Protection against neo-formed contaminants (NFCs)-induced toxicity by phytochemicals.

Neo-formed compounds (NFCs) are commonly found in all kinds of foods due to the complex reaction between components during processing. Acrylamide, benzo(a)pyrene and heterocyclic aromatic amines are the main types of NFCs in foods enriched with carbohydrate, fats and proteins, respectively. They have exhibited diverse toxicity, such as neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, potentially carcinogenic and reproductive toxicity.

NOD2 promotes endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition of glomerular endothelial cells via MEK/ERK signaling pathway in diabetic nephropathy.

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) of glomerular vascular endothelial cells (GEnCs) is now considered to play a critical role in diabetic nephropathy (DN). NOD2 is newly discovered to be closely related to DN renal injury. However, the relationship between NOD2 and EndMT of GEnCs has never been reported.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on polycystic ovary syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on patients with PCOS.

Methods: We performed a literature search in database and identified all of the RCTs published before December 2015 that compared the effect of vitamin D supplementation with placebo or metformin in PCOS patients.

Main Results: Nine out of 463 identified studies were included, involving 502 women presenting with PCOS.

Recent trends in the distribution of causative diseases of fever of unknown origin.

Fever of unknown origin is a challenging diagnostic problem and the aim of this research was to analyze trends in the distribution of its causative diseases. This retrospective study makes a comparison between two different clinical series of patients from two different periods: 227 from period 1 (1998-2002) and 602 from period 2 (2008-2012). There were fewer infections (31.

Metal-Organic Polyhedra-Coated Si Nanowires for the Sensitive Detection of Trace Explosives.

Surface-modified silicon nanowire-based field-effect transistors (SiNW-FETs) have proven to be a promising platform for molecular recognition in miniature sensors. In this work, we present a novel nanoFET device for the sensitive and selective detection of explosives based on affinity layers of metal-organic polyhedra (MOPs). The judicious selection of the geometric and electronic characteristics of the assembly units (organic ligands and unsaturated metal site) embedded within the MOP cage allowed for the formation of multiple charge-transfer (CT) interactions to facilitate the selective explosive inclusion.

Biological characters of human dermal fibroblasts derived from foreskin of male infertile patients.

Dermal fibroblasts play a vital role in maintaining skin function. They not only synthesize and secrete extracellular matrix molecules, but also produce a complex mixture of bioactive factors, which both contribute to immune regulation and wound healing. Fibroblasts isolated from skin tissue exhibit wide range of potentials, especially in regenerative medicine.

Repairing the ruptured annular fibrosus by using type I collagen combined with citric acid, EDC and NHS: an in vivo study.

Objectives: To explore the effect of citric acid (CA)-1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) collagen gel on repairing annular defects.

Methods: Type I collagen was extracted from the rat-tail tendon and crosslinked with CA at different mass ratio using EDC and NHS as crosslinking reagents to prepare four kinds of collagen gels. Forty-eight adult SD rats were divided into first sham group (n = 8), second group (n = 10) which was punctured and injected with CA-EDC/NHS collagen gel, third group (n = 10) which was punctured and injected with CA-EDC/NHS collagen gel, fourth group (n = 10) which was punctured and injected with EDC/NHS collagen gel, and fifth group (n = 10) which was punctured and untreated.

Discovery and Optimization of a Novel Triazole Series of GPR142 Agonists for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes.

GPR142 has been identified as a potential glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A class of triazole GPR142 agonists was discovered through a high throughput screen. The lead compound suffered from poor metabolic stability and poor solubility.

Data for the gene expression profiling and alternative splicing events during the chondrogenic differentiation of human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells under hypoxia.

This article contains relevant data of the research article titled Global profiling of the gene expression and alternative splicing events during the hypoxia-regulated chondrogenic differentiation in human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells (Yao et al., 2016) [1]. The data show global profiling of the DEGs (Differentially expressed genes) and AS (Alternative splicing) events during the hypoxia-regulated chondrogenesis of CESCs (human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells) by using Affymetrix Human Transcriptome Array 2.

Adrenomedullin 2 Enhances Beiging in White Adipose Tissue Directly in an Adipocyte-autonomous Manner and Indirectly through Activation of M2 Macrophages.

Adrenomedullin 2 (ADM2) is an endogenous bioactive peptide belonging to the calcitonin gene-related peptide family. Our previous studies showed that overexpression of ADM2 in mice reduced obesity and insulin resistance by increasing thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. However, the effects of ADM2 in another type of thermogenic adipocyte, beige adipocytes, remain to be understood.

Detection of chronic brain damage by diffusion-weighted imaging with multiple b values in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of parameters obtained from diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with multiple b values in the detection of chronic brain damage in patients with type 2 diabetes.We enrolled 30 patients with or without abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance imaging (lacunar infarction, leukoaraiosis, and/or brain atrophy) and 15 nondiabetic controls; obtained DWI parameters that included apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fast ADC (ADCfast), slow ADC (ADCslow), fraction of fast ADC (f), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), and stretched exponential (α); and performed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to evaluate the performance of parameters for the detection of chronic brain damage.The parameters ADC, ADCslow, f, and DDC were increased, whereas parameters ADCfast and α were decreased in type 2 diabetes patients compared with controls without diabetes.

MIF Plays a Key Role in Regulating Tissue-Specific Chondro-Osteogenic Differentiation Fate of Human Cartilage Endplate Stem Cells under Hypoxia.

