Pre-diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are associated with an unhealthy lifestyle and pose extremely high costs to the healthcare system. In this study, we aim to explore whether ...individualized aerobic exercise (AEx) and low carbohydrate diet (LCh) intervention affect hepatic fat content (HFC) in pre-diabetes via modification of gut microbiota composition and other post-interventional effects.
A 6-month randomized intervention with 6-month follow-up is conducted from January 2013 to December 2015. The target sample size for intervention is 200 postmenopausal women and middle-aged men aged 50-65 year-old with pre-diabetes and NAFLD. The qualified subjects are randomized into 4 groups with 50 subjects in each group: 1 = AEx, 2 = LCh, 3 = AEx + LCh, and 4 = control. In addition, two age-matched reference groups (5 = pre-diabetes without NAFLD (n = 50) and 6 = Healthy without pre-diabetes or NAFLD (n = 50)) are included. The exercise program consists of progressive and variable aerobic exercise (intensity of 60 to 75% of initial fitness level, 3-5 times/week and 30-60 min/time). The diet program includes dietary consultation plus supplementation with a special lunch meal (40% of total energy intake/day) which aims to reduce the amount of carbohydrate consumption (30%). The control and reference groups are advised to maintain their habitual habits during the intervention. The primary outcome measures are HFC, serum metabolomics and gut microbiota composition. The secondary outcome measures include body composition and cytokines. In addition, socio-psychological aspects, social support, physical activity and diet will be performed by means of questionnaire and interview.
Specific individualized exercise and diet intervention in this study offers a more efficient approach for liver fat reduction and diabetes prevention via modification of gut microbiota composition. Besides, the study explores the importance of incorporating fitness assessment and exercise in the management of patients with pre-diabetes and fatty liver disorders. If our program is shown to be effective, it will open new strategies to combat these chronic diseases.
Current Controlled Trials: ISRCTN42622771.
Rapid-onset obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation, and autonomic dysregulation syndrome (ROHHADS) is a rare multi-system disease, and delayed diagnosis and treatment may lead to ...catastrophic cardiopulmonary complications. As far as we know, no patient with ROHHADS has been reported in China, and this article reports a child with ROHHADS to improve the awareness of this disease among clinicians. A girl, aged 3 years, had the clinical manifestations of rapid weight gain, fever, disturbance of consciousness, and convulsion. The physical examination showed a body weight of 20 kg, somnolence, irregular breathing, and stiff neck. She had increased blood levels of prolactin and follicle-stimulating hormone and hyponatremia. The lumbar puncture showed an increased intracranial pressure. The brain MRI and magnetic resonance venography showed symmetrical lesions in the periventricular region and venous thrombosis in the right transverse sinus and the superior sagittal sinus. The sleep monitoring showed
It has been hypothesized that blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction in Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection might be due to the apoptosis of the hosts' BBB cells. Here, we evaluated this hypothesis ...through several methods, all based on an in vitro mouse BBB model consisting of primary culture brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and brain astrocytic cells (BACs). In the present study, a four-hour percolation and HRP permeability experiment showed that A. cantonensis larvae extracts can increase the permeability of the BBB. Apoptosis among BMECs and BACs after exposure to larvae extracts was monitored by TUNEL and annexin-V-FITC/PI double staining. A. cantonensis larvae extracts were found to induce apoptosis in both BMECs and BACs. For this reason, we concluded that the induction of apoptosis might participate in the BBB dysfunction observed during angiostrongyliasis. Improved fundamental understanding of how A. cantonensis induces apoptosis may lead to new approaches to the treatment or prevention of this parasitic disease.
Fraxinifolines A-F (1–6), six new B-seco limonoids, together with four known A,D-di-seco ones, were isolated from the twigs with leaves of Tetradium fraxinifolium. Their structures with absolute ...configurations were elucidated on the basis of analysis of MS, NMR, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and biogenetic pathway. An anti-inflammatory bioassay in vitro showed limonoids 1–3 had significant immunosuppressive effect against the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β and/or TNF-α) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cells.
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•Ten limonoids were isolated from the twigs with leaves of Tetradium fraxinifolium.•Fraxinifolines A-F are the first examples of B-seco limonoids from Rutaceae plant.•Fraxinifolines A-D are unusal 7,8-seco-7,8-epoxide type limonoids.•Fraxinifolines A, B and C had significant immunosuppressive effect.
Cu
TSiS
(T = Mn and Fe) polycrystalline and single-crystal materials were prepared with high-temperature solid-state and chemical vapor transport methods, respectively. The polar crystal structure ...(space group
2
) consists of chains of corner-sharing and distorted CuS
, Mn/FeS
, and SiS
tetrahedra, which is confirmed by Rietveld refinement using neutron powder diffraction data, X-ray single-crystal refinement, electron diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and second harmonic generation (SHG) techniques. Magnetic measurements indicate that both compounds order antiferromagnetically at 8 and 14 K, respectively, which is supported by the temperature-dependent (100-2 K) neutron powder diffraction data. Additional magnetic reflections observed at 2 K can be modeled by magnetic propagation vectors
= (1/2,0,1/2) and
= (1/2,1/2,1/2) for Cu
MnSiS
and Cu
FeSiS
, respectively. The refined antiferromagnetic structure reveals that the Mn/Fe spins are canted away from the
plane by about 14°, with the total magnetic moments of Mn and Fe being 4.1(1) and 2.9(1) μ
, respectively. Both compounds exhibit an SHG response with relatively modest second-order nonlinear susceptibilities. Density functional theory calculations are used to describe the electronic band structures.
