Implementation of STRONGkids for identifying nutritional risk in outpatients of child health care clinics: Results of a multicentre study.

AIM: To investigate nutritional risk across children in their first 2 years at child health care clinics in Jiangsu, China, and to highlight the importance of nutritional risk screening in outpatient clinics. METHODS: A multi-centre, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among outpatients in child health care clinics. Nutritional risk screening using the STRONGkids tool and anthropometric assessments were performed on children under 2 years old at outpatient initial visits in ten hospitals from March 2021 to March 2022. RESULTS: There were 11,454 children enrolled. The percentages of children with high, moderate and low nutritional risk were 2.0% (228), 28.2% (3229) and 69.8% (7997), respectively. The occurrence rate of high nutritional risk was higher in female children than in male children (p < 0.05). The incidence of moderate nutritional risk in infants was significantly higher than in children aged ≥12 months (p < 0.01). Children with moderate or high nutritional risk more frequently answered 'yes' to the STRONGkids item 'high risk disease or major surgery planned'. The top three diagnoses related to nutritional risk were prematurity (50.5%), food allergy (14.3%) and recurrent respiratory disease (10.7%). In addition, the incidence of chronic undernutrition in children with moderate (14.0%) or high nutritional risk (36.4%) was significantly higher than acute undernutrition (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Among children up to 2 years of age seen in child health clinics, nutritional risk associated with prematurity and potential disease requires special attention. Nutritional risk screening should be part of child health care, and STRONGkids is a useful screening tool.

Effects of early standardized management on the growth trajectory of offspring with gestational diabetes mellitus at 0-5 years old: a preliminary longitudinal study.

To explore the application value of early standardized management in the delivery of neonates of pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Parturient diagnosed with GDM and their offspring were selected in our hospital from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2017 to underwent early standardized management. Non-GDM pregnant women and their offspring were selected as the control group. The growth and development of children aged 0-5 years in the two groups were longitudinally followed up, and the mixed linear model was used to evaluate and compare the growth trajectories. There was no significant difference in height and weight between the two groups at 1 year old (P > 0.05), but the BMI of the GDM group was significantly higher than that in the control group. After 1 year of age, both groups of offspring were similar in height, weight, and BMI, and these similarities persisted at 2, 3, 4, and 5 years of age. After controlling for covariates, the weight, length/height of the two groups of children were slightly different in the growth trajectories between 0-1 years old, 1-2 years old, 2-3 years old, 3-4 years old, and 4-5 years old with no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Although growth differences between the two groups of children were detected within 1 year of age, there were no significant differences in growth trajectories from 1 to 5 years between two groups, which proved that early standardized management has positive significance.

The relationship between screen time and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Chinese preschool children under the multichild policy: a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Long screen time has become a public health problem that cannot be ignored. The association between screen time and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool children has received widespread attention. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to survey 2452 people. ADHD symptoms were assessed by the Conners Child Behavior Scale. Considering that the ADHD symptoms of boys and girls might be different, we stratified the data by gender. Logistic regression model was used for regression analysis. To exclude the influence of multichild family and obesity level, we also conducted a sensitivity analysis. P values were two-tailed with a significance level at 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that the association between screen time and ADHD symptoms in preschool children was significant (OR = 1.826, 95%CI: 1.032, 3.232). After grouping the genders, the correlation was not significant. There was an association between screen time and ADHD symptoms in children from families with multiple children. However, after excluding overweight and obese children from the overall population, the association between screen time and ADHD symptoms did not have statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: The issue of screen time for preschoolers needs to be taken seriously. Although the results indicate a significant correlation between screen time and ADHD symptoms, clearer evidence is needed to provide recommendations to policy makers.

Novel Phocaeicola Strain Ameliorates Dextran Sulfate Sodium-induced Colitis in Mice.

