Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Atrial fibrillation is common in patients with cardiac amyloidosis. However, the optimal anticoagulation strategy to prevent thromboembolic events in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation is unknown. This systematic review and meta-analysis compares direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) vs. vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review to identify clinical studies of anticoagulation therapies for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation. The primary outcomes of major bleeding and thrombotic events were reported using random effects risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Our search yielded 97 potential studies and evaluated 14 full-text articles based on title and abstract. We excluded 10 studies that were review articles or did not compare anticoagulation. We included 4 studies reporting on 1,579 patients. The pooled estimates are likely underpowered due to small sample sizes. There was no difference in bleeding events for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation treated with DOACs compared to VKAs with a RR of 0.64 (95% CI, 0.38-1.10; p=0.10). There were decreased thrombotic events for patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation treated with DOACs compared to VKAs with a RR of 0.50 (95% CI, 0.32-0.79; p=0.003). Conclusions: This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that DOACs are as safe and effective as VKAs in patients with cardiac amyloidosis and atrial fibrillation. However, more data are needed to investigate clinical differences in anticoagulation therapy in this patient population.

PATJ and MPDZ are required for trophectoderm lineage specification in early mouse embryos.

In brief: During the morula to blastocyst transformation, polarity establishment in outer cells is a prerequisite for trophectoderm lineage specification. This study reveals the roles of polarity proteins PATJ and MPDZ in trophectoderm lineage fate decision. Abstract: In mouse preimplantation embryos, cell polarity plays a crucial role in the first lineage specification. PATJ and its homolog MPDZ are the main members of CRB-PALS1-PATJ (CRUMBS-Protein associated with Lin7 1-Pals-associated tight junction protein) apical polarity complex. They act as adaptor proteins connecting CRB-PALS1 and tight junction proteins, making them essential for cell polarization and stabilization of apical junctions. However, their roles in regulating trophectoderm differentiation and blastocyst development remain unclear. In this study, PATJ and/or MPDZ were downregulated by the microinjection of specific RNA interference constructs into zygotes. Downregulation of PATJ alone did not severely affect early embryonic development and trophectoderm lineage differentiation although it slowed down the blastocyst formation. Depletion of PATJ and MPDZ did not affect compaction and morula development but impaired blastocyst formation. Furthermore, the expression of trophectoderm-specific transcription factors and trophoblast differentiation was compromised in the absence of PATJ/MPDZ. These abnormalities might result from the breakdown of apical domain in the outer cells of the embryo. The loss of PATJ/MPDZ caused the breakdown of CRB and PAR polarity complexes as well as deficiencies in tight junctions and actin filaments. These defects led to ectopic activation of Hippo signaling in the outer cells of developing embryos, ultimately suppressing Cdx2 expression and trophectoderm differentiation. Altogether, PATJ and MPDZ are essential for trophectoderm lineage differentiation and normal blastocyst morphogenesis via the regulation of the establishment of apical domain, formation of tight junctions, phosphorylation and localization of YAP, and expression of trophectoderm-specific transcription factors.

Association of Left Atrial Hemodynamics by Magnetic Resonance Imaging With Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Cardiac Amyloidosis.

BACKGROUND: Left atrial (LA) function and strain patterns by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been investigated as markers of several cardiovascular pathologies, including cardiac amyloidosis (CA). However, associations with clinical outcomes have not been investigated. PURPOSE: To compare LA function and strain by MRI in CA patients to a matched cohort of patients without cardiovascular disease (CVD) and evaluate the association with long-term clinical outcomes in CA patients. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective case control. POPULATION: A total of 51 patients with CA and 51 age-, gender-, and race-matched controls without CVD who underwent MRI in sinus rhythm. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: ECG-gated balanced steady-state free precession sequence at 1.5 T. ASSESSMENT: All measurements were completed by one investigator (M.M.B.). LA function and strain parameters were measured including LA indexed minimum and maximum volumes, LA reservoir (R), contractile (CT), and conduit (CD) strain. We compared groups after adjusting for age, hypertension, New York Heart Association class, modified staging system (troponin-I, BNP, estimated GFR) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) for an endpoint of all-cause mortality and a composite endpoint of heart failure hospitalization (HFH) or death. STATISTICAL TESTS: Differences between groups were evaluated with t tests for continuous variables or χ2 tests for categorical variables. A multivariable regression model was used to assess the associations of the P values-two-sided tests-<0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: CA patients with median follow up of 4.9 (8.5) months had significantly lower LA strain and higher LA volumes in comparison to the matched cohort. In the multivariable analysis, only LVEF was significantly associated with death while ƐCT (OR 0.6, CI: 0.41-0.89), indexed minimum LA volume (OR 1.06, CI: 1.02-1.13) and indexed maximum LA volume (OR 1.08, CI: 1.01-1.15) were significantly associated with the composite outcome of death or HFH. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study of CA patients, ƐCT and indexed minimum and maximum LA volumes were significantly associated with the composite outcome of death or HFH. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 3.

