New wheat straw fermentation feed: recombinant Schizosaccharomyces pombe efficient degradation of lignocellulose and increase feed protein.

Wheat straw contains a high amount of lignin, hindering the action of cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes, leading to difficulties in nutrient absorption by animals from straw feed. However, currently, the biological treatment of straw relies primarily on fungal degradation and cannot be directly utilized for the preparation of livestock feed. This study focuses on enzymatic co-fermentation of wheat straw to produce high-protein, low-cellulose biological feed, integrating lignin degradation with feed manufacturing, thereby simplifying the feed production process. After the optimization using Box-Behnken Design for the feed formulation, with a glucose oxidase addition of 2.46%, laccase addition of 3.4%, and malonic acid addition of 0.6%, the wheat straw feed prepared in this experiment exhibited a true protein content of 9.35%. This represented a fourfold increase compared to the non-fermented state, and the lignocellulose degradation rate of wheat straw reached 45.42%. These results not only highlight the substantial enhancement in protein content but also underscore the significant advancement in lignocellulose breakdown. This formulation significantly enhanced the palatability and nutritional value of the straw feed, contributing to the industrial development of straw feed.

Recent Advances in Photodynamic Therapy for Vascular Abnormalities.

Abstract Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive therapy that was gradually established as a first-line treatment for vascular abnormalities. Its action depends on the appropriate wavelength of light and photosensitizer to produce toxic oxygen species and cause cell death. Objective: Several new clinical improvements and trends in PDT have been described in recent years. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the current data from clinical trials. Methods: In this review, we introduce and generalize the wavelength, duration, dose, strength, and photosensitizer of PDT for the treatment of vascular abnormalities, such as circumscribed choroidal hemangiomas (CCH), choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and capillary malformation (CM). Results: The systematic review findings indicate that the application of PDT is a safe effective method to treat CCH, CNV and CM. However, PDT also has early onset side effects and late onset side effects. Conclusions: Based on the discussion of the effectiveness of PDT, we conclude that PDT has great potential for clinical use, although PDT has possible side effects.

CRYAB suppresses ferroptosis and promotes osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells via binding and stabilizing FTH1.

BACKGROUND: Bone formation and homeostasis are greatly dependent on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs). Therefore, revealing the mechanisms underlying osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs will provide new candidate therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. METHODS: The osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was measured by analyzing ALP activity and expression levels of osteogenic markers. Cellular Fe and ROS levels and cell viability were applied to evaluate the ferroptosis of BMSCs. qRT-PCR, Western blotting, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were harnessed to study the molecular mechanism. RESULTS: The mRNA level of CRYAB was decreased in the plasma of osteoporosis patients. Overexpression of CRYAB increased the expression of osteogenic markers including OCN, OPN, RUNX2, and COLI, and also augmented the ALP activity in BMSCs, on the contrary, knockdown of CRYAB had opposite effects. IP-MS technology identified CRYAB-interacted proteins and further found that CRYAB interacted with ferritin heavy chain 1 (FTH1) and maintained the stability of FTH1 via the proteasome mechanism. Mechanically, we unraveled that CRYAB regulated FTH1 protein stability in a lactylation-dependent manner. Knockdown of FTH1 suppressed the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, and increased the cellular Fe and ROS levels, and eventually promoted ferroptosis. Rescue experiments revealed that CRYAB suppressed ferroptosis and promoted osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs via regulating FTH1. The mRNA level of FTH1 was decreased in the plasma of osteoporosis patients. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulation of CRYAB boosted FTH1 degradation and increased cellular Fe and ROS levels, and finally improved the ferroptosis and lessened the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs.

Cerebral endothelial cells mediated enhancement of brain pericyte number and migration in oxygen-glucose deprivation involves the HIF-1α/PDGF-ß signaling.

