In a study looking for risk factors of atherosclerosis in families with combined hyperlipidemia and hypertension, clinical and biochemical data of 1,149 persons were analyzed to develop two hypothetical multivariate scores concerning the degree to which a patient is affected by the metabolic syndrome. The scores are based on a structural model for low-density cholesterol (LDL) and high-density cholesterol (HDL), triglycerides, uric acid, creatinine, glucose, insulin, systolic blood pressure and waist-to-hip ratio. Age, gender and body mass index were used for adjusting all variables. In segregation analyses of 42 pedigrees without using genotype information, estimations of the heritabilities and environmentally caused variance and covariance components were computed for the individual score values of the two latent factors. The first score shows a heritability of 42%; the environment component disappeared. The score mainly reflects the HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels. The second score shows a heritability of 16% with an environment component of 7%. It includes mainly insulin, uric acid and creatinine. In the search for genetic causes, both scores could be a basis for further phenotypic classification of the metabolic syndrome. / Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.

Introduction : Peu d’études internationales ont examiné les différences entre les hommes et les femmes dans la prévalence du syndrome métabolique (SM). Objectifs : Comparer les prévalences du syndrome métabolique chez les femmes et les hommes et évaluer le rôle du genre dans les associations entre le SM et les troubles de mobilité (TM). Méthodes : Nous avons utilisé les données repères de l’étude internationale sur la mobilité des personnes âgées de 65-74 ans (n=1995), des villes de Kingston (Ontario), Saint-Hyacinthe (Québec), Tirana (Albanie), Manizales (Colombie), et Natal (Brésil). Parmi les participants, 1728 ont donné un échantillon de sang pour des analyses. Les ratios de prévalence (RP) du SM et des TM ont été dérivés par la régression de Poisson. Résultats : Les prévalences du SM étaient significativement plus élevées chez les femmes dans les villes non canadiennes, cette différence entre sexes n’était pas significative dans les villes canadiennes. Relativement aux femmes de Kingston, les prévalences du SM étaient plus élevées chez les femmes de Tirana (RP= 2,66; 95 % IC = 1,98-3,58) et de Natal (RP= 2,21; 95 % IC = 1,52-3,22) et non significatives chez celles de Manizales et de Saint-Hyacinthe. Chez les hommes, peu de différences significatives étaient observées. Le SM n’était pas associé à la mobilité dans les villes non canadiennes. Conclusion : Nos résultats suggèrent que le genre est un facteur de risque pour le SM. Des recherches sur les relations entre le SM, la mobilité et le genre devraient être entreprises. Mots-clés : Syndrome métabolique, troubles de la mobilité, genre, santé internationale / Background: Few international studies have examined differences in metabolic syndrome (MetS) between men and women. Objectives: To compare the prevalence of MetS in women and men and to assess the role of gender in the association between MetS and mobility disability. Methods: We used baseline data from the International Mobility in Aging Study of community samples aged 65-74 years (n = 1995) of the cities of Kingston (Ontario), Saint- Hyacinthe (Quebec), Tirana (Albania), Manizales (Colombia), Natal (Brazil). Of these, 1,728 people donated a blood sample. Prevalence ratios of MetS and mobility disability were estimated by Poisson regression. Results: In non-Canadian cities the prevalence of MetS was significantly higher in women while in Canadian cities there was no significant sex difference. Among women, comparing with Kingston, MetS prevalence was significantly higher for women in Tirana (PR= 2.66; 95%CI = 1.98 to 3.58) and Natal (PR=2.21; 95%CI =1.52 - 3.22), but no significant differences were observed for women in Manizales and Saint-Hyacinthe. Among men, few significant differences were observed across cities. In non-Canadian sites, MetS was not associated with mobility disability. Conclusion Our results suggest that gender is a risk factor for MetS. Research on the relationship of MetS, mobility and gender need to be initiated. Keywords: Metabolic syndrome, mobility disability, gender, international health.

Das Equine Metabolische Syndrom (EMS) beschreibt einen Cluster von metabolischen Störungen, die durch Adipositas, Insulinresistenz und Hufrehe im Zusammenhang stehen. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, den Einfluss einer achtwöchigen oralen Supplementierung von Chrom, Metformin beziehungsweise von einer Kombination aus Chrom und Metformin auf die Insulinsensitivität und die Glukosetoleranz bei adipösen Pferden und Ponys zu untersuchen. Für diese Studie standen 24 Pferde und Ponys (14,4 ± 3,87 Jahre, 14 Stuten und 10 Wallache) mit Adipositas, Insulinresistenz und Hufrehe zur Verfügung. Während der achtwöchigen Versuchsphase bekamen die Tiere eine Heuration (1,5 kg Heu/100 kg Körpermasse (KM)) und zweimal täglich das ihnen zugewiesene Supplement (Chrom: 25 µg/kg KM, Metformin: 15 mg/kg KM, Chrom+Metformin: 25 µg/kg KM Chrom + 15 mg/kg KM Metformin in jeweils 25 g Grünmehl/100 kg KM) verabreicht. Eine vierte Gruppe erhielt als Placebo 25 g Grünmehl/100 kg KM ohne Supplement. Vor Versuchsbeginn und nach Versuchsende durchliefen die Pferde und Ponys, an zwei aufeinanderfolgenden Tagen, nach jeweils einer zwölfstündigen Fastenperiode einen kombinierten Glukose-Insulin-Toleranztest (KGIT) zur Bestimmung der Insulinsensitivität und einen oralen Glukose-Toleranz-Test (OGTT) zur Bestimmung der Glukoseabsorption und -toleranz. Im Verlauf des Versuchszeitraums konnte bei den Pferden ein durchschnittlicher Gewichtsverlust von 2,77 ± 2,99 % verzeichnet werden (Behandlung p > 0,05). Beim OGTT zeigte sich keine signifikante Veränderung der Glukose- und Insulinreaktionen zwischen Versuchsbeginn und Versuchsende. Die Seruminsulinmaximalwerte der mit Metformin und der mit Chrom+Metformin supplementierten Gruppen waren nach der Versuchszeit numerisch gesunken (Metformin Versuchsbeginn: 452 ± 642 µU/ml, Versuchsende: 202 ± 121 µU/ml; Chrom+Metformin Versuchsbeginn: 388 ± 347 µU/ml, Versuchsende: 342 ± 164 µU/ml, Behandlung p > 0,05). Im KGIT zeigten sich bei den Glukosewerten keine signifikanten Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Behandlungsgruppen und zwischen den Werten vor Versuchsbeginn und nach Versuchsende. Die Seruminsulinkonzentrationen lagen im KGIT vor Versuchsbeginn bei allen Probanden zum Zeitpunkt Minute 45 über 100 µU/ml. Somit gelten alle Versuchsteilnehmer per definitionem als insulinresistent. Nach den acht Wochen Supplementierung befanden sich beim KGIT zum Zeitpunkt Minute 45, mit Ausnahme eines Probanden aus der Chrom+Metformin-Gruppe, alle Seruminsulinwerte weiterhin >100 µU/ml. Somit sind die übrigen 23 Pferde und Ponys weiterhin als insulinresistent einzustufen. Weder Chrom, noch Metformin oder die Kombination von Chrom+Metformin konnte in den hier im Versuch angewandten Dosierungen die Insulinsensitivität und Glukosetoleranz der erkrankten Pferde und Ponys verbessern.

