Effects of obesity before pregnancy and excessive weight gain during pregnancy on the characteristics of offspring metabolism and the underlying mechanism / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effects of obesity before pregnancy and excessive weight gain during pregnancy on the characteristics of offspring metabolism and the underlying mechanism.Methods:Pregnant women who delivered from April 2016 to December 2018 in Jiaxing Xiuzhou District Maternal and Child Health Hospital after providing written informed consent and their singleton newborns were considered for recruitment for this study. Finally, 2000 pregnant women and their newborns were included in this study. These pregnant women were divided into study control ( n = 1 576, normal body weight) and ( n = 424, overweight) groups according to their body mass before and during pregnancy. The levels of leptin, blood lipid, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, long form of leptin receptor (OB-Rb), suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) gene expression, insulin resistance index, and insulin sensitivity index were compared between the control and study groups. Results:The body mass index before pregnancy and body mass during pregnancy in the study group were (30.91 ± 1.86) kg/m 2 and (21.25 ± 2.61) kg, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(26.87 ± 1.05) kg/m 2, (14.57 ± 1.36) kg, t = 7.972, P = 0.013; t = 9.786, P = 0.001]. The levels of leptin, triglyceride, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the study group were (1.23 ± 0.29) ng/mL, (0.65 ± 0.16) mmol/L, (1.40 ± 0.24) mmol/L, (0.76 ± 0.13) mmol/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(0.63 ± 0.11) ng/mL, (0.38 ± 0.16) mmol/L, (1.13 ± 0.32) mmol/L, (0.56 ± 0.09) mmol/L, t = 7.701, P = 0.010; t = 7.329, P = 0.019; t = 5.734, P = 0.030; t = 9.387, P = 0.001]. The level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(1.26 ± 0.17) mmol/L vs. (1.75 ± 0.26) mmol/L, t = 8.072, P = 0.008]. The expression of SOCS3 mRNA and OB-Rb mRNA in newborns from the study group was (1.44 ± 0.29) and (1.33 ± 0.39), respectively, which was significantly greater than that in the control group [(0.33 ± 0.19), (0.50 ± 0.21), t = 9.987, P < 0.001; t = 11.037, P < 0.001]. Fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin levels as well as insulin resistance index in the study group were (22.06 ± 3.94) mmol/L, (20.02 ± 4.61) mU/L, (19.79 ± 6.29) respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group [(11.73 ± 2.92) mmol/L, (13.31 ± 3.43) mU/L, (6.96 ± 2.52), t = 8.133, P = 0.001; t = 4.498, P = 0.027; t = 7.352, P = 0.002]. Insulin sensitivity index in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group [(-6.07 ± 0.32) vs. (-4.98 ± 0.37), t = 8.244, P < 0.001]. Conclusion:Obesity before pregnancy and excessive weight gain during pregnancy will increase the expression of SOCS3 mRNA and further affect the expression of STAT3-SOCS3-leptin/insulin signaling pathway in offspring.

Isolation, identification and characterization of a chloramphenicol-degrading bacterium / 生物工程学报

Microorganisms are the dominant players driving the degradation and transformation of chloramphenicol (CAP) in the environment. However, little bacterial strains are able to efficiently degrade and mineralize CAP, and the CAP degrading pathways mediated by oxidative reactions remain unclear. In this study, a highly efficient CAP-degrading microbial consortium, which mainly consists of Rhodococcus (relative abundance >70%), was obtained through an enrichment process using CAP-contaminated activated sludge as the inoculum. A bacterial strain CAP-2 capable of efficiently degrading CAP was isolated from the consortium and identified as Rhodococcus sp. by 16S rRNA gene analysis. Strain CAP-2 can efficiently degrade CAP under different nutrient conditions. Based on the biotransformation characteristics of the detected metabolite p-nitrobenzoic acid and the reported metabolites p-nitrobenzaldehyde and protocatechuate by strain CAP-2, a new oxidative pathway for the degradation of CAP was proposed. The side chain of CAP was oxidized and broken to generate p-nitrobenzaldehyde, which was further oxidized to p-nitrobenzoic acid. Strain CAP-2 can be used to further study the molecular mechanism of CAP catabolism, and has the potential to be used in in situ bioremediation of CAP-contaminated environment.

Advances in microbial degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons / 生物工程学报

Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CAHs) threaten human health and the ecological environment due to their strong carcinogenic, teratogenic, mutagenic and heritable properties. Heterotrophic assimilation degradation can completely and effectively degrade CAHs, without secondary pollution. However, it is crucial to comprehensively understand the heterotrophic assimilation process of CAHs for its application. Therefore, we review here the characteristics and advantages of heterotrophic assimilation degradation of CAHs. Moreover, we systematically summarize current research status of heterotrophic assimilation of CAHs. Furthermore, we analyze bacterial genera and metabolism, key enzymes and characteristic genes involved in the metabolic process. Finally, we indicate existing problems of heterotrophic assimilation research and future research needs.

Subclinical hypothyroidism and endocrine metabolic characteristics in women with polycystic ovary syndrome / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To explore associations of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) with endocrine metabolic characteristics in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).Methods:A total of 321 women who were newly diagnosed as PCOS were recruited from two endocrine outpatient clinics.The diagnosis of PCOS was established according to the 2003 Rotterdam consensus criteria.Thyroid function was examined by chemiluminescent immunoassay.Patients who had normal free thyroxine (FT4) were divided into different SCH subgroups according to two thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) cutoffpoints (4.2 and 2.5 mU/L).Endocrine metabolic characteristics in different subgroups were compared and analyzed.Results:In PCOS women with normal FT4,the patients with TSH ≥ 4.2 mU/L had higher prolactin (PRL),luteinizing hormone-to-follicle stimulating hormone ratio,and visceral adipose index (all P<0.05).There were trends toward an increase in triglyceride (P=0.085) and a decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P=0.060) in the patients with TSH ≥ 4.2 mU/L compared with that in the patients with TSH<4.2 mU/L.Also in PCOS women with normal FT4,the patients with TSH ≥ 2.5 mU/L had higher body mass index,PRL,triglyceride,visceral adipose index and lower HDL-C in comparison of that in the patients with TSH<2.5 mU/L (all P<0.05).Conclusion:SCH is associated with more severe endocrine abnormality,dyslipidemia,and visceral obesity in PCOS women.PCOS women with normal FT4 and endocrine metabolic characteristics are more prone to be different between the SCH group and the euthyroid group when setting 2.5 mU/L as a TSH cutoff for SCH,indicating that 2.5 mU/L is a good TSH cutoff for SCH in PCOS women.

Association between Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 5 Polymorphisms and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Han Chinese: a Case-control Study / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the association between low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) variants (rs12363572 and rs4930588) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Han Chinese.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 1842 T2DM cases (507 newly diagnosed cases and 1335 previously diagnosed cases) and 7777 controls were included in this case-control study. PCR-RFLP was conducted to detect the genotype of the two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated to describe the strength of the association by logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the study subjects, neither rs12363572 nor rs4930588 was significantly associated with T2DM, even after adjusting for relevant covariates. When stratified by body mass index (BMI), the two SNPs were also not associated with T2DM. Among the 3 common haplotypes, only haplotype TT was associated with reduced risk of T2DM (OR 0.820, 95% CI 0.732-0.919). In addition, rs12363572 was associated with BMI (P<0.001) and rs4930588 was associated with triglyceride levels (P=0.043) in 507 newly diagnosed T2DM cases but not in healthy controls.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>No LRP5 variant was found to be associated with T2DM in Han Chinese, but haplotype TT was found to be associated with T2DM.</p>