Chronic IL-6 Administration Desensitizes IL-6 Response in Liver, Causes Hyperleptinemia and Aggravates Steatosis in Diet-Induced-Obese Mice.

High-fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) is associated with fatty liver and elevated IL-6 circulating levels. IL-6 administration in rodents has yielded contradictory results regarding its effects on steatosis progression. In some models of fatty liver disease, high doses of human IL-6 ameliorate the liver steatosis, whereas restoration of IL-6 in DIO IL-6-/- mice up-regulates hepatic lipogenic enzymes and aggravates steatosis.

Prevalence of metabolically discordant phenotypes in a mediterranean population-The IMAP study.

Objective: To study the prevalence and correlates of body size phenotypes in an adult Spanish population.

Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional analysis in a random sample of 2,270 individuals. We defined six body size phenotypes based on body mass index category (normal-weight, 18.

IL-6 cooperates with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α-ligands to induce liver fatty acid binding protein (LFABP) up-regulation.

Background: LFABP plays a critical role in the uptake and intracellular transport of fatty acids (FA) and other peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) ligands. PPARα activation by PPARα ligands bound to LFABP results in gene expression of FA oxidation enzymes and de novo LFABP. The cytokine IL-6 is involved in regulating liver lipid oxidation.

The -30G>A polymorphism of the glucokinase gene promoter is associated with obesity in a population from southern Spain.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis of an association between the -30G>A polymorphism of the promoter of the glucokinase gene and the prevalence and incidence of obesity. We studied the -30G>A polymorphism of the glucokinase gene promoter in 981 persons, of whom 866 were seen again 6 years later. All the persons underwent an oral glucose-tolerance test and the BMI (weight/height(2)) was recorded.

Nitric oxide mediates the survival action of IGF-1 and insulin in pancreatic beta cells.

Generation of low levels of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to beta cell survival in vitro. The purpose of this study was to explore the link between NO and the survival pathway triggered by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and insulin in insulin producing RINm5F cells and in pancreatic islets. Results show that exposure of cells to IGF-1/insulin protects against serum deprivation-induced apoptosis.

[Physical activity and cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors in general population].

Background And Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate in a cross-section, populational study the association between daily physical activity and various metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Patients And Method: A total of 1226 randomly selected persons (aged 18-65 years) from a town in southeast Spain were evaluated for studying the association between the level of daily physical activity, both in and out of working hours, and the following variables: body mass index, plasma lipids, hypertension, obesity, altered baseline glycemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance.

Results: The intensity of the physical activity at work was related negatively with insulin resistance and levels of LDL cholesterol, and positively with HDL cholesterol.