NOCTURNIN Gene Diurnal Variation in Healthy Volunteers and Expression Levels in Shift Workers

Gene Characterization of Nocturnin Paralogues in Goldfish: Full Coding Sequences, Structure, Phylogeny and Tissue Expression

The aim of this work is the full characterization of all the nocturnin (noc) paralogues expressed in a teleost, the goldfish. An in silico analysis of the evolutive origin of noc in Osteichthyes is performed, including the splicing variants and new paralogues appearing after teleostean 3R genomic duplication and the cyprinine 4Rc. After sequencing the full-length mRNA of goldfish, we obtained two isoforms for noc-a (noc-aa and noc-ab) with two splice variants (I and II), and only one for noc-b (noc-bb) with two transcripts (II and III). Using the splicing variant II, the prediction of the secondary and tertiary structures renders a well-conserved 3D distribution of four α-helices and nine β-sheets in the three noc isoforms. A synteny analysis based on the localization of noc genes in the patrilineal or matrilineal subgenomes and a phylogenetic tree of protein sequences were accomplished to stablish a classification and a long-lasting nomenclature of noc in goldfish, and valid to be extrapolated to allotetraploid Cyprininae. Finally, both goldfish and zebrafish showed a broad tissue expression of all the noc paralogues. Moreover, the enriched expression of specific paralogues in some tissues argues in favour of neo- or subfunctionalization.

Night shift work and serum markers of bone turnover in male shift workers

Night shift work is related to sleep disorders, disruption of circadian rhythm and low serum levels of vitamin D. It is known that all these conditions can adversely affect bone mass. The rate of bone turnover can be assessed through the measurement of molecules called bone turnover markers, including C-terminal telopeptide fragment of type I collagen (CTX) and procollagen type I N-terminal propeptide (P1NP). In this study, we evaluated the serum levels of CTX, P1NP and 25-Hydroxy Vitamin D in 82 male subjects (42 daytime workers and 40 night shift workers) to assess the possible risk of osteoporosis in male shift workers. Serum levels of CTX and P1NP were found to be higher in night shift workers than in daytime workers. No significant difference was found in vitamin D levels between night shift and daytime workers. The increased CTX and P1NP levels reveal a higher rate of bone turnover in night shift workers and thus a possible increased risk of osteoporosis in this category of workers compared with daytime workers. In view of this, our results highlight the importance of further studies investigating the bone health in male night shift workers.

Unmasking the Hidden Danger: A Decade-Long Systematic Review of Case-Control Studies on Single Occupational Risks and Prostate Cancer

The present systematic review addresses the influence of occupational exposures on prostate cancer risk. Eleven studies were analyzed for a range of occupational exposures, including but not limited to firefighting, physical activity, night shift work, chemical exposure, and solar ultraviolet radiation. The results of the review reveal that firefighters exposed to harmful substances, individuals engaged in physically strenuous work, and workers with chronic night shift routines showed an increased likelihood of developing prostate cancer. Moreover, the review identified an increased risk associated with exposure to certain chemicals, including alkylphenolic compounds and benzene-related substances. The evidence underscores the importance of considering the cumulative effect of multiple risk factors in a comprehensive risk assessment. However, the conclusions indicate the necessity for further research to deepen these relationships and develop more effective strategies for the prevention of prostate cancer.

Circadian control of Nocturnin and its regulatory role in health and disease

Circadian rhythms are generated by intrinsic 24-h oscillations that anticipate the extrinsic changes associated with solar day. A conserved transcriptional-translational feedback loop generates these molecular oscillations of clock genes at the organismal and the cellular levels. One of the recently discovered outputs of circadian clock is Nocturnin (Noct) or Ccrn4l. In mice, Noct mRNA is broadly expressed in cells throughout the body, with a particularly high-amplitude rhythm in liver. NOCT belongs to the EEP family of proteins with the closest similarity to the CCR4 family of deadenylases. Multiple studies have investigated the role of Nocturnin in development, adipogenesis, lipid metabolism, inflammation, osteogenesis, and obesity. Further, mice lacking Noct (Noct KO or Noct-/-) are protected from high-fat diet-induced obesity and hepatic steatosis. Recent studies had provided new insights by investigating various aspects of Nocturnin, ranging from its sub-cellular localization to identification of its target transcripts. However, a profound understanding of its molecular function remains elusive. This review article seeks to integrate the available literature into our current understanding of the functions of Nocturnin, their regulatory roles in key tissues and to throw light on the existing scientific lacunae.

