title: Hyperinsulinemia correlates with low levels of plasma B-type natriuretic peptide in Japanese men irrespective of fat distribution.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a member of the natriuretic peptide family, is a cardiac-derived secretory hormone with natriuretic, diuretic, and vasorelaxant activities. Intraabdominal fat accumulation is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases and cardiac dysfunction. Circulating BNP levels are relatively low (within the normal limits) in obesity and the metabolic syndrome. However, the relationship between plasma BNP levels and visceral fat accumulation in general population has not been reported. The present study analyzed the relationships between plasma BNP levels and various clinical variables, including insulin, visceral and subcutaneous fat area (VFA and SFA, respectively), in normal Japanese men.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study (Victor-J study) subjects were consecutive 500 Japanese male workers, who underwent a health checkup and were measured VFA and SFA by computed tomography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age-adjusted simple linear regression analysis showed that log-BNP correlated positively with HDL-cholesterol, and negatively with VFA, log-immunoreactive insulin (IRI), log-triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol, but not body mass index or SFA. Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified log-IRI and HDL-cholesterol as significant determinants of log-BNP. Subjects with IRI ≥5.5 μIU/mL had lower plasma BNP levels than those with IRI < 5.5 μIU/mL, irrespective of obesity (body mass index, cutoff value 25 kg/m2), visceral fat accumulation (VFA, cutoff value 100 cm2) and subcutaneous fat accumulation (SFA, cutoff value 128 cm2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study showed that hyperinsulinemia correlated with low levels of plasma BNP in general men, irrespective of fat distribution.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  UMIN 000004318.
authors.affiliation: Department of Metabolic Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakatsuji
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kishida
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Funahashi
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.forename: Iichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shimomura
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000208:ethnology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044466:Asian People; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015536:Down-Regulation; D006801:Humans; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000097:blood* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood*; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007328:Insulin; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain