Blunted Peripheral and Central Responses to Gastric Mechanical and Electrical Stimulations in Diet-induced Obese Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The increase in the prevalence of obesity is attributed to increased food intake and decreased physical activity in addition to genetic factors. Altered gut functions have been reported in obese subjects, whereas, little is known on the possible alterations in brain-gut interactions in obesity. The aim of the study was to explore possible alterations in gastric myoelectrical activity, gastric emptying, autonomic functions and central neuronal responses to gastric stimulations in diet-induced obese rats. METHODS: Gastric myoelectrical activity, gastric emptying and heart rate variability were recorded in lean and obese rats; extracellular neuronal activity in the ventromedial hypothalamus and its responses to gastric stimulations were also assessed. RESULTS: (1) Gastric emptying was significantly accelerated but gastric myoelectrical activity was not altered in obese rats; (2) the normal autonomic responses to feeding were absent in obese rats, suggesting an impairment of postprandial modulation of autonomic functions; and (3) central neuronal responses to gastric stimulations (both balloon distention and electrical stimulation) were blunted in obese rats, suggesting impairment in the brain-gut interaction. CONCLUSIONS: In diet-induced obese rats, gastric emptying is accelerated, postprandial modulations of autonomic functions is altered and central neuronal responses to gastric stimulations are attenuated. These alterations in peripheral, autonomic and brain-gut interactions may help better understand pathogenesis of obesity and develop novel therapeutic approaches for obesity.

Analyses of in hospital mortality of coronary stenting in elderly patients aged over 65 years with coronary heart disease / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective To analyze the differences of hospitalization mortality of coronary stenting in patients with coronary heart disease between the elderly (≥65 years old ) and non elderly. Methods Totally 3252 patients who underwent coronary stenting in Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital were studied retrospectively. They were divided into elderly group (≥65 years old, n=1344) and non elderly group (