Effects of garlic powder supplementation on insulin resistance,oxidative stress,and body composition in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled clinical trial

BackgroundNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and obesity are major contributors to NAFLD pathogenesis. The effects of garlic powder supplementation on these risk factors in patients with NAFLD was investigated.MethodsIn this 12-wk, randomized controlled clinical trial, ninety patients with NAFLD were randomly assigned to two groups. The treatment group received four tablets of garlic (each coated tablet contained 400 mg garlic powder) daily and the control group received four tablets of placebo (each coated tablet contained 400 mg starch).ResultsA significant decrease was seen in the treatment group compared to the control group in waist circumference (P = 0.001), body fat percent (P < 0.001), serum concentration of fasting blood sugar (P = 0.01), insulin (P < 0.001), homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (P < 0.001), and malondialdehyde (P < 0.001), as well as significant increase in skeletal muscle mass (P = 0.002), serum concentration of superoxide dismutase (P < 0.001), and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.001).ConclusionGarlic powder supplementation improved risk factors of NAFLD. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of garlic on hepatic features in patients with NAFLD. The study protocol was registered at Iranian clinical trials website under code IRCT20170206032417N4.     

Perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) exposure during pregnancy increases blood pressure and impairs vascular relaxation mechanisms in the adult offspring

Perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) is a persistent environmental agent. We examined whether PFOS exposure during pregnancy alters blood pressure in male and female offspring, and if this is related to sex-specific changes in vascular mechanisms. PFOS was administered through drinking water (50 μg/mL) to pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats from gestational day 4 until delivery. PFOS-exposure decreased maternal weight gain but did not significantly alter feed and water intake in dams. The male and female pups born to PFOS mothers were smaller in weight by 29 % and 27 %, respectively. The male PFOS offspring remained smaller through adulthood, but the female PFOS offspring exhibited catch-up growth. The blood pressure at 12 and 16 weeks of age was elevated at similar magnitude in PFOS males and females than controls. Mesenteric arterial relaxation to acetylcholine was reduced in both PFOS males and females, but the extent of decrease was greater in females. Relaxation to sodium-nitroprusside was reduced in PFOS females but unaffected in PFOS males. Vascular eNOS expression was not changed, but phospho(Ser¹¹⁷⁷)-eNOS was decreased in PFOS males. In PFOS females, both total eNOS and phospho(Ser¹¹⁷⁷)-eNOS expression were reduced. In conclusion, PFOS exposure during prenatal life (1) caused low birth weight followed by catch-up growth only in females (2) lead to hypertension of similar magnitude in both males and females; (2) decreased endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation in males but suppressed both endothelium-dependent and -independent relaxation in females. The endothelial dysfunction is associated with reduced activity of eNOS in males and decreased expression and activity of eNOS in females.     

云南省德宏州2017年婚检人群HIV感染率及影响因素分析

  目的  了解2017年德宏州进行婚前医学检查人群中的（human immunodeficiency virus，HIV）感染状况并分析其影响因素。  方法  整理2017年德宏州的婚检人群数据，描述分析其人口学特征，并使用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析相应的影响因素。  结果  2017年德宏州共有21 875例婚检者参与HIV检测，有98人确证为HIV抗体阳性，HIV感染率为0.45%，男性感染率为0.47%（52/10 955），女性感染率为0.42%（46/10 920）。98例感染者中有20名感染者为首次新报告阳性，感染途径以性传播感染为主，占81.63%（80/98）。Logistic多因素回归分析显示:年龄、民族、是否吸毒是婚检人群HIV感染的影响因素。相对于25岁以下人群，31~、41~岁年龄组人群HIV感染危险性增加（OR=3.78，95%CI:1.81~7.89，P<0.001；OR=3.95，95%CI:1.72~9.08，P=0.001）；傣族、景颇族的HIV感染危险性高于汉族（OR=1.86，95%CI:1.06~3.29，P=0.031；OR=3.25，95%CI:1.81~5.84，P<0.001）。吸毒人群的HIV感染危险性远高于不吸毒人群（OR=926.76，95%CI:271.65~3161.71，P<0.001）。  结论  年龄、民族、是否吸毒为婚检人群HIV感染的影响因素，需要对危险因素采取针对性措施。HIV感染途径以性传播感染为主，通过婚检可以有效发现并控制HIV传播。     

ROS act as an upstream signal to mediate cadmium-induced mitophagy in mouse brain

