Suppressed Weight Gain Research Articles

Effect of long-term confinement on metabolic and physiological parameters in mice

Long-term and mild confinement or isolation in an enclosed environment can occur in situations such as disasters, specific political, economic or social events, nuclear shelters, seabed exploration, polar expeditions, and space travel. To investigate the effects of stress caused by long-term confinement in an enclosed environment in mammals, we divided 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice into four groups that were housed in a closed environment with a narrow metabolic cage (stress group), normal metabolic cage (control group), conventional cage (conventional group) or conventional cage with wire mesh floor (wire mesh group). The phenotypes of the mice were examined for four weeks, followed by behavioral tests. Weight gain suppression was observed in the stress group. Continuous analysis of these mice every two minutes for four weeks using an implanted measuring device showed a significantly decreased amount of spontaneous activity and subcutaneous temperature in the stress group. After housing in each environment for four weeks, the behavioral tests of mice in the stress group also revealed a shorter latency to fall off in the rotarod test and shorter stride length and interstep distance in the footprint test. Interestingly, the lower spontaneous activity of mice in the stress group was rescued by housing in conventional cages. These results suggest a temporary effect of long-term confinement in an enclosed environment as a chronic and mild stress on homeostasis in mammals.

Peripherally Selective CB1 Receptor Antagonist Improves Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome in Mice.

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex disorder that stems from the additive effects of multiple underlying causes such as obesity, insulin resistance, and chronic low-grade inflammation. The endocannabinoid system plays a central role in appetite regulation, energy balance, lipid metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and β-cell function. The type 1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) antagonist SR141716A (rimonabant) showed promising antiobesity effects, but its use was discontinued due to adverse psychiatric events in some users. These adverse effects are due to antagonism of CB1R in the central nervous system (CNS). As such, CNS-sparing CB1R antagonists are presently being developed for various indications. In this study, we report that a recently described compound, 3-{1-[8-(2-chlorophenyl)-9-(4-chlorophenyl)-9H-purin-6-yl]piperidin-4-yl}-1-[6-(difluoromethoxy)pyridin-3-yl]urea (RTI1092769), a pyrazole based weak inverse agonist/antagonist of CB1 with very limited brain exposure, improves MetS related complications. Treatment with RTI1092769 inhibited weight gain and improved glucose utilization in obese mice maintained on a high fat diet. Hepatic triglyceride content and steatosis significantly improved with treatment. These phenotypes were supported by improvement in several biomarkers associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). These results reinforce the idea that CB1 antagonists with limited brain exposure should be pursued for MetS and other important indications.

Predator odor exposure increases social contact in adolescents and parental behavior in adulthood in Brandt’s voles

Research suggests that predation risk during adolescence can program adult stress response and emotional behavior; however, little is known about the short-term and lasting residual effects of this experience on social behavior. We explored this concept in social Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii). Adolescent male and female voles were exposed to distilled water, rabbit urine (as a non-predator stimulus), and cat urine for 60 min daily from postnatal day (PND) 28–49. Social play tests were conducted immediately following exposure on PND 28, 35, 42, and 49. In the social play test, repeated cat odor (CO) exposure enhanced the contact behavior of voles with their cagemate. Adolescent exposure to CO did not affect behavioral responses toward unrelated pups in the alloparental behavior test or same-sex individuals in the social interaction test. However, exposure to CO significantly enhanced the licking/grooming behavior of voles towards their own pups in the home cage parental behavior test. Repeated CO exposure significantly inhibited weight gain in male voles during adolescence. This effect was transmitted to the next generation, with lower weight gain in offspring before weaning. Following repeated CO exposure, males tended to have more female offspring whereas females produced more offspring, suggesting an adaptive strategy to increase inclusive fitness under predatory risk. These findings demonstrate that adolescent exposure to predatory risk augments adolescent social contact and adult parental behavior and suggest a role for improved inclusive fitness in mediating long-term outcomes.

GIP Receptor Antagonist, SKL-14959 Indicated Alteration of the Lipids Metabolism to Catabolism by the Inhibition of Plasma LPL Activity, Resulting in the Suppression of Weight Gain on Diets-Induced Obesity Mice.

IntroductionGlucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) plays a crucial role in the regulation of lipid metabolism via lipoprotein lipase (LPL). GIP receptor antagonist, SKL-14959, suppressed the weight gain in the diet-induced obesity model. However, the mechanism is not unclear. Therefore, we aimed to give insight into the reason.MethodsMice were divided into three groups of the low-fat diet, high-fat diets mixture with or without SKL-14959 for 151 days, and were monitored body weight and food consumption through the test. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were also performed. After that, blood, liver, muscle and adipose tissue were collected. Blood samples were measured glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), glucose, insulin, GIP level and plasma LPL activity. Triacylglycerol (TG) contents of liver and muscles were also measured. Moreover, a simple correlation analysis was performed.ResultsSKL-14959 suppressed the body weight gain, decreased body mass index (BMI), HbA1c, and fasting glucose level, and trended to decline adipose tissues weight and TG contents compared with the vehicle, and inhibited plasma LPL activity. OGTT and ITT in the SKL-14959 group were not significantly changed relative to the vehicle. Additionally, upon treatment with SKL-14959 treatment, weight gain had weak correlation with lipase activity. Furthermore, lipase activity was associated with the fat mass and not white but red muscle TG contents and liver TG contents were not associated with lipase activity but HbA1c.In ConclusionSKL-14959 might direct lipids metabolism to catabolism by inhibition of plasma LPL activity, resulting in the suppression of weight gain on diets-induced obesity mice.

Gomisin A Alleviates Obesity by Regulating the Phenotypic Switch between White and Brown Adipocytes

Although gomisin A (GA) alleviates cancer and inflammation, its anti-obesity effect and the underlying mechanism have not yet been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to elucidate the anti-obesity effects of GA by investigating the phenotypic changes involved in the browning and whitening of adipocytes. Here, obesity was induced to C57BL/6J mice using a high-fat diet (HFD). We administrated GA and checked weight changes for 12 weeks. We found that GA decreased the weight of weight gain, epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT), and liver in the mice. In addition, the administration of GA elevated the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol in the mice serum. Moreover, even after 12 weeks of treatment with GA, it did not cause any hepatic and renal toxicity. However, we found that GA induced the browning of eWAT and inhibited the whitening of brown adipose tissue. We further confirmed the anti-obesity mechanism of GA using 3T3-L1 cells, the human adipose mesenchymal stem cells (hAMSCs), and primary brown adipocytes (BAs) in vitroexperiments. We found that GA suppressed adipogenesis via the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Furthermore, GA-induced browning by increasing the expression levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in hAMSCs. The results of our study indicate that GA can inhibit weight gain by regulating the phenotypic changes involved in the browning and whitening of adipose tissues, which makes it a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity.

뽕잎 추출물 기원 Flavonoid Rich Fraction의 항비만효과

Background: This study investigated the anti-obesity effect of the flavonoid rich fraction (FRF) and its constituent, rutin obtained from the leaf of Morus alba L., on the lipid accumulation mechanism in 3T3-L1 adipocyte and C57BL/6 mouse models.BRMethods and Results: In Oil Red O staining, FRF (1,000 ㎍/㎖) treatments showed inhibition rate of 35.39% in lipid accumulation compared to that in the control. AdipoRedTM assay indicated that the triglyceride content in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with FRF (1,000 ㎍/㎖) was reduced to 23.22%, and free glycerol content was increased to 106.04% that of the control. FRF and its major constituent, rutin affected mRNA gene expression. Rutin contributed to the inhibition of Sterol regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) gene expression, and inhibited the transcription factors SREBP-1c, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC). In addition, the effect of FRF administration on obesity development in C57BL/6 mice fed high-fat diet (HFD) was investigated. FRF suppressed weight gain, and reduced liver triglyceride and leptin secretion. FRF exerted potential anti-inflammatory effects by improving insulin resistance and adiponectin levels, and could thus be used to help counteract obesity. The mRNA expressions of PPAR-γ, FAS, ACC, and CPT-1 were determined in liver tissue. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis was also performed to evaluate the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in epididymal adipose tissue. Compared to the control group, mice fed the HFD showed the up-regulation in PPAR-γ, FAS, IL-6, and TNF-α genes, and down-regulation in CPT1 gene expression. FRF treatement markedly reduced the expression of PPAR-γ, FAS, IL-6, and TNF-α compared to those in HFD control, whereas increased the expression level of CPT1.BRConclusions: These results suggest that the FRF and its major active constituent, rutin, can be used as effective anti-obesity agents.

