Dieting and weight loss do not affect on the platelet serotonin 5-HT2A receptor.

Alterations related to the serotonin 5-HT(2A) receptor have been reported in various psychiatric disorders, and the 5-HT(2A) receptor is also one of the receptors mediating the effects of serotonin on feeding and satiety. The present study was carried out in order to investigate the association between the serotonin 5-HT(2A) receptor and weight loss during dieting in overweight subjects. In nine women studied before, during and after a 6-month period of dieting, body weight loss was not found to affect the platelet 5-HT(2A) receptor status. This finding implies that although body weight decrease is a common feature in many psychiatric disorders, the reported alterations in serotonin 5-HT(2A) receptor status in these disorders do not seem to be caused by the weight loss per se.

Enhanced metabolic efficiency contributes to weight regain after weight loss in obesity-prone rats.

Metabolic adjustments occur with weight loss that may contribute to a high rate of weight regain. We have previously observed in obesity-prone, obese rats that weight reduction is accompanied by a suppression in resting metabolic rate beyond what would be predicted for the change in metabolic mass. In the present study, we examine if this adjustment in metabolic efficiency is affected by the length of time in weight maintenance and if it contributes to the propensity to regain after weight loss. Twenty-four-hour, nonresting, and resting energy expenditure (REE) were obtained by indirect calorimetry and normalized to metabolic mass estimated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A 10% loss in body weight in weight-reduced rats was accompanied by a 15% suppression in adjusted REE. This enhancement in metabolic efficiency was not altered with either 8 or 16 wk of weight maintenance, but it did resolve when the forced control of intake was removed and the weight was regained. The rate of weight regain increased with the time in weight maintenance and was exceptionally high early during the relapse period. During this high rate of weight gain, the suppression in REE persists while consumption increases to a level that is higher than when they were obese. In summary, an enhanced metabolic efficiency and an elevated appetite both contribute (60% and 40%, respectively) to a large potential energy imbalance that, when the forcible control of energy intake is relieved, becomes actualized and results in an exceptionally high rate of weight regain.

Nutritional behavior as a predictor of early success after vertical gastroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Patients' nutritional habits are seldom taken in account in planning surgery for clinically severe obesity. Our proposed hypothesis is that the patient's nutritional behavior may influence the outcome of bariatric surgery. METHODS: The impact of nutritional behavior on the postoperative weight-loss was evaluated before and after bariatric surgery. A 6-month prospective consecutive case study was carried out on patients undergoing a Silastic ring vertical gastroplasty (SRVG). Patients were interviewed and examined before and at 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the patients' medical charts. Nutritional data collected from a self-filled questionnaire included information on hunger and satiety perception, nutritional behavior (intake, eating habits and maximum consistency of consumed food) and concomitant symptoms. RESULTS: The sample included 69 patients: 56 were women (81%); average age was 32 years (range 18 50). Average preoperative BMI was 43.4 +/- 5.3 kg/m2 (range 35-58). 6 months after surgery, BMI was 30.3 +/- 3.8 kg/m2 (range 21-42). weight loss forecast models showed a statistically significant role of factors related to: anthropometrical preoperative data, hunger perception, prevalence of oral mucosal sore, and nutritional behavior. CONCLUSION: The short nutrition outcomes after gastric restrictive surgery were looked at, with their impact on weight-loss success. The Eating Status concept should be part of a systematic profiling of morbidly obese patients for preoperative nutritional behavior and postoperative nutritional education, to achieve the best comprehensive treatment in regard to weight loss and quality of life.

