7-ketocholesterol induces apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells associated with reactive oxygen species generation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and caspase-3/7 dependent pathway.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with an increased risk of bone fractures without reduction of bone mineral density. The cholesterol oxide 7-ketocholesterol (7KCHO) has been implicated in numerous diseases such as atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, cancer, age-related macular degeneration and T2DM. In the present study, 7KCHO decreased the viability of MC3T3-E1 cells, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and apoptotic rate, and upregulated the caspase-3/7 pathway.

Inverse relationship of cardioankle vascular index with BMI in healthy Japanese subjects: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the association of body mass index (BMI) with arterial stiffness assessed by cardioankle vascular index (CAVI).

Subjects And Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in 23,257 healthy Japanese subjects (12,729 men and 10,528 women, aged 47.1 ± 12.

Thyrotropin Alters T Cell Development in the Thymus in Subclinical Hypothyroidism Mouse Model.

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is highly prevalent in the general population and is associated with potential deleterious effects. Although developing T cells express thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSH-R), the changes of T cell development in thymus in SCH have not been fully clarified. SCH mouse model, which is characterized by elevated serum TSH but similar thyroid hormone levels, was used to study the role of TSH in T cell development.

Analysis of the correlation between lipotoxicity and pituitary-thyroid axis hormone levels in men and male rats.

Lipotoxicity seriously harms human health, but it is unclear whether lipotoxicity is detrimental to the pituitary. We investigated the correlation between serum triglyceride and pituitary axis hormone levels in epidemiological and animal studies. In the epidemiological study, serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels were greater in male patients with isolated hypertriglyceridemia than in controls, whereas adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) levels were lower in the patients with hypertriglyceridemia.

Dyslipidemia in rural areas of North China: prevalence, characteristics, and predictive value.

Background: The prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been increasing worldwide. As a common pathogenic risk factor, dyslipidemia played a great role in the incidence and progress of these diseases. We investigated to achieve accurate and up-to-date information on the prevalence of dyslipidemia and its associations with other lipid-related diseases in rural North China.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress May Play a Pivotal Role in Lipid Metabolic Disorders in a Novel Mouse Model of Subclinical Hypothyroidism.

Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is becoming a global health problem due to its increasing prevalence and potential deleterious effects. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the lipid metabolic disorders in SCH have not been fully clarified. Additionally, progress in elucidating the exact pathogenesis of SCH has been hampered by the lack of optimized mouse models.

[Investigation of metabolic disorders in patients with familial fatty liver disease and their first-degree relatives].

Objective: To investigate the metabolic disorders in patients of familial fatty liver disease and their first-degree relatives.

Methods: The probands with fatty liver disease and normal control probands were randomly selected from 2 000 persons who participated in the survey of"endocrine and metabolic diseases"conducted by Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University in Taian, Shandong Province, China, and their first-degree relatives were enrolled. A normal control group and a group of sporadic fatty liver disease were established in order to eliminate the influence of environment and diet.

A Worthy Finding: Decrease in Total Cholesterol and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol in Treated Mild Subclinical Hypothyroidism.

Background: Mild subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) affects a large number of people and is known to be a risk factor for dyslipidemia. However, whether mild SCH patients should be treated with L-thyroxine to improve lipid profiles remains controversial. In addition, it is also unclear whether all mild SCH patients can benefit from L-thyroxine treatment, regardless of basal thyrotropin or lipid levels.

TSH increases synthesis of hepatic ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 1 in hypercholesterolemia.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that thyrotropin (TSH) levels are closely correlated with the severity of hypercholesterolemia. Reverse cholesterol transfer (RCT) plays an important role in regulating bloodcholesterol. However, the molecular mechanism of hypercholesterolemia in subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) has not been fully clarified.

Levels of the inflammation marker YKL-40 in young adults exposed to intrauterine hyperglycemia.

Plasma levels of the inflammatory marker YKL-40 were investigated in 597 adult offspring born to women with and without diabetes during pregnancy. No association between fetal exposure to maternal hyperglycemia and levels of YKL-40 was found. However, female sex and increasing BMI in the offspring were associated to YKL-40.

High-Cholesterol Diet Disrupts the Levels of Hormones Derived from Anterior Pituitary Basophilic Cells.

Emerging evidence shows that elevated cholesterol levels are detrimental to health. However, it is unclear whether there is an association between cholesterol and the pituitary. We investigated the effects of a high-cholesterol diet on pituitary hormones using in vivo animal studies and an epidemiological study.

Different Doses and Routes of Administration of Methimazole Affect Thyroid Status in Methimazole-induced Hypothyroidism in Rats.

