Upregulated LncRNA-Meg3 modulates the proliferation and survival of MEPM cells via interacting with Smad signaling in TCDD-induced cleft palate.

Exposure to the environmental contaminant 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) in utero can result in high rates of cleft palate (CP) formation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain to be characterized. In vivo, the lncRNA Meg3 was upregulated following TCDD treatment in CP-associated murine embryonic palatal tissue, with concomitant changes in proliferative and apoptotic activity in these murine embryonic palatal mesenchymal (MEPM) cells. Meg3 can modulate the TGF-ß/Smad to control the proliferation, survival, and differentiation of cells. Accordingly, TCCD and TGF-ß1 were herein used to treat MEPM cells in vitro, revealing that while TCDD exposure altered the proliferative activity and apoptotic death of these cells, exogenous TGF-ß1 exposure antagonized these effects via TGF-ß/Smad signaling. TCDD promoted Meg3 upregulation, whereas TGF-ß1 suppressed TCDD-driven upregulation of this lncRNA. Meg3 was additionally determined to directly interact with Smad2, with significant Meg3 enrichment in Smad2-immunoprecipitates following TCDD treatment. When Meg3 was silenced, the impact of TCDD on Smad signaling, proliferative activity, and apoptosis were ablated, while the effects of exogenous TGF-ß1 were unchanged. This supports a model wherein Meg3 is upregulated in TCDD-exposed palatal tissue whereupon it can interact with Smad2 to suppress Smad-dependent signaling, thus controlling MEPM cell proliferation and apoptosis, contributing to TCDD-induced CP, which provides a theoretical support for the precautions of cleft palate induced by TCDD.

Association of greenspace with hypertension in adult: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have investigated the relationship of greenspace with blood pressure (BP) and hypertension, but the results were inconsistent. We aimed to assess the relationship of greenspace with BP/hypertension. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase and Web of Science on greenspace and BP/hypertension published before 5 April 2023. The methodological quality and risk of bias were evaluated. RESULTS: Twenty-seven articles were included. Our results suggested that higher normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was associated with lower odds of hypertension and levels of SBP [for every 10% increase of NDVI 500-m and NDVI 1000-m, the ORs were 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90-0.99) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.90-0.99), the ꞵwas -1.32 (95% CI: -2.18, -0.45) and -1.41 (95% CI: -2.57, -0.25), respectively]. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that higher exposure to greenspace might be associated with lower levels of BP and risk of hypertension. Increase green spaces should be regarded as an important public health intervention..

Associations of folate intake with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with diabetes.

Background and aims: The evidence regarding folate intake and mortality risk among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association of folate intake with the risk of mortality among individuals with T2D. Methods: A total of 9,196 participants with T2D from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) and NHANES 1999-2014 were included. The data of survival were obtained by the cohort database linked with the national death index up to 31 December 2015. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the relationship between dietary folate with all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Results: Among patients with T2D, dietary folate intake was negatively correlated with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and cancer mortality in men, and for women with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality. The multivariate adjustment hazard ratio (HR) (95% CIs) for men of highest vs. lowest quartile was 0.77 (0.66-0.90), 0.61 (0.45-0.83), and 0.70 (0.49-0.99) for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, respectively. Among women, the multivariate adjustment HR (95% CIs) of highest vs. lowest quartile was 0.77 (0.64-0.92), 0.52 (0.33-0.83), and 0.78 (0.50-1.22) for all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, respectively. Conclusion: Higher dietary intake of folate was significantly associated with lower all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. This cohort study suggested that increasing the dietary folate intake may reduce mortality risk among U.S. adults with T2D.