Noninvasive autologous mitochondria transport improves the quality and developmental potential of oocytes from aged mice.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an optimized autologous mitochondria transport technique for oocyte-aging rescue, which minimizes both the patient's pains and the damage to oocytes. DESIGN: Experimental laboratory study. SETTING: Laboratory. ANIMAL(S): Institute of Cancer Research mice. INTERVENTION(S): The murine umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from the female pup and cryopreserved. After the female aged, its germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes were collected and treated to weaken the zona pellucida. Its autologous umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were induced into granulosa cells (iGCs). The zona-weakened GV oocytes were aggregated with iGCs into iGC-oocyte complexes. Then, these complexes were cultured in growth-differentiation factor 9-containing media for 3 days. Next, they were subjected to in vitro maturation and fertilization. Presumptive zygotes were cultured for 24 hours, and the cleaved 2-cell embryos were selected for embryo transfer. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The oocyte quality was determined by examining mitochondrial ultrastructure using transmission electron microscopy, the adenosine triphosphate content using a luminometer, and intracellular reactive oxygen species levels by confocal microscopy. The spindle organization in mature oocytes was examined by confocal microscopy. The developmental potential of oocytes was evaluated by monitoring the in vitro embryo development and the birth rate after embryo transfer. RESULT(S): Mitochondria migrated from iGCs into the GV oocyte via transzonal filopodia. The maturation rate, quality, and developmental potential of these oocytes were substantially increased. Furthermore, the birth rate after embryo transfer has been improved. CONCLUSION(S): This approach used noninvasive procedures to collect mitochondria donor cells and optimized mitochondria transfer manipulations; thus, it may have potential in ameliorating oocyte-aging-related subfertility.

Biomass Allocation Responses to Root Interactions in Wheat Cultivars Support Predictions of Crop Evolutionary Ecology Theory.

The goal of agriculture is to optimize the population yield, but natural selection has produced active competition among plants, which decreases population performance. Therefore, cultivar breeding should be based on group selection, increasing yield by weakening individual competitive responses. We hypothesize that this has occurred inadvertently to some degree, so modern cultivars have weakened competitive traits and responses, such as reduced root proliferation in response to neighboring roots. We conducted a field experiment with eight cultivars of spring wheat that have been released over the last hundred years, which we grew at two densities. Two contrasting wheat cultivars, a landrace and a modern cultivar, were used in a second field experiment on competition within and between the two cultivars to quantify their competitiveness. Finally, a greenhouse experiment was conducted with these two cultivars gown (a) in mixture and monoculture, (b) at four densities, (c) two watering levels, and (d) with permeable vs. non-permeable soil dividers, to study root proliferation responses to competition. Results of field experiment 1 showed that the population aboveground biomass (AGB) had increased, while belowground biomass had decreased over the course of breeding, so that the root to shoot ratio (R/S) was negatively correlated with the release year of the cultivar. The landrace had stronger competitiveness than the modern cultivar in the field experiment 2. There was clear evidence of root proliferation and a resultant reduction in AGB in response to neighboring roots in the greenhouse experiment, and the modern variety showed less root proliferation in response to neighbors. We conclude that the newer cultivar was a weaker competitor but higher-yielding in two ways: (1) it had higher reproductive effort and therefore less allocation to structures that increase competitive ability, and (2) it had reduced root proliferation in response to the roots of neighboring plants. Our results show that wheat plants change their biomass allocation in response to resource levels and the presence of neighboring roots. The presence of root proliferation in the modern cultivar, albeit less than in the landrace, suggests that further increases in yield via group selection are possible.

Intermittent fasting suppressed splenic CD205+ G-MDSC accumulation in a murine breast cancer model by attenuating cell trafficking and inducing apoptosis.

