[The effects of high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet on body weight and the expression of gastrointestinal hormones in diet-induced obesity rat].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of long-term high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet on body weight and the expression of gastrointestinal hormones in diet-induced obesity rats. METHODS: Twenty-four diet-induced obesity rat models were established by feeding fat-enriched diet, then were randomly divided into two groups by stratified sampling method by weight: the high-protein diet group (HP, 36.7% of energy from protein), and the normal chow group (NC, 22.4% of energy from protein), 12 rats in each group. The total calorie intake of each rat per day was similar and was maintained for 24 weeks, then body weight, visceral fat mass, fasting plasma ghrelin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) were determined, as well as protein expression of ghrelin in stomach, GLP-1 in ileum were detected by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: After 24 weeks, body weight of HP, NC groups were (490.92 ± 39.47) g and (545.55 ± 31.08) g, respectively (t = -3.664, P < 0.01); visceral fat mass were (22.42 ± 7.04) g and (32.33 ± 9.27) g, respectively (t = -2.503, P < 0.05); plasma ghrelin level were (2.36 ± 0.82) and (1.95 ± 0.64) ng/ml, respectively (t = 1.337, P > 0.05), and plasma ghrelin level was negatively correlated to body weight (r = -0.370, t = -1.899, P < 0.05), visceral fat mass (r = -0.454, t = -2.52, P < 0.01); plasma GLP-1 concentration were (0.52 ± 0.13) and (0.71 ± 0.19) ng/ml, respectively(t = -2.758, P < 0.05); ghrelin protein expression in stomach were 25 473 ± 8701 and 10 526 ± 6194, respectively (t = 2.501, P < 0.05); GLP-1 protein expression in ileum were 27 431 ± 5813 and 36 601 ± 5083, respectively (t = -1.833, P = 0.081). CONCLUSION: Long-term isocaloric high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet can reduce body weight and visceral fat, increase the expression of ghrelin, and decline GLP-1 expression in diet-induced obesity rats.

Plasma endothelin-1 levels in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis and a history of cerebral thromboembolism.

BACKGROUND: Increased plasma endothelin-1 concentrations have been observed in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis. Endothelin-1 levels have never been investigated in patients with mitral stenosis and history of cerebral thromboembolism. METHODS: We measured plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 in the peripheral venous blood samples obtained from 20 patients with moderate to severe rheumatic mitral stenosis (16 with permanent atrial fibrillation and 4 with sinus rhythm). Six patients had history of thromboembolism. The remaining 14 patients did not have history of thromboembolism. Plasma endothelin-1 concentrations were measured using solid phase sandwich enzyme linked-immuno-sorbent assay. RESULTS: The peripheral venous concentrations of endothelin-1 of the six patients with history of thromboembolism did not differ from the concentrations of the 14 patients without history of thromboembolism (2.40 +/- 1.39 pg/ml vs. 2.49 +/- 0.66 pg/ml, p = 0.9). CONCLUSIONS: Although plasma endothelin-1 concentrations were increased in patients with mitral stenosis, plasma endothelin-1 concentrations were not further elevated in patients with mitral stenosis and history of thromboembolism.