Association analysis between the prostaglandin E synthase 2 R298H polymorphism and body mass index in 8079 participants of the KORA study cohort

Utilising SNP Association Analysis as a Prospective Approach for Personalising Androgenetic Alopecia Treatment

INTRODUCTION

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a prevalent, multifactorial form of hair loss involving complex aetiological factors, such as altered androgen regulation and energy metabolism. Existing treatments offer limited success, thus highlighting the need for advanced, personalised therapeutic strategies. This study focuses on correlating the genetic mechanisms of AGA with molecular targets involved in the response to current treatment modalities.

METHODS

An anonymised database including 26,607 patients was subjected to analysis. The dataset included information on patients' genotypes in 26 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), specifically, and diagnosed AGA grades, representing a broad range of ethnic backgrounds.

RESULTS

In our sample, 64.6% of males and 35.4% of females were diagnosed with female pattern hair loss. This distribution aligns well with prior studies, thus validating the representativeness of our dataset. AGA grading was classified using the Hamilton-Norwood and Ludwig scales, although no association was found to the grade of the disease. SNP association analysis revealed eight SNPs, namely rs13283456 (PTGES2), rs523349 (SRD5A2), rs1800012 (COL1A1), rs4343 (ACE), rs10782665 (PTGFR), rs533116 (PTGDR2), rs12724719 (CRABP2) and rs545659 (PTGDR2), to be statistically significant with a p-value below 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS

The study establishes a preliminary association between eight specific SNPs and AGA. These genetic markers offer insights into the variability of therapeutic responses, thus underlining the importance of personalised treatment approaches. Our findings show the potential for more targeted research to understand these SNPs' and further roles in AGA pathophysiology and in modulating treatment response.

mPGES-2 blockade antagonizes β-cell senescence to ameliorate diabetes by acting on NR4A1

β-cell dysfunction is a hallmark of type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is strongly associated with ageing-related β-cell abnormalities that arise through unknown mechanisms. Here we show better β-cell identity, less β-cell senescence, enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and improved glucose homeostasis in global microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-2 (mPGES-2)-deficient mice challenged with a high-fat diet or bred with a genetic model of type 2 diabetes (db/db mice). Furthermore, the function of mPGES-2 in β-cells is validated using mice with β-cell-specific mPGES-2 deficiency or overexpression. Mechanistically, the protective role of mPGES-2 deletion is induced by antagonizing β-cell senescence via interference of the PGE₂-EP3-NR4A1 signalling axis. We also discover an inhibitor of mPGES-2, SZ0232, which protects against β-cell dysfunction and diabetes, similar to mPGES-2 deletion. We conclude that mPGES-2 contributes to ageing-associated β-cell senescence and dysfunction via the PGE₂-EP3-NR4A1 signalling axis. Pharmacologic blockade of mPGES-2 might be effective for treating ageing-associated β-cell dysfunction and diabetes.

Effects of aqueous extract of Arctium lappa L. roots on serum lipid metabolism

Objective

To identify potential genes that may be involved in lipid metabolism in rats after treatment with aqueous extract of Arctium lappa L (burdock).

Methods

Rats were randomly divided into six groups: (i) control (standard diet); (ii) model group (high-fat diet only); (iii) high-fat diet and low-dose aqueous burdock root extract (2 g/kg); (iv) high-fat diet and moderate-dose aqueous burdock root extract (4 g/kg); (v) high-fat diet and high-dose aqueous burdock root extract (8 g/kg); and (vi) a positive control group exposed to a high-fat diet and simvastatin (10 mg/kg). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis was performed to find the potential candidate genes involved in the modulation of blood lipids by treatment with aqueous burdock root extract.

Results

Burdock root extract reduced body weight and cholesterol levels in rats. KEGG analysis revealed 113 genes that were involved in metabolic pathways. Of these, 27 potential genes associated with blood lipid metabolism were identified.

Conclusions

Aqueous extract of burdock root reduced body weight and cholesterol in rats, possibly by modulating the differential expression of genes.

mPGES-2 deletion remarkably enhances liver injury in streptozotocin-treated mice via induction of GLUT2

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-2 (mPGES-2) deletion does not influence in vivo PGE2 production and the function of this enzyme remains elusive. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of mPGES-2 in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type-1 diabetes and organ injuries.

METHODS

mPGES-2 wild type (WT) and knockout (KO) mice were treated by a single intraperitoneal injection of STZ at the dose of 120 mg/kg to induce type-1 diabetes. Subsequently, glycemic status and organ injuries were evaluated.

RESULTS

Following 4 days of STZ administration, mPGES-2 KO mice exhibited severe lethality in contrast to the normal phenotype observed in WT control mice. In a separate experiment, the analysis was performed at day 3 of the STZ treatment in order to avoid lethality. Blood glucose levels were similar between STZ-treated KO and WT mice. However, the livers of KO mice were yellowish with severe global hepatic steatosis, in parallel with markedly elevated liver enzymes and remarkable stomach expansion. However, the morphology of the other organs was largely normal. The STZ-treated KO mice displayed extensive hepatocyte apoptosis compared with WT mice in parallel with markedly enhanced inflammation and oxidative stress. More interestingly, a liver-specific 50% upregulation of GLUT2 was found in the KO mice accompanied with a markedly enhanced STZ accumulation and this induction of GLUT2 was likely to be associated with the insulin/SREBP-1c pathway. Primary cultured hepatocytes of KO mice exhibited an increased sensitivity to STZ-induced injury and higher cellular STZ content, which was markedly blunted by the selective GLUT2 inhibitor phloretin.

