Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Serum Adiponectin Concentrations in Children and Adolescents with Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Serum adiponectin plays a vital role in various physiological processes, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-apoptotic and pro-angiogenic activities. Any abnormalities in its concentration can lead to adverse health outcomes, particularly in children and adolescents. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate factors influencing serum adiponectin concentrations in this population. The primary objective of this study was to systematically evaluate the impact of aerobic exercise on serum adiponectin concentrations in children and adolescents with obesity. To achieve this, a comprehensive literature search was conducted up to January 2023, utilising five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and Clinicaltrial.gov. The inclusion criteria involved studies that focused solely on aerobic exercise as an intervention for children and adolescents with obesity. Only studies that reported outcome indicators related to serum adiponectin were considered for analysis. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias (ROB) assessment tool, and statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4.1 analysis software. This meta-analysis incorporated data from eight trials, involving a total of 272 subjects. The results demonstrated that aerobic training significantly increased serum adiponectin concentrations [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.33 to 1.37; I2 = 0%; p = 0.001] in children and adolescents with obesity when compared to non-exercise controls. Furthermore, the magnitude of this effect appears to be influenced by the intensity of aerobic exercise, with higher-intensity aerobic exercise resulting in greater increases in serum adiponectin concentrations.

Downregulation of lncRNA GAS5 Alleviates Hippocampal Neuronal Damage in Mice with Depression-Like Behaviors Via Modulation of MicroRNA-26a/EGR1 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidences have demonstrated the roles of several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in depression. We aim to examine the capabilities of lncRNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) on mice with depression-like behaviors and the mechanism of action. METHODS: Fifty-six healthy mice were selected for model establishment. Morris water maze test and trapeze test were performed for evaluating learning and memory ability. The binding relationship between lncRNA GAS5 and microRNA-26a (miR-26a) and the target relationship between miR-26a and EGR1 were verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The apoptosis of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region of mice was detected by TUNEL staining. The expression of inflammatory factors, lncRNA GAS5, miR-26a, early growth response gene 1 (EGR1), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway- and apoptosis-related factors in hippocampal tissues was tested by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. RESULTS: miR-26a expression was down-regulated while EGR1 and lncRNA GAS5 expression were up-regulated in hippocampal tissues of mice with depression-like behaviors. LncRNA GAS5 specifically bound to miR-26a and miR-26a targeted EGR1. Silencing of lncRNA GAS5 curtailed the release of inflammatory factors and the apoptosis of hippocampal neuron of mice with depression-like behaviors. EGR1 suppressed PI3K/AKT pathway activation to promote the release of inflammatory factors and the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in mice with depression-like behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our study provides evidence that silencing of lncRNA GAS5 could activate PI3K/AKT pathway to protect hippocampal neurons against damage in mice with depression-like behaviors by regulating the miR-26a/EGR1 axis.

A Survey of Psychological Responses During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Epidemic among Chinese Police Officers in Wuhu.

BACKGROUND: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has presented serious threats to people's health and lives. Police officers are bravely fighting on the front lines of the epidemic. The main purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of psychological responses among police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic and find influencing factors in depression and anxiety. METHODS: A cross-sectional online questionnaire was administered to police officers in Wuhu through WeChat, and data were collected between March 10 and 26, 2020. A total of 3,561 questionnaires were received, of which 3,517 were considered valid. The questionnaires included demographic information and a psychological survey. The depression scale of the Patient Health QuestionnaireQ9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were utilized to assess depression and anxiety, respectively. RESULTS: The mean depression score of participants was 4.10±4.87 (0-27), and 12.17%had moderate-severe depression. The mean anxiety score of participants was 3.59±4.228 (0-21), and 8.79% had moderate-severe anxiety. Older and married police officers were at higher risk of anxiety. Those with a bachelor's degree or above, living near the city center, and taking sleeping pills were at greater risk of depression and anxiety. Auxiliary police had lower depression and anxiety scores. Depression scores were strongly correlated withanxiety scores (r=0.863, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings identify factors associated with higher levels of depression and anxiety that can be utilized to develop psychological interventions to improve the mental health of vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LIMK2 acts as an oncogene in bladder cancer and its functional SNP in the microRNA-135a binding site affects bladder cancer risk.

