Huai Bai

Environmental and genetic factors are related to the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). Cytochrome P450 2E1 ( CYP2E1 ) is crucial for the metabolism of endogenous and xenobiotic substances, possibly involved in the pathophysiology of PE. This study explored the association between CYP2E1 96-bp insertion/deletion (I/D) and rs2031920 (C-1054T) genetic variants and the risk of PE in 335 patients with PE and 1301 healthy pregnant women. The CYP2E1 C-1054T variant was linked to an elevated risk of PE according to the dominant, genotype, and allele genetic models ( P < 0.05). The genotype TT + CT remained a significant predictor of PE in the logistic regression model including age, gestational age, and body mass index at delivery (OR = 1.606, 95% CI: 1.137–2.286; P = 0.007). Moreover, the combined genotype TT + CT/II + ID of the C-1054T and 96-bp I/D variants further heightened the risk of PE, with the combined genotype DD/CC serving as the reference category (OR = 2.383, 95% CI: 1.381–4.106, P = 0.002). Furthermore, patients with the -1054T allele had lower serum albumin levels and total antioxidant capacity, and more severe proteinuria than those with the CC genotype ( P < 0.05), and patients with the 96-bp I allele had a relatively higher atherosclerosis index than those with the DD genotype ( P = 0.057). No significant differences in genotype frequencies of PE with severe features, platelet count, serum hepatic enzyme activities and creatinine levels were observed according to the different genotypes ( P > 0.05). We conclude that the T allele of the C-1054T variant and its integration with the I allele of the 96-bp I/D variant in CYP2E1 are linked to an elevated risk of PE in Chinese women.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a prevalent complication of pregnancy, is characterized by the onset of hyperglycemia during gestation [1]. The prevalence of GDM varies globally, affecting 1–2...

Lymphangiogenesis plays pivotal roles in diverse physiological and pathological conditions. Steady direct-current electric fields (DC EFs) induce vascular endothelial behaviors related to angiogenesis have been observed. This study investigated the effects of DC EFs on the lymphangiogenic response of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs). We demonstrated that EFs stimulation induced directional migration, reorientation, and elongation of human LECs in culture. These lymphangiogenic responses required VEGF receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) activation and were mediated through the PI3K-Akt, Erk1/2, and p38 MAPK signaling pathways in relation to the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. Our results indicate that endogenous EFs may play a role in lymphangiogenesis in vivo, and VEGFR-3 signaling activation may be involved in the cellular function of LECs driven by EFs.

Leptin signaling plays an important role in regulating metabolism and reproduction. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between polymorphisms of leptin receptor (LEPR) gene A223G...

Purpose To investigate the association of cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1) C-1054T (rs2031920) and 96-bp I/D genetic variations with the risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and to estimate the effects of genotypes on the clinical, metabolic, hormonal, and oxidative stress indicators. Methods This case–control study included 762 control women and 1034 patients with PCOS. Genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction and/or restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Clinical and biochemical parameters were also analyzed. Results Frequencies of the TT + CT genotype (35.4 vs. 28.9%) and T allele (19.6 vs. 16.0%) of the CYP2E1 C-1054T polymorphism were significantly higher in the PCOS group than in the control group (OR = 1.350, 95% CI 1.103–1.652, P = 0.004 for the dominant model). Genotype TT + CT remained a significant predictor of PCOS in a logistic regression model including age, body mass index (BMI), and recruitment year of participants (OR = 1.345, 95% CI 1.071–1.688, P = 0.011). No statistical differences were found in the genotype and allele frequencies of CYP2E1 96-bp I/D polymorphism. However, the combined genotype DD/TT + CT was related to an increased risk of PCOS when the DD/CC wild-type combined genotype was used as a reference. Patients with the I allele of 96-bp I/D polymorphism had a lower BMI but higher plasma apolipoprotein B and oxidized low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels than those with the DD genotype. Conclusion CYP2E1 C-1054T, but not 96-bp I/D, genetic polymorphism is associated with an increased risk of PCOS in Chinese women.

