Impeding DNA Polymerase β Activity by Oleic Acid to Inhibit Base Excision Repair and Induce Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Hepatic Cells.

Free fatty acids (FFAs) hepatic accumulation and the resulting oxidative stress contribute to several chronic liver diseases including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. However, the underlying pathological mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we propose a novel mechanism whereby the toxicity of FFAs detrimentally affects DNA repair activity.

Genipin improves lipid metabolism and sperm parametersin obese mice via regulation of miR-132 expression.

Obesity has now surpassed malnutrition and infectious diseases as the most significant contributor to health problems worldwide. In particular, obesity is associated with several metabolic disorders, including hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and subfertility. Genipin (GNP), the aglycone of geniposide, is isolated from the extract of the traditional Chinese medicine Ellis and has been used in traditional oriental medicine against several inflammation-driven diseases.

Genipin improves reproductive health problems caused by circadian disruption in male mice.

Background: Circadian rhythm disruption impacts a wide range of physiological processes, including fertility. However, the effect of circadian disruption on male spermatogenesis and fertility, and treatments for these effects have been largely unexplored at the molecular level.

Methods: In this study, we examined the effects of genipin on improving the reproductive health problems caused by circadian disruption.

[Testosterone Undecanoate Pills improves insulin resistance in type-2 diabetes men with hypogonadism].

Objective: To evaluate the effects of Testosterone Undecanoate Pills (TUP) on insulin resistance (IR) in type-2 diabetes men with hypogonadism.

Methods: We randomly divided 82 type-2 diabetes patients with hypogonadism into a treatment (n = 42) and a control group (n = 40), both maintaining their glucose- and lipid-reducing therapies, while the former treated orally with TUP in addition. After 6 months of medication, we compared the body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), blood glucose level, HbA1c, lipid profile, IR index obtained by homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), sex hormone levels, and sexual function scores between the two groups of patients.

Development of phospholipid vesicle-based permeation assay models capable of evaluating percutaneous penetration enhancing effect.

Objectives: The phospholipid vesicle-based permeation assay (PVPA) model has recently been introduced as an in vitro model which can mimic stratum corneum (SC) barriers to estimate the skin permeability of drugs. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the PVPA model was suitable for the evaluation of penetration enhancing effect of skin penetration enhancers (PE).

Methods: The PVPA model was optimized by changing the lipid composition of both small liposomes (SL), and large liposomes (LL).

[Inhibitory effects of reduced glutathione sodium on renal nuclear factor-kappaB expression in rats with diabetes of different stages].

Objective: To investigate the relation between diabetic nephropathy and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) expression, and observe the effect of reduced glutathione sodium (GSH) on NF-kappaB activation and in prevention of diabetic nephropathy.

Methods: Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-/+25 g were randomized into control group (10 rats) and diabetic group (60 rats, subgrouped into 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and their corresponding intervention subgroups, each consisting of 10 rats). The rats in the 6 diabetic groups were subjected to intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin, and those in the control group received injection with 0.