Zinc Transporter 9 (ZnT9) Improves Obesity-Induced Asthenospermia by Attenuating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress (ERS).

The aim of this study was to explore the role of the ZnT9 protein in obesity-induced sperm maturation disorders in men. We generated a mouse model of obesity-induced weak spermatogenesis via a high-fat diet (HFD) for 10 weeks. In addition to the HFD, a 5-week intervention of salubrinal (SAL) (an inhibitor of endoplasmic reticulum stress) (1 mg/kg/day), ZnSO (15 mg/kg/day), and their combination was started at week 6, after which sperm viability and epididymal tissue damage were assessed.

[Determination of 118 pesticide residues in urine by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

Pesticide residues in food and their hazardous effects have attracted much attention given the increased and widespread use of pesticides. The long-term consumption of food containing pesticide residues is an important pathway for the gradual accumulation of pesticides in the human body. Urine is often monitored as a biological sample for low-dose exposure to pesticides, and urine collection is a relatively convenient sampling technique in general population research.

Early-stage reduction of the dendritic complexity in basolateral amygdala of a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is a representative age-related neurodegenerative disease that could result in loss of memory and cognitive deficiency. However, the precise onset time of Alzheimer's disease affecting neuronal circuits and the mechanisms underlying the changes are not clearly known. To address the neuroanatomical changes during the early pathologic developing process, we acquired the neuronal morphological characterization of AD in APP/PS1 double-transgenic mice using the Micro-Optical Sectioning Tomography system.

RP5-833A20.1/miR-382-5p/NFIA-dependent signal transduction pathway contributes to the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis and inflammatory reaction.

Objective: Cardiovascular disease caused by atherosclerosis is the number one cause of death in Western countries and threatens to become the major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs are emerging as new players in gene regulation, but how long noncoding RNAs operate in the development of atherosclerosis remains unclear.

Approach And Results: Using microarray analysis, we found that long noncoding RNA RP5-833A20.

Ox-LDL upregulates CRP expression through the IGF2 pathway in THP-1 macrophages.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase reactant protein that not only plays a predictive role in determining atherogenesis risk but also represents an active participant in atherogenesis onset and progression. Moreover, an increasing number of studies have reported that oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) plays a significant role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. However, the effect and underlying mechanism of Ox-LDL on CRP expression remains unclear.

An agomir of miR-144-3p accelerates plaque formation through impairing reverse cholesterol transport and promoting pro-inflammatory cytokine production.

Aims: ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mediates the efflux of cholesterol and phospholipids to lipid-poor apolipoproteins, which then form nascent HDL, a key step in the mechanism of reverse cholesterol transport (RCT). While a series of microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as potent post-transcriptional regulators of lipid metabolism, their effects on ABCA1 function and associated mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods And Results: ABCA1 was identified as a potential target of miR-144-3p, based on the results of bioinformatic analysis and the luciferase reporter assay, and downregulated after transfection of cells with miR-144-3p mimics, as observed with real-time PCR and western blot.

Dihydrocapsaicin down-regulates apoM expression through inhibiting Foxa2 expression and enhancing LXRα expression in HepG2 cells.

Background: Apolipoprotein M (apoM), as a novel apolipoprotein which is mainly expressed in liver and kidney tissues, is associated with development and progression of atherosclerosis and diabetes. Our group have recently shown that Dihydrocapsaicin(DHC)can significantly decrease atherosclerotic plaque formation in apoE-/- mice. However, the effect and possible mechanism of DHC on apoM expression remain unclear.

Nur77 decreases atherosclerosis progression in apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet.

Rationale: It is clear that lipid disorder and inflammation are associated with cardiovascular diseases and underlying atherosclerosis. Nur77 has been shown to be involved in inflammatory response and lipid metabolism.

Objective: Here, we explored the role of Nur77 in atherosclerotic plaque progression in apoE(-/-) mice fed a high-fat/high cholesterol diet.

A lincRNA-DYNLRB2-2/GPR119/GLP-1R/ABCA1-dependent signal transduction pathway is essential for the regulation of cholesterol homeostasis.

Accumulated evidence shows that G protein-coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) plays a key role in glucose and lipid metabolism. Here, we explored the effect of GPR119 on cholesterol metabolism and inflammation in THP-1 macrophages and atherosclerotic plaque progression in apoE(-/-) mice. We found that oxidized LDL (Ox-LDL) significantly induced long intervening noncoding RNA (lincRNA)-DYNLRB2-2 expression, resulting in the upregulation of GPR119 and ABCA1 expression through the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor signaling pathway.

Commercial MPT64-based tests for rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex: a meta-analysis.

Objective: We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to evaluate the accuracy of commercial MPT64-based immunochromatographic tests for rapid identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Methods: We identified studies by searching Pubmed, BIOSIS Previews and Web of Science, and included studies using predetermined inclusion criteria. The data were pooled using the DerSimonian-Laird random effects model.

Association of renal function with the ambulatory arterial stiffness index and pulse pressure in hypertensive patients.

Arterial stiffness exemplified by the ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI) and pulse pressure (PP) predicts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The present cross-sectional study assessed the association of renal function with AASI and 24-h PP in hypertensive inpatients. Subjects included 948 hypertensive inpatients with drug treatment (mean age, 53.

[Prevalence and risk factors of asymptomatic intracranial vascular stenosis in patients with essential hypertension].

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and the distribution pattern of lesion site of intracranial vascular stenosis and to identify risk factors for the stenosis in patients with essential hypertension.

Methods: A total of 231 consecutive inpatients with essential hypertension were included in this study. Patients with the history of cerebrovascular diseases and relevant neurological symptoms were excluded.

[Aldosterone-to-renin ratio threshold for screening primary aldosteronism in Chinese hypertensive patients].

Objective: In recent years, the assessment of the plasma aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) has become a most effectively and commonly used method for screening primary aldosteronism from hypertensive patients. It is known that there is a large variance in ARR value between races and ARR is affected by many factors, such as drugs, posture and serum potassium etc. The objective of this study is to establish the threshold of ARR for screening primary aldosteronism in Chinese hypertensive patients.