Relationship between skeletal muscle mass loss and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease among Chinese patients with metabolic dysregulation

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the correlation between skeletal muscle content and the presence and severity of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease in patients with metabolic dysregulation in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients from the endocrinology outpatient department at Ningbo First Hospital, in Ningbo, China, in April 2021. Adult patients with metabolic dysregulation who accepted FibroScan ultrasound were included in the study. However, those without clinical data on skeletal muscle mass were excluded. FibroScan ultrasound was used to noninvasively evaluate metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease. The controlled attenuation parameter was used as an evaluation index for the severity of liver steatosis. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was used to measure the skeletal muscle index. RESULTS: A total of 153 eligible patients with complete data were included in the final analysis. As the grading of liver steatosis intensifies, skeletal muscle index decreases (men: Ptrend<0.001, women: Ptrend=0.001), while body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid, uric acid, aminotransferase, and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance increase (Ptrend<0.01). After adjusting for confounding factors, a negative association between skeletal muscle index and the presence of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease was observed in men (OR=0.691, p=0.027) and women (OR=0.614, p=0.022). According to the receiver operating characteristic curve, the best cutoff values of skeletal muscle index for predicting the metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease presence were 40.37% for men (sensitivity, 87.5%; specificity, 61.5%) and 33.95% for women (sensitivity, 78.6%; specificity, 63.8%). CONCLUSION: Skeletal muscle mass loss among patients with metabolic dysregulation was positively associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease severity in both sexes. The skeletal muscle index cutoff value could be used to predict metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease.

Effects of the interaction between Brahma-related gene 1 and activating transcription factor 2 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma cells / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To determine the expression of Brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) tissues and cells, and to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying the regulatory effect of its interaction with activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of cSCC cells.Methods:From 2015 to 2021, 66 paraffin-embedded actinic keratosis (AK) tissue samples and 80 paraffin-embedded cSCC (including squamous cell carcinoma in situ) tissue samples were collected from the Department of Dermatology, Affiliated Hospital 2 of Nantong University, and the diagnoses of all the cases were confirmed histopathologically; at the same time, 35 paraffin-embedded normal skin tissue samples obtained by cosmetic surgery served as normal control group. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine the BRG1 expression in cSCC, AK, and normal skin tissues, and correlations between BRG1 expression and clinicopathological parameters of cSCC patients were analyzed. Fresh tissue samples were collected from 12 cSCC patients and 12 healthy controls, and cSCC cell lines A431 and Scl-1 and a human immortalized keratinocyte cell line HaCaT were routinely cultured; real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to determine the mRNA expression of BRG1 in tissues and cells, and co-immunoprecipitation assay and cellular immunofluorescence staining were conducted to analyze the interaction between BRG1 and ATF2. The expression of BRG1 (BRG1 siRNA1 - 5 groups) and ATF2 (ATF2-shRNA group) in A431 and Scl-1 cells was knocked down by RNA interference, and cells transfected with negative control siRNA or shNC served as controls (control siRNA group and shNC group, respectively), cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay, colony formation assay, cell scratch assay, and Transwell assay were conducted to evaluate effects of knocking down BRG1 and ATF2 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cSCC cells. Comparisons of measurement data among multiple groups were conducted using one-way analysis of variance, and multiple comparisons were conducted using Dunnett- t test. Results:Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression intensity of BRG1 protein was significantly lower in the cSCC and AK tissues than in the normal skin tissues ( χ2 = 44.40, P < 0.001). qRT-PCR showed that the mRNA expression level of BRG1 was significantly lower in the cSCC tissues (1.345 ± 0.956) than in the normal skin tissues (2.499 ± 1.501, t = 2.25, P = 0.035), and also significantly lower in A431 and Scl-1 cells (0.041 ± 0.002, 0.026 ± 0.003, respectively) than in HaCaT cells (0.135 ± 0.033, t = 4.95, 5.73, P = 0.008, 0.005, respectively). The low expression of BRG1 was associated with tumors at sun-exposed sites ( P = 0.041), low tumor differentiation ( P = 0.001), and high Broder′s grade ( P < 0.001) in the cSCC patients. In both A431 cells and Scl-1 cells, the BRG1 siRNA1 group and BRG1 siRNA2 group showed significantly increased numbers of cell colonies, migratory cells and invasive cells, as well as cell migration rates compared with the control siRNA group (all P < 0.05). Co-immunoprecipitation assay showed that BRG1 protein could bind to ATF2 protein in A431 and Scl-1 cells, and immunofluorescence staining showed that the two proteins were co-localized; compared with the control siRNA group, the BRG1 siRNA1 group (both A431 and Scl-1 cells) and BRG1 siRNA2 group (A431 cells) both showed increased phosphorylation and activation of ATF2 (all P < 0.05) ; in both A431 cells and Scl-1 cells, the shATF2 group showed significantly decreased numbers of cell colonies (both P = 0.001), cellular proliferative activity at 24 - 96 hours (all P < 0.001), and numbers of migratory cells and invasive cells compared with the shNC group (all P ≤ 0.001) . Conclusion:BRG1 was lowly expressed in the cSCC and AK tissues, and could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cSCC cells; ATF2 could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cSCC cells; BRG1 may exert an anti-tumor effect by interacting with ATF2 protein and inhibiting phosphorylation-dependent activation of ATF2.

