The association between blood concentration of 25- hydroxyvitamin D and sarcopenia: a meta-analysis.

Background And Objectives: Associations between blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration and sarcopenia remain controversial; thus, this meta-analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between blood 25(OH)D concentration and sarcopenia.

Design: We searched the PubMed and EMBASE databases for relevant published observational studies that investigated blood 25(OH)D concentration and sarcopenia up to June 2017.We then investigated data from these studies that compared blood 25(OH)D concentrations between the sarcopenia and healthy control groups.

Development of a GeXP-Based Multiplex RT-PCR Assay for Detection of Long Noncoding RNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objective: To develop a multiplex quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay based on the GenomeLab™ GeXP Genetic Analysis System (GeXP) for detection of long noncoding RNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: From PubMed database articles published between 2011 and 2016, we selected 8 kinds of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) related to HCC. Further, we examined 23 pairs of HCC and adjacent noncancerous tissues, using the optimized GeXP multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay.

MicroRNA-195: a review of its role in cancers.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small and highly conserved noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by binding to the 3'-UTR of target mRNAs. Recently, increasing evidence has highlighted their profound roles in various pathological processes, including human cancers. Deregulated miRNAs function as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in multiple cancer types.

Fatty Acid Synthase Promotes the Palmitoylation of Chikungunya Virus nsP1.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is transmitted to people by mosquitoes, and CHIKV infection causes fever and joint pain. Fatty acid synthase (FASN) has been identified as a proviral factor for CHIKV. How FASN participates in CHIKV replication remains to be elucidated.

Antihyperglycemic and Antihyperlipidemic Effects of Low-molecular-weight Carrageenan in Rats.

This study investigated the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effects of low-molecular-weight carrageenan (LC) on rats fed a high-fat diet. Wistar rats were divided into five groups: normal control group (NC), high-fat diet control group (HC), carrageenan-treated control group (CC), 1% LC group (1% LC), and 3% LC-groups (3% LC). Body weight, food intake, fecal weight, blood glucose, and serum lipid levels were measured.

Neural stem cell-derived factors inhibit the growth and invasion of U87 stem-like cells in vitro.

Glioma is one of the most common and aggressive tumors in the brain. Significant attention has been paid to the potential use of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) as delivery vehicles to cure gliomas. However, whether the NSCs/NPCs or the factors they produced could make a contribution still remains to be seen.

Rosmarinic acid protects against MPTP-induced toxicity and inhibits iron-induced α-synuclein aggregation.

Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a naturally occurring polyphenolic compound. In this study, we demonstrated that RA could protect against the degeneration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, RA could inhibit MPTP-induced decrease of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and increase in nigral iron content.

TAT-mGluR1 Attenuation of Neuronal Apoptosis through Prevention of MGluR1α Truncation after Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Excessive glutamate-mediated overactivation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) plays a leading role in neuronal apoptosis following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). TAT-mGluR1, a fusion peptide consisting of a peptide spanning the calpain cleavage site of mGluR1α and the trans-activating regulatory protein (TAT) of HIV, effectively blocks mGluR1α truncation and protects neurons against excitotoxic damage. This study investigated the effects of TAT-mGluR1 on neuronal apoptosis in the rat SAH model.

Prediction of the Risk of Laparoscopy-Assisted Gastrectomy by Comparing Visceral Fat Area and Body Mass Index.

Propose: The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of visceral fat area (VFA) and body mass index (BMI) in predicting the risk of laparoscopic-assisted gastrectomy.

Methods: Clinicopathological and imaging data of 133 patients who underwent laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy were recorded, including 17 cases of conversion to open surgery. The remaining 116 patients were retrospectively analyzed after we excluded 17 patients who had been transferred to laparotomy.

Association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes patients.

Background: The association of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remains controversial. Therefore, a cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with T2DM to investigate the relationship of HDL-C with microalbuminuria.

Methods: A total of 524 participants with T2DM were recruited in this cross-sectional study.

The Association between Vitamin D Deficiency and Sleep Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Epidemiology studies have investigated the association between vitamin D and the risk of sleep disorders, but the results remain controversial. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis with the goal of clarifying the association between vitamin D and sleep disorders risk. All relevant studies were searched using PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science from inception to January 2018.

Treatment of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors with associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS): A case report and literature review.

Rationale: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumors (PHNETs) are extremely rare and are difficult to diagnose preoperatively.We report a case of PHNET diagnosed preoperatively and successfully resected using associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy (ALPPS).

Patient Concerns: A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for a hepatic mass, which was incidentally identified during a routine health checkup.

