Association between CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genetic polymorphisms and efficacy and safety of warfarin in Chinese patients.

OBJECTIVES: Genetic variation has been a major contributor to interindividual variability of warfarin dosage requirement. The specific genetic factors contributing to warfarin bleeding complications are largely unknown, particularly in Chinese patients. In this study, 896 Chinese patients were enrolled to explore the effect of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genetic variations on both the efficacy and safety of warfarin therapy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Univariate analyses unveiled significant associations between two specific single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1057910 in CYP2C9 and rs9923231 in VKORC1 and stable warfarin dosage ( P  < 0.001). Further, employing multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex and height, the investigation revealed that patients harboring at least one variant allele in CYP2C9 exhibited a heightened risk of bleeding events compared to those with the wild-type genotype (odds ratio = 2.16, P  = 0.04). Moreover, a meta-analysis conducted to consolidate findings confirmed the associations of both CYP2C9 (rs1057910) and VKORC1 (rs9923231) with stable warfarin dosage. Notably, CYP2C9 variant genotypes were significantly linked to an increased risk of hemorrhagic complications ( P  < 0.00001), VKORC1 did not demonstrate a similar association. CONCLUSION: The associations found between specific genetic variants and both stable warfarin dosage and bleeding risk might be the potential significance of gene detection in optimizing warfarin therapy for improving patient efficacy and safety.

Characterizing the metabolic divide: distinctive metabolites differentiating CAD-T2DM from CAD patients.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the metabolomic differences in plasma samples between patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and those with concomitant CAD and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and to pinpoint distinctive metabolites indicative of T2DM risk. METHOD: Plasma samples from CAD and CAD-T2DM patients across three centers underwent comprehensive metabolomic and lipidomic analyses. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to discern the relationship between the identified metabolites and T2DM risk. Characteristic metabolites' metabolic impacts were further probed through hepatocyte cellular experiments. Subsequent transcriptomic analyses elucidated the potential target sites explaining the metabolic actions of these metabolites. RESULTS: Metabolomic analysis revealed 192 and 95 significantly altered profiles in the discovery (FDR < 0.05) and validation (P < 0.05) cohorts, respectively, that were associated with T2DM risk in univariate logistic regression. Further multivariate regression analyses identified 22 characteristic metabolites consistently associated with T2DM risk in both cohorts. Notably, pipecolinic acid and L-pipecolic acid, lysine derivatives, exhibited negative association with CAD-T2DM and influenced cellular glucose metabolism in hepatocytes. Transcriptomic insights shed light on potential metabolic action sites of these metabolites. CONCLUSIONS: This research underscores the metabolic disparities between CAD and CAD-T2DM patients, spotlighting the protective attributes of pipecolinic acid and L-pipecolic acid. The comprehensive metabolomic and transcriptomic findings provide novel insights into the mechanism research, prophylaxis and treatment of comorbidity of CAD and T2DM.

Akkermansia Muciniphila supplementation improves hyperlipidemia, cardiac function, and gut microbiota in high fat fed apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

Hyperlipidemia, obesity and gut dysbiosis are pivotal risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD). Supplementation of Akkermansia muciniphila (AKK) has also been proven to be effective in the prevention and treatment of obesity and other metabolic disorders. Here we found that AKK was more abundant in healthy control than ACVD patients via metagenomic sequencing on fecal samples. Subsequently, we investigated the role and underlying mechanism of AKK on obesity-associated atherosclerosis. AKK intervention partially reversed the exacerbation of atherosclerotic lesion formation in ApoE-/- mice by improving dyslipidemia. Interestingly, replenishment with AKK significantly enhanced cardiac function and reduced the body weight. It also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and increased anti-inflammatory IL-10 in the circulation. Additionally, AKK colonization dramatically regulated gut microbiota and increased the abundance of Lactobacillaceae. Our findings have provided novel insights into the therapeutic potential of AKK as a beneficial microbe for treating atherosclerotic-associated cardiovascular diseases.

Stepwise Stimuli-Responsive, Multicolor-Chromic Perylene Bisimide/Polyvinyl Alcohol Co-assembly System for Information Encryption.

