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This study aimed to investigate the effect of timosaponin B-II (TB-II) on palmitate (PA)-induced insulin resistance and inflammation in HepG2 cells, and probe the potential mechanisms. TB-II, a main ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, notably ameliorated PA-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, and significantly improved cell viability, decreased PA-induced production of tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Further, TB-II treatment notably decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO). TB-II also reduced HepG2 cells apoptosis. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and inhibitor of nuclear factor -B kinase (IKK)/NF-B pathways-related proteins, and IKK, p65 phosphorylation, serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at S307, tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, and Akt activation were determined by Western blot. Compared to model group, TB-II significantly downregulated the expression of p-NF-Bp65, p-IKK, p-IRS-1, p-PI3K and p-Akt. TB-II is a promising potential agent for the management of palmitate-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, which might be via IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt and IKK/NF-B pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which identifies the effect of serum antioxidase to chicken with different doses of Eimeria tenella. The study shows that the maleic dialdehyde (MDA) in serum decreased and increased significantly after infection with E. tenella. The study concluded that E. tenella of different dosage affects serum antioxidase.

Background and Objectives: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) genetic polymorphisms are considered to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but this is inconclusive. The aim of this study is to quantify the association between polymorphisms of BsmI and FokI in the VDR gene and T2DM risk through literature review.Methods and Study Design: Original articles published from 1999 to June 2014 were discovered through PubMed, ISI Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Wanfang Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with software STATA version 12.0.Results: Twenty-three articles containing 30 case-control studies were included. The association between the BsmI polymorphism and T2DM was weak in two genetic models (Bb vs bb and BB+Bb vs bb). The subgroup analysis showed that this association was only found in the studies with a small sample size (<200). A strong association between FokI polymorphism and T2DM indicated that this gene polymorphism was possibly a risk factor for T2DM (ff vs FF: OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.28-1.93, p<0.001; Ff vs FF: OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.31-1.81, p<0.001; ff+Ff vs FF: OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.35-1.83, p<0.001), especially in Chinese populations.Conclusion: More reliable conclusions about associations between VDR genetic polymorphisms and T2DM will depend on studies with larger sample size and by ethnicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of timosaponin B-II (TB-II) on palmitate (PA)-induced insulin resistance and inflammation in HepG2 cells, and probe the potential mechanisms. TB-II, a main ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, notably ameliorated PA-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, and significantly improved cell viability, decreased PA-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] (TNF-[Formula: see text]) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Further, TB-II treatment notably decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO). TB-II also reduced HepG2 cells apoptosis. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and inhibitor of nuclear factor [Formula: see text]-B kinase (IKK)/NF-[Formula: see text]B pathways-related proteins, and IKK[Formula: see text], p65 phosphorylation, serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at S307, tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, and Akt activation were determined by Western blot. Compared to model group, TB-II significantly downregulated the expression of p-NF-[Formula: see text]Bp65, p-IKK[Formula: see text], p-IRS-1, p-PI3K and p-Akt. TB-II is a promising potential agent for the management of palmitate-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, which might be via IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt and IKK/NF-[Formula: see text]B pathways.

Background and Objectives: Vitamin D receptor (VDR) genetic polymorphisms are considered to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but this is inconclusive. The aim of this study is to quantify the association between polymorphisms of BsmI and FokI in the VDR gene and T2DM risk through literature review., Methods and Study Design: Original articles published from 1999 to June 2014 were discovered through PubMed, ISI Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Wanfang Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with software STATA version 12.0., Results: Twenty-three articles containing 30 case-control studies were included. The association between the BsmI polymorphism and T2DM was weak in two genetic models (Bb vs bb and BB+Bb vs bb). The subgroup analysis showed that this association was only found in the studies with a small sample size (<200). A strong association between FokI polymorphism and T2DM indicated that this gene polymorphism was possibly a risk factor for T2DM (ff vs FF: OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.28-1.93, p<0.001; Ff vs FF: OR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.31-1.81, p<0.001; ff+Ff vs FF: OR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.35-1.83, p<0.001), especially in Chinese populations., Conclusion: More reliable conclusions about associations between VDR genetic polymorphisms and T2DM will depend on studies with larger sample size and by ethnicity.

