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Empagliflozin has been shown in clinical studies to lower the risk of adverse cardiovascular events. Using proteomics, the current study aims to determine whether empagliflozin reduces aortic alterations in obese mice and to investigate its molecular mechanism of action.

In recent years, panelists from the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) and the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) have conducted a systematic review of studies about sarcopenic obesity (SO) . Then in February 2022, ESPEN and EASO jointly released the Definition and Diagnostic Criteria for Sarcopenic Obesity, in which the definition and diagnosis of SO were detailed, aiming to reach expert consensus on a definition and diagnostic criteria for SO, thereby providing a reference for researchers and clinicians to facilitate the development of prevention and treatment of SO. We primarily interpreted the definition and diagnostic procedure (including screening, diagnosis and staging with proposed implementation method and relevant parameters) for SO in the Definition and Diagnostic Criteria for Sarcopenic Obesity, providing Chinese medical workers with guidance for coping with SO.

Pituitary adenomas usually cause damage to the gonadal axis, leading to a decrease in fertility in female patients. As pituitary gland enlarges during pregnancy, the hormone secretion of the gonadal axis changes accordingly. Therefore, it is particularly important to standardizedly manage pregnant women with pituitary adenomas. To this end, the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) published Clinical Practice Guideline on Functioning and Non-functioning Pituitary Adenomas in Pregnancy in August 2021, which details the timing and methods selection of diagnosis and treatment of pituitary adenomas from preconception to postpartum in terms of size, location, and endocrine function of adenomas. We interpreted this guideline and summarized its main points, with a view to providing practical guidance for Chinese clinicians to manage such patients based on relevant clinical evidence and patient characteristics in China.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of semaglutide on gut microbiota, cognitive function, and inflammation in obese mice. Method: Twenty-four C57BL/6J male mice were randomly assigned to three groups: a normal-chow diet group (NCD, n = 8), high-fat diet group (HFD, n = 8), and HFD+semaglutide group (Sema, n = 8). The mice were fed a HFD to establish an animal model of obesity and then administered with semaglutide or saline for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using the Morris water maze test. Serum pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured. 16S rRNA gene sequencing technology was used to explore gut microbiota characteristics in obese mice. Result: Obese mice showed significant cognitive impairment and inflammation. Semaglutide improved cognitive function and attenuated inflammation induced by a HFD diet. The abundance of gut microbiota was significantly changed in the HFD group, including decreased Akkermansia, Muribaculaceae, Coriobacteriaceae_UCG_002, Clostridia_UCG_014 and increased Romboutsia, Dubosiella, Enterorhabdus. Whereas semaglutide could dramatically reverse the relative abundance of these gut microbiota. Correlation analysis suggested that cognitive function was positively correlated with Muribaculaceae and Clostridia_UCG_014, and negatively associated with Romboutsia and Dubosiella. Romboutsia was positively correlated with TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β. While Clostridia_UCG_014 was negatively related to TNFα, IL-6 and IL-1β. Conclusions: For the first time semaglutide displayed different regulatory effects on HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. Semaglutide could regulate the structure and composition of gut microbiota associated with cognitive function and inflammation. Thus, affecting gut microbiota might be a potential mechanism of semaglutide in attenuating cognitive function and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the correlation between hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte count, platelet count (HALP) score and type 2 diabetic retinopathy (DR). Methods: The study was conducted on 674 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). According to the results of the fundus examination, they were divided into non-diabetic retinopathy group (NDR, n=388) and diabetic retinopathy group (DR, n=286). Collected patients baseline data, calculated HALP score, analyzed the correlation between HALP score and DR. Results: In all patients, male patients and female patients, the HALP score of the DR group was lower than that of the NDR group (P< 0.001), and the HALP score was negatively correlated with the incidence of DR (P< 0.05). HALP score was independent risk factors for DR, regardless of gender. In male patients, HALP score and DR had a linear relationship, but in female patients, HALP score and DR showed a nonlinear relationship, and HALP score was more sensitive to the onset of DR in male patients. The combined diagnostic model of HALP score, course of disease, SBP and BUN was used to diagnose DR, and it was found that the diagnostic value was the highest among male patients, with AUC of 0.761, sensitivity of 58.3% and specificity of 80.3%. Conclusion: HALP score was an independent risk factor for DR, attention should be paid to monitoring HALP score, especially in male T2DM patients. The accuracy of HALP score, disease course, SBP and BUN combined model diagnosis of DR was high, which can become a biological indicator for early screening of DR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterized by abnormal lipid metabolism and inflammation. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between neutrophil-HDL cholesterol ratio (NHR) and NAFLD in a healthy population. Methods: 1881 healthy people who underwent a physical examination from August to December 2023 at the Hebei General Hospital were chosen for this cross-sectional study. 