Psychiatric III-Health of Women and Its Relationship to Obesity and Body Fat Distribution

Objective : Abdominal obesity is associated with serious, prevalent diseases. Previously, psychiatric symptoms and ill-health has been found in this condition in men. The results of a similar study in women is reported herein. Research Methods and Procedures : A cohort of 1464 women, aged 40 years and recruited by systematic sampling, was examined (77.7% participation rate). Items regarding use of anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressive drugs were registered, as well as symptoms of dyspepsia, sleeping disturbances, melancholy, and degree of life satisfaction. Smoking and alcohol consumption, as well as self-measured weight, height, waist, and hip circumferences, were reported, from which body mass index [BMI; weight (kg)/height² (m²), kg/m²] and the waist/hip circumference ratio (WHR) were calculated. Results : In bivariate analyses, BMI was associated with use of anxiolytics, antidepressive drugs, various sleeping disturbances, and a low degree of life satisfaction. After controlling for “the WHR, alcohol, and tobacco use in multivariate analysis, the associations between BMI and use of anxiolytics and sleeping disturbances remained significant. The WHR correlated with dyspepsia, sleeping problems, and use of antidepressive drugs. After adjustments for BMI, smoking, and alcohol, the relationship to dyspepsia and antidepressants remained significant. Discussion : The results suggest that elevated BMI (obesity) and elevated WHR (central fat distribution) are associated in different ways with symptoms of psychiatric ill-health in women. Obesity alone shows no such relationships to psy chiatric ill-health in men, whereas central fat distribution shows independent associations to all of the measured variables studied in this report in women, suggesting gender differences in these associations.     

Visceral Fat Accumulation,Insulin Resistance,and Elevated Depressive Symptoms in Middle-Aged Japanese Men

Objective

To investigate visceral fat accumulation and markers of insulin resistance in relation to elevated depressive symptoms (EDS).

Methods

Participants were 4,333 male employees (mean age, 49.3 years) who underwent abdominal computed tomography scanning, measured fasting insulin, and did not self-report diabetes and mental disorders under treatment and history of cancer, myocardial infarction, and stroke. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association of EDS with abdominal fat deposition and markers of insulin resistance.

Results

Visceral fat area (VFA) and fasting insulin were significantly, positively associated with EDS. Multivariable-adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) of high VFA for the lowest through highest quartile of depression score were 1 (reference), 1.18 (0.97–1.42), 1.25 (1.02–1.54), 1.23 (1.01–1.51), respectively, and corresponding figures for high fasting insulin were 1 (reference), 0.98 (0.80–1.19), 1.12 (0.91–1.38), and 1.29 (1.06–1.57), respectively. Subcutaneous fat area was not associated with EDS.

Conclusions

Results suggest that EDS is related to visceral, but not subcutaneous, fat accumulation and insulin resistance in middle-aged Japanese men.     

Waist Circumference as the Best Predictor of Noninsulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) Compared to Body Mass Index,Waist/hip Ratio and Other Anthropometric Measurements in Mexican Americans—A 7-Year Prospective Study

Although a number of obesity-related variables are recognized risk factors for NIDDM, few studies have addressed which one is the best predictor. A cohort of 721 Mexican Americans aged 25–64 years who were free of NIDDM at baseline were followed for an average of 7.2 years; 105 new cases of NIDDM were diagnosed. Body weight, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, waist/hip ratio (WHR), triceps and subscapular skinfolds were all positively predictive of NIDDM independent of age and sex. There were modest to strong correlations between these anthropometric variables, however, waist circumference was the strongest predictor of NIDDM. The predictive power of a single measurement of waist circumference was at least equal to that of WHR and BMI combined. The risk of NIDDM for those in the highest quartile of waist circumference was 11 times greater than for those in the lowest quartile (95% confidence interval: 4.2–28.8). The waist-NIDDM relation was stronger in subjects with BMI ≤ 27 kg/m² (OR: 6.0 for a 1 SD difference) than in subjects with BMI > 27 kg/m2 (OR: 1.7 for a 1 SD difference). In multivariate analysis, waist circumference was the only significant predictor of NIDDM in models that included other anthropometric variables either separately or simultaneously. WHR and BMI were independent predictors of NIDDM after adjustment for each other, however, their predictive abilities disappeared after adjustment for waist circumference. The data indicate that waist is the best obesity-related predictor of NIDDM. This finding suggests that the distribution of body fat, especially abdominal localization, is a more important determinant than the total amount of body fat of the development of NIDDM in Mexican Americans.     

