Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a predictor of serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D in overweight and obese patients.

Recent research suggests that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)(2)D], a steroid hormone that regulates calcium homeostasis, may also play a role in the development and progression of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cardiovascular, and other diseases. Decreased serum 1,25(OH)(2)D concentrations are often observed in overweight and obese patients. However, little is known about the factors that may influence 1,25(OH)(2)D renal synthesis, because it is generally accepted that serum 1,25(OH)(2)D concentration is strictly regulated by parathyroid hormone and serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus.

The dependency of vitamin D status on body mass index, gender, age and season.

Background: Obesity is a rapidly growing health problem in most developed countries. Excess body weight is a risk factor for many somatic and even psychological disorders, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis and several cancer types. Recently, overweight and obesity have been shown to be related to low vitamin D status.

Serum 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D is inversely associated with body mass index.

Background: Based on in vitro studies, it has been hypothesized that 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D (1,25-vit D) may promote weight gain in humans, but previous studies have demonstrated conflicting results regarding the association between serum 1,25-vit D and body mass index (BMI).

Aim Of The Study: To evaluate the relation between serum 1,25-vit D and BMI.

Methods: Two thousand one hundred and eighty-seven subjects, recruited from a metabolic and medical lifestyle management clinic, were included in a cross-sectional study.

[Insulin-using woman with type 2 diabetes and weight problems].

A 61-year-old overweight woman had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and hypothyreosis. Treatment with antidiabetic and antihypertensive medication and thyroxine had been started. Blood sugar had been increasing despite medication and she had started using insulin.

[Clinical use of COX inhibitors--a consensus].

Background: Many physicians have been uncertain about treatment options following reports that linked cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitors to serious cardiovascular events and the subsequent withdrawal of two selective COX-2 inhibitors. Therefore, on June 14, 2005, the Norwegian Medicines Agency and the Department of Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Oslo, held an expert meeting on COX inhibitors.

Methods: Presentations and discussions based on existing literature and statements from European (EMEA) and American (FDA) medicine authorities.

[Hypertriglyceridemia--diagnostics, risk and treatment].

Background: Hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol values are associated with adiposity, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

Methods: This review article is based on literature studies, data from Rikshospitalet and Furst Medical Laboratory, sales figures for fibrates and clinical experience.

Results And Interpretation: Insulin resistance is a common contributory cause to hypertriglyceridaemia.

Proliferation of mitochondria and gene expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase and fatty acyl-CoA oxidase in rat skeletal muscle, heart and liver by hypolipidemic fatty acids.

Morphological and biochemical effects were induced at the subcellular level in the skeletal muscle, heart and liver of male rats as a result of feeding with EPA, DHA, and 3-thia fatty acids. The 3-thia fatty acid, tetradecylthioacetic acid (TTA) and EPA induced mitochondrial growth in type I muscle fibers in both the diaphragm and soleus muscle, and the size distribution of mitochondrial areas followed a similar pattern. Only the 3-thia fatty acid induced mitochondrial growth in type II muscle fibers.

Midazolam in combination with fentanyl/fluanisone and nitrous oxide as anaesthesia in rabbits--cardiovascular parameters.

When establishing a rabbit model for cardiovascular research in our laboratory we have used midazolam in combination with fentanyl/fluanisone (MFF) and nitrous oxide as anaesthesia. In this study we focused on the effect of the anaesthetic regimen on cardiovascular parameters during open-chest surgery in 12 rabbits. Rabbits were tranquillized by intramuscular injection of fentanyl/fluanisone (0.

Tetradecylthioacetic acid reduces the amount of lipid droplets, induces megamitochondria formation and increases the fatty acid oxidation in rat heart.

The effects of prolonged administration (3 months) of a 3-thia fatty acid analogue and omega-3-fatty acids on cardiac fatty acid oxidation and the volume fraction of lipid droplets and mitochondria in cardiomyocytes were investigated. Doses were 1 g/day/kg body weight, except 150 mg/day/kg body weight for tetradecylthioacetic acid (a 3-thia fatty acid). One group served as control and did not receive any treatment.

