• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.18-26
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Anorexia is a common symptom in terminal cancer patients. Some data have suggested a role of visfatin in regulating feeding behavior. We studied the relationship of a serum visfatin level and anorexia in cancer patients provided with hospice care. Methods: After informed consent was obtained, 69 cancer patients over 20 years old at a hospice center were enrolled in the study from July 2009 to July 2010. We characterized patients by age, sex, body mass index, primary cancer site, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status, etc. Also, blood tests were performed to measure the level of hemoglobin, white blood cell (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), total cholesterol, albumin, lymphocyte count, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-${\alpha}$), interukin-6, leptin and visfatin. Results: The mean age of subjects was 65.5 years old, According to univariate analysis, pulse, ECOG performance scale, opioid use and visfatin level were different between the anorexia and non-anorexic group (P<0.05). The median visfatin level was higher in the anorexia group than the good appetite group (P=0.0323). Serum visfatin concentrations were not related with either body mass index or serum leptin or total cholesterol levels, but it was negatively correlated with serum albumin levels (P=0.0198) and lymphocyte counts (P=0.0013). Conclusion: This study did not identify a novel link between visfatin levels and anorexia in cancer patients at a hospice.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.11
• /
• pp.4503-4508
• /
• 2015

Background: The aims of this study were compare the serum visfatin and resistin levels between endometrial cancer (EC) patients and controls and evaluate their power to predict prognosis. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted between March 2013 to June 2014 on the Gynecologic Oncology Department of the University of Selcuk, Konya, Turkey. A total of 42 EC patients and 42 controls were included and assessed for differences in serum visfatin and resistin levels, along with prognostic factors. Results: Endometrial cancer patients had significantly higher visfatin levels than control s (p: 0.011), associated with deep myometrial invasion (p: 0.019). In contrast the serum level of resistin did not significantly differ between EC patients and controls (p: 0.362). However, high resistin level in EC patients was associated with increase lymph node metastasis (p: 0.009). On logistic regression analysis, we found that serum visfatin elevation was associated with risk of myometrial invasion (OR: 1,091; 95%CI: 1.021-1.166; p: 0.010) and serum resistin with risk of lymph node metastasis (OR: 1.018; 95%CI: 1.000-1.035; p: 0.046). For myometrial invasion prediction, a serum visfatin level greater than 26.8 ng/mL demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 66.6 % and 96.4%, respectively. For lymph node metastasis prediction, the best cut-off for serum resistin level was 599ng/mL. A serum resistin level greater than this demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 77.1%, respectively. Conclusions: Our data suggest that serum visfatin is elevated in patients with EC and serum visfatin and resistin levels could be used to predict the risk of advance stage lesions.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.27 no.6
• /
• pp.667-671
• /
• 2009

Visfatin (Nampt/PBEF) plays a pivotal role in the salvage pathway for $NAD^+$ biosynthesis. Its potent inhibitor, FK866, causes cellular $NAD^+$ levels to decline, thereby inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. In an effort to improve the solubility and binding interactions of FK866, we designed and synthesized IS001, in which a ribose group is attached to the FK866 pyridyl ring. Here, we report the crystal structure of rat visfatin in complex with IS001. Like FK866, IS001 is positioned at the dimer interface, and all of the residues that interact with IS001 are involved in hydrophobic or ${\pi}-{\pi}$-stacking interactions. However, we were unable to detect any strong interactions between the added ribose ring of IS001 and visfatin, which implies that a bulkier modifying group is necessary for a tight interaction. This study provides additional structure-based information needed to optimize the design of visfatin inhibitors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.16
• /
• pp.6923-6928
• /
• 2015