The issue of information security has become a concern in all aspects of daily life, prompting the development of encryption technologies. Therein, optical encryption using color/graphical patterns holds great potential. However, current approaches generally rely on monochromic change upon one or more stimuli, limiting their further application in advanced confidential encryption. Herein, we propose a delicate strategy based on a co-assembly system of perylene bisimides (PBI)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) that demonstrates stepwise stimuli response and multicolor changes. The color of the supramolecular system changes from red to purple under the stimulus of UV light, and to orange when exposed to water. The multidimensional chromic response is achieved by an evolution process including the generation, packing rearrangement and quenching of PBI radical anions/dianions. With the virtues of photo- and hydrochromism, this novel co-assembly system was successfully employed for advanced anticounterfeiting and versatile information encryption applications.

Tumor-derived extracellular vesicles confer 5-fluorouracil resistance in esophageal cancer via long noncoding RNA AC116025.2 delivery.

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance is one of the main causes for treatment failure in esophageal cancer (EC). Here, we intended to elucidate the mechanism of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (TEVs)-encapsulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) AC116025.2 in 5-FU resistance in EC. EVs were isolated from the serum samples of EC patients and HEEC, TE-1, and TE-1/5-FU cells, followed by RT-qPCR detection of AC116025.2 expression in EVs. The relationship among AC116025.2, microRNA (miR)-4496, and SEMA5A was evaluated. Next, EC cells were cocultured with EVs, followed by lentivirus transduction and plasmid transfection for studying the role of TEVs-AC116025.2 in EC cells in relation to miR-4496 and SEMA5A. Tumor formation in nude mice was applied for in vivo confirmation. Elevated AC116025.2 expression was seen in the EVs from the serum of 5-FU insensitive patients and from 5-FU-resistant EC cells. Mechanistically, AC116025.2 bound to miR-4496 that inversely targeted SEMA5A in EC cells. EVs-oe-AC116025.2 augmented EC cell viability, colony formation, and 5-FU resistance, but diminished their apoptosis through miR-4496-mediated SEMA5A. Furthermore, EVs-oe-AC116025.2 augmented tumor formation and 5-FU resistance of EC cells in vivo. Conclusively, our data offered evidence of the promoting mechanism of TEVs in the 5-FU resistance of EC by delivering AC116025.2.

New genetic variants associated with major adverse cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndromes and treated with clopidogrel and aspirin.

Although a few studies have reported the effects of several polymorphisms on major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), these genotypes account for only a small fraction of the variation and evidence is insufficient. This study aims to identify new genetic variants associated with MACE end point during the 18-month follow-up period by a two-stage large-scale sequencing data, including high-depth whole exome sequencing of 168 patients in the discovery cohort and high-depth targeted sequencing of 1793 patients in the replication cohort. We discovered eight new genotypes and their genes associated with MACE in patients with ACS, including MYOM2 (rs17064642), WDR24 (rs11640115), NECAB1 (rs74569896), EFR3A (rs4736529), AGAP3 (rs75750968), ZDHHC3 (rs3749187), ECHS1 (rs140410716), and KRTAP10-4 (rs201441480). Notably, the expressions of MYOM2 and ECHS1 are downregulated in both animal models and patients with phenotypes related to MACE. Importantly, we developed the first superior classifier for predicting 18-month MACE and achieved high predictive performance (AUC ranged between 0.92 and 0.94 for three machine-learning methods). Our findings shed light on the pathogenesis of cardiovascular outcomes and may help the clinician to make a decision on the therapeutic intervention for ACS patients.

Ratiometric detection and imaging of hydrogen sulfide in mitochondria based on a cyanine/naphthalimide hybrid fluorescent probe.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in mitochondria plays important roles in many mitochondria-related physiological and pathological processes. Herein, a cyanine/naphthalimide hybrid fluorescent probe, L1, was designed for the ratiometric detection and imaging of mitochondrial H2S, in which cyanine and naphthalimide were used as the mitochondria-targeting group and H2S response group, respectively. Besides its good mitochondria-targeting ability, L1 also showed high sensitivity and good selectivity for H2S. Moreover, on the basis of the fluorescence ratio of naphthalimide to cyanine fluorophore, it was successfully applied to monitor the endogenous and exogenous mitochondrial H2S in live cells. Additionally, the endogenous mitochondrial H2S in different cell lines was measured by probe L1.

