Washington, November 5 : Penn State researchers have identified thousands of positions where a molecular “master regulator” is located in DNA to control genes in fat cells.

Dr. Mitchell Lazar, Director of the Institute for Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has revealed that the master molecule is called PPAR gamma, a target of anti-diabetic drugs.

The drugs bind to PPAR gamma in the nucleus of fat cells, which affects the expression of many genes, about twenty of which were previously known.

The latest study has uncovered about 5,300 additional sites that PPAR gamma targets in fat-cell DNA.

Washington, Nov 5: A daily dose of an investigational drug, known as MK-677, which stimulates growth hormone secretion in the body can boost muscle mass in older adults, report researchers at the University of Virginia Health System.

The discovery may prove safe and effective in reducing age-related frailty.

Published in the November 4, 2008 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, the study showed that levels of growth hormone (GH) and of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF- I) in seniors who took MK-677 increased to those found in healthy young adults.

The drug restored 20 percent of muscle mass loss associated with normal aging.

Washington, November 5: An Indian-origin researcher at the University at Buffalo has found that the brains of obese mothers’ babies can get programmed to induce obesity in adulthood, while they are still in womb.

Biochemist Mulchand Patel’s findings are based on a study of obese rats.

His study has shown for the first time that the metabolic programming occurs in the foetal hypothalamus, the area of the brain responsible for maintaining body weight throughout life.

London, Nov 5: Children who play violent video games are likely to display high levels of physical aggression, say researchers.

Two studies from Japan and the United States have shown that violent video games have harmful effects on kids and adolescents.

The study including more than 1,2000 Japanese youths aged between 12 and 18 as well as 364 children aged nine to 12 in the US has shown that despite cultural differences and disparities in crime rates, children across the spectrum were equally affected by violent video games.

Washington, Nov 5: Apelin, a hormone produced by fat and other tissues, might serve as a promising target for managing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

Usually, insulin makes it possible to store blood sugar in the form of glucose in the liver or adipose tissue (fat). The stored glucose is needed for the satisfactory function of the heart, brain and so on according to the body''s demands.

Washington, Nov 5 : High blood pressure experienced during pregnancy can be an important indicator of a woman’s risk of developing heart disease, according to a new study.

The condition called pre-eclampsia affects least 5-10 per cent of all expectant mothers.

In the study involving 400 Ontario women, the researchers found underlying cardiovascular risk factors of elevated blood pressure and lipids (fats) at a rate that was two to three times greater than the control group.