Immune-based interventions are the most promising approach for new cancer treatments to achieve long-term cancer-free survival. However, the expansion of myeloid-derived suppression cells (MDSCs) attenuates the therapeutic potential of immunotherapy. We recently showed that CD205+ granulocytic MDSCs (G-MDSCs), but not T cells, are sensitive to glucose deficiency. Intermittent fasting (IF) may inhibit the growth of malignant cells by reducing serum glucose levels, but little is known regarding the influence of IF on MDSC expansion. Herein, we observed that IF selectively inhibited splenic accumulation of CD205+ G-MDSCs in a 4T1 and 4T07 transplant murine breast cancer model. The efficiency of IF in suppressing tumor growth was comparable to that of docetaxel. Further examination revealed that CXCR4 expression was concentrated in CD205+ subsets of tumor-induced G-MDSCs. Downregulation of CXCR4 correlated with a reduction in CD205+ G-MDSC trafficking from bone marrow to the spleen under IF treatment. In addition, ex vivo culture assays showed that glucose deficiency and 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) treatment selectively induced massive death of splenic CD205+ G-MDSCs. Interestingly, 2DG emulated the phenomena of IF selectively suppressing the accumulation of CD205+ G-MDSCs in the spleen, upregulating cleaved caspase 3 in the tumor, downregulating Ki67 in the lung, and retarding the growth of transplanted 4T1 and 4T07 murine breast tumors. These findings suggest that IF inhibited cell trafficking through the downregulation of CXCR4 and induced apoptosis by altering glucose metabolism; this, suppressed the accumulation of tumor-induced splenic CD205+ G-MDSCs and in turn enhanced antitumor immunity.

Paradoxical Embolism Causing Myocardial Infarction in a COVID-19 Patient Presenting With Pulmonary Embolism.

The presence of myocardial injury in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) infection is common. The cardiac complications of SARS-CoV2 infection are varied and distinguishing between them can be complicated.  A 55-year-old man with recent diagnosis of SARS-CoV2 infection presented with chest pain, syncope, and was found to have saddle pulmonary embolism (PE). Marked elevation in cardiac enzymes prompted a coronary angiogram which was normal. Cardiac MRI revealed late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in the anterolateral wall consistent with myocardial infarction (MI). He was diagnosed with paradoxical embolism causing MI. The differential for elevated cardiac enzymes is wide in patients with SARS-CoV2 infection. This case illustrates that sometimes multiple diagnoses exist, and that a high index of suspicion is required to continue work-up.

Preoperative Right Heart Dysfunction and Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices.

Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a common cause of morbidity among patients supported by left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). The aim of this study was to identify if pre-LVAD right ventricular (RV) dysfunction is associated with risk of GIB after LVAD implantation. Of 398 patients implanted with LVADs between July 2008 and July 2016, 130 (33%) developed GIB at a median of 2.6 months following LVAD implantation. Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) were found in 42 (34%) GIB patients. Patients with GIB were older and more likely to have hypertension, diabetes, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. On pre-LVAD echocardiography, GIB patients had increased RV diastolic dimension (4.7 ± 0.8 vs. 4.4 ± 0.9 cm, p = 0.02), a higher rate of greater than mild tricuspid valve (TV) regurgitation (73 [60%] vs. 120 [47%], p = 0.006), and underwent TV repair more often (38 [30%] vs. 43 [16%], p = 0.0006) during LVAD implantation. After multivariable adjustment, preoperative greater than mild RV enlargement (hazard ratio [HR] 2.32, 95% CI 1.12-5.03; p = 0.03), TV regurgitation (HR 1.83, CI 1.02-3.44; p = 0.01), and TV repair (HR 3.76, confidence interval [CI] 1.02-4.44; p = 0.01) remained associated with risk of GIB. This finding was driven by the AVM-GIB subgroup. Preoperative RV enlargement and TV regurgitation are associated with post-LVAD AVM-related GIB.

