Evaluating the impact of metabolic and cognitive stress on ghrelin and nesfatin-1 hormones in patients with diabetes and diabetic depression.

Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin, initially recognised as hormones involved in regulating energy, have emerged as crucial players with vital functions in various human body systems. In this study, we conducted a comparative assessment of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin responses in individuals experiencing metabolic stress due to diabetes, those with depressive diabetes characterised by both metabolic and mental stress, and healthy controls. We collected blood samples from a total of 90 participants, consisting of 30 people with type II diabetes mellitus (DM), 30 people with type II DM and major depressive disorders, and 30 healthy individuals. Diabetes was diagnosed based on glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, while depression was assessed using DSM-V criteria. Insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated, and serum ghrelin and nesfatin-1 levels were measured using ELISA kits. We observed statistically significant decreases in nesfatin-1 and ghrelin levels in the diabetic group (p < 0.0001). However, in the depressive diabetic group, nesfatin-1 levels increased significantly, while ghrelin levels decreased further. The nesfatin-1 to ghrelin ratio decreased in the diabetic group but increased significantly in the depressive diabetic group (p < 0.0001). Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin hormones exhibit parallel impacts in response to metabolic stress, but nesfatin-1 demonstrates contrasting actions compared to ghrelin when mental stress is added to metabolic stress. The findings of this study suggest that nesfatin-1 and ghrelin hormones may play active roles as protective, prognostic, and even etiological factors in various stress situations, particularly those involving mental stress, in addition to their known functions in regulating energy.

Evaluating the energy regulatory hormones of nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin in multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin were originally introduced as energy regulatory hormones. However, the results of studies revealed that these hormones may also have important roles in inflammation, immune function and neurological impairment. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease, characterized by progressive inflammation, demyelination, and axonal loss in the central nervous system. We aimed to evaluate nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin hormones in patients with MS accompanied by inflammation and central nervous system dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 110 subjects (65 patients with relapsing-remitting MS and 45 healthy individuals as control group) were included in this study. Venous blood samples were collected between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Serum concentrations of all markers were measured by enzyme linked immunoassay methods. The unpaired t-test was used to investigate between-group differences. RESULTS: The nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin levels were found to be significantly lower in the MS group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the present study, circulating nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin levels were decreased in patients with MS. However, the pathogenesis of MS and the underlying molecular mechanism of these hormones in MS have still not been elucidated. Further investigations with larger sample sizes and longer periods are required to obtain satisfactory information. In conclusion, the energy regulatory hormones of nesfatin-1, irisin, adropin and preptin may have potential for the development of new therapeutic targets for treatment of inflammatory diseases.

The outstanding beneficial roles of irisin disorders.

Depression is a widely observed psychiatric disorder that affects a quite large number of people all around the world. A major depressive disorder (MDD) is a multifactorial disease that IS associated with fluctuations in appetite, body weight, and energy situations in addition to serious mood problems. The aim of this review is to investigate a possible link between energy regulatory hormones of irisin and depressive disorders. Irisin is a hormone that plays a significant role in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Irisin was also reported to play significant roles in the central nervous system. In the literature there are reports indicating a beneficial antidepressant role of irisin in MDD. It should be emphasised that the antidepressive effects of exercise could be the result of exercise-induced increased hormones of irisin.

Effects of morning and nocturnal soccer matches on levels of some trace elements in young trained males.

The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate effect of morning and nocturnal soccer matches induced metabolic stress on plasma levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). Twenty male footballers performed two soccer matches in morning and at night on different days. Blood samples were taken before and after match. The levels of Fe, Zn and Cu were measured through an atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Metabolic stress was evaluated by altered malondialdehyde (MDA) levels that measured using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. In morning and at nocturnal soccer matches, levels of MDA (36% and 27%), Fe (37.4% and 38.9%) and Cu (34.8% and 26.8%) were all increased in all subjects, respectively. However, Zn level decreased -4.5 % in morning (n=10 subjects) and -9.4% at nocturnal (n=12 subjects) soccer matches. In addition, Cu/Zn ratio increased significantly 46.6% in morning and 36.6% at nocturnal soccer matches. Soccer match has significant effects on levels of MDA, Fe and Cu but not Zn levels. The results of this study showed that morning soccer match significantly alters levels of MDA and Cu and Cu/Zn ratio compared to nocturnal soccer match.

Nesfatin-1 and irisin levels in response to the soccer matches performed in morning, afternoon and at night in young trained male subjects.

