Body mass index, waist circumference, and mortality in subjects older than 80 years: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Emerging evidence has raised an obesity paradox in observational studies of body mass index (BMI) and health among the oldest-old (aged ≥80 years), as an inverse relationship of BMI with mortality was reported. This study was to investigate the causal associations of BMI, waist circumference (WC), or both with mortality in the oldest-old people in China. METHODS: A total of 5306 community-based oldest-old (mean age 90.6 years) were enrolled in the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) between 1998 and 2018. Genetic risk scores were constructed from 58 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with BMI and 49 SNPs associated with WC to subsequently derive causal estimates for Mendelian randomization (MR) models. One-sample linear MR along with non-linear MR analyses were performed to explore the associations of genetically predicted BMI, WC, and their joint effect with all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and non-CVD mortality. RESULTS: During 24 337 person-years of follow-up, 3766 deaths were documented. In observational analyses, higher BMI and WC were both associated with decreased mortality risk [hazard ratio (HR) 0.963, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.955-0.971 for a 1-kg/m2 increment of BMI and HR 0.971 (95% CI 0.950-0.993) for each 5 cm increase of WC]. Linear MR models indicated that each 1 kg/m2 increase in genetically predicted BMI was monotonically associated with a 4.5% decrease in all-cause mortality risk [HR 0.955 (95% CI 0.928-0.983)]. Non-linear curves showed the lowest mortality risk at the BMI of around 28.0 kg/m2, suggesting that optimal BMI for the oldest-old may be around overweight or mild obesity. Positive monotonic causal associations were observed between WC and all-cause mortality [HR 1.108 (95% CI 1.036-1.185) per 5 cm increase], CVD mortality [HR 1.193 (95% CI 1.064-1.337)], and non-CVD mortality [HR 1.110 (95% CI 1.016-1.212)]. The joint effect analyses indicated that the lowest risk was observed among those with higher BMI and lower WC. CONCLUSIONS: Among the oldest-old, opposite causal associations of BMI and WC with mortality were observed, and a body figure with higher BMI and lower WC could substantially decrease the mortality risk. Guidelines for the weight management should be cautiously designed and implemented among the oldest-old people, considering distinct roles of BMI and WC.

Prospective applications of extracellular vesicle-based therapies in regenerative medicine: implications for the use of dental stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles.

In the 21st century, research on extracellular vesicles (EVs) has made remarkable advancements. Recently, researchers have uncovered the exceptional biological features of EVs, highlighting their prospective use as therapeutic targets, biomarkers, innovative drug delivery systems, and standalone therapeutic agents. Currently, mesenchymal stem cells stand out as the most potent source of EVs for clinical applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Owing to their accessibility and capability of undergoing numerous differentiation inductions, dental stem cell-derived EVs (DSC-EVs) offer distinct advantages in the field of tissue regeneration. Nonetheless, it is essential to note that unmodified EVs are currently unsuitable for use in the majority of clinical therapeutic scenarios. Considering the high feasibility of engineering EVs, it is imperative to modify these EVs to facilitate the swift translation of theoretical knowledge into clinical practice. The review succinctly presents the known biotherapeutic effects of odontogenic EVs and the underlying mechanisms. Subsequently, the current state of functional cargo loading for engineered EVs is critically discussed. For enhancing EV targeting and in vivo circulation time, the review highlights cutting-edge engineering solutions that may help overcome key obstacles in the clinical application of EV therapeutics. By presenting innovative concepts and strategies, this review aims to pave the way for the adaptation of DSC-EVs in regenerative medicine within clinical settings.

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and All-Cause Mortality Among Older Adults - China, 1998-2018.

What is already known about this topic?: Previous research indicates that non-occupational physical activity can reduce mortality risk. Nevertheless, the relationship between occupational physical activity and health improvements has not been consistently established. What is added by this report?: The study found that regular exercise and leisure activities reduced the risk of all-cause mortality. However, the combination of exercise and leisure activities demonstrated more substantial benefits. Additionally, no meaningful association was identified between physical work and mortality risk within the older population. What are the implications for public health practice?: It may be beneficial to encourage older adults to engage in regular exercise and to partake actively in leisure activities. Combining these two elements might yield greater benefits than regular exercise alone.

