Interleukin 38 improves insulin resistance in hyperlipidemic skeletal muscle cells via PPARδ/SIRT1-mediated suppression of STAT3 signaling and oxidative stress.

The cytokine interleukin-38 (IL-38), a recently discovered member of the IL-1 family, has been shown to regulate inflammation and improve hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress and lipid metabolism in individuals with obesity. However, its impact on insulin signaling in skeletal muscle cells and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In vitro obesity models were established using palmitate treatment, and Western blot analysis was performed to assess target proteins. Commercial kits were used to measure glucose uptake in cultured myocytes. Our study showed that IL-38 treatment alleviated the impairment of insulin signaling, including IRS-1 and Akt phosphorylation, and increased glucose uptake in palmitate-treated C2C12 myocytes. Increased levels of STAT3-mediated signaling and oxidative stress were observed in these cells following palmitate treatment, and these effects were reversed by IL-38 treatment. In addition, IL-38 treatment upregulated the expression of PPARδ, SIRT1 and antioxidants. Knockdown of PPARδ or SIRT1 using appropriate siRNAs abrogated the effects of IL-38 on insulin signaling, oxidative stress, and the STAT3-dependent pathway. These results suggest that IL-38 alleviates insulin resistance by inhibiting STAT3-mediated signaling and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle cells through PPARδ/SIRT1. This study provides fundamental evidence to support the potential use of IL-38 as a safe therapeutic agent for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.

Correction: Validity and reliability of the Professionalism Assessment Scale in Turkish medical students.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281000.].

Validity and reliability of the Professionalism Assessment Scale in Turkish medical students.

Medical professionalism is a basic competency in medical education. This study aimed to adapt the Professionalism Assessment Scale, which is used to evaluate the professionalism attitudes of medical students, into Turkish and to assess its validity and reliability. First, the scale's translation-back-translation was performed and piloted on 30 students. Then, the final scale was applied to medical students to ensure the scale's validity. The Penn State University College of Medicine Professionalism Questionnaire was used for external validation to assess criterion validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed for structure validity. Test-retest, item correlations, split-half analysis, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient were evaluated to determine the scale's reliability. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 24.0 package programs were used for statistical analysis. The statistical significance level was accepted as P<0.05. The mean age of the participants was 21±2 years, and 50.5% (n = 166) were female. Three hundred thirty-five students were invited, and 329 participated in the study. The response rate was 98%. The mean total Professionalism Assessment Scale score was 96.36±12.04. The three-factor structure of the scale, "empathy and humanism," "professional relationship and development," and "responsibility," was confirmed. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.94, and both the Spearman-Brown and Guttman split-half coefficients were 0.89. The three-factor structure of the scale, consisting of 22 items, explained 59.1% of the total variance. The intraclass correlation coefficient between test-retest measurements was 0.81. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a model suitable for the original version of the scale (χ2/sd = 2.814, RMSEA = 0.074). The Turkish version of the Professionalism Assessment Scale is a valid and reliable tool to determine the professionalism attitudes of medical students in Turkey.

Brief Report: Turkish Validity and Reliability of the HITS Intimate Partner Violence Screening Tool With Women.

The current study examined the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the HITS (Hurt-Insult-Threaten-Scream) tool which was developed to screen for intimate partner violence. 154 Turkish women participated and completed the Turkish version of the HITS (HITS-TR). The validity of the language and factor structure were evaluated. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was.89. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), revealed a single factor structure consisting of four items that explained 76% of the total variance. A CFA was performed with a modified model upon a second sample indicating high compatibility for the revised model with χ2/df = 1.262, a root mean square error of approximation.036, goodness of fit index of.996, adjusted goodness of fit index.998, root mean square residual of.006 and standardized root mean square residual of.008. It is concluded that the HITS-TR can be used as a valid and reliable screening tool for intimate partner violence in Turkish women.