Previously, we isolated a novel Phocaeicola strain, Phocaeicola faecalis FXJYN30E22, from the feces of a healthy human from China. Metagenomic analysis revealed that the distribution of FXJYN30E22 differed in the intestinal tract of different hosts. We aimed to determine whether FXJYN30E22 protects against ulcerative colitis by employing a mouse model. In this study, dextran sulfate sodium was used to construct the UC model. The disease activity index, colon length, body weight changes, and histological scores were used as the pathological indicators to assess the anti-inflammatory effect of P. faecalis FXJYN30E22. Further, cytokine levels, tight junction mRNA expression levels, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations were also analyzed. Phocaeicola faecalis FXJYN30E22 could reduce the DSS-induced increase in DAI score, and enhance the colon length and body weight. Phocaeicola faecalis FXJYN30E22 could enhance TJ protein concentration and modulate the level of cytokines to reach levels close to those of the control group. FXJYN30E22 could also upregulate the concentrations of SCFA, which include acetate and butyrate. Based on the correlation analysis, four factors, including interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-1ß levels, and propionate concentration, were related to the protective roles of FXJYN30E22 in UC mice to different degrees. According to an analysis of the genomic information, the potential protective effects of strain FXJYN30E22 may be associated with the secretion of SCFA by specific genes. These findings suggest that oral P. faecalis FXJYN30E22 could help maintain the epithelial barrier by regulating cytokine levels and secreting SCFA.

Comparison and Optimization of Continuous Flow Reactors for Aerobic Granule Sludge Cultivation from the Perspective of Hydrodynamic Behavior.

Improving treatment efficiency and reducing investment and operating costs make aerobic granular sludge technology (AGS) a promising technology for treating aquaculture wastewater. The development of continuous flow reactors (CFRs) has become a new direction in the research of AGS. This study clarifies the granulation effect, hydrodynamic behavior and particle separation of three different CFRs (R1 to R3). The established CFD model was able to explain the hydrodynamic behavior in all three CFRs; in particular, R3 performed the best from the perspective of hydrodynamic behavior due to its abundant turbulence. In addition, the optimal baffle distance and baffle angle of R3 were simulated to be 40 mm and 60°, respectively, due to them providing the best turbulent flow and particle separation effect. However, an overlarge baffle angle could weaken the turbulent pattern in the reactor. The retention time distribution further confirmed the reasonability of these optimal parameters with the highest effective volume ratio of 0.82. In short, this study gives an instruction for exploring the rapid formation mechanism of AGS in a CFR to promote its engineering application.

Decomposition-Reassembly Synthesis of a Silverton-Type Polyoxometalate 3D Framework: Semiconducting Properties and Photocatalytic Applications.

Polyoxometalate-based all-inorganic three-dimensional (3D) frameworks have recently attracted attention as a unique class of materials due to their unique physicochemical properties and a wide field of application with excellent prospects. We herein synthesized a novel all-inorganic 3D framework material based on cobalt-substituted Silverton-type polyoxometalate, H6{Co6W10O42[Co(H2O)4]3}·2H2O (Co9W10), which was successfully constructed using Na12[WCo3II(H2O)2(CoIIW9O34)2]·46-48H2O (Co5W19) and Co(NO3)2·6H2O as starting materials in a hydrothermal reaction via a decomposition-reassembly route together with the rational adjustment of pH values. Co9W10 has been structurally characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Photocurrent response, band-gap (Eg) value, and the VB-XPS spectrum have been measured to reveal the semiconducting property of Co9W10. Furthermore, we synthesized x% PTh/Co9W10 composites (PTh = polythiophene, x = 0.5, 1, 2, 5) for photodegradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TH) to evaluate the photocatalytic activities of title composites. Due to the optimal molar ratio of hybrids and matching energy levels, 2% PTh/Co9W10 composites show the best photocatalytic activities among these composites.

Succession patterns of aroma components during brewing process of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) Huangjiu.

The flavor of Huangjiu is closely related to its brewing technology. Patterns of aroma component succession during the process of brewing broomcorn millet Huangjiu were investigated by solvent-assisted flavor evaporation combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and chemometrics. During fermentation, esters, alcohols, acids, ketones, acetals, sulfur compounds, furans, and lactones were formed mostly in the chief fermentation stage; nitrogenous and phenolic compounds increased in the primary fermentation stage and then decreased; aldehydes decreased after fermentation started; and terpenes decreased after five days. During aging, acids, alcohols, ketones, lactones, phenols, and nitrogenous and sulfur compounds first decreased and then increased; and esters, acetals, aldehydes, and furans always increased, while terpenes decreased continuously. Key odorants, including acetic acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 1,1-diethoxyethane, and 3-methylbutanal, were produced in large quantities in the primary fermentation stage; ethyl lactate, ß-phenylethanol, and 2/3-methyl-1-butanol were generated in large quantities in the chief fermentation stage; and sotolon and methional were generated in the aging stage. This study is of great significance for the quality control of Huangjiu production.