De nombreuses études indiquent que la prématurité, qui représente 8 % des naissances, estassociée à des indices précoces de dysfonction vasculaire, d’élévation de la pression sanguineet de survenue de diabète de type 2. Les enfants nés prématurément sont plus sujets auxblessures oxydatives de par l’immaturité de leurs défenses antioxydantes et de leur expositionà des situations pro-oxydantes (exposition à l’air ambiant, à un supplément d’oxygène, ou àune exposition aux infections). Cependant, les conséquences à long terme des blessuresoxydatives induites par une exposition à l’oxygène en période périnatale restent méconnues.Le but de ce doctorat a été de mettre en évidence certains mécanismes pouvant relier lesdommages de la prématurité induits par l’oxygène, et le risque à long terme de développer desmaladies cardiovasculaires et métaboliques dans le concept global d’une programmationdéveloppementale de l’hypertension et des pathologies reliées au syndrome métabolique. Des ratons Sprague-Dawley (SD) ont été exposés à 80 % O2 (O2) vs air ambiant (AA) du 3èmeau 10ème jour de vie. Concernant les paramètres cardiovasculaires, nous avons mesuré aucours de la croissance, la pression sanguine à la queue (de la 4ème semaine à la 15ème semaine)et à l’âge adulte : la réactivité vasculaire à l’angiotensine II (AngII) et au carbachol (ex vivo,carotides) avec ou sans le tempol; la production d’oxyde nitrique (NO) en présence ou non Larginineet de L-sépiaptérine (aorte, immunohistochimie) ainsi que l’expression de la nitricoxyde synthase endothéliale (eNOS) (aorte, immunohistochimie et western blot); le stressoxydant vasculaire (aorte, chemiluminescence) par la mesure de la production d’anionssuperoxide en présence ou non des inhibiteurs de la nicotinamide-adenine-dinucleotide-phosphate (NADPH oxydase) et de la nitric oxyde synthase endotheliale (eNOS), l’apocynine,et N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) respectivement, ainsi que le stress oxydantcirculant par la mesure des niveaux plasmatiques de malondialdéhyde (MDA, HPLC); ladensité microvasculaire a été évaluée au niveau du muscle tibial antérieur,immunohistochimie); la vitesse d’onde pulsée (VOP) (entre la valve aortique et juste avant labifurcation ilio-fémorale) a été mesurée par ultrason; le nombre de néphrons a été compté pardigestion acide. L’ontogenèse de la plupart de ces mécanismes a été regardée à l’âge de 4semaines.Concernant les paramètres métaboliques, le poids a été mesuré au cours de la croissance. Àl’âge adulte, la composition corporelle et la tolérance au glucose ont été évaluées. À l’âge de 4 semaines, aucune différence n’a été observée dans la pression sanguine, laréactivité vasculaire et le stress oxydant, mais chez les rats O2 vs AA, la densitémicrovasculaire est moindre, et des changements histologiques suggèrent la présence d’unerigidité artérielle augmentée.À l’âge adulte chez les rats O2 vs AA (n = 6-8 /groupe) : i) les pressions sanguines systoliqueset diastoliques sont augmentées; ii) la réactivité vasculaire à l’AngII est augmentée et celle aucarbachol est diminuée, le tempol prévient ces dysfonctions; iii) la production de NO est plusfaible au niveau basal et après stimulation par le carbachol, mais est restaurée après la préincubationavec L-arginine et L-sépiaptérine; iv) l’expression d’eNOS est diminuée parimmunohistochimie et augmentée par western blot; v) les niveaux d’anions superoxide, auniveau basal et en réponse à l’AngII, sont augmentés et sont induits par la NADPH oxydase etle non-couplage d’eNOS; vi) les niveaux plasmatiques de MDA sont augmentés; vii) Ladensité microvasculaire est moindre; viii) la VOP est augmentée; ix) le nombre de néphrons par rein est réduit; x) le poids est plus faible au cours de la croissance et un catch up estobservé à l’âge adulte; la composition corporelle n’est pas différente entre les groupes; xi) latolérance au glucose est diminuée. Ces résultats supportent l’hypothèse d’une programmation développementale des maladiescardiovasculaires et métaboliques à l’âge adulte à la suite d’un stress hyperoxique néonatal. / Many studies showed that prematurity, which represents 8 % of birth, is associated with earlyindices of vascular dysfunction, increased blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. Prematuritybabies are more susceptible to oxidative injury, consequence of the immaturity of theirantioxidant defences, and exposure to pro-oxidant situations (oxygen supplementation,infection). However, the long-term consequences of oxidative injury induced by oxygenexposure in the neonatal period are unknown.The aim of these PhD studies was to unravel some mechanisms that might underlie thedamage induced by oxygen and the long-term risk of developing vascular and metabolicdiseases in the overall concept of developmental programming of hypertension and metabolicsyndrome-related diseases. Sprague-Dawley pups were kept with their mother in 80 % O2 (O2) or room air (RA) from day3 to 10 of life. Cardiovascular parameters, tail blood pressure was measured between 4 and15 weeks of life. In adulthood : vascular reactivity (ex vivo carotid rings) to angiotensine II(AngII) and carbachol with and without tempol was studied; studies of nitric oxide (NO)production with and without L-arginine and L-sépiaptérine (aorta, immunohistochemistry)and endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression (eNOS; aorta, immunohistochemistry,western blot) were performed; vascular oxidative stress (aorta, using chemiluminescence) bymeasuring