Background: Early detection of various kinds of cancers nowadays is needed including colorectal cancer due to the highly significant effects in improving cancer treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential value of adiponectin, visfatin and resistin as early biomarkers for colorectal cancer patients. Materials and Methods: Serum levels of adiponectin, visfatin and resistin were measured by a sandwich-enzyme-linked (ELISA) assay technique in 114 serum samples comprising 34 patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), 27 with colonic polyps (CP), 24 with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 29 healthy controls. The diagnostic accuracy of each serum marker was evaluated using receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: The mean concentration of adiponectin was significantly higher in CRC and CP groups than IBD and control groups (P-value <0.05). Also the mean concentration of serum resistin was significantly elevated in the IBD and control groups compared to CRC and CP groups (P-value = 0.014). However, no significant difference was noted in patients of the CRC and CP groups. On the other hand, the mean concentration of visfatin was significantly elevated in CRC and control groups compared to CP and IBD groups (P-value = 0.03). ROC analysis curves for the studied markers revealed that between CRC and IBD groups serum level of adiponectin had a sensitivity of 76.7% and a specificity of 76% at a cut off value of 3940, +LR being 3.2 and -LR 0.31 with AUC 0.852, while serum level of adiponectin between CP and IBD had a sensitivity of 77.8% and a specificity of 75% at a cut off value of 3300, with +LR=3.11 and -LR = 0.3 with AUC 0.852. On the other hand the serum level of visfatin between CRC and CP groups had a sensitivity of 65.5% and a specificity of 66.7 at a cut off value of 2.4, +LR being 1.67 and -LR 0.52 with AUC 0.698. Also the serum level of resistin had a sensitivity of 62.5% and a specificity of 70.3% at a cut off value of 24500, with +LR=2.1 and -LR = 0.53 with AUC 0.685 between control and other groups. On the other hand by comparing control vs CP groups resistin had a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 70.8% at a cut off value of 17700, with +LR=2.8 and -LR = 0.26 with AUC 0.763 while visfatin had a sensitivity of 68.2% and a specificity of 70.8% at a cut off value of 2.7, with +LR=2.34 and -LR = 0.0.45 with AUC 0.812. Conclusions: These findings support potential roles of adiponectin, visfatin and resistin in early detection of CRC and discrimination of different groups of CRC, CP or IBD patients from normal healthy individuals.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.30 no.4
• /
• pp.959-960
• /
• 2009

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2014

Objectives This study was performed to evaluate the effects of fermented lotus extracts on prediabetes and hyperlipidemia in high fructose diet rats. Methods Extracts of lotus leaf and lotus root were fermented using 4 different probiotics separately, including Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium breve, and Bifidobacterium longum. Expressions of adipogenic transcription factors including Adiponectin, GLUT-4, Leptin, PPAR gamma, Resistin and Visfatin were analyzed by Real time PCR and Western blotting analysis. Results Fermented lotus extracts reduced blood glucose. Fermented lotus extracts inhibited adipogenic transcription factors by inhibiting preadipocytes differentiation. The level of gene expression of Adiponectin, GLUT-4, Leptin, PPAR gamma, Resistin and Visfatin in relation to that of GAPDH were increase or decrease significantly with the Fermented lotus formulation group. Conclusions Fermented lotus extracts showed hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects by inhibiting preadipocyte differentiation and controlling insulin sensitivity in high fructose diet rats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.202-210
• /
• 2013

This study elucidated the effects of limited concentrate feeding on growth, plasma profile, and gene expression of gluconeogenic enzymes and visfatin in the liver of Hanwoo beef calves. The purpose of this study was to test that reducing the amount of concentrate would partially be compensated by increasing the intake of forage and by altering the metabolic status. The study utilized 20 Korean native beef calves (Hanwoo; 60 to 70 d of age) divided into two groups of 10 calves each for 158 d. Control group calves received the amount of concentrate as per the established Korean feeding standards for Hanwoo, whereas calves in the restricted group only received half the amount of concentrate as per standard requirements. Good quality forage (Timothy hay) was available for ad libitum consumption to both groups. Since calves were with their dam until 4 months of age in breeding pens before weaning, the intake of milk before weaning was not recorded, however, the concentrate and forage intakes were recorded daily. Body weights (BW) were recorded at start and on 10 d interval. Blood samples were collected at start and at 50 d interval. On the final day of the experiment, liver biopsies were collected from all animals in each group. The BW was not different between the groups at all times, but tended to be higher (p = 0.061) only at final BW in control than restricted group. Total BW gain in the control group was 116.2 kg as opposed to 84.1 kg in restricted group that led to average BW gain of 736 g/d and 532 g/d in respective groups, and the differences were significant (p<0.01). As planned, the calves in the control group had higher concentrate and lower forage intake than the restricted group. The plasma variables like total protein and urea were higher (p<0.05) in control than restricted group. The mRNA expressions for the gluconeogenic enzymes such as cytosolic phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase (EC 4.1.1.32) and pyruvate carboxylase (EC 6.4.1.1), and visfatin measured by quantitative real-time PCR in liver biopsies showed higher expression (p<0.05) in restricted group than control. Overall, restricting concentrate severely reduced the growth intensity and affected few plasma indices, and gene expression in liver was increased indicating that restricting concentrate in the feeding schemes during early growth for beef calves is not advocated.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.19 no.3
• /
• pp.489-498
• /
• 2018