A genome-wide association study on lipoprotein (a) levels and coronary artery disease severity in a Chinese population.

Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] is a genetically determined risk factor of coronary artery disease (CAD). Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs), which were mostly carried out in Caucasians, have identified many Lp(a)-associated SNPs. Here, we performed a GWAS on Lp(a) levels and further explored the relationships between Lp(a)-associated SNPs and CAD severity in 1,403 Han Chinese subjects. We observed that elevated Lp(a) levels were significantly associated with the increased synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXUS and cardiac surgery (SYNTAX) score and the counts of heavily calcified lesions and long-range lesions (LRLs; P < 0.05), which are defined as lesions spanning >20 mm. Moreover, we identified four independent SNPs, namely, rs7770628, rs73596816, and rs6926458 in LPA, and rs144217738 in SLC22A2, that were significantly associated with Lp(a) levels. We also found that rs7770628 was associated with high SYNTAX scores [odds ratio (OR) (95% CI): 1.37 (1.05-1.80), P = 0.0213, false discovery rate (FDR) = 0.0852], and that rs7770628 and rs73596816 were associated with high risk of harboring LRLs [OR (95% CI): 1.53 (1.17-2.01), P = 0.0018, FDR = 0.0072 and 1.72 (1.19-2.49), P = 0.0040, FDR = 0.0080, respectively]. Our study was a large-scale GWAS to identify Lp(a)-associated variants in the Han Chinese population. Our findings highlight the importance and potential of Lp(a) intervention and expand our understanding of CAD prevention and treatment.

Influences of an NR1I2 polymorphism on heterogeneous antiplatelet reactivity responses to clopidogrel and clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a member of nuclear receptor subfamily 1 (NR1I2) that is a transcriptional regulator of several metabolic enzymes involved in clopidogrel metabolism. In this study we identified and evaluated the contributions of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NR1I2 and cytochrome P450 (CYP) 2C19 alleles to clopidogrel resistance (CR) and long-term clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (IS) patients. A total of 634 patients with acute IS were recruited, who received antiplatelet medication (clopidogrel or aspirin) every day and completed a 1-year follow-up. The selected SNPs were genotyped, and platelet function was measured. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores and main adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) were noted to assess the prognosis. We showed that SNPs NR1I2 rs13059232 and CYP2C19 alleles (2*/3*) were related to CR. SNP NR1I2 (rs13059232) was identified as an independent risk factor for the long-term clinical outcomes in the clopidogrel cohorts (P < 0.001), but similar results were not observed in a matched aspirin cohort (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that NR1I2 variant (rs13059232) could serve as biomarker for clopidogrel therapy and individualized antiplatelet medications in the treatment of acute IS patients.

Effects of SLCO1B1 and GATM gene variants on rosuvastatin-induced myopathy are unrelated to high plasma exposure of rosuvastatin and its metabolites.

Myotoxicity is a significant factor contributing to the poor adherence and reduced effectiveness in the treatment of statins. Genetic variations and high drug plasma exposure are considered as critique causes for statin-induced myopathy (SIM). This study aims to explore the sequential influences of rosuvastatin (RST) pharmacokinetic and myopathy-related single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the plasma exposure to RST and its metabolites: rosuvastatin lactone (RSTL) and N-desmethyl rosuvastatin (DM-RST), and further on RST-induced myopathy. A total of 758 Chinese patients with coronary artery disease were enrolled and followed up SIM incidents for 2 years. The plasma concentrations of RST and its metabolites were determined through a validated ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry method. Nine SNPs in six genes were genotyped by using the Sequenom MassArray iPlex platform. Results revealed that ABCG2 rs2231142 variations were highly associated with the plasma concentrations of RST, RSTL, and DM-RST (Padj < 0.01, FDR < 0.05). CYP2C9 rs1057910 significantly affected the DM-RST concentration (Padj < 0.01, FDR < 0.05). SLCO1B1 rs4149056 variant allele was significantly associated with high SIM risk (OR: 1.741, 95% CI: 1.180-2.568, P = 0.0052, FDR = 0.0468). Glycine amidinotransferase (GATM) rs9806699 was marginally associated with SIM incidents (OR: 0.617, 95% CI: 0.406-0.939, P = 0.0240, FDR = 0.0960). The plasma concentrations of RST and its metabolites were not significantly different between the SIM (n = 51) and control groups (n = 707) (all P > 0.05). In conclusion, SLCO1B1 and GATM genetic variants are potential biomarkers for predicting RST-induced myopathy, and their effects on SIM are unrelated to the high plasma exposure of RST and its metabolites.

