Search

The pathophysiological link between adiposity and blood pressure is not completely understood, and evidence suggests an influence of sex and genetic determinants. We aimed to identify the relationship between adiposity and blood pressure, independent of a robust set of lifestyle and metabolic factors, and to examine the modulating role of sex and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms. In the Relationship Between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease (RISC) study cohort, 1211 normotensive individuals, aged 30 to 60 years and followed-up after 3.3 years, were characterized for lifestyle and metabolic factors, body composition, and ACE genotype. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were independently associated with mean arterial pressure, with a stronger relationship in women than men (BMI: r =0.40 versus 0.30; WC: r =0.40 versus 0.30, both P ID and II ACE genotypes in both sexes ( P ACE genotype only in women ( P =0.03). A 5 cm larger WC at baseline increased the risk of developing hypertension at follow-up only in women (odds ratio, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.15–2.10], P =0.004) and in II genotype carriers (odds ratio, 1.87 [95% CI, 1.09–3.20], P =0.023). The hypertensive effect of adiposity is more pronounced in women and in people carrying the II variant of the ACE genotype, a marker of salt sensitivity.

International audience; The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of stage of maturity at harvest on extent of starch, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and protein digestion, and rumen fermentation in dry cows fed whole-plant corn silage from different hybrids. Four nonlactating Holstein cows cannulated at the rumen and proximal duodenum were fed 4 corn silages differing in hybrid (flint vs. flint-dent) and maturity stage (early vs. late) in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. From early to late maturity, starch content increased (from 234.5 to 348.5 g/kg), whereas total-tract (99.7 to 94.5%) and ruminal starch digestibility (91.3 to 86.5%) decreased significantly. The decrease in ruminal starch digestibility with increasing maturity was similar between hybrids. No effects were found of maturity, hybrid, or maturity x hybrid interaction on total-tract NDF digestibility, ruminal NDF digestibility, true digestibility of N and organic matter in the rumen, or microbial synthesis. Harvesting at later maturity led to increased ruminal ammonia, total volatile fatty acid concentrations, and acetate/propionate ratio but not pH. This study concludes that delaying date of harvest modifies the proportions of digestible starch and NDF supplied to cattle. Adjusting date of corn harvest to modulate amount of rumendigested starch could be used as a strategy to control nutrient delivery to ruminants.

International audience; High-production ruminants are commonly fed maize silage, which makes accurate evaluation of its nutritive value a key economic issue. However, evaluations of the rate and extent of ruminal degradation of starch and cell wall fractions from maize silage carry uncertainty due to the lack of a standardized method. Here, we investigated the effects of ensiling and sample conditioning on in situ-measured degradation of maize forage. Eight series of maize samples (two hybrids × two maturity stages × two methods of conservation [non-ensiled or fresh and ensiled]) were nylon-bagged in three conditionings: dried and ground to 1 mm (D1), dried and ground to 4 mm (D4), frozen and coarse-ground (FG). Disappearance of dry matter (DM), starch and fibre (aNDF) was measured in situ in cow rumen after different incubation times (2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 96 h). Effects of ensiling, sample conditioning, genotype, maturity and their interactions on DM, starch and aNDF degradation were analyzed using the SAS MIXED procedure. Effective dry matter degradability (ED4DM) was significantly higher (P