superoxide anion production with and without inhibitors of nicotinamide-adeninedinucleotide-phosphate (NADPH oxydase) and nitric oxyde synthase endotheliale (eNOS),apocynin and N-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) respectively, and circulating oxidative stress by measuring the plasma levels of malondialdéhyde (MDA, HPLC) wereevaluated; microvascular density was assessed on tibialis anterior muscle sections; pulse wavevelocity (PWV) was measured by ultrasound, between aortic valve and ilio-femoralbifurcation; nephrons were counted after hydrochloric acid digestion. The main observationswere also evaluated at 4 weeks of age. Metabolic parameters: body weight has beenmeasured during the growth. In adulthood, body composition, glucose tolerance wereevaluated. A 4 weeks of age, no difference was observed regarding blood pressure, vascular reactivity,and oxidative stress indices, but in rats O2 vs. RA (n = 6-8 /group), microvascular rarefactionand histological changes suggesting enhanced vascular stiffness were present.To adulthood, rats O2 vs. RA (n = 6-8/group) : i) systolic and diastolic blood pressures areincreased; ii) vascular reactivity to Ang II is increased and to carbachol is decreased, thesedysfunction were totally abolished by co-incubation of the vessel rings with tempol; iii) NOproductionis decreased in basal condition and after carbachol stimulation, but is restored afterpre-incubation of aorta sections with L- arginine and L-sépiaptérine; iv) eNOS expression isdecreased by immunohistochemistry but increased by western blot; v) vascular superoxideanion levels are increased in basal condition, after AngII stimulation and this is mediated byNADPH oxydase and eNOS uncoupling; vi) the plasma levels of MDA are increased; vii)microvascular density is decreased; viii) PWV is increased; ix) nephron count per kidney isdecreased; x) body weight is less during growth, but a catch up is observed in adulthood,body composition is similar; xi) the glucose tolerance is decreased in adults. These results support the hypothesis of developmental programming of vascular andmetabolic diseases in adulthood, after exposure to hyperoxic stress in the neonatal period.

<p>Hronične inflamatorne bolesti disajnih organa su&nbsp;jedan od vodećih uzroka morbiditeta i mortaliteta&nbsp;&scaron;irom sveta. I pored stalnog napretka u naučnim&nbsp;istraživanjima, u otkrivanju molekularnih i ćelijskihmehanizama koji doprinose progresiji bolesti, uvođenju novih prognostičkih biomarkera, novim&nbsp;metodama detektovanja infektivnih uzročnika,&nbsp;primeni novih moćnih bronhodilatatornih,&nbsp;antiniflamatornih i antiinfektivnih lekova, hronične&nbsp;plućne bolesti i danas u dvadeset prvom veku beleže&nbsp;stalan porast broja obolelih i umrlih. Prema savremenom tumačenju HOBP je&nbsp; heterogena bolest koja je udružena sa brojnim komorbiditetima i&nbsp;sistemskim manifestacijama. Zajednički faktori rizika&nbsp;su osnova za javljanje udruženih hroničnih bolesti. Komorbiditeti i akutne egzacerbacije doprinose&nbsp;ukupnoj težini bolesti . S obzirom da se HOBP&nbsp;manifestuje i izvan pluća kod svakog pacijenta je&nbsp;potrebno proceniti postojanje sistemskih&nbsp;manifestacija&nbsp; i tragati za komorbiditetima. U reviziji&nbsp;&bdquo;Globalne strategije za dijagnozu, lečenje i prevenciju hronične opstruktivne bolesti pluća H GOLD&ldquo;&nbsp; iz 2011. godine navedene sledeće pridružene bolesti za&nbsp;kojima je potrebno aktivno tragati: kardiovaskularne&nbsp;bolesti, disfunkcija skeletnih mi&scaron;ića, metabolički&nbsp;sindrom, osteoporoza, depresija i karcinom pluća.&nbsp;Bronhiektazije sepredstavljaju hronično oboljenje&nbsp;pluća koje se karakteri&scaron;e abnormalnim pro&scaron;irenjem&nbsp;lumena bronha koje je uzrokovano slabljenjem ili&nbsp;destrukcijom mi&scaron;ićnih i elastičnih komponenti&nbsp;bronhijalnog zida, smanjenim klirensom mukusa i&nbsp;čestim infekcijama respiratornog trakta. Bronhiektazije se nekim svojim&nbsp; kliničkim&nbsp;karakteristikama preklapaju&nbsp; sa hroničnom opstruktivnom bolesti pluća. Metabolički sindrom&nbsp;predstavlja skup metaboličkih poremećaja koji&nbsp;povećavaju rizik za razvoj kardiovaskularnih bolesti i tipa 2 &scaron;ećerne bolesti. Za na&scaron;e istraživanje smo&nbsp;koristili definiciju NCEPHATPIII prema kojoj se metabolički sindrom zasniva na prisustvu tri od pet&nbsp;komponenti: Abdominalna gojaznost (obim struka&nbsp;preko 102 cm za&nbsp; mu&scaron;karce i preko 88 cm za žene),&nbsp;povi&scaron;ene vrednosti triglicerida na&scaron;te preko 1,7 mmol/l ili od ranije lečen poremećaj, snižen nivo HDL&nbsp;holesterola manje od 1,03 mmol/l za mu&scaron;karce i&nbsp;manje od 1,29 mmol/l za žene ili već lečen&nbsp;poremećaj, povi&scaron;en sistolni krvni pritisak preko 130 mmHg i/ili dijastolni preko 85 mmHg ili već lečena&nbsp;hipertenzija, povi&scaron;en nivo glukoze na&scaron;te preko 5,6 mmol/l ili već postojeći tip 2 &scaron;ećerne bolesti.