The present study focused on whether hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1α) and platelet-derived factor-beta (PDGF-ß) are involved in the crosstalk between brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) and brain vascular pericytes (BVPs) under ischaemic-hypoxic conditions. Mono-cultures or co-cultures of BVPs and BMECs were made for the construction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) model in vitro and then exposed to control and oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) conditions. BBB injury was determined by assessing the ability, apoptosis, and migration of BVPs and the transendothelial electrical resistance and horseradish peroxidase permeation of BMECs. Relative mRNA and protein levels of HIF-1α and PDGF-ß, as well as tight junction proteins ZO-1 and claudin-5 were analyzed by western blotting, reverse transcription quantitative PCR, and/or immunofluorescence staining. Dual-luciferase reporter assays assessed the relationship between PDGF-ß and HIF-1α. Co-culturing with BMECs alleviated OGD-induced reduction in BVP viability, elevation in BVP apoptosis, and repression in BVP migration. Co-culturing with BVPs protected against OGD-induced impairment on BMEC permeability. OGD-induced HIF-1α upregulation enhanced PDGF-ß expression in mono-cultured BMECs and co-cultured BMECs with BVPs. Knockdown of HIF-1α impaired the effect of BMECs on BVPs under OGD conditions, and PDGFR-ß silencing in BVPs blocked the crosstalk between BMECs and BVPs under OGD conditions. The crosstalk between BMECs and BVPs was implicated in OGD-induced BBB injury through the HIF-1α/PDGF-ß signaling.

Display of Lignin Peroxidase on the Surface of Bacillus subtilis.

Lignin peroxidase (LiP) has a good application prospect in lignin degradation, environmental treatment, straw feed, and other industries. However, its application is constrained by the high price and low stability of enzyme preparation. In this study, the Escherichia coli-Bacillus subtilis (E. coli-B. subtilis) shuttle expression vector pHS-cotG-lip was constructed and displayed on the surface of Bacillus subtilis spores. The analysis of enzymatic properties showed that the optimal catalytic temperature and pH of the immobilized LiP were 55 °C and 4.5, respectively. Compared with free LiP (42 °C and pH4.0), the optimal reaction temperature increased by 13 °C. After incubation at 70 °C for 1 h, its activity remained above 30%, while the free LiP completely lost its activity under the same conditions. Adding Mn2+, DL-lactic acid, and PEG-4000 increased the CotG-LiP enzyme activity to 313%, 146%, and 265%, respectively. The recyclability of spore display made the fusion protein CotG-LiP retain more than 50% enzyme activity after four cycles. The excellent recycling rate indicated that LiP displayed on the spore surface had a good application prospect in sewage treatment and other fields, and also provided a reference for the rapid and low-cost immobilized production of enzyme preparations.

Asymmetric Organocatalyzed Cyclization Cascade Reactions of 3,3-Difluoro-2-aryl-3H-indoles and Enamides.

The direct functionalization of ß-C(sp2)-H bonds in enamides has garnered increasing attention within the realm of organic synthesis. However, these remarkable advancements are predominantly dependent on transition metals; limited success has been achieved via organocatalytic catalysis. Herein, we report a CPA-catalyzed ß-C(sp2)-H functionalization of enamides cascade intramolecular cyclization to synthesize the chiral dihydropyrimido[1,6-a]indoles bearing gem-difluoromethylene. Moreover, this methodology enables the synthesis of diverse chiral dihydropyrimido[1,6-a]indoles with outstanding enantioselectivities in moderate to high yields.

Circulating palmitoyl sphingomyelin levels predict the 10-year increased risk of cardiovascular disease death in Chinese adults: findings from the Da Qing Diabetes Study.

BACKGROUND: Higher levels of palmitoyl sphingomyelin (PSM, synonymous with sphingomyelin 16:0) are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with diabetes. Whether circulating PSM levels can practically predict the long-term risk of CVD and all-cause death remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether circulating PSM is a real predictor of CVD death in Chinese adults with or without diabetes. METHODS: A total of 286 and 219 individuals with and without diabetes, respectively, from the original Da Qing Diabetes Study were enrolled. Blood samples collected in 2009 were used as a baseline to assess circulating PSM levels. The outcomes of CVD and all-cause death were followed up from 2009 to 2020, and 178 participants died, including 87 deaths due to CVD. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate HRs and their 95% CIs for the outcomes. RESULTS: Fractional polynomial regression analysis showed a linear association between baseline circulating PSM concentration (log-2 transformed) and the risk of all-cause and CVD death (p < 0.001), but not non-CVD death (p > 0.05), in all participants after adjustment for confounders. When the participants were stratified by PSM-tertile, the highest tertile, regardless of diabetes, had a higher incidence of CVD death (41.5 vs. 14.7 and 22.2 vs. 2.9 per 1000 person-years in patients with and without diabetes, respectively, all log-rank p < 0.01). Individuals with diabetes in the highest tertile group had a higher risk of CVD death than those in the lowest tertile (HR = 2.73; 95%CI, 1.20-6.22). CONCLUSIONS: Elevated PSM levels are significantly associated with a higher 10-year risk of CVD death, but not non-CVD death, in Chinese adults with diabetes. These findings suggest that PSM is a potentially useful long-term predictor of CVD death in individuals with diabetes.

