Serum levels of adipocytokines, adiponectin and leptin, in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is frequently complicated by metabolic syndrome, including diabetes and hypertension. Both OSAS and metabolic syndrome are strongly associated with obesity. Recently, adiponectin and leptin, which are secreted by adipose tissue, have been considered to play important roles in the progression of these diseases. Thus, to examine the association between leptin, adiponectin and OSAS, we measured the serum level of these adipocytokines in the same OSAS patients. METHODS AND PATIENTS: Sixty-eight consecutive Japanese men, who recorded all-night polysomnography, were enrolled in this study, and were divided into three groups, control (n=15), moderate OSAS (n=21) and severe OSAS (n=32). We measured serum levels of adiponectin and leptin by ELISA. RESULTS: Serum leptin levels were positively correlated with apnea hypopnea index (AHI) (r=0.552, p<0.001), the percentage of time with less than 90% hemoglobin saturation level in total sleep time (%T<90) (r=0.399, p<0.001) and body mass index (BMI) (r=0.807, p<0.0001). These parameters were suggested as the determinant factor for the serum leptin level by stepwise multiple regression analysis. On the other hand, serum adiponectin levels showed a positive correlation with age (r=0.361, p=0.005) and HDL-cholesterol level (r=0.274, p=0.039). Although there was no significant correlation between serum adiponectin levels and AHI or %T<90, serum adiponectin levels were chosen at a determinant factor of %T<90. CONCLUSION: These results suggested that the increasing severity of OSAS induces an increase in setum leptin concentration, but the serum adiponectin levels may be regulated independently of the degree of OSAS, obesity and serum leptin levels in patients with OSAS.

Four week supplementation with mixed fruit and vegetable juice concentrates increased protective serum antioxidants and folate and decreased plasma homocysteine in Japanese subjects.

UNLABELLED: Fruit and vegetable consumption has been inversely associated with the risk of chronic diseases including cancer and cardiovascular disease, with the beneficial effects attributed to a variety of protective antioxidants, carotenoids and phytonutrients. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of supplementation with dehydrated concentrates from mixed fruit and vegetable juices (Juice Plus+R) on serum antioxidant and folate status, plasma homocysteine levels and markers for oxidative stress and DNA damage. Japanese subjects (n=60; age 27.8 yrs; BMI 22.1) were recruited to participate in a double-blind placebo controlled study and were randomized into 2 groups of 30, matched for sex, age, BMI and smoking status (39 males, 22 smokers; 21 females, 13 smokers). Subjects were given encapsulated supplements containing mixed fruit and vegetable juice concentrates or a matching placebo for 28 days, with blood and urine samples collected at baseline, day 14 and day 28 for analytical testing. Compared with the placebo, 28 day supplementation significantly increased the concentration of serum beta-carotene 528% (p<0.0001), lycopene 80.2% (p<0.0005), and alpha tocopherol 39.5% (p<0.0001). Serum folate increased 174.3% (p<0.0001) and correlated with a decrease in plasma homocysteine of -19.9% (p<0.03). Compared with baseline, measures of oxidative stress decreased with serum lipid peroxides declining -10.5% (p<0.02) and urine 8OHdG decreasing -21.1% (p<0.02). Evaluation of data from smokers only (n=17) after 28 days of active supplementation showed comparable changes. CONCLUSION: In the absence of dietary modification, supplementation with the fruit and vegetable juice concentrate capsules proved to be a highly bioavailable source of phytonutrients. Important antioxidants were elevated to desirable levels associated with decreased risk of disease while markers of oxidative stress were reduced, and folate status improved with a concomitant decrease in homocysteine, and these benefits occurred to a similar extent in smokers when compared to non-smokers.

Ischemia/reperfusion in rat heart induces leptin and leptin receptor gene expression.

Concentrations of leptin, an adipocyte-derived hormone, are elevated in obesity. Recently, leptin has been shown to participate in multiple biological actions including inflammation, reproduction, and angiogenesis. Leptin has also been documented as a critical component in the process of wound healing; however, leptin involvement in cardiovascular disease is poorly understood. We examined the expression of leptin (ob) and leptin receptor (ob-R) genes in the rat heart following ischemia/reperfusion, which was induced by coronary artery ligation, and mRNA was obtained from hearts 0.5 to 36 h after initiating reperfusion. Expressions of ob and ob-R mRNA were examined by real-time quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. The ob and ob-Ra mRNA and protein expressions were significantly increased (p<0.01) and ob-Rb mRNA was significantly decreased (p<0.01) in hearts after 8 h of reperfusion. Furthermore, ob and ob-R proteins were expressed in injured myocytes where inflammatory cells infiltrated. In contrast, those expressions were not influenced in hearts after 8 h of ischemia stress only. To determine the functional effects of leptin on the ischemic/reperfused heart, rats were treated with anti-leptin antibodies prior to ischemia/reperfusion; however, this treatment did not affect the elevation of mRNA expression levels of inflammatory markers such as TNF-alpha and IL-1beta in ischemic hearts. Our results demonstrated for the first time that ischemia/reperfusion induced leptin and leptin receptor gene expression in the rat heart. This study helps to elucidate the mechanisms behind the onset and development of ischemic heart disease concomitant with obesity.

[Integrative medicine in health science education].

Integrative Medicine (IM) is a concern of many people. We consider IM to be very important in Health Science, especially Clinical Laboratory Science. We will start a new program named "Introduction to Integrative Health Science", which covers the relationship of Health Science and IM, in addition to "Introduction to Healthy Food and Supplement". These programs will bring a new angle to the education of Clinical Laboratory Science as Health Science. We have held various community health education sessions about IM, which have helped to explain Clinical Laboratory Science as well as the scientific evaluation of IM. We hope that Clinical Laboratory Science Education will develop further in the future.

Effect of dog-walking on autonomic nervous activity in senior citizens.

OBJECTIVE: To compare changes in autonomic nervous activity in healthy senior individuals while walking with and without a dog, and during routine activities at home and periods of interacting with the dog at home. DESIGN: Controlled crossover study. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 13 healthy volunteers (3 men, 10 women; mean age, 67.5 years) who walked in a park adjacent to Gunma University, Japan, and 4 volunteers among these who underwent monitoring in their own homes. INTERVENTIONS: Heart rate variability was monitored continuously by means of a palm-sized electrocardiographic monitor (which facilitated spectral analysis of the RR interval) while participants walked for 30 minutes (first with, then without, the study dog, or vice versa); three participants underwent this intervention on 3 consecutive days. Four participants underwent continuous monitoring for 6 hours in their own homes, including two 30-minute periods of free interaction with the study dog. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: High frequency (HF) power values of heart rate variability, which is a measure of parasympathetic neural activity. RESULTS: During dog-walking, HF power increased significantly (P < 0.01); this increase was sustained throughout each dog walk, and was more pronounced during succeeding dog walks. At home, HF power was 1.87 times greater when the dog was present, and 1.57 times greater (P < 0.01) than in the walking experiment. CONCLUSIONS: Walking a dog has potentially greater health benefits as a buffer against stress in senior citizens than walking without a dog; and, independent of actually walking, merely patting and talking to a dog also raises parasympathetic neural activity. Power spectral analysis of heart rate variability shows promise as a non-invasive approach to quantifying clinicophysiological research on human health benefits possibly derived from interaction with companion animals.