title: Zinc-α2-glycoprotein expression in adipose tissue of obese postmenopausal women before and after weight loss and exercise + weight loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Zinc-Alpha 2-Glycoprotein (ZAG) has recently been implicated in the regulation of adipose tissue metabolism due to its negative association with obesity and insulin resistance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between adipose tissue ZAG expression and central obesity, and the effects of six-months of weight loss (WL) or aerobic exercise + weight loss (AEX + WL) on ZAG expression.
  
  
  METHODS
  A six-month, longitudinal study of 33 healthy, overweight or obese postmenopausal women (BMI: 25-46 kg/m(2)) was conducted. Abdominal and gluteal adipose tissue samples were obtained before and after AEX + WL (n = 17) and WL (n = 16). ZAG expression was determined by RT-PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prior to interventions, abdominal ZAG expression was negatively correlated with visceral fat (r = -0.50, P < 0.005), sagittal diameter (r = -0.42, P < 0.05), and positively related to VO(2)max (r = 0.37, P < 0.05). Gluteal ZAG expression was negatively correlated with weight, fat-free mass, visceral fat, resting metabolic rate, and fasting insulin (r = -0.39 to -0.50, all P < 0.05). Abdominal ZAG mRNA levels increased, though not significantly, 5% after AEX + WL and 11% after WL. Gluteal ZAG mRNA levels also did not change significantly with AEX + WL and WL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Abdominal ZAG expression may be important in central fat accumulation and fitness but only modestly increase (nonsignificantly) with weight reduction alone or with aerobic training in obese postmenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Baltimore VAMC, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), and Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201.
authors.forename: Shealinna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Baltimore VAMC, Department of Medicine, Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Baltimore Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), and Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD 21201. Electronic address: aryan@grecc.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Alice S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism*; D017698:Postmenopause; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015431:Weight Loss; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D000090203:Zn-Alpha-2-Glycoprotein
keywords: Aerobic exercise; Aging; Obesity; Weight loss; ZAG