Adiposity and blood pressure among 55 000 relatively lean rural adults in southwest of China

Obesity is a strong determinant of blood pressure. Uncertainty remains, however, about which indices of adiposity most strongly predict blood pressure, particularly among those who were relatively lean, such as those from rural China. We analyzed cross-sectional data on 55 687 (38.3% men) participants aged 30–79 years who were enrolled into the China Kadoorie Biobank from a rural county in southwest of China during 2004–2008. Measured body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were related to blood pressure in multivariable linear regression analyses. The overall mean values of BMI, WC, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were 23.3 kg m⁻², 78.0 cm, 129.2 mm Hg and 77.2 mm Hg, respectively. There was a strongly positive, and apparently linear, relationship of BMI and WC with blood pressure, with 1 s.d. higher BMI associated with 4.3/2.3 mm Hg higher SBP/DBP and 1 s.d. WC associated with 3.8/2.1 mm Hg (P<0.0001). Additional adjustment for WC only slightly attenuated the association of BMI with blood pressure, whereas additional adjustment for BMI almost completely eliminated the association of WC with blood pressure. Our findings suggest that in relatively lean Chinese adults, general adiposity is more strongly assciated with blood pressure than central adiposity.

Dietary patterns are associated with prevalence of fatty liver disease in adults

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Previous studies have indicated that higher levels of food consumption are associated with fatty liver disease (FLD), but few studies have investigated the relationship between this disease and different dietary patterns. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the association between dietary patterns and FLD in adults.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Dietary intakes of participants in the Tianjin were assessed via questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to identify dietary patterns, and FLD was defined as having a FLD diagnosis using liver ultrasonography. Relationships between dietary patterns and FLD were assessed using multiple logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Female participants in the highest quartile of high-carbohydrate/sweet pattern scores had a 2.19-fold greater risk (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.40-3.46) of developing non-alcoholic FLD (NAFLD) than those in the lowest quartile after adjusting for confounding factors. No significant differences were found between any dietary pattern and NAFLD in males. In males, a significantly increasing trend of alcoholic FLD (AFLD) prevalence was associated with increasing high-protein/cholesterol pattern scores (P for trend = 0.03; odds ratio (OR), 2.08; 95% CI, 1.15-3.81) while an increased high-carbohydrate/sweet pattern score appeared protective against AFLD (P for trend = 0.02; OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.29-1.00).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates that high-protein/cholesterol pattern scores are associated with higher prevalence of AFLD in males. We also show high-carbohydrate/sweet pattern scores are associated with higher prevalence of NAFLD in females; but, interestingly, this pattern shows a favorable effect on AFLD in males.

Automated characterisation of ultrasound images of ovarian tumours: the diagnostic accuracy of a support vector machine and image processing with a local binary pattern operator

INTRODUCTION

Preoperative characterisation of ovarian masses into benign or malignant is of paramount importance to optimise patient management.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we developed and validated a computerised model to characterise ovarian masses as benign or malignant.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Transvaginal 2D B mode static ultrasound images of 187 ovarian masses with known histological diagnosis were included. Images were first pre-processed and enhanced, and Local Binary Pattern Histograms were then extracted from 2 × 2 blocks of each image. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) was trained using stratified cross validation with randomised sampling. The process was repeated 15 times and in each round 100 images were randomly selected.

RESULTS

The SVM classified the original non-treated static images as benign or malignant masses with an average accuracy of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.59-0.65). This performance significantly improved to an average accuracy of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.75-0.79) when images were pre-processed, enhanced and treated with a Local Binary Pattern operator (mean difference 0.15: 95% 0.11-0.19, p < 0.0001, two-tailed t test).

CONCLUSION

We have shown that an SVM can classify static 2D B mode ultrasound images of ovarian masses into benign and malignant categories. The accuracy improves if texture related LBP features extracted from the images are considered.

