Inadequate linear catch-up growth in children born small for gestational age: Influencing factors and underlying mechanisms.

A minority of children born small for gestational age (SGA) may experience catch-up growth failure and remain short in adulthood. However, the underlying causes and mechanisms of this phenomenon are not yet fully comprehended. We reviewed the present state of research concerning the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor axis and growth plate in SGA children who fail to achieve catch-up growth. Additionally, we explored the factors influencing catch-up growth in SGA children and potential molecular mechanisms involved. Furthermore, we considered the potential benefits of supplementary nutrition, specific dietary patterns, probiotics and drug therapy in facilitating catch-up growth.

The impact of impaired intrauterine growth on male fertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Adverse intrauterine environment was believed to have deleterious effects on the gonadal function. However, the association between impaired intrauterine growth and fertility in adult males has not been established. OBJECTIVES: To compare the reproductive rates of males born small for gestational age (SGA), with low birth weight (LBW) or very low birth weight (VLBW) with control groups. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed to search PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Embase databases from inception to June 16, 2023. Cohort studies investigating the reproductive rates of males born SGA, with LBW or VLBW were included. A random or fixed effects model was used for different exposures. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies out of 3,801 records were included. Males born SGA showed a higher risk of infertility than the control group (odds ratio, OR = 0.91, 95% confidence interval, 95% CI 0.89-0.93, p = 0.000). The reproductive rates of individuals born with LBW or VLBW were lower than the control group (OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.78-0.94, p = 0.001; OR = 0.57, 95% CI 0.40-0.81, p = 0.002, respectively). Participants were further divided into two age groups of 18-35 and 35-45 years. In both subgroups, the reproductive rates were lower in males born SGA, with LBW or VLBW compared with controls. Sensitivity analysis showed the robustness of the pooled estimates among LBW and VLBW. CONCLUSION: In summary, SGA, LBW, and VLBW were associated with a higher risk of male infertility in both early and middle adulthood. Achieving optimal intrauterine growth would be helpful to prevent male infertility.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of ABC transporter family member ABCG1 gene in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

As the most common histologic subtype of renal cancer, clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) poses a serious threat to public health. However, there are no specific molecular-targeted drugs for ccRCC at present. Human ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family plays an important role in homeostasis maintenance. This study aimed to evaluate the potential diagnostic value of ABC genes in ccRCC. A total of 952 samples of ccRCC patients (707) and controls (245) from three different datasets were included for analysis. Receiver operating characteristic analysis and t-test were used to analyze the differential expression of ABC genes in ccRCC patients and control samples at mRNA level during screening and validations. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA-ccRCC) dataset was utilized to investigate the correlation between ABC genes expression and prognostic value in ccRCC. We then investigated the interactions between ABCG1 and proteins in the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). Finally, we found that ATP-binding cassette transporter G member 1 (ABCG1) was over-expressed in ccRCC patients compared with healthy samples at mRNA level. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that ccRCC patients with high ABCG1 expression had better overall survival (OS) than those patients with low expression (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.662, p = 0.007). This study demonstrated that ABCG1 is a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in ccRCC and discussed the molecular mechanisms underlying the relationship between ccRCC and ABCG1, which might provide guidance for better management and treatment of ccRCC in the future.

Functions and Mechanisms of Lysine Glutarylation in Eukaryotes.

Lysine glutarylation (Kglu) is a newly discovered post-translational modification (PTM), which is considered to be reversible, dynamic, and conserved in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recent developments in the identification of Kglu by mass spectrometry have shown that Kglu is mainly involved in the regulation of metabolism, oxidative damage, chromatin dynamics and is associated with various diseases. In this review, we firstly summarize the development history of glutarylation, the biochemical processes of glutarylation and deglutarylation. Then we focus on the pathophysiological functions such as glutaric acidemia 1, asthenospermia, etc. Finally, the current computational tools for predicting glutarylation sites are discussed. These emerging findings point to new functions for lysine glutarylation and related enzymes, and also highlight the mechanisms by which glutarylation regulates diverse cellular processes.