The role of mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms in the association between childhood psychological abuse and depressive symptoms among college students / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the role of mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms in the relationship between childhood psychological abuse and depressive symptoms among college students, in order to provide a basis for mental health promotion.@*Methods@#From February to May 2023, a stratified random sampling method was used to select 1 799 freshmen to juniors from a university in Wuhu City, Anhui Province. The questionnaire survey was conducted using the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), Child Psychological Maltreatment Scale (CPMS), Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), 2-item General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-2). Correlations among each variable were analyzed, and the chain mediating effect of mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms was explored.@*Results@#The detection rate of depressive symptoms among college students was 9.7%, and the positive detection rate of childhood psychological abuse was 28.6%. Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with childhood psychological abuse, mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms ( r =0.28, 0.32, 0.27, P <0.01). Childhood psychological abuse was positively correlated with mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms ( r =0.29, 0.71, P <0.01). Mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms were positively correlated ( r =0.30, P <0.01). Childhood psychological abuse could effectively predict depressiove symptoms, mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms ( β =0.08, 0.06, 0.66, P <0.01). Mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms had a chain mediating effect between childhood psychological abuse and depression symptoms, with a total indirect mediating effect (effect=25.27%, P <0.05), accounting for 72.44% of the total effect.@*Conclusions@#Mobile phone addiction and anxiety symptoms play a chain mediating role between childhood psychological abuse and depressive symptoms. Focusing on childhood psychological abuse, mobile phone addiction and anxiety among college students are beneficial for depression symptoms prevention.

Taxonomy and phylogenetic relationship of zokors

Zokor (Myospalacinae) is one of the subterranean rodents, endemic to east Asia. Due to the convergent and parallel evolution induced by its special lifestyles, the controversies in morphological classification of zokor appeared at the level of family and genus. To resolve these controversies about taxonomy and phylogeny, the phylogenetic relationships of 20 species of Muroidea and six species of zokors were studied based on complete mitochondrial genome and mitochondrial Cytb gene, respectively. Phylogeny analysis of 20 species of Muroidea indicated that the zokor belonged to the family Spalacidae, and it was closer to mole rat rather than bamboo rat. Besides, by investigating the phylogenetic relationships of six species of zokors, the status of two genera of Eospalax and Myospalax was affirmed because the two clades differentiated in phylogenetic tree represented two types of zokors, convex occiput type and flat occiput type, respectively. In addition, the two origins in Eospalax were found diverged at 3.71 million years ago (Ma) based on estimation of divergence time. It is suggested that the climate and ecology changes caused by the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau uplift event in 3.6 Ma led to the inner divergence of Eospalax. The intraspecific phylogenetic relationships of partial zokors were well resolved, the two clades of Eospalax cansus represented two geographical populations, respectively, and the divergent pattern of Eospalax baileyi was characterized by allopatric divergence spatially. In this study, we explored the taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of Myospalacinae at the molecular level. These works would be significant to understanding the evolutionary process and to clarify the mechanism of differentiation of Myospalacinae.

