Central anterior chamber depth correlated with white-to-white distance in normal, long, and short eyes.

PURPOSE: To explore the associations between central anterior chamber depth (CACD) and other anterior segment biometric parameters and to determine the possible determinants of CACD in short, normal, and long eyes. METHODS: The biometric data of pre-operation patients aged 50-80 years with coexisting cataract and primary angle-closure disease or senile cataract were reviewed. Axial length (AL), CACD, lens thickness (LT), central corneal thickness (CCT), and white-to-white distance (WTW) were measured by Lenstar optical biometry (Lenstar 900). The data of 100 normal eyes (AL = 22 to 26 mm), 100 short eyes (AL ≤ 22 mm), and 100 long eyes (AL ≥ 26 mm) were consecutively collected for subsequent analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of the subjects was 66.60 ± 7.85 years, with 25.7% of the sample being men. Both CACD and WTW were found to be smallest in short eyes and were smaller in normal eyes than in long eyes (F = 126.524, P < 0.001; F = 28.458, P < 0.001). The mean LT was significantly thicker in short eyes than in normal and long eyes (4.66 mm versus 4.49 mm versus 4.40 mm; F = 18.099, P < 0.001). No significant differences were observed in CCT between the three AL groups (F = 2.135, P = 0.120). Stepwise regression analysis highlighted AL, LT, and WTW as three independent factors associated with CACD in the normal AL group. In the short AL group and long AL group, LT and WTW were independent factors associated with CACD. CONCLUSIONS: CACD increases as AL elongates and reaches a peak when AL exceeds 26 mm. Furthermore, CACD showed inverse correlation with LT and positive correlation with WTW. A relatively small WTW results in an anteriorly positioned lens, and thus, a decrease in CACD.

Cross-sectional study of characteristics of body composition of 24,845 children and adolescents aged 3-17 years in Suzhou.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to analyze the characteristics of the body composition of children and adolescents aged 3-17 in Suzhou, China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study between January 2020 and June 2022 using bioelectrical impedance was conducted to determine the fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass, and protein and mineral contents of 24,845 children aged 3-17 who attended the Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, China. Measurement data was presented in tables as mean ± SD, and groups were compared using the independent samples t-test. RESULTS: FM and fat-free mass increased with age in both boys and girls. The fat-free mass of girls aged 14-15 decreased after reaching a peak, and that of boys in the same age group was higher than that of the girls (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in FM between boys and girls younger than 9- and 10-years old. The percentage body fat (PBF) and FM index of girls increased rapidly between 11 and 15 years of age (p < 0.05), and those of boys aged 11-14 were significantly lower (p < 0.05), suggesting that the increase in body mass index (BMI) was mainly contributed by muscle mass (MM) in boys. CONCLUSIONS: The body composition of children and adolescents varies according to their age and sex. A misdiagnosis of obesity made on the basis of BMI alone can be avoided if BMI is used in combination with FM index, percentage body fat, and other indexes.

Body composition in preschool children with short stature: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Short stature is defined as height below 2 standard deviations of the population with the same age, gender. This study is aimed to assess the characteristics of body composition in preschool children with short stature. METHODS: Anthropometric measurements and body composition were assessed in 68 preschool children aged 3 to 6 years old with short stature and 68 normal controls matched on age and gender. Height, weight and body composition (total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents) in the two groups were measured and compared. RESULTS: The total body water, protein, minerals, body fat mass, fat-free mass, soft lean mass, skeletal muscle mass, and bone mineral contents were lower in preschool children with short stature than controls (P < 0.05). Body mass index and fat mass index did not differ between groups. Fat-free mass index was significantly lower in short stature group than controls (t = 2.17, P = 0.03). Linear regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between height and fat-free mass index [ß, 1.99 (0.59, 3.39), P = 0.01], a negative correlation between height and body fat percentage [ß, - 0.20 (- 0.38, - 0.01), P = 0.04]. The proportions of fat-free mass in the upper limbs were significantly lower (Right,t = - 2.78,Left t = - 2.76, P < 0.05, respectively) in short stature, although body fat distribution was not. CONCLUSIONS: The fat-free mass such as protein and bone minerals is lower in preschool children with short stature, suggesting the monitoring of fat-free mass for early identification and intervention.

ß-Elemene Triggers ROS-dependent Apoptosis in Glioblastoma Cells Through Suppressing STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive primary brain tumors with few treatment strategies. ß-Elemene is a sesquiterpene known to have broad spectrum antitumor activity against various cancers. However, the signaling pathways involved in ß-elemene induced apoptosis of glioblastoma cells remains poorly understood. In this study, we reported that ß-elemene exhibited antiproliferative activity on U87 and SHG-44 cells, and induced cell death through induction of apoptosis. Incubation of these cells with ß-elemene led to the activation of caspase-3 and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Western blot assay showed that ß-elemene suppressed phosphorylation of STAT3, and subsequently down-regulated the activation of p-JAK2 and p-Src. Moreover, pre-incubation of cells with ROS inhibitor N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) significantly reversed ß-elemene-mediated apoptosis effect and down-regulation of JAK2/Src-STAT3 signaling pathway. Overall, our findings implied that generation of ROS and suppression of STAT3 signaling pathway is critical for the apoptotic activity of ß-elemene in glioblastoma cells.

Allicin alleviates lead-induced hematopoietic stem cell aging by up-regulating PKM2.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) aging is associated with hematopoietic dysfunction and diseases. Our previous study showed that lead exposure induced a functional decline in HSCs. Allicin, a chemical extracted from the garlic (Allium sativum L.), has been reported to have antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. However, the biological activities of allicin on lead-induced toxicity, especially in the hematopoietic system, remain unclear. Here, we found that lead exposure elicited aging phenotypes in HSCs, including perturbed cell quiescence, disabled self-renewal function and colony-forming ability, and myeloid-biased differentiation, all of which contributed to significant hematopoietic disorders in mice. Intragastric administration of allicin substantially ameliorated lead-induced HSCs aging phenotypes in vivo Lead exposure induced a peroxide condition in HSCs leading to DNA damage, which reduced expression of the glycolytic enzyme pyruvate kinase M2 isoform (PKM2), a phenotype which was significantly ameliorated by allicin treatment. These findings suggested that allicin alleviated lead-induced HSCs aging by up-regulating PKM2 expression; thus, it could be a natural herb for preventing lead toxicity.