The Whole-transcriptome Landscape of Diabetes-related Sarcopenia Reveals the Specific Function of Novel lncRNA Gm20743.

While the exact mechanism remains unclear, type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of sarcopenia which is characterized by decreased muscle mass, strength, and function. Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing and informatics were performed on the diabetes-induced sarcopenia model of db/db mice. To determine the specific function of lncRNA Gm20743, the detection of Mito-Sox, reactive oxygen species, Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine, and myosin heavy chain was performed in overexpressed and knockdown-Gm20743 C2C12 cells. RNA-seq data and informatics revealed the key lncRNA-mRNA interactions and indicated a potential regulatory role of lncRNAs. We characterized three core candidate lncRNAs Gm20743, Gm35438, 1700047G03Rik, and their potential function. Furthermore, the results suggested lncRNA Gm20743 may be involved in regulating mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, cell proliferation, and myotube differentiation in skeletal muscle cells. These findings significantly improve our understanding of lncRNAs that may mediate muscle mass, strength, and function in diabetes and represent potential therapeutic targets for diabetes-induced sarcopenia.

A Retrospective Study of Perioperative Nursing Care of Patients After Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion.

PURPOSE: To describe the retrospective audit examining nursing care of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation treated by percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (PLAAC). DESIGN: PLAAC is a new technique for patients with atrial fibrillation unsuited for long-term oral anticoagulation treatment. The nursing care for patients treated by PLAAC has not yet been standardized. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 259 patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation who underwent PLAAC in our department between August 2014 and June 2018. The data included preoperative evaluations, discussions, and preparations, including psychological care and atrial thrombosis screening; postoperative observations, including electrocardiograph monitoring; prevention and care of complications; administration of postoperative anticoagulation therapy; and postoperative education, including detailed discharge guidance and regular follow-up. FINDINGS: All patients were discharged after 5-10 days of hospitalization. In the perioperative period, 4 cases (1.5%) developed serious complications, including 3 cases (1.2%) of delayed cardiac tamponade, cured by pericardial drainage, and 1 case of a suspected air embolism, which spontaneously recovered. During a mean follow-up period of 25.9 ± 7.9 months, all patients had good adherence to medical instructions and there were no cases of occluder displacement or shedding, thromboembolism, or severe bleeding complications. CONCLUSIONS: The best therapeutic effect of PLAAC is strongly associated with the preoperative and postoperative training of nursing staff and the development of standard nursing procedures, including the establishment of observation and nursing manuals for complications. This study provides nursing practice information to aid in the standardization of nursing procedures for this new type of interventional therapy.

Modulation of Autophagy Through Regulation of 5'-AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Affects Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Function in Primary Human Trophoblasts.

The placenta is important for pregnancy maintenance, and autophagy is documented to be essential for placental development. Autophagy is responsible for degrading and recycling cellular misfolded proteins and damaged organelles. Mitophagy is a selective type of autophagy, where the autophagic machinery engulfs the damaged mitochondria for degradation, and there is reciprocal crosstalk between autophagy and mitochondria. Within these processes, 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role. However, the role of AMPK regulation in both autophagy and mitochondria in primary human trophoblasts is unknown. In this study, we address this question by investigating changes in mRNA expression and the abundance of autophagy- and mitochondria-related proteins in isolated human trophoblasts after treatment with AMPK agonists and antagonists. We found that compared to the control group, autophagy was slightly suppressed in the AMPK agonist group and significantly enhanced autophagy in the AMPK antagonist group. However, the expressions of genes related to autophagosome-lysosome fusion were reduced, while genes related to lysosomal function were unchanged in both groups. Furthermore, mitophagy and mitochondrial fusion/fission were both impaired in the AMPK agonist and antagonist groups. Although mitochondrial biogenesis was enhanced in both groups, the function of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation was increased in the AMPK agonist group but decreased in the AMPK antagonist group. Overall, our study demonstrates that AMPK regulation negatively modulates autophagy and consequently affects mitophagy, mitochondrial fusion/fission, and function in primary human trophoblasts.

