[Analysis of correlative factors of serum leptin levels in asthmatic patients]

Objective: To analysis the correlative factors that probably affect serum leptin levels in asthmatic patients. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with asthma and 29 health controls who were admitted into outpatient clinic of Peking University Third Hospital from April 2014 to December 2015 were consecutively enrolled in our study prospectively. Serum leptin level was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The sex, body mass index (BMI), onset age of asthma, allergen detection test, induced sputum cell count and classification, lung function test and asthma control level were recorded. Asthmatic patients were further divided into groups according to these factors and serum leptin levels were compared among groups. Results: Serum leptin levels were not different between asthmatic patients and health controls [(15.0±10.4) vs (15.2±11.7) μg/L, P=0.939]. Female asthmatic patients had significantly higher serum leptin levels than male [(18.2±10.7) vs (7.9±4.8) μg/L, P<0.001]. Asthmatic patients with obesity had significantly higher serum leptin levels than asthmatic patients with overweight, with normal BMI, with underweight and health controls [(29.7±10.8) vs (17.1±11.1), (11.8±7.7), (9.1±0.96), (15.2±11.7) μg/L, all P<0.01]. Serum leptin level was positively related to percentage of induced sputum eosinophil in female asthmatic patients (r=0.331, P=0.032). Onset age of asthma, positive allergen detection, airflow limitation or asthma control level did not affect serum leptin level. Conclusion: Sex and BMI are important factors affecting serum leptin levels in patients with asthma.

[Structural change of the corpus callosum fibers in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: two-year follow-up]

Objective: To conduct a follow-up investigation of structural changes of the corpus callosum fibers of toddlers (2 to 5 years of age) with autism spectrum disorder(ASD) and to explore the associations with clinical symptoms. Method: In this prospective randomized controlled study, ASD children who were diagnosed in the Child Mental Health Research Center, Nanjing Brain Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University from May 2011 to November 2012 were included in the ASD group, and developmentally delayed children were included in the control group (DD group). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from the two groups were obtained at two age levels: 2-3 years of age, and 4-5 years of age. Region of interest analysis was applied to assess characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum: the fraction anisotropy (FA), the mean diffusivity (MD), the radial diffusivity (RD) and the axial diffusivity (AD). All children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC). The characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum of ASD group at two age levels were analyzed by paired sample t test; the characteristic values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum of ASD group and DD group were analyzed by independent-sample t test; the correlations between FA values of the total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum and ADI-R or ATEC scores were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis. Result: Forty cases meeting inclusion criteria were enrolled in ASD group, and 31 eligible cases were enrolled in the control group. Four children in the ASD group were lost to follow-up, and 5 children in the control group were lost to follow-up. Longitudinal comparison between the two age subgroups of ASD patients showed that the FA values of the total corpus callosum increased (0.499 55±0.027 59 vs. 0.505 83±0.086 64, t=4.88, P<0.05), but MD values, RD values and AD values of the total corpus callosum area decreased (0.000 89±0.000 03 vs. 0.000 81±0.000 14, 0.000 61±0.000 04 vs. 0.000 55±0.000 09, 0.001 43±0.000 03 vs. 0.001 38±0.000 03, t=9.31, 7.90, 8.66, P<0.05 for all comparisons). In the area of corpus callosum genu, FA and AD values increased (t=5.59, 8.48, P<0.05 for both comparisons), but MD and RD values decreased (t=12.67, 11.28, P<0.05 for both comparisns). In the area of corpus callosum body, FA and RD values increased(t=5.46, 8.48, P<0.05 for both comparisons), but MD and AD values decreased (t=8.08, 6.22, P<0.05 for both comparisons). In the area of corpus callosum splenium, MD, RD and AD values decreased (t=6.81, 4.44, 5.51, P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Among the participants 2 to 3 years of age, there were no significantly differences in FA values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum between ASD group and the DD group (P > 0.05 for all comparisons); as compared with the DD group, ASD group had higher AD values of total area and splenium of corpus callosum (0.001 43±0.000 03 vs. 0.001 40±0.000 04, 0.001 34±0.000 03 vs. 0.001 32±0.000 04, t=1.56, 1.14, P < 0.05 for both comparisons); ASD group had lower AD values but higher RD and MD values of corpus callosum genu (t=0.07, 0.55, 0.07, P < 0.05 for all comparisons); ASD group had lower RD values of corpus callosum body (t=0.07, P < 0.05). Among the participants 4 to 5 years of age, as compared with the DD group, ASD group had higher FA value of total corpus callosum area(0.505 83±0.086 64 vs. 0.483 77±0.099 30, t=8.56, P < 0.05), lower RD value of total corpus callosum(0.000 55±0.000 09 vs. 0.000 56±0.000 12, t=14.44, P < 0.05), lower RD values of corpus callosum body (t=2.20, P < 0.05), higher FA values (t=3.35, P < 0.05) but lower AD values of corpus callosum splenium (t=2.20, P < 0.05). A correlation analysis between FA values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum and clinical variables showed that the FA values of total area and splenium of corpus callosum in ASD group at 2 to 3 years of age were negatively correlated with the scores of language skills in ATEC (r=-0.35,-0.36, P < 0.05 for both comparisons). And after two years, FA values of total corpus callosum were positively correlated with the scores of social communication in ATEC (r=0.34, P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between FA values of sub-regions of corpus callosum and the scores of ATEC (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). There was no significant correlation between FA values of total area and sub-regions of corpus callosum and the scores of ADI-R (P > 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusion: The fiber structure of corpus callosum was still in the process of maturing during the age of 2 to 5 years; however, compared with DD group, ASD group had more extensive structural abnormalities of the corpus callosum fibers as age increased, and the structural abnormalities had correlation with the core symptoms of ASD. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-OPC-17011995.

