Sarcopenic obesity in cancer.

Background: Sarcopenic obesity is a relatively new term. It is a clinical condition characterized by sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and function) and obesity (increase in fat mass) that mainly affects older adults. As the incidence of sarcopenia and obesity increases worldwide, sarcopenic obesity is becoming a greater problem also in cancer patients.

Sarcopenic obesity and hypertension in elderly patients: a narrative review of pathophysiology and management strategies.

Introduction: Sarcopenic obesity and hypertension are a public health problem that is increasing worldwide due to the progressive aging of the population and the increasing prevalence of obesity and physical inactivity. Sarcopenic obesity is characterized by the simultaneous presence of sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass) and adiposity (increase in fat mass). Because symptoms are not specific, sarcopenic obesity remains largely undiagnosed.

Identification of sarcopenic obesity in adults undergoing orthopaedic surgery: Relationship between "a body shape index" (ABSI) and fat-free mass. A cross -sectional study.

Background: Sarcopenic obesity is a condition characterised by the coexistence of low muscle mass and function (sarcopenia) and excessive fat mass (obesity). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of this condition in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery by gender and type of orthopaedic surgery. In addition, this study investigated the suitability of a waist circumference-based anthropometric measure, body shape index (ABSI), for predicting sarcopenic obesity and the predictive power of ABSI for fat-free mass index (FFMI), a surrogate marker of lean body mass.

High-Protein Bar as a Meal Replacement in Elite Sports Nutrition: A Pilot Study.

This study was focused on the creation of high-protein bars formulated using whey protein isolate (24%) and soy protein isolate (6%) as the sources of proteins; oat flakes and inulin, both abundant in dietary fibres, and creatine monohydrate and other minor ingredients (vitamin and mineral mixture, potassium sorbate) to achieve the requirements for a meal replacement formula for physically active people. The nutritional profile of the high-protein bar was examined (energy 1215 kJ/288 kcal; protein 34.1 ± 0.

Physical activity and cancer risk. Actual knowledge and possible biological mechanisms.

Background: Scientific evidence has shown that an increase in regular physical activity is associated with a decrease in the development of many types of cancer. Potential mechanisms that link physical activity to reduced cancer risk include a decrease in systemic inflammation, hyperinsulinemia, insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I), sex hormones, pro-inflammatory leptin and other obesity-related cytokines, and a significant increase in anti-inflammatory adiponectin levels. In addition, physical activity improves immune function and the composition and diversity of the gastrointestinal microbiota.

SERUM BILIRUBIN CORRELATES WITH SERUM ADIPOKINES IN NORMAL WEIGHT AND OVERWEIGHT ASYMPTOMATIC ADULTS.

Overweight and obesity are considered as chronic low-grade inflammation accompanied by imbalanced production of adipokines. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between serum bilirubin, which is an endogenous antioxidant with anti-inflammatory activity, and pro- and anti-inflammatory serum adipokines in asymptomatic normal weight and overweight individuals. Healthy men and women aged 25-49 participated in this cross-sectional study.

Total Serum Antioxidant Capacity in Healthy Normal Weight and Asymptomatic Overweight Adults.

Obesity and overweight are major contributors to the burden of chronic disease. Both are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation and by increased production of free radicals leading to oxidative stress. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether overweight and fat accumulation is associated with serum total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in men and women, irrespective of nutritional habits, nutrient intakes, physical activity, smoking, and other confounders, which may be responsible for modifying the association between serum TAC and overweight/obesity measures.

Impact of 14-day bed rest on serum adipokines and low-grade inflammation in younger and older adults.

Ageing and inactivity both contribute to systemic inflammation, but the effects of inactivity on inflammation in healthy elderly individuals have not been elucidated. We hypothesised that 14-day bed rest could affect the pro- and anti-inflammatory markers in young subjects differently than in older adults. A short-term 14-day horizontal bed rest study (BR14) has been used as a model of inactivity in two groups of healthy male volunteers: 7 aged 18-30 years (young) and 16 aged 55-65 years (older adults).

Elevated serum levels of cysteine and tyrosine: early biomarkers in asymptomatic adults at increased risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

As there is effective intervention for delaying or preventing metabolic diseases, which are often present for years before becoming clinically apparent, novel biomarkers that would mark metabolic complications before the onset of metabolic disease should be identified. We investigated the role of fasting serum amino acids and their associations with inflammatory markers, adipokines, and metabolic syndrome (MetS) components in subjects prior to the onset of insulin resistance (IR). Anthropometric measurements, food records, adipokines, biochemical markers, and serum levels of amino acids were determined in 96 asymptomatic subjects aged 25-49 years divided into three groups according to the number of MetS components present.

Low-grade inflammation in overweight and obese adults is affected by weight loss program.