Healthy lifestyle in late-life, longevity genes, and life expectancy among older adults: a 20-year, population-based, prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle and longevity genes have different and important roles in the human lifespan; however, the association between a healthy lifestyle in late-life and life expectancy mediated by genetic risk is yet to be elucidated. We aimed to investigate the associations of healthy lifestyle in late-life and genetic risk with life expectancy among older adults. METHODS: A weighted healthy lifestyle score was constructed from the following variables: current non-smoking, non-harmful alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet. Participants were recruited from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey, a prospective community-based cohort study that took place between 1998 and 2018. Eligible participants were aged 65 years and older with available information on lifestyle factors at baseline, and then were categorised into unhealthy (bottom tertile of the weighted healthy lifestyle score), intermediate (middle tertile), and healthy (top tertile) lifestyle groups. A genetic risk score was constructed based on 11 lifespan loci among 9633 participants, divided by the median and classified into low and high genetic risk groups. Stratified Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the interaction between genetic and lifestyle factors on all-cause mortality risk. FINDINGS: Between Jan 13, 1998, and Dec 31, 2018, 36 164 adults aged 65 years and older were recruited, among whom a total of 27 462 deaths were documented during a median follow-up of 3·12 years (IQR 1·62-5·94) and included in the lifestyle association analysis. Compared with the unhealthy lifestyle category, participants in the healthy lifestyle group had a lower all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] 0·56 [95% CI 0·54-0·57]; p<0·0001). The highest mortality risk was observed in individuals in the high genetic risk and unhealthy lifestyle group (HR 1·80 [95% CI 1·63-1·98]; p<0·0001). The absolute risk reduction was greater for participants in the high genetic risk group. A healthy lifestyle was associated with a gain of 3·84 years (95% CI 3·05-4·64) at the age of 65 years in the low genetic risk group, and 4·35 years (3·70-5·06) in the high genetic risk group. INTERPRETATION: A healthy lifestyle, even in late-life, was associated with lower mortality risk and longer life expectancy among Chinese older adults, highlighting the importance of a healthy lifestyle in extending the lifespan, especially for individuals with high genetic risk. FUNDING: National Natural Science Foundation of China. TRANSLATION: For the Mandarin translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Osteogenic peptides in periodontal ligament stem cell-containing three-dimensional bioscaffolds promote bone healing.

Bone tissue engineering shows great potential in bone regeneration; however, the lack of bone growth factors with high biocompatibility and efficiency is a major concern. Oligopeptides have drawn great attention due to their high biological efficacy, low toxicity, and low molecular weight. The oligopeptide SDSSD promotes the osteogenesis of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs) in vitro. The SDSSD-modified three-dimensional (3D) bioscaffolds promote osteogenesis and bone formation in the subcutaneous pockets of BALB/c nude mice and facilitate bone healing in vivo. Mechanistically, SDSSD promoted bone formation by binding to G protein-coupled receptors and regulating the AKT signaling pathway. 3D-printing bioscaffolds with SDSSD may be potential bone tissue engineering materials for treating bone defects.

Mutation of a novel virulence-related gene mltD in Vibrio anguillarum enhances lethality in zebra fish.

Vibrio anguillarum, a halophilic Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of vibriosis, which is a major problem for the aquaculture industry worldwide. Previously, a virulence-related gene fragment of V. anguillarum was obtained from a suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) library. In this study, the complete gene sequence was obtained by long and accurate PCR (LA-PCR). After sequence analysis and homologous comparison, this new virulence-related gene was revealed to encode a putative membrane-bound lytic murein transglycosylase D (MltD), which consisted of 547 amino acids, and showed 34% identity to the MltD in Escherichia coli. An mltD mutant of pathogenic V. anguillarum CW-1 was constructed by homologous recombination. Production of extracellular gelatinase and protease of the mltD mutant decreased markedly compared with those of the wild-type strain, and the hemolytic activity was totally lost. Sodium chloride challenge and antibiotic sensitivity assay showed that the resistance of the mltD mutant to high concentrations of sodium chloride, and rocephin, fortun, cefobid, gentamicin, kanamycin and carbenicillin was enhanced. Most importantly, virulence of the mltD mutant was enhanced compared with that of the wild type when it was inoculated intraperitoneally into zebra fish; the LD50 of the wild type and the mutant was 3.92 × 10³ CFU and 1.01 × 10² CFU fish⁻¹, respectively. The mltD was cloned and overexpressed in E. coli, and the recombinant MltD protein showed hemolytic, phospholipase, gelatinase and diastase activities. This is the first report that MltD possibly has a virulence-related function.

Genetic diversity between two Vibrio anguillarum strains exhibiting different virulence by suppression subtractive hybridization.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Vibrio anguillarum, a halophilic Gram-negative bacterium, is the causative agent of vibriosis in fish. V. anguillarum strain VIB72 was defined as having high virulence whereas strain CW1 was defined as having low virulence on the basis of their different LD50 values to zebra fish. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was used to identify genetic differences between these two strains. RESULTS: After screening, 59 subtracted library clones were isolated which were specific for strain VIB72, and the DNA sequences of these clones were determined. Seventeen fragments showed high homology to the genes of known functions in other bacteria. This includes soluble lytic murein transglycosylase, mobilization protein (MobA, MobC), transposase (IS66), resistance-related protein (metallo-beta-lactamase and acetyltransferase family), toxin protein (DT-201 and alveicin A immunity protein), ATP-dependent endonuclease of OLD family like protein, SocE and GTP-binding protein HflX (high frequency of lysogenization). These fragments may represent parts of putative pathogenicity islands (PAIs) in V. anguillarum. The remaining fragments showed no significant homology to any known genes. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that SSH was successful in identifying genetic differences and putative virulence genes among different strains of V. anguillarum.