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of walking exercise with blood flow restriction (BFR) on insulin resistance, adipokines and gut hormones in middle aged obese women. Eleven obese women (BMI > 25kg/m2; body fat > 30%) wore pneumatic pressure belts at both femurs and performed walking exercise consisting of walking for 2 min and resting for 1min twice per day, 3 days/wk for 4 weeks. Insulin significantly increased after exercise (p<0.05), while glucose increased slightly, but not significantly. Additionally, HOMA-IR decreased significantly after exercise (p<0.05), while adiponectin and visfatin increased, but not significantly. Finally, ghrelin (p<0.05) and GLP-1 (p<0.05) increased significantly after exercise. These results suggest that walking exercise with blood flow restriction for 4 weeks improves insulin resistance, adipokines, and gut hormones in obese middle-aged women. Therefore, high intensity walking exercise with blood flow restriction for short periods of time has more positive effects on prevention and treatment of obesity-related metabolic diseases.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.38 no.3
• /
• pp.135-141
• /
• 2011

Objective: Ovarian angiogenesis plays an important role in folliculogenesis. However, little is known about the expression of angiogenic factors during follicular development according to female age. Stromal cell derived factor-$1{\alpha}$ (SDF-$1{\alpha}$) plays a role in granulosa cell survival and embryo quality as an angiogenic chemokine. Leptin is also involved in folliculogenesis and angiogenesis. This study examined expression of SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin, and their effects on the expression of angiogenic factors in the ovary during follicular development according to female age. Methods: Ovaries were collected from C57BL mice of two age groups (6-9 weeks and 24-26 weeks) at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after 5 IU pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG) injection. The expression of ovarian SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin mRNA was evaluated by RT-PCR. In the organ culture experiment, the ovaries were cultured in transwell permeable supports with Waymouth's medium treated with various doses of SDF-$1{\alpha}$(50-200 ng/mL) or leptin (0.01-1 ${\mu}g$/mL) for 7 days. Then, mRNA expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and visfatin were examined in the cultured ovaries. Results: Expression of SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin in the ovary was significantly lower in the aged mouse group compared to the young mouse group ($p$ <0.05). Expression of these two factors increased with follicular development after PMSG administration. SDF-$1{\alpha}$ treatment stimulated visfatin expression in a dose-dependent manner, while leptin treatment significantly increased eNOS expression. Conclusion: These results suggest that decrease of ovarian SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin expression may be associated with aging-related reduction of ovarian function. SDF-$1{\alpha}$ and leptin may play a role in follicular development by regulating the expression of angiogenic factors in mouse ovaries.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.143-152
• /
• 2013

Obesity is a state in which there is an over-accumulation of subcutaneous and/or abdominal adipose tissue. This adipose tissue is no longer considered inert and mainly devoted to storing energy; it is emerging as an active tissue in the regulation of physiological and pathological processes, including immunity and inflammation. Adipose tissue produces and releases a variety of adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and visfatin), as well as pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-${\alpha}$, interleukin [IL]-4, IL-6, and others). Adipose tissue is also implicated in the development of chronic metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease. Obesity is thus an underlying condition for inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Diet or dietary patterns play critical roles in obesity and other pathophysiological conditions. A healthy diet and some nutrients are generally considered beneficial; however, some dietary nutrients are still considered controversial. In this article, dietary factors that influence inflammation associated with obesity are discussed.