[The secretory function of skeletal muscles and its role in energy metabolism and utilization]

Prognostic value of sarcopenia in the patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

PURPOSE

Sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass index (SMI), serves as a diagnostic indicator for malnutrition and has been shown to influence cancer treatment outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of sarcopenia on the locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (laNPC) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

545 patients with stage III-IVa NPC were included in this retrospective study. Sarcopenia was defined using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) determined at the C3 level based on baseline MRI. The log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

RESULTS

The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that sarcopenia group (HR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.96-4.06, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.24-2.15, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.52-2.40, P < 0.01), comorbidities (HR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.45-2.97, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3-4 (HR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.04-2.01, P = 0.03) were identified as independent risk factors that significantly impacted the OS. Additionally, sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73-3.33, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.17-1.92, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.46-2.22, P < 0.01), sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73-3.33, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3-4 (HR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04-2.01, P = 0.03) were found to have a significant impact on PFS.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia was identified as a prognostic factor for patients with laNPC. Furthermore, T stage, N stage, comorbidities, and any adverse event grade 3-4 were identified as independent prognostic factors for laNPC.

Follistatin-respiratory connection predicting all-cause mortality among community-dwelling middle-to-old age individuals: Results from the I-Lan Longitudinal Study

OBJECTIVES

The link between aging and pulmonary function decline is well-established, but the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully revealed. Serum follistatin, a myokine implicated in muscle degeneration, may play a role in age-related pulmonary changes. This study aims to investigate the relationship between serum follistatin levels and pulmonary function decline in community-dwelling older adults, and evaluate their combined association with all-cause mortality.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

This longitudinal cohort study utilized data from 751 participants aged ≥50 years in the I-Lan Longitudinal Aging Study between 2018-2019. Serum follistatin levels, spirometry results, demographic and clinical data were retrieved. Participants were stratified based on their follistatin levels. Survival curves and group comparisons based on follistatin levels and decline in peak expiratory flow (PEF) using Kaplan-Meier analysis and log-rank tests. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were further used to identify independent predictors of all-cause mortality during the 52-month follow-up.

RESULTS

Elevated follistatin levels significantly correlated with worse pulmonary function, particularly decreased PEF (p = 0.030). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the combination of elevated follistatin levels and decreased PEF was associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality (Log-rank p = 0.023). Cox proportional hazards models further identified that concurrent presence of higher follistatin levels and decreased PEF predicted higher risk of all-cause mortality (adjusted HR 3.58, 95% CI: 1.22-10.53, p = 0.020).

CONCLUSION

Higher serum follistatin levels correlate with decreased pulmonary function, specifically PEF decline, in community-dwelling older adults. Furthermore, the coexistence of elevated follistatin levels and decreased PEF was associated with risk of all-cause mortality. Follistatin may serve as a biomarker for pulmonary aging and related adverse outcomes.

The association of the serum levels of myostatin, follistatin, and interleukin-6 with sarcopenia, and their impacts on survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Background/Aims

The role of serum myokine levels in sarcopenia and the outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients are not clear. This study investigated the serum levels of myostatin, follistatin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in HCC patients and their association with sarcopenia and survival.

Methods

Using prospectively collected pretreatment samples from 238 HCC patients in a hospital from 2012 to 2015, the serum levels of 3 myokines were determined and compared to 50 samples from age and sex-matched healthy controls. Sarcopenia was evaluated using the psoas muscle index (PMI) measured at the third lumbar level in the computed tomography, and clinical data were collected until 2017.

Results

The median levels of the 3 myokines for the male and female HCC patients were as follow: myostatin (3,979.3 and 2,976.3 pg/mL), follistatin (2,118.5 and 2,174.6 pg/mL), and IL-6 (2.5 and 2.7 pg/mL), respectively. Those in the HCC patients were all significantly higher than in the healthy controls. In the HCC patient, the median PMI was 4.43 (males) and 2.17 cm²/m² (females) with a sarcopenic prevalence of 56.4%. The serum levels of myostatin, IL-6 and follistatin in the HCC patients showed a positive, negative, and no correlation with PMI, respectively. The serum follistatin level was an independent factor for poor survival in HCC patients.

Conclusions

The serum levels of myostatin, follistatin, and IL-6 and their correlation with sarcopenia and survival were presented in HCC patients for the first time. The role of the serum follistatin level as a poor prognostic biomarker warrants further study.

Neudesin Neurotrophic Factor Promotes Bovine Preadipocyte Differentiation and Inhibits Myoblast Myogenesis

Simple Summary

Neudesin neurotrophic factor (NENF) is a secreted protein that was significantly inhibited in the fat-muscle co-culture system in our previous study. However, studies on NENF regulation of bovine muscle development and involvement in the cross-talk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle have not been reported. Hence, the aim of this study was to clarify the roles of NENF in bovine myoblast and preadipocyte differentiation. In this study, we first examined the spatial expression patterns of NENF in different tissues and found that NENF was highly expressed in the muscle of four-day-old and 24-month-old Qinchuan cattle. Compared with 4-day-old Qinchuan cattle, the expression level of NENF was significantly up-regulated in 24-month-old bovine adipose tissue. Then, we detected the expression pattern of the NENF gene in bovine preadipocyte and myoblast differentiation and found that the expression of NENF mRNA peaks at day 6 during preadipocyte differentiation and peaks at day 4 during myoblast differentiation. Furthermore, we found that the endogenous knockdown of NENF inhibited the differentiation of preadipocytes and promoted the differentiation of myoblasts. These findings not only lay the foundation for the construction of regulatory pathways during fat and muscle differentiation but also provide a theoretical basis for molecular breeding of beef cattle.