Discovery of 4-amino-1,6-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyridazin-7-one derivatives as potential receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) inhibitors.

Receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) is an important regulatory factor in the necroptosis signaling pathway, and is considered an attractive therapeutic target for treating multiple inflammatory diseases. Herein, we describe the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationships of 4-amino-1,6-dihydro-7H-pyrrolo [2,3-d]pyridazin-7-one derivatives as RIPK1 inhibitors. Among them, 13c showed favorable RIPK1 kinase inhibition activity with an IC50 value of 59.8 nM, and high RIPK1 binding affinity compared with other regulatory kinases of necroptosis (RIPK1 Kd = 3.5 nM, RIPK3 Kd = 1700 nM, and MLKL Kd > 30,000 nM). 13c efficiently blocked TNFα-induced necroptosis in both human and murine cells (EC50 = 1.06-4.58 nM), and inhibited TSZ-induced phosphorylation of the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway. In liver microsomal assay studies, the clearance rate and half-life of 13c were 18.40 mL/min/g and 75.33 min, respectively. 13c displayed acceptable pharmacokinetic characteristics, with oral bioavailability of 59.55%. In TNFα-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome, pretreatment with 13c could effectively protect mice from loss of body temperature and death. Overall, these compounds are promising candidates for future optimization studies.

Multi-dimensional metabolomic profiling reveals dysregulated ornithine metabolism hallmarks associated with a severe acute pancreatitis phenotype.

To reveal dysregulated metabolism hallmark that was associated with a severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) phenotype. In this study, LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics was used to analyze plasma samples from 106 acute pancreatitis (AP) patients (34 mild, 38 moderate, and 34 severe) admitted within 48 hours from abdominal pain onset and 41 healthy controls. Temporal metabolic profiling was performed on days 1, 3, and 7 after admission. A random forest (RF) was performed to significantly determine metabolite differences between SAP and non-SAP (NSAP) groups. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) and immunohistochemistry were conducted for the examination of pancreatic metabolite and metabolic enzyme alterations, respectively, on necrosis and paracancerous tissues. Simultaneously determination of serum and pancreatic tissue metabolic alterations using an L-ornithine-induced AP model to discover metabolic commonalities. Twenty-two significant differential metabolites screened by RF were selected to build an accurate model for the prediction of SAP from NSAP (AUC = 0.955). Six of 22 markers were found by MSI with significant alterations in pancreatic lesions, reduced ornithine-related metabolites were also identified. The abnormally expressed arginase2 and ornithine transcarboxylase were further discovered in combination with time-course metabolic profiling in the SAP animal models, the decreased ornithine catabolites were found at a late stage of inflammation, but ornithine-associated metabolic enzymes were activated during the inflammatory process. The plasma metabolome of AP patients is distinctive, which shows promise for early SAP diagnosis. AP aggravation is linked to the activated ornithine metabolic pathway and its inadequate levels of catabolites in in-situ lesion.

Risk of incident chronic kidney disease in metabolically healthy obesity and metabolically unhealthy normal weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Studies have reported inconsistent results about the risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in people with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). We designed this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the risk of developing CKD in people with MHO and metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW). We used a predefined search strategy to retrieve eligible studies from multiple databases up to June 20, 2022. Random-effects model meta-analyses were implied to estimate the overall hazard ratio (HR) of incident CKD in obesity phenotypes. Eight prospective cohort studies, including approximately 5 million participants with a median follow-up ranging between 3 and 14 years, were included in this meta-analysis. Compared to the metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), the mean differences in cardiometabolic and renal risk factors in MHO, MUNW, and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) were evaluated with overall HR of 1.42, 1.49, and 1.84, respectively. Compared to MHNW, the mean estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly lower, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), blood pressure, blood glucose, and triglycerides were higher in MHO and MUNW. In conclusion, MHO and MUNW are not benign conditions and pose a higher risk for incident CKD. Obesity, whether in the presence or absence of metabolic health, is a risk factor for CKD.