Anti-migration and anti-invasion effects of 2-hydroxy-6-tridecylbenzoic acid is associated with the enhancement of CYP1B1 expression through activating the AMPK signaling pathway in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

2-hydroxy-6-tridecylbenzoic acid is alkylsalicylic acid monomer compound, abundantly existed in the ginkgo biloba extracts, however, the underlying mechanism of its anti-migration and anti-invasion effects in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is not clear. Here, 2-hydroxy-6 -tridecylbenzoic acid inhibited MDA-MB-231 and 4 T-1 cells growth without toxicity to MCF-10A normal breast cells. Meanwhile, 2-hydroxy-6-tridecylbenzoic acid inhibited cells migration and invasion as well as EMT with the increase of E-cadherin expression accompanied by the decrease of N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, MMP-2 and MMP-9 expression. The inhibition was further demonstrated by the enhancement of cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1B1 expression through the activation of AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) in MDA-MB-231 and 4 T-1 cells. Silencing of CYP1B1 and AMPK with siRNA blocked the inhibitory effects of migration and invasion, and reversed the EMT related genes. These findings may provide a novel mechanism of the 2-hydroxy-6-tridecylbenzoic acid as a molecular-targeted therapeutic drug for TNBC patients.

Impact of donor smoking history on post heart transplant outcomes: A propensity-matched analysis of ISHLT registry.

PURPOSE: Smoking is a major public health issue, and its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is well established. This study evaluates the impact of donor smoking on heart transplant (HT) outcomes. METHODS: HT recipients between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2016, with known donor smoking status were queried from the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) registry. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and secondary endpoints were graft failure, acute rejection, and cardiac allograft vasculopathy. We utilized propensity-score matching to identify cohorts of recipients with and without a history of donor smoking. Hazard ratios for post-transplant outcomes for the matched sample were estimated from separate Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: Of 26 390 patients in the cohort, 18.9% had history of donor smoking. Donors with history of smoking were older, predominantly male and had higher incidence of diabetes, hypertension, cocaine use, and "high-risk" status. In propensity-matched analysis, recipients with a history of donor smoking had increased risk of death (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20) and higher risk of graft failure (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.20). CONCLUSION: Donor smoking was associated with increased mortality and higher incidence of graft failure following HT. Consideration of donor smoking history is warranted while evaluating donor hearts.

Low-dose Roundup induces developmental toxicity in bovine preimplantation embryos in vitro.

Roundup is a widely used glyphosate-based herbicide worldwide. Roundup residues can be detected in the organs and urine of animals. However, its toxicity on mammalian preimplantation embryos has not been well investigated. Here, we show Roundup impairs the development and quality of bovine preimplantation embryos in a dose-dependent manner. Exposure to the agricultural recommended doses of Roundup caused in vitro developmental arrest and quick death of bovine embryos. Furthermore, even a very low concentration (0.9 ppm) of Roundup was harmful to bovine preimplantation development. In addition, Roundup increases intracellular calcium levels and induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in bovine embryos. Even if the embryos developed to morphologically normal blastocysts when cultured with low concentrations of Roundup, abnormal intracellular calcium and oxidative stress could be detected inside the embryos and led to an increased incidence of apoptosis in the blastocysts. These data suggest Roundup residues from the agricultural application are potentially dangerous to mammalian preimplantation embryos.

Impaired Exercise Tolerance Early After Heart Transplantation Is Associated With Development of Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy.

BACKGROUND: Exercise performance remains limited in some patients after heart transplantation (HTx). The goal of this study was to assess for association between cardiopulmonary exercise test performance at 1 year after HTx and future development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV). METHODS: Overall 243 HTx recipients performed cardiopulmonary exercise testing at 1 year after HTx. During the median follow-up period of 31 (interquartile range 19;61) months, 76 (32%) patients were diagnosed with CAV (CAV group). RESULTS: The CAV group patients had lower exercise capacity (5.2 ± 1.9 versus 6.5 ± 2.2 metabolic equivalents; P = 0.001) and duration (9.6 ± 3.5 versus 11.4 ± 4.8 min; P = 0.008), lower peak oxygen consumption (VO2) (18.4 ± 5.4 versus 21.4 ± 6.1 mL/kg/min; P = 0.0005), lower normalized peak VO2 (63% ± 18% versus 71% ± 19%; P = 0.007), and higher minute ventilation (VE)/carbon dioxide production (VCO2) (34 ± 5 versus 32 ± 5, P = 0.04). On Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, normalized peak VO2 ≤60%, and VE/VCO2 ≥34 were associated with a high hazard for CAV (HR = 1.8 [95% CI 1.10-4.53, P = 0.03] and 2.5 [95% CI 1.01-8.81, P = 0.04], respectively). The subgroup of patients with both normalized peak VO2 ≤60% and VE/VCO2 ≥34 was at highest risk for development of CAV (HR = 5.2, 95% CI 2.27-15.17, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Normalized peak VO2 ≤60% and VE/VCO2 ≥34 at 1 year after HTx are associated with the development of CAV.