Plasma miR-142 predicts major adverse cardiovascular events as an intermediate biomarker of dual antiplatelet therapy.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are widely expressed in organisms and are implicated in the regulation of most biological functions. The present study investigated the association of plasma miRNAs with the clinical outcomes of dual antiplatelet therapy in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Plasma miRNA levels were screened using high-throughput Illumina sequencing to evaluate the antiplatelet efficacy of clopidogrel and aspirin. Six plasma miRNAs (miR-126, miR-130a, miR-27a, miR-106a, miR-21, and miR-142) were associated with clopidogrel-treated platelet aggregation. These miRNAs were validated in a prospective cohort of 1230 CAD patients using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). High plasma miR-142 levels were associated with a high risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), with a hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) of 1.83 (1.30-2.59) at a false discovery rate of <5%. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that diabetes mellitus, heart failure, calcium channel blocker application, and a high plasma miR-142 level were independent risk factors of MACE. The levels of the six plasma miRNAs were not significantly associated with bleeding events during the 3-year follow-up. In conclusion, plasma miR-142 is potential marker to predict MACE in CAD patients after PCI.

Gender Differences in the Hepatotoxicity and Toxicokinetics of Emodin: The Potential Mechanisms Mediated by UGT2B7 and MRP2.

Emodin is a main anthraquinone compound which exists in Chinese traditional medicines including Polygonum multiflorum and Rhubarb. It is documented to have obvious liver and kidney toxicity. This study aims to (a) estimate gender differences of the hepatotoxicity and toxicokinetics in rats after oral administration of emodin (60 and 150 mg/kg/d) for a consecutive 28 days and (b) clarify relative mechanisms caused by glucuronidation and disposition. Hepatotoxicity was significantly higher in female rats than that in male rats, as evidenced by histopathological and biochemical tests. Similarly, the toxicokinetic profiles of emodin have time and gender differences, which could cause time and gender differences in hepatotoxicity. The metabolic and transcriptomics data of 55 human liver and 36 human kidney samples demonstrated that UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 (UGT2B7) was the predominant enzyme for emodin glucuronidation. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) identified that rs11726899 located within ∼50 kb of the transcript of UGT2B could significantly affect emodin metabolism. Knockdown of UGT2B7 in HepG2 cells significantly decreased emodin glucuronidation and increased cytotoxicity of emodin. The gene expression and protein levels of UGT2B7 were decreased, but those of the multidrug-resistant-protein 2 (MRP2) were increased in HepG2 cells after being treated with 50 µM emodin for 48 h. Long-term use of emodin could decrease the intrinsic clearance (CLint, decreased by 18.5%-35.4%) values of zidovidue (UGT2B7 substrate) glucuronide in both male and female liver microsomes from rats administrated with emodin for 28 days, thus causing the accumulation of emodin. However, higher self-induced MRP2 expression and lower hepatotoxicity were observed in emodin-treated male rats compared to that in female rats. Therefore, gender differences in the hepatotoxicity and toxicokinetics of emodin are potentially mediated by the coupling of UGT2B7 and MRP2 in vivo.

A metagenome-wide association study of gut microbiota in type 2 diabetes.

