Context:Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a novel histone methylation modulator that regulates energy metabolism, and NNMT knockdown prevents diet-induced obesity in mice. However, whether NNMT plays a role in human obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains to be elucidated.Objective: NNMT catalyzes methylation of nicotinamide to generate N 1 -methylnicotinamide (me-NAM). We aimed to investigate the associations of serum me-NAM with obesity and T2DM in Chinese.Design, Setting, and Participants: The study subjects (n ϭ 1160) were recruited from Dali, a city of Yunnan Province, in southwest China. Anthropometric phenotypes, fasting glucose, and serum lipids were measured. Serum me-NAM was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results: Serum me-NAM was positively correlated with body mass index and waist circumference and negatively with high-density lipoprotein (P Յ .03). The correlations remained highly significant in the multivariate adjusted correlation analyses. In men (n ϭ 691), positive correlations between me-NAM and fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein, liver function, and serum creatinine levels were also observed in both simple and multivariate adjusted correlation analyses. In multiple logistic regression analyses, elevated serum me-NAM was associated with higher risks for overweight/obesity (odds ratios, 2.36 and 5.78; 95% confidence intervals, 1.10 -5.08 and 1.78 -18.76 for men and women, respectively; P Յ .03) and diabetes (odds ratios, 1.56 and 1.86; 95% confidence intervals, 1.10 -2.22 and 1.05-3.31 for men and women, respectively; P Յ .03). Conclusions:This first large-scale population study shows that me-NAM, as an indicator of NNMT activity, is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes, supporting NNMT as a potential target for treating obesity and diabetes in humans. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 100: 3112-3117, 2015)

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The adsorption/desorption behavior of mobile solute molecules at a solution-crystal interface has been explored using crystals of model protein hen egg-white lysozyme (HEWL) and fluorescent-labeled HEWL (F-HEWL) molecules. We have tracked the transient processes occurring during adsorption/desorption of identical F-HEWL molecules on a tetragonal HEWL crystal surface by single-molecule visualization using a total internal reflection fluorescent microscope and pulsed discontinuous laser illumination. We found an induction period (∼70 min) after which the number density of F-HEWL molecules adsorbed mainly on steps increased linearly with the adsorption time. We show direct evidence that the residence time of molecules on the crystal surface gradually increases during the transition process from a solute species to the crystal after successive multistep processes.

Treating cerebral ischemia continues to be a clinical challenge. Studies have shown that the neurovascular unit (NVU), as the central structural basis, plays a key role in cerebral ischemia. Here, we report that anthocyanin, a safe and natural antioxidant, could inhibit apoptosis and inflammation to protect NVU in rats impaired by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). Administration of anthocyanin significantly reduced infarct volume and neurological scores in MCAO/R rats. Anthocyanin could also markedly ameliorate cerebral edema and reduce the concentration of Evans blue (EB) by inhibiting MMP-9. Moreover, anthocyanin alleviated apoptotic injury resulting from MCAO/R through the regulation of Bcl-2 family proteins. The levels of inflammation-related molecules including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which were over-expressed with MCAO/R, were decreased by anthocyanin. In addition, Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) and the NLRP3 inflammasome pathway might be involved in the anti-inflammatory effect of anthocyanin. In conclusion, anthocyanin could protect the NVU through multiple pathways, and play a protective role in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.