High circulating MIF levels indicate the association with atypical antipsychotic-induced adverse metabolic effects.

Atypical antipsychotics (AAPs) are primary medications for schizophrenia (SZ). However, their use is frequently associated with the development of adverse metabolic effects, and the mechanisms behind these negative effects remain inadequately elucidated. To investigate the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in regulating antipsychotic-induced metabolic abnormalities, between 2017 and 2020, a cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 142 healthy individuals and 388 SZ patients undergoing treatment with either typical antipsychotic (TAP) or AAP medications. Symptoms of SZ patients were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and measurements of metabolic indices and plasma MIF levels were performed on all individuals. A significant increase in plasma MIF levels was observed in groups receiving five major AAP monotherapies in comparison to healthy controls (all p < 0.0001). There was no such increase shown in the group receiving TAP treatment (p > 0.05). Elevated plasma MIF levels displayed a notable correlation with insulin resistance (ß = 0.024, p = 0.020), as well as with the levels of triglycerides (ß = 0.019, p = 0.001) and total cholesterol (ß = 0.012, p = 0.038) in the groups receiving AAPs. However, while the TAP group also displayed certain metabolic dysfunction compared to healthy controls, no significant association was evident with plasma MIF levels (all p > 0.05). In conclusion, plasma MIF levels exhibit a distinctive correlation with metabolic abnormalities triggered by AAPs. Hence, there is potential for further development of MIF as a distinctive marker for monitoring adverse metabolic effects induced by AAPs in clinical settings.

Selenium-containing polysaccharides isolated from Rosa laevigata Michx fruits exhibit excellent anti-oxidant and neuroprotective activity in vitro.

Selenium-containing polysaccharides have potential as an organic selenium dietary supplement, owing to their low toxicity, few side effects, and easy absorption attributes. In this study, we isolated two novel homogeneous selenium-containing polysaccharides from Rosa laevigata Michx fruits (Se-RLFPs). Results from primary structural analysis revealed that Se-RLFPs were α - pyranose, and were both composed of rhamnose, xylose, glucose with an average molecular weight of 24 and 16 KDa, respectively. Selenium contents in Se-RLFP-I and Se-RLFP-II were 16.49 µg/g and 21.61 µg/g, respectively. Results from analysis of antioxidant and neuroprotective activity of the polysaccharides revealed that Se-RLFPs had a radical scavenging effect. Specifically, they effectively protected SH-SY5Y cells from H2O2-induced damage by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and suppressing malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Western blots showed that the underlying mechanisms of action may be related to the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results suggested that Se-RLFPs have potential as a pharmaceutical agent for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) or as a selenium-complementary ingredient in functional foods.