Depletion of Kupffer cells attenuates systemic insulin resistance, inflammation and improves liver autophagy in high-fat diet fed mice.

The objective of this study was to reveal the exact role of Kupffer cells in the diet-induced insulin resistance, inflammation and liver autophagy. C57BL/6j male mice were fed with either chow diet or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Meanwhile, HFD feeding mice received an intraperitoneal injection of either 0.2% GdCl3 solution (20mg/kg) twice a week to deplete Kupffer cells or natural saline (5mL/kg) as control. The mRNA expressions of Kupffer cells markers (CD68 and F4/80), insulin sensitivity, TNF-α concentration and NF-κB activation and parameters of autophagy were assessed. Results demonstrated that CD68 and F4/80 mRNA expressions in the liver were up-regulated in HFD fed animals, while significantly reduced after GdCl3 administration. HFD feeding led to insulin resistance and TNF-α level and activation of NF-κB in insulin-sensitive tissues (liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle) were significantly elevated. Interestingly, alterations above were reversed by varying degrees but significantly after Kupffer cells depletion. Furthermore, western blot showed hepatic LC3-II as well as phosphorylation of AMPK in liver and skeletal muscle were significantly lower in mice fed HFD, and these changes dramatically ameliorated by GdCl3 treating. In conclusion, selective depletion of Kupffer cells significantly attenuated diet-induced insulin resistance, inflammation and promoted liver autophagy. Strategies targeting Kupffer cells function or autophagic processes could be a promising approach to counteract diet induced obesity and related metabolic disorders.

[Study on relationship between polymorphism sites of TIM-3 and allergic asthma in a population of adult Hans from Hubei province of China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate two single nucleotide polymorphism sites of the promoter region in T cells immunoglobulin domain and mucin domain protein-3 (TIM-3) and detect their relationship with allergic asthma in a population of adult Hans from Hubei province of China. METHODS: The polymorphisms were detected with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and allelic specific polymerase chain reaction (ASPCR). The genotype and allele frequencies were calculated and analyzed. RESULTS: The genotype frequencies of CC, CT and TT in -1541 C/T polymorphism were 0.961, 0.039 and 0 respectively in the healthy population and were 0.935, 0.065 and 0 respectively in the allergic asthma population. No significant difference in genotype and alleles frequencies was found between the allergic asthma patients and control subjects (P=0.314, P=0.321). The genotype frequencies of GG, GT and TT in -574 T/G polymorphism were 0.992, 0.008 and 0 respectively in the healthy population and were 0.941, 0.059 and 0 respectively in the allergic asthma population. There was significant difference in genotype and allele frequencies between the allergic asthma patients and control subjects (P=0.046, P=0.048). CONCLUSION: There are polymorphism sites of the promoter region in TIM-3 , and one of these sites, the -574 G/T polymorphism site, may be associated with allergic asthma in the population of adult Hans from Hubei province of China.

Thyroid Hormones, Autoantibodies, Ultrasonography, and Clinical Parameters for Predicting Thyroid Cancer.

Our objective was to evaluate thyroid nodule malignancy prediction using thyroid function tests, autoantibodies, ultrasonographic imaging, and clinical data. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in 1400 patients with nodular thyroid disease (NTD). The thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) concentration was significantly higher in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) versus benign thyroid nodular disease (BTND) (p = 0.004). The receiver operating characteristic curve of TSH showed an AUC of 0.58 (95% CI 0.53-0.62, p = 0.001), sensitivity of 74%, and specificity of 57% at a cut-off of 1.59 mIU/L. There was an incremental increase in TSH concentration along with the increasing tumor size (p < 0.001). Thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) concentration was associated with an increased risk of malignancy (p = 0.029), but this association was lost when the effect of TSH was taken into account (p = 0.11). Thyroid ultrasonographic characteristics, including fewer than three nodules, hypoechoic appearance, solid component, poorly defined margin, intranodular or peripheral-intranodular flow, and punctate calcification, can be used to predict the risk of thyroid cancer. In conclusion, our study suggests that preoperative serum TSH concentration, age, and ultrasonographic features can be used to predict the risk of malignancy in patients with NTD.

[Summer habitat selection of alpine musk deer in Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve, Northwestern China].

During July and August from 2006 to 2008, summer habitat selection was studied in Alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus) in Xinglongshan National Natural Reserve in northwestern China. In total, seventy one musk deer utilized habitat plots and 246 random habitat plots were surveyed. Seventeen habitat characteristics were recorded and compared between the two habitat types, using Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square to compare the differences between utilized and random habitat plots, and principal component analysis (PCA) to determine the main factors influencing the habitat selection of musk deer. Mann-Whitney U test and chi-square was conducted to test whether there was significant difference between utilized and random plots. The results showed that musk deer prefers habitat with taller arbor height (7.57 +/- 0.83 ) m, higher food-plants abundance (12.97 +/- 1.80), increasing foliage cover for concealment, lower water dispersion, and higher anthropogenic disturbance. Furthermore, PCA results suggested that the arbor characteristics (arbor canopy and arbor DBH), altitude characteristic, food characteristics (ground-plant cover and food-plant abundance) and shrub characteristics (shrub canopy, shrub height and related arbor density) influence summer habitat selection patterns of alpine musk deer in Xinglongshan National Nature Reserve. The general pattern of summer habitat utilization and selection of alpine musk deer is an adaptive strategy to the changing food, concealment, water source and the physical condition of summer habitat.