The Effect of Food Restriction on Appetite Regulating Hormones and Adiponectin Activity

We investigated the effects of short-term food restriction and repeated fasting and refeeding on appetite regulating hormones and adiponectin activity in rats. To investigate the acute and chronic effects of food restriction in vivo, Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a control group (CON), a 1 day fasting group, a 2 days fasting gruop, a 3 days fasting gruop, a fasting and refeeding for 1 week gruoup and a fasting and refeeding for 2 weeks group. Blood glucose, triglyceride and total cholesterol decreased in all fasting groups compared to those in the CON group. Free fatty acid of all fasting groups was higher than those in the CON, and were lowest in the three cycle fasting and refeeding group. Blood insulin following short-term food restriction was lower than that in the CON. blood ghrelin increased significantly (p < 0.01) following the short-term food restriction, However, blood ghrelin in the repeated fasting and refeeding groups decreased significantly decreased (p < 0.01) compared to that in the CON and short-term food restriction group. In contrast, blood leptin decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in the short term food restriction group and the three cycle of fasting and refeeding group but increased in the six cycle of fasting and refeeding group. No significant differences in adiponectin contents were observed in the short-term food restriction group. But, adiponectin increased significantly (p < 0.01) following the fasting and refeeding cycles. Blood adiponectin and blood leptin levels were showed positively correlated (r2 = 0.469) when all samples were analysed together.

Effect of exercise and diet intervention on endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in rat skeletal muscle and adipose tissue

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of eight weeks high fat intake and regular exercise in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue for Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress in rats. This experiment involved 32 subjects (sprague-dawley rats) divided into four groups as follows: chow group (Chow, n = 8), chow and exercise group (Chow + EX, n = 8), high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia group (HF, n = 8), and HF and exercise group (HF + EX, n = 8). As a result, there were significant decrease in body weight and abdominal fat, and blood lipid level was significantly improved by exercise for eight weeks (p < .05). There were variables changed about the skeletal muscle and ER stress in GRP78, XBP-1, ATF4, CHOP and JNK mRNA. There increased in mRNA factor by exercise, especially GRP78, and ATF4 mRNA were significantly increased in exercise (p < .05). However, there were increased in adipose tissue by exercise and there were significantly decreased in mRNA factor by high fat diet (p < .05). Consequently, this study suggests that the consistent exercise was more improved of obesity factor, such as dyslipidemia, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, as well as body weight or abdominal fat. The response of ER stress in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle were more sensitive in exercise than high fat diet feed.

A Case of Pneumocystis Pneumonia Mimicking Acute Eosinophilic Pneumonia in a Patient with AIDS / 결핵및호흡기질환

73-year-old man was admitted with a sudden onset of dyspnea. He had never smoked. The chest radiograph and computed tomography revealed bilateral ground glass opacity and an enlarging perihilar consolidation with lymphadenopathies. There was a higher percentage of eosinophils (72%) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) than normal. The patient was diagnosed with acute eosinophilic pneumonia and managed with steroid. Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) was diagnosed by an examination of the BALF, and the patient was treated with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The patient tested positive to the HIV antibody and the peripheral blood CD-4 positive lymphocyte count was only 33/microliter. The percentage of eosinophils in the BALF can increase in some cases of PCP that is complicated with AIDS. Only a few cases of eosinophilic pneumonia associated with PCP pneumonia have been reported in patients with AIDS but there are no case reports in Korea. This case highlights the need to consider PCP when the percentage of eosinophils in the BALF is elevated.