Insulin resistance and inflammation predict kinetic body weight changes in response to dietary weight loss and maintenance in overweight and obese subjects by using a Bayesian network approach.

Background: The ability to identify obese subjects who will lose weight in response to energy restriction is an important strategy in obesity treatment.

Objective: We aimed to identify obese subjects who would lose weight and maintain weight loss through 6 wk of energy restriction and 6 wk of weight maintenance.

Design: Fifty obese or overweight subjects underwent a 6-wk energy-restricted, high-protein diet followed by another 6 wk of weight maintenance.

Differential effects of macronutrient content in 2 energy-restricted diets on cardiovascular risk factors and adipose tissue cell size in moderately obese individuals: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The most effective and safe dietary approach for weight loss and its impact on the metabolic functions and morphology of adipose tissue remain unclear.

Objectives: We evaluated whether an energy-restricted high-protein diet with a low glycemic index and soluble fiber (LC-P-LGI) would be more effective than a low-calorie conventional diet (LC-CONV) on weight loss and related metabolic risk factors. We further determined factors that may influence adipocyte size during energy restriction.

Human adipose tissue macrophages: m1 and m2 cell surface markers in subcutaneous and omental depots and after weight loss.

Context: Macrophages accumulate in adipose tissue and possibly participate in metabolic complications in obesity. Macrophage number varies with adipose tissue site and weight loss, but whether this is accompanied by phenotypic changes is unknown.

Objective: The objective of the study was to characterize the activation state of adipose tissue macrophages in human obesity.

Deficiency and inhibition of cathepsin K reduce body weight gain and increase glucose metabolism in mice.

Objective: Previous studies demonstrated increased levels of cysteine proteases cathepsins in serum and adipose tissues from obese patients. We now provide evidence from a mouse model of obesity to suggest a direct participation of cathepsin K (CatK) in mouse body weight gain and glucose metabolism.

Methods And Results: Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, we detected 12-fold increase in CatK transcripts after adipogenesis of human preadipocytes.

IL-1 receptor antagonist in metabolic diseases: Dr Jekyll or Mr Hyde?

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) has been shown to play a crucial role in the prevention of various inflammatory diseases. There is also convincing evidence that IL-1ra is able to counteract inflammatory effects of IL-1 members implicated in insulin resistance and diabetes. However, the use of knock-out animal models provides evidence to the contrary and the role of IL-1ra in obesity-linked anomalies remains controversial.

Thymulin evokes IL-6-C/EBPbeta regenerative repair and TNF-alpha silencing during endotoxin exposure in fetal lung explants.

Chorioamnionitis is associated with increased risks of perinatal respiratory failure; however, components of the inflammatory acute-phase response are known to actively promote lung maturation. To manipulate this relationship, we examined the effect of the thymic immunomodulator thymulin on fetal lung mesenchyme-epithelial differentiation during exposure to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Gestation day 14 fetal rat lung explants were cultured for 96 h at fetal (23 mmHg) or ambient (142 mmHg) Po(2).