Our study showed that an intervention programme could be feasible in schools in Beijing, China. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was reduced in schoolchildren in Beijing through an intervention focused on nutrition education and physical activity. Overweight and obesity children as well as normal weight children and their parents should be involved in such an intervention programme.
Consumption of high-fat diet (HFD) is related with increased oxidative stress and dysfunctional mitochondria in many organs. The effects of resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) that can protect T lymphocytes in various disease conditions on the HFD-induced apoptosis of CD4(+) CD25(+) CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells (Tregs) were studied, and the possible mechanism was postulated. Resveratrol significantly decreased Tregs death induced by 20-wk HFD, being associated with the reduction of reactive oxygen species production and the alleviation of HFD-induced loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) in Tregs. Furthermore, resveratrol increased the expression of factors that regulated mitochondrial biogenesis in Tregs. Finally, resveratrol recovered the HFD-induced activation of apoptotic markers in Tregs. Resveratrol protected Tregs against HFD-induced apoptosis by reducing oxidative stress, restoring mitochondrial functional activities, and stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis.
BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sulforaphane (SFN), a natural isothiocyanate compound, in a rabbit ascending aortic cerclage model of chronic heart failure (CHF).Material/MethodsThirty New Zealand White rabbits were divided into the sham operation group (n=10), the CHF group (n=10), and the CHF + SFN group (n=10) treated with subcutaneous SFN (0.5 mg/kg) for five days per week for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, echocardiography and biometric analysis were performed, followed by the examination of the rabbit hearts. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot were used to detect levels of inflammatory cytokines, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA).ResultsIn the CHF group, compared with the sham operation group, there was an increase in the heart weight to body weight ratio (HW/BW), the left ventricular weight to body weight ratio (LVW/BW), the left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), the left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD), plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) levels, the cardiac collagen volume fraction (CVF), apoptotic index, expression levels of collagen I, collagen III, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the myocardial tissue, and a decrease in the left ventricular shortening fraction (LVFS) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and cardiac superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. These changes were corrected in the SFN-treated group.ConclusionsIn a rabbit model of CHF, treatment with SFN improved cardiac function and remodeling by inhibiting oxidative stress and inflammation.
Recent years have witnessed an increase in the prevalence of maternal obesity during pregnancy in the United States and worldwide. Obese women have increased risks for gestational problems, such as diabetes, hypertension, and pre-eclampsia. Further, gestational obesity can adversely impact fetal growth and result in macrosomia, congenital abnormalities, and even fetal death. Measures must be taken to reduce maternal adiposity, as even a modest weight loss during pregnancy is beneficial for the health of mothers and fetus. Calorie restriction and moderate exercise are proven safe methods of stopping weight gain and/or inducing white-fat loss in these subjects. Additionally, therapeutic drugs that activate the AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathway may be effective in ameliorating pathological conditions in obese patients. Finally, dietary supplementation with L-arginine or its effective precursor (L-citrulline) may be beneficial for managing overweight or obese gestating women by reducing white-fat accretion. Because of ethical concerns over human studies, animal models (e.g., sheep, pigs, baboons, rats, and mice) are warranted to test novel hypotheses with enormous biological significance and clinical applications.
Background
The evaluation for surgical resectability of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients is not only imaging-based but highly subjective. An objective method is urgently needed. We report on the clinical value of a phenotypic circulating tumor cell (CTC)-based blood test for a preoperative prognostic assessment of tumor metastasis and overall survival (OS) of PDAC patients.
Methods
Venous blood samples from 46 pathologically confirmed PDAC patients were collected prospectively before surgery and immunoassayed using a specially designed TU-chip™. Captured CTCs were differentiated into epithelial (
E
), mesenchymal and hybrid (
H
) phenotypes. A further 45 non-neoplastic healthy donors provided blood for cell line validation study and CTC false positive quantification.
Findings
A validated multivariable model consisting of disjunctively combined CTC phenotypes: “
H
-CTC≥15.0 CTCs/2ml OR
E
-CTC≥11.0 CTCs/2ml” generated an optimal prediction of metastasis with a sensitivity of 1.000 (95% CI 0.889–1.000) and specificity of 0.886 (95% CI 0.765–0.972). The adjusted Kaplan-Meier median OS constructed using Cox proportional-hazard models and stratified for
E
-CTC < 11.0 CTCs/2 ml was 16.5 months and for
E
-CTC ≥ 11.0 CTCs/2 ml was 5.5 months (HR = 0.050, 95% CI 0.004–0.578,
P
= .016). These OS results were consistent with the outcome of the metastatic analysis.
Interpretation
Our work suggested that
H
-CTC is a better predictor of metastasis and
E
-CTC is a significant independent predictor of OS. The CTC phenotyping model has the potential to be developed into a reliable and accurate blood test for metastatic and OS assessments of PDAC patients.
Fund
National Natural Science Foundation of China; Zhejiang Province Science and Technology Program; China Scholarship Council.
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