Age-dependent association of serum prolactin with glycaemia and insulin sensitivity in humans.

The dopamine agonist bromocriptine has been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in the United States. Bromocriptine inhibits prolactin secretion, and patients with hyperprolactinaemia display impaired insulin sensitivity. We therefore hypothesized that low prolactin levels are associated with lower glycaemia and higher insulin sensitivity in healthy subjects. Prolactin levels were determined from fasting serum in participants without diabetes from the cross-sectional Tübingen family study for type 2 diabetes (m/f = 562/1,121, age = 40 ± 13 years, BMI = 30 ± 9 kg/m(2)). A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and the area under the glucose curve (AUC(0-120)Glucose) and insulin sensitivity index were calculated. A subgroup (n = 494) underwent hyperinsulinaemic-euglycaemic clamp tests. Prolactin associated positively with insulin sensitivity (p = 0.001, adjusted for gender, age, and BMI). Age strongly interacted (p < 0.0001) with the effect of prolactin on insulin sensitivity, inverting the positive relationship to a negative one in younger participants. Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and AUC(0-120)Glucose correlated negatively with prolactin, and an interaction with age was found as well. Higher prolactin levels are associated with improved insulin sensitivity and lower glucose in individuals without diabetes. This relationship turns to its opposite in younger persons. As prolactin is a proxy for the dopaminergic tone in the central nervous system, these associations may indicate an age-dependent influence of the brain on peripheral insulin sensitivity.

Working memory-related brain activity is associated with outcome of lifestyle intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Lifestyle interventions including reduction of caloric intake are still the most pursued option to treat obesity. However, their outcome in terms of weight loss strongly differs between participants. In our study, we hypothesized that initial differences in brain activation in a food specific memory task are associated with weight change during a lifestyle intervention. DESIGN AND METHODS: Magnetic brain activity was recorded during a one-back visual memory task with food and nonfood pictures in 33 overweight and obese subjects before they underwent a lifestyle intervention. The intervention lasted 6 months and aimed for a reduction in daily caloric intake by 400 kcal. Body mass index (BMI) was determined before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Differences between outer tertiles representing people who increased their BMI by 1.4% ± 1.1% (non-responders) and who reduced their BMI by -6.9% ± 2.6% (responders) are reported. Neuronal activity was related to BMI change in sensor and source space. Non-responders showed higher activation in right inferior frontal and left occipital visual areas, whereas responders showed increased activation in right temporal areas including hippocampus and fusiform gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the cerebral response during a food specific memory task indicate an altered cognitive control over food intake. These differences might determine the ability to eat less and successfully lose weight.

Insulin resistant phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome does not seem to be caused by variation in FTO.

Genetic variation in the FTO gene is associated with increased body weight and reduced insulin sensitivity. We investigated whether genetic variation in FTO is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition also characterized by insulin resistance. Furthermore, we tested whether insulin resistance is specifically associated with genetic variation in FTO in women with PCOS. Sixty-two nondiabetic patients with PCOS defined by the Rotterdam criteria were compared to BMI and age-matched women. Each PCOS case was matched to 2 controls. All participants underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and were genotyped for the single nucleotide polymorphism rs8050136 in the FTO gene. There was no difference in the frequency of FTO genotypes between the PCOS and the non-PCOS groups. In non-PCOS participants, genetic variation in FTO is associated with insulin sensitivity (p=0.03). This association remained significant after adjustment for age and/or BMI (p<= 0.03). In subjects with PCOS, however, FTO did not associate with insulin sensitivity (p=0.67). Genetic variation in FTO does not have an impact on insulin sensitivity in women with PCOS and is therefore not involved in the pathogenesis of the insulin resistant phenotype seen in patients with PCOS.

Nasal insulin changes peripheral insulin sensitivity simultaneously with altered activity in homeostatic and reward-related human brain regions.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Impaired insulin sensitivity is a major factor leading to type 2 diabetes. Animal studies suggest that the brain is involved in the regulation of insulin sensitivity. We investigated whether insulin action in the human brain regulates peripheral insulin sensitivity and examined which brain areas are involved. METHODS: Insulin and placebo were given intranasally. Plasma glucose, insulin and C-peptide were measured in 103 participants at 0, 30 and 60 min. A subgroup (n = 12) was also studied with functional MRI, and blood sampling at 0, 30 and 120 min. For each time-point, the HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated as an inverse estimate of peripheral insulin sensitivity. RESULTS: Plasma insulin increased and subsequently decreased. This excursion was accompanied by slightly decreased plasma glucose, resulting in an initially increased HOMA-IR. At 1 h after insulin spray, the HOMA-IR subsequently decreased and remained lower up to 120 min. An increase in hypothalamic activity was observed, which correlated with the increased HOMA-IR at 30 min post-spray. Activity in the putamen, right insula and orbitofrontal cortex correlated with the decreased HOMA-IR at 120 min post-spray. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Central insulin action in specific brain areas, including the hypothalamus, may time-dependently regulate peripheral insulin sensitivity. This introduces a potential novel mechanism for the regulation of peripheral insulin sensitivity and underlines the importance of cerebral insulin action for the whole organism.