Identification of transcriptional regulatory nodes in soybean defense networks using transient co-transactivation assays

Plant responses to major environmental stressors, such as insect feeding, not only occur via the functions of defense genes but also involve a series of regulatory factors. Our previous transcriptome studies proposed that, in addition to two defense-related genes, GmVSPβ and GmN:IFR, a high proportion of transcription factors (TFs) participate in the incompatible soybean-common cutworm interaction networks. However, the regulatory mechanisms and effects of these TFs on those induced defense-related genes remain unknown. In the present work, we isolated and identified 12 genes encoding MYB, WRKY, NAC, bZIP, and DREB TFs from a common cutworm-induced cDNA library of a resistant soybean line. Sequence analysis of the promoters of three co-expressed genes, including GmVSPα, GmVSPβ, and GmN:IFR, revealed the enrichment of various TF-binding sites for defense and stress responses. To further identify the regulatory nodes composed of these TFs and defense gene promoters, we performed extensive transient co-transactivation assays to directly test the transcriptional activity of the 12 TFs binding at different levels to the three co-expressed gene promoters. The results showed that all 12 TFs were able to transactivate the GmVSPβ and GmN:IFR promoters. GmbZIP110 and GmMYB75 functioned as distinct regulators of GmVSPα/β and GmN:IFR expression, respectively, while GmWRKY39 acted as a common central regulator of GmVSPα/β and GmN:IFR expression. These corresponding TFs play crucial roles in coordinated plant defense regulation, which provides valuable information for understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in insect-induced transcriptional regulation in soybean. More importantly, the identified TFs and suitable promoters can be used to engineer insect-resistant plants in molecular breeding studies.

Theoretical model estimation of guest diffusion in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)

An analytical model was developed to efficiently and accurately estimate the guest diffusivity in flexible metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).

Micro-viscosity of liquid oil confined in colloidal fat crystal networks

Molecular rotors may be utilized as non-invasive, non-disruptive and highly sensitive alternatives to conventional measures of bulk viscosity when the oil is entrained in a colloidal fat crystal network. Oil viscosity changes based on the molecular confinement of the oil, which is dependent on its molecular volume. Changes in micro-viscosity were not dependent on the solids content, but instead were strongly dependent on the box-counting fractal dimension in high-space filling colloidal fat crystal networks (i.e., D > 1.89). A bulk oil viscosity is often an overestimation of the actual viscosity of the entrained oil and may not be appropriate when predicting diffusion in multi-phase materials.

Making a hydrophoretic focuser tunable using a diaphragm

Microfluidic diagnostic devices often require handling particles or cells with different sizes. In this investigation, a tunable hydrophoretic device was developed which consists of a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) slab with hydrophoretic channel, a PDMS diaphragm with pressure channel, and a glass slide. The height of the hydrophoretic channel can be tuned simply and reliably by deforming the elastomeric diaphragm with pressure applied on the pressure channel. This operation allows the device to have a large operating range where different particles and complex biological samples can be processed. The focusing performance of this device was tested using blood cells that varied in shape and size. The hydrophoretic channel had a large cross section which enabled a throughput capability for cell focusing of ∼15 000 cells s(-1), which was more than the conventional hydrophoretic focusing and dielectrophoresis (DEP)-active hydrophoretic methods. This tunable hydrophoretic focuser can potentially be integrated into advanced lab-on-a-chip bioanalysis devices.

Formononetin inhibits migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 breast cancer cells by suppressing MMP-2 and MMP-9 through PI3K/AKT signaling pathways

Formononetin is a naturally existing isoflavone, which can be found in the roots of Astragalus membranaceus, Trifolium pratense, Glycyrrhiza glabra, and Pueraria lobata. It was found to be associated with inhibition of cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, as well as induction of apoptosis in various cancer cell lines. However, the effect of formononetin on breast cancer cell metastasis remains unclear. In this study, we examined the effect of formononetin on the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 in vitro and in vivo. Our data demonstrated that formononetin did not effectively inhibit the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 in 24 h with the concentration lower than 160 μmol/l. When treated with nontoxic concentration of formononetin, the migration and invasion of MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells were markedly suppressed by wound healing assay, chamber invasion assay, and in vivo mouse metastasis model. In vitro, formononetin reduced the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9 and increased the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) and TIMP-2. Furthermore, the immunofluorescence and immunoblotting assays indicated that formononetin was very effective in suppressing the phosphorylation of Akt and PI3K. Collectively, these results suggest that formononetin inhibited breast cancer cell migration and invasion by reducing the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. These findings demonstrate a potentially new therapeutic strategy of formononetin as anti-invasive agent for breast cancer.