Assessment and characterization of gut microbiota has become a major research area in human disease, including type 2 diabetes, the most prevalent endocrine disease worldwide. To carry out analysis on gut microbial content in patients with type 2 diabetes, we developed a protocol for a metagenome-wide association study (MGWAS) and undertook a two-stage MGWAS based on deep shotgun sequencing of the gut microbial DNA from 345 Chinese individuals. We identified and validated approximately 60,000 type-2-diabetes-associated markers and established the concept of a metagenomic linkage group, enabling taxonomic species-level analyses. MGWAS analysis showed that patients with type 2 diabetes were characterized by a moderate degree of gut microbial dysbiosis, a decrease in the abundance of some universal butyrate-producing bacteria and an increase in various opportunistic pathogens, as well as an enrichment of other microbial functions conferring sulphate reduction and oxidative stress resistance. An analysis of 23 additional individuals demonstrated that these gut microbial markers might be useful for classifying type 2 diabetes.

SLCO1B1 521T > C polymorphism associated with rosuvastatin-induced myotoxicity in Chinese coronary artery disease patients: a nested case-control study.

PURPOSE: This nested case-control study aimed to evaluate the association of candidate genetic variants with statin-induced myotoxicity in Chinese patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS: One hundred forty-eight Chinese patients experiencing statin-induced myotoxicity were included in our study, and 255 patients without muscular side effects served as controls. Five SNPs in CYP3A5, SLCO1B1, and APOE were genotyped. The effect of genetic variants on statin-induced myotoxicity was assessed. RESULTS: Patients who carried at least one SLCO1B1 521C allele had a higher risk for myotoxicity (OR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.07-2.67, P = 0.024). Significant association was found between SLCO1B1 521C mutant allele mutation and risk of myotoxicity in individuals that received rosuvastatin (OR = 3.67, 95%CI = 1.42-9.47, P = 0.007). However, non-significant association was observed between 521C mutant allele and risk of myotoxicity (P > 0.5) in patients that received atorvastatin and simvastatin. The other four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), namely rs776746, rs2306283, rs7412, and rs429358, showed no significant association with any statin induced myotoxicity (P > 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: SLCO1B1 (rs4149056, 521T > C) is associated with statin-induced myotoxicity in Chinese patients with coronary artery disease. In addition, SLCO1B1 521C mutant allele increased the risk of rosuvastatin-associated myotoxicity.

Catheter ablation restores decreased plasma miR-409-3p and miR-432 in atrial fibrillation patients.

AIMS: Despite numerous studies identifying specific microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles associated with atrial fibrillation (AF), changes in plasma miRNA expression in pre- and post-operative AF patients who have received catheter ablation, remain poorly characterized. This study aimed to reveal disease-related biomarkers by detecting plasma miRNA expression in AF patients, and examining the levels of AF-specific miRNAs in patients after catheter ablation, in order to help gauge therapeutic effects and assess prognosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 100 Han Chinese patients with AF who had received catheter ablation, and 100 healthy individuals, were sequentially recruited to the study. Atrial fibrillation-specific plasma miRNAs were detected by Solexa sequencing and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The expression levels of AF-specific miRNAs were also investigated in 40 post-operative patients (24-48 h) and 20 patients followed up (58.52 ± 36.00 days) after catheter ablation, to explore changes in miRNA expression. The expressions of miR-409-3p and miR-432 in the plasma of AF patients were lower than healthy individuals. In binary logistic regression analyses, reduced miR-409-3p and miR-432 levels were independently associated with AF (95% confidence interval: 1.02-2.22 and 1.09-2.43, P = 0.040 and 0.018, respectively). The levels of miR-409-3p and miR-432 showed no significant difference between post-operative patients and healthy individuals (P = 0.411 and 0.681, respectively), or between followed-up patients and healthy individuals (P = 0.720 and 0.073, respectively). CONCLUSION: We suggest that plasma miR-409-3p and miR-432 are potential markers of AF, and catheter ablation restores their decreased levels in AF patients.

Polygenic risk score predicts all-cause death in East Asian patients with prior coronary artery disease.

