Influence of consumption of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

AIMS

Human clinical studies have yielded mixed results on the effects of consumption of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials that evaluated the effects of probiotics consumption on blood lipids.

DATA SYNTHESIS

A systematic literature search of Embase, Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane Controlled Trials Registry was conducted for studies that investigated the efficacy of probiotics on the plasma lipid profile of subjects. With the help of Review Manager 4.2, data from 13 trials, which included 485 participants with high, borderline high and normal cholesterol levels, were examined. The pooled mean net change in total cholesterol for those treated with probiotics compared to controls was -6.40 mg dl(-1) (95% confidence interval (CI), -9.93 to -2.87), mean net change in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was -4.90 mg dl(-1) (95% CI, -7.91 to -1.90), mean net change in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was -0.11 mg dl(-1) (95% CI, -1.90-1.69) and mean net change in triglycerides was -3.95 mg dl(-1) (95% CI, -10.32-2.42).

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that a diet rich in probiotics decreases total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentration in plasma for participants with high, borderline high and normal cholesterol levels.

Immunohistochemical evidence: testicular and scented glandular androgen synthesis in muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) during the breeding season

In order to elucidate the relationship between androgens and the function of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) scented glands during the breeding season, we investigated immunolocalization of steroidogenic enzymes P450scc, 3βHSD and P450c17 in the muskrat testes and scented glands. Nine adult muskrats were obtained in March (n=3), May (n=3) and July (n=3) 2010. Steroidogenic enzymes were immunolocalized using polyclonal antisera raised against bovine adrenal P450scc, human placental 3βHSD and porcine testicular P450c17. Histologically, all types of spermatogenic cells including mature-phase spermatozoa in seminiferous tubules were observed in all testes. Glandular cells, interstitial cells, epithelial cells and excretory tubules were identified in scented glands during the breeding season. P450scc, 3βHSD and P450c17 were only identified in Leydig cells during the breeding season; P450scc and P450c17 were observed in glandular cells of scented glands, however, 3βHSD was not found in scented glands during the breeding season. These novel findings provide the first evidence showing that scented glands of the muskrats are capable of locally synthesizing androgens and androgens acting via an endocrine, autocrine or paracrine manner may play an important role in scented gland function during the breeding season.

Heme oxygenase-1: a molecular brake on hepatocellular carcinoma cell migration

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a fatal disease with great public health impact worldwide. Heme oxygenase (HO)-1 has recently been reported as an important player in tumor angiogenesis and metastasis. However, the role of HO-1 in liver cancer metastasis is unclear. In this study, we explored genetic differences and downstream signal transduction pathways of HO-1 in liver cancer cell lines. HO-1 wild-type and mutant cell lines were generated from human liver cancer cell line HepG2. The overexpression of wild-type HO-1 decreased the migration of HepG2 cells. In contrast, the overexpression of mutant HO-1G143H increased the migration of the cancer cells. Interleukin (IL)-6 is one of the major downstream molecules that mediated this process because IL-6 expression and migration are suppressed by HO-1 and increased when HO-1 is knocked down by shRNA. In addition, we demonstrated carbon monoxide (CO) and p38MAPK are the cofactors in this signal pathway. In vivo animal model demonstrated HO-1 inhibited the tumor growth. In conclusion, in vitro and in vivo data show HO-1 inhibits the human HCC cells migration and tumor growth by suppressing the expression of IL-6. The heme degradation product CO is a cofactor in this process and inhibits p38MAPK phosphorylation.

An oncogenic role of miR-142-3p in human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) by targeting glucocorticoid receptor-α and cAMP/PKA pathways

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of 19-24 nucleotide non-coding RNAs with posttranscriptional regulatory functions. The involvement of miRNAs in normal hematopoiesis implies that deregulated miRNAs might contribute to leukemogenesis. To date, although certain miRNAs have been established a clear oncogenic role in hematological malignancies, other individual miRNAs potentially involved in human leukemogenesis still remain elusive. In this report, we showed that miR-142-3p was upregulated in human T-leukemic cell lines and primary T-leukemic cells isolated from T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) patients and its expressive levels were correlated with patients' prognosis. Such an oncogenic role of miR-142-3p could be explained by its targeting cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)/protein kinase A (PKA) and glucocorticoid receptor alpha (GRα). High levels of miR-142-3p resulted in low levels of cAMP and weak activity of PKA, thus relieving the inhibitory effect of PKA on T-leukemic cell proliferation. Meanwhile, miR-142-3p decreased GRα protein expression by directly targeting the 3'-untranslational region of GRα mRNA, leading to glucocorticoid resistance. Transfection of the miR-142-3p inhibitor effectively converted glucocorticoid resistance, because of the resultant increase of GRα expression and PKA activity. These findings suggest that miR-142-3p is critical in T-cell leukemogenesis and may serve as a potential therapeutic target in T-ALL patients.

Clinicopathological characteristics and computed tomography features of mucinous gastric carcinoma

This study investigated the clinicopathological characteristics of mucinous gastric carcinoma (MGC) and assessed whether multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) could differentiate MGC from non-mucinous gastric carcinoma (NGC). Clinicopathological data from 542 patients with gastric carcinoma (23 MGC, 519 NGC), who underwent pre-operative MDCT examination and curative or palliative gastrectomy, were analysed. Only seven of the 23 patients with MGC were correctly diagnosed pre-operatively by endoscopic biopsy. The MGC patients had larger tumours, a higher frequency of lymph node metastases, were more likely to have tumours of tumour, node, metastasis stages III and IV, and were less likely to have a curative resection than NGC patients. In addition, five MGC patients had calcifications in the thickened gastric wall. In conclusion, MGC is rare and is detected mostly at an advanced stage. The diagnostic sensitivity of MGC by endoscopic biopsy was relatively low, whereas MDCT was helpful in distinguishing MGC from NGC.

Therapeutic Effects of Intravenous Infusion of Hyperoxygenated Solution on Acute Haemorrhagic Shock in Rabbits

Tissue anoxia is the main mechanism of the shock reaction. Here, the effect of hyperoxygenated solution (HOS) on acute haemorrhagic shock was studied in rabbits. At 60 min after shock, rabbits were infused intravenously with hyperoxygenated solution at 10 (HOS1 group) or 20 ml/kg (HOS2 group) or with Ringer's solution at 10 ml/kg (RS group). Compared with values before shock, values after shock were lower for mean arterial pressure (MAP), more negative for base excess (BE) and higher for blood lactate (BL) and blood viscosity. After infusion, MAP declined more slowly in the HOS1 and HOS2 groups than in the RS group. At 30 and 60 min after infusion, arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were higher and BE was less negative in the HOS1 and HOS2 groups than in the RS group, BL was lower in the HOS1 and HOS2 groups than in the RS group, and PaO2 and SaO2 were higher in the HOS2 group than in the HOS1 group. It was concluded that HOS infusion can rectify changes in vital signs more effectively than Ringer's solution after acute haemorrhagic shock in rabbits.