Stages of psychological change among patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in China: a national cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming the leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. However, treatment of NAFLD is potentially influenced by psychological conditions. Using the simplified version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA-SV) scale, this study aimed to evaluate the stage of psychological change as a prerequisite to refining implementation strategies for psychological change. DESIGN: A multicentre cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Ninety hospitals in China. PARTICIPANTS: 5181 patients with NAFLD were included in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: All patients completed the URICA-SV questionnaire and were assigned to one of the three stages of change (precontemplation, contemplation or action) according to their readiness scores. A stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with the stage of psychological change. RESULTS: A total of 4832 (93.3%) patients were included in the precontemplation stage and only 349 (6.7%) considered making a change or preparing to make one. There were significant differences in gender (Cohen's d=0.039, p=0.005), age (Cohen's d=-0.327, p<0.001), waist circumference (Cohen's d=0.143, p=0.003), alanine transaminase (Cohen's d=0.347, p=0.001), triglyceride (Cohen's d=0.351, p=0.002), body mass index (BMI; Cohen's d=0.056, p<0.001), proportion of hyperlipidaemia (Cohen's d=0.068, p<0.001) and cardiovascular disease (Cohen's d=0.032, p=0.029), therapeutic regimen (Cohen's d=0.136, p<0.001), and Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire-Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease overall score (Cohen's d=-0.420, p<0.001) between patients with NAFLD in the precontemplation stage and those in the contemplation/action stage. Logistic regression identified BMI (HR 0.659, 95% CI 0.469 to 0.928, p=0.017), cardiovascular disease (HR 2.161, 95% CI 1.089 to 4.287, p=0.027) and triglyceride (HR 0.751, 95% CI 0.591 to 0.955, p=0.020) as independent factors predicting psychological change. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that very few patients with NAFLD presented psychological condition in the stage of action. Psychological condition was found to be significantly related to BMI, cardiovascular disease and triglyceride factors. Integrated diversity considerations for evaluating psychological change are necessary.

Characterization of Gut Microbiota Compositions along the Intestinal Tract in CD163/pAPN Double Knockout Piglets and Their Potential Roles in Iron Absorption.

The gut microbiota is known to play a role in regulating host metabolism, yet the mechanisms underlying this regulation are not well elucidated. Our study aimed to characterize the differences in gut microbiota compositions and their roles in iron absorption between wild-type (WT) and CD163/pAPN double-gene-knockout (DKO) weaned piglets. A total of 58 samples along the entire digestive tract were analyzed for microbial community using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The colonic microbiota and their metabolites were determined by metagenomic sequencing and untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), respectively. Our results showed that no alterations in microbial community structure and composition were observed between DKO and WT weaned piglets, with the exception of colonic microbiota. Interestingly, the DKO piglets had selectively increased the relative abundance of the Leeia genus belonging to the Neisseriaceae family and decreased the Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 genus abundance. Functional capacity analysis showed that organic acid metabolism was enriched in the colon in DKO piglets. In addition, the DKO piglets showed increased iron levels in important tissues compared with WT piglets without any pathological changes. Pearson's correlation coefficient indicated that the specific bacteria such as Leeia and Ruminococcaceae_UCG_014 genus played a key role in host iron absorption. Moreover, the iron levels had significantly (P < 0.05) positive correlation with microbial metabolites, particularly carboxylic acids and their derivatives, which might increase iron absorption by preventing iron precipitation. Overall, this study reveals an interaction between colonic microbiota and host metabolism and has potential significance for alleviating piglet iron deficiency. IMPORTANCE Iron deficiency is a major risk factor for iron deficiency anemia, which is among the most common nutritional disorders in piglets. However, it remains unclear how the gut microbiota interacts with host iron absorption. The current report provides the first insight into iron absorption-microbiome connection in CD163/pAPN double knockout piglets. The present results showed that carboxylic acids and their derivatives contributed to the absorption of nonheme iron by preventing ferric iron precipitation.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of chronic liver disease questionnaire-nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: a multicenter cross-sectional survey in China.

