Identification of miRNA-mRNA Pairs in the Alzheimer's Disease Expression Profile and Explore the Effect of miR-26a-5p/PTGS2 on Amyloid-ß Induced Neurotoxicity in Alzheimer's Disease Cell Model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common type of dementia. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been extensively studied in many diseases, including AD. To identify the AD-specific differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs, we used bioinformatics analysis to study candidate miRNA-mRNA pairs involved in the pathogenesis of AD. These miRNA-mRNAs may serve as promising biomarkers for early diagnosis or targeted therapy of AD patients. In this study, based on the AD mRNA and miRNA expression profile data in Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), through differential expression analysis, functional annotation and enrichment analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, miRNA-mRNA regulatory network, protein-protein interaction network, receiver operator characteristic and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and other analysis, we screened the key miRNA-mRNA in the progress of AD: miR-26a-5p/PTGS2. Dual-luciferase and qPCR experiments confirmed that PTGS2 is a direct target gene of miR-26a-5p. The expression of miR-26a-5p in the peripheral blood of AD patients and AD model cells (SH-SY5Y cells treated with Aß25-35) was up-regulated, and the expression of PTGS2 was down-regulated. Functional gain -loss experiments confirmed that PTGS2 protects AD model cells from damage by inhibiting proliferation and migration. However, the expression of miR-26a-5p promotes the proliferation of AD model cells. It is further found that PTGS2 is involved in the regulation of miR-26a-5p and can reverse the effect of miR-26a-5p on the proliferation of AD model cells. In addition, through network pharmacology, qPCR and CCK-8, we found that baicalein may affect the progression of AD by regulating the expression of PTGS2. Therefore, PTGS2 can be used as a target for AD research, and miR-26a-5p/PTGS2 can be used as an axis of action to study the pathogenesis of AD.

Characteristics of white coat hypertension in Chinese Han patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: This study documented the prevalence and clinical features of white coat hypertension (WCH) among Chinese Han patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Clinic and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements were compared in 856 patients with T2DM to determine the frequency of WCH (WCH was defined as clinical blood pressure ≥140/90 mmHg and daytime blood pressure <135/85 mmHg and/or 24-h ambulatory BP (ABP) mean value of <130/80 mmHg on ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Weight, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR), fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin level and circadian BP patterns were also measured to find clinical features predictive of WCH in T2DM. RESULTS: The prevalence of WCH was 7.36% (63/856) in the overall population, 6.13% (29/473) in male and 8.88% (34/383) in female (p < 0.05). WCH accounted for 14.03% (63/449) of diagnosed hypertension. Age, course of T2DM, male WC were independent protective factors, whereas female sex, smoking and alcohol consumption were independent risk factors for WCH in T2DM. Non-dippers and reverse dippers made up larger proportion of the WCH group (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: WCH is relatively common among T2DM patients, it is a unique condition distinct from essential hypertension (EH), and WCH patients also exhibit significant differences in clinical parameters.

Prevalence and distinguishing features of masked hypertension in type 2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence and clinical features of masked hypertension (MH) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients (T(2)DM) were investigated to define clinical indices which may aid diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Clinical blood pressure (CBP) and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) were measured in 856 T(2)DM patients to differentiate normotensive (NT), essential hypertensive (EH), and MH. Waist circumference (WC), abdominal circumference (AC), body mass index (BMI), waist to height ratio (WHtR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and glycated hemoglobin levels were measured and compared between BP groups. RESULTS: In total, 359 patients had normal CBP, of which 13.37% were diagnosed with MH based on established criteria. Males had significantly higher rates of MH (15.30%) than females (11.36%) (P=0.036). The MH detection rate increased with age and T(2)DM duration. There were no significant differences in BMI, WC or WHtR between total MH and EH groups. MH females, however, had lower BMIs than female EH females (P=0.023). Smoking, alcohol, and familial EH history were lower in MH than EH patients (smoking, P=0.029; alcohol ,P=0.001; and EH history, P=0.000), while BMI (male, P=0.037, female, P=0.015), WC (male, P=0.012, female, P=0.021), WHtR (P=0.011), smoking (P=0.016), and alcohol consumption (P=0.000) were higher in MH than NT patients. BMI, WHtR, 6-15 year disease course of diabetes, smoking and alcoholism were independent risk factors of T(2)DM complicated with MH. The dipper BP circadian pattern was significantly lower in MH than NT patients (P=0.001). The non-dipper pattern was lower in MH than EH (P=0.018) but higher than in NT (P=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: A significant fraction of T(2)DM patients were diagnosed with MH. Clinical presentation also contrasted sharply from EH, MH is a specific blood pressure status that may severely damage target organs in T(2)DM.

[Rare variation of abdominal aorta breaking in two].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss a rare variation of abdominal aorta breaking in two. METHODS: An in-patients, female, aged 76, admitted for asthenia of right extremities, underwent gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of cerebral and abdominal vessels and abdominal MRI in whom the conventional angiography had failed to reveal this vascular abnormality. RESULTS: MRA showed a clearly separated abdominal aorta. The upper part of the abdominal aorta terminated under the two renal artery branches and the lower part terminated at the level of L(3 - 4). The compensated enlarged superior and inferior mesenteric artery connected these two isolated parts of abdominal aorta. CONCLUSION: This rare variation of abdominal aorta without any symptom is probably caused by some external force during the embryonic period.