This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of acute soccer matches performed in morning, afternoon and at night on both nesfatin-1 and irisin levels in trained subjects. Total of 20 male subjects performed in soccer matches at three different times of day: morning, afternoon, and night. Pre- and post-match venous blood samples were taken, and levels of both nesfatin-1 and irisin were analysed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Following all matches, the subjects' irisin levels increased significantly in all subjects (p < 0.0001). Nesfatin-1 levels were also increased after the matches; however, the increase was statistically significant for morning (P=0.01) and night-time (p=0.009). The subjects' nesfatin-1 levels did not increase in all subjects and decrease of nesfatin-1 levels observed in some subjects after matches. This study finds that soccer matches performed different workout times have strong stimulatory effects on irisin levels in all subjects but nesfatin-1 response varied among the subjects and it did not change significantly in afternoon match.

Evaluating the Levels of Nesfatin-1 and Ghrelin Hormones in Patients with Moderate and Severe Major Depressive Disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the importance of nesfatin-1, acylated and des-acylated ghrelin, which are known as energy regulatory hormones, in patients with moderate and severe major depression disorders (MDD). METHODS: Thirty patients with a moderate degree of MDD and, 30 with a severe degree of MDD were used as participants in this study. Thirty subjects without depression were enrolled as a control group. The Hamilton Depression Rating Scale was used to classify the patients with MDD. Blood samples were taken after overnight fasting. The plasma nesfatin-1, acylated ghrelin and des-acylated ghrelin levels were measured using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. RESULTS: The nesfatin-1, the acylated ghrelin and the des-acylated ghrelin levels were found to be significantly higher in severe MDD (3.92±0.4 ng/mL; 88.56±4.1 pg/mL; 962.76±67 pg/mL) as compared to moderate MDD (2.91±0.5 ng/mL; 77.63±4.19 pg/mL; 631.16±35 pg/mL), or the control (1.01±0.3 ng/mL; 58.60±9.00 pg/mL; 543.13±62 pg/mL), respectively. CONCLUSION: Although nesfatin-1 and ghrelin are known as adversely affecting the hormones involving the regulation of appetite and food intake, they all increase in depressive patients and are even associated with the severity of the disease. In clinical medicine, the evaluation of the role of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin in endocrine and neu-roendocrine regulation of major metabolic functions is an important key mechanism in solving numerous diseases associated with endocrine and neuroendocrine disturbance. Increased levels of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin may also be important criteria in describing the prognoses of the patients and the effectiveness of the treatments.

Variations in leptin, nesfatin-1 and irisin levels induced by aerobic exercise in young trained and untrained male subjects.

The aims of this study were to investigate the impacts of acute aerobic exercise on circulating levels of hormones associated with energy metabolism, namely leptin, nesfatin-1 and irisin, in trained and untrained male subjects and to determine whether the timing of the exercise (i.e. morning or night) amplified these impacts. Thirty trained (19.2±0.7 years) and 30 untrained (19.5±0.6 years) male subjects performed two aerobic running exercises (3 days between tests) to 64-76% of the subjects' maximal heart rate for about 30 min. Pre- and post-exercise venous blood samples were taken and analysed for leptin, nesfatin-1 and irisin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Paired samples and independent samples t-tests were used to analyse data. Irisin levels increased in all the subjects (p<0.001). In both groups, nesfatin-1 levels increased significantly after the night-time exercise (p<0.05). Importantly, leptin and nesfatin-1 levels varied among the trained and untrained groups: Both leptin and nesfatin-1 levels increased in 4 (13%) and 12 (40%) subjects, respectively, after the morning exercises, and they increased in 9 (30%) and 10 (33%) subjects, respectively, after the night-time exercise. They decreased in 5 (16%) and 7 (23%) subjects, respectively, after the morning exercise and in 6 (20%) and 3 (10%) subjects, respectively, after the night-time exercise. Exercise may result in increased energy consumption by altering irisin levels. However, due to variations among individuals, increasing leptin and nesfatin-1 levels by reducing food intake may not be applicable.