&nbsp;Istraživenje je sprovedeno u Institutu za plućne&nbsp;bolesti Vojvodine u Sremskoj Kamenici. Cilj je bio&nbsp;da se utvrdi učestalost metaboličkog sindroma i&nbsp;komponenti među bolesnicima sa HOBP i&nbsp;bronhiektazijama. Sledeći cilj je bio da analizira&nbsp;i uporedi&nbsp; zastupljenosti metaboličkog sindroma i pojedinih komponenti među ispitivanim grupama u&nbsp;odnosu na pol, starost bolesnika i dužinu lečenja&nbsp;HOBP. Bilo je uključeno ukupno 193 ispitanika. Od&nbsp;ovog broja 163 su činili bolesnici od HOBP i&nbsp;bronhiektazija&nbsp; koji su bili podeljeni u tri grupe:&nbsp;pacijenti oboleli od hronične opstruktivne bolesti&nbsp;pluća (n=55, grupa 1), pacijenti oboleli od bronhiektazija (n=50, grupa 2) i pacijenti sa&nbsp;udruženom hroničnom opstruktivnom bolesti pluća i&nbsp;bronhiektazijama (n=58, grupa 3). Kontrolna grupa,&nbsp;koja je označena kao grupa 4, formirana je od 30&nbsp;ispitanika bez bronhiektazija i hronične opstruktivne bolesti pluća, tako da je ukupan broj ispitanika u&nbsp;istraživanju bio 193. Učestalost metaboličkog&nbsp;sindroma prema kriterijumuma NCEP/ATP III kod&nbsp;bolesnika hroničnim bolestima respiratornog sistema&nbsp;(hroničnom opstruktivnom bolesti pluća,&nbsp;bronhiektazijama i udružena ova dva oboljenja) je&nbsp;iznosila je kod 37,3 % . Metabolički sindrom je bio&nbsp;učestaliji kod ispitanika sa hroničnim opstruktivnom<br />bolesti pluća i/ili bronhiektazijama u odnosu na&nbsp;ispitanike iz kontrolne grupe bez&nbsp; hroničnih bolesti&nbsp;respiratornog trakta. Kod bolesnika sa hroničnom&nbsp;opstruktivnom bolesti pluća dokazano je prisustvo&nbsp;metaboličkog sindroma kod 38,2%&nbsp; ispitanika, kod&nbsp;bolesnika sa bronhiektazijama kod 54% ispitanika i&nbsp;IV kod pacijenata sa udruženom hroničnom&nbsp;opstruktivnom bolesti pluća i bronhiektazijama kod&nbsp;36,2% ispitanika. Prosečan broj komponenti&nbsp;metaboličkog sindroma kod bolesnika sa hroničnom&nbsp;opstruktivnom bolesti pluća je iznosio 2,18, kod&nbsp;bolesnika sa bronhiektazijama je bio 2,56, a kod&nbsp;bolesnika sa udružena ova dva oboljenja 2,1.<br />Komponente metaboličkog sindroma nisu učestalije i&nbsp;nisu statistički vi&scaron;e kod bolesnika sa udruženom&nbsp;hroničnom opstruktivnom bolesti pluća i&nbsp;bronhiektazijama u odnosu na obolele sa HOBP i&nbsp;bronhiektazijama kao samostalnim oboljenjima.<br />Razlika u pojedinačnim vrednostima komoponenti&nbsp;metaboličkog sindroma i učestalosti pojedinih&nbsp;komponenti među posmatranim grupama bolesnika sa<br />hroničnim plućnim bolestima nije statistički značajna.&nbsp;Učestalost metaboličkog sindroma kod bolesnika sa&nbsp;hroničnim bolestima respiratornog sistema nije u vezi sa polom i ne zavisi od starosti ispitanika. Nije&nbsp;dokazano da je metabolički sindrom učestaliji kod&nbsp;mu&scaron;karaca i i nije dokazano da je učestaliji kod&nbsp;ispitanika koji imaju vi&scaron;e od &scaron;esdeset i pet godina&nbsp;u odnosu na mlađe bolesnike među ispitivanim.&nbsp;Učestalost metaboličkog sindroma kod ispitanika sa&nbsp;hroničnom opstruktivnom bolesti pluća ne zavisi od&nbsp;dužine lečenja hronične opstruktivne bolesti pluća.&nbsp;Dokazano je da učestalost&nbsp; metaboličkog sindoma&nbsp;nije veća kod bolesnika kojima je dijagnoza bolesti postavljena pre vi&scaron;e od pet godina i koji se od HOBP&nbsp;leče duže od pet godina. Na osnovu rezultata koje&nbsp;smo dobili u na&scaron;em istraživanju zaključili smo da&nbsp;hronične plućne bolesti, bronhiektazije i hronična&nbsp;opstruktivna bolest pluća, predstavljaju stanja sa povi&scaron;enim kardiometaboličkim rizikom.</p><p>&nbsp;</p> / <p>Chronic inflammatory diseases of the respiratory&nbsp;organs are one of the leading morbidity and&nbsp;mortality causes all over the world. Despite the&nbsp;steady advance in scientific research, discovery&nbsp;of&nbsp; the disease-progression-contributing molecular<br />and cellular mechanisms, introduction of novel&nbsp;prognostic biomarkers, new detection methods of&nbsp;infectious agents, application of&nbsp; new, potent&nbsp;bronchodilation, anti-inflammatory and anti-infectious drugs,&nbsp; a constant&nbsp; increase in&nbsp; the&nbsp;number of the affected and deceased from chronic&nbsp;pulmonary diseases has still been permanently<br />evidenced in the 21st century. In a modern&nbsp;concept, the chronic obstructive pulmonary<br />disease (COPD) is understood as a heterogenous&nbsp;disorder associated with numerous comorbidities&nbsp;and systemic manifestations. Common risk factors&nbsp;represent the basis for concomitant chronic&nbsp;diseases to develop. Comorbidities and acute&nbsp;exacerbations contribute to the overall disease&nbsp;severity. As a COPD may develop extrapulmonary manifestations as well, each&nbsp;patient should be evaluated for systemic&nbsp;manifestations and comorbidities. The 2011&nbsp;update of the &bdquo;Global Strategy for Chronic&nbsp;Obstructive Lung Disease Diagnosis,&nbsp;Management, and Prevention &ndash;GOLD&rdquo; lists the&nbsp;following comorbidities to be actively searched&nbsp;for: cardiovascular diseases, skeletal muscle<br />dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis,&nbsp;depression, and lung cancer. Bronchiectases&nbsp;represent a chronic lung disorder marked by&nbsp;VII excessively dilated bronchial lumen&nbsp; induced by&nbsp;weakened or destructed muscular and elastic&nbsp;components of the bronchial wall, reduced mucus&nbsp;clearance, and recurrent respiratory infections.