Clinical characteristics and treatment compounds of obesity-related kidney injury.

Disorders in energy homeostasis can lead to various metabolic diseases, particularly obesity. The obesity epidemic has led to an increased incidence of obesity-related nephropathy (ORN), a distinct entity characterized by proteinuria, glomerulomegaly, progressive glomerulosclerosis, and renal function decline. Obesity and its associated renal damage are common in clinical practice, and their incidence is increasing and attracting great attention.

Clinical and electrocardiographic features in acute total left main coronary artery occlusion without collateral circulation.

Backgrounds: Study concerning the clinical features, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings and outcomes in patients presenting with acute total occlusion of left main coronary artery (LM) without collateral circulation is limited.

Methods: 25 patients with acute total LM occlusion without collateral circulation by emergency coronary angiography, from muti-center registry, were retrospectively studied. The clinical and angiographic characteristics, ECG and in-hospital mortality were reviewed.

ACE2 pathway regulates thermogenesis and energy metabolism.

Identification of key regulators of energy homeostasis holds important therapeutic promise for metabolic disorders, such as obesity and diabetes. ACE2 cleaves angiotensin II (Ang II) to generate Ang-(1-7) which acts mainly through the Mas1 receptor. Here, we identify ACE2 pathway as a critical regulator in the maintenance of thermogenesis and energy expenditure.

Activation of brown adipocytes by placental growth factor.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a type of diabetes and occurs during pregnancy. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) improves glucose homeostasis and mitigates insulin resistance, however, its activity is reduced in GDM. Placenta growth factor (PlGF) is an angiogenic factor produced by placental trophoblasts.

Brown adipogenic potential of brown adipocytes and peri-renal adipocytes from human embryo.

Both brown adipocytes (BAC) and beige cells hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of metabolic disorders. Unfortunately, the amount and activity of these cells are limited in adults. Although BAC marker expression has been shown in peri-renal adipose tissues in children and adults, functional assessment is lacking.

Expression and clinical significance of Nectin-4 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: Nectin-4 is a member of the Nectin family of four Ca(+)-independent immunoglobulin-like cell adhesion molecules and implicated in cell adhesion, movement, proliferation, differentiation, polarization, and survival. The aberrant expression of Nectin-4 has been found in a variety of tumors; however, its expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still poorly understood. This study was to investigate the expression of Nectin-4 and its clinical significance in the patients with HCC.

STAT3 activation mediates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Background/aims: Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for the development of the invasion and metastasis in human cancers. Recently, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation has been linked to EMT program in breast cancer. However, the actual association of STAT3 activation with EMT, and its mediated tumor invasion and metastasis remains elusive in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Anatomical right hemicolectomy: a novel surgical method and its clinical application.

Background/aims: Presently, the notion of traditional right hemicolectomy has not met the rapidly developed requirements for precise gastrointestinal surgical procedures. In this study, we introduced a novel surgical method, namely "anatomical right hemicolectomy," and evaluated the safety and short-term effects of this method for the treatment of right hemicolon carcinoma.

Methodology: The clinical data of 10 cases with progressive right hemicolon carcinoma underwent anatomical right hemicolectomy from January 2013 to February 2014 were collected and analyzed retrospectively.