Association between congenital hypothyroidism and in-hospital adverse outcomes in very low birth weight infants / 中华儿科杂志

Objective: To investigate the association between congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and the adverse outcomes during hospitalization in very low birth weight infants (VLBWI). Methods: This prospective, multicenter observational cohort study was conducted based on the data from the Sino-northern Neonatal Network (SNN). Data of 5 818 VLBWI with birth weight <1 500 g and gestational age between 24-<37 weeks that were admitted to the 37 neonatal intensive care units from January 1st, 2019 to December 31st, 2022 were collected and analyzed. Thyroid function was first screened at 7 to 10 days after birth, followed by weekly tests within the first 4 weeks, and retested at 36 weeks of corrected gestational age or before discharge. The VLBWI were assigned to the CH group or non-CH group. Chi-square test, Fisher exact probability method, Wilcoxon rank sum test, univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between CH and poor prognosis during hospitalization in VLBWI. Results: A total of 5 818 eligible VLBWI were enrolled, with 2 982 (51.3%) males and the gestational age of 30 (29, 31) weeks. The incidence of CH was 5.5% (319 VLBWI). Among the CH group, only 121 VLBWI (37.9%) were diagnosed at the first screening. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that CH was associated with increased incidence of extrauterine growth retardation (EUGR) (OR=1.31(1.04-1.64), P<0.05) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) of stage Ⅲ and above (OR=1.74(1.11-2.75), P<0.05). However, multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed no significant correlation between CH and EUGR, moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia, grade Ⅲ to Ⅳ intraventricular hemorrhage, neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis in stage Ⅱ or above, and ROP in stage Ⅲ or above (OR=1.04 (0.81-1.33), 0.79 (0.54-1.15), 1.15 (0.58-2.26), 1.43 (0.81-2.53), 1.12 (0.70-1.80), all P>0.05). Conclusion: There is no significant correlation between CH and in-hospital adverse outcomes, possibly due to timely diagnosis and active replacement therapy.

Pediatric Mycotic Pseudoaneurysm of the Ascending Aorta: A Case Report.

Mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is extremely uncommon, particularly in children with no prior cardiac surgery or trauma. We report a rare case of a mycotic pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta in a 2-year-old girl with no history of cardiac surgery. Investigations revealed a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection and significant pericardial effusion in the child who presented with persistent fever and altered mental state. Cardiac ultrasound revealed a disruption in the aortic wall and a tumor-like structure. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography confirmed an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm with thrombus. The child underwent successful surgical treatment without implants. This case emphasizes the diagnostic significance of imaging, particularly the advantages of ultrasound in pediatric settings, and the need for timely and accurate diagnosis using appropriate imaging modalities in children.

Rectangular method: a modified technique for sampling the ischemic border zone in a rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion.

To date, there have been three common methods for sampling the cerebral ischemic border zone in a rat model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO): the "two o'clock method", the "diagonal method", and the "parallel line method". However, these methods have their own advantages and limitations. Here, we propose a modified technique (the "rectangular method") for sampling the ischemic border zone. A rat tMCAO model was prepared under the support of a compact small animal anesthesia machine. Cerebral blood flow was monitored by high-resolution laser Doppler to control the quality of modeling, and 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was used for cerebral infarction location assessment. Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (caspase)-3, caspase-9, and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were used to verify the reliability and reproducibility of the rectangular method. The expression of biomarkers (SOD2, caspase-3, caspase-9, and HSP70) in the traditional (two o'clock method after TTC staining) and modified (rectangular method) groups were increased. There were no significant differences between the groups. The rectangular method proposed herein is based on a modification of the diagonal method and parallel line method, which could provide a directly observable infarct borderline and a sufficient sampling area for subsequent experimental operations regardless of the cerebral infarct location. The assessed biomarkers (SOD2, caspase-3, caspase-9, and HSP70) demonstrated the reliability and reproducibility of the rectangular method, which may facilitate inter-laboratory comparisons.