&nbsp;Bronchiectases and COPD have some clinical&nbsp;features in common. The metabolic syndrome is a&nbsp;group of metabolic disorders which increase the&nbsp;risk of&nbsp; cardiovascular diseases and type 2&nbsp;diabetes. In our investigation, we utilized the&nbsp;NCEP HATPIII definition of the metabolic&nbsp;syndrome based on the presence of three of five&nbsp;components: abdominal obesity (&gt; 102 cm and &gt;<br />88 cm waist&nbsp; measure for males and females&nbsp;respectively), elevated (&gt;1.7 mmol/l) triglyceride&nbsp;levels on an empty stomach, or a former history of&nbsp;the disorder treatment, reduced&nbsp; HDL cholesterol&nbsp;(&lt; 1.03 mmol/l and &lt;1.29 mmol/l for males and&nbsp;females respectively), or a former history of the&nbsp;disorder treatment, elevated systolic blood<br />pressure of &gt;130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood&nbsp;pressure of &gt; 85 mmHg, or a former history of&nbsp;treated hypertension, elevated glucose levels&nbsp; (&gt;5.6 mmol/l), or already existing type 2 diabetes&nbsp;mellitus. The investigation has been carried out in<br />the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases of&nbsp;Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, aimed at 1)<br />establishing the frequency of the metabolic&nbsp;syndrome and its components among the patients&nbsp;with COPD and bronchiectases; 2) analyze and&nbsp;compare the frequency of metabolic syndrome&nbsp;and its components in the examined groups related&nbsp;to the patients&rsquo; sex, age, and COPD treatment&nbsp;length. The study included 193 subjects, 163 of&nbsp;whom suffered from COPD and bronchiectases,&nbsp;classified into three groups: COPD patients (n=55,&nbsp;Group 1), patients with bronchiectases (n=50,&nbsp;Group 2), and patients with concurrent COPD and&nbsp;bronchiectases (n=58, Group 3). The control&nbsp;group, designated as Group 4, included 30&nbsp;subjects&nbsp; free of bronchiectases and COPD, so the&nbsp;total of 193 subjects were included in the&nbsp;investigation. The NCEP/ATP III criteria<br />established metabolic syndrome frequency among&nbsp;the patients with chronic respiratory diseases&nbsp;(COPD, bronchiectases, and concomitant COPD&nbsp;and bronchiectases) amounted to 37.3 % . The&nbsp;metabolic syndrome was more frequent in the&nbsp;patients with COPD and/or bronchiectases than in&nbsp;the control group patients free of any chronic&nbsp;respiratory disease. The metabolic syndrome was&nbsp;VIII confirmed in 38.2% of COPD patients, 54% of the&nbsp;patients with bronchiectases, and in 36.2% of the<br />patients with&nbsp; concomitant COPD and&nbsp;bronchiectases. The mean number of the<br />metabolic syndrome components was&nbsp; 2.18 in&nbsp;COPD patients,&nbsp;&nbsp; 2.56 in patients with<br />bronchiectases, and 2.1 in patients with&nbsp;concomitant COPD and bronchiectases. The<br />metabolic syndrome components were neither&nbsp;more frequent, nor statistically higher in the&nbsp;patients with concomitant COPD and&nbsp;bronchiectases as compared to the patients with a&nbsp;single presence of any of the two diseases. The&nbsp;difference in the single values of the metabolic&nbsp;syndrome components and the frequency of&nbsp;certain components in the examined groups of the&nbsp;patients with chronic pulmonary diseases was not&nbsp;statistically significant. Among the patients with&nbsp;chronic respiratory diseases, no correlation was&nbsp;observed between the metabolic syndrome&nbsp;frequency and the patients&rsquo; sex or age. The&nbsp;metabolic syndrome was not confirmed to be&nbsp;more frequent in males, or in&nbsp;&nbsp; &gt;65 yr old patients,&nbsp;as compared to younger patients. Among COPD<br />patients, no correlation was registered between the&nbsp;metabolic syndrome frequency and&nbsp;&nbsp; COPD&nbsp;treatment duration. It was confirmed that the&nbsp;metabolic syndrome frequency was not higher in&nbsp;the patients with &lt;5Hyear long COPD treatment<br />than in those treated for COPD longer. On the&nbsp;basis of the results obtained in our investigation,&nbsp;we conclude that chronic respiratory diseases,&nbsp;COPD and &nbsp;bronchiectases, are the conditions with&nbsp;a higher cardiometobolic risk.</p>

Das Metabolische Syndrom (MetSyn) ist gekennzeichnet durch eine Kombination verschiedener kardiovaskulärer Risikofaktoren: Glukoseintoleranz, Adipositas, Dyslipidämie sowie arterielle Hypertonie. Es gilt beim Menschen als eine der Hauptursachen für Herzkreislauferkrankungen und befindet sich weltweit auf enormem Vormarsch. Die Weichen für die Erkrankung werden zum Teil schon vor der Geburt durch eine veränderte Umwelt in utero gestellt. So können Stress oder eine Glukokortikoidbehandlung während der Schwangerschaft zu einem veränderten Phänotyp des Embryos/Fetus führen - mit Konsequenzen für das gesamte spätere Leben. Dieses Phänomen wird als pränatale Programmierung bezeichnet. Neben diesen epigenetischen Effekten spielen u. a. auch geschlechtsabhängige Faktoren eine Rolle für das Risiko, am MetSyn zu erkranken. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit den Auswirkungen einer Glukokortikoidbehandlung in der frühen Trächtigkeit sowie dem Einfluss des Geschlechts auf kardiovaskuläre Risikofaktoren im Erwachsenenalter. Als Modelltier für die Studie wurde der Weißbüschelaffe eingesetzt. In einem 2002 stattgefundenen Vorversuch im Deutschen Primatenzentrum in Göttingen wurde tragenden Tieren (F0) eine Woche lang täglich oral Dexamethason verabreicht. Dieses synthetische Glukokortikoid kann die Plazentaschranke passieren. Die drei folgenden in Leipzig gehaltenen Generationen DexF1/2/3W (weibliche Tiere, n = 4/6/2) und DexF2/3M (männliche Tiere, n = 2/4) gingen in die Untersuchung ein. Tiere, die keine Nachkommen der F0-Generation darstellten, bildeten jeweils eine weibliche (ControlW, n = 11) und eine männliche (ControlM, n = 15) Kontrollgruppe und wurden ebenfalls herangezogen, um die Auswirkungen des Geschlechts auf die untersuchten Parameter zu ermitteln. Es wurde ein oraler Glukosetoleranztest (OGTT) durchgeführt (inklusive der Erfassung der Insulinwerte), der Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI – Maß für die Insulinsensitivität) berechnet sowie Lipidstoffwechselparameter bestimmt. Außerdem fanden wöchentlich Erfassungen des Körpergewichts statt. In mehreren Sitzungen pro Tier wurde der Blutdruck gemessen. Die statistische Auswertung erfolgte mittels Mann-Whitney-U-Test für unabhängige Stichproben. Unterschiede mit einer Irrtumswahrscheinlichkeit p ≤ 0,05 wurden als signifikant angesehen. Im OGTT wies DexF1W im Vergleich zu ControlW 120 Minuten nach oraler Glukoseapplikation eine signifikant niedrigere Insulinkonzentration auf. Da nach 30 und 120 Minuten auch die Glukosekonzentration signifikant erniedrigt war, ist jedoch nicht von einer klinischen Relevanz auszugehen. Weitere Auswirkungen der Dexamethasonapplikation auf die F1- bis F3-Generation konnten nicht beobachtet werden. Beim Vergleich der weiblichen und männlichen Nachkommen unbehandelter Weißbüschelaffen fiel auf, dass weibliche Tiere signifikant höhere Insulinkonzentrationen und damit eine signifikant größere Insulin-AUC (Fläche unter der Kurve) im OGTT zeigten. Ihr QUICKI war signifikant niedriger. Hyperinsulinämie und niedriger QUICKI stellen Symptome einer gestörten Glukoseregulation dar. Die weiblichen Tiere zeigten außerdem eine signifikante Erhöhung hinsichtlich Körpergewicht, VLDL-Triglycerid- und folglich Plasmatriglyceridkonzentrationen. Ihre HDL-Cholesterolwerte waren signifikant niedriger. Diese Kombination einer Hypertriglyceridämie mit niedrigem HDL-Cholesterol wird als atherogene Dyslipidämie bezeichnet. Eine gestörte Glukosehomöostase, eine Adipositas sowie eine atherogene Dyslipidämie stellen kardiovaskuläre Risikofaktoren und wichtige Komponenten des MetSyn dar. Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass beim Weißbüschelaffen eine Glukokortikoidbehandlung während der frühen Trächtigkeit nicht zum MetSyn der F1- bis F3-Generationen im Erwachsenenalter führte. Hingegen ergab die Untersuchung auf ein geschlechtsabhängiges Erkrankungsrisiko eine eindeutige Prädisposition bei den weiblichen Tieren. Die zu Grunde liegenden Mechanismen dieses Phänomens bleiben Gegenstand weiterer Untersuchungen. / The metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) consists of a cluster of metabolic disorders, characterized by glucose intolerance, obesity, dyslipidemia and hypertension. In humans, it is a major cause for cardiovascular disease. Its worldwide prevalence is increasing. The way for the disease can be paved even before birth. An adverse intrauterine environment due to prenatal stress or an iatrogenic overexposure of the fetus to glucocorticoids can lead to an altered phenotype with consequences for later life. This phenomenon is called prenatal programming. In addition gender specific factors play a leading role for the risk of developing MetSyn. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of a glucocorticoid application in early pregnancy and gender on cardiovascular risk factors in adulthood. The common marmoset was used as model species. In a preliminary experiment (2002) at the german primate centre (Göttingen) animals (F0) were orally treated with dexamethasone for one week during early pregnancy. Dexamethasone is a synthetic glucocorticoid that can pass the placental barrier. The following three generation offspring, reared in Leipzig, DexF1/2/3W (female animal, n = 4/6/2) and DexF2/3M (male animal, n = 2/4) were regarded. Animals that were no descendants of the F0 generation built a female (ControlW, n = 11) and a male (ControlM, n = 15) control group and were also regarded for gender-specific risk for MetSyn. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was carried out (including measurements of insulin concentration), the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI – measure of insulin sensitivity) was calculated and parameters of lipid metabolism were investigated. Furthermore, all animals were weighed weekly and blood pressure was monitored at a series of meetings. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney-U-Test for independent samples. The level of significance was defined at p ≤ 0.05. DexF1W in comparison to ControlW had a significantly lower insulin concentration 120 minutes after glucose application in the OGTT and a significantly lower glucose concentration 30 and 120 minutes after reaching the sugar solution. These findings did not seem to be clinically relevant. Apart from that, no consequences could be determined in the F1-3 generation offspring after dexamethasone treatment in pregnancy. Regarding gender comparison of untreated common marmosets, female animals had significantly higher insulin concentrations in OGTT and therefore a significantly greater insulin AUC (area under the curve). QUICKI was significantly lower. Hyperinsulinemia and a low QUICKI are symptoms of an impaired glucose regulation. Furthermore, the female animals showed an increase in body weight, VLDL triglycerides and therefore total triglycerides. HDL cholesterol was significantly lower. Hypertriglyceridemia in combination with low HDL cholesterol is called atherogenic dyslipidemia. A disturbed glucose homeostasis, obesity and an atherogenic dyslipidemia are cardiovascular risk factors and important components of MetSyn. In summary, dexamethasone applied in early pregnancy did not lead to metabolic syndrome in the F1-F3 generation offspring of common marmoset in adulthood. However, the female gender was associated with a higher risk of developing the disease. The underlying mechanisms require further investigation.

