Effects of over-expressing resistin on glucose and lipid metabolism in mice

Resistin,a newly discovered peptide hormone mainly secreted by adipose tissues,is present at high levels in serum of obese mice and may be a potential link between obesity and insulin resistance in rodents. However,some studies of rat and mouse models have associated insulin resistance and obesity with decreased resistin expression. In humans,no relationship between resistin level and insulin resistance or adiposity was observed. This suggests that additional studies are necessary to determine the specific role of resistin in the regulation of energy metabolism and adipogenesis. In the present study,we investigated the effect of resistin in vivo on glucose and lipid metabolism by over-expressing resistin in mice by intramuscular injection of a recombinant eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.1-Retn encoding porcine resistin gene. After injection,serum resistin and serum glucose (GLU) levels were significantly increased in the pcDNA3.1-Retn-treated mice; there was an obvious difference in total cholesterol (TC) level between the experiment and the control groups on Day 30. In pcDNA3.1-Retn-treated mice,both free fatty acid (FFA) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were markedly lower than those of control,whereas HDL cholesterol and triglyceride (TG) levels did not differ between the two groups. Furthermore,lipase activity was expressly lower on Day 20. Our data suggest that resistin over-expressed in mice might be responsible for insulin resistance and parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolism were changed accordingly.

Overview of bile acid signaling in the cardiovascular system

Bile acids(BAs)are classically known to play a vital role in the metabolism of lipids and in absorption.It is now well established that BAs act as signaling molecules,activating different receptors(such as farnesoid X receptor,vitamin D receptor,Takeda G-protein-coupled receptor 5,sphingosine-1-phosphate,muscarinic receptors,and big potassium channels)and participating in the regulation of energy homeostasis and lipid and glucose metabolism.In addition,increased BAs can impair cardiovascular function in liver cirrhosis.Approximately 50%of patients with cirrhosis develop cirrhotic cardiomyopathy.Exposure to high concentrations of hydrophobic BAs has been shown to be related to adverse effects with respect to vascular tension,endothelial function,arrhythmias,coronary atherosclerotic heart disease,and heart failure.The BAs in the serum BA pool have relevant through their hydrophobicity,and the lipophilic BAs are more harmful to the heart.Interestingly,ursodeoxycholic acid is a hydrophilic BA,and it is used as a therapeutic drug to reverse and protect the harmful cardiac effects caused by hydrophobic elevated BAs.In order to elucidate the mechanism of BAs and cardiovascular function,abundant experiments have been conducted in vitro and in vivo.The aim of this review was to explore the mechanism of BAs in the cardiovascular system.

Status epilepticus associated with Mycoplasma pneumoniae encephalitis in children: good prognosis following early diagnosis and treatment

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common pathogen that leads to respiratory tract infections in children, often causing immune-related injuries in multiple other organs and tissues. The involvement of central nervous system has been reported in 5% to 7% of patients with M. pneumoniae infection.[1] The clinical manifestations of M. pneumoniae encephalitis are highly heterogeneous, and more than half of patients experience seizures during the acute phase, with status epilepticus occurring in severe cases.[2]

Dietary regulation in health and disease

Nutriments have been deemed to impact all physiopathologic processes.Recent evidences in molecular medicine and clinical trials have demonstrated that adequate nutrition treatments are the golden criterion for extending healthspan and delaying ageing in various species such as yeast,drosophila,rodent,primate and human.It emerges to develop the precision-nutrition therapeutics to slow age-related biological processes and treat diverse diseases.However,the nutritive advantages frequently diversify among individuals as well as organs and tissues,which brings challenges in this field.In this review,we summarize the different forms of dietary interventions extensively prescribed for healthspan improvement and disease treatment in pre-clinical or clinical.We discuss the nutrient-mediated mechanisms including metabolic regulators,nutritive metabolism pathways,epigenetic mechanisms and circadian clocks.Comparably,we describe diet-responsive effectors by which dietary interventions influence the endocrinic,immunological,microbial and neural states responsible for improving health and preventing multiple diseases in humans.Furthermore,we expatiate diverse patterns of dietotheroapies,including different fasting,calorie-restricted diet,ketogenic diet,high-fibre diet,plants-based diet,protein restriction diet or diet with specific reduction in amino acids or microelements,potentially affecting the health and morbid states.Altogether,we emphasize the profound nutritional therapy,and highlight the crosstalk among explored mechanisms and critical factors to develop individualized therapeutic approaches and predictors.

Advanced sodium-ion capacitor based on antimony-carbon composite anode

Alloy-type materials with the characteristics of high theoretical capacity,low sodiation/desodiation potential,and good conductivity are considered as one of the most promising anodes for sodium-ion batteries or capacitors.However,the large volume change during the sodiation leads to poor cyclability and slow kinetics,thus presenting the main issue impeding the practical application.Herein,we propose a facile wet chemistry and pyrolysis method to synthesize Sb-carbon composite that Sb nanoparticles or single atoms are confined and/or dispersed in the wrinkled carbon framework with high nitrogen content.This unique architecture of Sb-carbon composite increases atomic interface contact/interaction with Na~+,facilitating ion diffusion and alleviating the volume change of Sb during the charge/discharge process.Half-cell test shows that Sb-carbon composite exhibits a high-rate capability and stable cycling life.Furthermore,sodium-ion capacitors fabricated by employing Sb-carbon composite as anode and home-made active carbon as cathode,deliver both high-energy density of 157 Wh·kg^(-1)and high-power density of 25 kW·kg^(-1)as well as excellent cycling performance exceeding 4000 cycles.

A Novel WDR45 Mutation in a 9-Month-Old Male Infant with Epileptic Spasms

To the Editor:Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA)comprises a group of disorders that manifest as early-or late-onset parkinsonism,dystonia,spasticity,and cognitive impairment, One subtype of NBIA,β-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN),is caused by mutation of the WDR45 gene.To date,59 novel WDR45 mutations have been reported.The literature indicates that it is difficult to detect the disorder in early childhood because no specific clinical or imaging features exist. In this report,we describe the case of a 9-month-old male Chinese infant with a novel mutation (c.977-1 C >T)in the WDR45 gene.