Sex Hormone-binding Globulin, Cardiometabolic Biomarkers, and Gestational Diabetes: A Longitudinal Study and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the prospective associations of circulating levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels with cardiometabolic biomarkers and risk of gestational diabetes (GDM) during pregnancy. It also examines the longitudinal trajectory of SHBG in women with and without GDM. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study of 107 incident GDM cases and 214 matched controls within the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Fetal Growth Studies-Singleton Cohort. The cohort enrolled non-obese and obese women aged 18-40 years with a singleton pregnancy between 8 and 13 weeks of gestation from 2009 to 2013. GDM was ascertained via medical records review. Blood samples were drawn four times at gestational weeks 10-14, 15-26, 23-31, and 33-39. The prospective associations between SHBG levels and cardiometabolic biomarkers were examined using the Spearman partial correlation among the controls. The longitudinal trajectories of SHBG levels were examined among the cases and the controls. Meta-analysis of prospective studies were performed to examine the association between SHBG levels and GDM risk. RESULTS: SHBG levels at gestational weeks 10-14 were significantly inversely associated with fasting insulin (r = -0.17, P = 0.01) and insulin resistance as measured by HOMA-IR (r = -0.17, P = 0.01) at gestational week 15-26. SHBG at gestational weeks 10-14 and 15-26 was lower in cases than controls (mean ± standard deviation: (204.0 ±â€Š97.6) vs. (220.9 ±â€Š102.5) nmol/L, P = 0.16 and (305.6 ±â€Š124.3) vs. (322.7 ±â€Š105.1) nmol/L, P = 0.14, respectively), yet the differences were not significant. In the meta-analysis, SHBG was 41.5 nmol/L (95% confidence interval: 23.9, 59.1, P < 0.01) significantly lower among women with GDM than without, and each 50 nmol/L increase in SHBG was significantly associated with an odds ratio of 0.85 (95% confidence interval: 0.76-0.95, P = 0.01) for GDM. CONCLUSION: Lower SHBG levels in early pregnancy were prospectively associated with higher high insulin levels and insulin resistance in mid-pregnancy and subsequent risk of GDM, independent of adiposity. SHBG may serve as a marker for the identification of high-risk pregnancies during early pregnancy.

Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Antimicrobial Activity of a Linear Trinuclear Nickel(II) Complex with Schiff Base Ligand.

A new linear trinuclear Schiff base nickel(II) complex, [NiNiL(α2-α1:α1-OAc)(OH2)2]·H2O, where L is the dianionic form of N,N'-bis(5-chloro-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,3-propanediamine (H2L), was synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray single-crystal determination. There are three bridges across the Ni-Ni atom pairs, involving two phenolate O atoms of a Schiff base ligand, and an O-C-O moiety of a α2-α1:α1-OAc group. The Ni atoms have octahedral coordination. The acetate bridges linking the central and terminal nickel atoms are mutually trans. The adjacent NiαααNi distances are 3.047(1) α. The complex was evaluated for its antibacterial (Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and antifungal (Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger) activities by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) method.

Vanadium(V) Complexes with Bromo-Substituted Hydrazones: Synthesis, Characterization, X-ray Crystal Structures and Antimicrobial Activity.

Two new VV complexes with the bromo-substituted hydrazones N'-(3-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-3-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzohydrazide (H2L1), N'-(3-bromo-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-3,5-dimethoxybenzohydrazide (H2L2), [VOL1(OCH3)(CH3OH)] (1) and [VOL2(OCH3)(CH3OH)] (2), were synthesized and structurally characterized by IR, UV-Vis and 1H NMR spectroscopy, as well as single-crystal X-ray determination. The V atom in the mononuclear complexes are six-coordinated in octahedral geometry. The free hydrazones and the complexes were studied on their antibacterial activity on S. aureus, B. subtilis, E. coli and P. fluorescence, and antifungal activity on C. albicans and A. niger. The bromo groups of the hydrazone ligands may increase their antibacterial activity.

Mutations in the P10 region of procaspase-8 lead to chemotherapy resistance in acute myeloid leukemia by impairing procaspase-8 dimerization.

Caspase-8 activation initiates apoptotic signaling cascades, and certain mutations in procasepase-8 have been reported to be associated with the progression and prognosis of different types of tumors. In this study, we have identified four novel mutations, which are highly correlated with chemotherapy resistance and poor prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, within the P10 subunit of procaspase-8. These newly discovered mutations cause premature termination of translation, resulting in truncated procaspase-8 protein, which is incapable of forming dimer to initiate apoptosis signaling pathway. Further biochemical analysis reveals that the segment of P10 subunit of procaspase-8 consisting of three amino acid residues from L491 to F493 is crucial for the formation of procaspase-8 interdimer, and the aberration of this segment disrupts the dimerization and consequently precludes the activation of caspase-8 and downstream apoptotic signaling pathway. Therefore, the patients with AML who bear these types of P10 mutations were more likely to develop chemotherapy resistance due to impaired apoptotic signaling in cellular system, leading to significantly reduced overall survival (OS) as compared with patients carrying no such types of P10 mutations. Taken together, these newly identified P10 mutations in procaspase-8 could be used as novel biomarkers for predicting response and survival of chemotherapy-treated AML patients, as well as potential therapeutic targets for medical intervention in the future.

Curcumin inhibits appoptosin-induced apoptosis via upregulating heme oxygenase-1 expression in SH-SY5Y cells.

AIM: Appoptosin (SLC25A38) is a pro-apoptotic protein, which is upregulated in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and plays an important role in promoting the pathological progress of AD. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of curcumin from the rhizome of Curcuma longa on appoptosin-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells. METHODS: SH-SY5Y cells were pretreated with curcumin, then transfected with appoptosin or vector. The apoptotic cells were detected with Annexin V staining analysis by flow cytometry. The expression of cleaved caspase-3, appoptosin, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was examined using Western blotting. Intracellular level of ROS was measured with DCFH-DA staining by flow cytometry analysis. Mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was detected with JC-1 staining under a fluorescence microscope and quantified by fluorescence ratio detection.Overexpression of appoptosin in SH-SY5Y cells markedly increased cell apoptosis accompanied by reduced HO-1 expression, increased intracellular heme level, ROS overproduction and ΔΨm impairment. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with curcumin (2.5-20 µmol/L) for 24 h did not significantly affect their viability. However, pretreatment with curcumin (2.5-20 µmol/L) dose-dependently attenuated all above-mentioned pathological changes in appoptosin-transfected SH-SY5Y cells. RESULTS: Overexpression of appoptosin in SH-SY5Y cells markedly increased cell apoptosis accompanied by reduced HO-1 expression, increased intracellular heme level, ROS overproduction and ΔΨm impairment. Treatment of SH-SY5Y cells with curcumin (2.5-20 µmol/L) for 24 h did not significantly affect their viability. However, pretreatment with curcumin (2.5-20 µmol/L) dose-dependently attenuated all above-mentioned pathological changes in appoptosin-transfected SH-SY5Y cells. CONCLUSION: Curcumin inhibits appoptosin-induced apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells by upregulating the expression of HO-1, reducing the production of intracellular heme and ROS, and preventing the ΔΨm loss.