Le récepteur X des farnésoïdes (FXR) fait partie de la superfamille des récepteurs nucléaires et agit comme un facteur de transcription suite à la liaison d’un ligand spécifique. Le récepteur FXR, activé par les acides biliaires, joue un rôle essentiel dans le métabolisme des lipides et du glucose en plus de réguler l’homéostasie des acides biliaires. Notre laboratoire a récemment mis en évidence une nouvelle voie de régulation du récepteur PPARγ en réponse au récepteur de la ghréline. En effet, la ghréline induit l’activation transcriptionnelle de PPARγ via une cascade de signalisation impliquant les kinases Erk1/2 et Akt, supportant un rôle périphérique de la ghréline dans les pathologies associées au syndrome métabolique. Il est de plus en plus reconnu que la cascade métabolique impliquant PPARγ fait également intervenir un autre récepteur nucléaire, FXR. Dans ce travail, nous montrons que la ghréline induit l’activation transcriptionnelle de FXR de manière dose-dépendante et induit également la phosphorylation du récepteur sur ses résidus sérine. En utilisant des constructions tronquées ABC et CDEF de FXR, nous avons démontré que la ghréline régule l’activité de FXR via les domaines d’activation AF-1 et AF-2. L’effet de la ghréline et du ligand sélectif GW4064 sur l’induction de FXR est additif. De plus, nous avons démontré que FXR est la cible d’une autre modification post-traductionnelle, soit la sumoylation. En effet, FXR est un substrat cellulaire des protéines SUMO-1 et SUMO-3 et la sumoylation du récepteur est ligand-indépendante. SUMO-1 et SUMO-3 induisent l’activation transcriptionnelle de FXR de façon dose-dépendante. Nos résultats indiquent que la lysine 122 est le site prédominant de sumoylation par SUMO-1, quoiqu’un mécanisme de coopération semble exister entre les différents sites de sumoylation de FXR. Avec son rôle émergeant dans plusieurs voies du métabolisme lipidique, l’identification de modulateurs de FXR s’avère être une approche fort prometteuse pour faire face à plusieurs pathologies associées au syndrome métabolique et au diabète de type 2. / The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor within the nuclear receptor superfamily. FXR is activated by bile acids and plays a crucial role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and in bile acid homeostasis. Our group has recently identified the contribution of the ghrelin receptor in the regulation of the nuclear receptor PPARγ. Indeed, ghrelin triggers transcriptional activation of PPARγ through a concerted signaling cascade involving Erk1/2 and Akt kinases. These results support the peripheral actions of ghrelin in diseases associated with the metabolic syndrome. It is recognized that there is interplay between PPARγ metabolic cascade and FXR. Here, we demonstrate that ghrelin promotes FXR transcriptional activity in a dose-dependent manner and also promotes its phosphorylation on serine residues. By using truncated ABC and CDEF constructs of FXR, we found that ghrelin induces FXR activity through the AF-1 and AF-2 activation domains. The ghrelin-induced FXR activity is additive to the induction by the selective agonist GW4064. Also, we demonstrate that FXR is the target of sumoylation, another post-translational modification. In particular, FXR is modified by SUMO-1 and SUMO-3 in a ligand-independent manner. SUMO-1 and SUMO-3 promote dose-dependent transcriptional activity of FXR. Our results show that lysine 122 is the prevalent site of sumoylation by SUMO-1, though a compensation mechanism seems to exist between the various sumoylation sites of FXR. With its emerging role in several metabolic cascades, identification of FXR modulators represents a promising approach for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Résumé Objectifs : Le syndrome métabolique (MetS) est un ensemble de composantes (obésité, résistance à l'insuline, intolérance au glucose, dyslipidémie, hypertension) qui sont associées à une augmentation du risque de diabète de type 2 et de maladies cardiovasculaires. Aux États-Unis, la fréquence du MetS atteint des proportions épidémiques avec une prévalence de 25% de la population. Les études nutritionnelles traditionnelles se sont concentrées sur l’effet d’un nutriment alors que les études plus récentes ont déterminé l’effet global de la qualité alimentaire sur les facteurs de risque. Cependant, peu d'études ont examiné la relation entre la qualité alimentaire et le MetS. Objectif: Déterminer l'association entre la qualité alimentaire et le MetS et ses composantes. Méthodes: La présence du MetS a été déterminée chez 88 femmes post-ménopausées en surpoids ou obèses, selon la définition du National Cholesterol Education Program Adult treatment Panel III alors que la qualité alimentaire a été évaluée selon le Healthy Eating Index (HEI). La sensibilité à l’insuline, la composition corporelle et le métabolisme énergétique ont été mesurés. Résultats: Le HEI corrélait négativement avec la plupart des mesures de masse grasse et du poids mais pas avec la sensibilité à l'insuline, l’hypertension et la plupart des marqueurs lipidiques. Cependant, l’HEI corrélait positivement avec LDL-C/ApoB et négativement avec le métabolisme énergétique. Conclusion: Les résultats démontrent que l’HEI est associé avec les mesures de gras corporel et la grosseur des LDL. Mots clés: Obésité, qualité alimentaire, métabolisme lipidique, syndrome métabolique. / Abstract Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of different metabolic components including central obesity, insulin resistance, abnormal glucose homeostasis, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure which identify individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. In the US, the prevalence of MetS has reached epidemic proportion and up to 25% of the population is affected. Traditional nutritional studies have focused on a single nutrient. Recently, measures of overall diet quality have been proposed as an alternative to assess diet-related diseases. However, few studies have addressed the relationship between diet quality and the MetS. Objective: To investigate the association of diet quality with the MetS and its components. Methods: The presence of the MetS was determined in 88 postmenopausal overweight or obese women using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult treatment Panel III definition while diet quality was assessed with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). We also measured insulin sensitivity, body composition and energy metabolism. Results: The HEI correlated negatively with most measures of body fat and body weight but not with insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and most markers of lipid metabolism. However, HEI correlated positively with LDL-C/ApoB and negatively with energy metabolism. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that HEI is associated with fat distribution and LDL size. Key words: Obesity, diet quality, lipid metabolism, metabolic syndrome.

