Lean adolescents with increased risk for metabolic syndrome

The aim of the present study was to determine in adolescents the relationship between insulin levels and body mass index (BMI), body fat distribution, diet, life style and lipid profile. We studied 167 adolescents (68 boys and 99 girls) whose ages ranged from 14 to 17 years. A detailed medical (including pubertal stage) and nutritional record was obtained from each subject. Biochemical measurements included fasting serum insulin, glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (Tg), HDL-C, LDL-C and VLDL-C. HOMA insulin resistance (IR) and HOMA beta-cell function (beta-cell) were calculated. Insulin levels were over 84 pmol/L (cut off normal value in our lab) in 56 per cent of the boys and 43 per cent of the girls. Thirty-seven percent of lean adolescents whose BMI was 21.5 +/- 1.9 kg/m2 presented higher fasting insulin levels. HOMA IR, Tg, systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) values when compared to a lean normoinsulinemic group. Insulin levels were correlated (p < 0.01) with body mass index. Both boys and girls in the highest BMI quartile (BMI > 24 kg/m2) had significantly higher serum insulin, HOMA beta-cell, and Tg levels, and the lowest HDL-C levels. A high-energy intake rich in saturated fat and low physical activity were found in this lean but metabolically altered adolescents. We conclude that even with a BMI as low as 21 kg/m2 an inappropriate diet and low physical activity might be responsible for the high insulin levels and dislipidemias in adolescents.

Hypertriglyceridemia in a family with a high incidence of type II diabetes / Hipertrigliceridemia en una familia con una alta incidencia de diabetes tipo II

Fourteen individuals from two generations of a familiy with a high incidence of type II diabetes were studied. Six out of twelve siblings (50%) developed diabetes between 24 and 45 years of age. They were the product of a non diabetic father, whose family had a high incidence of diabetes, and a diabetic mother (age of onset = 52 years) whose family history was negative for diabetes. The duration of diabetes in the siblings at the time of the study ranged from 3 to 13 years. Only one required insulin for control of hyperglycemia while the others were treated with oral hypoglycemic agents and/or diet. Hypertriglyceridemia was present ind 5 of the 6 diabetics sibligs (83%) and in several other non-diabetic members of the family and was highly correlated with age (r= 0.86; p< 0.01), but not with the body mass index or diet. It is proposed that a common genetic trait might account for both metabolic dysfunctions

Concentracion de haloperidol-H3 en fracciones subcelulares de cerebro de rata despues de la administracion de dosis farmacologicas de la droga. / 3H-haloperidol concentration in brain subcellular fractions of rats after the administration of pharmacological doses of the drug

Se determino, en ratas adultas, la distribucion subcelular de haloperidol-H3 en dos regiones cerebrales, despues de la administracion de 2-2,8 mg/kg de la droga marcada. Los niveles obtenidos en el homogeneizado total estan acordes con los valores reportados por otros autores usando el mismo metodo isotopico o el de los radioreceptores. Despues del fraccionamiento subcelular observamos que la concentracion de la droga fue similar en los diferentes compartimientos, tanto en la corteza como en los diferentes compartimientos, tanto en la corteza como en el estriado. Sin embargo, los niveles alcanzados, menos de 0,5 micromolar, podrian explicar la falta de inhibicion de la dehidrogenasa glutamica que habia sido observada despues de la administracion in vivo de dosis farmacologicas de la droga, ya que la concentracion inhibitoria efectiva in vitro es practicamente diez veces mayor