Activation of autophagy contributes to the renoprotective effect of postconditioning on acute kidney injury and renal fibrosis.

Ischemia/Reperfusion injury contributes to acute kidney injury (AKI) and subsequent chronic kidney disease (CKD) including renal fibrosis. Autophagy is a cytoplasmic components degradation pathway that has complex function in the development of various diseases such as fibrosis in kidney. Our previous work demonstrated that postconditioning (POC) showed excellent therapeutic effect on renal fibrosis via inhibiting the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) after reperfusion.

Association of the rs1611115 polymorphism in DBH gene with Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis.

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) rs1611115 genetic polymorphism and Parkinson's disease (PD). A comprehensive search was conducted to identify all case-control or cohort studies. The fixed or random effect-pooled measure was selected on the basis of a homogeneity test among studies.

Imiquimod enhances the potency of an exogenous BM-DC based vaccine against mouse melanoma.

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccine is a potent immunotherapeutic approach for cancer treatment, but the clinical efficacy needs to be improved. In this study, we evaluated the combinational effect of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist Imiquimod and BM-DC vaccine against mouse melanoma and explored the potential mechanisms. We found that topical application of Imiquimod cream caused skin inflammation and enhanced exogenous BM-DC homing to draining lymph nodes.

Differential regulation of estrogen in iron metabolism in astrocytes and neurons.

Previous studies have demonstrated an effect of estrogen on iron metabolism in peripheral tissues. The role of estrogen on brain iron metabolism is currently unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect and mechanism of estrogen on iron transport proteins.

Adolescent Isolation Interacts With Point Mutation to Impair Adult Social Memory and Synaptic Functions in the Hippocampus.

Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 () is a strong candidate susceptibility gene for a spectrum of neuropsychiatric diseases including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression, all of which are thought to result from interactions between gene mutations and environmental risk factors such as influenza, trauma and stress. Adolescence is a key period susceptible to stress and stress-related mental illnesses. In a previous study, we found that although L100P point mutation mice shows object recognition deficits, their sociability and social memory are relatively normal.

B Vitamins Can Reduce Body Weight Gain by Increasing Metabolism-related Enzyme Activities in Rats Fed on a High-Fat Diet.

B vitamins are enzyme cofactors that play an important role in energy metabolism. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether B vitamin administration can reduce body weight (BW) gain by improving energy metabolism-related enzyme activities in rats fed on a highfat diet. Fifty rats were randomly assigned to one of the following five groups: control group (C), including rats fed on standard rat chow; four treatment groups (HO, HI, H2, and H3), in which rats were fed on a high-fat diet.

Circular RNAs: Characteristics, Function and Clinical Significance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC patients are commonly diagnosed at an advanced stage, for which highly effective therapies are limited. Moreover, the five-year survival rate of HCC patients remains poor due to high frequency of tumor metastasis and recurrence.

Improvement of symptoms in a rat model of depression through combined zinc and folic acid administration via up-regulation of the Trk B and NMDA.

The aim of this study was to observe the influence of combined zinc and folic acid administration on depression and to explore its mechanism of action. Male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups: control, model, paroxetine (P), zinc + folic acid (ZnY), and zinc + folic acid + paroxetine (ZnYP) groups. Rat models of depression were established by chronic mild unpredictable stress for three weeks.

Thapsigargin induces apoptosis of prostate cancer through cofilin-1 and paxillin.

It is widely considered that endoplasmic reticulum stress may rapidly induce apoptosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of thapsigargin on the induction of apoptosis in prostate cancer cells, and to explore its possible mechanism. A Cell Counting Kit-8 was selected to determine the effect of thapsigargin (0, 1, 10 and 100 nM) on the proliferation of PC3 cells.

The expression of K channel subunits in alpha-synuclein-transfected MES23.5 cells.

Background: SUR1, one of the subunits of ATP-sensitive potassium (K) channels, was found to be highly expressed in mRNA levels in the substantia nigra (SN) of Parkinson's disease (PD) brains. Though the mechanism of the selective dopamine (DA) neurons death is still unknown, some studies have demonstrated that selective activation of the K channels in the SN might be associated with the degeneration of DA neurons. The objective of our study is to examine the expressions of K channel subunits in dopaminergic cells with alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) transfection.

Noninvasive Quantitative Detection Methods of Liver Fat Content in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) ranges from simple steatosis to NAFLD-related liver cirrhosis and is a main cause of chronic liver diseases. Patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and fibrosis are at a great risk of the progression to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma, both of which are tightly associated with liver-related mortality. Liver biopsy is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD, but some defects, such as serious complications, sampling error and variability in histologic evaluation among pathologists, remain problematic.