Sensomics-assisted flavor decoding of coarse cereal Huangjiu.

Huangjiu is one of China's national alcoholic beverages. The key odorants in four coarse cereal Huangjius (CCH) were identified by sensomics approach. Eighty-eight odorants were identified using solvent-assisted flavor evaporation combined with gas chromatography-olfactometry/spectrometry and aroma extract dilution analysis. Four aroma recombinates showed good similarities to the corresponding original aroma profiles (93.27-96.97%). Partial least squares regression analysis predicted vanillin and ß-damascenone were the main causes of the aroma differences in the four CCHs. For the first time, omission and addition tests showed that ß-damascenone caused the sweet and tea leaf aromas, whereas hexanal, nonanal, and 2-methyl-3-(methyldisulfanyl)furan contributed to the cooked grain aroma. Finally, 2-phenylethanol, ethyl (E)-3-phenyl-2-propenoate, ethyl 3-phenylpropanoate, vanillin, 3-(methylsulfanyl)propanal, γ-nonalactone, sotolon, ß-damascenone, hexanal, nonanal, and 2-methyl-3-(methyldisulfanyl)furan were confirmed as the key odorants in the CCHs. 2-Methyl-3-(methyldisulfanyl)furan was a newly identified key odorant in Huangjiu.

pH-Controlled assembly of [ZnW12O40]6--based hybrids from a 0D dimer to a 2D network: synthesis, crystal structure, and photocatalytic performance in transformation of toluene into benzaldehyde.

Polyoxometalate-based organic-inorganic hybrids have attracted considerable attention due to their fascinating structures and wide application prospects. In this work, using the same building blocks, ligands and metal ions (ZnW12O406-(ZnW12), 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bipy), and Cu2+), we synthesized three new POM-based hybrids by controlling the pH values of the reaction systems. These three compounds {(Zn0.6(H2)0.4W12O40)[Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)2][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)3]}2·6H2O (1), (Me4N)2{ZnW12O40[Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)3]}·5H2O (2), and {(Zn0.5(H2)0.5W12O40)[Cu(2,2'-bipy)][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)2]}·5H2O (3) have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 appears as a dimeric cluster structure, while compounds 2 and 3 appear as a 1D chain structure and a 2D network, respectively. The semiconducting properties of compounds 1-3 are different, which was demonstrated by band gap (Eg) and photocurrent response measurements. Compound 3 can efficiently catalyze the photooxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with high selectivity using molecular oxygen as the oxidant component. Moreover, compound 3 was recycled and reused three times without significant degradation in conversion and selectivity. In addition, the mechanism of the photocatalytic reaction was also investigated.

An unprecedented polyoxometalate-based 1D double chain compound with opposite charges enables conductivity improvement.

A POM-based one-dimensional (1D) chain compound, {BW12O40[Cu(2,2'-bipy)2]2[Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)]}{BW12O40[Cu(2,2'-bipy)2][Cu(2,2'-bipy)(H2O)2]}·7H2O, has been synthesized and structurally characterized, which represents an unprecedented 1D double chain structure with opposite charges. In contrast to common POMs, this compound exhibits a relatively high electrical conductivity of 1.17 × 10-9 S cm-1 at 25 °C. In addition, its semiconducting properties have also been investigated by application of photoelectrochemical sensing of H2O2.