Vaginal microbiome analysis of healthy women during different periods of gestation.

To assess the vaginal microbiome throughout full-term uncomplicated pregnancy, a longitudinal study was designed for 12 healthy women who had prepared to become pregnant and then delivered at term (38-42 weeks) without complications. The vaginal microbial community was studied at pre-pregnancy, 8-12, 24-28, 37-38 weeks of gestation, and puerperium, using hypervariable tag sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Sequencing produced approximately 10 million reads on the Illumina MiSeq. Members of the Firmicutes phyla were prevailing before and during pregnancy periods, and the proportion was quite as Proteobacteria until puerperium. Lactobacillus genus was abundant before and during pregnancy, but post-delivery vaginal microflora variety turned diverse. The species-level analysis revealed that a healthy vaginal microbiome before or during pregnancy was prominently dominated by Lactobacillus crispatus. Furthermore, PCoA analysis revealed for differences in the bacterial community composition between the two levels of Lactobacillus species in pre-pregnancy and pregnancy period (PC1 contribution of 58.46%, PC3 contribution of 8.64%). Based on the taxonomic and PCoA analysis, we found that L. crispatus was dominant in the vaginal microflora of healthy women before or during pregnancy, but at the puerperium, the status changed leading to decreased abundance of protective Lactobacillus species that made vaginal micro-ecological barrier vulnerable to diseases. Additionally, vaginal pH was an important environmental property affecting the vaginal microbial community.

Risperidone stimulates food intake and induces body weight gain via the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus 5-HT2c receptor-NPY pathway.

AIMS: Many patients taking risperidone for the treatment of psychiatric disorders experience substantial body weight gain. Researchers have speculated that risperidone induces obesity by modulating central signals; however, the precise central mechanisms involved remain to be fully elucidated. METHODS: Twenty-four C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups: a control group; a risperidone-treated group; a lorcaserin-treated group; and a combined risperidone + lorcaserin-treated group. The mice were received the corresponding treatments for 4 weeks, and their brains were collected for in situ hybridization analysis. A subset of C57BL/6J mice was administrated with risperidone or placebo, and brains were collected 60 minutes post-treatment for determination of c-fos activity. In addition, brains of NPY-GFP mice treated with or without risperidone were collected to perform colocalization of NPY and c-fos, as well as NPY and 5-HT2c receptor using immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: There was significantly elevated c-fos expression in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (Arc) of risperidone-treated mice. More than 68% c-fos-positive neurons were NPY-expressing neurons. Furthermore, in situ hybridization revealed that Arc NPY mRNA expression was significantly increased in the risperidone-treated group compared with control group. Moreover, we identified that 95% 5-HT2c receptors were colocalized with NPY positive neurons, and increased Arc NPY mRNA expression induced by risperidone was markedly reduced by cotreatment with lorcaserin, a specific 5-HT2c receptor agonist. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide critical insight into the mechanisms underlying antipsychotic-induced obesity, which may assist the development of therapeutic strategies to address metabolic side effects of risperidone.

Cold exposure promotes obesity and impairs glucose homeostasis in mice subjected to a high­fat diet.

Cold exposure is considered to be a form of stress and has various adverse effects on the body. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of chronic daily cold exposure on food intake, body weight, serum glucose levels and the central energy balance regulatory pathway in mice fed with a high­fat diet (HFD). C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups, which were fed with a standard chow or with a HFD. Half of the mice in each group were exposed to ice­cold water for 1 h/day for 7 weeks, while the controls were exposed to room temperature. Chronic daily cold exposure significantly increased energy intake, body weight and serum glucose levels in HFD­fed mice compared with the control group. In addition, 1 h after the final cold exposure, c­fos immunoreactivity was significantly increased in the central amygdala of HFD­fed mice compared with HFD­fed mice without cold exposure, indicating neuronal activation in this brain region. Notably, 61% of these c­fos neurons co­expressed the neuropeptide Y (NPY), and the orexigenic peptide levels were significantly increased in the central amygdala of cold­exposed mice compared with control mice. Notably, cold exposure significantly decreased the anorexigenic brain­derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) messenger RNA (mRNA) levels in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus and increased growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus. NPY­ergic neurons in the central amygdala were activated by chronic cold exposure in mice on HFD via neuronal pathways to decrease BDNF and increase GHRH mRNA expression, possibly contributing to the development of obesity and impairment of glucose homeostasis.

