Different Indicators of Adiposity and Fat Distribution and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adiposity and fat distribution on the odds of elevated cardiovascular risk factors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

The present cross-sectional study included 2,427 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Body fat was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Multivariate-adjusted logistic regression was used to estimate effects of adiposity parameters on elevated hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c , ≥7.0%), hypertension (blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg), and elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (≥2.6 mmol/L).

RESULTS

The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio (OR) for elevated HbA_1c was 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70-0.96) for each SD increase in leg fat mass. The multivariable-adjusted OR for hypertension was 1.15 (95% CI: 1.00-1.32) for each SD increase in android fat mass. Multivariable-adjusted ORs for elevated LDL cholesterol ranged from 1.16 (95% CI: 1.00-1.35) to 1.27 (95% CI: 1.06-1.51) for each SD increase in arm and android fat mass and percentage of total, truncal, arm, and android fat. Each SD increase in BMI, truncal-to-leg fat ratio, and android-to-gynoid fat ratio was significantly associated with increased risks of elevated HbA_1c , hypertension, and elevated LDL cholesterol.

CONCLUSIONS

Subcutaneous fat in the lower body was associated with a more favorable glycemic profile, but not blood pressure or lipid profile, whereas central adiposity was associated with poor control of cardiovascular risk factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Thermally-assisted milling and hydrogenolysis for synthesizing ultrafine MgH2with destabilized thermodynamics

A novel process has been developed to synthesize MgH₂nanoparticles by combining ball milling and thermal hydrogenolysis of di-n-butylmagnesium (C₄H₉)₂Mg, denoted as MgBu₂. With the aid of mechanical impact, the hydrogenolysis temperature of MgBu₂in heptane and cyclohexane solution was considerably lowered down to 100 °C, and the MgH₂nanoparticles with an average particle size ofca.8.9 nm were obtained without scaffolds. The nano-size effect of the MgH₂nanoparticles causes a notable decrease in the onset dehydrogenation temperature of 225 °C and enthalpy of 69.78 kJ mol^-1 · H₂. This thermally-assisted milling and hydrogenolysis process may also be extended for synthesizing other nanomaterials.

[Chaihu Guizhi decoction produces antidepressant-like effects via sirt1-p53 signaling pathway]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism of the antidepressant-like effects of Chaihu Guizhi decoction (CGD).

OBJECTIVE

Chaihu Guizhi decoction at the daily dose of 17 g/kg and solvent vehicle were administered by gavage in 12 and 14 male C57BL/6J mice for 7 consecutive days, respectively. Forced swimming test (FST), elevated plus maze (EPM) test, open field test (OFT) and novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSF) were performed to assess the depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and motor ability of the mice. We further used chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) and social interaction test to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of CGD in comparison with the solvent vehicle. Western blotting and RT-qPCR were performed to detect the expressions of sirt1, p53, acetylated p53, and the neuron plasticity-related genes including synapsin I (Syn1), Rab4B, SNAP25 and tubulin beta4b in the hippocampus of the mice.

OBJECTIVE

In FST, the immobility time of CGDtreated mice was decreased significantly (P < 0.05); no significant differences were found in the performances in EPM, NSF and OFT tests between the two groups. In social interaction test, the mouse models of CSDS treated with CGD showed significantly increased time in the interaction zone (P < 0.05). Compared with those in the vehicle group, the CGD-treated mouse models exhibited significantly increased protein level of SIRT1 and decreased p53 acetylation (P < 0.05) with up-regulated synapsin I mRNA expression in the hippocampus (P < 0.05); no significant difference were found in Rab (P=0.813), SNAP (P=0.820), or Tubb mRNA expressions (P=0.864) between the two groups.

OBJECTIVE

CGD produces antidepressant-like effects in mice possibly through the sirt1-p53 signaling pathway and synaptic plasticity.