Consequences of Shift Work and Night Work: A Literature Review

Nonstandard work schedules such as shift work and night work tend to trigger problems for workers in different areas. To illustrate the diversity of areas affected and the relative interest of the scientific community, we conducted a literature review of the effects of shift work and night work on workers. In particular, we intended to identify the main variables addressed in the field of health, the family sphere, and the organizational context. The literature review was carried out using the Web of Science with the following terms: "shift work", "rotating shifts", and "night work". Inclusion criteria incorporated empirical studies and articles written in Portuguese or English published in 2019. We selected 129 of the 619 articles identified. Regarding the impacts of shift work and night work, there existed a high discrepancy of focus between the three defined areas: health, family life, and organizational context. Specifically, health-related variables were the most studied (83.4%), followed by organizational variables (9.2%), and, lastly, family variables (7.4%). Based on these results, it is essential to extend the study of the two underrepresented impacts to other crucial areas, not only for the worker but also for organizations.

Alterations in Pregnenolone and Testosterone Levels in Male Shift Workers

Steroid hormone levels are closely related to the endogenous circadian rhythm induced by sleep-wake and dark-light cycles. Shift work that disrupts the circadian rhythm may influence the levels of steroid hormones. The association between shift work and alterations in female sex steroid hormone levels has been studied, but little is known about testosterone and its precursor pregnenolone levels in male shift workers. The present study investigated serum pregnenolone and testosterone levels in a group of shift and daytime male workers. All participants were sampled at the beginning of the morning shift. Lower levels of serum pregnenolone and total testosterone were found in the shift workers compared to the daytime workers. Variations in pregnenolone levels may have consequences for well-being, and they might produce consequences for the levels of hormones downstream of the steroid hormone cascade, such as testosterone. The low levels of testosterone found in shift workers demonstrate the perturbative effect of shift work on testosterone serum levels, which may be independent and/or related to pregnenolone synthesis.

Association between different patterns of shift work and liver function tests: A cross-sectional analysis of Shahedieh PERSIAN cohort data, Iran, 2020

BACKGROUND

Recent studies suggest that shift work may cause liver dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to examine the relationship between different patterns of shift work and elevated level of liver enzymes.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, 1910 workers aged 35 to 70 years were selected with simple random sampling from 9978 participants of the recruitment phase of Shahedieh PERSIAN cohort study. Level of serum liver enzymes (ALT, AST, ALP, and GGT) and ALT/AST ratio was compared between shift workers and non-shift workers, and among employees working in different patterns of shift work. Data were analyzed by SPSS (version 21.0) using Student's T test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test, Kruskal Wallis test, and logistic regression.

RESULTS

Among 1347 males (71%) and 563 females (29%) with a mean age of 40.4±7.4 years, 469 were shift workers. Fixed evening type shift was the most common (30.3%) and fixed night-shift was the least common (0.9%) type of shift work. The mean blood levels of liver enzymes was not significantly different between shift workers and non-shift workers. In comparison between different patterns of shift work, the mean serum level of GGT was significantly higher in individuals with slow rotating shifts than those with fixed evening shifts, rapid rotating, split and fixed 24 hour shifts (p≤0.001). After adjusting for confounding factors only elevated AST was significantly higher in shift workers.

CONCLUSION

There was only a significant association between shift work and elevated AST, and no relationship was found with ALT, ALP, GGT, and ALT/AST ratio.

Work Ability after Breast Cancer: Study of Healthcare Personnel Operating in a Hospital of South Italy

Breast cancer (BrC) treatment can produce disabilities that often impact the quality of daily life and impact the social and working relationships of the patient. This paper looked into the remaining work ability in a group of female healthcare personnel (HCPs) with BrC in Southern Italy. Each HCP was subjected to a medical check, routine blood tests, and a questionnaire on the work ability index (WAI). Of 980 (100%) HCWs undergoing health control, 6% (n = 54) had experienced BRC, and only 66.6% (n = 36) agreed to take part in the study. A total of 28 (78%) were on night shifts. The WAI score was quite low in 5 (13.8%) cases, moderate in 10 (27.7%) cases, good in 14 (38.8%) cases, and excellent in 7 (19.5%) HCWs. Among all health figures, in nurses as well as technical staff, lower WAI scores were observed. HCWs reported various comorbidities, which affected WAI score, such as limited mobility in the upper limbs, arm/shoulder pain, numbness, and lymphoedema. The main complication that negatively affects any work activity is the morbidity in the upper limbs. This seems to affect the ability to perform tasks, and the re-entry to work is highlighted on sick leave days.