Background: ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) has important roles in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism and reverse cholesterol transport, and is implicated in lipid-related disorders. Genetic variants are involved in the pathogenesis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The objective of this study was to investigate the association of rs2230806 (R219K), a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the lipid-related gene, with the risk of GDM and related traits.Methods: The SNP, rs2230806, was genotyped, and clinical and metabolic parameters were determined in 660 GDM patients and 1,097 control subjects. Genetic associations with related traits were also analyzed.Results: The genotype distributions were similar in GDM patients and normal controls. However, significant differences in the variables examined in the study subjects were noted across the three genotypes. The genotype at the rs2230806 polymorphism was significantly associated with HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels and atherogenic index (AI) values in GDM patients and total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in control subjects. Subgroup analysis showed that the polymorphism was associated with diastolic blood pressure, in addition to HDL-C levels and AI, in overweight/obese GDM patients, while it was associated with TC levels, AI, pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), and BMI at delivery in non-obese GDM patients. In addition, this polymorphism was associated with TC, LDL-C, and apoB levels in overweight/obese control subjects.Conclusions: The rs2230806 polymorphism in the ABCA1 gene was associated with variations in atherometabolic traits in GDM patients, with characteristics of BMI dependency, but not with GDM. Our findings highlight a link between related phenotypes in women with GDM and genetic factors.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is generally considered a multifactorial disease caused by interactions between multiple susceptible genes and environmental factors. Glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in glutathione biosynthesis. This study examined the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the GCL catalytic subunit (GCLC C-129 T) and the modifier subunit (GCLM C-588 T) and PCOS. The two SNPs were genotyped in 1017 PCOS patients and 793 control women. Clinical, metabolic, hormonal, and oxidative stress parameters were also assessed. The frequencies of the CT + TT genotypes (21.6% vs. 27.7%) and T allele (11.5% vs. 14.7%) of SNP GCLC C-129 T were significantly lower in hyperandrogenism (HA)-PCOS patients than in control women. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the relative hazard of HA-PCOS was lower in individuals with the -129 T allele (CT + TT genotypes) than in those with the CC genotype (OR = 0.723, 95% CI: 0.571–0.915, P = 0.007). When using the GCLC-CC/GCLM-CC combined genotype as the reference category, the GCLC-CT + TT/GCLM-CC combined genotype was a protective factor for PCOS with HA (OR = 0.743, 95% CI: 0.566–0.976, P = 0.033). HA-PCOS patients with the -129 T allele had lower waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index (BMI) and lower fasting insulin concentration and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance after correcting for age and BMI (P < 0.05). The T allele of SNP GCLC C-129 T and its combination with the CC genotype of SNP GCLM C-588 T are associated with decreased risk of HA-PCOS in Chinese women.

We prepared carboxyl‐containing carbonized polymer dots (CPDs) with dual‐wavelength emission through a simple hydrothermal method. The CPDs emit blue light in live cells under the excitation at 405 nm, and show green fluorescence in cytoplasm and nucleoli when excited at 488 nm. No fluorescence can be seen in nuclei except nucleoli under the excitation at 488 nm, which means that the CPDs have excellent ability of labeling nucleoli in live cells with low background interference. This ability of the CPDs is derived from the aggregation induced by the hydrogen bonding between the carboxyl groups of the CPDs and the hydroxyl groups of ribonucleic acid at nucleoli. Fluorescence and cell culture passage experiments prove that the CPDs have no strong interaction with RNA, and all of them can be excreted out of cells in a couple of days. In vivo imaging for Caenorhabditis elegans indicates that the CPDs show the possibility of labeling nucleoli in live organisms in real‐time.

Physiological electric fields (EFs), as one of the environmental cues influencing both normal and tumor cells, have profound effects on tumor cell malignancy potential. The cellular responses to EFs by choriocarcinoma cells and their underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, the migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation of choriocarcinoma cells in electric field culture showed that choriocarcinoma cells migrated cathodally in an applied EF, and EF stimulation influenced cell cycle progression through G2/M arrest and therefore induced a reduction in cellular proliferation. The transcriptome of choriocarcinoma cells subjected to EF stimulation (150 mV/mm) was analyzed using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), and the results were verified by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that ErbB and HIF-1 signaling pathways that are involved in cell migration/motility, cell cycle progression and proliferation were significantly altered in cells treated with an EF of 150 mV/mm compared with control cells, and in addition, the downstream pathways of these signaling pathways such as AKT and P42/P44 MAPK (ERK1/2) showed primary activation by Western blotting. This study’s results suggest that an applied EF is an effective cue in regulating cellular phenotypes of choriocarcinoma cells and that transcriptional analysis contributes to the understanding of the mechanism of EF-guided cell functions.