The role of palliative radiotherapy in locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively the treatment results of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with palliative intent in Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, Radiation Oncology Department. One hundred and fifteen inoperable, non-metastatic and symptomatic NSCLC patients were treated with palliative radiotherapy (PRT) between July 1991 and May 2000. PRT was used in patients with low performance status, weight loss more than 10% within last 6 months, secondary malignancies, co-morbid diseases and socio-economic problems. Parallelly opposed isocentric antero-posterior fields including both the parenchymal and mediastinal masses were used. 10-55 Gy total doses were delivered in 1-23 fractions with a median of 30 Gy. Nineteen patients received systemic chemotherapy before PRT. Survival analysis was made from the treatment beginning date, and subjective palliation rates were assessed according to clinical improvements in symptomatology evaluated 1-6 weeks after PRT. The median follow-up time was 28 weeks (1-234 weeks). Totally, 245 disease-related symptoms were detected in 115 patients. Overall "improvement" in symptomatology was found to be 90% (221/245) with a "near-total response" rate of 46% (113/245). Hemoptysis was the best palliated symptom. Median survival time was 30 weeks. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) (p=0.015), weight loss (p=0.0015), histologic tumor type (p=0.0024) and tumor size (p=0.02) were found to effect overall survival rates significantly in uni-variant analysis. Multi-variant analysis revealed statistically significant effect with histological tumor type and weight loss status. Only 16% of patients (3/19) showed partial and 5% (1/19) complete response to systemic treatment. Median survival time was 46 weeks in this group. In conclusion, this retrospective study of patients with poor prognostic factors confirms that PRT is an effective treatment modality in symptomatic locally advanced NSCLC patients resulting in 90% symptomatic improvement rate and a median survival of 30 weeks.

Microwave drying of high strength dental stone: effects on dimensional accuracy.

High-strength dental stone is widely used to produce dies for the fabrication of restorations with the lost-wax technique. It is normal to wait at least 24 hours for casts to dry and gain sufficient strength prior to initiating laboratory procedures. This waiting time may be greatly reduced by using microwave drying. This study determined the optimum microwave energy density for preserving working die accuracy of a Type IV high-strength dental stone (Silky Rock; Whipmix). Cylindrical die specimens were fabricated according to manufacturer's instructions and allowed to set for one hour. The specimens were subsequently treated as follows: Group I (Control group)--air dried; Group II--microwaved at 700W for 40 seconds; Group III--microwaved at 490W for 60 seconds. The percentage weight loss of cylindrical specimens (n = 6) and the percentage dimensional change (n = 7) of die specimens in three axes (x, y and z) were determined at 30 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours after air drying/microwaving. weight loss was measured using an electronic digital balance, while dimensional changes were assessed using image analysis software. Data was subject to ANOVA/Scheffe's tests at significance level 0.05. No significant difference in percentage weight loss was observed between air drying for 24 hours and microwaved specimens at all time intervals. Although no significant difference in percentage dimensional changes was observed between specimens microwaved at 490W for 60 seconds and specimens air dried for 24 hours, significant changes in x, y and z dimensions were observed after microwaving at 700W for 40 seconds at various time intervals. Microwave radiation at 490W for 60 seconds is recommended for drying Type IV high-strength dental stone. Further investigations are required to determine changes in physical properties associated with the aforementioned microwave power density.

Patupilone (epothilone B, EPO906) and imatinib (STI571, Glivec) in combination display enhanced antitumour activity in vivo against experimental rat C6 glioma.

PURPOSE: The microtubule-stabilizing agent patupilone (epothilone B, EPO906) and the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib (STI571, Glivec) which primarily inhibits Bcr-Abl, PDGF and c-Kit tyrosine kinase receptors, were combined in vivo to determine if any interaction would occur with respect to antitumour effect and tolerability using rat C6 glioma xenografted into nude mice. METHODS: Patupilone and imatinib were administered alone or in combination at suboptimal doses. Imatinib treatment (orally once daily) was initiated 4 days after s.c. injection of rat C6 glioma cells into athymic nude mice and patupilone administration (i.v. once per week) was started 3 or 4 days after imatinib treatment. RESULTS: As a single agent, imatinib was inactive in the regimens selected (100 mg/kg: T/C 86% and 116%; 200 mg/kg: T/C 68% and 84%; two independent experiments), but well tolerated (gain in body weight and no mortalities). Patupilone weekly monotherapy demonstrated dose-dependent antitumour effects (1 mg/kg: T/C 67% and 70%; 2 mg/kg: T/C 32% and 63%; 4 mg/kg: T/C 3% and 46%). As expected, dose-dependent body weight losses occurred (final body weight changes at 1 mg/kg were -7% and -3%; at 2 mg/kg were -23% and -13%; and at 4 mg/kg were -33% and -15%). Combining 2 mg/kg patupilone and 200 mg/kg per day imatinib in one experiment produced a non-statistically significant trend for an improved antitumour effect over patupilone alone (combination, T/C 9%), while in the second experiment, enhancement was seen with the combination and reached statistical significance versus patupilone alone (combination, T/C 22%; P=0.008). Reduction of the imatinib dose to 100 mg/kg per day resulted in no enhancement of antitumour activity in combination with 2 mg/kg patupilone. Reduction of the patupilone dose to 1 mg/kg resulted in a reduced antitumour effect, and only a trend for synergy with either imatinib dose (combination, T/C 46% and 40%). Pooling the data from the two experiments confirmed a significant synergy for the combination of 2 mg/kg patupilone and 200 mg/kg per day imatinib (P=0.032), and a trend for synergy at the 1 mg/kg patupilone dose. Reduction in the imatinib dose to 100 mg/kg per day resulted only in additivity with either dose of patupilone. Body weight losses were dominated by the effect of patupilone, since no greater body weight loss was observed in the combination groups. CONCLUSION: Combining patupilone with high-dose imatinib produced an increased antitumour effect without affecting the tolerability of treatment in a relatively chemoresistant rat C6 glioma model. Such results indicate that further evaluation is warranted, in particular to elucidate possible mechanisms of combined action.