Effects of endurance training on left ventricular performance: a study in anaesthetized rabbits.

Endurance training is known to increase ventricular performance during exercise and to decrease resting heart rate. The aim of this study was to evaluate a model for endurance training in rabbits and to study the effects of endurance training on local myocardial performance in the left ventricle during resting conditions. One group of rabbits underwent a 10-week exercise training programme.

Eicosapentaenoic acid causes transient accumulation of lipids in rat myocardium.

Rats were given eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or palmitic acid (PALM) up to 15 days, and control animals were given carboxymethylcellulose. All suspensions which were given by gastric intubation contained tocopherol. Heart triacylglycerols, heart cholesterol and heart phospholipids significantly increased after one day of EPA treatment, but they were normalized within 15 days.

Intravenous lipid infusion results in myocardial lipid droplet accumulation combined with reduced myocardial performance in heparinized rabbits.

The question addressed in this study was whether a relation between myocardial lipid droplet accumulation and depressed myocardial function existed following intralipid infusion for 45 min in open chest, anaesthetized rabbits. One group of rabbits (n = 8) received intralipid infusion whereas a control group (n = 8) received sodium chloride. Local myocardial performance was obtained by sonomicrometry and the fractional volume of myocardial lipid droplets was measured by morphometric methods.

Docosahexaenoic acid induces lipid accumulation in myocardial cells of rats.

The aim of the study was to explore whether treatment with highly purified docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) over a short period affects the amount of lipid droplets in myocardial cells of rats, and whether heart peroxisomal enzyme activity is changed. Fifteen rats were fed a standard diet for 10 days and 15 rats were fed a cholesterol diet (2% of cholesterol) for 10 days. In each experiment six rats served as control, and three rats in each treatment group were given one of the following treatments by gastric intubation: DHA at 500, 1000, or 1500 mg day-1 kg-1 body weight.

A study on lipid metabolism in heart and liver of cholesterol- and pectin-fed rats.

Pectin is known as a cholesterol-reducing dietary fibre, and in the present study we addressed the question whether pectin affected the quantity of lipid in droplets in the myocardial cells and of lipid in the liver cells. Male Wistar rats received either a diet containing cholesterol or a standard diet without cholesterol with 0, 50 or 100 g pectin/kg incorporated for 10 d. The fractional volume of lipid droplets in the myocardial cells decreased as a function of pectin dose in both the standard-fed and the cholesterol-fed rats.

The hypotriglyceridemic effect of eicosapentaenoic acid in rats is reflected in increased mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation followed by diminished lipogenesis.

The effect of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on fatty acid oxidation and on key enzymes of triglyceride metabolism and lipogenesis was investigated in the liver of rats. Repeated administration of EPA to normolipidemic rats resulted in a time-dependent decrease in plasma triglycerides, phospholipids and cholesterol. The triglyceride-lowering effect was observed after one day of feeding whereas lowering of plasma cholesterol and phospholipids was observed after five days of treatment.

Cholesterol induced lipid accumulation in myocardial cells of rats.

Objective: The aim was to investigate whether cholesterol feeding of rats for only 10 d would result in lipid accumulation in myocardial cells and a change in the peroxisomal beta oxidation in the heart compared to the hearts of rats on standard feeds.

Methods: Eight rats received a cholesterol diet (2%) and eight rats received a standard diet for 10 d. Lipids were measured in serum, liver, and heart.

Docosahexaenoic acid shows no triglyceride-lowering effects but increases the peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation in liver of rats.

The effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on mitochondrial and peroxisomal fatty acid oxidation and on key enzymes in triglyceride metabolism was investigated in the liver of rats fed a standard diet, a cholesterol diet, and a pelleted chow diet. Unexpectedly, in all three rat models repeated administration of highly purified DHA (92% pure) at different doses and times, at a dose of 1000 mg/day per kg body weight, resulted in no significant decrease of hepatic and plasma concentration of triglycerides. The serum concentrations of cholesterol and phospholipids showed an increase in a time-dependent manner in rats fed the pelleted chow diet.