Update on glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases: the roles in the development of insulin resistance.

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo pathway of glycerolipid synthesis. It catalyzes the conversion of glycerol-3-phosphate and long-chain acyl-CoA to lysophosphatidic acid. In mammals, four isoforms of GPATs have been identified based on subcellular localization, substrate preferences, and NEM sensitivity, and they have been classified into two groups, one including GPAT1 and GPAT2, which are localized in the mitochondrial outer membrane, and the other including GPAT3 and GPAT4, which are localized in the endoplasmic reticulum membrane. GPATs play a pivotal role in the regulation of triglyceride and phospholipid synthesis. Through gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments, it has been confirmed that GPATs play a critical role in the development of obesity, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance. In line with this, the role of GPATs in metabolism was supported by studies using a GPAT inhibitor, FSG67. Additionally, the functional characteristics of GPATs and the relation between three isoforms (GPAT1, 3, and 4) and insulin resistance has been described in this review.

The central mechanism of risperidone-induced hyperprolactinemia.

Risperidone is known to increase prolactin secretion in treating mental illness patients. This side-effect is thought to be mediated via central signaling pathway. However, the exact pathway involved between risperidone and hyperprolactinemia are still unknown. Therefore, we have treated mice with risperidone and investigated the central mechanisms. The present study showed that in risperidone treated group, the level of the serum prolactin significantly increased, which was consistent with increased positive prolactin staining in pituitary gland. Elevated c-fos expression was observed in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus (Arc) where we found 65% c-fos positive neurons co-localised with neuropeptide Y (NPY) in mice treated with risperidone. In addition, the results from in situ hybridization showed that the NPY mRNA in the Arc was significantly increased, whereas the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA dramatically decreased compared with control group in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN). These findings revealed that risperidone may mediate the transcriptional regulation of Arc NPY and TH in the PVN. Furthermore, risperidone induced a decreased dopamine synthesis in the PVN and thus reduced the dopamine-induced inhibition of prolactin release, ultimately lead to hyperprolactinemia. Therefore, insights into these neuronal mechanisms open up potential new ways to treat schizophrenia patients in order to ameliorate hyperprolactinemia.

Reduced serum levels of oestradiol and brain derived neurotrophic factor in both diabetic women and HFD-feeding female mice.

The estrogen levels in the pre and post menstrual phases interact with brain-derived neurotrophic factor in a complex manner, which influences the overall state of the body. To study the role of oestradiol and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in modulating obesity related type 2 diabetes and the interactions between two factors, we enrolled 15 diabetic premenopausal women and 15 diabetic postmenopausal women respectively, the same number of healthy pre and postmenopausal women were recruited as two control groups. The fasting blood glucose, insulin, lipids, estrogen, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels were measured through clinical tests. Additionally, we set up obese female mouse model to mimic human trial stated above, to verify the relationship between estrogen and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Our findings revealed that there is a moderately positive correlation between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oestradiol in females, and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor may worsen impaired insulin function. The results further confirmed that high fat diet-fed mice which exhibited impaired glucose tolerance, showed lower levels of oestradiol and decreased expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA in the ventromedial hypothalamus. The level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor reduced on condition that the level of oestradiol is sufficiently low, such as women in postmenopausal period, which aggravates diabetes through feeding-related pathways. Increasing the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor may help to alleviate the progression of the disease in postmenopausal women with diabetes.