Degenerative cartilage endplate (CEP) shows decreased chondrification and increased ossification. Cartilage endplate stem cells (CESCs), with the capacity for chondro-osteogenic differentiation, are responsible for CEP restoration. CEP is avascular and hypoxic, while the physiological hypoxia is disrupted in the degenerated CEP.

Duodenal-jejunal bypass surgery induces hepatic lipidomic alterations associated with ameliorated hepatic steatosis in mice.

Objective: Bariatric surgery induces weight loss and improvement of insulin resistance; one aspect of both is an amelioration of hepatic steatosis. This study was undertaken to assess the changes in the hepatic lipidome after duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery.

Methods: A DJB surgical model was developed and characterized in diet-induced obese mice.

Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces cardiac hypertrophy by impairing autophagy through the adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase pathway.

Autophagy is tightly regulated to maintain cardiac homeostasis. Impaired autophagy is closely associated with pathological cardiac hypertrophy. However, the relationship between autophagy and cardiac hypertrophy induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is not known.

A genome wide analysis of alternative splicing events during the osteogenic differentiation of human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells.

Low back pain is a prevalent disease, which leads to suffering and disabilities in a vast number of individuals. Degenerative disc diseases are usually the underlying causes of low back pain. However, the pathogenesis of degenerative disc diseases is highly complex and difficult to determine.

Methyllithium-Doped Naphthyl-Containing Conjugated Microporous Polymer with Enhanced Hydrogen Storage Performance.

Hydrogen storage is a primary challenge for using hydrogen as a fuel. With ideal hydrogen storage kinetics, the weak binding strength of hydrogen to sorbents is the key barrier to obtain decent hydrogen storage performance. Here, we reported the rational synthesis of a methyllithium-doped naphthyl-containing conjugated microporous polymer with exceptional binding strength of hydrogen to the polymer guided by theoretical simulations.

The plasma miR-125a, miR-361 and miR-133a are promising novel biomarkers for Late-Onset Hypogonadism.

Circulating miRNAs have been shown to serve as diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers in cancers and other diseases. However, the role of plasma miRNAs in Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) diagnosis is still unknown. Using Illumina HiSeq2000 sequencing at discovery phase, and then two-step validated by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays in verification phases.

Global profiling of the gene expression and alternative splicing events during hypoxia-regulated chondrogenic differentiation in human cartilage endplate-derived stem cells.

The intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is initiated by cartilage endplate (CEP) degeneration and is characterised by reduced chondrification. Cartilage endplate-derived stem cells (CESCs) with chondrogenic differentiation abilities are responsible for the restoration of cartilage. CEP remains in an avascular and hypoxic microenvironment.

O-GlcNAcylation: a bridge between glucose and cell differentiation.

Glucose is the major energy supply and a critical metabolite for most cells and is especially important when cell is differentiating. High or low concentrations of glucose enhances or inhibits the osteogenic, chondrogenic and adipogenic differentiation of cell via the insulin, transforming growth factor-β and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ pathways, among others. New evidence implicates the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway as a mediator of crosstalk between glucose flux, cellular signalling and epigenetic regulation of cell differentiation.

miR-29c-3p promotes senescence of human mesenchymal stem cells by targeting CNOT6 through p53-p21 and p16-pRB pathways.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are important seed cells for tissue engineering and are promising targets for cell-based therapies. However, the replicative senescence of MSCs during in vitro culture limits their research and clinical applications. The molecular mechanisms underlying the replicative senescence of MSCs are not fully understood.

Luteolin Inhibits Hepatitis B Virus Replication through Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinase-Mediated Down-Regulation of Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4α Expression.

Whether luteolin inhibits HBV replication has not been validated and the underlying mechanism of which has never been elucidated. In this study, we show that luteolin reduces HBV DNA replication in HepG2.2.

Finite Element Analysis of a New Pedicle Screw-Plate System for Minimally Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

Purpose: Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) is increasingly popular for the surgical treatment of degenerative lumbar disc diseases. The constructs intended for segmental stability are varied in MI-TLIF. We adopted finite element (FE) analysis to compare the stability after different construct fixations using interbody cage with posterior pedicle screw-rod or pedicle screw-plate instrumentation system.

Global Gene Expression Profiling and Alternative Splicing Events during the Chondrogenic Differentiation of Human Cartilage Endplate-Derived Stem Cells.

Low back pain (LBP) is a very prevalent disease and degenerative disc diseases (DDDs) usually account for the LBP. However, the pathogenesis of DDDs is complicated and difficult to elucidate. Alternative splicing is a sophisticated regulatory process which greatly increases cellular complexity and phenotypic diversity of eukaryotic organisms.

The role of mechano-growth factor E peptide in the regulation of osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common bone tumors, and exhibits a high degree of malignancy. Gene therapy is a novel approach to its treatment, however, specific target genes are required to enable effective use of this therapy. In order to investigate the effects of the mechano-growth factor E (MGF-E) peptide, which is derived from the IGF-I alternative splicing isoform, on the regulation of the development of osteosarcoma, the expression of MGF was detected in osteosarcoma cell lines with different degrees of malignancy.

P2X7 Receptor Antagonism Attenuates the Intermittent Hypoxia-induced Spatial Deficits in a Murine Model of Sleep Apnea Via Inhibiting Neuroinflammation and Oxidative Stress.

Background: The mechanism of the neural injury caused by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) that characterizes obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is not clearly known. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) is responsible for the CIH-induced neural injury and the possible pathway it involves.

Methods: Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were used.