Prognostic value of cystatin C in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective study of 1063 patients

OBJECTIVE: Patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma experience highly variable outcomes despite receiving similar therapeutic regimens. Identifying biomarkers that predict survival and guide individualized therapy is urgently needed. Cystatin C has been explored as a valuable prognostic marker in several malignancies. We retrospectively assessed the relationship between serum cystatin C levels and nasopharyngeal carcinoma prognosis in a large cohort of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients receiving long-term follow-up. METHODS: A total of 1063 consecutive patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma from June 2006 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The serum levels of cystatin C at the time of diagnosis were collected. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analyses using a Cox regression model were performed to assess the correlation of cystatin C levels with overall survival, progression-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival and loco-regional recurrence-free survival. RESULTS: The median follow-up duration was 68.3 months. The optimal cut-off value of cystatin C levels for predicting death was 0.945 mg/L. Compared with the low cystatin C group, the high cystatin C group experienced significantly shorter overall survival (hazard ratio=1.47, p=0.050), progression-free survival (hazard ratio=1.65, p=0.004), distant metastasis-free survival (hazard ratio=2.37, p<0.001) and loco-regional recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio=2.40, p=0.002). Based on multivariate analysis, a high cystatin C level was identified as a significant and independent negative predictor of overall survival (hazard ratio=1.47, p=0.050), progression-free survival (hazard ratio=1.65, p=0.004), distant metastasis-free survival (hazard ratio=2.37, p<0.001), and loco-regional recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio=2.40, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: Cystatin C levels are associated with the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. A high cystatin C level is an independent indicator of poor prognosis for nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.

Cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein for predicting all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease: A meta-analysis

Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage renal disease. However, the relationship between these two biomarker levels and mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease remains unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the association of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein levels with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Relevant studies were identified by searching the MEDLINE database through November 2013. Studies were included in the meta-analysis if they reported the long-term all-cause or cardiovascular mortality of chronic kidney disease patients with abnormally elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin or C-reactive protein. Summary estimates of association were obtained using a random-effects model. Thirty-two studies met our inclusion criteria. From the pooled analysis, cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein were significantly associated with all-cause (HR 2.93, 95% CI 1.97-4.33 and HR 1.21, 95% CI 1.14-1.29, respectively) and cardiovascular (HR 3.27, 95% CI 1.67-6.41 and HR 1.19, 95% CI 1.10-1.28, respectively) mortality. In the subgroup analysis of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein, significant heterogeneities were found among the subgroups of population for renal replacement therapy and for the proportion of smokers and the C-reactive protein analysis method. Elevated serum levels of cardiac troponin and C-reactive protein are significant associated with higher risks of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease. Further studies are warranted to explore the risk stratification in chronic kidney disease patients.

Application of embolic sclerotherapy for the treatment of painful venous malformation in limbs / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the safe and effective treatment for painful venous malformation (VM) in limbs.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>(1) 97 cases with painful VM underwent MRI to detect the location of VM, as well as its size and structure, its relationship with the surrounding tissue. Statistical analysis was also performed. (2) The embolic agent (ethanol) was first injected to embolize the draining vessels of VM, then the Polidocanol plus Methotrexate (MTX) was followed to keep the embolization effect on VM. The therapeutic effect was observed and analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>From January 2010 to January 2012, 97 patients with painful VM were treated. A Spearman correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between symptoms of pain and lesion growth, volume, or MRI grades (P > 0.05). The lesions in the muscle space are more likely to have the symptoms of pain (P < 0.01), followed by the lesions in the muscle, then the lesions in the joint and subcutaneous tissue. The pain relieve percentage was 95.9% (93/97) after one time embolic sclerotherapy. No severe complication, such as distant embolization, nerve damage, or muscle atrophy happened. No pain reoccurrence happened after 0.5-1.5 years of follow-up period.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The treatment of embolic scleratherapy is minimal invasive, safe and effective for painful VM with stable results.</p>

