Influence of different concentrations of uric acid on oxidative stress in steatosis hepatocytes

TG: A Mediator of the Relationship of Serum Uric Acid to Creatinine Ratio and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Non-Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background

The study estimated the association between NAFLD and SUA/Cr in Chinese non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and also investigated mediating effect of TG.

Methods

All patients were divided into NAFLD group (n = 420) and non-NAFLD group (n = 347). The differences of biochemical indicators between the two groups were compared. The link between SUA/Cr and other parameters was checked through Spearman correlation analysis. Differences in the incidence rate of NAFLD between SUA/Cr and TG 3 tertile subgroups were tested by chi-squared. To explore the independent influence of SUA/Cr and TG on NAFLD, logistic regression was performed. The predictive value of SUA/Cr and SUA/Cr combined with BMI for NAFLD was analyzed using ROC curves. In addition, to confirm whether TG has a mediating effect on the link of SUA/Cr and NAFLD, we conducted a mediating analysis.

Results

NAFLD group had higher SUA/Cr values than individuals without NAFLD (P < 0.01). SUA/Cr was linked with TC and TG (r = 0.081, 0.215 respectively). NAFLD prevalence increased progressively from quartile 1 to quartile 3 of SUA/Cr (44% vs 57% vs 62%). Prevalence of NAFLD increased from quartile 1 to quartile 3 of TG (35.8% vs 58.7% vs 69.9%). Analysis of the logistic regression revealed that SUA/Cr and TG were statistically linked with NAFLD. The ROC curve pointed out that the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of SUA/Cr were 0.59, 0.629 and 0.522, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity for SUA/Cr combined with BMI were 0.719, 0.644 and 0.677, separately. The mediation analysis showed a statistically direct effect of SUA/Cr on NAFLD (β=0.148, 95% CI: 0.0393, 0.2585). The function of SUA/Cr on NAFLD partially mediated by TG (β=0.1571, 95% CI: 0.0704, 0.2869).

Conclusion

SUA/Cr was significantly associated with NAFLD in non-obese T2DM patients, and TG partially mediated this association. SUA/Cr can be applied to predict for NAFLD.

Integrated proteomics and metabolomics analysis of lumbar in a rat model of osteoporosis treated with Gushukang capsules

BACKGROUND

Gushukang (GSK) capsules are a Chinese patented medicine that is widely used in clinics for the treatment of osteoporosis (OP). Animal experiments have revealed that the bone mineral density of osteoporotic rats increase after treatment with GSK capsules. However, the specific mechanism and target of GSK in the treatment of osteoporosis are unclear. Further studies are needed.

METHODS

Metabolomics (GC/MS) and proteomics (TMT-LC-MC/MC) with bioinformatics (KEGG pathway enrichment), correlation analysis (Pearson correlation matrix), and joint pathway analysis (MetaboAnalyst) were employed to determine the underlying mechanisms of GSK. The differential expression proteins were verified by WB experiment.

RESULTS

The regulation of proteins, i.e., Cant1, Gstz1, Aldh3b1, Bid, and Slc1a3, in the common metabolic pathway of differential proteins and metabolites between GSK/OP and OP/SHAM was corrected in the GSK group. The regulation of 12 metabolites (tyramine, thymidine, deoxycytidine, cytosine, L-Aspartate, etc.) were differential in the common enrichment metabolic pathway between GSK /OP and OP/SHAM. Differential proteins and metabolites jointly regulate 11 metabolic pathways, such as purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, histidine metabolism, beta-alanine metabolism, and so on.

CONCLUSION

GSK may protect bone metabolism in osteoporotic rats by affecting nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and the immune system.

Protective effects and mechanisms of Lizhong decoction against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in a rat model

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of Lizhong decoction (, LZD) against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet for four weeks to induce NAFLD, and were administered LZD by gavage for four weeks. Potential therapeutic targets for NAFLD were analyzed using network pharmacology. Liver pathology was evaluated using Oil Red O and hematoxylin-eosin staining. Furthermore, mitochondrial function, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammatory response were examined.

RESULTS

Rats with NAFLD exhibited high levels of hepatic damage and cholesterol deposition. Moreover, apoptosis was increased, superoxide dismutase and glutathione content were reduced, malondialdehyde content was increased, and the protein expression of inflammatory cytokines and p-c-Jun N-terminal kinase was increased. The LZD treatment ameliorated mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced liver damage, inhibited oxidative stress and inflammatory response, upregulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ expression, and suppressed dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) expression in the liver.

CONCLUSION

It was found that LZD alleviates NAFLD by activating PPAR-γ and inhibiting DPP4.

