Adipose tissue gene expression of factors related to lipid processing in obesity.

BACKGROUND Adipose tissue lipid storage and processing capacity can be a key factor for obesity-related metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance and diabetes. Lipid uptake is the first step to adipose tissue lipid storage. The aim of this study was to analyze the gene expression of factors involved in lipid uptake and processing in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue according to body mass index (BMI) and the degree of insulin resistance (IR). METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS VLDL receptor (VLDLR), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), acylation stimulating protein (ASP), LDL receptor-related protein 1 (LRP1) and fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) gene expression was measured in VAT and SAT from 28 morbidly obese patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) or high IR, 10 morbidly obese patients with low IR, 10 obese patients with low IR and 12 lean healthy controls. LPL, FABP4, LRP1 and ASP expression in VAT was higher in lean controls. In SAT, LPL and FABP4 expression were also higher in lean controls. BMI, plasma insulin levels and HOMA-IR correlated negatively with LPL expression in both VAT and SAT as well as with FABP4 expression in VAT. FABP4 gene expression in SAT correlated inversely with BMI and HOMA-IR. However, multiple regression analysis showed that BMI was the main variable contributing to LPL and FABP4 gene expression in both VAT and SAT. CONCLUSIONS Morbidly obese patients have a lower gene expression of factors related with lipid uptake and processing in comparison with healthy lean persons.

Accumulation of scandium in plasma in patients with chronic renal failure.

Scandium (Sc) is an element with many industrial applications, but relatively little is known about its physiological and/or toxicological effects, and very little data are available concerning the role of Sc in chronic renal failure (CRF). This paper examines the changes in plasma levels of Sc in predialysis patients with CRF and the relationship with blood parameters. The participants in this trial were 48 patients with CRF in predialysis and 53 healthy controls. Erythrocyte, haemoglobin, and haematocrit counts in blood were determined, and levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein and Sc were measured in plasma. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault index. The CRF patients were found to have higher plasma levels of creatinine, urea, uric acid, albumin, total protein, and Sc and a lower GFR than that the controls. Scandium in plasma was positively correlated with creatinine and plasma urea and negatively correlated with GFR, haemoglobin, and haematocrit and was associated with the risk of lower levels of erythrocytes, haemoglobin, and haematocrit. CRF was associated with increases in the circulating levels of scandium.