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Biomedical subjects

R Rath

Publications and source records attributed to R Rath.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Short-term fasting in the treatment of obesity.

Short-term fasting (five days) accompanied by negative nitrogen balance induced protein sparing effect in the realimentation period at obese persons on the hypocaloric diet. To utilise the starvation induced activation of mechanism compensating the losses of body protein 5-day starvation was alternated with 3-day intervals on 500 kcal diet (60 g of protein), the cycle was repeated five-times. The results of repeated estimations of body composition (densitometry) revealed, that at this regimen the losses of the body fat were in a marked preponderance over the lean body mass (63% versus 37% of the weight decrease). The repeated periods of starvation are well tolerated and appeared to be effective and safe (provided that states with contraindication of starvation are excluded).

Anorexia↗

Enzyme activities in quadriceps femoris muscle of obese diabetic male patients.

In biopsy samples of the lateral part of the quadriceps femoris muscle of 6 obese diabetic male patients and of 11 obese males with a normal glucose tolerance, the activities of 7 enzymes of energy metabolism were estimated: hexokinase, cytoplasmic glycerol-3-phosphate: NAD dehydrogenase, triosephosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. The obese diabetic male patients exhibited decreased activities of enzymes of carbohydrate breakdown and cytoplasmic NAD regeneration. Enzymes connected functionally with aerobic metabolism were less affected. The unchanged activity of 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase points to an increased role of fatty acid catabolism in the muscle.

3-Hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenases↗

Immunoreative insulin in obesity of adult women.

The levels of immunoreactive insulin (IRI) in 58 obese women and 14 controls were studied. The investigation revealed: (1) higher IRI levels in obese patients compared to controls, with a tendency to normalization after weight reduction (2) a correlation between IRI values and the degree of obesity, the amount of fat and lean body mass. The closest relation was found between stimulated IRI values and the Broca index (3) the ratio glucose/insulin was lower in the obese women before and after a glucose load. After a decrease of body weight by 11 per cent this ratio did not change significantly (4) a negative correlation between the glucose/insulin ratio and body weight, overweight, body fat and lean body mass.

Adult↗

Enzyme activity patterns of energy supplying metabolism in the quadriceps femoris muscle (vastus lateralis): sedentary men and physically active men of different performance levels.

1. In 3 groups of men, differing as to the amount and intensity of physical training loads, increasing in the order "sedentary": "sporting": "athletic", enzyme activities were estimated in biopsy samples of m. quadriceps femoris (vastus lateralis). The enzymes were: Hexokinase (HK), NAD: glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), triosephosphate dehydrogenase (TPDH), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthase (CS), NAD: malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (HOADH). Indicators of laboratory performance and whole-body metabolic capacities (maximal oxygen consumption etc.) were estimated in the "sporting" and "athletic" groups. 2. In the 2 latter groups, distinguished by greater physical activity, the atypical enzyme activity pattern, remarkable by a low activity of LDH and high relative activities of GPDH and HK, as reported earlier in a sedentary group (Bass et al., 1975a), disappeared. The possibility of the atypical low LDH enzyme activity pattern as resulting from lack of bodily exertion is discussed. 3. The moderately trained "sporting" group distinguishes itself from the "sedentary" one mainly by a higher activity of LDH and by lower activities of GPDH and MDH. In the intensively trained "athletic" group, enzymes connected to aerobic oxidation (MDH, CS, HOADH) and GPDH also show higher activities than in the "sporting" group. The difference between the two more active groups is further borne out by a higher maximum oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide release of the well-trained "athletic" group. This difference of enzyme activity pattern may not be confined to the quadriceps femoris muscle.

Adult↗

[Possibilities for determining body composition of man in relation to obesity].

The following methods for determining the body composition of obese individuals were compared: hydrostatic weighing; determination of total body water (distribution of antipyrine and of tritium oxide); determination of the total potassium content of the body; determination of the amount of excreted creatinine. The values for body fat which derived from the body density, from the total potassium content and from the distribution of antipyrine differed only to a small extent. These differences were not significant. But the value based on tritium oxide distribution differed significantly. The study of the body composition of obese individuals has clearly shown that the increase in body weight is significantly correlated with the increase in the proportion of fat in the body (r=0.444), with the increase in the absolute fat content (r=+0.898) and also with the increase in the proportion of lean body mass (r=0.826). Not only the fat (61.2%) but also the lean body mass (38.8%) contributes to the weight increase of obese individuals. The quantitative determination of the fat content of the body and of the fat-free substance not only serves to specify the diagnosis of obesity (in particular, it permits to detect the so-called latent obesity) but is also the basis of the assessment of certain function, e.g., energy metabolism. The effectiveness of different methods for losing weight may be evaluated by repeated determinations of the fat content and for the lean body mass.

Adipose Tissue↗

Effect of protracted intermittent fasting on the activities of enzymes involved in energy metabolism, and on the concentrations of glycogen, protein and DNA in skeletal muscle of obese women.

In the quadriceps femoris muscle of obese women the glycogen concentration was significantly lower than in the control group, while protein and DNA values showed no significant differences. After 37 days of intermittent fasting, which consisted of repeated 5-day fasts alternating with 3-day intervals on 500 KCal/day with 60 g protein, in a group of 21 obese women a significant decline of the hexokinase activity in skeletal muscle was found. Other enzymes: triosophosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, malate dehydrogenase and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase showed no significant changes. There was a significant fall in concentration of DNA and and glycogen, but the protein concentration did not change.

Adult↗

Characteristic features of antilipolytic activity of serum in relation to obesity.

Antilipolytic activity (ALA) of serum of the obese and controls was tested on rat epididymal adipose tissue incubated in medium containing adrenaline; the results were compared with the effect of insulin. Serum of the obese displayed lower ALA than controls, in one third obese individuals serum potentiated the effect of adrenaline. After fasting, ALA of serum decreased. ALA value is related to the prevailing metabolic situation, an inverse relationship was observed between ALA and levels of NEFA and ketone bodies. This seems to suggest that antilipolytic effect of insulin, whose concentrations are higher in the obese, is antagonised. This effect does not apparently depend on the presence of insulin antibodies, which do not inhibit, but, on the contrary, potentiated antilipolytic effect of insulin in vitro. Investigation of fractions of native serum proteins showed the effect of fraction 10 000--50 000 MW. to differ in the obese and controls. That particular fraction of sera of the obese had an adipokinetic effect.

Adipose Tissue↗