Association between maternal vitamin D status with pregnancy outcomes and offspring growth in a population of Wuxi, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The role of maternal vitamin D in infantile growth remains unclear. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were examined for pregnancies who visited the Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2016 to December 2017. Anthropometric measurements of corresponding offspring were performed from birth to 2 to 3 years old. Infantile body mass index (BMI) was transformed into age-, sex- and height- normalized z scores, and Latent Class Growth Mixture (LCGM) model was used to identify trajectories of BMI-Z. RESULTS: Among the 329 included pregnancy women, 109 (33.13 %), 190 (57.75%) and 30 (9.12%) were defined as vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D <30 nmol/L], insufficiency [30 nmol/L≤25(OH)D<50 nmol/L] and sufficiency [25(OH)D ≥50 nmol/L], respectively. When compared with vitamin D sufficiency, maternal vitamin D deficiency was not associated with preterm birth [odds ratio (OR)=2.69, 95% confidence interval (95% CI)=0.57-12.80], small for gestation age (OR=0.99, 95% CI=0.29-3.46), and low birth weight (OR=1.69, 95% CI=0.34-8.51). Similarly, no significant relationships were found between maternal vitamin D concentrations and anthropometric indices (such as weight, length, BMI) during 0 to 3 years old. Furthermore, LCGM model identified two patterns of offspring growth: stable moderate BMI-Z and early transient BMI-Z groups. Maternal vitamin D levels were higher in the former group than the latter (p=0.037); however, maternal vitamin D status appeared to be unrelated with offspring BMI-Z trajectories in multivariable logistic regression models. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal vitamin D deficiency may not be related to adverse pregnancy outcomes as well as offspring growth.

[Analysis of FGD1 gene variant in a child with Aarskog-Scott syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: To detect pathogenic variant of the FGD1 gene in a boy with Aarskog-Scott syndrome. METHODS: Genetic variant was detected by high-throughput sequencing. Suspected variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. The nature and impact of the candidate variant were predicted by bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS: The child was found to harbor a novel c.1906C>T hemizygous variant of the FGD1 gene, which has led to conversion of Arginine to Tryptophane at codon 636(p.Arg636Trp). The same variant was found in his mother but not father. Based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines, the c.1906C>T variant of FGD1 gene was predicted to be likely pathogenic(PM1+PM2+PM5+PP2+PP3+PP4). CONCLUSION: The novel c.1906C>T variant of the FGD1 gene may underlay the Aarskog-Scott syndrome in this child. Above finding has enabled diagnosis for the boy.

Deciphering and predicting anammox-based nitrogen removal process under oxytetracycline stress via kinetic modeling and machine learning based on big data analysis.

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) is an advanced nitrogen removal process that is widely used in the nitrogen removal of various antibiotic containing wastewaters due to its high efficiency and energy saving characteristics. However, as a widely used antibiotic, the inhibitory effect of oxytetracycline (OTC) on anammox is unclear. In this study, the effect of OTC on the anammox-based nitrogen removal process was revealed by kinetic model and machine learning models. Statistical analysis showed that anammox started to be inhibited when the OTC concentration reached 2 mg/L. The inhibition and recovery periods were simulated under OTC stress. During the inhibition period, the R2 fitted by Exp model was higher, and the simulated maximum nitrogen removal rate (NRR) was between 0.47 and 17.05 kg/(m3·d). During the recovery period, both Boltzmann and Gauss models fit well. In addition, the machine learning model of the artificial neural network predicted the NRR more accurately, indicating that the importance of environmental factors was lower than the effluent parameters. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the NRR was negatively correlated with OTC under both short-term and long-term OTC stress. Furthermore, the hydraulic retention time and water quality parameters played an important role in the short-term and long-term experiment, respectively. Finally, redundancy analysis demonstrated that the abundance of nitrogen functional genes, such as hydrazine dehydrogenase, nitrite/nitric oxide oxidoreductase and hydrazine synthase, was negatively correlated with the amount of OTC, while antibiotic resistance genes showed the opposite trend.

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and obesity in one-year-old Chinese infants.

Recent studies suggested that vitamin D is linked with obesity, but evidence in infants is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to make an exploration in infants. A total of 414 infants at one year old who visited Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Wuxi in China were recruited. Finger-stick blood sampling was conducted in all the subjects, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations were measured. Maternal characteristics during pregnancy and infantile information were collected by questionnaires or extracting from medical records. Multivariable linear models were performed to assess the relationship between 25(OH)D and body mass index (BMI), while multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between 25(OH)D and obesity. Among the 414 infants, 69 (16.67%) and 81 (19.57%) infants were defined as obesity and vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L], respectively. The mean (SD) of 25(OH)D concentration was 68.05 (19.05) in infants without obesity, which was significantly higher than that of obese infants [60.36(18.49), p = .002]. Inverse linear relationships were observed between 25(OH)D level and BMI (ß = -0.017, p = .004) as well as BMI Z-score (ß = -0.010, p = .004). Furthermore, vitamin D deficiency was associated with an increased risk of obesity of infants (adjusted odds ratio = 2.74, 95% confidence interval = 1.20-6.25, with 25(OH)D ≥ 75 nmol/L as a reference). The results showed that serum 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly lower in infants with obesity, suggesting vitamin D deficiency may be an independent risk factor for obesity among one-year-old Chinese infants.