EGLP-1 lowers body weight better than exendin-4 by reducing food intake and increasing basal energy expenditure in diet-induced obese mice

It is well known that GLP-1 activates GLP-1R to reduce body weight by inhibiting eating. GLP-1 is cleaved by the neutral endopeptidase (NEP) 24.11 into a pentapeptide GLP-1 (32–36) amide, which increases basal energy expenditure and inhibits weight gain in obese mice. It is well known that GLP-1 analogs can reduce weight by suppressing eating. However, there are few reports of reducing weight through the dual effects of inhibiting eating and increasing basic energy. Here, we report the peptide EGLP-1, a GLP-1 analogue, which can reduce food intake and increase basal energy expenditure. In C2C12 myotubes, EGLP-1 can increase both phosphorylation of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) and the ratio between phosphorylation of ACC and the total expression of ACC (pACC/ACC). In diet-induced obese mice, EGLP-1 is more effective than exendin-4 in reducing body weight, reducing fat mass and improving hepatic steatosis. At the same time, EGLP-1 can improve hyperglycemia, reduce food intake, and improve insulin resistance, just like exendin-4. In addition, EGLP-1, not exendin-4, can improve physiological parameters associated with lipid metabolism and increase oxygen consumption by increasing uncoupling proteins 3 (UCP3) expression and pACC/ACC ratio in skeletal muscle. Taken together, this data showed that EGLP-1 is able to reduce body weight by reducing food intake and increasing basal energy expenditure, suggesting it may be more effective in treating diabetic and non-diabetic overweight or obese people than pure GLP-1R agonist exendin-4.

Effects of a novel fungicide benzovindiflupyr in Eisenia fetida: Evaluation through different levels of biological organization.

Although benzovindiflupyr (BZF), which is a novel succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicide, has considerable application potential worldwide, its extensive use is toxic to non-targeted soil organisms. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the acute and subchronic toxicity of BZF to earthworms (Eisenia fetida). The acute toxicity of BZF to adult and larval earthworms was measured, as indicated by the following LC50 values obtained after 14 days of exposure: 416mg/kg for adult earthworms and 341mg/kg for juveniles. Subchronic toxicity tests were conducted using only adult earthworms. The earthworms' weight gain was slower on days 14 and 28 after commencing the BZF T100 treatment (50mg/kg of soil). Following 14 days of BZF exposure, enzymes and gene expressions associated with the mitochondrial respiratory chain and energy metabolism were activated to some extent, and the reactive oxygen species level and malondialdehyde content also increased. Antioxidant and detoxifying enzymes and metallothionein gene, Heat shock protein 70 gene associated with resistance to oxidative damage were also activated to varying degrees. Increased BZF concentrations corresponded to increased genotoxicity. Integrated biological response (IBR) values were calculated at the biochemical and molecular levels to show increased toxicity with increased BZF concentration. Although a series of biomarkers changes occurred after initiating BZF treatment, these changes were all likely to have been resisted by the earthworms' own antioxidant defense system and only showed phenotypic (weight-related) changes with treatments of 50mg/kg. In conclusion, reasonable levels of BZF application may have little impact on earthworms. Our findings provide insights on the toxic effects of BZF on earthworms and may prove useful for risk assessments relating to BZF's impacts on soil ecosystems.

Effect of Juice Extract of Beetroot, Lemon, Pawpaw Leaf and Their Combinations on Weight and Lipid Profile of Albino Wistar Rat

