UCP1 Markers Research Articles

Effects of Cryolipolysis on the Conversion of White Adipose Tissue: Pilot Study.

Cryolipolysis (CLL) is a widely employed noninvasive procedure for body fat reduction. It operates by inducing cooling, leading to the crystallization of cytoplasmic lipids, loss of cellular integrity, and apoptosis/necrosis of adipocytes, accompanied by local inflammation. Ongoing discussions revolve around CLL's potential to transform white adipocytes into brown adipocytes, potentially yielding more significant effects compared to alternative procedures. Thus, this randomized, blinded clinical study aimed to investigate the effects of CLL on adipose tissue and elucidate the mechanisms involved in its application and capacity for adipocyte conversion. Tissue samples from six patients were assessed at intervals of 45, 60, and 90 days following the application of the CLL protocol during abdominoplasty surgeries. The samples underwent immunohistochemical analyses targeting various markers, revealing higher expression of PPAR-gamma, PPAR-alpha, and UCP-1 markers in CLL-treated samples. Therefore, the present study suggests that CLL has the ability to intervene in adipocyte conversion.

No Evidence for Linkage and Association between 4q Microsatellite Markers and Nonsyndromic Cleft Lip and Palate in Chilean Case-Parents Trios

Nonsyndromic cleft lip/palate (NSCLP) has the characteristics of a complex genetic trait. Linkage and association studies have suggested that one or more clefting loci may be located on chromosome 4q. The goal of this study was to evaluate the possible linkage and association due to linkage disequilibrium between five microsatellite markers located on 4q28 to 4q33 and NSCLP, using the case-parent trio design. A total of 56 Chilean families (32 simplex and 24 multiplex) were recruited. Microsatellite markers were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction with fluorescent-labeled forward primers, followed by electrophoresis on a laser-fluorescent sequencer. Case-parents trios were ascertained to assess linkage and linkage disequilibrium through a multistage procedure. Transmission disequilibrium tests for multiple alleles were carried out to assess the statistical significance of 4q28 to 4q33 microsatellite markers. Only weak evidence for linkage was obtained for the FGA marker (asymptotic uncorrected p value = .08 and empirical p value = .05). Only the FGA and UCP1 markers were selected for association analysis in trios, with unrelated cases achieving a nearly significant result for the UCP1 marker (asymptotic uncorrected p value = .07 and empirical p value = .19). Though the FGA and UCP1 markers showed nearly significant p values for linkage and association, respectively, the results of the present study provided insufficient evidence of the existence of a major susceptibility locus in the 4q region that was analyzed in the present study.