Introduction: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a highly heritable and multifactorial disease. Numerous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) facilitated the construction of polygenic risk scores (PRS) for predicting future incidence of CAD, however, exclusively in European populations. Furthermore, identifying CAD patients with elevated risks of all-cause death presents a critical challenge in secondary prevention, which will contribute largely to reducing the burden for public healthcare. Methods: We recruited a cohort of 1,776 Chinese CAD patients and performed medical follow-up for up to 11 years. A pruning and thresholding method was used to calculate PRS of CAD and its 14 risk factors. Their correlations with all-cause death were computed via Cox regression. Results and discussion: We found that the PRS for CAD and its seven risk factors, namely myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, angina, heart failure, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and C-reaction protein, were significantly associated with death (P ≤ 0.05), whereas the PRS of body mass index displayed moderate association (P < 0.1). Elastic-net Cox regression with 5-fold cross-validation was used to integrate these nine PRS models into a meta score, metaPRS, which performed well in stratifying patients at different risks for death (P < 0.0001). Combining metaPRS with clinical risk factors further increased the discerning power and a 4% increase in sensitivity. The metaPRS generated from the genetic susceptibility to CAD and its risk factors can well stratify CAD patients by their risks of death. Integrating metaPRS and clinical risk factors may contribute to identifying patients at higher risk of poor prognosis.

Effects of antidiabetic agents on platelet characteristics with implications in Alzheimer's disease: Mendelian randomization and colocalization study.

Background: Observational studies have found a potential link between the use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and a lower risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) development. Platelets were the great source of amyloid-ß (Aß) and involved in the development of AD. This study aimed to assess the correlation between antidiabetic agents and platelet characteristics, hoping to provide a potential mechanism of TZDs neuroprotection in AD. Method: Drug-targeted Mendelian randomization (MR) was performed to systematically illustrate the long-term effects of antidiabetic agents on platelet characteristics. Four antidiabetic agent targets were considered. Positive control analysis for type 2 diabetes (T2D) was conducted to validate the selection of instrumental variables (IVs). Colocalization analysis was used to further strengthen the robustness of the results. Result: Positive control analysis showed an association of four antidiabetic agents with lower risk of T2D, which was consistent with their mechanisms of action and previous evidence from clinical trials. Genetically proxied TZDs were associated with lower platelet count (ß[IRNT] = -0.410 [95 % CI -0.533 to -0.288], P = 5.32E-11) and a lower plateletcrit (ß[IRNT] = -0.344 [95 % CI -0.481 to -0.206], P = 1.04E-6). Colocalization suggested the posterior probability of hypothesis 4 (PPH4) > 0.8, which further strengthened the MR results. Conclusion: Genetically proxied TZDs were causally associated with lower platelet characteristics, particularly platelet count and plateletcrit, providing insight into the involvement of platelet-related pathways in the neuroprotection of TZDs against AD. Future studies are warranted to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of TZDs' neuroprotective effects through platelet pathways.

Causal associations of genetically predicted gut microbiota and blood metabolites with inflammatory states and risk of infections: a Mendelian randomization analysis.

Background: Inflammation serves as a key pathologic mediator in the progression of infections and various diseases, involving significant alterations in the gut microbiome and metabolism. This study aims to probe into the potential causal relationships between gut microbial taxa and human blood metabolites with various serum inflammatory markers (CRP, SAA1, IL-6, TNF-α, WBC, and GlycA) and the risks of seven common infections (gastrointestinal infections, dysentery, pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, bronchopneumonia and lung abscess, pneumococcal pneumonia, and urinary tract infections). Methods: Two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was performed using inverse variance weighted (IVW), maximum likelihood, MR-Egger, weighted median, and MR-PRESSO. Results: After adding other MR models and sensitivity analyses, genus Roseburia was simultaneously associated adversely with CRP (Beta IVW = -0.040) and SAA1 (Beta IVW = -0.280), and family Bifidobacteriaceae was negatively associated with both CRP (Beta IVW = -0.034) and pneumonia risk (Beta IVW = -0.391). After correction by FDR, only glutaroyl carnitine remained significantly associated with elevated CRP levels (Beta IVW = 0.112). Additionally, threonine (Beta IVW = 0.200) and 1-heptadecanoylglycerophosphocholine (Beta IVW = -0.246) were found to be significantly associated with WBC levels. Three metabolites showed similar causal effects on different inflammatory markers or infectious phenotypes, stearidonate (18:4n3) was negatively related to SAA1 and urinary tract infections, and 5-oxoproline contributed to elevated IL-6 and SAA1 levels. In addition, 7-methylguanine showed a positive correlation with dysentery and bacterial pneumonia. Conclusion: This study provides novel evidence confirming the causal effects of the gut microbiome and the plasma metabolite profile on inflammation and the risk of infection. These potential molecular alterations may aid in the development of new targets for the intervention and management of disorders associated with inflammation and infections.

