Association of Serum Alkaline Phosphatase with the TG/HDL Ratio and TyG Index in Korean Adults

Association of the atherogenic index of plasma with cognitive function and oxidative stress: A population-based study

BackgroundAtherosclerosis contributes to cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer's disease-related pathologies. Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a novel and composite biomarker can predict atherosclerosis.ObjectiveThis study aims to (1) examine the association between the AIP and cognitive performance, and (2) explore the mediating role of oxidative stress biomarkers in this relationship.Methods1466 participants over the age of 60 were included from 2011-2014 NHANES. AIP was calculated through log-transformed triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratios. The assessment of cognition was conducted using the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) test. Weighted linear regression model and restricted cubic spline were carried out to determine the associations between AIP and CERAD scores. The mediation analyses were conducted to assess whether oxidative stress mediates the association.ResultsHigher AIP levels were associated with lower CERAD learning scores. The highest quartile of AIP showed a 0.67-fold decrease (95%CI: -1.30, -0.03; p = 0.041) on the CERAD total score than that in the lowest quartile. Each 1-unit increase in AIP corresponded to reductions in CERAD total and delayed recall scores of approximately 1.09 and 0.54 points, respectively, in the sub-population under 70 years. Moreover, 25(OH)D, an oxidative stress indicator, partially mediated 24% of the association between AIP and the CERAD total score.ConclusionsAIP has the potential to indicate the risk of cognitive aging, especially that for young-old or female older adults. The supplementation of 25(OH)D may reduce atherosclerosis-related cognitive decline, which could provide some strategies for the prevention of dementia.

Sex-specific associations between total and regional Fat-to-muscle Mass ratio and cardiometabolic risk: findings from the China National Health Survey

BACKGROUND

The fat-to-muscle mass ratio (FMR), integrating the antagonistic effects of fat and muscle mass, has been suggested as a valuable indicator to assess cardiometabolic health independent of overall adiposity. However, the specific associations of total and regional FMR with cardiometabolic risk are poorly understood. We aimed to examine sex-specific associations of total and regional FMR with single and clustered cardiometabolic risk factors (CRFs).

METHODS

13,505 participants aged 20 years and above were included in the cross-sectional study. Fat mass and muscle mass were assessed using a bioelectrical impedance analysis device. FMR was estimated as fat mass divided by muscle mass in corresponding body parts (whole body, arm, leg, and trunk). Clustered CRFs was defined as the presence of two or more risk factors, including hypertension, elevated blood glucose, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance (IR), and hyperuricemia. IR was assessed by the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index. Multivariable logistic regression models were applied to explore the associations of FMR in the whole body and body parts with single and clustered CRFs.

RESULTS

The odds ratios (ORs) increased significantly for all single and clustered CRFs with the per quartile increase of total and regional FMR in both sexes (P for trend < 0.001), following adjustment for confounders. Among the regional parts, FMRs of the legs presented the strongest associations for clustered CRFs in both men and women, with adjusted OR of 8.54 (95% confidence interval (CI): 7.12-10.24) and 4.92 (95% CI: 4.24-5.71), respectively. Significant interactions (P for interaction < 0.05) were identified between age and FMRs across different body parts, as well as between BMI status and FMRs in different regions for clustered CRFs. Restricted cubic splines revealed significant non-linear relationships between FMRs of different body parts and clustered CRFs in both sexes (P for nonlinear < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

FMRs in the whole body and different regions were significantly associated with single and clustered CRFs in the general Chinese population. The association between FMR and clustered CRFs was more pronounced in youngers than in the elderly.

Association between triglyceride-glucose index and femoral bone mineral density in community-dwelling, nondiabetic men and women: a NHANES analysis of 1,928 US individuals

OBJECTIVE

To determine the potential association between the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and bone mineral density (BMD) in community-dwelling adults without diabetes using a nationally representative database from the United States (US).

METHODS

Data were extracted from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005-2010, 2013-2014, and 2017-2018. Men and postmenopausal women aged ≥50 years with complete data on femoral neck BMD, triglycerides, and fasting plasma glucose levels were eligible for inclusion. Participants with diabetes, history of malignancy, thyroid disease, underweight status, end-stage kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, estrogen/selective estrogen receptor modulators, bisphosphonate or bone resorption inhibitors, or missing dataset weight values were excluded. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between low BMD, TyG index, and other study variables.

RESULTS

A total of 1,844 participants (1,161 men and 683 women) were included, representing 31,517,106 community-dwelling individuals in the US. The mean age of the study population was 60.7 years old, and 26.7% of the men and 60.4% of the women had low bone density. In both males and females, the mean TyG index was 8.6. After adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors, no significant association was observed between TyG and femoral neck BMD among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = -0.0002, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.02 to 0.02) and women (aBeta = 0.005, 95% CI: -0.02 to 0.04). Similarly, no significant association was observed between TyG index and the odds for low bone density among men (aOR = 1.09, 95% CI: 0.73-1.63) and women (aOR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.49-2.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on data from a large sample in the US, this study did not find an association between the TyG index and femoral neck BMD or the occurrence of low bone density in community-dwelling males and females without diabetes.