Fruits and vegetables have been found to contain important phytochemicals that have been implicated in preventing overweight and obesity. This study is aim at investigating the effects of lemon, pawpaw leaves, beetroots juices and their combinations on rates of urination, defecation, and weight changes of albino wistar rats were examine at interval. Also, the effects of the juice extracts on cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein where examined. Juice was extracted using a laboratory extractor. Results obtained indicates an increase in weight in groups A, B, C, D, E, F and G. But a decrease in weight was noticed in group H, which is the group administered all juice extracts at equal proportion. A reduction in the volume of urine was noticed in group A, B, C, D, F, G and H. Urine level was seen to increase in group E. The quantity of feces was observed to reduce in groups A, E, F, G and H. with the exception of groups B,C and D where the feces level was seen to increase. Cholesterol level was observed to reduce drastically in group D compared with other groups. Triglyceride level was observed to be low in group B compared with other groups. HDL level was very low in group H compared to other groups. LDL level was very low in group D compared with other groups. Group D also had a very high effect on HDL and LDL by increasing and reducing HDL and LDL respectively. This is only second to control group. The above evidences suggests that some fruit juices directly inhibits weight gain by providing the needed calories required by the body for its activity. This implies that consumption has a potential role in the prevention of overweight and obesity.

The enhancement of fat oxidation during the active phase and suppression of body weight gain in glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 deficient mice.

We investigated whether the deletion of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) 1 would affect carbohydrate oxidation, fat oxidation, and body weight by using the GPD1 null mice (BALB/cHeA (HeA)). We found that fat oxidation in HeA mice was significantly high during the early active phase than in BALB/cBy (By) mice used as a control under ad libitum conditions. Metabolic tracer experiment revealed that fatty acid oxidation in the skeletal muscle of HeA mice tended to be high. The energy expenditure and fat oxidation in HeA mice under fasting conditions were significantly higher than that in the By mice. Moreover, we monitored body weight gain in HeA mice under ad libitum feeding and found lower body weight gain. These data indicate that GPD1 deficiency induces enhancement of fat oxidation with suppression of weight gain. We propose that GPD1 deletion contributes to the reduction of body weight gain via enhancement of fat oxidation.

Alleviation and recovery effects of Lactobacillus on the antibiotic-induced intestinal dysbiosis in early life stages of mice

To investigate the effects of Lactobacillus on the alleviation and recovery of ceftriaxone-induced intestinal dysbiosis in early life stages of mice, and the possible effect on immunity of the host. A total of 48 four-week-old Balb/c male mice were randomly divided into four groups, with 12 in each group. The experiment lasted for four weeks. In the first week, mice were given normal saline, ceftriaxone, ceftriaxone plus Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, ceftriaxone plus direct vat set pickle(PC) by gavage respectively in the control group(ctrl), ceftriaxone group(ceftri), PC group and LGG group. The PC group and LGG group were given PC and LGG respectively for the last three weeks. The feces were collected once a week, and the profile composition of fecal bacteria were analyzed by next-generation sequencing. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-6(IL-6), IL-12 and tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α) in the spleen were analysed using quantitative real-time PCR. In the first week, the simpson index decreased significantly in the ceftri group(P<0. 001), but not in PC and LGG groups. At week four, the observed-species index in the PC group increased significantly(P<0. 001) and the simpson index increased in both LGG group and ceftri group(P<0. 01). As for the flora structure, in the first week, the ctrl group differed from the other three groups significantly(P<0. 05) while no differences were found between the PC group and the LGG group. The firmicutes/bacteroides(F/B) ratio of three ceftriaxone-treated groups increased while the abundance of Akkermansia decreased, particularly in the ceftri group. In the fourth week, the intestinal flora structure were different between four groups(P<0. 05) and the F/B ratio and Akkermansia abundance recovered. Ruminococcaceae, Bacteroidaceae and Tannerellacea appeared in the ceftri group, while Lactobacillus was dominant in the PC group, and Akkermansia was the characteristic species of the LGG group. Weight lost was found in ceftriaxone-treated groups(P<0. 05) and the PC group recovered first. IL-12 and TNF-α mRNA expression of the spleen were lower in PC and LGG groups compared with the ceftri group(P<0. 01). IL-6 mRNA expression level in the LGG group were lower than the ctrl group(P<0. 01). The administration of antibiotics in the early life stage might inhibit weight gain, reduce the diversity of intestinal flora, damage functional bacteria and cause long-term inflammation, even though self-recovery ability exist. Lactobacillus might be helpful to alleviate the damage of antibiotics. But no therapeutic effect has been found.