Association between oxidative balance score, systemic inflammatory response index, and cardiovascular disease risk: a cross-sectional analysis based on NHANES 2007-2018 data.

Background: There is limited research on the relationship between Systemic Oxidative Stress (SOS) status and inflammatory indices. Adding onto existing literature, this study aimed to examine the association between dietary Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) and lifestyle OBS (which make up the overall OBS), and Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) prevalence at different Systemic Immune Inflammation Index (SII) and Systemic Inflammatory Response Index (SIRI) levels. Methods: This study involved 9,451 subjects selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2018. The OBS comprised 20 dietary and lifestyle factors. Statistical methods included Weighted Linear Regression Analysis (WLRA), Logistic Regression Analysis (LRA), Sensitivity Analysis (SA), and Restricted Cubic Spline (RCS) analysis. Results: The multivariate WLRA revealed that OBS was significantly negatively correlated with both SII (ß = -5.36, p < 0.001) and SIRI (ß = -0.013, p < 0.001) levels. In SA, removing any single OBS component had no significant effect on the WLRA results of SII and SIRI. Further subgroup analyses revealed that OBS was more impactful in lowering SII in women than in men. Additionally, OBS was more significantly negatively correlated with SII and SIRI in the low-age group than in the high-age group. Moreover, RCS analysis confirmed this linear relationship. Compared to dietary OBS, lifestyle OBS exerted a more significant effect on Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) (OR: 0.794, p = 0.002), hypertension (OR: 0.738, p < 0.001), Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) (OR: 0.736, p = 0.005), Myocardial Infarction (MI) (OR: 0.785, p = 0.002), and stroke (OR: 0.807, p = 0.029) prevalence. Furthermore, SIRI exhibited a significant interaction in the relationship between overall OBS, dietary OBS, and CHF (P for interaction < 0.001). On the other hand, SII had a significant interaction in the relationship between overall OBS, dietary OBS, and MI (P for interaction < 0.05). Conclusion: OBS, including lifestyle and dietary OBS, were significantly negatively associated with SII and SIRI. Higher lifestyle OBS was associated with reduced risks of CAD, hypertension, CHF, MI, and stroke.

Efficient photocatalytic hydrogen production via single-atom Pt anchored hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks.

Constructing single-atom catalysts (SACs) using organic porous framework materials as supports presents a promising approach for developing highly efficient photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution. However, the fabrication of SACs that are both highly stable and active poses a significant challenge, particularly in the precise anchoring of metal single atoms. In this study, we utilized 1,3,6,8-tetra (p-methyl benzoate) pyrene as a ligand to synthesize pyrene-based hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (denoted as PFC-1) through a self-assembly approach. Subsequently, a liquid-phase photoreduction process was employed to deposit noble metal platinum (Pt) onto PFC-1, resulting in the fabrication of SACs (PFC-1@Pt). Characterization results confirmed that Pt existed in a monatomic state, anchored through PtC and PtO coordination bonds with PFC-1. Serving as electron capture and separation centers, the Pt single atoms effectively suppressed electron-hole recombination, thereby prolonging carrier lifetimes. Consequently, the PFC-1@Pt SAC exhibited efficient hydrogen evolution performance with a rate of 2202.5 µmol g-1 h-1 and maintained photocatalytic activity for over 40 h. Our findings provide a systematic approach for developing efficient and stable SACs based on HOFs, expanding the potential applications of HOF materials in photocatalysis.