Relationships of Psychiatric Disorders with Overweight and Obesity in an Adult General Population**

Objective: To explore relationships of smoking and risk drinking status, nicotine and alcohol dependence, and anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders with overweight and obesity. Research Methods and Procedures: A probability sample was drawn that was representative for the adult general population, 18 to 64 years of age, in one region of Germany; the participation rate was 70.2%. After excluding those who were pregnant or had a current eating disorder according to the DSM‐IV, 4063 individuals remained. Overweight and obesity were defined according to the BMI that was assessed in the face‐to‐face in‐home standardized interview (Composite International Diagnostic Interview) on psychiatric disorders. Results: Men with a former nicotine dependence had higher odds of being overweight than men who never had a nicotine dependence (adjusted odds ratio, 1.5; confidence interval, 1.1 to 2.1). Men at current risk for drinking and current alcohol‐dependent or abusing men had lower odds of being overweight compared with men who never were alcohol dependent, abusing, or at risk for drinking (adjusted odds ratio, 0.3; confidence interval, 0.8 to 0.9). Effect sizes were small. No relationship of overweight with depressive, anxiety, or somatoform disorders was found in the multivariate analysis. Discussion: There is a relationship between being overweight and nicotine and alcohol dependence or abuse among men but not among women. Even though one reason for women to refrain from quitting smoking is the fear of weight gain, these results do not support this. This information could help convince women to try to quit smoking.     

Relationships between Body Fat Distribution,Epicardial Fat and Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Obese Patients with and without Metabolic Syndrome

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and metabolic syndrome, both closely related to obesity, often coexist in affected individuals; however, body mass index is not an accurate indicator of body fat and thus is not a good predictor of OSA and other comorbidities. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the occurrence of OSA could be associated with an altered body fat distribution and a more evident cardio metabolic risk independently from obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Methods and Results

171 consecutive patients (58 men and 113 women) were included in the study and underwent overnight polysomnography. Anthropometric data, blood pressure, lipid profile, glycaemic parameters were recorded. Body composition by DXA, two-dimensional echocardiography and carotid intima/media thickness measurement were performed. 67 patients (39.2%) had no OSA and 104 (60.8%) had OSA. The percentage of patients with metabolic syndrome was significantly higher among OSA patients (65.4%) that were older, heavier and showed a bigger and fatter heart compared to the control group. Upper body fat deposition index , the ratio between upper body fat (head, arms and trunk fat in kilograms) and lower body fat (legs fat in kilograms), was significantly increased in the OSA patients and significantly related to epicardial fat thickness. In patients with metabolic syndrome, multivariate regression analyses showed that upper body fat deposition index and epicardial fat showed the best association with OSA.

Conclusion

The occurrence of OSA in obese people is more closely related to cardiac adiposity and to abnormal fat distribution rather than to the absolute amount of adipose tissue. In patients with metabolic syndrome the severity of OSA is associated with increase in left ventricular mass and carotid intima/media thickness.     

Relation of Body Fat Distribution to Reproductive Factors in Pre- and Postmenopausal Women

TROISI, REBECCA J, ANNE M WOLF, JOANN E MANSON, KELLY M. KLINGLER AND GRAHAM A. COLDITZ. Relation of body fat distribution to reproductive factors in pre- and postmenopausal women. Obes Res. 1995;3:143–151. The cross-sectional relations of several reproductive characteristics with self-reported waist-to-hip circumference ratio were evaluated in 44, 487 pre- and postmenopausal women 40 to 65 years of age who were free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. All results were adjusted for age, body mass index, cigarette smoking, physical activity, and alcohol intake. Current use of postmenopausal hormones was associated with a significantly lower waist-to-hip ratio than either past or never use independent of type of menopause (0.778 versus 0.784, p=0.0001 and 0.787, p=0.0001, respectively), although associations with type (unopposed estrogens versus combined estrogen and progesterone) and duration of hormone therapy were not noted. Waist-to-hip ratio did not differ between pre- and postmenopausal women, but demonstrated weak positive associations with age at menarche, parity, and age at first birth, and a weak inverse association with past duration of breast-feeding. These data confirm relations of several reproductive factors and use of hormone replacement therapy with body fat distribution. Epidemiologic studies relating body fat distribution to disease outcomes in women should consider these factors as potential confounders.     