PURPOSE: The Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ)-Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a disease-specific instrument to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQL) of patients with NAFLD. In order to provide further evidence for the cross-cultural utility of this instrument in the Chinese population, we translated the CLDQ-NAFLD into Chinese and examined its reliability and validity. METHODS: Patients with NAFLD in 90 hospitals across China were enrolled in this multicenter cross-sectional survey. Eligible patients completed the Chinese version of CLDQ-NAFLD at enrollment to assess HRQL. Internal consistency of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and split-half reliability. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed using Spearman correlation coefficient. Factor analysis was used to test the construct validity. RESULTS: Between March and August 2019, 5181 patients with a mean age of 43.8 ± 13.3 years were enrolled. All domains exhibited good internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability greater than 0.70. The scaling success rate of all domains was 100% for convergent validity and 99.4% (179/180) for discriminant validity. The inter-scale correlations indicated a significant correlation between all CLDQ-NAFLD domains (r = 0.608 to 0.832, all p < 0.001). Factor analysis of 36 items extracted 6 factors, which explained 69.14% of the total variance. CONCLUSION: The Chinese version of CLDQ-NAFLD is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the HRQL of Chinese patients with NAFLD.

Changes in the Mucosa-Associated Microbiome and Transcriptome across Gut Segments Are Associated with Obesity in a Metabolic Syndrome Porcine Model.

Several studies have suggested a role for gut mucosa-associated microbiota in the development of obesity, but the mechanisms involved are poorly defined. Here, the impact of the gut mucosa-associated microbiota on obesity and related metabolic disorders was evaluated in a metabolic syndrome (MetS) porcine model. Body composition was determined among male Wuzhishan minipigs consuming a high-energy diet (HED) and compared to that of those consuming a normal diet (ND), and gut segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum) were sampled for paired analysis of mucosa-associated microbiota and transcriptome signatures with 16S rRNA gene and RNA sequencing, respectively. Our data indicated that long-term HED feeding significantly increased body weight and visceral fat deposition and aggravated metabolic disorders. Specially, HED feeding induced mucosa-associated microbiota dysbiosis and selectively increased the abundance of the families Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Lachnospiraceae in the upper intestine. The association analysis indicated that specific bacteria play key roles in adiposity, e.g., Lactobacillus johnsonii in the duodenum, Actinobacillus indolicus in the jejunum, Acinetobacter johnsonii in the ileum, Clostridium butyricum in the cecum, Haemophilus parasuis in the colon, and bacterium NLAEzlP808, Halomonas taeheungii, and Shewanella sp. JNUH029 in the rectum. Transcriptome data further revealed intestinal lipid metabolism and immune dysfunction in the MetS individuals, which may be associated with obesity and related metabolic disorders. Our results indicated that gut mucosa-associated microbiota dysbiosis has the potential to exacerbate obesity, partially through modulating systemic inflammatory responses. IMPORTANCE Obesity is a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome, which is the most common cause of death worldwide, especially in developed countries. The link between obesity and gut mucosa-associated microbiota is unclear due to challenges associated with the collection of intestinal samples from humans. The current report provides the first insight into obesity-microbiome-gut immunity connections in a metabolic syndrome (MetS) porcine model. The present results show that dysbiosis of mucosal microbiota along the entire digestive tract play a critical role in the proinflammatory response in the host-microbial metabolism axis, resulting in obesity and related metabolic disorders in the MetS model.

Alcohol and Metabolic-associated Fatty Liver Disease.

The diagnosis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease is based on the detection of liver steatosis together with the presence of metabolic dysfunction. According to this new definition, the diagnosis of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease is independent of the amount of alcohol consumed. Actually, alcohol and its metabolites have various effects on metabolic-associated abnormalities during the process of alcohol metabolism. Studies have shown improved metabolic function in light to moderate alcohol drinkers. There are several studies focusing on the role of light to moderate alcohol intake on metabolic dysfunction. However, the results from studies are diverse, and the conclusions are often controversial. This review systematically discusses the effects of alcohol consumption, focusing on light to moderate alcohol consumption, obesity, lipid and glucose metabolism, and blood pressure.