Evolutionary agroecology: Trends in root architecture during wheat breeding.

Root system characteristics determine soil space exploration and resource acquisition, and these characteristics include competitive traits that increase individual fitness but reduce population performance. We hypothesize that crop breeding for increased yield is often a form of "group selection" that reduces such "selfish" traits to increase population yield. To study trends in root architecture resulting from plant breeding and test the hypothesis that increased yields result in part from group selection on root traits, we investigated root growth and branching behavior in a historical sequence of wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars that have been widely grown in northwestern China. Plants were grown in gel-filled chambers to examine growth angles, numbers, and lengths of seminal roots, and in soil-filled chambers under eight soil resource levels for fractal analysis of root system architecture. Yield in field was evaluated at standard and low planting densities. Newer cultivars produced higher yields than older ones only at the higher sowing density, showing that increased yield results from changes in competitive behavior. Seminal root number and growth angles were negatively correlated with yield, while primary seminal root length was positively correlated with yield. Roots of higher-yielding modern varieties were simpler and less branched, grew deeper but spread less laterally than modern varieties. The fractal dimension of root branching was negatively correlated with the yield of cultivars at all resource levels. Root:shoot ratio was negatively correlated with yield under high soil resource levels. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the success of wheat breeding for higher yields over past 100 years in northwestern China has been in part due to unconscious group selection on root traits, resulting in smaller, less branched, and deeper roots, suggesting a direction for further increases in crop yield in the future.

Entire Peroxidation Reaction System of Myeloperoxidase Correlates with Progressive Low-Density Lipoprotein Modifications via Reactive Aldehydes in Atherosclerotic Patients with Hypertension.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the dysfunction of serum lipoproteins, which triggers lipid metabolism abnormalities in the development of atherosclerosis and hypertension. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) is involved in ROS modifications, triggering lipid peroxidation and aldehyde formation. However, the relationship between the entirety of the MPO reaction system and oxidative modification of serum lipoproteins in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension remains unclear. METHODS: We measured MPO activity (peroxidation and chlorination), 4-hydroxynonenal-modified low-density lipoprotein (HNE-LDL), malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL), H2O2, reduced glutathione (GSH), and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) using a corresponding commercial kit in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension and healthy participants. We used Spearman's correlation analysis to investigate the correlation between MPO activity and the levels of these oxidative and anti-oxidative stress-related indices and performed response surface regression to investigate the relationship between the MPO reaction system and the levels of HNE-LDL, MDA-LDL, and the GSH/GSSG ratio. RESULTS: Our results showed no association between the levels of MPO peroxidation activity, MPO chlorination activity, H2O2, and Cl- and those of HNE-LDL, MDA-LDL, GSH, and GSSG, and the GSH/GSSG ratio in healthy participants. In addition, no effects of the peroxidation reaction system of MPO (PRSM) and the chlorination reaction system of MPO (CRSM) on GSH/GSSG were found in this investigation. However, we found that the PRSM rather than the CRSM correlated with progressive low-density lipoprotein (LDL) modifications by HNE-LDL and MDA-LDL in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension. CONCLUSION: The PRSM rather than the CRSM correlated with progressive LDL modifications via reactive aldehydes in atherosclerotic patients with hypertension. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate whether the PRSM may serve as a potential index for monitoring LDL function in atherosclerosis and hypertension.

DEHP exposure in utero disturbs sex determination and is potentially linked with precocious puberty in female mice.

Human's ubiquitous exposure to di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is thought to be associated with female reproductive toxicity. Previous studies found that DEHP inhibited follicle growth and decreased estradiol levels in adult female mice. However, limited information is available on the link between in utero DEHP exposure and ovarian development in female mouse offspring. The present study evaluates the disturbances in regulatory genes involved in female sex determination and the ovarian outcomes in fetal and postnatal female mice treated with in utero DEHP exposure. Pregnant mice were exposed to DEHP by gavage, with the dosage regime beginning at human relevant exposure levels. After in utero DEHP exposure, increased follicular atresia was observed in the female pups at postnatal days (PND) 21. Foxl2 expression was significantly upregulated, and Fst was significantly downregulated by DEHP above 2mg/kg/d at PND 1 and 21. This suggests that lesion of granulosa cell differentiation and disturbance of follicle development in postnatal female mice. The expression of Cyp11a1 and Star were significantly downregulated by in utero DEHP exposure, indicating effects on estradiol biosynthesis. The female sex determination pathway was disturbed in fetus by DEHP at 2mg/kg/d and above during the critical time window of sex determination causing significant upregulation of Foxl2, Wnt4, ß-catenin and Fst. Furthermore, the increased expression of Wnt4 was supported by whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH). These results suggest a possible association between in utero DEHP exposure and precocious puberty in the postnatal life of mice offspring, where disturbance of the sex determination regulating pathway acted as an important mechanism.