Comprehensive therapy for infant vascular tumor associated with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the management of infant vascular tumors with Kasabach-Merritt phenomenon (KMP) and to evaluate the effect of drug combined with sclerotherapy.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From Feb. 2007 to Nov. 2014, 25 cases with KMP, who underwent drug therapy combined with sclerotherapy, were retrospectively studied. Oral corticosteroids (2 mg/kg per day) was used as the first-line therapy on all of the patients and intravenous vincristine (1.5 mg/m2 every week) was added when the platelet counts didn't recover obviously after 2-3 weeks. After the recovery of the platelet counts, the patients were admitted for sclerotherapy (average, 4.56 sessions per case) with 100% alcohol (1-3 ml per session), Lauromacrogol (1.25-5 ml per session) and betamethasone (0.25-1 ml per session). All the patients were followed up for 42 months ( range, 9 months to 6.5 years). Therapeutic outcomes were assessed by evaluating platelet counts, size of lesion, function of trunk and limb.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the 25 cases got obvious recovery in the platelet counts [average, (94.3 ± 18.5) x 10(9)/L] after drug therapy, of which 16 were treated by single oral corticosteroids for 4-7 weeks and 9 were treated by corticosteroids plus intravenous vincristine for 2-5 weeks. Meantime, 11 cases received platelet transfusions, of which 3 were coupled with gamma globulin intramuscularly. During the first admission, each of the 25 cases received 1-4 sessions of sclerotherapy (average, 2.6 sessions each case). One week after the sclerotherapy, the platelet counts returned to (167-312) x 10(9)/L (average, (258.5 ± 34.4) x 10(9)/L). The hemoglobin and blood coagulation function returned to normal within 1-5 weeks. Meanwhile the mental condition, appetite, body weight, sleeping were greatly improved. The size of the lesions decreased gradually after the combined therapy including 13 cases within 3-12 months and 13 cases within 13-36 months. Long term follow-up indicated that only 1 case need treatment for recurrent decrease of platelet counts, and all of the 25 cases kept the normal weight, height, immunity as well as the growing development.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Oral corticosteroids plus intravenous vincristine combined with sclerotherapy is a reliable management with high cure rate, short course and minor side-effect.</p>

The formulation factors of influencing the aerosolizing and deposition properties of dry powder inhalation / 国际药学研究杂志

Recently, dry powder inhalation (DPI) has become a hotspot in the research area of pulmonary drug delivery (PDD). With the development of drug micronization technology and the emergence of innovative inhaler device, DPI has now been widely applied. This article introduces the formulation composition of DPI, which consists of micronized drug particles, carrier and inhaler device, and the formulation factors of influencing the aerosolizing and deposition properties are emphatically reviewed.

Study on Photo-protective Mechanisms of Hydroxychloroquine and Epigallocatechin Gallat on Keratinocytes Damaged from Ultraviolet-B Irradiation / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To investigate the photo-protective mechanisms of hydroxychloroquine and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) on HaCaT cells damaged from UVB irradiation. Methods Subconfluent HaCaT cells were irradiated with different doses of UVB irradiation and treated with the above listed agents. The mRNA expression levels of p53, p21, c-fos and GADPH genes were evaluated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Results UVB irradiation induced mRNA expression of p53, p21 and c-fos in cultured HaCaT cells, which were alleviated by hydroxychloroquine and EGCG treatment in UVB irradiation group. Conclusions The photo-protective effects of hydroxychloroquine and EGCG on HaCaT cells by UVB irradiation might be related to inhibition of the expression of p53,p21 and c-fos genes.

Effects of Imiquimod on the Secretion of Cytokines by Human Epidermal Langerhans Cells and Ha- CaT Cells / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of imiquimod on cytokine secretions of normal human epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and HaCaT cells, and to better understand the mechanism of immune regulation by imiquimod. Methods LCs were sorted from prepared epidenmal cells by density gradient centrifugation and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). LCs and HaCaT cells were cultured in media with or without 5 ?g/mL of imiquimod for 4 hours, then cell-free culture supernatants were harvested, cytokines were detected by ELISA kits. Results TNF-?, IL-1? and IL-6 secreted from imiquimod treated LCs were all higher than those from control LCs (all P

Inhibitory effect of EGCG on apoptosis of Langerhans cells after UVB irradiation / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To observe the damage to Langerhans cells induced by UVB irradiation,and to evaluate photoprotective effect of these cells from UVB irradiation by epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).Methods Biopsy specimens were obtained from normal adult foreskin,and epidermal cells were isolated.Density gradient centrifugation and magnetic cell sorting were used simultaneously to purify Langerhans cells from the cell suspension.These cells were then divided into three groups,control (no ir- radiation or EGCG treatment),UVB (irradiation) and EGCG (irradiation+ECCG treatment) groups. The cells in the UVB and EGCG group were irradiated by UVB (30 mJ/cm~2).After the irradiation,the U- VB group was incubated with RPMI-1640 containing 10% bovine serum for 4 hours,while the EGCG group with the same medium containing 200?g/mL of EGCG for 4 hours.Another four hours after the treatment, the cells were collected for the detection of apoptosis rate by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. Results Exposure to UVB (30 mJ/cm~2) significantly increased the apoptotic rate of Langerhans cells.The apoptotic rate in EGCG group was significantly lower than that in the UVB group,but was higher than that in the control group.Conclusion Rate of apoptosis of Langerhans cells could be increased by UVB irradia- tion,while EGCG could prevent the increase of apoptosis.