A regulatory circuit HP1γ/miR-451a/c-Myc promotes prostate cancer progression

Heterochromatin protein 1γ (HP1γ) has been implicated in carcinogenesis of various cancer types. However, the role of HP1γ in prostate cancer (PCa) progression and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. We found that HP1γ is upregulated in PCa and elevated levels of HP1γ in PCa predict poor outcome. In addition, depletion of HP1γ in PCa cells not only repressed proliferation and induced apoptosis but also impaired tumorigenicity. We also found that c-Myc was capable of upregulating HP1γ by directly binding to the E-box element in the first intron of HP1γ gene, and the upregulated HP1γ, in turn, repressed the expression of miR-451a by enhancing H3K9 methylation at the promoter region of miR-451a. Furthermore, reduction of miR-451a significantly reversed HP1γ loss-induced PCa cell apoptosis, whereas miR-451a overexpression repressed cell survival by targeting and downregulating c-Myc. The association among c-Myc, HP1γ and miR-451a was further confirmed in human clinical samples. Therefore, we propose that an HP1γ/miR-451a/c-Myc regulatory circuitry exists in PCa cells and this circuit has a crucial role in PCa progression.

Stability and in vitro release behaviour of encapsulated omega fatty acid-rich oils in lentil protein isolate-based microcapsules

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of a lentil protein isolate-based microcapsule design as a platform for entrapping different types of omega fatty acid-rich oil (e.g. canola, fish and flaxseed oils) and to characterise differences in the physical properties (e.g. moisture content, water activity, colour, wettability, particle size, surface oil and entrapment efficiency), storage stability and in vitro release behaviour of the entrapped oils. All microcapsules displayed similar physical properties regardless of the core material. Free fatty acid content, peroxide value, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and accelerated oxidation test were investigated between the free and encapsulated oils to determine protective effects from microencapsulation and found the wall material provided the greatest protective effect to the fish oils relative to the others. Based on an in vitro release assay, it was proposed that different intrinsic properties of fatty acids (e.g. polarity, conformation, chain length and number of double bonds) led to different release properties under simulated conditions. For instance, more encapsulated canola oil (∼8.9%) was released within simulated gastric fluid, whereas more encapsulated fish oil (∼73.4%) was released within simulated gastrointestinal fluids. Overall, the capsule design used in this study could be potentially used as a universal platform to deliver more healthy oils.

Differential regulation of LncRNA-SARCC suppresses VHL-mutant RCC cell proliferation yet promotes VHL-normal RCC cell proliferation via modulating androgen receptor/HIF-2α/C-MYC axis under hypoxia

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/sj.gt.3302808.