Antiobesity activity of bambu tali (Gigantochloa apus (Schult.) Kurz) leaves tea in wistar rats

Obesity is an increase in body weight that exceeds normal and the risk of serious illness. Bambu Tali leaves ( Gigantochloa apus (Schult.) Kurz) contain flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, which can inhibit the absorption of fatty acids in the digestive tract and excrete them through feces to lose weight. This study examines the tea activity of the Bambu Tali leaves in inhibiting weight gain, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels of obese Wistar rats fed with a high-fat diet (HFD). A total of 30 Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups: normal control (standard feed), negative control (HFD), positive control (HFD + Orlistat), and 3 groups of tea doses of Bambu Tali leaves (HFD + 360, HFD + 720, HFD + 1440 mg/kg BW). HFD was given together with the Bambu Tali leaf tea for 35 days. On the 36th day, the blood sample was taken to measure cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The weighing was conducted weekly. The results showed that giving HFDincreased body weight significantly, total cholesterol, and triglyceride levels (p <0.05). Bambu Tali leaf tea at doses of 720 and 1440 mg/kg BW could significantly inhibit weight gain (p <0.05). Bambu Tali leaf tea with doses of 360, 720, and 1440 mg/kg BW can also inhibit the increase in total cholesterol levels (p<0.05). Meanwhile, the inhibition of a significant increase in triglyceride levels (p <0.05) only occurs at a dose of 1440 mg/kg BW. This study concludes that Bambu Tali leaf tea has antiobesity activity by inhibiting weight gain, total cholesterol levels, and plasma triglycerides of Wistar rats.

Dietary Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and inulin in the management of chronic disease risk factors.

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of modification of chronic disease risk factors with probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and prebiotic inulin in rats with western high fat diet. The Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control group (CG group), group with high fat diet (HFD group), group receiving high fat diet in combination with Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 (HFD+PRO group), and group receiving high fat diet in combination with oligofructose enriched inulin (HFD+PRE group). The activity of β-glucuronidase, lipid parameters, bile acids, oxLDL, short chain fatty acids, and counts of coliforms and lactobacilli were determined. High fat diet as akey risk factor of chronic diseases had adverse effect on expression of metabolic and biochemical parameters. Dietary intake of Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 (HFD+PRO group) and inulin (HFD+PRE group) suppressed weight gain of rats. In HFD+PRO group, the level of total cholesterol (P<0.001), LDL-CH (P<0.05), oxLDL (P<0.001), total bile acids (P<0.001) were statistically significantly decreased, while the production of short chain fatty acids was enhanced. Changes in the selected parameters exhibited a similar tendency also in the HFD+PRE group. Activity of β-glucuronidase was statistically significantly decreased (P<0.001) in the HFD+PRE group. Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and inulin caused astatistically significant increase in the count of lactobacilli (P<0.001) and a decrease in the number of coliforms (P<0.001). These results indicate Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and inulin could be used in diet for human and animals as an important nutritional supplement or in medicinal products.

High-Fat Diet–Induced Adipose Tissue and Liver Inflammation and Steatosis in Mice Are Reduced by Inhibiting Sialidases

High-fat diet (HFD)-induced inflammation and steatosis of adipose tissue and liver are associated with a variety of serious health risks. Sialic acids are found as the distal terminal sugar on glycoproteins, which are removed by sialidases (neuraminidases). In humans and mice, pulmonary fibrosis is associated with up-regulation of sialidases, and injections of sialidase inhibitors attenuate bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Sialidase levels are altered in obese rodents and humans. This report shows that for mice on an HFD, injections of the sialidase inhibitor N-acetyl-2,3-dehydro-2-deoxyneuraminic acid inhibit weight gain, reduce steatosis, and decrease adipose tissue and liver inflammation. Compared with control, mice lacking the sialidase neuraminidase 3 have reduced HFD-induced adipose tissue and liver inflammation. These data suggest that sialidases promote adipose and liver inflammation in response to a high-fat diet.

Enhanced expression of synoviolin in peripheral blood from obese/overweight donors.