Health-related quality of life in Chinese population with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a national multicenter survey.

BACKGROUND: Health Related Quality of Life (HRQL) is a multi-dimensional construct that can comprehensively evaluate the patient's health status, including physical, emotional, mental and social well-being. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) on HRQL in a Chinese population. METHODS: In this national multicenter cross-sectional survey, patients with NAFLD were enrolled. Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire (CLDQ)-NAFLD was used to qualify HRQL. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify independent risk factors of HRQL. RESULTS: A total of 5181 patients with NAFLD from 90 centers were enrolled in this study (mean age, 43.8 ± 13.3 years; male, 65.8%). The overall CLDQ score was 5.66 ± 0.89. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that body mass index (BMI: HR, 1.642; 95% CI, 1.330-2.026), alanine transaminase (ALT: HR, 1.006; 95% CI, 1.001-1.011), triglyceride (HR, 1.184; 95% CI, 1.074-1.305), disease severity (HR, 3.203; 95% CI, 1.418-7.232) and cardiovascular disease (HR, 4.305; 95% CI, 2.074-8.939) were independent risk factors for overall CLDQ score. In the logistic analyses of individual domain, BMI and triglyceride were independent risk factors of all domains. ALT, disease severity, diabetes, depression and cardiovascular disease were influencing factors for the CLDQ score of several domains. CONCLUSIONS: This national multicenter cross-sectional survey in China indicated that the HRQL in patients with NAFLD was impaired. HRQL was found to be significantly associated with sociodemographic and clinical factors. Attention should be paid to the optimally managing care of patients with NAFLD to improve their HRQL.

[Research progress of stem cells in agricultural animals].

As an important biological technology, stem cell technology has been being widely used in the life sciences for a long time. There are three major ways to obtain stem cells with unlimited proliferation and differentiation capabilities, including 1) isolating embryonic stem cells (ESCs) from embryos, 2) isolating adult stem cells from adult tissues, and 3) in vitro reprogramming of differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In the field of agriculture, the efficient purification, culture and establishment of livestock and poultry stem cell lines are expected to significantly improve the efficiency of somatic cell cloning and genetic modification of cells. The technology of stem cell induced-gamete production will greatly simplify the generation process, and consequently improve the generation efficiency of genetically modified animals. In addition, by combining with gene editing, microinjection, stem cell transplantation, and embryo transfer, stem cell technology has great potential in the production of genetically modified animals, tissue and organ donors, in vitro induced gametes and genetically reconstructed embryos, in the screening of disease treatment targets, and in the research of new drug pharmacology, which is of great significance to the genetic improvement, disease prevention and treatment for agricultural animals. In this review, we summarize the current research progress of stem cells in agricultural animals, including pig (Sus scrofa), cattle (Bos taurus), chicken (Gallus gallus), goat (Capra hircus) and sheep (Ovis aries), to provide information for the studies in the field of stem cells in agricultural animals.

Prevalence and relationship of hypertriglyceridaemic-waist phenotype and type 2 diabetes mellitus among a rural adult Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: Limited information is available on the prevalence and effect of hypertriglyceridaemic-waist (HTGW) phenotype on the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rural populations. DESIGN: In the present cross-sectional study, we investigated the prevalence of the HTGW phenotype and T2DM and the strength of their association among rural adults in China. SETTING: HTGW was defined as TAG >1·7 mmol/l and waist circumference (WC) ≥90 cm for males and ≥80 cm for females. Logistic regression analysis yielded adjusted odds ratios (aOR) relating risk of T2DM with HTGW.ParticipantsAdults (n 12 345) aged 22·83-92·58 years were recruited from July to August of 2013 and July to August of 2014 from a rural area of Henan Province in China. RESULTS: The prevalence of HTGW and T2DM was 23·71 % (males: 15·35 %; females: 28·88 %) and 11·79 % (males: 11·15 %; females: 12·18 %), respectively. After adjustment for sex, age, smoking, alcohol drinking, blood pressure, physical activity and diabetic family history, the risk of T2DM (aOR; 95 % CI) was increased with HTGW (v. normal TAG and WC: 3·23; CI 2·53, 4·13; males: 3·37; 2·30, 4·92; females: 3·41; 2·39, 4·85). The risk of T2DM with BMI≥28·0 kg/m2, simple enlarged WC and simple disorders of lipid metabolism showed an increasing tendency (aOR=1·31, 1·75 and 2·32). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HTGW and T2DM has reached an alarming level among rural Chinese people, and HTGW is a significant risk factor for T2DM.