Pulsed Microfluid Force-Based On-Chip Modular Fabrication for Liver Lobule-Like 3D Cellular Models

In vitro three-dimensional (3D) cellular models with native tissue-like architectures and functions have potential as alternatives to human tissues in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. However, it is difficult to replicate liver constructs that mimic in vivo microenvironments using current approaches in tissue engineering because of the vessel-embedded 3D structure and complex cell distribution of the liver. This paper reports a pulsed microflow-based on-chip 3D assembly method to construct 3D liver lobule-like models that replicate the spatial structure and functions of the liver lobule. The heterogeneous cell-laden assembly units with hierarchical cell distribution are fabricated through multistep photopatterning of different cell-laden hydrogels. Through fluid force interaction by pulsed microflow, the hierarchical assembly units are driven to a stack, layer by layer, and thus spatially assemble into 3D cellular models in the closed liquid chamber of the assembly chip. The 3D models with liver lobule-like hexagonal morphology and radial cell distribution allow the dynamic perfusion culture to maintain high cell viability and functional expression during long-term culture in vitro. These results demonstrate that the fabricated 3D liver lobule-like models are promising for drug testing and the study of individual diagnoses and treatments.

High expression of LINC0163 promotes progression of papillary thyroid cancer by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition MITF

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to detect the expression of long non-coding ribonucleic acid 00163 (LINC00163) in human papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and to observe the influence of downregulated LINC00163 on the proliferative and metastatic capacities of human PTC cells.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Quantitative Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) assay was applied to measure the expression level of LINC00163 in PTC tissues and para-carcinoma tissues, as well as that in normal human thyroid cells (Nthy-ori3-1) and PTC cells. After the expression of LINC00163 in PTC cells was interfered, qRT-PCR assay was performed to determine the interference efficiency, and colony formation and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assays were conducted to study the impacts of small interfering (si)-LINC00163 on the proliferative capacity of PTC cells. Moreover, wound healing and transwell assays were adopted to investigate the changes in the migratory and invasive abilities of PTC cells after the interference in the expression of LINC00163 in PTC cells. Finally, the changes in expressions of molecular markers in downstream signaling pathways after interference in LINC00163 expression were examined via Western blotting assay.

RESULTS

In 51 cases of PTC tissues and corresponding para-carcinoma tissues, 41 cases exhibited an up-regulated expression of LINC00163, and qRT-PCR results indicated that PTC cells also had an up-regulated expression of LINC00163 compared with normal human thyroid cells. After the expression of LINC00163 in PTC cells was interfered, the results of colony formation and CCK-8 assays manifested that the proliferative capacity of the cells declined. It was also shown in wound-healing and transwell assay results that the migratory and invasive abilities of the cells were weakened. In addition, the results of Western blotting assay revealed expression changes in the molecular markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of LINC00163 in NSCLC tissues and cells is upregulated, and highly expressed LINC00163 can promote PTC cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating the EMT.

A triple-classification radiomics model for the differentiation of pleomorphic adenoma, Warthin tumour, and malignant salivary gland tumours on the basis of diffusion-weighted imaging

AIM

To develop and validate a triple-classification radiomics model for the preoperative differentiation of pleomorphic adenoma (PA), Warthin tumour (WT), and malignant salivary gland tumour (MSGT) based on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from 217 patients with histopathologically confirmed salivary gland tumours (100 PAs, 68 WTs, and 49 MSGTs) from January 2015 to March 2019 were analysed retrospectively and divided into a training set (n=173), and a validation set (n=44). A total of 396 radiomic features were extracted from the DWI of all patients. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select radiomic features, which were then constructed using three classification models, namely, logistic regression method (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN). The diagnostic performance of the radiomics model was quantified by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the training and validation data sets.

RESULTS

The 20 most valuable features were investigated based on the LASSO regression. LR and SVM methods exhibited better diagnostic ability than KNN for multiclass classification. LR and SVM had the best performance and yielded the AUC values of 0.857 and 0.824, respectively, in the training data set and the AUC values of 0.932 and 0.912, respectively, in the validation data set of MSGT diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

DWI-based triple-classification radiomics model has predictive value in distinguishing PA, WT, and MSGT, which can be used for preoperative auxiliary diagnosis in clinical practice.

3,5-Dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol attenuated oxidative stress-induced toxicity on cardiomyoblast cells

Myocardial ischemia is the main reason for ischemic heart diseases. Antioxidant treatment is considered as a possible approach to prevent myocardial ischemia injury, because oxidative stress is a key factor triggering it. This study was to investigate the protective effects of 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy myricanol (DHM) against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity on H9c2 cells and further explore its mechanisms. The oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers were detected by H2DCFDA fluorescent measurement, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time PCR and Western blot. Results showed DHM exerted inhibitory effects against H9c2 cell damage. Furthermore, DHM decreased oxidative stress in H9c2 cells through up-regulating protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2). Moreover, DHM inhibited inflammatory responses through down-regulating the protein expression of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB). DHM exerted protective activities against oxidative stress-induced cell damage, at least through decreasing oxidative stress and inhibiting inflammatory responses, indicating that DHM have the potential to be developed as therapeutic agents for the treatment of myocardial ischemia.

EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 enrichment on the lncRNA MEG3 promoter regulates the growth and metastasis of glioma cells by regulating miR-21-3p

OBJECTIVE

Glioma is one of the most common and invasive brain tumors worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) play an important role in the development of glioma. However, the regulatory mechanism of LncRNAs in glioma has not been fully elucidated. This study aimed to explore the interaction of lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) and aberrant histone modification in glioma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The expression levels of MEG3 and miR-21-3p in glioma cells were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) and H3K27me3 expression in glioma cells were detected by Western Blot (WB). The binding site of the promoter of MEG3 by H3K27me3 was confirmed by ChIP-Real-time PCR. The direct target of MEG3 and miR-21-3p in glioma cells was measured by a luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation was detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8), and cell invasion and migration were measured by Transwell assays.

RESULTS

EZH2 and miR-21-3p were upregulated and MEG3 was downregulated in glioma cells. Silencing of EZH2 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in U87 and U251 cells. Meanwhile, the expression of H3K27me3 could be significantly inhibited by EZH2 interference. H3K27me3 protein can bind to MEG3 promoter directly. EZH2 inhibition and MEG3 down-expression in U87 cells reversed the effects of silencing of EZH2 on glioma cell growth and metastasis. However, EZH2 inhibition and MEG3 overexpression in U251 cells restricted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, miR-21-3p was verified to interact with MEG3 by direct binding. Inhibition of MEG3 promoted U87 cell growth and metastasis, which was further strengthened following the co-transfection of si-MEG3 and miR-21-3p. Overexpressed MEG3 inhibited U251 cell growth and metastasis and a complete reversal of the results observed in the co-transfection of LV-MEG3 and miR-21-3p.

CONCLUSIONS

EZH2 was highly expressed in glioma cells and EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 enrichment on the MEG3 promoter regulated the growth and metastasis of glioma cells by targeting miR-21-3p. It potentially provided a new therapeutic marker targeting glioma.

Cell wall thickness and the molecular mechanism of heterogeneous vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with reduced sensitivity to vancomycin (VAN) has caused many clinical cases of VAN treatment failure, but the molecular mechanism underlying the reduced sensitivity to VAN is still unclear. We isolated a heterogeneous VAN‐intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (hVISA), which was also a MRSA strain with reduced sensitivity to VAN. To investigate the molecular mechanism underlying the reduced sensitivity to VAN exhibited by the hVISA strain, we compared the hVISA strain with a VAN‐sensitive MRSA strain, known as the N315 strain. The images captured by transmission electron microscopy showed that the cell wall of the hVISA strain was significantly thicker than that of the N315 strain (36·72 ± 1·04 nm vs 28·15 ± 1·25 nm, P < 0·05), and the results of real‐time quantitative PCR analysis suggested that the expression levels of the cell wall thickness related genes (glmS, vraR/S, sgtB, murZ and PBP4) of the hVISA strain were significantly higher than those of the N315 strain (P < 0·05). In conclusion, this study indicated that the upregulation of the expression of the genes related to cell wall synthesis might be the molecular mechanism underlying the cell wall thickening of the hVISA strain and might be related to its resistance to VAN.

Schisandrin C attenuates renal damage in diabetic nephropathy by regulating macrophage polarization