Di(2-Ethylhexyl) Phthalate Exposure In Utero Damages Sertoli Cell Differentiation Via Disturbance of Sex Determination Pathway in Fetal and Postnatal Mice.

Mice may share similar mechanism with human underlying reproductive toxicity induced by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), which is not supposed to be associated with decreased testicular testosterone. Pregnant mice were exposed to DEHP by gavage, with the dosage regime beginning at human relevant exposure level. After in utero DEHP exposure, loss of Sertoli cells and germ cells were observed in the male pups at postnatal days 21. And SRY-related HMG box 9 (SOX9), Fibroblast growth factor-9 (FGF9), and Double-sex and Mab-3 related transcripttion factor 1 (DMRT1) proteins were significantly downregulated by DEHP at 2 mg/kg/d and above, suggesting the depression of Sertoli cell differentiation. The repression of Sox9 genes expression was supported by whole-mount in situ hybridization and real-time real-time-quantitative PCR. The expressions of Cyp11α1 and Star were not significantly affected by in utero DEHP exposure, indicating the absence of effects on testosterone biosynthesis. Furthermore, the testosterone-independent pathway regulating Sertoli cells differentiation was disturbed in fetus by DEHP at 2 mg/kg/d and above during the critical time window of sex determination, involving Gadd45g → Gata4/Fog2 → Sry → Sox9 → Fgf9 The results suggest that in utero DEHP exposure damaged Sertoli cells in the postnatal life of mice offspring via disturbance of the differentiation regulating pathway, potentially inducing declines in spermatogenesis.

Single nucleotide polymorphism rs3774261 in the AdipoQ gene is associated with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in Northeast Han Chinese population: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of death in the world with a projected global 82 million DALYs by 2020. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to CHD development. Here, the authors investigate the association between CHD risk and three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in the AdipoQ gene (rs3774261, rs1063537 and rs2082940); and the interaction of this association with environmental factors, in Northeast Han Chinese population. METHODS: Using a case-control study design, 1514 participants (754 cases and 760 controls) were investigated. Three variants in the AdipoQ gene (rs3774261, rs1063537 and rs2082940) were selected and genotyped. The online SNPstats program and SPSS 21.0 software were used for data analyses. RESULTS: The authors found that the rs3774261G allele is associated with the risk of CHD but that the rs2082940T allele protects against CHD. No significant association was found between rs1063537 and CHD risk. The study also found significant interactions between triglyceride levels and the SNPs studied (P < 0.0001 for rs3774261, P = 0.014 for rs1063537, and P = 0.031 for rs2082940). CONCLUSIONS: Variations in AdipoQ gene can protect against CHD (as with rs2082940T) or associated with CHD risk (as with rs3774261G) in Northeast Han Chinese - findings that will help shed light on the reported conflicting roles of AdipoQ in cardiovascular diseases. Serum triglycerides levels also interact in the AdipoQ - CHD association, thus further highlighting the roles environmental factors play in the genetic aspect of diseases.

