Sterculic oil, a natural inhibitor of SCD1, improves the metabolic state of obese OLETF rats.

OBJECTIVE: Abnormal lipid metabolism and excess accumulation of lipid in non-adipose tissues are defining characteristics of obesity and its comorbidities. Expression and/or activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1), a major regulator of lipid metabolism, is increased with obesity and the reduction/ablation of this enzyme is associated with an improved metabolic profile. Sterculic oil (SO), obtained from the seeds of the Sterculia feotida tree, contains a high concentration of cyclopropenoic fatty acids which are known inhibitors of SCD1. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of SO supplementation on the development of obesity and insulin resistance in hyperphagic, obese Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty (OLETF) rats. DESIGN & METHODS: Rats received either an AIN-93G diet (control) or an AIN-93G diet containing 0.5% SO for 10 weeks. RESULTS: SO did not alter body weight or body composition. Importantly, the desaturase indices, a proxy for the activity of SCD1, were reduced in the liver and adipose tissue of SO supplemented animals. This reduction in SCD1 activity was associated with a reduction in fasting blood glucose concentrations and improved glucose tolerance. In addition, SO reduced intra-abdominal fat mass and adipocyte size and resulted in a ∼3-fold increase in GLUT1 gene expression in intra-abdominal fat. Liver triglyceride content and lipogenic gene expression were reduced by SO. Consistent with an improved metabolic phenotype, SO also improved plasma cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride concentrations. CONCLUSION: Overall, our data demonstrate an improved metabolic phenotype with SO supplementation and suggest further studies are required to better understand the therapeutic potential of SO.

Characteristics of medical students by level of interest in family practice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study provides information on student factors associated with a career choice in family practice. METHODS: Information was used from multiple surveys completed by medical students, including the Premedical Questionnaire, the Matriculating Student Questionnaire, and the Graduation Questionnaire, as well as information from residency directors about residents in the Graduate Medical Education Tracking Census. These questionnaires are all a part of the Student and Applicant Information Management System of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Participants were 30,789 students graduating from US medical schools in 1991 and 1992. Comparisons were made between longitudinal student responses on the surveys to four types of outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 1,029 (3.3%) students were in the "Maintained" group (students who originally planned to enter family practice and were in a family practice residency at postgraduate year 1; 1,958 (6.4%) were "Gained" (originally chose a specialty other than family practice but entered a family practice residency); 1,950 (6.3%) were "Lost Interest" (originally identified family practice but entered another residency-two thirds of whom selected non-primary care specialties); 21,573 (70.1%) were "Never Interested" (did not express an early interest nor select a family practice residency); and the remainder (13.9%) had incomplete specialty data. Of those originally interested in family practice, 34.5% entered family practice residencies. Only 8.3% of those not originally interested entered family practice residencies. The four groups of students differed on many demographic, attitudinal, and experiential characteristics. Prestige, income, opportunities for research, and faculty status were more important to future specialists, while emphasis on primary care and prevention and practice in smaller communities were more important to the future family physicians. CONCLUSIONS: Medical schools could potentially increase the number of students selecting family practice residencies through both admissions policies and medical school experiences. These data provide some specifics on how to recruit students and prevent loss of those originally interested in family practice.

A model to determine the influence of medical school on students' career choices: psychiatry, a case study.

BACKGROUND: A major concern of medical educators is to understand better how the experience of medical school influences students' career choices. This concern is of particular relevance for specialties experiencing or anticipating serious shortages (e.g., psychiatry, generalist specialties, general surgery). METHOD: To construct a case study of a model to determine the influence of medical school on students' selections of specialty, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) databases were used to examine students' interests in one specialty (psychiatry) at two time periods: (1) at or before matriculation and (2) in the first year of residency. Data were examined for all graduates of all U.S. medical schools from 1991 and 1992. In addition to examining data for each school individually, comparisons were made of schools by region and by institutional control (public or private). RESULTS: Increased interest in psychiatry was found in seven of eight regions across the country. The greatest increases were found among graduates of public and private medical schools in the southeast: both types of schools increased the interest in psychiatry among their graduates by 250%, compared with the national average of 170%. A decrease in interest in careers in psychiatry was found among graduates of private medical schools in the northeast. CONCLUSION: The findings point to one way of understanding better the influence of a medical school on its students' career choices. By using this model, each specialty may be able to develop studies to examine the complex interactions between students and specific medical schools.