Middle- and high-molecular weight adiponectin levels in relation to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

OBJECTIVE: Adiponectin (APN) circulates as high-molecular weight (HMW), medium-molecular weight (MMW), and low-molecular weight (LMW) forms. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common cause of chronic liver disease. Currently, the role of LMW, MMW, and HMW APN remains largely unclear in NAFLD. METHODS: We examined the variation of these forms and analyzed the related clinical characteristics in NAFLD. A total of 63 male NAFLD patients (mean age: 43.00 ± 6.10 years) and 70 healthy male subjects (mean age: 42.53 ± 7.98 years) were included in the study. Total APN and other clinical characteristics were measured. The changes in HMW, MMW, and LMW APN were determined in NAFLD patients and NAFLD patients on a high-fat diet, and the association between the groups was further analyzed. RESULTS: Decreased levels of total APN and three APN isoforms were found in NAFLD. Significantly decreased levels of HMW (P < .01) and MMW (P < .001) were observed in NAFLD of high-fat diet patients. In NAFLD patients, height (R = -.270, P = .032) and N-epsilon-(carboxymethyl) lysine (R = -.259, P = .040) significantly correlated with total APN. HMW APN was significantly associated with fasting plasma glucose (R = .350, P = .016), alanine aminotransferase (R = -.321, P = .029), and aspartate aminotransferase (R = -.295, P = .045). Additionally, MMW APN was significantly associated with total cholesterol (R = .357, P = .014) and high-density lipoprotein (R = .556, P < .0001). Low-density lipoprotein (R = -.283, P = .054) was also clearly associated with LMW APN in NAFLD patients. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HMW and MMW APN may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of NAFLD.

Metabolic profiles analysis of 1,3-propanediol production process by Clostridium butyricum through repeated batch fermentation coupled with activated carbon adsorption.

1,3-propanediol production by Clostridium butyricum is a low productivity process due to the long time seed cultivation and thus hinders its industrial scale production. In the present study, repeated batch fermentation coupled with activated carbon adsorption strategy was first established which conduced not only to saving the time of seed cultivation and enhancing the productivity, but also to reducing the costs for the seed cultivation to achieve the purpose of 1,3-propanediol continuous production. The concentration of 1,3-propanediol from first to fourth cycle was 42.89, 45.78, 44.48, 42.39 (g/L), and the corresponding volumetric productivity was 2.14, 1.91, 1.85, 2.12 (g/L · h-1 ) respectively. More importantly, a relatively complete schematic diagram of the proposed metabolic pathways was firstly mapped out based on the intracellular metabolites analysis through GC-MS. At the same time, metabolic pathway and principal components analyses were carried out to give us deep insight into metabolic state. Many metabolites occurred to response to the stress in Cycle II. Even resting body formed and lipid accumulated owing to the worsening environment in the group without activated carbon in Cycle III. Thus, it demonstrated that activated carbon provided a favorable microenvironment for Clostridium butyricum in the repeated batch fermentation process to achieve the purpose of 1,3-propanediol continuous production.