Pioglitazone in adult rats reverses immediate postnatal overfeeding-induced metabolic, hormonal, and inflammatory alterations.

Immediate postnatal overfeeding in rats, obtained by reducing the litter size, results in early-onset obesity. Such experimental paradigm programs overweight, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, increased adipose glucocorticoid metabolism [up-regulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1)], and overexpression of proinflammatory cytokines in mesenteric adipose tissue (MAT) in adulthood. We studied the effects of pioglitazone, a PPARγ agonist, treatment on the above-mentioned overfeeding-induced alterations.

[Corticotherapy withdrawal in older people].

Synthetic glucocorticoids treatment for their antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive activities for more than 3 weeks decreases corticotropic axis and induces a risk of adrenal insufficiency upon treatment withdrawal. Dose, duration and unknown individual factors play a role in the occurrence of adrenal insufficiency. Serum cortisol at 7-8 am, possibly completed by an 1-24 ACTH stimulation test makes the diagnosis.

Effects of bariatric surgery on cardiac ectopic fat: lesser decrease in epicardial fat compared to visceral fat loss and no change in myocardial triglyceride content.

Objectives: This study investigated the effect of bariatric surgery (BS)-induced weight loss on cardiac ectopic fat using 3T magnetic resonance imaging in morbid obesity.

Background: Heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in obese patients. Deposition of cardiac ectopic fat has been related to increased heart risk.

Expression and nutritional regulation of the (pro)renin receptor in rat visceral adipose tissue.

Background: Early life nutritional environment plays an important role in the development of visceral adipose tissue and interacts with nutritional regulations in adulthood, leading to metabolic dysregulations.

Aim: We hypothesized that the renin-angiotensin system may play a role in the programming-induced development of visceral adipose tissue.

Material And Methods: We studied, using a model of programming of overweight and glucose intolerance, obtained by post-natal overfeeding with consecutive highfat diet, the status of plasma renin activity and mesenteric adipose renin-angiotensin system, including the recently identified (pro)renin receptor, in adult rats.

[What can we do with genetic screening of obesity in clinical practice?].

The discovery of genetic abnormalities in obesity improves the knowledge on the physiology of energetic homeostasis, and demonstrates that it is a fully recognized disease and not only a behavioral problem. In cases of early obesity and very severe degree, with severely abnormal dietary behavior, endocrine abnormalities, and a ground of parental consanguinity, monogenic obesity or a syndromic obesity (in the case of a rare genetic disease) must be suspected. In that case, a genetic screening is necessary because it helps the global care of the patient and sometimes an effective specific therapeutics can be proposed.