Objective: It is agreed that methimazole (MMI) can be administered to induce hypothyroidism. However, there are conflicting data about its effect on thyroid function and development in rats through different administrations. In the present study, we established and compared differences of the rat hypothyroid model induced by MMI added to drinking water or given through an intragastric tube.

Prevalence of CHD-related metabolic comorbidity of diabetes mellitus in Northern Chinese adults: the REACTION study.

Aim: To gain more precise understanding of the epidemiology of comorbidities with diabetes and to clarify the correlation with coronary heart disease (CHD) in Chinese population.

Methods: Based on REACTION study, 18,696 participants aged over 40 years were included in the cross-sectional analysis. Prevalence and patterns of comorbid diseases were demonstrated, and their impact on CHD was also analyzed by logistic regression.

Serum YKL-40 levels in gestational diabetes mellitus.

Objective: Serum YKL-40 levels are elevated in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. However, the correlation between YKL-40 and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unknown. The present study compared serum YKL-40 levels in pregnant women with GDM and those with normal glucose tolerance and evaluated the relationship between YKL-40 and insulin-resistant syndrome.

Association of Plasma Myeloperoxidase Level with Risk of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Aims: This study aimed to investigate whether the change of plasma myeloperoxidase (MPO) level would be associated with the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) among diabetic patients.

Methods: 339 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) underwent coronary angiography. Of them, 204 cases had CAD and were assigned to CAD group and 135 cases without CAD were assigned to non-CAD group.

Branched-chain amino acids attenuate early kidney injury in diabetic rats.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most severe diabetic microvascular complication. The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is complex, and oxidative stress plays an important role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels activate various signaling pathways and influence the activities of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which contributes to glomerular hypertrophy.

Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Increases the Risk of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis by Stimulating Osteoclast Differentiation.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to observe the changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women, to research the relationship between FSH and postmenopausal osteoporosis, and to observe the effects of FSH on osteoclast differentiation in RAW264.7 cells.

Methods: We analyzed 248 postmenopausal women with normal bone metabolism.

Associations of the Inflammatory Marker YKL-40 with Measures of Obesity and Dyslipidaemia in Individuals at High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Circulating levels of the inflammatory marker YKL-40 are elevated in cardiovascular disease and obesity-related type 2 diabetes (T2D), and serum YKL-40 levels are related to elements of dyslipidaemia.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the associations between serum YKL-40 and obesity-related traits in a Danish sample of non-diabetic relatives to T2D patients and, furthermore, to estimate the heritability of YKL-40.

Research Design And Methods: 324 non-diabetic individuals with family relation to a T2D patient were included in the study.

Identification of two novel mutations in SLC12A3 gene in two Chinese pedigrees with Gitelman syndrome and review of literature.

Objective: Gitelman syndrome (GS) is one of the most common causes of inherited hypokalaemia. As it was caused by mutations in the SLC12A3 gene, GS is a highly heterogeneous disease. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of two Chinese pedigrees and summarize the advance in GS genetics, diagnosis and management.

Adipose tissue hypoxia and low-grade inflammation: a possible mechanism for ethanol-related glucose intolerance?

The exact mechanism of ethanol's effects on glucose tolerance has not been well determined. The present study focuses for the first time on hypoxia and low-grade inflammation in adipose tissue (AT). In the in vivo experiments, twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into control and ethanol feeding groups.

High serum uric acid is associated with increased cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) in healthy Japanese subjects: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: To investigate the association of serum uric acid (SUA) with arterial stiffness assessed by cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI).

Methods: We analyzed the cross-sectional data from 27,360 healthy Japanese subjects (12,910 males and 14,450 females) aged between 20 and 74 years without a past history of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, nephritis or gout. We investigated whether SUA was independently associated with CAVI in a gender-specific manner.

Effect of therapeutic dose of vitamin d on serum adiponectin and glycemia in vitamin d-insufficient or deficient type 2 diabetic patients.

Background: Lower vitamin D status has been reported in diabetic patients. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and adiponectin were inversely associated with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Vitamin D may involve in regulation of the adiponectin levels, which is directly related to insulin sensitivity.

Involvement of CSE/ H2S in high glucose induced aberrant secretion of adipokines in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Background: Deregulated secretion of adipokines contributes to subclinical systemic inflammation associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the mechanisms underlying are not fully understood. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S), as an endogenous gasotransmitter, possesses an anti-inflammation activity.

Cardiovascular disease and thyroid function.

Thyroid function has a profound effect on the heart, and both all-cause and cardiovascular mortality rates are increased in hyperthyroidism. New-onset atrial fibrillation carries a prolonged risk for the development of hyperthyroidism, suggesting altered availability of thyroid hormones at the cellular level. Subclinical hyperthyroidism is associated with increased left ventricular mass of the heart, which reverts after obtaining euthyroidism.