Introduction et but de l’etude Les determinants de la prise alimentaire dans l’obesite restent encore difficilement apprehendes. L’hypothese emergente de l’addiction a l’alimentation souligne le role de l’impulsivite dans la deregulation de la prise alimentaire. Les potentiels evoques cognitifs (ondes cerebrales mesurees en EGG en reponse a une tache specifique) sont des reflets de ces fonctions. Une diminution de l’onde P300 est observee dans les addictions, quelle que soit la substance en cause. L’onde N2 est quant a elle consideree comme etant plutot le reflet de l’inhibition et du controle cognitifs. Notre objectif etait de determiner si les femmes souffrant d’une obesite associee a une forte desinhibition alimentaire (DA) presentaient des anomalies significatives de ces processus cognitifs par rapport a une population obese sans desinhibitions alimentaires et a une population saine. Materiel et methodes Nous avons inclus des femmes âgees de 18 a 65 ans, non diabetique et sans trouble psychiatrique. 3 groupes ont ete compares : une groupe controle (GC) avec un IMC entre 18,5 et 24,5 kg/m2, score de desinhibition 8. Chaque patiente a beneficie d’un enregistrement EEG au cours d’une epreuve de discrimination sonore (stimuli sonores rares aigus versus stimuli frequents avec des sons graves, auditory oddball paradigm). L’amplitude et la latence des ondes N2 et P300 ont ete enregistrees en Fz, Cz et Pz. Le statut metabolique a ete evalue par la glycemie, l’insulinemie, la leptine et la ghreline. Les groupes SAD et ADA ont ete compares par un test t et les groupes GC, SDA et ADA a l’aide d’une ANOVA et d’un test post-hoc de Dunnett (GC en reference). Resultats et analyse statistique Trente patientes ont ete incluses par groupes. Les resultats n’ont pas montre de differences significatives entre les groupes SDA et ADA pour les parametres metaboliques et les PEC. L’amplitude de l’onde P300 en Pz est plus faible dans les groupes SDA et ADA que dans le GC, respectivement (12,420 SD = 4,64 p = 0,21 et 12,536 SD = 4,44 p = 0,26 versus 15,8 SD = 5,9 pour GC). L’amplitude negative de l’onde N2 en Cz est plus faible dans le groupe SDA que dans GC (−1,967 SD = 5,35 et −5,177 SD = 4,17 ; p = 0,12). Conclusion Notre etude montre que les patientes souffrant d’obesite presentent une baisse de l’amplitude de l’onde P300 comme observee dans les addictions, contrairement aux sujets normoponderaux. Cependant, l’absence de desinhibition alimentaire chez certaines patientes souffrant d’obesite pourrait etre en lien avec de meilleures strategies d’inhibition et de controle cognitifs comme semblent le montrer les modifications de l’onde N2 dans le groupe SDA. L’utilisation de strategie d’amelioration de ce controle et de la flexibilite mentale (remediation cognitive, neurofeed back) pourrait donc etre outils interessants dans la prise en charge des patients obese et ceci afin d’ameliorer le controle de la prise alimentaire.

Corn silage is the main forage fed to ruminants and represents the most important energetic supply to animals of high level of production (dairy cows and fattening animals). Global methods to predict organic matter digestibility of corn silage were developed in the 1990’s (Aufrere et al., 1992). To improve the understanding and the prediction of corn energetic substrates degradation in the rumen, one problem lies in the lack of reference method to evaluate the rate and extent of corn silage starch degradation in the rumen. This issue could lead to errors in the choice of feed supplements in diet formulation. The aim of the present experiment was to determine the most adapted experimental in sacco procedure among current in sacco incubation technique to evaluate degradability of fresh corn and corn silage.

This study describes plant species diversity in well preserved dry coastal dune systems along the southern Baltic coast. Variations in diversity and in distributional character of plant species and plant communities throughout the study areas result mainly because of the interplay between plant succession, exposure, disturbance and resource availability. Environmental indicator values, used to describe dynamics in dune habitats, show a decline of light and temperature with increased distance to the sea, accompanied by higher soil moisture due to accumulation of organic matter. Species richness and species diversity showed a humped-shaped curve along a coast-to-inland gradient. The highest species richness of vascular plants and cryptogamic species were found in plant communities of grey dunes at intermediate levels of environmental and disturbance gradients, which confirms the intermediate disturbance theory. This study describes plant species diversity in well preserved dry coastal dune systems along the southern Baltic coast. Variations in diversity and in distributional character of plant species and plant communities throughout the study areas result mainly because of the interplay between plant succession, exposure, disturbance and resource availability. Environmental indicator values, used to describe dynamics in dune habitats, show a decline of light and temperature with increased distance to the sea, accompanied by higher soil moisture due to accumulation of organic matter. Species richness and species diversity showed a humped-shaped curve along a coast-to-inland gradient. The highest species richness of vascular plants and cryp-togamic species were found in plant communities of grey dunes at intermediate levels of environmental and disturbance gradi-ents, which confirms the intermediate disturbance theory.

Aim Insulin resistance needs to be identified as early as possible in its development to allow targeted prevention programmes. Therefore, we compared various fasting surrogate indices for insulin sensitivity using the euglycaemic insulin clamp in an attempt to develop the most appropriate method for assessing insulin resistance in a healthy population. Methods Glucose, insulin, proinsulin, glucagon, glucose tolerance, fasting lipids, liver enzymes, blood pressure, anthropometric parameters and insulin sensitivity (Mffm/I) using the euglycaemic insulin clamp were obtained for 70 normoglycaemic non-obese individuals. Spearman’s rank correlations were used to examine the association between Mffm/I and various fasting surrogate indices of insulin sensitivity. A regression model was used to determine the weighting for each variable and to derive a formula for estimating insulin resistance. The clinical value of the surrogate indices and the new formula for identifying insulin-resistant individuals was evaluated by the use of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results The variables that best predicted insulin sensitivity were the HDL-to-total cholesterol ratio, the fasting NEFA and fasting insulin. The use of the lipid-parameter-based formula Mffm/I = 12 × [2.5 × (HDL-c/total cholesterol) − NEFA] – fasting insulin appeared to have high clinical value in predicting insulin resistance. The correlation coefficient between Mffm/I and the new fasting index was higher than those with the most commonly used fasting surrogate indices for insulin sensitivity. Conclusion A lipid-parameter-based index using fasting samples provides a simple means of screening for insulin resistance in the healthy population.