Preparing the pure lignin peroxidase and exploring the effects of chemicals on the activity.

Heterogous expression of lignin peroxidase (LiP) from Phanerochaete chrysosporium was performed in by E. coli prokaryotic expression system, and pure LiP was prepared by washing, refolding, and purification. The enzyme activity was measured by the resveratrol oxidation method. The effects of different chemicals on LiP activity were explored by adding different kinds of metal ions, acids/phenols, and surfactants. The optimal pH and temperature are 4.2 and 40 °C. The single-factor screening experiment showed that adding 1 mM Mn2+, 0.1 mM DL-lactic acid, and 2% PEG-4000 had the best promotion effect on the enzyme activity of recombinant LiP, which was 160.61%, 188.46%, and 247.83%, respectively. Further, the synergistic addition of Mn2+ and PEG-4000 achieved the best enzyme activity promotion effect of 277.51%. In addition, the addition of DL-lactic acid alone could promote LiP activity. However, the co-addition of lactic acid with Mn2+ and PEG-4000 contributed only 247.87%, which indicated that the addition of DL-lactic acid had an inhibitory effect when applied synergistically. For the first time, it was found that PEG-4000 increased LiP enzyme activity obviously and had a synergistic effect with Mn2+, serving as a reference for LiP in studies and applications pertaining to lignin breakdown.

Dual-Ligand ZIF-8 Bearing the Cyano Group for Efficient and Selective Uranium Capture from Seawater.

Uranium extraction from seawater is a potential technique that will change the world. Adsorption capacity, selectivity, and antibacterial ability for high-performance uranium adsorbents remain the major challenges. In this study, a dual-ligand zeolitic imidazolate framework 8 (ZIF-8) decorated with cyano groups (ZIF-8-CN) is prepared via a facile blend strategy at room temperature. Owing to the abundant mesopores and nitrogen functional groups, ZIF-8-CN shows an extremely high uranium uptake of 1000 mg/g at pH = 6, which is 2.42 times that of pristine ZIF-8. Noteworthily, ZIF-8-CN possesses a 16.2 mg/g uranium adsorption in natural seawater within 28 days, and the distribution coefficient (Kd = 3.25 × 106 mL/g) is far greater than that for other coexisting metal ions, demonstrating a marked preference for uranyl ions. Except for the coordination between uranium and nitrogen in imidazole, the cyano groups provide additional adsorption sites and preferentially bind to uranyl, thereby strengthening the affinity for uranyl. Notably, ZIF-8-CN displays ultrastrong antimicrobial ability against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which is greatly desired for the scale-up marine tests. Our study demonstrates the high potential of ZIF-8-CN in uranium capture and provides a wide scope for the application of mixed-ligand MOFs.

Exploring Acute Pancreatitis Clinical Pathways Using a Novel Process Mining Method.

Mining process models of medical behavior from electronic medical records is an effective way to optimize clinical pathways. However, clinical medical behavior is an extremely complex field with high nonlinearity and variability, and thus we need to adopt a more effective method. In this study, we developed a fuzzy process mining method for complex clinical pathways. Firstly, we designed a multi-level expert classification system with fuzzy values to preserve finer details. Secondly, we categorized medical events into long-term and temporary events for more specific data processing. Subsequently, we utilized electronic medical record (EMR) data of acute pancreatitis spanning 9 years, collected from a large general hospital in China, to evaluate the effectiveness of our method. The results demonstrated that our modeling process was simple and understandable, allowing for a more comprehensive representation of medical intricacies. Moreover, our method exhibited high patient coverage (>0.94) and discrimination (>0.838). These findings were corroborated by clinicians, affirming the accuracy and effectiveness of our approach.

Curcumin Alleviates Singapore Grouper Iridovirus-Induced Intestine Injury in Orange-Spotted Grouper (Epinephelus coioides).

Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) is a new ranavirus species in the Iridoviridae family, whose high lethality and rapid spread have resulted in enormous economic losses for the aquaculture industry. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound, has been proven to possess multiple biological activities, including antibacterial, antioxidant, and antiviral properties. This study was conducted to determine whether curcumin protected orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) from SGIV-induced intestinal damage by affecting the inflammatory response, cell apoptosis, oxidative stress, and intestinal microbiota. Random distribution of healthy orange-spotted groupers (8.0 ± 1.0 cm and 9.0 ± 1.0 g) into six experimental groups (each group with 90 groupers): Control, DMSO, curcumin, SGIV, DMSO + SGIV, and curcumin + SGIV. The fish administered gavage received DMSO dilution solution or 640 mg/L curcumin every day for 15 days and then were injected intraperitoneally with SGIV 24 h after the last gavage. When more than half of the groupers in the SGIV group perished, samples from each group were collected for intestinal health evaluation. Our results showed that curcumin significantly alleviated intestine damage and repaired intestinal barrier dysfunction, which was identified by decreased intestine permeability and serum diamine oxidase (DAO) activity and increased expressions of tight junction proteins during SGIV infection. Moreover, curcumin treatment suppressed intestinal cells apoptosis and inflammatory response caused by SGIV and protected intestinal cells from oxidative injury by enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, which was related to the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling. Moreover, we found that curcumin treatment restored the disruption of the intestinal microbiota caused by SGIV infection. Our study provided a theoretical basis for the functional development of curcumin in aquaculture by highlighting the protective effect of curcumin against SGIV-induced intestinal injury.

The impact and role of identified long noncoding RNAs in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A narrative review.

BACKGROUND: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide, but its mechanism and pathophysiology remain unclear. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) may exert a vital influence on regulating various biological functions in NAFLD. METHODS: The databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and Medline were searched using the following keywords: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH, long noncoding RNAs, and lncRNAs. Considering the titles and abstracts, unrelated studies were excluded. The authors evaluated the full texts of the remaining studies. RESULTS: We summarized the current knowledge of lncRNAs and the main signaling pathways of lncRNAs involved in NAFLD explored in recent years. As a heterogeneous group of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), lncRNAs play crucial roles in biological processes underlying the pathophysiology of NAFLD. The mechanisms, particularly those associated with the regulation of the expression and activities of lncRNAs, play important roles in NAFLD. CONCLUSION: A better comprehension of the mechanism controlled by lncRNAs in NAFLD is necessary for the identification of novel therapeutic targets for drug development and improved, noninvasive methods for diagnosis.

Hereditary severe insulin resistance syndrome: Pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and clinical management.

Severe insulin resistance has been linked to some of the most globally prevalent disorders, such as diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and hypertension. Hereditary severe insulin resistance syndrome (H-SIRS) is a rare disorder classified into four principal categories: primary insulin receptor defects, lipodystrophies, complex syndromes, and obesity-related H-SIRS. Genes such as INSR, AKT2, TBC1D4, AGPAT2, BSCL2, CAV1, PTRF, LMNA, PPARG, PLIN1, CIDEC, LIPE, PCYT1A, MC4R, LEP, POMC, SH2B1, RECQL2, RECQL3, ALMS1, PCNT, ZMPSTE24, PIK3R1, and POLD1 have been linked to H-SIRS. Its clinical features include insulin resistance, hyperglycemia, hyperandrogenism, severe dyslipidemia, fatty liver, abnormal topography of adipose tissue, and low serum leptin and adiponectin levels. Diagnosis of H-SIRS is based on the presence of typical clinical features associated with the various H-SIRS forms and the identification of mutations in H-SIRS-linked genes by genetic testing. Diet therapy, insulin sensitization, exogenous insulin therapy, and leptin replacement therapy have widely been adopted to manage H-SIRS. The rarity of H-SIRS, its highly variable clinical presentation, refusal to be tested for genetic mutations by patients' family members who are not severely sick, unavailability of genetic testing, and testing expenses contribute to the delayed or underdiagnoses of H-SIRS. Early diagnosis facilitates early management of the condition, which results in improved glycemic control and delayed onset of diabetes and other complications related to severe insulin resistance. The use of updated genetic sequencing technologies is recommended, and long-term studies are required for genotype-phenotype differentiation and formulation of diagnostic and treatment protocols.