As a well known generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cadmium (Cd) is found to be an effective inducer of mitophagy in mouse kidney and liver cells. Here, we aim to elucidate whether Cd can also initiate mitophagy in mouse brain and what role ROS play in this process. Our results showed that Cd caused overproduction of ROS. Meanwhile, Cd induced mitophagy, as indicated by the collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), formation of mitophagosomes, increases of PINK1 level and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio and decrease of mitochondrial mass. Scavenging of ROS by N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) or acetyl-l-carnitine (ALC) rescued MMP and mitochondrial mass, and squelched PINK1 level, mitochondrial accumulation of Parkin and LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, suggesting that ROS were associated with Cd-induced mitophagy. Cyclosporine A (CsA), an inhibitor of mitophagy, blocked Cd-induced mitophagy and PINK1/Parkin pathway but failed to suppress ROS increase, revealing that ROS are the causes rather than the results of Cd-induced mitophagy. In conclusion, this study suggested that ROS functioned on the upstream of PINK1/Parkin pathway to mediate Cd-induced mitophagy.     

Concurrent and cross-season protection of inactivated influenza vaccine against A(H1N1)pdm09 illness among young children: 2012–2013 case–control evaluation of influenza vaccine effectiveness

In 2012–2013, we examined 1729 laboratory-confirmed A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza cases matched 1:1 with healthy controls and estimated influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) for trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV3) to be 67% (95% confidence interval = 58–74%) for ages 8 months to 6 years old. Among children aged 8–35 months old, VE for fully vaccinated children (73%, 60–81%) was significantly higher than VE for partially vaccinated children (55%, 33–70%). Significant cross-season protection from prior IIV3 was noted, including VE of 31% (8–48%) from IIV3 received in 2010–2011 against influenza illness in 2012––2013 without subsequent boosting doses.     

Blood harmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) concentration in dystonia cases vs. controls

BackgroundHarmane (1-methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole) (HA) is a potent neurotoxin that has been linked to two neurological diseases, essential tremor and Parkinson's disease. Blood harmane concentrations [HA] are elevated in patients with both diseases. An important question is whether HA is specifically linked with these diseases or alternatively, is a non-specific marker of neurological illness.ObjectivesWe assessed whether blood [HA] was elevated in patients with a third neurological disease, dystonia, comparing them to controls.MethodsBlood [HA] was quantified by high performance liquid chromatography. Subjects comprised 104 dystonia cases and 107 controls.ResultsMean log blood [HA] in dystonia cases was similar to that of controls (0.41 ± 0.51 g⁻¹⁰/ml vs. 0.38 ± 0.61 g⁻¹⁰/ml, t = 0.42, p = 0.68). In unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses, log blood [HA] was not associated with the outcome (diagnosis of dystonia vs. control): odds ratio (OR)_unadjusted = 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69–1.79, p = 0.68; OR_adjusted = 1.07, 95% CI = 0.58–1.97, p = 0.84.ConclusionsIn contrast to the elevated blood [HA] that has been reported in patients with essential tremor and Parkinson's disease, our data demonstrate that blood [HA] was similar in patients with dystonia and controls. These findings provide the first support for the notion that an elevated blood [HA] is not a broad feature of neurological disease, and may be a specific feature of certain tremor disorders.     

Associations between serum amino acids and incident type 2 diabetes in Chinese rural adults

Background and aimsSome amino acids (AAs) may be associated with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This study aimed to determine the associations of individual AAs with the development of T2DM in rural Chinese adults.Methods and resultsA cohort study of 1199 individuals aged 18 years or older was conducted from 2006 to 2008 in a rural community of Deqing, China, a repeated survey was done in 2015 and data linkage with the electronic health records system was performed each year for identifying new T2DM cases. A high-performance liquid chromatography approach was used to measure the baseline serum concentrations of 15 AAs. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the associations between AAs and the risk of incident T2DM. A total of 98 new T2DM cases were identified during the follow-up of 12 years on average. Among 15 AAs, proline was associated with an increased risk of incident T2DM after adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, fasting plasma glucose, family history of T2DM, smoking status, alcohol use, and history of hypertension, the adjusted hazard ratio for 1-standard deviation increment was 1.20 (95% confidence interval: 1.00, 1.43). The association tended to be more marked in subjects younger than 60 years and overweight/obese subjects. Among participants without hypertension, proline and phenylalanine were associated with an increased risk of incident T2DM, while aspartic acid was associated with a decreased risk.ConclusionSerum proline was associated with the risk of incident T2DM in rural Chinese adults and might be a potential predictor.     

Why women may live longer than men do? A telomere-length regulated and diet-based entropic assessment

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