Kumiko Shimono

The New BMI Criteria for Asians by the Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region of WHO are Suitable for Screening of Overweight to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome in Elder Japanese Workers

The New BMI Criteria for Asians by the Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region of WHO are Suitable for Screening of Overweight to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome in Elder Japanese Workers: Erdembileg Anuurad, et al. Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Shimane University School of Medicine—Obesity occurs less frequently in Japanese than in various other ethnic populations. A person with abnormal glucose tolerance is often found to have one or more of the other cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension and hyperlipidemia. This clustering has been labeled as metabolic syndrome (WHO, 1998). It was suggested that Japanese, categorized as having normal weight (BMI of less than 25.0), as defined by the WHO (2000), have an increasing tendency toward metabolic syndrome. Our objective was to analyze metabolic syndrome in “Overweight” with BMI of 23.0–24.9 in Japanese workers, and to assess the suitability for Asians of the Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region of WHO criteria pertaining to obesity (WPRO criteria, 2000). We conducted a cross‐sectional study in the workplace setting and investigated the relationship between BMI classification based on WPRO criteria and metabolic syndrome by gender and age group (18–44 yr vs. 45–60 yr). Three hundred seventy‐nine men and 432 women Japanese workers participated in this study. BMI were categorized as 20% “Overweight” (23.0–24.9 BMI), 20% “Obese I” (25.0–29.9 BMI) and 2% “Obese II” (over 30.0 BMI), based on WPRO criteria. Graded increases in BMI were positively associated with body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist/hip ratio in both genders and age groups. A progressively increasing BMI category in the elder group aged 45– 60 yr in both genders was positively related with parameters constituting metabolic syndrome. Graded increases in BMI classes in elder workers based on WPRO criteria were positively associated with prevalence of metabolic syndrome, and “Overweight” elder women had significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The present investigation, based on the increasing risks of “Overweight” with a BMI of 23.0–24.9, suggests that WPRO criteria are suitable for Japanese workers aged over 45 yr.

Overweight Japanese with body mass indexes of 23.0-24.9 have higher risks for obesity-associated disorders: a comparison of Japanese and Mongolians.

OBJECTIVE: The degree of obesity of Asians is less than that of Caucasians. It has been suggested that Japanese, categorized as having normal weight (BMI<25.0), as defined by WHO (2000), have a tendency toward increased incidences of dyslipidemia and diabetes. Our objective was to analyze parameters constituting obesity-associated disorders in overweight Japanese and Mongolians with a body mass index (BMI) of 23.0–24.9, and to assess the suitability for Asians of the Regional Office for Western Pacific Region of WHO criteria pertaining to obesity (WPRO criteria, 2000).DESIGN: Cross-sectional study in a workplace setting.SUBJECTS: A total of 386 Japanese men and 363 Japanese women, and 102 Mongolian men and 155 Mongolian women.MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference and blood pressure) and metabolic measurements (plasma levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose and insulin).RESULTS: Graded increases in BMI of Japanese and Mongolians were positively associated with body fat percent, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist/hip ratio. The Japanese were categorized as 22% overweight, 22% obese I, 3% obese II; the Mongolians rated as 18% overweight, 34% obese I, 19% obese II, based on the WPRO BMI criteria. The Mongolians had a higher prevalence of obesity and a higher body fat percent, but a lesser gradation of dyslipidemia, than did the BMI-matched Japanese groups. Overweight Japanese (BMI 23.0–24.9), in comparison to normal Japanese (BMI 18.5–22.9), had significant differences in systolic blood pressure, HDL-choresterol and triglyceride in men, and in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HDL-choresterol, triglyceride, insulin and Homoeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance in women. In contrast, the Mongolians showed no significant differences in metabolic parameters between overweight and normal subjects, except for diastolic blood pressure.CONCLUSION: Since the relationship between abdominal fat mass and BMI is ethnic-specific, a universal BMI cutoff point is inappropriate for Asian populations such as the Japanese and Mongolians. The present investigation suggests that, while the WPRO criteria are suitable for Japanese, the WHO criteria are more appropriate for Mongolians.

Difficulty in losing weight by behavioral intervention for women with Trp64Arg polymorphism of the β3-adrenergic receptor gene

OBJECTIVE: Trp64Arg mutation in the β 3-adrenergic receptor (β 3AR) gene is relatively common in Japanese people. However, it has not been clear whether persons with Trp64Arg mutation in the β 3AR gene tend to have obesity and difficulty in losing weight even with a restricted diet and exercise. We investigated the response of body weight and metabolic factors to behavioral intervention in Japanese women with Trp64Arg mutation in the β 3AR gene.DESIGN: A 3-month behavioral intervention study using a combination of diet and exercise programs.SUBJECTS: A total of 76 perimenopausal women with no clinical symptoms (age: 54.7±7.7 y, body mass index (BMI): 21.0–33.0 kg/m2).MEASUREMENTS: Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, skin fold, resting energy expenditure and blood pressure) and metabolic measurements (serum levels of cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipid, nonesterified fatty acid, glucose, insulin and leptin) and determination of the β 3AR genotype by polymerase chain reaction followed by BstNI digestion.RESULTS: At the baseline of BMI, body weight, body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, the arm skin fold, resting energy expenditure, or blood lipid and glucose profiles, there was no significant difference in participants with/without mutation of the β 3AR gene. The intervention yielded a body weight reduction in 69 and 48%, and induced a significant difference in weight loss (−0.74 and −0.01 kg) for women with wild-type and Trp64Arg mutation, respectively. Significant differences of anthropometric parameters were found in body weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure of wild type by the intervention. However, women with Trp64Arg mutation did not show significant changes in these anthropometric parameters, except for hip circumference. A significant difference was found in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and in the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/HDL-C ratio in both genotypes.CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that the Trp64Arg mutation of the β 3AR gene is associated with difficulty in losing weight through behavioral intervention, although it is not related to obesity-related phenotypes and resting energy expenditure before the intervention.

Functional Expression of Chitinase and Chitosanase, and Their Effects on Morphologies in the Yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The chitinase A (chiA) gene from Enterobacter sp. G-1 and the chitosanase A (choA) gene from Matsuebacter chitosanotabidus 3001 were expressed separately and simultaneously in the yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The chiA gene was placed under the transcriptional control of the nmt1 promoter with the glutathione S transferase (GST), and the choA gene was expressed by the human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) promoter with the P factor secretion signal (P3). The expressed proteins of ChoA and GST-ChiA were enzymatical active and were detected as 34-kDa and 80-kDa, respectively, by Western blot analysis. The transformant that expressed the choA gene was able to secrete ChoA efficiently into the culture medium with the specific activity of 102.36 U/mg protein. When the chiA gene was expressed in S. pombe, yeast cells grew slowly and cells became elongated, but when the choA gene was expressed, cells became swollen. Expression of both the chiA and the choA genes resulted in elongated and fat cells.