Relationships between Dietary Fat,Body Fat,and Serum Lipid Profile in Prepubertal Children

KU, CHING YI, BARBARA A. GOWER, TIM R. NAGY, MICHAEL I. GORAN. Relationships between dietary fat, body fat, and serum lipid profile in prepubertal children. Obes Res. 1998;6:400–407. Objective : The purpose of the study was to test the hypothesis that dietary fat components were associated with the serum lipid profile independent of ethnicity, body fat, and fat distribution in prepubertal children. Research Methods and Procedures : Sixty-six children (45 African American and 21 Caucasian), aged from 4 to 10 years, were recruited into the study. Dietary total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat were estimated by averaging two 24-hour diet recalls. Fasting serum triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were analyzed, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was calculated by the method of Friedewald. Body composition and fat distribution were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and computed tomography. Results : Children in both ethnic groups tended to overreport their dietary intake relative to total energy expenditure by 18%. African American children consumed more energy from total fat (35.3% vs. 31.5%, p<0.05), saturated fat (13.7% vs 12.2%, p<0.05), protein (16.4% vs. 13.2%, p = 0.02), and less from carbohydrate (48% vs. 57.1%, p<0.01) than Caucasian children. There was no significant correlation between dietary fat and either serum lipids or body fat indices after adjusting for nonfat energy intake and total lean tissue mass. Total body fat (r = 0.32), subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (r = 0.39), and intraabdominal adipose tissue (r = 0.42) were positively related to serum triacylglycerol; these associations remained significant in a multiple linear regression model in which body fat indices were adjusted for ethnicity, total lean tissue, dietary total fat, and nonfat intake. Discussion : Our results do not support a link between dietary fat and serum lipids; instead, our data suggest that body fat may play a more important role than dietary fat in the course of cardiovascular disease development in prepubertal children.     

The Relationships between Metabolic Disorders (Hypertension,Dyslipidemia, and Impaired Glucose Tolerance) and Computed Tomography-Based Indices of Hepatic Steatosis or Visceral Fat Accumulation in Middle-Aged Japanese Men

Background

Most studies on the relationships between metabolic disorders (hypertension, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance) and hepatic steatosis (HS) or visceral fat accumulation (VFA) have been cross-sectional, and thus, these relationships remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to clarify the relationships between components of metabolic disorders and HS/VFA.

Methods

The participants were 615 middle-aged men who were free from serious liver disorders, diabetes, and HS/VFA and underwent multiple general health check-ups at our institution between 2009 and 2013. The data from the initial and final check-ups were used. HS and VFA were assessed by computed tomography. HS was defined as a liver to spleen attenuation ratio of ≤1.0. VFA was defined as a visceral fat cross-sectional area of ≥100 cm² at the level of the navel. Metabolic disorders were defined using Japan’s metabolic syndrome diagnostic criteria. The participants were divided into four groups based on the presence (+) or absence (-) of HS/VFA. The onset rates of each metabolic disorder were compared among the four groups.

Results

Among the participants, 521, 55, 24, and 15 were classified as HS(-)/VFA(-), HS(-)/VFA(+), HS(+)/VFA(-), and HS(+)/VFA(+), respectively, at the end of the study. Impaired glucose tolerance was more common among the participants that exhibited HS or VFA (p = 0.05). On the other hand, dyslipidemia was more common among the participants that displayed VFA (p = 0.01).

Conclusions

It is likely that VFA is associated with impaired glucose tolerance and dyslipidemia, while HS might be associated with impaired glucose tolerance. Unfortunately, our study failed to detect associations between HS/VFA and metabolic disorders due to the low number of subjects that exhibited fat accumulation. Although our observational study had major limitations, we consider that it obtained some interesting results. HS and VFA might affect different metabolic disorders. Further large-scale longitudinal studies are needed to reveal the relationships between the components of metabolic disorders and HS/VFA.     