Chocolate consumption and risk of cardiovascular diseases: a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

OBJECTIVE: Studies investigating the impact of chocolate consumption on cardiovascular disease (CVD) have reached inconsistent conclusions. As such, a quantitative assessment of the dose-response association between chocolate consumption and incident CVD has not been reported. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies assessing the risk of CVD with chocolate consumption. METHODS: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched for articles published up to 6 June 2018. Restricted cubic splines were used to model the dose-response association. RESULTS: Fourteen publications (23 studies including 405 304 participants and 35 093 cases of CVD) were included in the meta-analysis. The summary of relative risk (RR) per 20 g/week increase in chocolate consumption was 0.982 (95% CI 0.972 to 0.992, I2=50.4%, n=18) for CVD (heart failure: 0.995 (0.981 to 1.010, I2=36.3%, n=5); total stroke: 0.956 (0.932 to 0.980, I2=25.5%, n=7); cerebral infarction: 0.952 (0.917 to 0.988, I2=0.0%, n=4); haemorrhagic stroke: 0.931 (0.871 to 0.994, I2=0.0%, n=4); myocardial infarction: 0.981 (0.964 to 0.997, I2=0.0%, n=3); coronary heart disease: 0.986 (0.973 to 0.999, n=1)). A non-linear dose-response (pnon-linearity=0.001) indicated that the most appropriate dose of chocolate consumption for reducing risk of CVD was 45 g/week (RR 0.890;95%CI 0.849 to 0.932). CONCLUSIONS: Chocolate consumption may be associated with reduced risk of CVD at <100 g/week consumption. Higher levels may negate the health benefits and induce adverse effects associated with high sugar consumption.

Association of TCF7L2 and GCG Gene Variants with Insulin Secretion, Insulin Resistance, and Obesity in New-onset Diabetes.

This cohort study was designed to evaluate the association of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) and proglucagon gene (GCG) variants with disordered glucose metabolism and the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a rural adult Chinese population. A total of 7,751 non-T2DM participants ⋝18 years old genotyped at baseline were recruited. The same questionnaire interview and physical and blood biochemical examinations were performed at both baseline and follow-up. During a median 6 years of follow-up, T2DM developed in 227 participants. After adjustment for potential contributory factors, nominally significant associations were seen between TT genotype and the recessive model of TCF7L2 rs7903146 and increased risk of T2DM [hazard ratio (HR)=4.068, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.270-13.026; HR=4.051, 95% CI: 1.268-12.946, respectively]. The TT genotype of rs7903146 was also significantly associated with higher fasting plasma insulin level and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance in case of new-onset diabetes. In addition, the TCF7L2 rs290487 TT genotype was associated with abdominal obesity and the GCG rs12104705 CC genotype was associated with both general obesity and abdominal obesity in case of new-onset diabetes.