Association of NCOA3 polymorphisms with Dyslipidemia in the Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear receptor coactivator-3 (NCOA3) is involved in various physiological processes. Emerging evidence from previous studies using animal models suggests that the NCOA3 gene (NCOA3) plays a critical role in lipid metabolism as well as adipogenesis and obesity. The present study aims to investigate the association between NCOA3 SNPs and dyslipidemia in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: Five hundred and twenty-nine (529) Chinese Han subjects were recruited. Four tag SNPs (rs2425955G > T, rs6066394T > C, rs10485463C > G, and rs6094753G > A) in NCOA3, selected from the HapMap website, were genotyped using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 16.0, SNPStats and haploview 4.2. RESULTS: Four SNPs (rs2425955, rs6066394, rs10485463, and rs6094753) were associated with triglyceride levels. Except for SNP rs10485463, genotype distributions and allele frequencies of the other three NCOA3 SNPs (rs2425955, rs6066394, and rs6094753) were significantly different between hypertriglyceridemia subjects and normal group. Significant differences were also observed in allele frequencies and genotype distributions of SNP rs10485463 between low-HDL cholesterolemia subjects and normal group. Carriers of rs2425955 T allele had a lower risk of hypertriglyceridemia compared to GG genotype. Similar results were observed from rs6094753. Subjects with rs6066394 CT genotype had a lower risk of hypertriglyceridemia than those with the TT genotype; however, CC and TT genotypes showed no significant difference in the risk of hypertriglyceridemia. Similar results were found in the association between rs6066394 and hypercholesterolemia. The variant alleles of rs2425955, rs6066394 and rs6094753 were associated with a lower risk of hypertriglyceridemia compared with the wild-type alleles. The G allele of rs10485463 was associated with an increased risk of low-HDL cholesterolemia. In the log-additive model the association between rs2425955 and hypertriglyceridemia remained significant after Bonferroni correction, and genotypes with variant alleles were associated with a lower risk of hypertriglyceridemia. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this study demonstrated that variation in NCOA3 might influence the risk of dyslipidemia and serum lipid levels in Chinese Han population.

Association of NCOA2 gene polymorphisms with obesity and dyslipidemia in the Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear receptor coactivator 2 (NCOA2) gene plays an important role in adipogenesis and lipid metabolism. NCOA2 gene null mice exhibited less fat accumulation and lower serum lipid levels, and were protected against obesity. Few studies are known to have analyzed the association of NCOA2 gene single nucleotide polymorphisms with obesity and serum lipid profile. Our study aimed to evaluate the association of NCOA2 gene polymorphisms with the risk of obesity and dyslipidemia in the Chinese Han population. METHODS: Two NCOA2 gene polymorphisms (rs41391448 and rs10504473) were selected and genotyped in a Chinese Han cohort with 529 participants. The effect of different genotypes on BMI and serum lipid levels (TG, TC, LDL-C and HDL-C) was performed by the analysis of covariance. Association of NCOA2 polymorphisms with obesity and dyslipidemia was assessed by odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) under the unconditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Significant association was observed between rs10504473 polymorphism and obesity under the recessive model (OR = 1.88, 95% CI 1.02-3.45, P = 0.047; adjusted OR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.02-3.44, P = 0.048). However, no association remained significant after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests a possible association between NCOA2 rs10504473 polymorphism and obesity, and this SNP may influence the susceptibility of obesity in the Chinese Han population.

Effects of tamoxifen on autosomal genes regulating ovary maintenance in adult mice.

Environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), known to bind to estrogen/androgen receptors and mimic native estrogens, have been implicated as a main source for increasing human reproductive and developmental deficiencies and diseases. Tamoxifen (TAM) is one of the most well-known antiestrogens with defined adverse effects on the female reproductive tract, but the mechanisms related to autosomal gene regulation governing ovary maintenance in mammals remain unclear. The expression pattern and levels of key genes and proteins involved in maintaining the ovarian phenotype in mice were analyzed. The results showed that TAM induced significant upregulation of Sox9, which is the testis-determining factor gene. The results showed that TAM induced significant upregulation of Sox9, the testis-determining factor gene, and the expression level of Sox9 mRNA in the ovaries of mice exposed to 75 or 225 mg/kg bw TAM was 2- and 10-fold that in the control group, respectively (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the testicular fibroblast growth factor gene, Fgf9, was also elevated in TAM-treated ovaries. Accordingly, expression of the ovary development marker, forkhead transcription factor (FOXL2), and WNT4/FST signaling, were depressed. The levels of protein expression changed consistently with the target genes. Moreover, the detection of platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) in TAM-treated ovaries suggested the formation of vascular endothelial cells, which is a further evidence for the differentiation of the ovaries to a testis-like phenotype. During this period, the level of 17ß-estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone decreased, while that of testosterone increased by 3.3-fold (p = 0.013). The activation of a testis-specific molecular signaling cascade was a potentially important mechanism contributing to the gender disorder induced by TAM, which resulted in the differentiation of the ovaries to a testis-like phenotype in adult mice. Limited with a relatively higher exposure, the present study provided preliminary molecular insights into the sexual disorder induced by antiestrogens and compounds that interrupted estrogen signaling by other modes of action.