Circulating netrin-1 levels are reduced and related to corneal nerve fiber loss in patients with diabetic neuropathy.

Aims/introduction: Deficiency of neurotropic factors is implicated in diabetic neuropathy (DN). Netrin-1 is a neurotropic factor, but its association with DN has not been explored. We have assessed the association between serum netrin-1 levels and early diabetic neuropathy assessed by quantifying corneal nerve fiber loss using corneal confocal microscopy.

Serum Chemerin Levels Correlate With Severity of Dysglycemia in Young Adult Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Context: A subset of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) individuals also have type 2 diabetes (T2D); an unmet need to identify this subgroup exists.

Objective: We looked at the potential role of serum chemerin, a proinflammatory adipokine, in identifying dysglycemic PCOS.

Methods: A total of 93 PCOS and 33 healthy controls were classified, based on fasting and 2-hour plasma glucose levels (2hPGPG) and glycated hemoglobin A (HbA) (%) into normoglycemic (n = 34), dysglycemic (n = 33), and T2D (n = 26).

Lipid-induced alteration in retinoic acid signaling leads to mitochondrial dysfunction in HepG2 and Huh7 cells.

A surfeit of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation serve as obligatory mediators of lipid-associated hepatocellular maladies. While retinoid homeostasis is essential in restoring systemic energy balance, its role in hepatic mitochondrial function remains elusive. The role of lecithin-retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) in maintenance of retinoid homeostasis is appreciated earlier; however, its role in modulating retinoic acid (RA) bioavailability upon lipid-imposition is unexplored.

Trimester-Specific Reference Intervals for Thyroid Function Parameters in Indian Pregnant Women during Final Phase of Transition to Iodine Sufficiency.

Background: Interpretation of thyroid function tests during pregnancy depends on gestational age, method, and population-specific reference intervals. Therefore, there is a worldwide trend to establish trimester-specific levels for different populations. The aim of this study was to establish a trimester-specific reference range for thyroid function parameters during pregnancy in Indian women.

DBC1, p300, HDAC3, and Siah1 coordinately regulate ELL stability and function for expression of its target genes.

Among all of the Super Elongation Complex (SEC) components, ELL1 (also known as ELL) is the only bona fide elongation factor that directly stimulates transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II. However, the mechanism(s) of functional regulation of ELL1 (referred to as ELL hereafter), through its stabilization, is completely unknown. Here, we report a function of human DBC1 in regulating ELL stability involving HDAC3, p300, and Siah1.

Thyroid Status in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India.

Objective: Type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction (TD) are two major public health endocrine problem, but the prevalence of TD and iodine status in patients with T2 DM in India is less studied. The study objective was to explore the prevalence of TD and to evaluate iodine health in type 2 diabetes patients attending a tertiary care center in Eastern India.

Methods: Consecutive 100 patients with diabetes attending outpatient department were evaluated clinically and biochemically (thyrotropin [TSH], free thyroxine, anti-TPO antibody, and urinary iodine).

Inflammation, oxidative stress, and higher expression levels of Nrf2 and NQO1 proteins in the airways of women chronically exposed to biomass fuel smoke.

The study was carried out to examine whether chronic exposure to smoke during daily household cooking with biomass fuel (BMF) elicits changes in airway cytology and expressions of Nrf2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2 [NF-E2]-related factor 2 [Nrf2]), Keap1 (Kelch-like erythroid-cell-derived protein with CNC homology [ECH]-associated protein 1), and NQO1 (NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1) proteins in the airways. For this, 282 BMF-using women (median age 34 year) and 236 age-matched women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were enrolled. Particulate matter with diameters of < 10 µm (PM) and < 2.

Thioredoxin interacting protein mediates lipid-induced impairment of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle.

Insulin resistance (IR) is an important determinant of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Free fatty acids (FFAs) induce IR by various mechanisms. A surfeit of circulating FFA leads to intra-myocellular lipid accumulation that induces mitochondrial ROS generation and worsens IR.

Changes in RANKL and osteoprotegerin expression after chronic exposure to indoor air pollution as a result of cooking with biomass fuel.

The impact of indoor air pollution as a result of cooking with unprocessed biomass on membrane-bound and serum receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa ligand 1 (RANKL), its soluble decoy receptor osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteoclast precursor CD14(+) CD16(+) monocytes was investigated. Seventy-four pre-menopausal women from eastern India using biomass and 65 control women who cooked with cleaner liquefied petroleum gas were enrolled. PM10 and PM2.

Platelet hyperactivity, neurobehavioral symptoms and depression among Indian women chronically exposed to low level of arsenic.

