[Weight maintenance in humans. Could it mimic calorie restriction of animal models?].
BACKGROUND
Energy restriction (ER) extends life span in animals, by decreasing oxidative stress.


OBJECTIVE
To compare adiposity, metabolic variables and DNA oxidative damage, among adults, reporting a constant body weight (weight maintainers), versus those reporting a progressive increase (weight gainers).


METHODS
Clinical history, dietary recall, anthropometric measures, abdominal CT scan and fasting blood samples (to measure lipoproteins, glucose and insulin), were obtained in 44 males. These subjects were classified as weight maintainers if they had a change in weight of 3 kg or less in the last 10 years, or weight gainers, if they had a weight increment of more than 6 kg, in the same lapse. Oxidative damage was assessed by 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), in DNA extracted from circulating lymphocytes, in 5 weight maintainers, 8 weight gainers and 5 healthy elders.


RESULTS
Energy Intake was 18% higher in weight gainers (p <0.01). Adiposity and central fat were higher among weight gainers (p <0.01). Abdominal fat correlated with serum lipoproteins, glucose and insulin sensitivity, assessed by the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). 8-OHdG levels did not differ between groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of weight change based on the clinical history correlates with actual body composition, thus it may be a reliable indicator of long term energy Intake. This method could be comparable to weight clamp models employed in animals to study aging.
de la Maza
M Pía C
MP
Instituto de Nutrición & Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile. mpmaza@inta.cl
Vivien
Z Gattás
ZG
Zavala
Aquiles R
AR
Cataldo
Vicente D
VD
Guerra
Julio S
JS
Gladys
A Barrera
AB
Laura
B Leiva
BL
Sandra
B Hirsch
BH
Daniel
B Bunout
BB
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004249:DNA Damage; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D023421:Models, Animal; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D012307:Risk Factors; D015430:Weight Gain