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) has attracted increasing attention worldwide. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of HFpEF and analyze its correlates in a sample of residents ...of northeast China;
A population-based study of 2230 participants ≥35 years old was conducted in rural areas of Liaoning Province from January 2012 through August 2013. Information about lifestyle and other potential risk factors was obtained. HFpEF was diagnosed according to the recommendations of European Society of Cardiology;
The overall prevalence of HFpEF was 3.5% (1.8% in men and 4.9% in women). The prevalence of HFpEF increased with age in both genders and was greater in women than in men for every age group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis found that female gender (OR, 3.575; 95% CI, 1.761-7.256), hypertension (OR, 3.711; 95% CI, 2.064-6.674), and history of heart disease (2.086; 95% CI, 1.243-3.498) were associated factors for prevalent HFpEF;
In a general population from rural northeast China, we found that female gender, hypertension, and history of heart disease were risk factors for prevalent HFpEF.
Aortic valve calcification (AVC), which used to be recognized as a passive and irreversible process, is now widely accepted as an active and regulated process characterized by osteoblastic ...differentiation of aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs). Apelin, the endogenous ligand for G-protein-coupled receptor APJ, was found to have protective cardiovascular effects in several studies. However, the effects and mechanisms of apelin on osteoblastic differentiation of AVICs have not been elucidated. Using a pro-calcific medium, we devised a method to produce calcific human AVICs. These cells were used to study the relationship between apelin and the osteoblastic calcification of AVICs and the involved signaling pathways. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity/expression and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) expression were examined as hallmark proteins in this research. The involved signaling pathways were studied using the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor, PD98059, and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitor, LY294002. The results indicate that apelin attenuates the expression and activity of ALP, the expression of Runx2, and the formation of mineralized nodules. This protective effect was dependent on the dose of apelin, reaching the maximum at 100 pM, and was connected to activity of ERK and Akt (a downstream effector of PI3-K). The activation of ERK and PI3-K initiated the effects of apelin on ALP activity/expression and Runx2, but PD98059 and LY294002 abolished the effect. These results demonstrate that apelin attenuates the osteoblastic differentiation of AVICs via the ERK and PI3-K/Akt pathway.
Objective
To investigate the plasma fibrinogen gamma‐chain concentration in preeclampsia patients and explore its value in preeclampsia prediction and auxiliary diagnosis.
Methods
Follow‐up of ...pregnant women who regularly attended perinatal care at two hospitals in China was performed, and clinical data and plasma samples were collected at each examination until delivery. The gamma‐chain concentration was detected by Western blotting, and Quantity One Software was used for gamma‐chain grayscale value measurements.
Results
Forty‐two patients with preeclampsia and 42 control patients completed the follow‐up. In the control group, the gamma‐chain concentration at 32 weeks of gestation was higher than that at 20 weeks of gestation, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In the experimental group, the gamma‐chain concentration at preeclampsia diagnosis was significantly higher than that at 20 weeks of gestation (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the gamma‐chain concentration was higher at 20 weeks of gestation in the experimental group, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, at 32 weeks of gestation and at the time of diagnosis, the gamma‐chain concentration in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). At 32 weeks of gestation and at the time of diagnosis, the AUCs from ROC curve analysis of plasma fibrinogen gamma‐chain concentrations were 0.64 and 0.71, respectively.
Conclusion
Plasma fibrinogen synthesis and degradation were disrupted in preeclampsia patients before and after diagnosis, and gamma‐chain concentration was significantly increased. Plasma fibrinogen gamma chain may be of some value in preeclampsia prediction and auxiliary diagnosis.
To investigate the plasma fibrinogen gamma‐chain concentration in preeclampsia patients and explore its value in preeclampsia prediction and auxiliary diagnosis. Follow‐up of pregnant women who regularly attended perinatal care at two hospitals in china was performed, and clinical data and plasma samples were collected at each examination until delivery. The gamma‐chain concentration was detected by Western blotting, and Quantity One Software was used for gamma‐chain grayscale value measurements. Forty‐two patients with preeclampsia and 42 control patients completed the follow‐up. In the control group, the gamma‐chain concentration at 32 weeks gestation was higher than that at 20 weeks gestation, but the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In the experimental group, the gamma‐chain concentration at preeclampsia diagnosis was significantly higher than that at 20 weeks gestation (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the gamma‐chain concentration was higher at 20 weeks gestation in the experimental group, but the difference was not statistically significant. However, at 32 weeks of gestation and at the time of diagnosis, the gamma‐chain concentration in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). At 32 weeks of gestation and at the time of diagnosis, the AUCs from ROC curve analysis of plasma fibrinogen gamma‐chain concentrations were 0.64 and 0.71, respectively. Plasma fibrinogen synthesis and degradation were disrupted in preeclampsia patients before and after diagnosis, and gamma‐chain concentration was significantly increased. Plasma fibrinogen gamma chain may be of some value in preeclampsia prediction and auxiliary diagnosis.
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