts and to compare it to fibroblasts. Morphological and phenotypic changes were followed by light and electron microscopy (stress fibers) and immunofluorescence cytochemistry (alpha-SM actin). Functional parameters such as the capacity to synthesize collagen and collagen gel contraction were studied. Both cytokines induced a strong modification of growth rate and phenotypic and morphological parameters in fibroblasts whereas collagen synthesis was slightly changed. Furthermore, TGF-beta 1 increased contractile capacity of fibroblasts whereas IFN-gamma greatly decreased it. In myofibroblasts, TGF-beta 1 and IFN-gamma did not induce any variation of morphology or growth rate. Interestingly, a strong modulation of functional parameters was observed: collagen synthesis was highly modified and, as for fibroblasts, the contractile capacity was altered. However, inhibition of contraction by IFN-gamma was irreversible in myofibroblasts but not in fibroblasts. These results suggest that fibroblastic cells show modulated responses to cytokines according to their stage of differentiation during wound healing.
BACKGROUND: Corticotropin-independent nodular adrenal hyperplasia is a rare cause of Cushing's syndrome, and the factors responsible for the adrenal hyperplasia are not known. METHODS: We studied a 48-year-old woman with Cushing's syndrome, nodular adrenal hyperplasia, and undetectable plasma corticotropin concentrations in whom food stimulated cortisol secretion. RESULTS: Cortisol secretion had an inverse diurnal rhythm in this patient, with low-to-normal fasting plasma cortisol concentrations and elevated postprandial cortisol concentrations that could not be suppressed with dexamethasone. The cortisol concentrations increased in response to oral glucose (4-fold increase) and a lipid-rich meal (4.8-fold increase) or a protein-rich meal (2.6-fold increase), but not intravenous glucose. The infusion of somatostatin blunted the plasma cortisol response to oral glucose. Intravenous infusion of gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP) for one hour increased the plasma cortisol concentration in the patient but not in four normal subjects. Fasting plasma GIP concentrations in the patient were similar to those in the normal subjects; feeding the patient test meals induced increases in plasma GIP concentrations that paralleled those in plasma cortisol concentrations. Cell suspensions of adrenal tissue from the patient produced more cortisol when stimulated by GIP than when stimulated by corticotropin. In contrast, adrenal cells from normal adults and fetuses or patients with cortisol-producting or aldosterone-producing adenomas responded to corticotropin but not to GIP. CONCLUSIONS: Nodular adrenal hyperplasia and Cushing's syndrome may be food-dependent as a result of abnormal responsiveness of adrenal cells to physiologic secretion of GIP. "Illicit" (ectopic) expression of GIP receptors on adrenal cells presumably underlies this disorder.
The relationship of food intake and the human menstrual cycle has not been well quantified. In this study, voluntary energy and sucrose intake of seven women, aged 24-43 y, were evaluated by the weighed-intake method over one entire menstrual cycle. Portable tape recorders facilitated the recording of food intake. Although daily fluctuations of energy intake were large, analysis of variance showed intake during the luteal phase to be significantly greater than during the periovulatory and follicular phases (p less than 0.05). From 95% simultaneous (Bonferoni) confidence intervals, the estimate of difference was 283 kcal greater during the luteal phase than the periovulatory phase; the estimate of difference was 214 kcal greater during the luteal phase than during the follicular phase. No significant differences in energy intake were found among the menstrual, follicular, and periovulatory phases. No significant relationship was found between sucrose intake and the menstrual cycle.
We report the case of a 22-year old woman who presented skin lesions of acanthosis nigricans, hirsutism and secondary amenorrhoea. She had high plasma levels of adrenal androgens and low plasma levels of sex steroid binding protein. Polycystic ovaries were discovered in the course of a laparotomy performed for paraovarian cyst. An oral glucose tolerance test revealed a state of hyperinsulinism with intolerance to carbohydrates, while the body mass index was normal. This insulin resistant state corresponded in vitro to a decrease in the number of erythrocyte insulin receptors without decrease in their affinity for insulin. Following paradoxical improvement during a full-term pregnancy, there was gradual deterioration of diabetes control requiring insulin therapy. This metabolic decompensation was accompanied by major hyperlipaemia followed by acute haemorrhagic pancreatitis. This case illustrates the course of a type A insulin resistance syndrome which was detected at an early stage in front of an hirsutism-acanthosis nigricans association. The underlying pathogenic mechanisms of these pathologies are discussed.
In humans, sex steroid-binding protein (SBP) is a protein from the liver which binds with high affinity sex steroid hormones. The plasma concentration of SBP is regulated in part by hormonal factors. It has been shown that estrogens and/or thyroid hormones increase the production of SBP by hepatoma cell lines. It is therefore assumed that the increase in SBP levels in patients given oral estrogens or thyroid hormones is the consequence of a direct stimulation of the liver production of SBP by these hormones. The effects of androgen, progestagen and glucocorticoid hormones are unclear or still a matter of controversy. Moreover, the regulation of the metabolic clearance rate of SBP and the influence of nonhormonal factors on the production of SBP are still speculative. Changes in SBP have been described in a few nonendocrine diseases. A slight hormonal dysfunction may be either the primary or the sole cause of the changes in SBP occurring in these diseases. As an example, elevated SBP levels have been reported in men with liver cirrhosis together with testicular hypofunction and increased estrogen levels. It is therefore difficult to demonstrate that the increase in SBP is due to the liver dysfunction rather than to the endocrinological side effects of cirrhosis. The aim of this review is to present some aspects of the nonhormonal regulation of SBP. There is accumulating evidence in the literature for a relation between SBP levels and body weight and fat distribution, energy balance, diet and physical activity, and lipid metabolism. Therefore, it is tempting to propose that SBP is an index which reflects the status of endocrine, metabolic and nutritional functions. Measurement of SBP may be considered of interest in the light of previous epidemiological studies and the preventive approach to diseases such as hormone dependent tumors, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis.
In a type II diabetic patient presenting with chronic hypokaliemia secondary to a selective renal tubulopathy, insulin sensitivity was explored three times during a euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp procedure at two rates of insulin infusion: 1 and 10 mU/kg/min: once before treatment of hypokaliemia and once after successful correction of hypokaliemia with indomethacine or spironolactone. During insulin infusion, a 20% dextrose solution was infused by a Biostator in order to maintain the patient's glycemia at 90 mg/dl. Amounts of glucose infused during the last 20 min of each 2 hour insulin infusion were (at 1 and 10 m/kg/min respectively): before treatment (K+ = 2.7 mmol/l): 2.4 and 8.4 mg/kg/min; after spironolactone (K+ = 3.9 mmol/l): 3.3 and 15.4 mg/kg/min; after indomethacine (K+ = 3.7 mmol/l): 5 and 19 mg/kg/min after stopping drugs (K+ = 2.9 mmol/l): 2.5 and 5.3 mg/kg/min. These data suggest that potassium metabolism plays a critical role in the mechanisms of insulin sensitivity.
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