Obesity results from an excess of adipose tissue and is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Adipose tissue exists in two main forms: white adipose tissue (WAT), which stores energy as triglycerides, and brown adipose tissue (BAT), which dissipates stored energy as heat. White adipose tissue is composed of several subcutaneous and visceral depots, each possessing distinct molecular and functional characteristics. Brown-like adipocytes can emerge in WAT depots in response to cold or beta-adrenergic stimulation. These cells have been called “beige” or “brite” (brown-in-white) cells. The reduction of obesity in mice treated with beta-adrenergic agonists is correlated with the emergence of beige cells. Beige cell development occurs most readily in subcutaneous depots, and to the least extent in visceral depots. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying beige cell development in different WAT depots may be important in discovering new therapies against obesity and related diseases. Our lab has previously discovered that Tyrosine Kinase 2 (Tyk2), an important mediator of cytokine signaling, promotes the development of classical brown adipose tissue. Due to the lack of functional BAT, Tyk2-knockout (Tyk2-/-) mice become grossly obese with age and develop several symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. In the present study, we have found a potential role of Tyk2 in the development of beige cells. Here, we show that mRNA expression of BAT-selective genes (UCP1, Cidea, Cox8b, and Elovl3) is significantly reduced in subcutaneous WAT of Tyk2-knockout (Tyk2-/-) mice compared to wild-type mice. Surprisingly, BAT-selective genes are induced in Tyk2-/- subcutaneous WAT by acute starvation. These findings suggest that Tyk2 is required for the development of beige cells under ambient conditions, and that the need for Tyk2 in beige cell development is bypassed during nutritional stress, a stimulus of the sympathetic response.

Background: Insulin resistance may play a pathogenic role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Resistance to insulin has been associated with obesity, hypertension, and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. The constellation of these features among insulin resistant subjects has been called the metabolic syndrome. Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome increases with age and is most common in the elderly. Different criteria have been proposed to define the metabolic syndrome (ATP, WHO, AACE, EGIR). Current management of metabolic syndrome focuses on the specific risk factors that the patient may have without targeting the underlying insulin resistance. Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEI) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) are widely used antihypertensive medications that may improve insulin sensitivity. We hypothesize that they can be used to reduce the long term cardiovascular complications in elderly hypertensive subjects with evidence of insulin resistance. In this study, we determined the effect of ACEI/ARB on the long term development of CVD in hypertensive non-diabetic elderly patients with the metabolic syndrome, as well as in patients with insulin resistance. Methods: Our research project utilizes the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) dataset. This dataset is a community based observational study where elderly participants were randomly selected and followed up for 11 years and the time to any cardiovascular event was recorded. In our project, we included hypertensive, non-diabetic individuals, with evidence of metabolic syndrome or insulin resistance, but had not experienced cardiovascular events at baseline. Cox regression model was used to evaluate the effect of ACEI/ARB on the time to the first cardiovascular event compared to the other antihypertensive medications adjusting for possible confounders such as age, race, gender, smoking status, triglycerides, LDL levels, systolic blood pressure, development of diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF) and the number of anti-hypertensives. Results: In elderly hypertensive non-diabetic subjects with the metabolic syndrome according to the ATP and the WHO criteria, the hazard ratio for CVD associated with the use of ACEI/ARB was 0.65 or 0.68 (with 95 % C.I. of [0.45, 0.98], and [0.48, 0.96]) respectively when compared to the group exposed to the other anti-hypertensives. When the metabolic syndrome was defined according to the AACE and EGIR, the use of ACE/ARB was associated with hazard ratios for CVD equal to 0.74 and 0.899, respectively (with 95 % C.I. of [0.54, 1.09] and [0.61, 1.34]) compared to the use of the other anti-hypertensives. Hypertensive non-diabetic elderly subjects who were insulin resistant as evidenced by a HOMA-IR in the upper quartile, had a hazard ratio for CVD of 0.78 (95 % C.I. [0.56, 1.09]) associated with the use of ACEI/ARB compared to the use of other anti-hypertensives. Conclusions: The effect of ACEI/ARB on the development of cardiovascular events differs according to the definition of the metabolic syndrome. Elderly hypertensive patients with the metabolic syndrome, defined by ATP and WHO, seem to have lower risk of CVD with ACEI/ARB compared to the other antihypertensive medications. However, this association is not significant in elderly hypertensive patients in the upper quartile of HOMA and in patients with the metabolic syndrome as defined by AACE and EGIR criteria.