Effects of Calcium and Genistein on Body Fat and Lipid Metabolism in High Fat-induced Obese Mice

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary calcium and soy isoflavone on body fat and lipid metabolism in high fat-induced obesity. Four week old female C57/BL6J mice, known as a good model of diet-induced obesity, were fed low Ca and high fat diet for 6 weeks. After induced obesity, mice were divided into six groups according to diets varying calcium contents (0.1 or 1.5%) and genistein contents (0 or 500 or 1,000 ppm). Body weight, fat pad (perirenal fat and parameterial fat), adipocyte size, serum total lipid and total cholesterol were significantly decreased by both high Ca intake and genistein supplementation. However, the effect of genistein supplementation showed in low Ca-fed groups. Serum LDL-cholesterol and TG were significantly decreased by high Ca intake and genistein supplementation, respectively. In liver, lipogenic enzymes (fatty acid synthase and malic enzyme) activity and TG were significantly decreased by both high Ca intake and genistein supplementation. This inhibitory effect of genistein on lipogenic enzymes showed in low Ca-fed groups. But liver total cholesterol and total lipid were significantly decreased by high Ca intake and genistein supplementation, respectively. Fecal excretion of total lipid, total cholesterol and TG were significantly increased by high Ca intake, not by genistein supplementation. In conclusion, high calcium intake and genistein supplement may be beneficial for suppression of obesity through direct anti-adipogenesis by decreasing fat weight and size and indirect anti-lipogenesis by inhibiting lipogenic enzymes activity and improving lipid profile.

A case of Varicella Infection during Pregnancy / 대한산부인과학회잡지

The varicella during pregnancy is rare. The incidence of varicella among pregnant women is about 5 in 10,000 pregnancies. In 1947, Laforet and Lynch were the first to describe an association between maternal varicella infection in early pregnancy and congenital anomalies in the offspring. the existence of a syndrome was first postulated by Srabstein et al(1974), Brunell(1983), Kotchmar(1984), and recently Higa et al.(1987) described most of the malfomations associated with maternal varicella infection. Varicella-Zoster viurs(VZV) infections acquired during pregnancy may result in serio us disease for both the mother and the fetus. The effects on maternal health can range from a mild chikenpox exanthem to servere life-theatenig illness often complicated by viral pneumonitis. The fetus may remain unaffected, but VZV infection during early pregnancy has been associated with a congeital syndrome including muliplie defects of the skin, limb, eyes, and brain. We reports our experience with a varicella during pregnancy with a brief literature review.