Activity-induced GLP-1 release in lean and obese subjects.

The aim of the study was to determine whether physical activity stimulates GLP-1 release on the short-term in normal weight and in obese subjects compared to rest and, furthermore, whether modest weight loss affects GLP-1 release or sensitivity in the obese. Normal weight (n=28; 12 males, 16 females; BMI 22.9+/-1.4; age 35+/-12.7), as well as obese subjects (n=27; 21 males, 6 females; BMI 30.9+/-2.7; age 47.1+/-11.86) were tested in a resting and a physical activity condition. Obese subjects were matched over two groups for a weight loss period of 3 months. After weight loss, the tests were repeated. The area under the curve (AUC pmol/lxmin) for GLP-1 concentrations was significantly increased in the physical activity condition compared to rest in lean subjects (P=0.05) as well as in the obese subjects after weight loss (P<0.05), but not in the obese subjects before weight loss. Physical activity-stimulated GLP-1 release in lean and obese subjects after a weight loss period supports the idea of a neuroendocrine loop in addition to distal-intestinal stimulation of GLP-1 release. Modest weight loss might be effective for increasing GLP-1 sensitivity to acute stimulation.

Personality characteristics as predictors of underreporting of energy intake on 24-hour dietary recall interviews.

OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristics associated with misreporting of energy intake during 24-hour dietary recalls (24 HR). DESIGN: Ninety-eight subjects were administered two 24 HRs. Energy expenditure was determined by doubly labeled water (44 subjects) or intake balance (54 subjects). Data on subjects' physical, lifestyle, and psychosocial characteristics were also collected. Subjects/setting At the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center 52 women and 46 men were administered 24HR and completed lifestyle and personality questionnaires and a memory test. Physical characteristics such as weight, percent body fat, and total energy expenditure were measured. Statistical analysis The influences of subject parameters on energy misreporting were assessed by linear regression and Pearson product-moment correlation analysis for continuous variables and by ANOVA for discrete variables. Stepwise regression was used to identify key factors in underreporting. RESULTS: Factors particularly important in predicting underreporting of energy intake include factors indicating dissatisfaction with body image; for example, a 398 kcal/day underreport in subjects attempting weight loss during the past year with a nearly 500 kcal/day underreport in women. Overall, women underreported by 393 kcal/day relative to men and women evinced a social desirability bias amounting to a 26 kcal underreport for each point on the social desirability scale. Gender differences also were evident in the effect of percent body fat (with men underreporting about 16 kcal/day/percent body fat) and in departure from self-reported ideal body weight (with women underreporting about 21 kcal/day/kg). APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Body image and fatness are key factors on which health professionals should focus when seeking predictors of underreporting of dietary intake. Dietary interviews must be conducted to minimize bias related to subjects' tendencies to win approval and avoid censure by the interviewer. In addition, dissatisfaction with body image may lead to underestimation of food intake, therefore reducing likelihood of success in weight loss. Thus, health care professionals involved in weight loss counseling may achieve better success if treatment includes generating a more positive body image.