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of Schisandrin C during diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment. After DN induction, mice were treated with Schisandrin C, and diabetic metabolic parameters and renal function-associated factors were measured. Renal structural damage was evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) and Masson's trichrome staining. Macrophage polarization and macrophage-mediated inflammatory factors were detected in the kidneys by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively. The Swiprosin-1/interferon (IFN)-γ-Rβ pathway was evaluated by western blot (WB) analysis. The preliminary effects of Schisandrin C in high-glucose-stimulated macrophages from DN mice were verified by flow cytometry, ELISA, and WB analyses. These results indicated that Schisandrin C significantly regulated physiological parameters in DN. Renal structural damage was mitigated by Schisandrin C. In Schisandrin-C-treated groups, the expression levels of CD86, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β decreased, whereas CD206, IL-10, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β expression levels increased. In vitro experiments indicated that among CD86⁺ cells, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β expression levels significantly decreased, whereas among CD206⁺ cells, IL-10 and TGF-β expression increased following Schisandrin-C-treatment. Finally, Schisandrin C inhibited the expression of Swiprosin-1, IFN-γ-Rβ, phospho-Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2), phospho-signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (p-STAT1), and p-STAT3, in both DN model mice and high-glucose-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. The present study indicated a novel use for Schisandrin C to suppress DN progression, by promoting M1 to M2 macrophage polarization. Schisandrin C exerted protective effects against DN by regulating the polarization-dependent Swiprosin-1/IFN-γ-Rβ signaling pathway in macrophages.

Biological behaviors of mutant proinsulin contribute to the phenotypic spectrum of diabetes associated with insulin gene mutations

Insulin gene mutation is the second most common cause of neonatal diabetes (NDM). It is also one of the genes involved in maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). We aim to investigate molecular behaviors of different INS gene variants that may correlate with the clinical spectrum of diabetes phenotypes. In this study, we concentrated on two previously uncharacterized MODY-causing mutants, proinsulin-p.Gly44Arg [G(B20)R] and p.Pro52Leu [P(B28)L] (a novel mutant identified in one French family), and an NDM causing proinsulin-p.(Cys96Tyr) [C(A7)Y]. We find that these proinsulin mutants exhibit impaired oxidative folding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with blocked ER export, ER stress, and apoptosis. Importantly, the proinsulin mutants formed abnormal intermolecular disulfide bonds that not only involved the mutant proinsulin, but also the co-expressed WT-proinsulin, forming misfolded disulfide-linked proinsulin complexes. This impaired the intracellular trafficking of WT-proinsulin and limited the production of bioactive mature insulin. Notably, although all three mutants presented with similar defects in folding, trafficking, and dominant negative behavior, the degrees of these defects appeared to be different. Specifically, compared to MODY mutants G(B20)R and P(B28)L that partially affected folding and trafficking of co-expressed WT-proinsulin, the NDM mutant C(A7)Y resulted in an almost complete blockade of the ER export of WT-proinsulin, decreasing insulin production, inducing more severe ER stress and apoptosis. We thus demonstrate that differences in cell biological behaviors among different proinsulin mutants correlate with the spectrum of diabetes phenotypes caused by the different INS gene mutations.

[Clinical characteristics and related factors of acute tubular necrosis in patients with minimal change disease]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and related factors of acute tubular necrosis (ATN) in patients with minimal change disease (MCD). Methods: Patients from Chinese PLA General Hospital who were pathologically diagnosed with MCD and had clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2019 were included. The clinical and pathological data of patients were retrospectively analyzed. Meanwhile, the incidence and clinical characteristics of ATN in different age groups were compared. The risk factors for ATN were assessed using binary logistic regression. Results: A total of 525 patients were included, with a gender ratio of 1.56∶1 (male: female), aged 33 (21, 48) years old. ATN occurred in 49 (9.3%) of 525 patients, of which 34 were male and 15 were female. The incidence of ATN increased with age in MCD patients of different age groups (χ(2)=31.442, P<0.001). The incidence of ATN in groups of age≤20 years, 21-40 years, 41-60 years, and >60 years was 2.4% (3/123), 5.2% (10/192), 13.2% (20/152) and 27.6% (16/58), respectively. Elevations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and serum IgE occurred in 92 patients (17.5%), 53 patients (10.1%), 99 patients (18.9%), and 303 patients (57.7%), respectively. There were significant differences in age, ALT, serum creatinine, serum urea nitrogen, history of diabetes and history of hypertension between non-ATN group and ATN group (all P<0.05). The results of logistic regression analysis showed that>40 years old (OR=6.283, 95% CI: 2.695-14.649, P<0.001) and serum albumin (OR=0.924, 95% CI: 0.857-0.997, P=0.040) was independently associated with ATN in MCD patients. Conclusion: Age>40 years is an independent risk factor and serum albumin is a protective factor for ATN in MCD patients.