ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the vertical distance between umbilicus to aortic bifurcation on coronal view in Korean women and their relation with body mass index (BMI) and woman's age. METHODS: This retrospective study included 257 women who visited emergency center at university-based hospital from January to December 2011. All women underwent abdomino-pelvic computerized tomography (CT) due to various symptoms in a supine position. By using the electronic coronal CT images, the vertical distance between umbilicus and aortic bifurcation was measured. If aortic bifurcation was located below umbilicus, the distance was expressed as minus value (i.e., caudal to umbilicus). Age of woman, body weight, height and calculated BMI (kg/m2) were also recorded. RESULTS: Aortic bifurcation was located caudal to umbilicus in 52.9% and cephalad to umbilicus in 37.4%. The vertical distance had a negative relationship with BMI (r=.0.180, P=0.004), as well as woman's age (r=-0.382, P<0.001). However, a multivariate analysis revealed that the vertical distance had a significant negative relationship with woman's age (P<0.001) but not with BMI (P=0.510). An equation could be drawn to estimate the vertical distance by using woman's age and BMI: vertical distance (mm)=12.6-0.3x(age)-0.2x(BMI). CONCLUSION: The vertical distance from umbilicus to aortic bifurcation on coronal view showed a significant inverse correlation with woman's age, however, the distances varied widely. Most older or obese Korean women had aortic bifurcation caudal to umbilicus.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Body Mass Index , Body Weight , Emergencies , Multivariate Analysis , Retrospective Studies , Supine Position , UmbilicusABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Stress affects body weight and food intake, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. METHODS: We evaluated the changes in body weight and food intake of ICR male mice subjected to daily 2 hours restraint stress for 15 days. Hypothalamic gene expression profiling was analyzed by cDNA microarray. RESULTS: Daily body weight and food intake measurements revealed that both parameters decreased rapidly after initiating daily restraint stress. Body weights of stressed mice then remained significantly lower than the control body weights, even though food intake slowly recovered to 90% of the control intake at the end of the experiment. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that chronic restraint stress affects the expression of hypothalamic genes possibly related to body weight control. Since decreases of daily food intake and body weight were remarkable in days 1 to 4 of restraint, we examined the expression of food intake-related genes in the hypothalamus. During these periods, the expressions of ghrelin and pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA were significantly changed in mice undergoing restraint stress. Moreover, daily serum corticosterone levels gradually increased, while leptin levels significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that restraint stress affects body weight and food intake by initially modifying canonical food intake-related genes and then later modifying other genes involved in energy metabolism. These genetic changes appear to be mediated, at least in part, by corticosterone.
Subject(s)
Animals , Humans , Male , Mice , Body Weight , Corticosterone , DNA, Complementary , Eating , Energy Metabolism , Gene Expression Profiling , Gene Expression , Ghrelin , Hypothalamus , Leptin , Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis , Pro-Opiomelanocortin , RNA, MessengerABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Stress affects body weight and food intake, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. METHODS: We evaluated the changes in body weight and food intake of ICR male mice subjected to daily 2 hours restraint stress for 15 days. Hypothalamic gene expression profiling was analyzed by cDNA microarray. RESULTS: Daily body weight and food intake measurements revealed that both parameters decreased rapidly after initiating daily restraint stress. Body weights of stressed mice then remained significantly lower than the control body weights, even though food intake slowly recovered to 90% of the control intake at the end of the experiment. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that chronic restraint stress affects the expression of hypothalamic genes possibly related to body weight control. Since decreases of daily food intake and body weight were remarkable in days 1 to 4 of restraint, we examined the expression of food intake-related genes in the hypothalamus. During these periods, the expressions of ghrelin and pro-opiomelanocortin mRNA were significantly changed in mice undergoing restraint stress. Moreover, daily serum corticosterone levels gradually increased, while leptin levels significantly decreased. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that restraint stress affects body weight and food intake by initially modifying canonical food intake-related genes and then later modifying other genes involved in energy metabolism. These genetic changes appear to be mediated, at least in part, by corticosterone.