Association of the ADIPOQ Rs2241766 and Rs266729 Polymorphisms with Metabolic Syndrome in the Chinese Population: A Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis was performed to summarize the association of the ADIPOQ rs2241766 and rs266729 polymorphisms with metabolic syndrome (MS) in the Chinese population. METHODS: We searched for articles in MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, HuGE Navigator, CNKI, and Wanfang databases and calculated odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) to determine the strength of associations in fixed- or random-effects models. RESULTS: We included 21 articles in the meta-analysis: 17 reports of ADIPOQ rs2241766 with 3628 cases and 3000 controls and 8 of rs266729 with 2021 cases and 2226 controls. We found an increased risk of MS with the ADIPOQ rs2241766 polymorphism in some genetic models (allele model: OR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.03-1.21; dominant model: OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.04-1.28; homozygote model: OR=1.22, 95% CI: 1.00-1.49) but no association with the ADIPOQ rs266729 polymorphism (allele model: OR=0.98, 95% CI: 0.82-1.17; dominant model: OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.79-1.02; recessive model: OR=1.09, 95% CI: 0.85-1.39; homozygote model: OR=1.03, 95% CI: 0.80-1.33). CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis suggest an association between the ADIPOQ rs2241766 polymorphism and MS in the Chinese population. G allele of ADIPOQ rs2241766 increases the risk of MS. Better designed studies with different ethnic populations and larger sample sizes are needed for assessing the relationship between ADIPOQ rs2241766 and rs266729 polymorphisms and MS in the future.

AdipoQ T45 G and G276 T Polymorphisms and Susceptibility to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Among Asian Populations: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression.

BACKGROUND: Adiponectin (AdipoQ) is an adipose-derived plasma protein that plays an important role in hepatic lipoprotein-lipid metabolism. Emerging evidence have shown that two common polymorphisms (T45 G and G276 T) in the AdipoQ gene may contribute to increasing susceptibility to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD); however individually published studies show inconclusive results. This meta-analysis aimed to derive a more precise estimation of the association of AdipoQ T45 G (rs2241766 T>G) and G276 T (rs1501299 G>T) polymorphisms with NAFLD risk. METHOD: Potential relevant studies were identified covering the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Bio-medicine Database (CBM), and Chinese Sci-tech Journals databases. Statistical analyses were calculated using the version 12.0 STATA software (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). Odds ratios (ORs) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. RESULT: Ten case-control studies were included with a total of 2,672 subjects, of these 1,117 being NAFLD patients and 1,555 being healthy controls. Our meta-analysis results revealed that the T variant of AdipoQ rs2241766 T>G polymorphism may be associated with an increased risk of NAFLD. There was also a significant association between the G variant of AdipoQ rs1501299 G>T polymorphism and an increased risk of NAFLD. Country-stratified analysis indicated that a higher AdipoQ rs2241766 T>G polymorphism was closely related with an increased risk of NAFLD in Chinese and Indian populations (all Ps < 0.05); a similar result was observed in Chinese populations between AdipoQ rs2241766 T>G polymorphism and an increased risk of NAFLD (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the current meta-analysis indicates that AdipoQ rs2241766 T>G and rs1501299 G>T polymorphisms may contribute to an increasing susceptibility to NAFLD. Moreover, this meta-analysis also suggests for future larger studies with stratified case-control population, and greater focus on the gene-environment interactions regarding NAFLD susceptibility for valid studies.

Association between Low-density Lipoprotein Receptor-related Protein 5 Polymorphisms and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Han Chinese: a Case-control Study.

OBJECTIVE: 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSION: No LRP5 variant was found to be associated with T2DM in Han Chinese, but haplotype TT was found to be associated with T2DM.

Intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction participates in the progress of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Intestinal mucosal barrier dysfunction is closely related to liver diseases, which implies impaired gut-liver axis may play a role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD. In our study, rats were divided into three groups: normal chow diet (NCD) group, high-fat diet (HFD) group and TNBS-induced colitis with high-fat diet (C-HFD) group. Liver tissues were obtained for histological observation and TNF-α, IL-6 mRNA determination and blood samples were collected for liver enzymes and LPS analysis. Ultrastructural changes of jejuna epithelium, SIBO and amounts of CD103(+)MHCII(+)DCs and CD4(+)CD25(+)FoxP3(+)T-regs in terms of percentage in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) were observed by electron microscope, bacterial cultivation and flow cytometry, respectively. The results demonstrated the pathological characteristics accorded with nonalcoholic simple fatty liver (NAFL) and NASH in HFD group by week 8 and 12, respectively. Besides, the degree of hepatic steatosis and steatohepatitis was more severe in C-HFD group compared with HFD-group at the same time point. NAFLD activity score (NAS), liver enzymes, concentration of LPS and mRNA expressions of TNF-α, IL-6 were higher significantly in C-HFD group compared with HFD and NCD group at week 4, 8 and 12, respectively. In HFD group, epithelium microvilli atrophy, disruptive tight junctions and SIBO were present, and these changes were more severe in NASH compared with NAFL. The percentage of CD103+MHCII+DCs and CD4+CD25+FoxP3+T-regs decreased significantly in NAFL and NASH compared with NCD group. Our conclusion was that gut-liver axis was impaired in NAFLD, which played crucial role in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

USF-1 genetic polymorphisms confer a high risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese population.

Genetic polymorphisms in upstream transcription factor 1 (USF1) were investigated for their links to increased risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in Chinese population. Between January 2013 and April 2014, 174 patients with NAFLD in the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University were selected for this study. A group of 100 healthy subjects were identified as the control group. The MALDI-TOF-MS, a mass spectrometry based technique, was used to detect USF-1 genetic polymorphisms using PCR amplified DNA products. Furthermore, Automatic Chemistry Analyzer (ACA) was used to determine the clinical indicators. Genotypes, allele frequencies and clinical indicators were measured to assess NAFLD risk in relation to the SNPs. USF-1 rs6427573 genetic polymorphisms were associated with an increased risk of NAFLD (AA vs. GG: OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.56-6.43, P = 0.001; GA + AA vs. GG: OR = 1.87, 95% CI = 1.13-3.09, P = 0.015; GG + AA vs. AA: OR = 2.96, 95% CI = 1.49-5.88, P = 0.001; G vs. A: OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.43-3.09, P < 0.001). Similarly, rs2516839 polymorphisms also conferred a risk for NAFLD (AA vs. GG: OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 1.43-4.34, P = 0.001; GA + AA vs. GG: OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.02-2.78, P = 0.041). On the other hand, rs3737787 and rs2774279 showed no statistical significances in the NAFLD group and control group (P > 0.05). Two USF-1 genetic polymorphisms, rs6427573 and rs2516839, may present an increased risk of NAFLD.

Effects of ethanol on the expression of caveolin-1 in HepG2 cells.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanol on the expression of caveolin­1 (CAV­1) in HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cells. Ethanol­treated HepG2 cells were investigated using the in vitro model to determine whether ethanol can influence the expression of CAV­1. Cell viability was measured using the colorimetric 3­(4, 5­dimethylthiazol­2­yl)­2,5­diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Expression of CAV­1 was detected using western blot analysis. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to determine CAV­1 mRNA levels. The distribution of CAV­1 in HepG2 cells was analyzed using immunofluorescence. The MTT assay results revealed that cell viability was not altered at ethanol concentrations of <1.0%, while ethanol concentrations >1.0% caused cell shedding, but not cell fragmentation. Western blot analysis showed significant differences in the levels of CAV­1 expression between the control group and the 1.0% ethanol­treated group at 6, 12 and 24 h (all P<0.05). qPCR showed significant differences in the expression levels of caveolin­1 mRNA between the control group and the 1.0% ethanol­treated group at 6 h, 12 h and 24 h (all P<0.05). Immunofluorescence demonstrated that CAV­1 was distributed discontinuously at the boundaries of HepG2 cells. The results indicate that ethanol may increase the expression of CAV­1 in HepG2 cells.

Live and heat-killed probiotic: effects on chronic experimental colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats.

