Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become prevalent in recent decades, especially in developed countries, and approaches for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD are not clear. The aim of this research was to analyze and summarize randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of probiotics on NAFLD. Methods: Seven databases (PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan Fang Data, and VIP Database) were searched. Then, eligible studies were identified. Finally, proper data extraction, synthesis and analysis were performed by trained researchers. Results: Anthropometric parameters: with use of probiotics weight was reduced by 2.31 kg, and body mass index (BMI) was reduced by 1.08 kg/m2. Liver function: probiotic treatment reduced the alanine aminotransferase level by 7.22 U/l, the aspartate aminotransferase level by 7.22 U/l, the alkaline phosphatase level by 25.87 U/l, and the glutamyl transpeptidase level by −5.76 U/l. Lipid profiles: total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were significantly decreased after probiotic treatment. Their overall effects (shown as standard mean difference) were −0.73, −0.54, and −0.36, respectively. Plasma glucose: probiotics reduced the plasma glucose level by 4.45 mg/dl and the insulin level by 0.63. Cytokines: probiotic treatment decreased tumor necrosis factor alpha by 0.62 and leptin by 1.14. Degree of liver fat infiltration (DFI): the related risk of probiotics for restoring DFI was 2.47 (95% confidence interval, 1.61–3.81, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Probiotic treatment or supplementation is a promising therapeutic method for NAFLD.

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has complex multifactorial pathogenesis. This study aimed to investigate the association of complement pathway genes with susceptibility to DR. Eight haplotype-tagging SNPs of SERPING1 and C5 were genotyped in 570 subjects with type 2 diabetes: 295 DR patients (138 nonproliferative DR [NPDR] and 157 proliferative DR [PDR]) and 275 diabetic controls. Among the six C5 SNPs, a marginal association was first detected between rs17611 and total DR patients (P = 0.009, OR = 0.53 for recessive model). In stratification analysis, a significant decrease in the frequencies of G allele and GG homozygosity for rs17611 was observed in PDR patients compared with diabetic controls (P corr = 0.032, OR = 0.65 and P corr = 0.016, OR = 0.37, resp.); it was linked with a disease progression. A haplotype AA defined by the major alleles of rs17611 and rs1548782 was significantly predisposed to PDR with increased risk of 1.54 (P corr = 0.023). Regarding other variants in C5 and SERPING1, none of the tagging SNPs had a significant association with DR and its subgroups (all P > 0.05). Our study revealed an association between DR and C5 polymorphisms with clinical significance, whereas SERPING1 is not a major genetic component of DR. Our data suggest a link of complement pathway with DR pathogenesis.

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With exercise being more frequently utilized in treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a systematic review of the intervention efficacy of exercise on OSA is necessary. PubMed, EBSCO, Web of Science, VIP, and CNKI databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of exercise applied to OSA from January 2000 to January 2022. The literature screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment of included studies were conducted independently by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was then performed using Rev Man 5.4 software. A total of 9 RCTs were included, including 444 patients. Compared with the control group, exercise made an improvement in apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) [MD = −6.65, 95% CI (−7.77, −5.53), p < 0.00001], minimum oxygen saturation (SaO2min%) [MD = 1.67, 95% CI (0.82, 2.52), p = 0.0001], peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) [SMD = 0.54, 95% CI (0.31, 0.78), p < 0.00001], Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) [MD = −2.08, 95% CI (−3.95, −0.21), p = 0.03], and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) values [MD = −1.64, 95% CI, (−3.07, −0.22), p = 0.02]. However, there were no significant changes in body mass index (BMI). As for the results of subgroup analysis, aerobic exercise combined with resistance exercise [MD = −7.36, 95% CI (−8.64, −6.08), p < 0.00001] had a better effect on AHI reduction than aerobic exercise alone [MD = −4.36, 95% CI (−6.67, −2.06), p = 0.0002]. This systematic review demonstrates that exercise reduces the severity of OSA with no changes in BMI, and the effect of aerobic exercise combined with resistance training is better than aerobic exercise alone in AHI reduction. Exercise also improves cardiopulmonary fitness, sleep quality, and excessive daytime sleepiness.

IntroductionPatients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are more likely to develop dementia compared to patients with non-aMCI (naMCI). Among the mixed samples of aMCI and naMCI, exercise interventions are effective for patients with MCI to improve cognitive functions. However, the influence of exercise interventions on patients with aMCI is still unclear.ObjectiveThe objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the influence of exercise interventions on cognitive functions in patients with aMCI.MethodsFour literature databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Cochrane Library) and three Chinese databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and China Science and Technology Journal Database) were searched from their inception to August 31, 2022. Based on the preliminary search of seven databases and their cited references, a total of 2,290 records were identified. Finally, 10 studies with a total of 28 data points involving 575 participants with aMCI were included in this meta-analysis. If the measurements of outcomes were different among studies, the effect size was synthesized using the standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). If the measurements were the same, the weight mean difference (WMD) with a 95% CI was used to integrate the effect size.Data synthesisThe results showed that exercise interventions had no significant effects on improving several specific domains of cognitive functions including working memory (WMD = −0.05; 95% CI = −0.74 to 0.63; p = 0.88; I2 = 78%) and attention (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI = −0.31 to 0.72; p = 0.44; I2 = 60%). Additionally, exercise interventions had a significant effect on global cognitive function (SMD = 0.70; 95% CI = 0.50–0.90; p &lt; 0.00001; I2 = 29%) and some specific cognitive domains including immediate recall (SMD = 0.55; 95% CI = 0.28–0.81; p &lt; 0.0001; I2 = 0%), delayed recall (SMD = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.45–0.87; p &lt; 0.00001; I2 = 37%), and executive function (SMD = 0.38; 95% CI = 0.16–0.60; p= 0.0006; I2 = 4%). Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on the intervention forms indicated that multi-component interventions (SMD = 0.44; 95% CI = 0.11–0.77; p = 0.009; I2 = 0%) appeared to be less effective than the single-component intervention (SMD = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.60–1.10; p &lt; 0.00001; I2 = 10%) in terms of boosting global cognitive function.ConclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that the exercise can help patients with aMCI improve global cognitive function. And exercise interventions have positive influence on enhancing several specific cognitive domains such as immediate recall, delayed recall, and executive function.Systematic review registration:http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42022354235.