Role of lifestyle intervention programme in regulating brain derived neurotrophic factor in obese children with metabolic syndrome components

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin probably concerned in the pathophysiology of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) in adults. The aim was to explore serum BDNF relationship with metabolic syndrome components before and after one-year of the lifestyle intervention program in obese children. Forty obese children and forty age and gender-matched lean controls were studied. Anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, lipid profile, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), and serum BDNF, before and after one year of diet control and physical activity were measured. At baseline, fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides were significantly higher in obese children relative to controls (P=0.00). Serum BDNF concentration was significantly lower in obese children than in lean controls (P=0.00), and its mean concentration of the subjects with MS was significantly lower than those without MS, and control group (P< 0.001). Linear regression analysis suggested that high waist: hip ratio, body adiposity index, fat percentage, diastolic BP, fasting blood glucose, LDL and HOMA-IR are good predictors for decreased serum BDNF concentration in obese children. After one-year intervention program, the obese group showed a significant increase in serum BDNF, and HDL, paralleled by a significant decline in fasting glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides as compared to the baseline (P =0.00). Serum BDNF was lower in obese children than in lean controls, and seemed to be linked with the metabolic syndrome components. One-year lifestyle intervention program succeeded to enhance BDNF serum concentration in these children.