Protective effect of Tetrandrine on optic nerve by inhibiting glial activation through NF-κB pathway

Introduction

This study aimed to explore the effect and molecular mechanism of Tetrandrine (Tet) onlipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induceduveitis andoptic nerve injury in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

Uveitis was induced by LPS injected into the hindlimb foot pad of Wistar rats and was intervened by retroeyeball injection of Tet (100 nM, 1 μM or 10 μM).The anterior segment inflammation was observed by slit lamp. Tunelassay was used to detect the survival state of ganglion cells and nuclear layers of inner and outer. The detection of characteristic markers in different activation states of glial cells were performed by qualitative and quantitative test of immunofluorescence and western blotting. Also, western blotting was used to detect the expression of inflammatory factors in retina and the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signal pathway. Meanwhile, routine blood test and function of liver and renal were performed.

Results

The ciliary hyperemia was obvious, and the iris vessels were dilated and tortuous in rats with LPS-induced uveitis. Tet-pretreated obviously elieved these symptoms. In addition, the dilation and hyperemia in Tet group were alleviated compared with LPS group, and the inflammatory scores in Tetgroup were significantly lower than those of LPS group. TUNEL Staining showed that the number ofretinal ganglion cell (RGCs) in Tetgroup was slightly less than that in normal group, but significantly more than that in LPS group, and the cells arranged orderly. Besides, the number of apoptotic cells was significantly less than that in LPS group. Tet reduced LPS-activated gliocyte in a dose-dependent manner. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, interferon gamma (γ-IFN) and IL-2 in retina were increased by LPS but decreased significantly viaTet-pretreatment. Moreover, LPS activate NF-κB signal pathway, while Tet efficiently inhibited this effect.Furthermore, injection of Tet did not damage theroutineblood, liver and kidney.

Conclusions

Retrobulbar injection of Tet significantly alleviatedLPS-induced uveitisand optic nerve injuryof rats by activating gliocyte and NF-κB signaling pathway.

The relationship between insulin resistance, serum alkaline phosphatase, and left ventricular dysfunction following myocardial infarction

The occurrence of heart failure following acute myocardial infarction (AMI) significantly increases the risk of post-infarction mortality. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is considered to be an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and adverse outcomes. Furthermore, in recent years, alkaline phosphatase has been associated with insulin resistance (IR). Our aim was to investigate the correlation between IR substitutes (triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio), AP, and LV dysfunction in patients admitted after AMI. The retrospective study included 810 patients who underwent coronary angiography for myocardial infarction at the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from August 2018 to December 2021. Patients were categorized into three groups based on their serum AP levels. Clinical characteristics at admission, cardiac echocardiography findings, coronary angiography results, and biochemical markers such as serum AP levels and triglycerides (TG) were recorded during hospitalization. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was assessed using cardiac echocardiography conducted from the time of admission until the coronary angiography procedure. A total of 774 patients with AMI were included in this study. The TyG index is significantly correlated with the TG/HDL-C ratio. (R = 0.739, P < 0.001). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated serum AP (OR 2.598, 95% CI 1.331-5.071, P = 0.005), presence of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery as the infarct-related artery (IRA) (OR 2.452, 95% CI 1.352-4.449, P = 0.003), and triglyceride (TG) levels (OR 0.652, 95% CI 0.429-0.992, P = 0.046) were protective risk factor for an admission LVEF < 40% following AMI. The serum alkaline phosphatase and LAD as IRA are independent risk factors for severe reduction in LVEF during hospitalization for AMI. Conversely, triglyceride are independent protective factor for severe reduction in LVEF during AMI hospitalization.

Lipocalin-2 participates in sepsis-induced myocardial injury by mediating lipid accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction

BACKGROUND

Sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC) is one major cause of death for sepsis but lacks timely diagnosis and specific treatment due to unclear mechanisms. Lipocalin-2 (LCN-2) is a key regulator of lipid metabolism which has been recently proved closely related to sepsis, however, the relationship between LCN-2 and septic myocardial injury remains unknown. We aim to explore the role of LCN-2 in the pathological progress of SIC based on clinical and laboratory evidence.

METHODS

Consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) from August 2021 to April 2022 fulfilling the criteria of severe sepsis were included. The level of LCN-2 in plasma was assayed and analyzed with clinical characteristics. Biostatistical analysis was performed for further identification and pathway enrichment. Mouse model for SIC was thereafter established, in which plasma and tissue LCN-2 levels were tested. RNA sequencing was used for verification and to reveal the possible mechanism. Mitochondrial function and intracellular lipid levels were assayed to further assess the biological effects of targeting LCN-2 in cardiomyocytes with small interference RNAs (siRNAs).