LIM kinases modulate multiple aspects of cancer development, including cell proliferation and survival. As the mechanisms of LIMK-associated tumorigenesis are still unclear, we analyzed the tumorigenic functions of LIM kinase 2 (LIMK2) in human bladder cancer (BC) and explored whether the newly identified LIMK2 3´-UTR SNP rs2073859 (G-to-A allele) is correlated with clinical features. Expression levels of LIMK2 in 38 human BC tissues and eight cell lines were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry. LIMK2 was overexpressed in most BC tissues (27/38, 71%) and BC-derived cell lines (6/8), and was more frequently overexpessed in high-grade than low-grade BC (80% vs. 47%). The effects of LIMK2 on BC cell proliferation, survival and migration, were studied by overexpression and RNA interference approaches in vitro and in vivo. LIMK2 overexpression promoted proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells, while LIMK2 depletion inhibited cell invasion and viability and induced growth arrest in vitro and in vivo. PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) was used to genotype LIMK2 SNP rs2073859 and multivariate logistic regression applied to assess the relationship between allele frequency and clinical features in 139 BC patients. Functional analyses localized SNP rs2073859 within the microRNA-135a seed-binding region and revealed significantly lower LIMK2 G allele expression. The frequency of A genotypes (AG + AA) was higher in the BC group than normal controls and correlated with risks of high-grade and high-stage BC. In conclusion, LIMK2 may function as an oncogene in human BC, while allele-specific regulation by microRNA-135a may influence disease risk.

Rottlerin as a novel chemotherapy agent for adrenocortical carcinoma.

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare, but aggressive endocrine malignancy with a generally poor clinical outcome. There is no effective therapy for advanced and metastatic ACC. In our study, we found that an existing drug (rottlerin) exerted its tumour-suppressive function in ACC. Specifically, rottlerin inhibited cellular proliferation of ACC cell lines (NCI-H295R and SW-13) in a dose- and time-dependent manner. We also found that rottlerin induced cell apoptosis and promoted G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in ACC cell lines. The cellular migration and invasion of ACC cell lines were decreased after treatment with rottlerin. Further, the molecular expression of lipoprotein receptor related protein 6 (LRP6) and ß-catenin were down-regulated in rottlerin-treated ACC cells, which indicated that Wnt/ß-catenin signaling was involved in the tumour-suppressive function of rottlerin. To further confirm the anti-tumour function of rottlerin, a nude mouse ACC xenograft model was used. The xenograft growth curves and TUNEL assays demonstrated that rottlerin inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in the ACC xenograft model. Furthmore, we verified that rottlerin down-regulated the expression of LRP6 and ß-catenin in vivo. The ACC cell line and xenograft mouse model data indicated that rottlerin significantly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of ACC cells, likely via suppression of the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Our study indicated the potential therapeutic utility of rottlerin as a novel and potential chemotherapeutic agent for ACC.

[Inlaid labial versus bladder mucosal graft repair for complex urethral skin fistula].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of inlaid labial mucosal graft repair (LMGR) with that of bladder mucosal graft repair (BMGR) in the treatment of complex urethral skin fistula after hypospadias repair. METHODS: This study included 55 cases of complex urethral skin fistula following hypospadias repair. We randomly assigned them to receive inlaid LMGR (n=36) or BMGR (n=19). After surgery, we compared the incidence of complications and recurrence rate of urinary fistula between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: The success rates of operation were 91.7% and 84.2% in the LMGR and BMGR groups, respectively, and the penile appearance was desirable in both groups. Postoperative complications included 2 cases of urinary fistula and 1 case of urethral stricture in each group. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the success rate of operation (P>0.05) or the incidence rate of postoperative complications (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both inlaid LMGR and BMGR yield satisfactory results in the treatment of complex urethral skin fistula. However, LMGR involves less injury in mucosa collection and is easier to perform and therefore deserves more clinical attention.

MicroRNA-205 suppresses the growth of adrenocortical carcinoma SW-13 cells via targeting Bcl-2.

Compared to adrenocortical adenoma (ACA), adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) has very poor prognosis and limited treatment options. Also conventional methods to distinguish ACC from ACA can be difficult. At this time, no molecular pathological markers are reliable enough to distinguish either tumor. Recently, increasing data have indicated miRNAs to be crucial regulators in the tumor­related processes. In the present study, we found that miR-205 expression is significantly suppressed in ACC tissues compared with ACAs, and that this induces apoptosis and impairs proliferation of ACC SW-13 cells in vitro as well as inhibits tumor growth in vivo. Using bioinformatic predictions, Bcl-2 was identified to be a target of miR-205 via 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) interactions, which was confirmed by luciferase assay, qRT-PCR, immunohistochemical assay and western blotting showing that mRNA and protein expression of Bcl-2 were negatively related to miR-205. Further investigation into the mechanism found that activation of Bcl-2 cleaved Bax, releasing caspase-9 and -3 that are involved in the intrinsic apoptosis pathway, eventually inducing SW-13 cell apoptosis. In conclusion, miR-205 suppresses the growth of ACC SW-13 cells via targeting the anti-apoptotic gene Bcl-2.