Although a series of studies have shown that VSL#3 (L plantarum, L Bulgaricus, L casei and L. acidophilus, B breve, B longum and B infantis and S salivarius subspecies thermophilus) can exert therapeutic effects on colitis, whether heat-killed VSL#3 also can exert similar effects has never been tested. The aim of the study was to investigate whether heat-killed VSL#3 exert therapeutic effects in chronic experimental colitis by inhibiting STAT3 pathway. Chronic experimental colitis was induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in rats. Rats underwent gavage once daily for seven days with heat-killed VSL#3 (0.6 g/kg/day). The disease activity index (DAI), histological score, colon length and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was observed. Expression of inflammatory related mediators (STAT3, P-STAT3) and cytokines (IL-6, IL-23) in colonic tissue were detected. The results showed that live and heat-killed VSL#3 have identical anti-inflammatory effects by the assessed DAI, colon length, histological score and MPO activity. Live and heat-killed VSL#3 results in reduced IL-6, IL-23, STAT3 and P-STAT3 expression in colonic tissue. Heat-killed VSL#3 have showed significant anti-inflammatory effects by suppressing STAT3 pathway.

Prognostic and clinicopathological differences of DcR3 in gastrointestinal cancer: evidence from meta-analysis.

Many studies reported that DcR3 participated in the clinicopathological characteristics of gastrointestinal cancer, however, they all included few patients and had inconsistent results. So we conducted a meta-analysis to explore the correlation between overexpression of DcR3 and the clinicopathological characteristics of gastrointestinal cancer. Identical search strategies were used to search relevant literatures in PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. The prognostic significances and clinicopathological differences of DcR3 in gastrointestinal cancer were analyzed. A total of 28 studies comprising 3294 gastrointestinal cancer patients met the inclusion criteria. Overexpression of DcR3 was closely related with these clinicopathological features, including TNM stages (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.35-1.98), grade of differentiation (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.10-1.56), lymph node metastasis (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.66-2.47), infiltration degree (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.38-2.12), and metastasis (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.27-2.16). DcR3 may play an important role in gastrointestinal cancer, and DcR3 indicated distinct clinicopathologic features.

Consumption of tea and risk for pancreatic cancer: a meta-analysis of published epidemiological studies.

Epidemiologic studies on the relationship between tea consumption and pancreatic cancer are inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted a systematic search of databases and performed a meta-analysis to analyze the association between tea consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer. We searched Medline, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, and the Cochrane library for studies of tea consumption and pancreatic cancer published up to December 2012. Subgroup analysis was conducted by study type, study region, sex, type of tea, without or with adjustment for smoking, and body mass index. We performed a meta-analysis of 8 case-control studies and 6 cohort studies. For pancreatic cancer, the summary odds ratio (OR) for highest vs. lowest was 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84-1.08). The summary OR for moderate vs. lowest was 1.07 (95% CI, 0.86-1.35). The summary OR for ever vs. lowest was 1.00 (95% CI, 0.86-1.16). The results of this meta-analysis suggested tea consumption is not related to pancreatic cancer risk, even at high doses. Because of the small number of studies, further prospective studies are needed.

Relationship of SREBP-2 rs2228314 G>C polymorphism with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a Han Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims at investigating the relationship of SREBP-2 rs2228314 G>C polymorphism with the risk of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in a Han Chinese population. METHOD: This case-control study was conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. Three-hundred subjects who met the diagnostic criteria of NAFLD and had typical clinical and ultrasonographic findings were placed in the case group. There were 160 matched healthy controls in the control group. A common single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs2228314 G>C) in the SREBP-2 gene was tested. Genetic analyses were performed using genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was applied to detect SNP. RESULTS: Our results indicated that the GG genotype and G carrier (CG+GG) of rs2228314 G>C polymorphism in the SREBP-2 gene were strongly associated with susceptibility to NAFLD (both p<0.001). However, there was no significant difference in the frequency of G allele between NAFLD patients and healthy controls (p=0.328). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that GG genotype, G carrier, body mass index, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and γ-glutamyl-transferase might be associated with an increased risk of NAFLD (all p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide evidence that the GG genotype and G carrier (CG+GG) of rs2228314 G>C polymorphism in the SREBP-2 gene may increase the risk of NAFLD.