CONCLUSIONS

mPGES-2 deletion enhanced STZ-induced liver toxicity possibly via GLUT2-mediated STZ uptake, independently of diabetes mellitus.

Pharmacogenetics of new analgesics

Patient phenotypes in pharmacological pain treatment varies between individuals, which could be partly assigned to their genotypes regarding the targets of classical analgesics (OPRM1, PTGS2) or associated signalling pathways (KCNJ6). Translational and genetic research have identified new targets, for which new analgesics are being developed. This addresses voltage-gated sodium, calcium and potassium channels, for which SCN9A, CACNA1B, KCNQ2 and KCNQ3, respectively, are primary gene candidates because they code for the subunits of the respective channels targeted by analgesics currently in clinical development. Mutations in voltage gated transient receptor potential (TRPV) channels are known from genetic pain research and may modulate the effects of analgesics under development targeting TRPV1 or TRPV3. To this add ligand-gated ion channels including nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, ionotropic glutamate-gated receptors and ATP-gated purinergic P2X receptors with most important subunits coded by CHRNA4, GRIN2B and P2RX7. Among G protein coupled receptors, δ-opioid receptors (coded by OPRD1), cannabinoid receptors (CNR1 and CNR2), metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluR5 coded by GRM5), bradykinin B(1) (BDKRB1) and 5-HT(1A) (HTR1A) receptors are targeted by new analgesic substances. Finally, nerve growth factor (NGFB), its tyrosine kinase receptor (NTRK1) and the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) have become targets of interest. For most of these genes, functional variants have been associated with neuro-psychiatric disorders and not yet with analgesia. However, research on the genetic modulation of pain has already identified variants in these genes, relative to pain, which may facilitate the pharmacogenetic assessments of new analgesics. The increased number of candidate pharmacogenetic modulators of analgesic actions may open opportunities for the broader clinical implementation of genotyping information.

Associations between arachidonic acid metabolism gene polymorphisms and prostate cancer risk

BACKGROUND

The arachidonic acid (AA) pathway is suspected to be involved in the development of various cancers, including prostate cancer. However, the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of AA pathway genes remains unclear. The purpose of this case-control study was to evaluate the association between prostate cancer risk and 14 such SNPs in the PTGS2, PTGES2, ALOX5, ALOX5AP, and LTA4H genes.

METHODS

Genotyping was conducted on 585 white prostate cancer cases and 585 healthy, age-matched controls. The best genetic model for each SNP was determined using Akaike's information criterion. Odds ratios for the association between each SNP and prostate cancer risk were calculated, both overall and stratified by obesity (BMI ≥ 30). Haplotype analysis was conducted for the PTGES2 SNPs.

RESULTS

LTA4H rs1978331 was inversely associated with prostate cancer risk overall (unadjusted, overdominant model OR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.51-0.91 for TC vs. TT/CC). Among non-obese individuals, the GG genotype of PTGES2 rs10987883 was associated with an increased risk for prostate cancer (unadjusted, recessive model OR = 3.23, 95% CI: 1.27-8.23).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that SNPs in certain AA metabolism genes may influence prostate cancer susceptibility. Furthermore, it is possible that obesity, which induces a chronic state of low-level inflammation in addition to several metabolic sequelae, may modify the impact of these SNPs. These findings should be confirmed in a larger study with power to detect differential effects by obesity.

Associations between gene polymorphisms in fatty acid metabolism pathway and preterm delivery in a US urban black population

There is increasing evidence suggesting that higher intakes of fish or n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplements may decrease the risk of preterm delivery (PTD). We hypothesized that genetic variants of the enzymes critical to fatty acids biosynthesis and metabolism may be associated with PTD. We genotyped 231 potentially functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and tagSNPs in 9 genes (FADS1, FADS2, PTGS1, PTGS2, ALOX5, ALOX5AP, PTGES, PTGES2, and PTGES3) among 1,110 black mothers, including 542 mothers who delivered preterm (<37 weeks gestation) and 568 mothers who delivered full-term babies (≥37 weeks gestation) at Boston Medical Center. After excluding SNPs that are in complete linkage disequilibrium or have lower minor allele frequency (<1%) or call rate (<90%), we examined the association of 206 SNPs with PTD using multiple logistic regression models. We also imputed 190 HapMap SNPs via program MACH and examined their associations with PTD. Finally, we explored gene-level and pathway-level associations with PTD using the adaptive rank truncated product (ARTP) methods. A total of 21 SNPs were associated with PTD (p value ranging from 0.003 to 0.05), including 3 imputed SNPs. Gene-level ARTP statistics indicated that the gene PTGES2 was significantly associated with PTD with a gene-based p value equal to 0.01. No pathway-based association was found. In this large and comprehensive candidate gene study, we found a modest association of genes in fatty acid metabolism pathway with PTD. Further investigation of these gene polymorphisms jointly with fatty acid measures and other genetic factors would help better understand the pathogenesis of PTD.