Hepatoprotective effects and mechanisms of l-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate combined intervention in alcoholic fatty liver rats.

BACKGROUND: Chronic excessive alcohol consumption can lead to alcoholic fatty liver, posing substantial health risks. l-Theanine (LTA) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in tea exert antioxidant and hepatoprotective effects. However, the combined effects of LTA and EGCG on rats with alcoholic fatty liver, and the underlying mechanisms of such effects, remain unclear. In this study, Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were fed with alcohol for 6 weeks to induce alcoholic fatty liver. Subsequently, for another 6 weeks, the rats were administered LTA (200 mg kg-1 day-1), EGCG (200 mg kg-1 day-1), or a combination of LTA with EGCG (40 mg kg-1 day-1 l-Thea +160 mg kg-1 day-1 EGCG), respectively. RESULTS: The combined use of LTA and EGCG for alcoholic fatty liver disease had more significant effects than their individual administration. This combination reduced the activity of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) as well as the levels of hepatic triglyceride (TG), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the rats. The combined intervention also increased hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase activity. Reductions in hepatic fat accumulation and inflammatory responses were observed. The mechanism underlying these effects primarily involved the inhibition of fatty acid synthesis and the alleviation of lipid peroxidation through the downregulation of the mRNA and protein expression of TNF-α, SREBP1c, and CYP2E1 and the upregulation of the mRNA and protein expression of ADH1, ALDH2, Lipin-1, PPARαPPARα, AMPK, and PGC-1α, thereby promoting the oxidative decomposition of fatty acids and reducing the synthesis of cholesterol and glucose. CONCLUSION: l-Theanine and EGCG appear to be able to alleviate alcoholic fatty liver by modulating lipid metabolism and ameliorating oxidative stress, indicating their potential as natural active ingredients in anti-alcoholic fatty liver food products. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Risk factors for and predictive nomogram of postoperative hypoxaemia in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the related risk factors and predictive nomogram of postoperative hypoxaemia in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. METHODS: This study included patients aged ≥65 years who underwent surgical treatment of acute femoral neck fractures. Univariate and multivariate logistic analyses were performed to determine the incidence of and risk factors for postoperative hypoxaemia. A predictive nomogram was constructed based on the multivariable model. Using the bootstrap method, discrimination was determined by the C-index and calibration plot. RESULTS: The logistic regression analysis showed that the anaesthesia type, surgical procedure, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, preoperative hypoxaemia occurrence, and age were independent predictors of development of postoperative hypoxaemia. The predictive formula for hypoxaemia was established as follows: hypoxaemia=-0.8668×spinal anaesthesia (whether)+0.1162×nerve anaesthesia (whether)+1.9555×plate/screw fixation (whether)+1.4950×hip replacement (whether)+0.4883×ASA classification+1.7153×preoperative oxygenation index+0.1608×age. With the bootstrap method, the prediction curve fit well with the ideal curve, suggesting that the prediction curve constructed in this study has good predictive ability. CONCLUSIONS: Anaesthesia type, surgical procedure, ASA classification, preoperative hypoxaemia occurrence, and age were risk factors for postoperative hypoxaemia in elderly patients with femoral neck fractures. The predictive nomogram was designed for preoperative assessment of the risk of postoperative hypoxaemia by calculating the risk score.

Complete genome sequence of Paracoccus denitrificans ATCC 19367 and its denitrification characteristics.

Studies show that Paracoccus denitrificans can denitrify nitrogen sources under aerobic conditions. However, the lack of data on its genome sequence has restricted molecular studies and practical applications. In this study, the complete genome of P. denitrificans ATCC 19367 was sequenced and its nitrogen metabolism properties were characterized. The size of the whole genome is 5 242 327 bp, with two chromosomes and one plasmid. The average G + C content is 66.8%, and it contains 5308 protein-coding genes, 54 tRNA genes, and nine rRNA operons. Among the protein-coding genes, 71.35% could be assigned to the Gene Ontology (GO) pathway, 86.66% to the Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) pathway, and 50.57% to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. Comparative genome analysis between P. denitrificans ATCC 19367 and P. denitrificans PD1222 revealed that there are 428 genes specific to ATCC 19367 and 4738 core genes. Furthermore, the expression of genes related to denitrification, biofilm formation, and nitrogen metabolism (nar, nir, and nor) by P. denitrificans ATCC 19367 under aerobic conditions was affected by incubation time and shaking speed. This study elucidates the genomic background of P. denitrificans ATCC 19367 and suggests the possibility of controlling nitrogen pollution in the environment by using this bacterium.

Predictive nomogram for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with a hip fracture.

To evaluate the risk factors for the development of postoperative delirium and design a predictive nomogram for the prevention of delirium in elderly patients with a hip fracture, we retrospectively studied 825 patients who sustained a femoral neck fracture from January 2005 to December 2015. Independent risk factors for developing delirium within 6 months of surgery were identified using multivariable logistic regression analyses. A predictive nomogram model was built based on the results, and the discrimination and calibration were determined by C-index and calibration plot. Of the 825 patients who met inclusion criteria, 118 (14.3%) developed postoperative delirium. According to the results, preoperative cognitive impairment (OR, 4.132, 95% CI, 1.831 to 9.324, P＜0.001), multiple medical comorbidities (OR, 1.452, 95% CI, 0.958-2.202, P = 0.079), ASA classification (OR, 1.655, 95% CI, 1.073-2.553, P = 0.023), transfusion exceeding 2 units of red blood cell (OR, 1.599, 95% CI, 1.043-2.451, P = 0.035), and intensive care (OR, 1.817, 95% CI, 1.127-2.930, P = 0.014) were identified to be the independent predictors of the development of postoperative delirium. The risk of postoperative delirium increased with the increasing risk score of predictive nomogram, and the C-index was 0.67 (0.62 - 0.72). The calibration showed that the predicted probabilities of delirium in the predictive nomogram were close to the observed frequency of delirium, and the decision curve analysis confirmed the clinical utility of the nomogram when the threshold probabilities were between 8% and 35% due to the net benefit.