Regional Fat Measured by DEXA and Metabolic Risk Factors among Women with Central Obesity

BACKGROUND: This study was carried out to determine the usefulness of regional body fat measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) by examining the relationship between regional body fat and metabolic risk factors. METHODS: A total of 98 women aged 18~65 years with central obesity (waist circumference > or =80 cm) took the evaluation for metabolic risk factors (blood pressure, fasting glucose, insulin, high sensitive c-reactive protein (hs-CRP), lipid profile, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)) and the anthropometric measurement, and regional body fat measurement using DEXA. The relationship of regional body fat with the metabolic risk factors, the metabolic syndrome (MS) defined by the International Diabetes Federation and insulin resistance (IR, defined by HOMA-IR> or =2.48) were assessed. The analyses were conducted using regression and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: After adjustment for age and total body fat (%), legs fat (%) was significantly and negatively associated with LDL-C, triglyceride, HOMA-IR, and hs-CRP, while positively with HDL-C. The 1% increase of legs fat was associated with the MS by odds ratio of 0.82 (95% C.I 0.71~0.96) and with the IR by odds ratio of 0.80 (95% C.I. 0.67~0.95). Trunk fat (%) was significantly and positively associated with LDL-C, triglycerides, and HOMA-IR. The 1% increase of trunk fat was associated with the MS by odds ratio of 1.32 (95% C.I. 1.03~1.71) and with the IR by odds ratio of 1.33 (95% C.I. 1.01~1.77). The ratio of android fat to gynoid fat was significantly and positively associated with LDL-C, triglycerides, glucose, and HOMA- IR, while negatively with HDL-C. The 0.1 increase of the ratio was associated with the MS by odds ratio of 1.66 (95% C.I. 1.07~2.60). CONCLUSION: The trunk fat, and legs fat, the ratio of android fat to gynoid fat assessed by DEXA seemed to be useful indicators to predict the metabolic risk factors in women with central obesity.

The Effects of Repeated Stress on the GABAergic Neurotransmission in Rats / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Changes of GABAergic neurotransmission in response to the application of different types of environmental stress have been the subject of research for over two decades. However, the nature of the changes induced by stress appear to show a dependent phenomena on the type and duration of stressor agent employed. METHODS: For this reason, this study was performed to observe the effects of repeated stress on the radioligands binding to GABA A/benzodiazepine receptors of discrete brain regions. The author also examined the activity of GABA transaminase and the concentration of endogenous GABA. Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 150-200g were forced to suffer an immobilization stress for 2 hours during 14 consecutive days. RESULTS: Repeated immobilization stress decreased the binding of [3H]flunitrazepam on the benzodiazepine receptor in the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus. Saturation experiments followed by scatchard analyses of the results showed decreased density of benzodiazepine receptor and the affinity remained unchanged. Repeated immobilization stress did not affect the binding of [3H]muscimol on the GABAA receptor, the activity of GABA transaminase, and the concentration of endogenous GABA in the brain regions. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, it can be concluded that repeated immobilization stress modulated GABAergic neurotransmission via downregulation of the benzodiazepine receptor in the brain.

The Effects of Repeated Stress on the Opioidergic Neurotransmission in Rats / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Research into emotional or behavioral stress typically focuses upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. It is well established that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis is subject to inhibitory control by opioids in a variety of animal species including pigs. Exposure to acute stress induces the upregulation of opioid receptors and the release of endogenous peptides which mediate the stress-induced analgesia. There is some literature substantiating that repeated stress can lead to changes in opioidergic neurotransmission. However, the changes are highly variable. This study was designed to observe the modulatory effect of repeated immobilization stress on opioidergic neurotransmission. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150-200g were forced to suffer immobilization stress for 2 hours on each of 14 successive days. Then we examined the maximum binding capacity and affinity of each opioid subtypes(mu, delta, kappa). RESULTS: Repeated immobilization stress increased the binding of [3H]DPDPE on the delta-subtype opioid receptor in the striatum and hypothalamus. Saturation experiments followed by scatchard analyses of the results showed an increase in the density of delta-subtype opioid receptors, but the affinity of the delta-subtype opioid receptor remained unchanged. Repeated immobilization stress reduced enkephalin activity of striatum and hypothalamus. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, it could be concluded that repeated immobilization stress up-regulated the delta-subtype opioid receptors and reduced the activity of enkephalin, an endogenous ligand for the delta-subtype opioid receptor.