Two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis of proteins from breast cancer cells MCF-7. Modifications of synthesis induced by FGF-2. Using high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis, we have separated more than 1,000 proteins from the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Computer assisted analysis of gels allowed us to classify these proteins in function of their isoelectric point, molecular weight and relative quantity. This data-base will now be used as a powerful tool to identified proteins which synthesis is regulated in various experimental or pathological situations. Thus we studied modifications induced by FGF-2. This growth factor induces the synthesis of four polypeptides which are not detected in cells not stimulated by this factor. In addition, intensity of nine other polypeptides was found increased in presence of FGF-2.

Background: The effects of progesterone are mediated by two distinct nuclear receptors, called PR-A and PR-B, which are encoded by a single gene. In the normal human breast, these two isoforms are co-expressed at similar levels of expression whereas breast cancer seems to be characterized by an unbalanced expression of PR-A and PR-B, with a predominance of either one of these two isoforms. In the present study, we analyzed the relationships between the PR isoforms and the HER receptors and ligands network in primary breast cancer.Materials and Methods: This study involves 299 breast cancer samples from patients operated in our institute for locoregional disease between May 1989 and December 1991. Since PR-A has no specific sequence to distinguish it from PR-B, the mRNA expression of total PR-(A+B) isoforms as well as those of PR-B were assessed. They were quantified by real time quantitative RT-PCR using TaqMan probes, as previously described for HER receptors (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor EGFR, HER2, HER3, and HER4) (Pawlowski et al, Clin Cancer Res 2000;6:4217-25) and HER ligands (EGF, Transforming Growth Factor alpha (TGFa), amphiregulin (AREG), betacellulin (BTC), Heparin-Binding EGF (HB-EGF), Epiregulin (EREG), and neuregulins 1-4 (NRG1-4)) (Révillion et al, Ann Oncol 2008;19:73-80).Results: PR-(A+B) and PR-B mRNA levels strongly correlated with PR and ER protein levels determined by radioligand assay. PR-(A+B) were found to correlate positively to IGF1 receptor, and both isoforms correlated negatively to histoprognostic grading. Considering the HER receptor and ligands network, PR-(A+B) were positively correlated with HER3, HER4, EGF, AREG, while they were negatively correlated with EGFR, TGFa, HB-EGF, EREG, and NRG2. Similarly, a positive correlation was found between PR-B and HER3, HER4, EGF and AREG while PR-B correlated negatively to EREG, NRG3 and NRG4. Finally, PR-(A+B) expression (higher than the lower quartile) was significantly associated with a longer overall survival (p= 0.02, Kaplan-Meier analysis).Conclusion: Our results, demonstrating strong correlations between PR isoforms and HER receptors and ligands network, reinforce the observations (Proietti et al, Mol Cell Biol 2009;29:1249-65) demonstrating that cross-talk between PR and the HER family appears to be a hallmark of breast cancer growth. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(24 Suppl):Abstract nr 4150.

BRCA1, a major gene predisposing to breast and ovarian cancers, encodes a ring finger-containing protein. Its function is still unknown. Recently, the existence of a new structural domain called BRCT was postulated. This domain has some similarity with the 53BP1 human protein involved in p53 binding process. To test for a possible relationship between BRCA1 and p53, we compared p53 expression by immunohistochemical analysis in 29 BRCA1-associated breast cancers from 19 families, and in 200 consecutive sporadic breast cancers. We observed a prevalence of tumors with p53 positive staining in the BRCA1 population (p=0.003). In addition, p53 expression was affected by the site of the germ line mutation in the BRCA1 gene. p53 staining was found more consistently in tumors associated with mutations that lead to a truncation of BRCA1 in the ring finger region (p=0.0048). These results favor the hypothesis of a cooperation between BRCA1 and p53. Further experiments are needed to explore the full bilogical relevance of this phenomenon.