High cerebral insulin sensitivity is associated with loss of body fat during lifestyle intervention.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Loss of weight and body fat are major targets in lifestyle interventions to prevent diabetes. In the brain, insulin modulates eating behaviour and weight control, resulting in a negative energy balance. This study aimed to test whether cerebral insulin sensitivity facilitates reduction of body weight and body fat by lifestyle intervention in humans. METHODS: The study was performed as an additional arm of the TUebingen Lifestyle Intervention Program (TULIP). In 28 non-diabetic individuals (14 female/14 male; mean ± SE age 42 ± 2 years; mean ± SE BMI 29.9 ± 0.8 kg/m²), we measured cerebrocortical insulin sensitivity by using magnetoencephalography before lifestyle intervention. Total and visceral fat were measured by using MRI at baseline and after 9 months and 2 years of lifestyle intervention. RESULTS: Insulin-stimulated cerebrocortical theta activity at baseline correlated with a reduction in total adipose tissue (r = -0.59, p = 0.014) and visceral adipose tissue (r = -0.76, p = 0.001) after 9 months of lifestyle intervention, accompanied by a statistical trend for reduction in body weight change (r = -0.37, p = 0.069). Similar results were obtained after 2 years. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Our results suggest that high insulin sensitivity of the human brain facilitates loss of body weight and body fat during lifestyle intervention.

Acute, short-term hyperinsulinemia increases olfactory threshold in healthy subjects.

OBJECTIVE: Smell plays an important role in feeding behavior. We therefore tested whether insulin as a postprandial signal is involved in the regulation of olfactory function. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We assessed olfactory thresholds in eight lean subjects (age: 34 ± 7 years, M/F: 5/3) before and during a 2-h hyperinsulinemic (1 mU kg(-1) min(-1)) euglycemic clamp and in eight lean fasted subjects (age: 36 ± 6 years, M/F: 5/3) without insulin infusion at the same time of the day. To define odor thresholds, standardized 'sniffing sticks' were used. RESULTS: Odor thresholds decreased from 7.8 ± 1.2 to 6.2 ± 1.1 during euglycemic hyperinsulinemia (P=0.0173), representing an increase in odor threshold. In the control group, odor thresholds were 8.3 ± 1.6 and did not change after 120 min of fasting (8.9 ± 2.2, P=0.6). CONCLUSIONS: Increased insulin levels lead to a reduced smelling capacity, potentially reducing the pleasantness of eating. Therefore, insulin action in the olfactory bulb may be involved in the process of satiation and may thus be of interest in the pathogenesis of obesity.

An alternative approach: antegrade catheter-directed thrombolysis in a case of phlegmasia cerulea dolens.

Phlegmasia cerulea dolens is an uncommon sequela of severe deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremities. Characterized by massive edema, arterial and venous compromise, and threats to limb and life, this clinical entity is a clear indication for thrombolytic therapy. We report an innovative approach to conventional thrombolysis via a lesser saphenous vein cut-down. This simple technique is a safe, reliable alternative to present methods of achieving deep venous access. Hence, it should be considered as an addition to the treatment armamentarium for massive deep venous thrombosis of the lower extremity.

Evidence of a small hydrophobic domain in the core protein of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan from human colon carcinoma cells.

We demonstrate that the cell surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan of human colon carcinoma cells has an affinity for a hydrophobic matrix. This property is mediated by sequences in the core protein, since papain-or alkaline borohydride-released heparan sulfate chains do not bind to the matrix. Trypsin releases a [3H]leucine-rich, unsulfated, hydrophobic peptide, with Mr approximately 5000. This domain is present in neither the proteoglycan released into the medium nor in the intracellular degradation products. It is proposed that this peptide may represent the portion of the core protein intercalated into the plasma membrane.