Oxytocin's inhibitory effect on food intake is stronger in obese than normal-weight men

Background/Objectives:

Animal studies and pilot experiments in men indicate that the hypothalamic neuropeptide oxytocin limits food intake, and raise the question of its potential to improve metabolic control in obesity.

Subjects/Methods:

We compared the effect of central nervous oxytocin administration (24 IU) via the intranasal route on ingestive behaviour and metabolic function in 18 young obese men with the results in a group of 20 normal-weight men. In double-blind, placebo-controlled experiments, ad libitum food intake from a test buffet was examined in fasted subjects 45 min after oxytocin administration, followed by the assessment of postprandial, reward-driven snack intake. Energy expenditure was repeatedly assessed by indirect calorimetry and blood was sampled to determine concentrations of blood glucose and hormones.

Results:

Oxytocin markedly reduced hunger-driven food intake in the fasted state in obese but not in normal-weight men, and led to a reduction in snack consumption in both groups, whereas energy expenditure remained generally unaffected. Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis secretion and the postprandial rise in plasma glucose were blunted by oxytocin in both groups.

Conclusions:

Oxytocin exerts an acutely inhibitory impact on food intake that is enhanced rather than decreased in obese compared with normal-weight men. This pattern puts it in contrast to other metabolically active neuropeptides and bodes well for clinical applications of oxytocin in the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Parametric variation of gamma frequency and power with luminance contrast: A comparative study of human MEG and monkey LFP and spike responses

Gamma oscillations contribute significantly to the manner in which neural activity is bound into functional assemblies. The mechanisms that underlie the human gamma response, however, are poorly understood. Previous computational models of gamma rely heavily on the results of invasive recordings in animals, and it is difficult to assess whether these models hold in humans. Computational models of gamma predict specific changes in gamma spectral response with increased excitatory drive. Hence, differences and commonalities between spikes, LFPs and MEG in the spectral responses to changes in excitatory drive can lead to a refinement of existing gamma models. We compared gamma spectral responses to varying contrasts in a monkey dataset acquired previously (Roberts et al., 2013) with spectral responses to similar contrast variations in a new human MEG dataset. We found parametric frequency shifts with increasing contrast in human MEG at the single-subject and the single-trial level, analogous to those observed in the monkey. Additionally, we observed parametric modulations of spectral asymmetry, consistent across spikes, LFP and MEG. However, while gamma power scaled linearly with contrast in MEG, it saturated at high contrasts in both the LFP and spiking data. Thus, while gamma frequency changes to varying contrasts were comparable across spikes, LFP and MEG, gamma power changes were not. This indicates that gamma frequency may be a more stable parameter across scales of measurements and species than gamma power. The comparative approach undertaken here represents a fruitful path towards a better understanding of gamma oscillations in the human brain.

Adsorption of heavy metal cations by Na-clinoptilolite: equilibrium and selectivity studies

This paper summarizes the conclusions of experiments conducted on the adsorption of Cd(2+), Co(2+), Cu(2+), Mn(2+), Ni(2+), Pb(2+) and Zn(2+) onto zeolite. The focus of the experiments was to establish the influence of the initial pH of the contact solution as well as the selectivity of zeolite on the efficiency of the adsorption process. To this end, experimental adsorption isotherms were established for the pH values ranging from 1 to 4 by using the Na-form of clinoptilolite (particle size range 0.5-1 mm) as an adsorbent. Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Raduschkevich isotherm models were used to validate the experimental data and the Gibbs free energy was calculated based on the distribution coefficient. From the Langmuir model, correlations between the maximum adsorption capacity and selected physical-chemical parameters of the cations studied were established. The results of the experiments suggest that the selectivity of zeolite is strongly influenced by the pH of the contact solution, dehydration energy of cations, diffusion coefficient and the pH at which the precipitation of hydroxides occurs.

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.

How much oxidative stress exists without the liver?

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress (OS) represents an important pathogenetic factor of acute liver failure and chronic liver diseases. To elucidate whether the liver itself is a major source of OS, the present study was performed to assess OS and antioxidant status in an anhepatic porcine model.

METHODS

Six pigs underwent a total hepatectomy, five pigs were sham operated. OS and antioxidant status were evaluated by measuring plasma concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), xanthine oxidase (XO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP). They were sampled at the start of the experiment, immediately after surgery, and then at 8 and 16 hours post hepatectomy.

RESULTS

Increased concentrations of MDA were observed in anhepatic pigs postoperatively (p < 0.02) and 8 hours after hepatectomy (p < 0.003) compared to controls. XO activity increased soon after hepatectomy (22.6 ± 5.4 mU/L versus 3.3 ± 2.1 mU/L in sham animals, p < 0.03) but returned to normal values in the further course. SOD levels did not change during the observational period in both groups. FRAP values rose significantly in the anhepatic animals compared to control (p < 0.015). A significant positive correlation was observed between MDA levels and FRAP levels (Spearman's ρ = 0.62; p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that hepatectomy does not completely prevent the occurrence of OS because the production and regulation of OS are also located outside the liver.

Fast intraoperative testosterone assay confirms the location of an ovarian virilizing tumor in a young girl

The detection of testosterone-producing ovarian tumors in childhood and adolescence by imaging techniques only can be difficult because of the tumors' radiological structure and sometimes diminutive size. We describe an 11.5-year-old girl with a 9-month history of voice deepening, mild hirsutism, minor acne, increased growth velocity, weight gain, and clitoromegaly. Laboratory investigation revealed an extremely elevated serum testosterone level without any additional endocrine abnormalities. Abdominal ultrasound and MRI showed a sparsely noticeable solid mass in the center of the right ovary. At laparotomy, blood was selectively drawn from the right and the left ovarian veins. Rapid testosterone measurement revealed a 70-fold higher testosterone concentration in the right ovarian vein within 45 min. Based on this finding, a right salpingo-oophorectomy was performed. The patient's postoperative testosterone level declined within 24 h. The histopathological diagnosis was Leydig cell tumor. In conclusion, the implementation of a fast intraoperative testosterone assay enabled the localization and curative therapy of a Leydig cell tumor. This technique seems to be a good alternative to preoperative selective venous blood sampling when body imaging does not unveil the tumor's site.