A Comprehensive Study of the Association between LEPR Gene rs1137101 Variant and Risk of Digestive System Cancers.

Objective: The leptin receptor, encoded by the LEPR gene, is involved in tumorigenesis. A potential functional variant of LEPR, rs1137101 (Gln223Arg), has been extensively investigated for its contribution to the risk of digestive system (DS) cancers, but results remain conflicting rather than conclusive. Here, we performed a case-control study and subsequent meta-analysis to examine the association between rs1137101 and DS cancer risk. Methods: A total of 1,727 patients with cancer (gastric/liver/colorectal: 460/480/787) and 800 healthy controls were recruited. Genotyping of rs1137101 was conducted using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay and confirmed using Sanger sequencing. Twenty-four eligible studies were included in the meta-analysis. Results: After Bonferroni correction, the case-control study revealed that rs1137101 was significantly associated with the risk of liver cancer in the Hubei Chinese population. The meta-analysis suggested that rs1137101 is significantly associated with the risk of overall DS, gastric, and liver cancer in the Chinese population. Conclusion: The LEPR rs1137101 variant may be a genetic biomarker for susceptibility to DS cancers (especially liver and gastric cancer) in the Chinese population.

[Functional polymorphism sites in non-coding regions of folate metabolism-related genes in the reproductive-aged population of Hubei Province].

Objective: To investigate the distribution of the functional polymorphisms in the non-coding regions of folate metabolism-related genes in the reproductive-aged population of Hubei Province. METHODS: Using Sanger sequencing, we examined the polymorphisms of the genes MTR (rs28372871 and rs1131450), MTRR (rs326119) and CBS (rs2850144) in 790 subjects before and during pregnancy from April 2020 to March 2021. We compared the distributions of the four loci between different populations. RESULTS: The distributions of the four genotypes of rs28372871, rs1131450, rs326119 and rs2850144 all conformed to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). Statistically significant differences were observed in the polymorphism distribution of rs28372871 between Hubei and Jiangsu (P < 0.05), in that of rs1131450 between Hubei and Shanghai (P < 0.05), and in that of rs2850144 between Hubei and Yazd, Iran (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This was the first investigation on the distribution of MTR, MTRR and CBS gene polymorphisms in the reproductive-aged population of Hubei Province. The effects of the functional loci in both encoding and non-coding regions of folate metabolism-related genes have to be comprehensively considered so as to formulate an appropriate folate-supplementary protocol.

[Correlation of sperm DNA fragmentation index with age and semen parameters in infertile men].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation of the sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) with age, sperm concentration and sperm motility in infertile men. METHODS: We collected semen samples from 531 infertile males in our hospital from January 2016 to June 2017. We determined the semen parameters using the computer-assisted semen analysis system, measured the sperm DFI by sperm chromatin structure assay, and analyzed the correlation of the sperm DFI with the age, sperm concentration and sperm motility of the patients. RESULTS: With the increase of age, the infertile males showed a significantly decreased proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≤15% and elevated proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≥25%, with a positive correlation between age and sperm DFI (r = 0.653, P < 0.01). With the increase of sperm concentration and motility, however, the proportion of the sperm with a DFI ≤15% was remarkably increased while that of the sperm with 15%

MicroRNA-124 Prevents H2O2-Induced Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress in Human Lens Epithelial Cells via Inhibition of the NF-κB Signaling Pathway.

AIM: To investigate the regulation of microRNA-124 -(miRNA-124) on NF-κB pathway from H2O2-induced apoptosis and oxidative stress in human lens epithelial cells (hLEC). METHODS: The MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay was used to detect hLEC -viability. HLECs were divided into Blank, H2O2, mimics (miRNA-124 mimics) + H2O2, NC+ H2O2, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC; NF-κB signaling pathway inhibitor) + H2O2, and inhibitors (miRNA-124 inhibitors) + PDTC + H2O2 groups. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were employed to detect mRNA and protein expressions, Dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate to measure reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and AnnexinV-FITC/PI staining to determine cell apoptosis. The mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was detected by fluorescence probe JC-1. RESULTS: The H2O2-induced hLEC showed reductions in cell viability with decreased miRNA-124 but increased p-p65 in a dose-/time-dependent manner. Furthermore, ROS production, malondialdehyde content, Bax and Caspase-3 expressions, and cell apoptosis were elevated in H2O2-induced hLEC, whereas the activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase, Bcl-2 expression, MMP, as well as the mitochondrial energy metabolism genes were reduced. Additionally, miRNA-124 mimics and PDTC both decreased the p-p65 and reversed the cytotoxicity in H2O2-induced hLEC. CONCLUSION: MiRNA-124 prevents H2O2-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis in hLEC through suppressing the activation of the NF-κB pathway.