The prevalence of neurobehavioral symptoms (NBS) and depression has been investigated in premenopausal rural women of West Bengal, India enrolled from arsenic (As) endemic (groundwater As 11-50 μg/L; n = 342) and control areas (As level ≤ 10 μg/L; n = 312). The subjective symptoms questionnaire and Beck's 21-point depression inventory-II were used for the detection of NBS and depression, respectively. Platelet P-selectin expression was measured by flow cytometry, plasma neurotransmitter activity with high performance liquid chromatography and groundwater As level by atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Phytoremediation of parboiled rice mill wastewater using water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes).

Phytoremediation is an emerging technology applied for treatment of wastewater. It is a suitable option notably in developing countries as it is simple, sustainable and cost effective. In the present lab-based batch study the free floating aquatic plant water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) is used for treatment of parboiled rice mill wastewater having low pH, high chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrogen, and phosphate.

Increased oxidative DNA damage and decreased expression of base excision repair proteins in airway epithelial cells of women who cook with biomass fuels.

To investigate whether biomass burning causes oxidative DNA damage and alters the expression of DNA base excision repair (BER) proteins in airway cells, sputum samples were collected from 80 premenopausal rural biomass-users and 70 age-matched control women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas. Compared with control the airway cells of biomass-users showed increased DNA damage in alkaline comet assay. Biomass-users showed higher percentage of cells expressing oxidative DNA damage marker 8-oxoguanine and lower percentages of BER proteins OGG1 and APE1 by immunocytochemical staining.

Chronic low-level arsenic exposure reduces lung function in male population without skin lesions.

Objectives: The respiratory effects of chronic low-level arsenic exposure from groundwater have been investigated in West Bengal, India.

Methods: The participants (834 non-smoking adult males) were subdivided in two groups: an arsenic-exposed group (n = 446, mean age 35.3 years) drinking arsenic-contaminated groundwater (11-50 μg/L) and a control group of 388 age-matched men drinking water containing <10 μg/L of arsenic.

Reduction of DNA mismatch repair protein expression in airway epithelial cells of premenopausal women chronically exposed to biomass smoke.

Biomass burning is a major source of indoor air pollution in rural India. This study examined whether chronic inhalation of biomass smoke causes change in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) pathway in the airway cells. For this, airway cells exfoliated in sputum were collected from 72 premenopausal nonsmoking rural women (median age 34 years) who cooked with biomass (wood, dung, crop residues) and 68 control women who cooked with cleaner fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for the past 5 years or more.

Cooking with biomass increases the risk of depression in pre-menopausal women in India.

Cooking with biomass fuel, a common practice in rural India, is associated with a high level of indoor air pollution (IAP). The aim of this study was to investigate whether IAP from biomass burning increases the risk of depression. For this cross-sectional study, we enrolled a group of 952 women (median age 37 years) who cooked regularly with biomass and a control group of 804 age-matched women who cooked with cleaner fuel (liquefied petroleum gas).

Chronic inhalation of biomass smoke is associated with DNA damage in airway cells: involvement of particulate pollutants and benzene.

This study examined whether indoor air pollution from biomass fuel burning induces DNA damage in airway cells. For this, sputum cells were collected from 56 premenopausal rural women who cooked with biomass (wood, dung, crop residues) and 49 age-matched controls who cooked with cleaner liquefied petroleum gas. The levels of particulate matters with diameters of less than 10 and 2.

Upregulation of AgNOR expression in epithelial cells and neutrophils in the airways and leukocytes in peripheral blood of women chronically exposed to biomass smoke.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use on ribosome biogenesis in airway cells and peripheral blood leukocytes using the argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region (AgNOR) staining technique.

Study Design: Biomass users were represented by 78 never-smoking, premenopausal women from rural India and a control group of 73 age-matched women who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). For silver staining, exfoliated airway cells and circulating lymphocytes and neutrophils were obtained from expectorated sputum and venous blood smears, respectively.

Indoor air pollution from biomass burning activates Akt in airway cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes: a study among premenopausal women in rural India.

Biomass burning is a major source of indoor air pollution in rural India. The authors investigated in this study whether cumulative exposures to biomass smoke cause activation of the serine/threonine kinase Akt in airway cells and peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). For this, the authors enrolled 87 premenopausal (median age 34 years), nonsmoking women who used to cook with biomass (wood, dung, crop wastes) and 85 age-matched control women who cooked with cleaner fuel liquefied petroleum gas.

Micronucleus formation, DNA damage and repair in premenopausal women chronically exposed to high level of indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use in rural India.

Genotoxicity of indoor air pollution from biomass fuel use has been examined in 132 biomass users (median age 34 years) and 85 age-matched control women from eastern India who used the cleaner fuel liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to cook. Micronucleus (MN) frequency was evaluated in buccal (BEC) and airway epithelial cells (AEC); DNA damage was examined by comet assay in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL); and expressions of gamma-H2AX, Mre11 and Ku70 proteins were localized in AEC and PBL by immunocytochemistry. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in leukocytes was measured by flow cytometry, and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant status (TAS) in blood were measured by spectrophotometry.