Association of serum IL-21 and vitamin D concentrations in Chinese children with autoimmune thyroid disease.

BACKGROUND: The etiology of Autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in pediatric age is multifactorial and mainly implicated with immune disorder. Previous studies have reported that interleukin-21 (IL-21) and vitamin D play crucial roles in autoimmune diseases. We investigated the correlation between IL and 21 and 25(OH)D and their potential role in the pathogenesis of AITD. METHODS: Total of 54 primary Graves disease (GD) patients, 36 Hashimato's thyroditis (HT) cases and 30 healthy subjects from The Affiliated Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from September through November 2017 to 2019. The serum concentrations of IL-21, 25(OH)D, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), antibodies against receptor for TSH (TRAb) and thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) were determined. RESULTS: The serum concentration of 25(OH)D was lower while IL-21 was higher in the GD patients and HT patients than in the control patients. Serum 25(OH)D concentration was negatively correlated with TPOAb and TGAb while serum IL-21 concentration was positively correlated with TPOAb, TGAb and TRAb in the HT group. Moreover, the serum concentration of 25(OH)D had a significant negative correlation with serum IL-21 concentration in the HT and GD children before or after treatment. Therefore, we studied the correlation between IL and 21 and 25(OH)D, and infer that they play a role in AITD. Moreover, adding Vitamin D could inhibit the expression concentrations of TPOAb, TGAb and IL-21. CONCLUSION: IL-21 and Vitamin D may be involved in the occurrence and development of AITD. Targeting IL-21 and Vitamin D may be a promising therapeutic approach for AITD in the future.

[Association between overweight/obesity in parents and autism spectrum disorders in offspring].

OBJECTIVE: To study the association between overweight/obesity in parents before maternal pregnancy and the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in offspring. METHODS: A total of 36 children who were diagnosed with ASD (ASD group) and 72 normal children matched for sex and age (control group) were enrolled. A questionnaire survey was performed to collect the general information, including body height and body weight of parents before maternal pregnancy and maternal weight gain during pregnancy. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the association between overweight/obesity in parents before maternal pregnancy and ASD in offspring. RESULTS: The ASD group had a significantly higher detection rate of overweight/obesity in the father than the control group (56% vs 32%; P=0.018) before maternal pregnancy. The univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that overweight/obesity of the father before maternal pregnancy was a risk factor for ASD in offspring (OR=2.66 and 2.58 respectively; P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obesity of the father before maternal pregnancy is an independent risk factor for ASD in offspring, and therefore, it is important for the father to control his body mass index within the normal range before maternal pregnancy.

Meta-analysis of the effect of the maternal vitamin D level on the risk of spontaneous pregnancy loss.

BACKGROUND: The association between vitamin D deficiency and early spontaneous pregnancy loss (SPL) is unclear. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and SPL. SEARCH STRATEGY: Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science were searched for relevant papers published before February 20, 2016, using search terms including "vitamin D" and "pregnancy loss." SELECTION CRITERIA: Case-control and cohort studies investigating the relationship of maternal serum 25(OH)D and SPL were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently extracted original data from the selected papers. The DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model was used to perform the meta-analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed by calculating I2 . MAIN RESULTS: Five studies, including 10 630 pregnant women, met the inclusion criteria. There was no significant association between a low 25(OH)D level and an increased risk of SPL. In a subgroup analysis, an extremely low 25(OH)D level (<20 ng/mL) was significantly associated with an increased risk of SPL in the first trimester (relative risk 2.24, 95% confidence interval 1.15-4.37); the heterogeneity across studies was not significant (I2 =0.0%, P=0.355). CONCLUSIONS: Severe Vitamin D deficiency could be detrimental to early embryonic development and increase the risk of early SPL.