936 individuals were ultimately included thanks to propensity matching and exclusion criteria. Ultrasound was used to diagnose fatty liver and a t-test or Mann–Whitney test was used to compare the clinical characteristics of participants between groups with and without fatty liver. Logistic regression was used to construct a new model that included NHR. The predictive value of NHR as well as the new model for NAFLD in a healthy population was assessed using logistic regression and subject work characteristic curves. Results: NHR levels were higher among participants in the NAFLD group than those without NAFLD(P< 0.05). NHR is a risk factor for NAFLD in a healthy population(P< 0.05). The odds ratios (ORs) of NHR for predicting NAFLD in Model I (adjusted for sex, age, and BMI) and Model II (adjusted for sex, age, BMI, HbA1c, TC, TG, and ALT) were 1.166 (1.022, 1.331) and 1.248 (1.110, 1.402)(P< 0.05). The new model created by logistic regression predicted NAFLD with an area under the curve of 0.676 (0.645, 0.706). Compared to participants in the low NHR group, the high NHR group exhibited a higher prevalence of NAFLD(p< 0.05). Conclusion: NHR is associated with NAFLD, which is a good predictor of NAFLD in a healthy population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective of this investigation was to explore the health status and epidemiological features of civil servants working in Hebei Province, China. Methods: Data was collected through a cross-sectional survey that involved 50,039 adult civil servants in Hebei Province. The research was conducted at the Hebei Provincial Medical Examination Centre and included inquiries about demographics, health behaviours, chronic illnesses, and abnormal check-up indicators. Statistical data were used to determine the prevalence of chronic diseases and abnormal health examination indicators. Subgroup analyses by sex were then conducted to calculate the similarities and differences in health status between men and women. Results: The findings of the survey indicate that 14.2% of individuals who work in civil service suffer from obesity. Additionally, a considerable proportion of this group display poor health behaviours, including smoking and alcohol consumption. Hypertension (21.03%), dyslipidaemia (10.88%), and diabetes mellitus (8.56%) were identified as the top three chronic diseases, while cardiovascular diseases were prevalent at 6.27% among civil servants. Ultrasound showed a high prevalence of fatty liver, non-smooth gallbladder and liver cysts (44.61%, 33.24% and 23.26% respectively). The occurrence of pulmonary nodules was alarmingly high at 88.48%, while thyroid nodules were found in as much as 62.65% of patients. Abnormal E/A values≤ 1, prostate hyperplasia, breast nodules, and carotid plaques were also prevalent, with percentages ranging from 46.76% to 63.04%. In subgroup analyses by gender, the prevalence of chronic diseases and abnormal screening indicators was consistently higher in men than in women, with the exception of thyroid nodules and thyroid surgery. Conclusion: The survey revealed a large proportion of civil servants in Hebei Province, China, suffering from chronic diseases, underscoring the necessity for enhanced attention to chronic disease prevention and management in this group and emphasising the requirement for focused interventions aimed at improving health outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilized proteomics to investigate changes in protein expression associated with lung health in obese mice exposed to semaglutide and empagliflozin through a high-fat diet. Methods: Twenty-eight male C57BL/6JC mice were randomly assigned to two groups: a control diet group (n = 7) and a high-fat diet group (n = 21). The HFD group was further divided into three groups: HFD group (n = 7), Sema group (n = 7), and Empa group (n = 7). Post-treatment, mice underwent assessments including glucose tolerance, lipids, oxidative stress markers, body weight, lung weight, and structure. Proteomics identified differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in lung tissue, and bioinformatics analyzed the biological processes and functions of these proteins. Results: Semaglutide and empagliflozin significantly attenuated obesity-induced hyperglycemia, abnormal lipid metabolism, oxidative stress response, and can decrease alveolar wall thickness, enlarge alveolar lumen, and reduce collagen content in lung tissue. Both medications also attenuated lung elastic fibre cracking and disintegration. In the HFD/NCD group, there were 66 DEPs, comprising 30 proteins that were increased and 36 that were decreased. Twenty-three DEPs overlapped between Sema/HFD and Empa/HFD, with 11 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated simultaneously. After analysing DEPs in different groups, four proteins - LYVE1, BRAF, RGCC, and CHMP5 - were all downregulated in the HFD group and upregulated by semaglutide and empagliflozin treatment. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that obesity induced by a high-fat diet causes a reduction in the expression of LYVE1, BRAF, RGCC, and CHMP5 proteins, potentially affecting lung function and structure in mice. Significantly, the administration of semaglutide and empagliflozin elevates the levels of these proteins, potentially offering therapeutic benefits against lung injury caused by obesity. Merging semaglutide with empagliflozin may exert a more pronounced impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was designed to analyze correlations between the uric acid to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (UHR) and peripheral nerve conduction velocity (NCV) among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. Patients and Methods: This was a single-center cross-sectional analysis of 324 T2DM patients. All patients were separated into a group with normal NCV (NCVN) and a group with abnormal NCV (NCVA). Patients were also classified into groups with low and high UHR values based on the median UHR in this study cohort. Neurophysiological data including motor and sensory conduction velocity (MCV and SCV, respectively) were measured for all patients. Results: Relative to patients with low UHR values, those in the high UHR group presented with greater NCVA prevalence (P = 0.002). UHR remained negatively correlated with bilateral superficial peroneal nerve SCV, bilateral common peroneal nerve MCV, bilateral ulnar nerve SCV, and bilateral right median nerve MCV even after adjustment for confounding factors. UHR was identified as an NCVA-related risk factor, with a 1.370-fold increase in NCVA prevalence for every unit rise in UHR (P < 0.001). Conclusion: These results identify UHR as a risk factor associated with NCVA that was independently negatively associated with NCV among T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]