👤 Celine L St Pierre

Obesity is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Despite the success of human genome-wide association studies, the specific genes that confer obesity remain largely unknown. The objective of this study was to use outbred rats to identify the genetic loci underlying obesity and related morphometric and metabolic traits. This study measured obesity-relevant traits, including body weight, body length, BMI, fasting glucose, and retroperitoneal, epididymal, and parametrial fat pad weight in 3,173 male and female adult N/NIH heterogeneous stock (HS) rats across three institutions, providing data for the largest rat genome-wide association study to date. Genetic loci were identified using a linear mixed model to account for the complex family relationships of the HS and using covariates to account for differences among the three phenotyping centers. This study identified 32 independent loci, several of which contained only a single gene (e.g., Epha5, Nrg1, Klhl14) or obvious candidate genes (e.g., Adcy3, Prlhr). There were strong phenotypic and genetic correlations among obesity-related traits, and there was extensive pleiotropy at individual loci. This study demonstrates the utility of HS rats for investigating the genetics of obesity-related traits across institutions and identify several candidate genes for future functional testing. Show less

Excessive gingival display or "gummy smile" is a growing concern to dental patients and often considered detrimental to an esthetic smile. Gingival display of more than 4 mm of gingiva is considered by many to be unattractive. The cause of the gummy smile can be multifactorial and must be accurately diagnosed to render appropriate treatment. Factors that contribute to the gummy smile include altered passive eruption, lip length, lip hypermobility, incisal wear/crown length, and vertical maxillary excess and gingival hyperplasia. The purpose of this article is to review the etiology, diagnosis, and surgical approaches in treating the gummy smile. Show less

The purpose of this article is to describe a case of an accidental turbinectomy during nasal intubation for an elective oral and maxillofacial surgical case that was confirmed after extubation. While there are several reported cases, this still tends to be an overall rare complication in the field of anesthesia. This article highlights the complications encountered due to turbinectomy while also identifying causes, signs, and methods to prevent it. Show less