Synergistic Effect of Betel Quid,Tobacco, and Alcohol in Cigarette Smoking Induced Micronuclei in a Population of Arunachal Pradesh,India

Genotoxicity is one of the important endpoints for risk assessment of various lifestyle factors. The present study examined the synergistic effect of tobacco, betel quid, and alcohol in cigarette smoking induced micronuclei (MN) in the buccal epithelia of exposed individuals. Analysis of MN frequency and nuclear abnormalities (binucleated, karyorrhectic, karyolitic, and pyknotic cells) was performed in the exfoliated buccal cells of 110 habituates and compared to a control group matched for gender, age, and habit. A significant increase in the frequency of MN was found in smokers and alcohol, betel quid, and tobacco users compared to the control group. Tobacco, alcohol, and betel quid seem to potentiate the effect of cigarette smoking induced MN formation in the buccal epithelium. Smoking alone significantly increased the number of karyorrhexis cells in the buccal epithelium and combined exposure of all four test substances significantly increased the number of karyorrhexis and pycnotic cells. The findings indicate a synergistic effect between smoking, betel quid, tobacco, and alcohol in MN induction and cell death in buccal cells of exposed individuals.     

Suggestive Linkages Between Markers on Human 1p32-p22 and Body Fat and Insulin Levels in the Québec Family Study

A single-gene rodent mutation (diabetes) and a quantitative trait locus (dietary obese 1) mapped to the mid portion of mouse chromosome 4 have been related to obesity and/or insulin levels. Synteny relationships place their putative human homologs on 1p31 and 1p35-p31, respectively. In 137 sibships of adult brothers and sisters from the Québec Family Study, genetic linkages between seven microsatellite markers from 1p32-p22 and various obesity- and diabetes-related quantitative phenotypes were examined using single locus sibpair linkage analysis. Suggestive linkages were observed between markers D1S476 and body mass index (p>=Q.Q5), fat mass (p=0.02), the sum of six skinfolds (p=0.02), the insulin area after an oral glucose tolerance test (p=0.02), and between the neighboring marker D1S200 and body mass index (p>=0.03), and fat mass (p=0.009). Suggestive linkages were also observed between the more telomeric markers D1S193 and body mass index (p=0.03), and between the neighboring marker DIS 197 and fasting insulin level (p=0.05). No linkage was observed with the trunk to extremity skinfolds ratio. These linkages suggest that human homologs of the mouse diabetes or dietary obese 1 and/or other genes in this interval on chromosome 1 play a role in the regulation of body mass, body composition, and insulin levels, but not of subcutaneous fat distribution.     

Association between Alcohol, Smoking and HLA-DQA1*0201 Genotype in Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a common chronic disease characterizedby erythema and scaling plaques. Although the disease isnot fatal, it detrimentally affects the life-quality of thesufferer, but no effective curative therapy has beenestablished. Up to now, the pathogene…     

Comparisons for Body Mass Index and Body Fat Percent Among Puerto Ricans,Blacks, Whites and Asians Living in the New York City Area

The latest data (NHANES III) from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) show that the black population has the highest proportion of overweight among all adult populations in the United States. The present study compared the body mass index (BMI) and body fat percent from dual-photon absorptiometry in 1,324 healthy adults aged 18 to 107 years recruited from four ethnic groups in the New York City area; 523 whites, 280 blacks, 267 Asians and 254 Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans had the largest BMI and the largest percent of subjects with body weight more than 120% of their ideal weight, and the largest fat percent of the four ethnic groups: 76% of Puerto Rican males had fat percent above the median value for white males (fat percent = 19.6%) and 95% of Puerto Rican females had fat percent above the median for white females (fat percent = 30.8%). Asians had the smallest BMI, but 63% of them had fat percent above the median values for whites in each gender. Puerto Ricans also had the largest waist-to-hip ratios among the four ethnic groups. In blacks, the percent of subjects with fat percent larger than the median for whites was slightly smaller than that for Puerto Ricans, 64% and 82% of males and females respectively. These results differ from the latest NCHS data and show that Puerto Ricans in this sample are heavier and fatter than blacks.     

Affective and Personality Characteristics in Function of Nightmare Prevalence, Nightmare Distress, and Interference Due to Nightmares.