Obesity is currently a major medical and societal issue. Synoviolin (SYVN1) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Overexpression of Syvn1 has been found in genetically obese mice (ob/ob and db/db), and treatment with a Syvn1 inhibitor suppresses weight gain in some mouse models (C57BL/6J and db/db). However, SYVN1 expression in humans has not yet been elucidated. In the present study, 35 human volunteers were analyzed, and the expression level of SYVN1 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis. Expression of SYVN1 mRNA was significantly increased in PBMCs from volunteers with a BMI ≥25.0, compared with volunteers with a BMI <25.0. In addition, PCR array and RT-qPCR of ER stress-responsive genes revealed that the expression of activating transcription factor 6 (ATF6), which plays an important role in the transcriptional activation of SYVN1, was increased in PBMCs from volunteers with a BMI ≥25.0. These results suggest that the ATF6-SYVN1 axis might be an important pathway in the progression of obesity.

A Novel Intragastric Satiety-Inducing Device to Inhibit Weight Gain in Juvenile Pigs: a Pilot Study.

Minimally invasive therapies for obesity are a bridge between lifestyle interventions and bariatric surgery. We developed a novel device to reduce weight gain rate and evaluated its safety and efficacy in juvenile pigs. The intragastric satiety-inducing device (ISD) comprises a self-expandable esophageal metal stent connected to a star-shaped disc placed in the stomach fundus. Eight juvenile pigs were randomized into ISD (n = 5) and control (n = 3) groups. Body weight and serum ghrelin hormone were monitored weekly for 6weeks. One pig was followed up for 4 additional weeks (rebound pig) after ISD removal. Histological examination and immunohistochemistry for the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) were performed. ISD placement was successful in all pigs. Two ISDs (40%) migrated at 4 and 5weeks after placement. Weight gain rates were significantly lower in the ISD group than in the control group from week 1 to 6 but were higher in the rebound pig than in a control pig from week 7 to 10. Mean ghrelin hormone level was higher in the control group than in the ISD group from week 1 to 6. ISD induced reversible inflammatory changes in the esophagus and stomach fundus. The number of ICCs was lesser in ISD pigs than in control and rebound pigs. ISD placement is feasible and safe in juvenile pigs. It decreases weight gain rate but induces reversible inflammatory reaction and tissue hyperplasia. Its mechanism may be related to pressure exertion on the stomach fundus or gastric motility alteration.

Restricted v. unrestricted oral intake in high output end-jejunostomy patients referred to reconstructive surgery.

The major complication of end jejunostomy is excessive fluid and electrolyte loss through the stoma, leading to hypovolaemia and dyselectrolytaemia within days and malnutrition within weeks. The aim was to compare the results of two nutritional approaches: unrestricted and restricted oral intake in patients with end jejunostomy commencing home parenteral nutrition (HPN) in terms of liver and renal biochemical markers and time to reconstructive bowel surgery with correlation to stoma output. Twenty patients with stabilised high output end-jejunostomy were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of ten patients with oral intake restricted to keep stomal output under 1000 ml. Group B consisted of ten patients with unrestricted oral intake. The following parameters were evaluated over 6 months: stomal output, self-estimation of general condition, body weight gain, plasma bilirubin and creatinine, number of hospitalisations prior to reconstructive surgery, the frequency of ostomy bag emptying, feelings of hunger and thirst in the daytime, and the time to reconstructive surgery. Stoma losses were compensated by parenteral supply. In group B, lower quality of life was observed, reflected by weakness, permanent feelings of hunger and thirst and the need for night-time emptying of the stoma bag. Patients in group B developed more complications and required more time to prepare for surgery. One death occurred in group B due to renal insufficiency followed by septic complications. Restricted oral intake seems to be more effective for prevention of HPN-related complications and shortening of time to surgery. Unrestricted oral intake appears to provoke uncontrolled losses of energy and protein, inhibiting weight gain.

Bariatric Arterial Embolization with Calibrated Radiopaque Microspheres and an Antireflux Catheter Suppresses Weight Gain and Appetite-Stimulating Hormones in Swine