Glial Peripheral Benzodiazepine Receptor Mediates the Relief of Acute Stress-Induced Anxiety in Rats / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: Peripheral benzodiazepine receptor has been suggested to be associated with the relief of anxiety response induced by stresses. This study was designed to observe the anxiolytic activity of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats, weighing 200-250g were forced to suffer an immobilization stress for 2 hours. The level of anxiety by immobilization was performed by an elevated plus maze and was evaluated by the number of [3H]Ro5-4864 binding sites in the olfactory bulb. RESULTS: Saturation experiments followed by scatchard anlayses of the results showed that the density of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor increased and the affinity of the peripheral benzodiazepine receptor remained unchanged. It was found that there was no significant change in the cerebral cortex. Pretreatment with clonazepam, a central benzodiazepine receptor agonist, before an immobilization stress abolished the anxoius response on the performance of plus maze. In this group, upregulation of peripheral benzodiazepine receptor of olfactory bulb was not observed. Ro5-4864, a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor agonist, elicited an increase of anxiolytic response on the performance of plus maze. Progesterone, a precursor of neuroactive steroid, also increased anxiolytic response on the performance of plus maze. Pretreatment with PK11195, a peripheral benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, abolshed the anxiolytic effect of progesterone. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, it could be concluded that peripheral benzodiazepine receptor is closely associated with the relief of acute stress induced anxiety response via an increase of synthesis of neuroactive steroid.

The Study of Reliability and Validity of Attention Deficit Disorder Evaluation Scale-School Version(ADDES-SV) / 영남의대학술지

The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of attention deficit disorder evaluation scale-school version(ADDES-SV). Between October 1996 and November 1996, ADDES-SV was administered to 263 elementary school students in the second grade and between Jun 1996 and October 1996, 28 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients. In the reliability test, the test-retest reliability coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.88, that of impulsivity was 0.80, that of hyperactivity was 0.83 and total score was 0.83. In the reliability test by internal consistancy, the Cronbach alpha coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.98, that of impulsivity was 0.87, that of hyperactivity was 0.87(p<0.05). The half-sprit reliability coefficient by first-second half method showed high correlation and that of inattention was part 1: 0.96, part 2: 0.96 impulsivity was part 1: 0.95, part 2: 0.93, hyperactivity was part 1: 0.92, part 2: 0.94(p<0.05). Inter-rater reliability by pearson correlation coefficient was significantly high and that of inattention was 0.92, that of impulsivity was 0.87, that of hyperactivity was 0.89 and total score was 0.89. The concurrent validity between ADDES-SV and CAP scale was 0.85 in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and 0.79 in normal control group(p<0.05). In discriminant validity test between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patient group and normal control group, the patient group showed higher score(p<0.05). The total discriminant capacity of the patient group in ADDES-SV was 94.6%. In this point of view, ADDES-SV scale showed high reliability and validity in applying to Korean subjects and was proved to be the useful screening test tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder research.

Effects of Adjuvant Radiation Therapy and Chemotherapy Following Curative Surgery in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer / 대한치료방사선과학회지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy on the survival, pattern of failure and complication for locally advanced rectal carcinoma MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 1992 to September 1995, twenty eight patients with rectal carcinoma were treated by postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy was delivered with 6MV and 15MV linear accelerator, 180cGy fractions 5 day per week. Total radiation doses were 5040cGy in B2+3 and 5580cGy in C2+3. Within 4 weeks after radical surgery, 5-FU(400mg/m2/day) and Leucovorin(20mg/m2/day) were administered by intravenous injection for 4 days during the first and fifth week of radiation therapy. The median follow up was 19 months with a range 2 to 47 months. RESULTS: The 2 year overall survival and disease free survival rates were 78.6% and 70.8%, respectively. The 2 year overall survival was 93.0% in B2+3 and 76.2% in C2+3(p=0.11). The 2 year disease free survival was 79.4% in B2+3 and 69.2% in C2+3(p=0.13). The overall failure rate was 21.4%(6/28) including 10.7%(3/28) locoregional recurrence, 3.6%(1/28) distant metastasis and 7.1%(2/28) locoregional recurrence with distant metastasis. The overall locoregional recurrence rate was 17.9%(5/28). The 2 year locoregional recurrence rates were 13.3%(2/15) and 23.1%(3/13) for respectively for B2+3 and C2+3. The difference between the locoregional recurrence of B2+3 and C2+3 patients was not significant(p=0.07). Complications developed in 13 patients(46.4%), including 8 dermatitis, 7 loose stool, 6 leukopenia, 4 tenesmus, 2 diarrhea. In Univariate analysis, there was no statistically significant factor except for tumor grade in locoregional recurrence, disease free survival and overall survival rate(p=0.04, 0.05, 0.04). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that postoperative adjuvant radiation therapy and chemotherapy is effective in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. Therefore these results need to be confirmed with a long term follow-up and larger number of patients with the further clinical trials including prospective controlled studies.