Identification of soybean MYC2-like transcription factors and overexpression of GmMYC1 could stimulate defense mechanism against common cutworm in transgenic tobacco

MYC2 is a basic helix-loop-helix Leu zipper transcription factor (TF). Here, 22 putative soybean MYC-like TFs were identified bioinformatically. Of these TFs, seven MYC2-like genes without introns were isolated and characterized. All seven GmMYCs displayed transactivation activity in yeast cells. Six genes (excepting GmMYC3) were expressed in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seed wall but not in the developing seeds and up-regulated after insect feeding. The GmMYC1 transgenic tobacco rejected common cutworm (CCW, Spodoptera litura Fabricius) more strongly and lost less leaf area than the control (2.94 ± 2.36 vs 7.84 ± 4.63 cm(2)). The average relative growth rate of CCW feeding on transgenic tobacco leaves was lower than on control tobacco leaves (136 ± 60 vs 271 ± 76 %). These results indicated that GmMYC could stimulate the defense mechanism against insects in plants.

Isolating plasma from blood using a dielectrophoresis-active hydrophoretic device

Plasma is a complex substance that contains proteins and circulating nucleic acids and viruses that can be utilised for clinical diagnostics, albeit a precise analysis depends on the plasma being totally free of cells. We proposed the use of a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-active hydrophoretic method to isolate plasma from blood in a high-throughput manner. This microfluidic device consists of anisotropic microstructures embedded on the top of the channel which generate lateral pressure gradients while interdigitised electrodes lay on the bottom of the channel which can push particles or cells into a higher level using a negative DEP force. Large and small particles or cells (3 μm and 10 μm particles, and red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) can be focused at the same time in our DEP-active hydrophoretic device at an appropriate flow rate and applied voltage. Based on this principle, all the blood cells were filtrated from whole blood and then the plasma was extracted with a purity of 94.2% and a yield of 16.5% at a flow rate of 10 μL min(-1). This solved the challenging problem caused by the relatively low throughput of the DEP based device. Our DEP-active hydrophoretic device is a flexible and tunable system that can control the lateral positions of particles by modulating the external voltages without redesigning and fabricating a new channel, and because it is easy to operate, it is easily compatible with other microfluidic platforms that are used for further detection.

Protective effect of Ginkgo flavonoids, amifostine, and leuprorelin against platinum-induced ovarian impairment in rats

Platinum-induced ovarian impairment is a consequence of treatment for malignant ovarian tumors. We compared the protective effects of Ginkgo flavonoids, amifostine, and leuprorelin on ovarian impairment in rats. Fifty rats were randomly divided into the A, B, C, D, and E groups, which were given saline, cisplatin, cisplatin plus Ginkgo flavonoids, cisplatin plus amifostine, and cisplatin plus leuprorelin, respectively. Ovarian weight was significantly greater in groups C and D compared with group B (83.5 ± 6.7 and 86.8 ± 10 vs 56.8 ± 5.4 mg). The total follicle numbers were higher in groups C, D, and E than in group B (60.5 ± 3.9, 63.8 ± 5.1, and 67.7 ± 3.5 vs 49.6 ± 4.5), and the apoptotic index was reduced in groups C, D, and E compared with group B (35.7 ± 2.0, 37.4 ± 1.6, and 30.5 ± 2.9 vs 65.3 ± 2.9%). The ovaries in groups B, C, and D had higher protein and mRNA expression levels of cytoplasmic Cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and apoptotic protease activating factor-1 (Apf-1) compared to group A; the Cyt-c mRNA expression was five-fold higher. The mRNA expression of Cyt-c and Apf-1 were significantly lower in groups C, D, and E compared with group B. Administration of leuprorelin, flavonoids, or amifostine protected rats against the ovarian impairment induced by prior intraperitoneal injection of cisplatin. The efficacy of leuprorelin was superior to that of Ginkgo flavonoids and amifostine, but there was no difference between the effects of Ginkgo flavonoids and amifostine.