Background: Many synthesized drugs with clinical severe side effects have been used for diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to identify natural and safe agents to remedy DN. Timosaponin B-II (TB-II), a major steroidal saponin constituent in Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, exhibits various activities, including anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic functions. However, the anti-DN effects and potential mechanism(s) of TB-II have not been previously reported., Purpose: To investigate the effect of TB-II on DN in alloxan-induced diabetic mice., Methods: TB-II was isolated and purified from A. asphodeloides Bunge using macroporous adsorption resin and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The effect of TB-II on DN was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice using an assay kit and immunohistochemical determination in vivo. The expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), and nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways was also measured using Western blot analysis., Results: TB-II significantly decreased the blood glucose levels and ameliorated renal histopathological injury in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. In addition, TB-II remarkably decreased the levels of renal function biochemical factors, such as kidney index, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, urinary uric acid, urine creatinine, and urine protein, and it reduced lipid metabolism levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides and the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in alloxan-induced mice. Furthermore, TB-II inhibited the expression of mTOR, TXNIP, and NF-κB., Conclusion: The results revealed that TB-II plays an important role in DN via TXNIP, mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, TB-II exhibited a prominently ameliorative effect on alloxan-induced DN.

Objective: To explore the value of multidetector CT on aiding intraoperative judgement of serosal invasion of gastric cancer., Methods: Clinical data of 206 cases of gastric cancer undergoing radical surgery in the First Hosptial of China Medical University from August 2009 to June 2011 were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperative CT findings and intraoperative judgement of serosal invasion in gastric cancer were compared with pathological results in order to investigate their values., Results: The sensitivity and specificity of preoperative CT findings and intraoperative judgement of serosal invasion were 88.5%, 81.5% and 98.9%, 61.3%, respectively. The accuracy of preoperative CT in diagnosing serosal invasion was higher than that of intraoperative judgement, while the difference was not statistically significant (84.5% vs. 77.2%, P=0.060). The rates of serosal invasion of normal type, reactive type, nodular type, tendonoid type and color-diffused type were 0 (0/29), 2.5% (1/40), 40.5% (15/37), 59.2% (29/49), and 82.4% (42/51) respectively. The accuracy of preoperative CT in diagnosing serosal invasion of gastric cancer with tendonoid type was higher than that of intraoperative judgement, and the difference was statistically significant (61.2% vs. 87.8%, P=0.002)., Conclusions: Multidetector CT plays an important role in aiding intraoperation judgement of serosal invasion of gastric cancer. For gastric cancer with tendonoid and color-diffused macroscopic serosal appearance, surgeons should pay attention to the value of preoperative CT findings.

Objective: To obtain the normal value of Coben analysis for Haerbin with normal occlusion and analyze the different features of cranio-maxilla-facial structure between male and female, between adults and children., Methods: 120 Haerbin subjects (60 adults and 60 children) who fulfilled specific normal occlusion were seleceted from primary schools and universities students of Haerbin. They were divided into comparison groups on the basis of age and sex. Lateral cephalograms were taken for all subjects, and the mean and standard deviation for each parameter was recorded and compared between groups. Paired t test was used to assess statistical significance., Results: In depth, both sexes exhibited great increment in the middle and lower face. In anterior and posterior face height, the male adults exhibited increment, and in female adults only the posterior face height exhibited increment. The male adults face far exceeded the female in vertical growth, and less than the female in horizontal growth. No statistically significant differences of facial form were found between the sexes in children., Conclusion: The normal values of Coben analysis for Haerbin with normal occlusion was established. There were significant differences in normal values of Coben analysis between male and female, between adults and children.