Purpose: Low-grade systemic inflammation due to obesity is considered to be the key link between obesity and obesity-related disorders. The hypothesis was tested that significant alterations in inflammatory markers and adipokines would occur over a multidisciplinary intervention and that these changes might also be important for improvement of cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods: Thirty-tree overweight adults completed a 6-month multidisciplinary intervention program to evaluate the effects of a personalized dietary program based on the individual's resting metabolic rate (RMR) on anthropometric parameters, aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, metabolic profile, inflammation, and body image satisfaction.

Inverse relationship between "a body shape index" (ABSI) and fat-free mass in women and men: Insights into mechanisms of sarcopenic obesity.

Background & Aims: Sarcopenic obesity may be defined by a high fat to fat-free mass (FM/FFM) ratio. Skeletal muscle may be negatively influenced by the pro-inflammatory milieu associated with visceral fat, while the loading effect induced by a heavier body mass index (BMI) may enhance muscle anabolism. Recently, a new anthropometric measure based on waist circumference (A Body Shape Index, ABSI) was developed.

Effect of ionizing radiation on human skeletal muscle precursor cells.

Background: Long term effects of different doses of ionizing radiation on human skeletal muscle myoblast proliferation, cytokine signalling and stress response capacity were studied in primary cell cultures.

Materials And Methods: Human skeletal muscle myoblasts obtained from muscle biopsies were cultured and irradiated with a Darpac 2000 X-ray unit at doses of 4, 6 and 8 Gy. Acute effects of radiation were studied by interleukin - 6 (IL-6) release and stress response detected by the heat shock protein (HSP) level, while long term effects were followed by proliferation capacity and cell death.

Serum bilirubin levels are lower in overweight asymptomatic middle-aged adults: an early indicator of metabolic syndrome?

Objective: Low levels of bilirubin have recently been associated with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. Here, we hypothesized that serum bilirubin levels might be already altered in overweight asymptomatic middle-aged individuals before full development of the metabolic syndrome.

Methods: Healthy nonsmoking adults aged 25-49 (64 women and 32 men) participated in this cross-sectional study.

Effects of inactivity on human muscle glutathione synthesis by a double-tracer and single-biopsy approach.

Oxidative stress is often associated to inactivity-mediated skeletal muscle atrophy. Glutathione is one of the major antioxidant systems stimulated, both at muscular and systemic level, by activation of oxidative processes. We measured changes in glutathione availability, oxidative stress induction and the extent of atrophy mediated by 35 days of experimental bed rest in vastus lateralis muscle of healthy human volunteers.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and the role of B vitamins in cancer.

Background: Patients suffering from malignancies have increased complications due to corresponding cardiovascular diseases and risk factor for the development of venous thromboembolism. Epidemiological studies have shown that increased homocysteine plasma concentration (hyperhomocysteinemia) is related to a higher risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and malignancies. Homocysteine (tHcy) is an intermediate sulfur-containing amino acid produced from methionine during processing of dietary proteins.

Neural agrin changes the electrical properties of developing human skeletal muscle cells.

Recent investigations suggest that the effects of neural agrin might not be limited to neuromuscular junction formation and maintenance and that other aspects of muscle development might be promoted by agrin. Here we tested the hypothesis that agrin induces a change in the excitability properties in primary cultures of non-innervated human myotubes. Electrical membrane properties of human myotubes were recorded using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique.

Whole muscle contractile parameters and thickness loss during 35-day bed rest.

Extended exposure to microgravity leads to significant musculoskeletal adaptations. Contractile parameters of four skeletal muscles (biceps brachii-BB, vastus medialis-VM, biceps femoris-BF and gastrocnemius medialis-GM) were measured in ten healthy males (aged 22.3 +/- 2.

Neural agrin controls maturation of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in human myotubes developing in vitro.

The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of innervation on the maturation of excitation-contraction coupling apparatus in human skeletal muscle. For this purpose, we compared the establishment of the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism in myotubes differentiated in four different experimental paradigms: 1) aneurally cultured, 2) cocultured with fetal rat spinal cord explants, 3) aneurally cultured in medium conditioned by cocultures, and 4) aneurally cultured in medium supplemented with purified recombinant chick neural agrin. Ca(2+) imaging indicated that coculturing human muscle cells with rat spinal cord explants increased the fraction of cells showing a functional excitation-contraction coupling mechanism.

Intrinsic ionic conductances mediate the spontaneous electrical activity of cultured mouse myotubes.

Mouse skeletal myotubes differentiated in vitro exhibited spontaneous contractions associated with electrical activity. The ionic conductances responsible for the origin and modulation of the spontaneous activity were examined using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique and measuring [Ca(2+)](i) transients with the Ca(2+) indicator, fura 2-AM. Regular spontaneous activity was characterized by single TTX-sensitive action potentials, followed by transient increases in [Ca(2+)](i).