Activation of mTOR pathway in myeloid-derived suppressor cells stimulates cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in lal(-/-) mice

Inflammation critically contributes to cancer metastasis, in which myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are an important participant. Although MDSCs are known to suppress immune surveillance, their roles in directly stimulating cancer cell proliferation and metastasis currently remain unclear. Lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) deficiency causes systemic expansion and infiltration of MDSCs in multiple organs and subsequent inflammation. In the LAL-deficient (lal^−/−) mouse model, melanoma metastasized massively in allogeneic lal^−/− mice, which was suppressed in allogeneic lal^+/+ mice due to immune rejection. Here we report for the first time that MDSCs from lal^−/− mice directly stimulated B16 melanoma cell in vitro proliferation, and in vivo growth and metastasis. Cytokines i.e., IL-1β and TNFα from MDSCs are required for B16 melanoma cell proliferation in vitro. Myeloid-specific expression of human LAL (hLAL) in lal^−/− mice rescues these malignant phenotypes in vitro and in vivo. The tumor-promoting function of lal^−/− MDSCs is mediated, at least in part, through over-activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Knockdown of mTOR, Raptor or Rictor in lal^−/− MDSCs suppressed their stimulation on proliferation of cancer cells, including B16 melanoma, LLC and Tramp-C2 cancer cells. Our results indicate that LAL plays a critical role in regulating MDSCs ability to directly stimulate cancer cell proliferation, and overcome immune rejection of cancer metastasis in allogeneic mice through modulation of the mTOR pathway, which provides a mechanistic basis for targeting MDSCs to reduce the risk of cancer metastasis. Therefore, MDSCs possess dual functions to facilitate cancer metastasis: suppress immune surveillance, and stimulate cancer cell proliferation and growth.

Benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide induced p53-independent necrosis via the mitochondria-associated pathway involving Bax and Bak activation

Benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE) is a highly reactive DNA damage agent and can induce cell death through both p53-independent and -dependent pathways. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of p53-independent pathways in BPDE-induced cell death. To understand the p53-independent mechanisms, we have now examined BPDE-induced cytotoxicity in p53-deficient baby mouse kidney (BMK) cells. The results showed that BPDE could induce Bax and Bak activation, cytochrome c release, caspases activation, and necrotic cell death in the BMK cells. Bax and Bak, two key molecules of mitochondrial permeability transition pore, were interdependently activated by BPDE, with Bax and Bak translocation to and Bax/Bak homo-oligomerization in mitochondria, release of cytochrome c was induced. Importantly, cytochrome c release and necrotic cell death were diminished in BMK cells (Bax−/−), BMK cells (Bak−/−), and BMK cells (Bax−/−/Bak−/−). Furthermore, overexpression of Bcl-2 could ameliorate BPDE-induced cytochrome c release and necrosis. Together the findings suggested that BPDE-induced necrosis was modulated by the p53-independent pathway, which was related to the translocation of Bax and Bak to mitochondria, release of cytochrome c, and activation of caspases.

A novel single nucleotide polymorphism in the protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 gene (PTPN22) is associated with Type 1 diabetes in a Chinese population

AIMS

To examine single nucleotide polymorphisms in the protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 gene (PTPN22) and to study their association with Type 1 diabetes in a Chinese cohort.

METHODS

Three hundred and sixty-four young patients with Type 1 diabetes and 719 healthy children were included in this case-controlled study. The genotypes of rs1217385, rs2488457 (-1123C>G), rs1217414, rs1217419, rs3765598 and rs2476601 (1858C>T) in the PTPN22 gene were determined using the SNaPshot method. Alleles, genotypes and haplotype frequencies were compared between patients with Type 1 diabetes and healthy control subjects. The association between single nucleotide polymorphisms and clinical traits/autoantibody status was also analysed.