Mutational spectrum of phenylketonuria in Jiangsu province.

UNLABELLED: Phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by variants in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene. We systematically investigated all 13 exons of the PAH gene and their flanking introns in 31 unrelated patients and their parents using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A total of 33 different variants were identified in 58 of 62 mutant PAH alleles. The prevalent variants with a relative frequency of 5 % or more were c.721C > T, c.1068C > A, c.611A > G, c.1197A > T, c.728G > A, c.331C > T, and c.442-1G > A. One novel variant was identified in this study-c.699C > G. We studied genotype-phenotype correlations using the Guldberg arbitrary value (AV) system, which revealed a consistency rate of 38 % (8/21) among the 21 predicted phenotypes. The genotype-based prediction of BH4 responsiveness was also evaluated, and 14 patients (45.2 %) were predicted to be BH4 responsive. CONCLUSION: This study presents the spectrum of PAH variants in Jiangsu province. The information obtained from the genotype-based prediction of BH4 responsiveness might be used for the rational selection of candidates for BH4 testing. WHAT IS KNOWN: • Phenylketonuria (PKU) is caused by variants in the phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene. • The spectrum of PAH variants in different Chinese populations has been reported. What is new: • This is the first report on the spectrum of PAH variants in Jiangsu province. • This study identified one novel PAH variant-c.699C>G-and and tries to show a genotype-phenotype relationship also regarding BH4-responsiveness.

Insight into the effects of adipose tissue inflammation factors on miR-378 expression and the underlying mechanism.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Obesity and the related metabolic syndrome have emerged as major public health issues in modern society. miRNAs have been shown to play key roles in regulating obesity-related metabolic syndrome, and some miRNAs regulated by adiponectin were identified as novel targets for controlling adipose tissue inflammation. miR-378 is a candidate target that was shown to be involved in adipose differentiation, mitochondrial metabolism and systemic energy homeostasis. However, little is known about the regulatory mechanisms of miR-378 expression. To better understand the physiological role of miR-378 in obesity and metabolic syndrome, it is crucial that we understand the regulation of miR-378 gene expression in human adipocytes. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the effects of adipokines and inflammatory cytokines on miR-378 expression using Real-time PCR and the potential regulatory mechanisms using luciferase reporter assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Results : We found that adipokines and cytokines upregulated miR-378 expression primarily through SREBP and C/EBP binding sites in the miR-378 promoter region. CONCLUSION: Our findings showed that adipokines induced miR-378 expression and revealed the most likely mechanism of adipokine-induced miR-378 dysregulation in human adipocytes. miRNAs have been shown to function in regulating obesity-related metabolic syndrome, and miR-378 may be a novel target for controlling adipose tissue inflammation. This study offers a theoretical basis for understanding systemic adipose tissue inflammation and may provide new strategies for clinical treatment.

Expression of obesity­related miR­1908 in human adipocytes is regulated by adipokines, free fatty acids and hormones.

White adipose tissue mass is governed by competing processes that control lipid synthesis and storage, as well as the development of new adipocytes, and also trigger metabolic and inflammatory changes. microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to act as negative regulators controlling varied biological processes at the level of post­transcriptional repression. The present study focused on investigating the expression of miR­1908 in mature human adipocytes and its responses to adipokines [tumor necrosis factor α (TNF­α), interleukin 6 (IL­6), leptin and resistin), free fatty acids (FFAs), growth hormone (GH) and dexamethasone (DEX). miR­1908 was highly expressed in mature human adipocytes. The mature human adipocytes responded to proinflammatory cytokines (TNF­α and IL­6) by markedly increasing the expression of miR­1908 at 4 h of incubation. Adipokines (resistin and leptin) and FFAs were shown to downregulate the expression of miR­1908 in human adipocytes. Furthermore, the expression of miR­1908 was decreased 4 h after treatment with GH; however, DEX treatment of human adipocytes did not affect the expression of miR­1908 during the 24­h experimental period. In conclusion, the present study showed that the expression of miR­1908 is affected by a variety of factors that are associated with obesity and insulin sensitivity. miR­1908 may be an important mediator in the development of obesity­related complications.