The gene polymorphisms of eNOS and MTHFR modulates the development of preeclampsia in Han population.

We explored the effects of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene -786 T > C and 894 G > T locus polymorphisms and the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene 1298 A > C and 677 C > T locus polymorphisms on preeclampsia (PE) in pregnant women in Quanzhou area and provide reliable and stable predictors PE. This study included 160 normal pregnant women (normal control group) and 160 women with preeclampsia (PE group). Polymorphisms in eNOS gene and MTHFR were analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction/restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR/RFLP) technique. eNOS 894 G > T locus and MTHFR 1298 A > C locus had no significant difference between the two groups. In the PE patients, eNOS -786 T allele (OR: 2.07, p = 0.03) and MTHFR 677 C allele (OR: 1.83, p = 0.04) had significantly lower frequency. The nitric oxide (NO) level in patients with eNOS -786 C C was significantly lower than that in those with -786 TT. The homocysteine (Hcy) level in patients with MTHFR 677 TT was significantly higher than that in those with 677 C C. In conclusion, the frequency of the eNOS -786 C C genotype and MTHFR 677 TT genotype are higher in women with PE, which cause lower NO level and higher Hcy level.

Inhibiting miR-182-3p Alleviates Gestational Diabetes Mellitus by Improving Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscle.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is one of the most common metabolic diseases occurring during pregnancy. MiR-182-3p participates in a variety of physiological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and migration5, but its role in GDM is largely unknown. Aims: To investigate the relationship between miRNA-182-3p and GDM and explore a potential therapeutic strategy for GDM. Study Design: Animal experimentation. Methods: To evaluate the effect of miRNA182-3p in GDM, mice were separated as negative control (NC), miRNA-182-3p mimic or miRNA-182-3p inhibitor, and miRNAs were administered intraperitoneally. Additionally, miRNA-182-3p mimic or miRNA-182-3p inhibitor was transfected into C2C12 cells to evaluate glucose metabolism and insulin-related pathways. Results: The miR-182-3p mimic accelerated GDM, which was effectively reversed by the inhibitor in GDM mice (P = 0.005, miR- 182-3p inhibitor vs. mimic). Insulin receptor 1 (INSR1) was predicted to be the direct target gene of miR-182-3p using online tools. In addition, the miR-182-3p mimic inhibited INSR1 expression and insulin-related pathways in vivo and in vitro, which were all reversed by the miRNA82-3p inhibitor. Furthermore, the miR-182-3p mimic impaired glucose uptake and consumption by inhibiting translocation of glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) toward the C2C12 cell membrane (P = 0.007 vs. control), while the inhibitor accelerated these processes (P = 0.032 vs. control; P = 0.005, miRNA-182-3p inhibitor vs. mimic). Conclusion: Inhibiting miR-182-3p effectively alleviated the development of GDM through INSR1, suggesting a potential therapeutic strategy for GDM.

Pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of cholesterol esterification enzymes reduces tumour burden: A systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical models.

Cholesterol esterification proteins Sterol-O acyltransferases (SOAT) 1 and 2 are emerging prognostic markers in many cancers. These enzymes utilise fatty acids conjugated to coenzyme A to esterify cholesterol. Cholesterol esterification is tightly regulated and enables formation of lipid droplets that act as storage organelles for lipid soluble vitamins and minerals, and as cholesterol reservoirs. In cancer, this provides rapid access to cholesterol to maintain continual synthesis of the plasma membrane. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we summarise the current depth of understanding of the role of this metabolic pathway in pan-cancer development. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for preclinical studies identified eight studies where cholesteryl ester concentrations were compared between tumour and adjacent-normal tissue, and 24 studies where cholesterol esterification was blocked by pharmacological or genetic approaches. Tumour tissue had a significantly greater concentration of cholesteryl esters than non-tumour tissue (p < 0.0001). Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of SOAT was associated with significantly smaller tumours of all types (p ≤ 0.002). SOAT inhibition increased tumour apoptosis (p = 0.007), CD8 + lymphocyte infiltration and cytotoxicity (p ≤ 0.05), and reduced proliferation (p = 0.0003) and metastasis (p < 0.0001). Significant risk of publication bias was found and may have contributed to a 32% overestimation of the meta-analysed effect size. Avasimibe, the most frequently used SOAT inhibitor, was effective at doses equivalent to those previously reported to be safe and tolerable in humans. This work indicates that SOAT inhibition should be explored in clinical trials as an adjunct to existing anti-neoplastic agents.