This study analyzes the relationships among nightmare frequency, nightmare distress, and interference due to nightmares, sleep quality, psychopathology (anxiety and depression), and personality (neuroticism, psychoticism, and boundaries). The nightmare parameters were evaluated with the Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire (B. Krakow et al., 2000; see also record 2000-16731-002), the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire (K. Belicki, 1992b; see also record 1993-08389-001), and the Nightmare Effects Survey (Krakow et al., 2000). The sample was composed of 147 healthy students. The results demonstrated that the 2 measurements of distress (subjective distress associated with nightmares and, especially, deterioration of psychosocial functioning) were the dimensions that best related to the variables studied, although the relationships were modulated by nightmare frequency. The parameter of nightmare frequency was found to be useful as an indicator of certain personality characteristics rather than psychological perturbation. Having nightmares on a weekly basis was strongly associated with depressed mood. The knowledge about these relations is relevant not only theoretically but also as a practical guide. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Seasonal Fluctuations in Body Fat and Activity Levels in a Rain-Forest Species of Mouse Lemur,Microcebus rufus

Seasonal fattening in preparation for the dry season followed by torpor characterizes some members of the family Cheirogaleidae, a group of < 600-g nocturnal Malagasy primates. These behaviors are associated with extreme seasonality in dry forests, where most studies have been conducted. I aimed to determine if the brown mouse lemur (Microcebus rufus), a rain-forest species of cheirogaleid, exhibited similar changes. Between January 1993 and May 1994 I conducted a mark-recapture study on Microcebus rufus in the rain forest of Ranomafana National Park. I monitored body weight and tail circumference for body fat fluctuations and inferred changes in activity levels from presence or absence in the traps. Some individuals of both sexes increased body fat and entered torpor as suggested by their absence from traps for at least 1 month of the dry season. Activity was resumed with body weight reduced by 5–35 g, and tail circumference by 0.4–1.2 cm. Population-level analysis supports these results; highest weight and tail circumference values occurred just before and at the onset of the dry season. Other individuals, predominantly male, exhibited no change in body fat or activity level, and some mouse lemurs increased their body fat over the course of the dry season. Age, social status, and individual response may influence seasonal behavioral strategies. Dry and rain-forest species of mouse lemur adopt similar behaviors to cope with environmental stresses. Mouse lemurs resemble nonprimate, small-bodied mammals, in which behavioral changes related to maintaining energy balance occur during seasonally unfavorable conditions.     

Obesity and Physical and Emotional Well‐Being: Associations between Body Mass Index,Chronic Illness,and the Physical and Mental Components of the SF‐36 Questionnaire

Objective: To clarify the associations between obesity and health‐related quality of life by exploring the associations between physical and emotional well‐being in relation to obesity and the presence of other chronic illness. Research Methods and Procedures: The study data were collected as part of a postal‐survey within the old Oxford Regional Health Authority of England in 1997. Completed questionnaires were returned by 8889 of 13,800 randomly selected adults aged 18 to 64 years. The main outcome measures were body mass index in five categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, moderately obese, morbidly obese); chronic illness status (any vs. none and number of such illnesses 0, 1 to 2, 3+); and mean SF‐36 questionnaire score in two summary component measures reflecting physical and emotional well‐being. Results: Of the subjects, 31% were overweight and an additional 11% were obese. Body mass index was significantly associated with health status, but the pattern varied according to whether the measure reflected physical or emotional well‐being. Physical, but not emotional, well‐being deteriorated markedly with increasing degree of overweight and was limited in subjects who were obese but had no other chronic condition; subjects with chronic illnesses other than obesity were compromised in both dimensions. In terms of the number of chronic illnesses reported, the additional presence of obesity was associated with a significant deterioration in physical but not emotional well‐being. Discussion: Overweight and obesity are associated with poor levels of subjective health status, particularly in terms of physical well‐being. The limitations in emotional well‐being that are reported here and in other studies may be a result of confounding by the presence of accompanying chronic illness.     