RESULTS

The level of LCN-2 in plasma was markedly higher in patients with severe sepsis and was associated with higher cardiac biomarkers and lower LVEF. In the in vivo experiment, circulating LCN-2 from plasma was found to increase in SIC mice. A higher level of LCN-2 transcription in myocardial tissue was also found in SIC and showed a clear time relationship. RNA sequencing analysis showed the level of LCN-2 was associated with several gene-sets relevant to mitochondrial function and lipid metabolism-associated pathways. The suppression of LCN-2 protected mitochondrial morphology and limited the production of ROS, as well as restored the mitochondrial membrane potential damaged by LPS. Neutral lipid staining showed prominent lipid accumulation in LPS group, which was alleviated by the treatment of siLCN2.

CONCLUSION

The level of LCN-2 is significantly increased in SIC at both circulating and tissue levels, which is correlated with the severity of myocardial injury indicators, and may work as an early and great predictor of SIC. LCN-2 probably participates in the process of septic myocardial injury through mediating lipid accumulation and affecting mitochondrial function.

Comparing the Metabolic Profiles Associated with Fitness Status between Insulin-Sensitive and Insulin-Resistant Non-Obese Individuals

(1) Background: Young non-obese insulin-resistant (IR) individuals could be at risk of developing metabolic diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus. The protective effect of physical activity in this apparently healthy group is expected but not well characterized. In this study, clinically relevant metabolic profiles were determined and compared among active and sedentary insulin-sensitive (IS) and IR young non-obese individuals. (2) Methods: Data obtained from Qatar Biobank for 2110 young (20-30 years old) non-obese (BMI ≤ 30) healthy participants were divided into four groups, insulin-sensitive active (ISA, 30.7%), insulin-sensitive sedentary (ISS, 21.4%), insulin-resistant active (IRA, 20%), and insulin-resistant sedentary (IRS, 23.3%), using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and physical activity questionnaires. The effect of physical activity on 66 clinically relevant biochemical tests was compared among the four groups using linear models. (3) Results: Overall, non-obese IR participants had significantly (p ≤ 0.001) worse vital signs, blood sugar profiles, inflammatory markers, liver function, lipid profiles, and vitamin D levels than their IS counterparts. Physical activity was positively associated with left handgrip (p ≤ 0.01) and levels of creatine kinase (p ≤ 0.001) and creatine kinase-2 (p ≤ 0.001) in both IS and IR subjects. Furthermore, physical activity was positively associated with levels of creatinine (p ≤ 0.01) and total vitamin D (p = 0.006) in the IR group and AST (p = 0.001), folate (p = 0.001), and hematocrit (p = 0.007) in the IS group. Conversely, physical inactivity was negatively associated with the white blood cell count (p = 0.001) and an absolute number of lymphocytes (p = 0.003) in the IR subjects and with triglycerides (p = 0.005) and GGT-2 (p ≤ 0.001) in the IS counterparts. (4) Conclusions: An independent effect of moderate physical activity was observed in non-obese apparently healthy individuals a with different HOMA-IR index. The effect was marked by an improved health profile including higher vitamin D and lower inflammatory markers in IRA compared to IRS, and a higher oxygen carrying capacity and lipid profile in ISA compared to the ISS counterparts.

Osteocalcin is associated with triglyceride glucose index rather than HOMA-IR in men with type 2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION

The involvement of osteocalcin in the regulation of glucose tolerance in humans is controversial. We utilized a novel and practical insulin resistance surrogate, the triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index, to investigate the association between serum osteocalcin and insulin resistance in men with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

METHODS

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study that included 667 male patients suffering from T2D, with measurements of N-terminal mid-fragment of osteocalcin (N-MID), triglycerides (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG) and C-peptide collected on the same day. We used the TyG index and HOMA-IR as surrogate measures for insulin resistance. Binary logistic regression models that adjust the sociodemographic characteristics and metabolism-related factors were used to assess the associations between osteocalcin and insulin resistance. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was used to test the potential non-linear relationship between N-MID and the risk of severe insulin resistance. Subgroup analysis evaluated the robustness of the association.

RESULTS

N-MID was correlated with the level of insulin resistance when quantified by the TyG index in unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression models (all p < 0.05), but the relationship was not observed when assessed by HOMA-IR (all p > 0.05). RCS model further confirmed that the association between N-MID and the severe insulin resistance measured by the TyG index was non-linear (P = 0.047). Subgroup analysis showed that the association was detected only in younger patients with lower BMI and poorer glycemic control, without hypertension or smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

Osteocalcin was inversely associated with the TyG index in men with T2D.