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Biomedical subjects

F Agosti

Publications and source records attributed to F Agosti.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Three-week integrated body weight reduction programme markedly improves performance and work capacity in severely obese patients.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects on performance and work capacity of a short-term (3-week) integrated body weight reduction programme consisting of an energy-restricted diet, nutritional education, psychological counselling and aerobic exercise training at a constant metabolic load (5 days/week) in 71 severely obese patients (18 males and 53 females aged 29.3 +/- 0.8 years, with a mean weight of 113.8 +/- 2.2 kg and a mean BMI of 41.3 +/- 0.5 kg/m(-2)). Body mass and composition, and maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) were determined before and after the programme. The caloric equivalent of work output and a performance index (PI) during 10 min of bicycle ergometer pedalling (50-60 rpm) and 20 min of treadmill walking (incline 0-3%) at a constant metabolic load (50% of individual VO2max during the preliminary conditioning period--1st week--and 60% during the exercise conditioning period--2nd and 3rd week) were evaluated daily throughout the study. After the programme, body mass reduced significantly (-4.5%, p<0.001), the weight loss being sustained entirely by a significant reduction in fat mass (-7.6%, p<0.001) without any significant changes in fat-free mass. Absolute and body mass-related VO2max significantly increased by respectively 14.5% and 20.2% (p<0.001). Both daily work output during constant metabolic load (ANOVA, p<0.05-0.001) and PI (ANOVA, p<0.05-0.001) increased significantly during each week of the programme, leading to a total increase in work output in response to exercise conditioning of 44.6 +/- 5.8 kcal. It is concluded that the changes in exercise capacity induced by the present programme offer significant advantages for obese patients that can be quantified in terms of an improvement in their ability to perform everyday activities, thus contributing towards improving their quality of life.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Effects of a 3-week integrated body weight reduction program on leptin levels and body composition in severe obese subjects.

The effects of short-term (3 weeks) integrated body weight reduction (BWR) program (including energy-restricted diet, aerobic and strength exercise (5 days/week), nutritional education and psychological counseling) on plasma leptin levels and body composition were investigated in 54 morbidly obese patients (38 females/16 males; mean BMI +/- SE: 41.8 +/- 0.1 kg/m2, range 35-58 kg/m2; mean age: 29.8 +/- 1.0 yr, age range: 18-46 yr). The BWR program induced a significant (p < 0.001) weight loss (BMI reduction: -4.8%) and a significant modification in body composition, consisting in a fat mass (FM) decrease (-7.0 +/- 0.4%, p < 0.001) with a concomitant fat-free (FFM) mass increase (1.8 +/- 0.3%, p < 0.001). On average, plasma leptin levels decreased significantly both in males (from 19.4 +/- 2.6 ng/ml to 11.6 +/- 1.3 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and in females (from 41.1 +/- 3.6 ng/ml to 29.9 +/- 3.0 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Both before and after weight loss, leptin levels were positively correlated (p < 0.001) with BMI and percent fat mass (FM) values. Weight changes after the BWR program were negatively correlated with baseline leptin concentrations both in absolute terms and expressed per unit FM. In conclusion, a short-term diet plus aerobic/strength training effectively induces body composition changes and reduces plasma leptin levels. Body FM reduction appears to be not the unique determinant of leptin levels regulation and the degree of leptin over-expression may negatively affect weight loss in morbidly obese patients.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed2003

Ghrelin secretion in severely obese subjects before and after a 3-week integrated body mass reduction program.

Ghrelin, the endogenous ligand of GH-secretagogue receptors, has been implicated in the regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance. Aim of the study was to investigate ghrelin levels in fasting conditions and after a standard meal test in obese subjects before and after a 3-week integrated body weight reduction (BWR) program (consisting of energy-restricted diet, exercise training, psychological counselling and nutritional education). Weight, height, fat mass, fat free mass (by impedentiometry), circulating ghrelin, insulin and leptin levels were evaluated in 10 obese subjects (3 male, 7 female; mean age: 35 +/- 9.3 yr; body mass index BMI: 45.2 +/- 10.6 kg/m2) before and after weight reduction. At baseline, obese subjects showed significantly lower ghrelin levels than controls, which were negatively correlated with BMI, weight, insulin and leptin levels. Fasting ghrelin levels were not modified by standard meal test in obese subjects (from 110.8 +/- 69.7 to 91.8 +/- 70.2 pmol/l p=ns), while a significant reduction was observed in controls (from 352.4 +/- 176.7 to 199.0 +/- 105.2 pmol/l; p<0.01). After a 3-week integrated BWR program obese subjects significantly reduced weight, BMI and leptin levels, while no significant changes were found both in fasting ghrelin and in ghrelin response after the meal. In conclusion, 5% weight loss obtained after a short-term period of integrated BWR program is not sufficient to normalize fasting ghrelin levels nor to restore the normal ghrelin suppression after a meal in severely obese subjects.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Patterns and symmetries in leaf development.

The leaf is a coordinated mosaic of developmental domains, which are evident from leaf inception on the flanks of the apical meristem. The subdivision of the meristem into molecularly defined domains is regulated by the interactions of a number of gene products and by receptor kinase-mediated signals. The acquisition of symmetry axes in the emerging leaf is a process coordinated by hormones (such as auxin and cytokinins) and the expression of classes of genes (such as the knox and the ARP, as1/rs2/phan, genes). As with simple leaves, the architecture of compound leaves is defined by spatial/temporal gradients of regulatory gene functions: complexity results from the interplay between leaf differentiation processes and genes maintaining a partial level of indeterminacy in the developing primordium. Boundaries between regions with different molecular 'addresses' are considered, in plants as in Drosophila, as organizing centres for lateral organ development.

Body Patterning↗