Association between coffee,tobacco, and alcohol daily consumption and sleep/wake cycle: an actigraphy study in euthymic patients with bipolar disorders

ABSTRACT

Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) have higher than average rates of coffee, tobacco and alcohol use. These substances may have deleterious effects on sleep quality and quantity, which may destabilize sleep/wake cycles and negatively impact the clinical course and prognosis of BD. The use of these substances may also be perceived as a self-medication attempt, for example, to induce sleep or to increase vigilance during the day. The objective of the current study was to investigate associations between the self-reported daily use of coffee, tobacco, and alcohol, and objective measures of sleep and activity patterns in adult individuals with BD. A sample of 147 euthymic individuals with BD were assessed for daily coffee, tobacco and alcohol consumption and 21 days of actigraphy monitoring. Actigraphic measures of sleep quantity and daytime activity were compared between groups classified as coffee+/coffee-, tobacco+/tobacco- and alcohol+/alcohol-, defined according to their current daily use. Then, we examined potential correlations between sleep/wake cycle parameters and the amount of daily consumption of each substance. Multivariable analyses identified associations between the use of coffee, tobacco, and alcohol and several sleep and activity parameters, such as between coffee, alcohol, and the relative amplitude of activity (respectively, p = .003 and p = .005), between alcohol and M10 onset (onset time of the 10 most active hours during the 24-h cycle) (p = .003), and between coffee and sleep duration (p = .047). This study supports the hypothesis that there is a relationship, whose direction would be bidirectional, between the daily use of these substances and the sleep/wake cycle in euthymic individuals with BD. These preliminary results require replications in other retrospective and prospective samples. They may have a clinical impact on psycho-education strategies to be proposed to individuals with BD.     

No Specific Effect of Fluoxetine Treatment on Fasting Glucose,Insulin, Lipid Levels,and Blood Pressure in Healthy Men with Abdominal Obesity

In this paper we investigated the effect of fluoxetine (60 mg/d) on serum lipids, glucose and insulin concentrations and blood pressure by means of a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial. Thirty-eight overweight BMI: 26–30 kg/m²), nondiabetic, nonhypertensive men with an abdominal fat distribution (waist/hip ratio: >0.97) received dietary advice and placebo or fluoxetine for 12 weeks. The changes in serum parameters and blood pressure in the fluoxetine treated group were not different from the placebo treated group, despite a significantly larger weight loss in the fluoxetine group. In both groups serum total-cholesterol concentrations, serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations and tlie HDL/LDL ratio were significantly improved after treatment. Reductions in fasting glucose concentration and systolic blood pressure were only significant in the placebo group. A reduction of serum triglycerides and an increase of HDL-cholesterol were found in the fluoxetine treated group. In the total study population the changes in serum lipids seemed to be more strongly related to the change in total body fat or subcutaneous abdominal fat (assessed by MRI) compared to the change in visceral fat. The improvement of most of the serum lipids was related to tlie change in total body fat independent of the mechanism for attaining this fat loss. Our results indicate that fluoxetine treatment has no specific effect beyond that expected for weight loss on serum lipid, glucose and insulin concentrations, and blood pressure in overweight men.     

Effects of CH-19 Sweet,a Non-Pungent Cultivar of Red Pepper,in Decreasing the Body Weight and Suppressing Body Fat Accumulation by Sympathetic Nerve Activation in Humans

‘CH-19 Sweet’ is a non-pungent red pepper and enhances the energy expenditure in humans in like manner to the pungent red pepper. We investigated in this study the effects of a repeated intake of CH-19 Sweet for two weeks on the body weight and body fat in humans. Changes in the autonomic nervous activity after ingesting CH-19 Sweet were also measured by a power spectral analysis. We established a new protocol which allows the precise detection of weight change in humans by using fewer subjects. These methods were used to show that the repeated intake of CH-19 Sweet reduced the body weight and suppressed body fat accumulation. Furthermore, the body weight loss due to the repeated intake of CH-19 Sweet was significantly correlated with the sympathetic nervous response after its ingestion. We propose that the repeated intake of CH-19 Sweet reduced the body weight and suppressed body fat accumulation by sympathetic nervous activation in humans.     

Distribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase in summer-acclimatized crucian carp, Carassius carassius L.

The tissue distribution of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in summer-acclimatized crucian carp showed almost the same exceptional pattern as previously found in winter-acclimatized specimens. There was a nearly complete spatial separation of ALDH and ADH; in other vertebrates these enzymes occur together. This exceptional enzyme distribution is probably an adaptation to the extraordinary ability of Carassius to produce ethanol as the major metabolic end product during anoxia. Since the crucian carp is less likely to encounter anoxia during the summer, the present results suggest that the crucian carp is unable to switch over to a 'normal' ALDH and ADH distribution in the summer. However, it is also possible that there is an advantage for the summer-acclimatized crucian carp in keeping ALDH and ADH separate, because of occasional anoxic periods.