Integrative transcriptome-wide analysis of atopic dermatitis for drug repositioning

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases, which significantly impact the quality of life. Transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) was conducted to estimate both transcriptomic and genomic features of AD and detected significant associations between 31 expression quantitative loci and 25 genes. Our results replicated well-known genetic markers for AD, as well as 4 novel associated genes. Next, transcriptome meta-analysis was conducted with 5 studies retrieved from public databases and identified 5 additional novel susceptibility genes for AD. Applying the connectivity map to the results from TWAS and meta-analysis, robustly enriched perturbations were identified and their chemical or functional properties were analyzed. Here, we report the first research on integrative approaches for an AD, combining TWAS and transcriptome meta-analysis. Together, our findings could provide a comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms of AD and suggest potential drug candidates as alternative treatment options.

Integrative genomic and transcriptomic analyses on publicly available data-sets together with in silico drug repositioning identifies alternative therapeutic options to treat atopic dermatitis.

A Combined Multidisciplinary Intervention for Health Promotion in the Workplace: A Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of a joint health promotion intervention on a cohort of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had at least one cardiovascular risk factor. The HCWs were assessed at three different times, i.e., time zero (T0), after 6 months (T6), and after 12 months (T12). The following parameters were measured at a medical examination: physical activity, blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), routine laboratory tests, plicometric analysis, work ability index (WAI), and body image dissatisfaction (BID). Among the 447 HCWs, 38 HCWs were included in the study; 45% (n = 17) were male. At T12, the average blood pressure, waist/hip ratio (WHR) index, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride level, and blood glucose values were reduced. The levels of physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet had progressively increased. The WAI showed a significant shift from low to good work performance at T12, as well as BID score. This is the first study that has analyzed work performance in relation to a workplace health promotion through a multidisciplinary approach. This health promotion intervention that combined diet and sport activity has led to a significant change in HCWs’ lifestyles and body perceptions, as well as their ability to work. This project highlights the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach and the workplace setting in health promotion programs.

Hypolipidemic effect of Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep on gut microecology and liver transcriptome in diabetic rats

Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep (A. orientale) is a traditional herb that is often used to treat disease including edema and hyperlipidemia. However, the molecular mechanism by which Alisma orientale (Sam.) Juzep exerts its hypolipidemic effects remains unclear. In this study, a diabetic rat model was established by feeding a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with a low-dose streptozotocin injection (HFS). Then the rats were treated with an A. orientale water extract (AOW), an A. orientale ethanolic extract (AOE) or metform (MET). The gut microflora and liver transcriptome were analyzed by high-throughput next-generation sequencing. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry was employed to analyze the major compounds in the AOE. The results showed that the serum total cholesterol (TC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels in rats of the AOE group (2.10 g/kg/day, 14 days) were significantly lower than those in the HFS group (p<0.01). Moreover, AOE treatment altered the gut microecology, particularly modulating the relative abundance of gut microflora involved in lipid metabolism compared with the HFS group. Furthermore, compared with the HFS group, the mRNA expression levels of Fam13a, Mapk7, Mpp7, Chac1, Insig1, Mcpt10, Noct, Greb1l, Fabp12 and Hba-a3 were upregulated after the administration of AOE. In contrast, the mRNA expression levels of Lox, Mybl1, Arrdc3, Cyp4a2, Krt20, Vxn, Ggt1, Nr1d1 and S100a9 were downregulated. Moreover, AOE treatment for two weeks markedly promoted the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae (p = 0.0013). The triterpenoids contents in AOE were alisol A, alisol A 24-acetate, alisol B, alisol B 23-acetate, alisol C 23-acetate, alisol F, alisol F 24-acetate, and alisol G. Our findings above illustrated that the hypolipidemic effect of the triterpenoids of A. orientale is mediated mainly through alteration of the gut microecology and the regulation of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism, especially Insig1.