Serum Uric Acid Level Is Positively Associated With Higher Bone Mineral Density at Multiple Skeletal Sites Among Healthy Qataris

BACKGROUND

Oxidative stress has been implicated as a fundamental mechanism in the decline of bone mass. Although serum uric acid (SUA) has potent antioxidant properties, the findings of many epidemiological and experimental studies couldn't draw a clear conclusion on the relation between SUA and bone health. We aim to investigate the association between SUA and bone mineral density (BMD) at different skeletal sites among healthy Qataris.

METHODOLOGY

A cross-sectional analysis including total-body and site-specific bone mineral density scores and other serological markers of 2981 healthy Qatari adults (36.4 ± 11.1 years) from the Qatar biobank database was conducted. The study participants were divided into quartiles based on the level of SUA, and the BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Multiple regression analyses were applied to investigate the association between SUA and BMD adjusting for multiple confounding factors.

RESULTS

High levels of SUA were significantly associated with the increased bone mineral density of the total body and at site-specific skeletal locations after adjusting for age and gender (p-value < 0.001). Further adjustment for body mass index (BMI), smoking, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels attenuated the association but the association remained significant for individuals with high SUA levels (p-value ≤ 0.01).The association between SUA and BMD was not significant in non-obese, females, young adults, and smokers. However, no interaction was found between SUA and age, gender, BMI and smoking.

CONCLUSION

Higher SUA levels are associated with a high bone density among healthy Qatari adults. However, such observation demands further investigations to outline the underlying mechanisms.

Protective Effects of α-Lipoic Acid on Vascular Oxidative Stress in Rats with Hyperuricemia

The aim of the present study was to observe the protective effects of α-lipoic acid (ALA) on vascular injury in rats with hyperuricemia (HUA). The ALA treatment groups (10, 30 and 90 mg/kg, respectively) were administered with ALA via gavage for 2 weeks. Subsequently, the levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (CREA), uric acid (UA), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein-C (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein-C (LDL-C) were measured; the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were also determined. The thoracic aorta of rats in each experimental group was observed under a light microscope; ultrastructural analysis was performed. SOD and CAT protein contents were investigated by Western blotting. The results revealed that: i) Compared with the model group, the levels of UA were decreased in the ALA groups and the levels of BUN, CREA, TC, and LDL-C decreased in the 30 and 90 mg/kg ALA groups (P<0.05); ii) compared with the model group, the activities of GSH-Px, SOD and XOD were increased and the levels of MDA were reduced in the 90 mg/kg ALA group (P<0.05); and iii) in the model and 10 mg/kg ALA groups, edema and shedding were observed in endothelial cells. Compared with the model and 10 mg/kg ALA groups, the 30 and 90 mg/kg ALA groups exhibited fewer swollen endothelial cells. In summary, the results of the present study indicated that HUA resulted in vascular oxidative stress injury and decreased the activity of antioxidative enzymes, which leads to endothelial cell damage and vascular lesions. ALA may serve as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of HUA-induced endothelial dysfunction.

Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Urate Pathway Enzymes in Spermatozoa and Seminal Plasma of Iraqi Asthenozoospermic Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Uric acid (UA) is crucial for sperm metabolism as it protects seminal plasma against oxidative dam- age. Zinc also plays a central role in sperm metabolism. The current study was designed to investigate the role of zinc supplementation on qualitative and quantitative properties of seminal fluid, in parallel with the UA level and urate pathway enzymes in the semen of patients with asthenozoospermia.

Materials and Methods

The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial of 60 asthenozoospermic subfertile men. The current study, which was conducted during one year, involved 60 fertile and 60 asthenozoospermic subfertile men belonging to Hilla City, Iraq. Semen samples were obtained from the participants before and after treatment with zinc supplements. The levels of UA, xanthine oxidase (XO), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and 5'-nucleotidase (5'-NU) activities were determined in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of both groups.

Results

UA levels (P=0.034) and 5'-NU activity (P=0.046) were significantly lower but ADA (P=0.05) and XO (P=0.015) activities were significantly higher in infertile men than in healthy men. Treatment with zinc sulfate induced an increase in UA (P=0.001) level and 5'-NU activity (P=0.001), but a decrease in ADA (P=0.016) and XO (P=0.05) activities.

Conclusion

Zinc supplementation restores UA levels and the activities of enzymes involved in the urate pathway (XO and ADA) in the seminal plasma and spermatozoa of patients with asthenozoospermia, to reference values. Sup- plementation of Zn compounds enhances the qualitative and quantitative properties of semen (Registration number: NCT03361618).