ABSTRACT
Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) poses a significant challenge to global public health. Despite extensive research, conclusive evidence regarding the association between gut microbes and the risk of AN and BN remains elusive. Mendelian randomization (MR) methods offer a promising avenue for elucidating potential causal relationships. Materials and methods: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) datasets of AN and BN were retrieved from the OpenGWAS database for analysis. Independent single nucleotide polymorphisms closely associated with 196 gut bacterial taxa from the MiBioGen consortium were identified as instrumental variables. MR analysis was conducted utilizing R software, with outlier exclusion performed using the MR-PRESSO method. Causal effect estimation was undertaken employing four methods, including Inverse variance weighted. Sensitivity analysis, heterogeneity analysis, horizontal multivariate analysis, and assessment of causal directionality were carried out to assess the robustness of the findings. Results: A total of 196 bacterial taxa spanning six taxonomic levels were subjected to analysis. Nine taxa demonstrating potential causal relationships with AN were identified. Among these, five taxa, including Peptostreptococcaceae, were implicated as exerting a causal effect on AN risk, while four taxa, including Gammaproteobacteria, were associated with a reduced risk of AN. Similarly, nine taxa exhibiting potential causal relationships with BN were identified. Of these, six taxa, including Clostridiales, were identified as risk factors for increased BN risk, while three taxa, including Oxalobacteraceae, were deemed protective factors. Lachnospiraceae emerged as a common influence on both AN and BN, albeit with opposing effects. No evidence of heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected for significant estimates. Conclusion: Through MR analysis, we revealed the potential causal role of 18 intestinal bacterial taxa in AN and BN, including Lachnospiraceae. It provides new insights into the mechanistic basis and intervention targets of gut microbiota-mediated AN and BN.
ABSTRACT
Background and objective: At present, the etiology of narcolepsy is not fully understood, and it is generally believed to be an autoimmune reaction caused by interactions between environmental and genetic factors. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II genes are strongly associated with this gene, especially HLA-DQB1*0602/DQA1*0102. In this study, we mainly analyzed the correlation between different genotypes of HLA-DQB1*0602/DQA1*0102 and clinical manifestations in Chinese patients with narcolepsy. Experimental method: Narcolepsy patients who were treated at the Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from January 2021 to September 2023 were selected. General information, sleep monitoring data, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin levels, and human leukocyte antigen gene typing data were collected. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0, and the graphs were drawn using GraphPad Prism 9.5. Main results: A total of 78 patients were included in this study. The DQA1 and DQB1 gene loci were detected in 54 patients, and only the DQB1 gene locus was detected in 24 narcoleptic patients. The most common allele at the HLA-DQB1 locus was *0602 (89.7%), and the most common genotype at this locus was *0602*0301 (19.2%), followed by *0602*0602 (17.9%). The most common phenotype of the HLA-DQA1 locus is *0102 (92.6%), and the most common genotype of this locus is *0102*0102 (27.8%), followed by *0102*0505 (14.8%). There were significant differences (p < 0.05) between HLA-DQB1*0602-positive and HLA-DQB1*0602-negative patients in terms of orexin-A levels, presence or absence of cataplexy, UNS, PSG sleep latency, REM sleep latency, N1 sleep percentage, oxygen depletion index, and average REM latency on the MSLT. The HLA-DQA1*0102-positive and HLA-DQA1*0102-negative patients showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in disease course, presence or absence of sudden onset, PSG REM sleep latency, N1 sleep percentage, and average REM latency on the MSLT. There were significant differences in the average REM latency of the MSLT between HLA-DQB1*0602/DQA1*0102 homozygous and heterozygous patients p < 0.05, and no differences were found in the baseline data, orexin-A levels, scale scores, or other sleep parameters. Conclusion: Different genotypes of HLA-DQA1*0102/DQB1*0602 are associated with symptoms of cataplexy in Chinese narcoleptic patients. Homozygous individuals have a shorter mean REM latency in the MSLT, greater genetic susceptibility, and relatively more severe sleepiness.
ABSTRACT
Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin extracted from the berry, leaf, stem, flower bud, and root of Panax ginseng. In recent years, ginsenoside Re (Re) has been attracting attention as a dietary phytochemical. In this review, studies on Re were compiled by searching a combination of keywords, namely "pharmacology," "pharmacokinetics," and "toxicology," in the Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. The aim of this review was to provide an exhaustive overview of the pharmacological activities, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity of Re, focusing on clinical evidence that has shown effectiveness in specific diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, nervous system diseases, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Re is also known to eliminate virus, enhance the immune response, improve osteoporosis, improve skin barrier function, enhance intracellular anti-oxidant actions, regulate cholesterol metabolism, alleviate allergic responses, increase sperm motility, reduce erectile dysfunction, promote cyclic growth of hair follicles, and reduce gastrointestinal motility dysfunction. Furthermore, this review provides data on pharmacokinetic parameters and toxicological factors to examine the safety profile of Re. Such data will provide a theoretical basis and reference for Re-related studies and future applications.
