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Background: Adipose tissue is a source of inflammatory cytokines which may influence insulin action., Aim: To evaluate exercise effects on plasma (p)-levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α , and interleukin (IL)-6 in Peruvian Amerindian women., Material and Methods: After five years of observation during which p-glucose deteriorated and weight increased, 44 Peruvian Amerindian women aged 20-59 years took part in a 6-month exercise program. Plasma TNF-α and IL-6 had been measured 5 years earlier, and were reassessed before and after exercise, using ELISA kits. Cardiorespiratory fitness was derived from the results of the twelve minutes' walk and expressed as maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2max))., Results: After the training program, estimated VO(2max) increased from 18.55 ± 3.79 to 20.91 ± 4.61 mL kg(-1) min(-1) (p < 0.01) and p-TNF-α increased from 3.2 ± 3.4 to 4.3 ± 6.6 pg/mL (p = 0.03). There were reductions in p-glucose from 5.19 ± 1.59 to 4.32 ± 1.62 mmol/L (p < 0.01) and in waist circumference (p=0.01). Weight, p-insulin, and IL-6 did not change. Levels of p-glucose and p-TNF-α observed after the training period were identical to values 5 years earlier. P-TNF-α was positively associated with estimated VO(2max), prior to (r = .414, p < 0.01) as well as after (r = .362, p < 0.05) exercise, independently of adiposity. P-IL-α was associated with waist circumference but not with estimated VO(2max)., Conclusions: P-TNF-a correlated with estimated VO(2max) independently of adiposity. Beneficial effects of exercise on p-glucose were observed in spite of an increase in p-TNF-α.

Background: Diabetes mellitus has reached epidemic proportions in women of Amerindian origin. The risk of developing diabetes has been found to be related to the serum fatty acid composition in whites., Objective: We prospectively investigated the relation between the serum cholesteryl fatty acid composition and changes in fasting plasma glucose concentrations in Peruvian Indian women who are characterized by hyperinsulinemia in comparison to white women., Design: A 5-y follow-up study of 73 women with normal fasting plasma glucose values was undertaken by performing a survey in 1999 and a follow-up survey in 2004. The studied variables included anthropometric measurements, plasma insulin and leptin, dietary food consumption from 24-h recall, blood pressure, and serum fatty acid composition., Results: The participants developed significantly higher fasting plasma glucose concentrations in 2004 compared with 1999 (P < 0.0001) with unaltered plasma insulin values. Palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) in 1999 was the only fatty acid that was significantly correlated to glucose concentration at follow-up. In a multiple regression analysis that included waist circumference, percentage of body fat, systolic blood pressure, and circulating triacylglycerol, insulin, leptin, and 16:1n-7 as independent determinants, 16:1n-7 and systolic blood pressure were the only significant determinants of plasma glucose concentration 5 y later., Conclusions: A high proportion of 16:1n-7 in serum is an independent predictor of high plasma glucose concentrations in Amerindian women. The reason for this association remains to be elucidated.

Migration of aboriginal populations is thought to increase the risk of obesity and associated disorders. In this study, we examined body adiposity, glucose, insulin, leptin, and blood pressure in adult Quechua females living in rural villages in the Cuzco region [n = 105, age 35 +/- 10 yr (SD) years] and after migration to Lima from Peruvian Central Andes (n = 105, age 37 +/- 10 yr). The two populations are of the same origin and have similar fat composition in their diet, but they differ in degree of physical activity (high in Cuzco, low in Lima) and altitude of living (highland in Cuzco, lowland in Lima). The two groups had similar BMI (24.6 +/- 3.9 kg/m(2) in Cuzco vs. 25.1 +/- 4.7 kg/m(2) in Lima) and waist circumference (83.1 +/- 9.8 cm in Cuzco vs. 83.7 +/- 10.6 cm in Lima). Yet women in Lima had increased body fat mass (17.7 +/- 5.3 kg in Cuzco vs. 21.5 +/- 5.8 kg in Lima, p < 0.001) and higher diastolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, and leptin (all p < 0.001). Also the HOMA assessment of insulin resistance was higher in Lima (p < 0.001). We conclude that migration of Peruvian Amerindian women from the Cuzco region to Lima is associated with increased risk for obesity and cardiovascular diseases without being associated with higher BMI and waist circumference.