Beneficial effects of training at the anaerobic threshold in addition to pharmacotherapy on weight loss, body composition, and exercise performance in women with obesity.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effects of weight loss achieved through orlistat therapy alone or a combination of orlistat and an aerobic exercise training program on aerobic fitness and body composition in obese females. METHODS: Twenty-eight obese patients were randomly assigned to receive 12-week treatment with hypocaloric diet-orlistat or diet-orlistat-exercise. Each participant performed an incremental ramp exercise test every 4 weeks to measure aerobic fitness. Fourteen participants performed continuous exercise (approximately 45 minutes per session) at a work rate corresponding to the anaerobic threshold three times per week. RESULTS: A decrease in the fat mass to body weight ratio of 3.8% (P=0.006) was observed at the end of the 12 weeks in the orlistat group, while a decrease of 9.5% (P=0.001) was seen in the orlistat-exercise group. Maximal exercise capacity increased by 46.5% in the orlistat-exercise group and by 19.5% in the orlistat group. CONCLUSION: While orlistat therapy resulted in an improvement in body composition and aerobic fitness at the end of the 12-week period, its combination with exercise training provided improvements in the same parameters within the first 4 weeks of the study. These additional beneficial effects of combining aerobic exercise with orlistat therapy are important with regards to obesity-associated risk factors.

Exercise training as an adjunct to orlistat therapy reduces oxidative stress in obese subjects.

The anti-obesity drug orlistat promotes weight loss and improves obesity-related risk factors, but its effect on oxidative stress is not clear yet. Orlistat reduces dietary fat absorption, which may have effects on fat soluble vitamins especially the antioxidant vitamins A and E. The aim of this study was to determine and compare the effects of weight loss achieved by orlistat therapy and a combination of orlistat with aerobic exercise training on lipid peroxidation and antioxidative defense in obese subjects. Total of 24 obese subjects were randomly assigned to receive 12-week treatment with hypocaloric diet-orlistat (120 mg three times daily) (DO group) or diet-orlistat-exercise (DOE group). Serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker for lipid peroxidation, and vitamins A and E were measured by high performance liquid chromatography at baseline and at the end of the treatment. Body weight and fat mass were significantly reduced in the two groups (p < 0.001). In the DO group, the MDA levels remained unchanged (p = 0.59), while vitamins A (p < 0.01) and E (p < 0.001) were significantly decreased. In contrast, the subjects treated with DOE exhibited marked decreases in MDA (p = 0.002) and a small but significant decrease in vitamins A (p = 0.003) and E (p = 0.003). Thus, orlistat therapy alone caused a significant reduction in antioxidative capacity without affecting oxidative stress, whereas orlistat in combination with exercise training provided a significant decrease in MDA levels. The beneficial effect of aerobic exercise as an adjunct to the orlistat therapy is of importance with regard to the obesity-associated risk factors.

Investigation of the influence of training status on the relationship between the acute exercise and serum leptin levels in obese females.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have concluded that an energy expenditure by an acute exercise session has no immediate effect on leptin levels while some showed a decline in leptin levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate any possible effects of training status of the subjects on acute exercise-leptin relationship in obese patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen obese sedentary females were enrolled to the study and effects of acute incremental exercise on serum leptin levels were determined at rest and at maximal exercise performance. Then, they participated to a 12-weeks endurance aerobic training programme performed in the laboratory on a computer controlled cycle ergometer and their leptin levels were re-evaluated and the leptin-acute exercise relationships obtained under different training levels in the same group of subjects were compared. The body compositions were determined by bioelectrical impedance. Pre and post training blood samples were taken at rest and at the maximal exercise performance. Serum leptin levels were analysed in duplicate by RIA. Data were evaluated using, paired t and Pearson's tests. RESULTS: Leptin levels were not acutely affected by the incremental exercise either before (23.62+/-3.5 ng/ml and 22.62+/-3.6 ng/ml) or after (13.13+/-3.4 ng/ml and 13.82+/-3.6 ng/ml) endurance training. The marked decrease in leptin levels following training was closely correlated with fat mass loss R= 0.899 (P= 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that an increase in energy expenditure by acute exercise has no significant acute effect on leptin level regardless of the training status of the subjects and decrease in leptin levels after a 12-weeks endurance aerobic training programme are closely associated with the fat mass loss.

Effects of a weight-reduction program with orlistat on serum leptin levels in obese women: A 12-week, randomized, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Leptin, which has been identified as an antiobesity hormone, regulates body weight by controlling food intake and energy expenditure via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. It appears that leptin may be an important factor in obesity management. Orlistat, a pancreatic lipase inhibitor, could reduce fat absorption and promote weight loss due to leptin metabolism. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of orlistat therapy on serum leptin levels. METHODS: Obese women (body mass index [BMI], 30 kg/m(2)) aged 18 to 50 years were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of oral treatment with diet-orlistat (120 mg TID) (DO group) or diet-placebo (DP group). During the treatment period, patients were asked to eat a balanced diet of -1200 to 1600 kcal/d. Body composition was determined by bioelectrical impedance. Serum leptin levels were measured using radioimmunoassay at baseline and at study end. RESULTS: A total of 24 patients entered the study; 14 patients (mean [SE] BMI, 37.7 [1.1] kg/m(2)) received orlistat and 10 patients (mean [SE] BMI, 39.4 [1.3] kg/m(2)) received placebo. Compared with baseline, mean percentages of loss of body weight and fat mass after 12 weeks of treatment were significant in the DO group (9.1% and 14.8%, respectively; both P = 0.001) and in the DP group (9.5% and 17.6%; both P = 0.005). The between-group differences were not statistically significant. Mean (SE) serum leptin levels also decreased significantly after treatment in the DO group (16.2 [1.2] vs 9.0 [1.0] ng/mL; P = 0.001) and in the DP group (19.3 [2.1] vs 9.7 [1.4] ng/mL; P = 0.005). The between-group difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: In this study of obese women, orlistat treatment was associated with a similar decrease in body weight, fat mass, and serum leptin levels as placebo over a 12-week period. In this regard, short-term orlistat therapy may not provide an additional effect on serum leptin levels, and reduction in leptin levels were closely related to the decrease in fat mass.

Homocysteine-induced enhancement of spontaneous contractions of myometrium isolated from pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Although many associations have been demonstrated between hyperhomocysteinemia and pregnancy complications, such as spontaneous abortion, preterm labor, preeclampsia and low birthweight, it is still not clear whether hyperhomocysteinemia is the cause or the consequence of these pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of homocysteine on the spontaneous contractility of isolated pregnant human myometrium. METHODS: Myometrium samples obtained from women undergoing elective caesarean section were suspended in a jacketed organ bath containing Krebs' solution at 37 degrees C (pH 7.4), continuously gassed with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. After manifestation of spontaneous contractions under 2 g of resting tension, homocysteine was applied to the organ bath, and amplitude and frequency of contractions were evaluated at 20-min intervals. Statistical analysis of amplitude and frequency of the contractions was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance test. RESULTS: Application of 0.1 mm homocysteine had no significant effect on either frequency (4.63 +/- 0.42 vs. 4.01 +/- 0.53 for the control period; p > 0.05) or amplitude (3.20 +/- 0.07 g vs. 3.15 +/- 0.07 g; p > 0.05) of spontaneous contractions, while 1 and 2 mm homocysteine significantly increased the frequency (8.54 +/- 0.62 vs. 3.9 +/- 0.44, p < 0.02, and 12.32 +/- 0.72 vs. 3.96 +/- 0.51, p < 0.001, respectively) of spontaneous contractions but caused only a modest change in amplitude (2.92 +/- 0.04 g vs. 2.87 +/- 0.05 g, p > 0.05, and 3.02 +/- 0.06 g vs. 2.93 +/- 0.05 g, p > 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate for the first time that homocysteine causes enhancement of spontaneous contractions of myometrium derived from pregnant women.

The correlation between plasma homocysteine and malondialdehyde levels in preeclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possible correlation between plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine levels of preeclamptic patients. DESIGN: Venous blood samples of 20 preeclamptics and 20 healthy pregnant controls were collected. Plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine concentrations were measured and the correlation between them was investigated. Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis. SETTING: University of Firat, Medical School. RESULTS: Plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine concentrations were higher in preeclamptic patients (p<0.05) and a positive correlation between these parameters was found (r: 0.77, p<0.01, n:20). CONCLUSION: Our results may put forward some new strategies in the research of etiopathogenesis and treatment of preeclampsia.

Homocysteine-induced augmentation of spontaneous contraction of isolated guinea pig myometrium.

Recent studies have suggested association between the elevated homocysteine levels and pregnancy complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of homocysteine on spontaneous contractions of myometrium isolated from pregnant guinea pig. Full-thickness myometrial strips were obtained from late-pregnant guinea pigs following decapitation, and suspended in an organ bath which was filled with physiological saline solution (pH 7.4), maintained at 37 degrees C and continuously bubbled with 95% O2 and 5% CO2. After the observation of spontaneous contractions under one gram of resting tension, homocysteine (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mM) was added to the organ bath and effects of this agent on frequency and amplitude of contractions were evaluated in 20-min periods. One-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis of the data. Homocysteine caused increase in both frequency and amplitude of spontaneous contractions in a dose-dependent manner. The results from this in vitro study indicate that cardiovascular risk factor homocysteine has contracting pharmacological effects on guinea pig myometrium.