RESULTS

The single nucleotide polymorphism, rs1217419, located in the second intron of the PTPN22 gene was associated with Type 1 diabetes (odds ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.14-1.97, P = 0.003). An additional single nucleotide polymorphism, rs1217385, was also associated with Type 1 diabetes; however, the association was secondary to that of rs1217419. The previously reported single nucleotide polymorphism that is associated with Type 1 diabetes (-1123G>C) had only marginal association with Type 1 diabetes in our study. A marginal association was also identified between -1123G>C and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody positivity in patients with Type 1 diabetes. There was no association between the single nucleotide polymorphism 1858C>T and Type 1 diabetes in our studied cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study confirmed that PTPN22 is a gene that contributes to Type 1 diabetes susceptibility. The primary association occurs with single nucleotide polymorphism rs1217419 and there is clear heterogeneity of the association between PTPTN22 polymorphisms and Type 1 diabetes in a Chinese population compared with other populations.

Growth kinetics of calcium fluoride at high supersaturation in a fluidized bed reactor

Crystallization process in a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) has been regarded as an environmentally friendly technology for the removal and recovery of fluoride from industrial wastewater. The growth kinetics of calcium fluoride at high supersaturation was studied for design, control, and operation of an FBR. The main variables, including supersaturation, superficial velocity, pH value, and particle size of seed that influenced the crystal growth were investigated. Then, a growth model was used to predict the linear growth rate of calcium fluoride at a high influent concentration of fluoride. The pressure difference in the FBR was used as a feature to characterize the growth rate of calcium fluoride. The aggregation and adsorption between seeds and fine particles were proven to be a possible mechanism for growth of calcium fluoride.

Endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection for large esophageal neoplastic lesions

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been widely used for resection of esophageal neoplastic lesions, but there are still technical challenges in treating large ones. Based on the development of tunneling technique, we report the first series in which the new technique of endoscopic submucosal tunnel dissection (ESTD) was used to remove large lesions in the esophagus. ESTD was attempted in five consecutive patients with esophageal lesions for which resection was indicated. In the operation, once the margin of the lesions had been marked, a submucosal tunnel was created by submucosal dissection from the oral incision to the anal incision. Bilateral resection was then performed to remove the lesion completely. The average length of the five lesions was 5.7 cm, and their extent as a proportion of the whole circumference of the lumen ranged from one third to four fifths. Operative time ranged from 50 minutes to 120 minutes (mean, 77 minutes). En bloc resection with negative lateral and basal margins was achieved in all lesions without complications.

The expression and role of oxidative stress markers in the serum and follicular fluid of patients with endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression and role of oxidative stress markers in the serum and follicular fluid of patients with endometriosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective case-control study was conducted in 42 patients who underwent in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET). They were divided into Group I: patients with endometriosis (n = 20) and Group II: patients with tubal factor infertility (n = 22). All patients underwent a long gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist protocol for pituitary downregulation followed by controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. Level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and vitamin E (VE) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results of IVF-ET between the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The ROS levels in both serum and follicular fluid of the study group were significantly higher than in the control group. The serum levels of SOD and VE in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group, but there was no difference in follicular fluid levels of SOD and VE between the two groups. Furthermore, the mature oocyte and fertilization rates in the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group. However, the levels of ROS, SOD, and VE in serum and follicular fluid were not significantly correlated with outcome following IVF-ET.

CONCLUSION

Patients with endometriosis have increased oxidative stress, as well as lower mature oocyte rates and fertilization rates. Nevertheless, there is no evidence that the oxidative stress status is directly related to the outcome of IVF treatment.

Associations between Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Gene Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Acute Mountain Sickness

Objective:

This study investigated associations between polymorphisms in the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene and susceptibility to acute mountain sickness.

Methods:

Two hundred Han Chinese soldiers who developed acute mountain sickness after rapidly ascending to an altitude of < 3600 m and 200 control soldiers (who did not develop the condition) were enrolled in the study. Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the VEGF gene were genotyped in all the study participants. Plasma VEGF concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 40 subjects with acute mountain sickness and 40 controls before and after exposure to high altitude.

Results:

The frequencies of the rs3025039 genotype and allele were significantly different between the groups. Two SNPs, rs3025039 (which involves a C→T allele variation at position 936 in the 3′ untranslated region) and rs3025030 (which involves a G→C allele variation in the intronic sequence), were associated with a decreased risk of acute mountain sickness.

Conclusion:

The SNPs rs3025039 and rs3025030 of the VEGF gene may be associated with a decreased risk of acute mountain sickness development.