Abstract

Neudesin neurotrophic factor (NENF) is a secreted protein that is essential in multiple biological processes, including neural functions, adipogenesis, and tumorigenesis. In our previous study, NENF was significantly inhibited in the bovine adipocytes-myoblasts co-culture system. However, studies on NENF regulation of bovine muscle development and involvement in the cross-talk between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle have not been reported. Hence, the aim of this study was to clarify the functional roles of NENF in bovine preadipocytes and myoblasts. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was performed to examine the spatial expression patterns of NENF in different tissues, and the results showed that NENF was highly expressed in the muscle of four-day-old and 24-month-old Qinchuan cattle. Compared with four-day-old Qinchuan cattle, the expression level of NENF was significantly up-regulated in 24-month-old bovine adipose tissue. To explore the roles of NENF in bovine myoblast and preadipocyte differentiation, small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting the NENF gene were transfected into bovine preadipocytes and myoblasts to knock down the expression of the NENF gene. The results showed that the knockdown of NENF in differentiating adipocytes attenuated lipid accumulation, decreased the mRNA expression of adipogenic key marker genes PPARγ, CEBPα, CEBPβ, FASN, and SCD1, and decreased the protein expression of PPARγ, CEBPα, and FASN. The formation of myotubes was significantly accelerated, and the mRNA expression levels of myogenic marker genes MYOD1, MYF5, MYF6, MEF2A, MEF2C, and CKM, and the protein expression levels of MYOD1, MYF6, MEF2A, and CKM were up-regulated in myoblasts where NENF was knocked down. In short, the knockdown of NENF inhibited preadipocyte differentiation and promoted myoblast myogenesis.

Therapeutic effect of fasted exercise on nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis

AIM: To observe the therapeutic effect of fasted exercise on nonalcoholic fatty hepatitis.

METHODS: One hundred and twenty nonalcoholic fatty liver patients were randomly divided into a preprandial exercise group, a postprandial exercise group and a no exercise (control) group, with 40 cases in each group. The exercise was outdoor running at 4 km/h. All of the patients had a daily intake of total calories less than 2092 kJ (500 kcal). Detection of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GT) and calculation of body mass index and liver fat content were performed once a month for 6 mo. ALT and γ-GT were measured with an Au5400 automatic biochemistry analyzer. Fibroscantouch was used to determine liver fat content.

RESULTS: Body mass index in the control group had no obvious decline. Compared with the control group, body mass index was slowly decreased in the postprandial exercise group, and a significant difference was observed from 8 wk (P < 0.05). Body mass index in the preprandial exercise group decreased significantly, and a significant difference was observed at 4 wk (P < 0.01). At 8 wk, body mass index in the preprandial exercise group reached a normal level (23.4 kg/m² ± 3.0 kg/m²). Both kinds of exercise had a curative effect on the recovery of ALT, which was more apparent in the preprandial exercise group. ALT at 8 wk in the preprandial exercise group returned to the normal level (50.3 U/L ± 7.6 U/L). In the control group and postprandial exercise group ALT declined slightly, and failed to return the normal level at 24 wk. The level of γ-GT in each group slowly declined and returned to the normal level at 24 wk, showing no difference between groups at corresponding time points (P > 0.05). The fat in the liver was significantly reduced in the two exercise groups, which was faster in the preprandial exercise group. The intrahepatic fat in the preprandial exercise group at 4 wk (246.4 db/m ± 27.8 db/m) was significantly reduced compared with the control group (P < 0.01), while the postprandial exercise group showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) at 20 wk (250.1 db/m ± 13.0 db/m).

CONCLUSION: Fasted exercise is superior to postprandial exercise in terms of nonalcoholic fatty liver inflammation and weight control.

Effect of Regular Exercise on Inflammation Induced by Drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus 3089 in ICR mice

Obesity is often associated with irregular dietary habits and reduced physical activity. Regular exercise induces a metabolic response that includes increased expression of various cytokines, signaling proteins and hormones, and reduced adipocyte size. In this study, mice performed a swimming exercise for 10 min/day, 5 days/week for 3 weeks. We then investigated the effect of this exercise regimen on inflammation induced by infection with drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain 3089 (DRSA). In humans, DRSA causes dermatitis and pneumonitis. Similarly, DRSA induced inflammatory pneumonitis in both no-exercise (No-EX) and swim-trained (SW-EX) ICR mice. Regular exercise increased levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β and nitric oxide in both serum and whole lung tissue in SW-EX, as compared to No-EX control mice. Moreover, levels of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin were significantly increased in visceral adipose tissue and whole lung tissue in the SW-EX group, and this was accompanied by a reduction in the size of visceral adipocytes. In addition, levels of the inflammation marker peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 (PGC-1) were not increased in the lung tissue of SW-EX mice. These findings suggest that in these model mice, regular exercise strengthens immune system responses, potentially preventing or mitigating infectious disease.