PurposeTo examine safety and efficacy of bariatric arterial embolization (BAE) with x-ray–visible embolic microspheres (XEMs) and an antireflux catheter in swine. Material and MethodsBAE with selective infusion of XEMs (n = 6) or saline (n = 4, control) into gastric fundal arteries was performed under x-ray guidance. Weight and plasma hormone levels were measured at baseline and weekly for 4 weeks after embolization. Cone-beam CT images were acquired immediately after embolization and weekly for 4 weeks. Hormone-expressing cells in the stomach were assessed by immunohistochemical staining. ResultsBAE pigs lost weight 1 week after embolization followed by significantly impaired weight gain relative to control animals (14.3% vs 20.9% at 4 weeks, P = .03). Plasma ghrelin levels were significantly lower in BAE pigs than in control animals (1,221.6 pg/mL vs 1,706.2 pg/mL at 4 weeks, P < .01). XEMs were visible on x-ray and cone-beam CT during embolization, and radiopacity persisted over 4 weeks (165.5 HU at week 1 vs 158.5 HU at week 4, P = .9). Superficial mucosal ulcerations were noted in 1 of 6 BAE animals. Ghrelin-expressing cell counts were significantly lower in the gastric fundus (17.7 vs 36.8, P < .00001) and antrum (24.2 vs 46.3, P < .0001) of BAE pigs compared with control animals. Gastrin-expressing cell counts were markedly reduced in BAE pigs relative to control animals (98.5 vs 127.0, P < .02). Trichrome staining demonstrated significantly more fibrosis in BAE animals compared with control animals (13.8% vs 8.7%, P < .0001). ConclusionsXEMs enabled direct visualization of embolic material during and after embolization. BAE with XEMs and antireflux microcatheters was safe and effective.

Camellia sinensis extract phytosomes inhibit body weight gain in Sprague-Dawley rats

A phytosome is a kind of nanovesicle lipids to increase the absorption of active substances. Green tea extract was formulated into phytosome to find out its ability to inhibit weight gain. There were three formulas with thin layer hydration. Furthermore, phytosome complex formation, morphology, particle size, zeta potential, and polydispersity index, and absorption efficiency test were characterized. Phytosomes and green tea extracts were tested for absorption in vitro. A total of 25 rats were divided into five test groups, which were the normal group, placebo group, orlistat group, green tea extract group, and phytosome group. For 8 weeks they were orally induced using 10% of fructose + 2% of cholesterol, and test treatment. The best characteristics of FIII were formed complex, spherical morphology, Dv90 782.67 ± 39.7 nm, polydispersity index of 56 ± 0.11, zeta potential of -70.83 ± 1.67 mV, and adsorption efficiency of 97.77 ± 2.66 %. The test on the animals at week 8 resulted in percentage of weight gain in normal treatment of 46.47 ± 17.48%, placebo of 101.17 ± 10.37%, orlistat of 42.51 ± 25.13%, green tea extract of 92.73 ± 36.43%, and phytosomes of 45.09 ± 15.56%. Green tea extract flux was 2316.2 ± 1309.8 μg/cm2/hour, while phytosome flux was 3125.3 ± 2071.8 μg /cm 2 /hour. To sum up, phytosomes can inhibit weight gain and are better than to green tea extracts (p &lt; 0.05).

A Comparative Study on Growth and Metabolism of Eriocheir sinensis Juveniles Under Chronically Low and High pH Stress

This study elucidates the effects of chronic pH stress on the growth and metabolic response of juvenile Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. Crabs were exposed under normal pH (control, pH = 8.0 ± 0.20), low pH (pH = 6.5 ± 0.20), and high pH (pH = 9.5 ± 0.20) in an 8-week trial. Both low and high pH suppressed weight gain but low pH had more adverse effects. No difference was observed on survival, crude lipid, and protein. Acidic stress significantly reduced protein efficiency. The malondialdehyde (MDA) content in hepatopancreas was highest at low pH. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in hepatopancreas and total hemocyte counts (THC) in the stress groups were higher than that in the control. Crabs under high pH had the highest ACP and AKP activities, but there was no significant difference between the control and low pH groups. In the transcriptome analysis, 500.0M clean reads were obtained from the control, low pH, and high pH groups, and assembled into 83,025 transcripts. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were analyzed to obtain the significantly changed pathways involving differently expressed genes. Ten and eight pathways in metabolism were significantly changed in low pH vs control and high pH vs control groups, respectively. According to the reported functions of these pathways, most of them participated in carbohydrate metabolism. The metabolism pathway analysis indicates the increases of stress resistance, glucose metabolism, and molting activities under chronically pH stress. This study suggests that low pH has more negative impact on crab growth, and oxidative phosphorylation is the main source of energy source under low pH stress, while aerobic glycolysis supplies most energy under high pH stress.