Preventive effects of interleukin-6 in lipopolysaccharide/d-galactosamine induced acute liver injury via regulating inflammatory response in hepatic macrophages

Lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine (LPS/d-Gal)-induced acute liver injury is characterized by significant inflammatory responses including TNF-α and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and is a widely applied experimental model for inflammation research. TNF-α is critical in the progression of LPS/d-Gal-induced liver injury. However, the role of IL-6 in this model is still unknown. In the present study, we aim to elucidate the involvement of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of acute liver injury induced by LPS/d-Gal in mice and its underlying mechanism. To induce acute liver injury, LPS (50 μg/kg body weight) and d-Gal (400 mg/kg body weight) were injected intraperitoneally in the C57BL/6 mice. The vehicle (saline) or a single dose of recombinant IL-6 (200 μg/kg body weight) was administered 2 h prior to LPS/d-Gal injection. Mice were sacrificed 2 h and 6 h after LPS/d-Gal injection. The results indicated that IL-6 treatment could protect mice from LPS/d-Gal-induced tissue damage, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) elevation, as well as hepatocyte apoptosis and inflammation. Furthermore, in vitro study showed that IL-6 treatment could significantly suppress LPS-triggered expression of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, TNF-α, RANTES and MCP-1 in macrophages while promoting the expression of M2 markers, such as Arg-1 and Mrc-1 in macrophages. Taken together, these findings revealed a novel and unexpected role of IL-6 in ameliorating LPS/d-Gal-induced acute liver injury via regulating inflammatory responses in hepatic macrophages.     

Inter-Rater Reliability and Correlation of L1 Hounsfield Unit Measurements with DXA Scores

Introduction: While prior studies have generally reported rigorous protocols using prespecified CT scanner settings for HU measurements, the present study sought to report on the correlation between DXA and HUs recorded using several CT scanners with varying sequences, simulating measurements performed in “real-world” hospital and Emergency Department (ED) settings. Methodology: Six raters performed HU measurements of trabecular bone at the L1 vertebral body for forty consecutive patients on Phillips and General Electric (GE) abdominal CT scans obtained between 2017 and 2021. Inter-rater reliability of the HU measurements and their correlations with recorded DXA-based bone assessments were determined. Correlation coefficients were calculated for the HU measurements between scanner vendors as well as for the CT HUs with each DXA measurement. Results: The ICC for L1 HUs read on the Phillips and GE scanners were 0.85 and 0.82, respectively, indicating excellent agreement. The correlation coefficient for the mean HUs on the Phillips and GE scanners was 0.92, also indicating excellent correlation. For both scanner vendors, the HU values most closely correlated with the total femur and femoral neck T-scores. Conclusions: HU values recorded on a Phillips and GE scanner both demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability. Correlations were strongest between L1 HU values and total femur DXA T-scores. Readily available abdominal CT image data across multiple hospital settings can be utilized by providers of varying level of imaging interpretation expertise to determine vertebral body Hounsfield units that may help identify osteoporosis risk without additional radiation exposure or cost.     

素食者与普食者骨密度及骨质疏松症发病情况的对比分析

目的:探讨素食膳食对骨密度的影响及素食者骨质疏松症的发病情况。方法：采用LEXXOS 型双能X线骨密度仪检测62例男性素食者(素食组)和60例男性同年龄组健康普食体检者(对照组)腰椎、股骨颈及大转子部位骨密度,并计算骨量减少及骨质疏松发病率。结果:与对照组比较,素食者在腰椎、股骨颈及大转子部位骨密度(tms?cm-2)明显降低（分别为0.752±0.075和1.014±0.096,0.697±0.071和1.003±0.111,0.713±0.083和1.011±0.097,P<0.001）;骨量减少及骨质疏松发病率则明显升高(分别为40.3%和13.3%,19.3%和5.0%,P<0.001)。结论:素食者骨密度显著低于普食者,骨量减少及骨质疏松症发病率明显高于普食者。
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电压依赖性钙通道与β细胞功能

电压依赖性钙通道(VDCC)是生物体内一大类钙通道,随着膜电位的改变而出现通道的开放、关闭和失活,调节细胞内Ca2+浓度,最终产生生物学效应。其亚型结构各异,在胰腺、心、脑、肾上腺、视网膜及神经等组织器官均有不同程度的分布。VDCC存在的普遍性决定了其作用的广泛性。在胰腺β细胞上,VDCC亚型包括L-型钙通道和非L-型钙通道,对β细胞的钙电流均有贡献,且都参与了胰岛素的分泌过程,对胰岛素的分泌时相起调控作用。因此,了解β细胞中VDCC不同亚型的特点、分布及生物学作用,对阐明糖尿病的发病机制、寻找有效的治疗策略具有重要意义。     

抗性淀粉与糖尿病

抗性淀粉是一种逃逸小肠消化,在大肠发酵的膳食纤维。目前研究认为,它能降低血糖、胆固醇、甘油三酯,增加胰岛素敏感性,减轻体重,对糖尿病有防治作用。本文就抗性淀粉对糖尿病的血糖、血脂和胰岛素抵抗的影响进行综述。     

静脉注射钙拮抗剂对大鼠胰岛B细胞功能影响的实验观察

目的观察不同钙拮抗剂对Sprague Dawley（SD）大鼠胰岛B细胞功能的作用。方法将正常成年SD大鼠随机分成4组（每组8只）：对照组、维拉帕米组、地尔硫卓组及尼卡地平组。利用静脉糖耐量实验技术（intravenous glucose tolerance test,IVGTT）观察静脉注射不同钙拮抗剂对大鼠胰岛B细胞分泌功能的影响。结果与对照组相比,钙拮抗剂维拉帕米、地尔硫卓和尼卡地平组的＋血糖升高,早期时相的胰岛素分泌下降。结论静脉给予钙拮抗剂降压可能影响胰岛B细胞的分泌功能。     

Left ventricular longitudinal systolic dysfunction in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveChildren with type one diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may have subclinical myocardial insults but large heterogeneity exists among the reports. This study aimed to compare myocardial strain values of the left ventricle (LV) in paediatric patients with T1DM without overt cardiac disease and healthy controls.MethodsFive databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane central register of controlled trials) were searched from inception to March 30, 2020. The studies reporting two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography in asymptomatic T1DM paediatric patients and control groups were included. Pooled mean strain values in each group and mean difference (MD) between the two groups for LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and LV global circumferential strain (LVGCS) were assessed using a random effects model.ResultsTen studies (755 T1DM and 610 control) with LVGLS were included with 6 studies having LVGCS (534 T1DM and 403 control). Patients with T1DM had overall 3 percentage points lower LVGLS than healthy subjects (18.4 %, 95 % confidence interval [17.1, 19.6] vs 21.5 % [20.3, 22.7], MD = −3.01 [−4.30, −1.71]). A similar result was seen in LVGCS (18.7 % [15.4, 22.0] vs. 21.4 % [18.1, 24.6], MD = −3.10[−6.47, 0.26]) but not statistically significant. Meta-regression identified those with higher Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) had worse GLS.ConclusionsSubclinical LV dysfunction among patients with T1DM occurs as early as in their childhood, while even EF is preserved. The longitudinal cardiac function is altered, but not the circumferential. GLS can be used to detect subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in paediatric population.