ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphism: Association with adiponectin and lipoproteins levels restricted to men.

Adiponectin is an adipokine inversely correlated with obesity, which has beneficial effect on insulin resistance and lipid metabolism. Considering its potential as a therapeutic target in the metabolic disorder contexts, and in order to add knowledge in the area, our study evaluated the ADIPOQ 276G > T polymorphism effect on adiponectin levels, and on lipoproteins of clinical interest in a population sample composed of 211 healthy individuals. Significant effects were observed only among men: the carriers of heterozygous genotype (GT) showed high levels of adiponectin (p = 0.018), while the rare homozygous genotype (TT) gave its carriers a negative phenotype, represented by higher levels of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (p = 0.004 and p = 0.005) and total cholesterol (TC) (p = 0.010 and p = 0.005) compared to carriers of other genotypes (GG and GT respectively), the independent effect of SNP on LDL-C and TC levels was confirmed by multiple regression analysis (p = 0.008 and p = 0.044). We found no evidence of correlation between circulating adiponectin levels and biochemical markers, which suggests, therefore, an SNP 276G > T independent effect on adiponectin levels and on lipoprotein metabolism in men enrolled in this study.

[Smoking, alcohol consumption and sleep time of industrial workers in the state of Paraná in Brazil]. / Tabagismo, consumo alcoólico e tempo de sono em trabalhadores ativos da indústria do estado do Paraná-Brasil.

OBJECTIVE: This study was aimed at verifying smoking, alcohol consumption and sleep time associated with sociodemographic factors in physically active industrial workers in the state of Paraná in Brazil. METHODS: Nine hundred and seven subjects volunteered (71% men and 29% women) to answer a questionnaire aimed at assessing their quality of life and health (QVS-80). The volunteers included 389 physically active workers. The Chi-square test and Chi-square test for linear trend were used for analyzing the data so collected (p<0.05). RESULTS: Physical activity (PA) prevalence was higher amongst men (49%) compared to women (22%) (p<0.01). Younger women (p<0.01) having a higher educational level (p<0.01) trended to engage in PA (p<0.01). Smoking was identified in 15% of the active workers; this was associated with age (p<0.05) and educational level (p<0.01) in male workers. Alcohol abuse was present in 8% of men and 3% of women (p<0.05). Inadequate sleep time was associated with increased age (p<0.01) in both genders and lower family income (p<0.05) in women. CONCLUSION: Physically active workers had lower tobacco and alcohol consumption compared to physically inactive workers in previous studies.

1914G variant of BCHE gene associated with enzyme activity, obesity and triglyceride levels.

Polymorphisms of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) have been reported to be associated to weight, BMI variance and hypertriglyceridemia in adults and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association of -116A (SNP: G/A; rs1126680) and 1914G (SNP: A/G; rs3495) variants of BCHE gene with anthropometric and biochemical variables associated with obesity in population sample of 115 individuals, from Southern Brazil. Participants were grouped in two categories: obese (BMI≥30) and non-obese (BMI<30). The 1914G allele showed significantly higher frequency in the obese group, and carriers of 1914G allele showed lower mean BChE activity when compared to 1914A carriers (p=0.006). Higher means of BMI (p=0.02) and triglyceride (TG; p=0.01) were found in 1914G carriers (BMI=27.57 kg/m(2); TG=150.8 mg/dL) when compared to 1914A homozygotes (BMI=25.55 kg/m(2); TG=107.9 mg/dL). Carriers of the -116A allele showed lower mean BChE activity than usual homozygotes, and the -116A variant was found in cis with 1914G (p<0.0001; D'=1). The region of BCHE gene that contains the 1914G mutation site is target of microRNAs (miRs) and the response of BChE to glucocorticoids is especially influenced by these miRs. Therefore, it is possible that the 1914G allele can be interfering in gluconeogenesis, hyperglycemia, lipolysis and body fat distribution. This lower activity may cause an imbalance in lipid metabolism, which may lead to an increased predisposition to obesity and to a lower ability to maintain metabolic homeostasis.