Positive correlation between variants of lipid metabolism‑related genes and coronary heart disease

Associations of Body Mass Index and Percent Body Fat with Osteoporosis, Sarcopenia, and Osteosarcopenia: A Retrospective Study Based on Postmenopausal Women in China

Background/Objectives: Alterations in the body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat (PBF) have been considered to be related to aging-induced changes in bone and muscle. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of the BMI and PBF with osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and osteosarcopenia in postmenopausal women. Methods: A total of 342 participants who underwent musculoskeletal function assessments at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University between January 2015 and December 2022 were retrospectively screened. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was based on the WHO criteria, and sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 consensus of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Results: The BMI was positively correlated with the musculoskeletal function assessment parameters (bone mineral density, relative skeletal muscle index, and grip strength) and identified as an independent protective factor for sarcopenia alone (OR = 0.592, 95% CI: 0.455-0.769) or osteosarcopenia (OR = 0.411, 95% CI: 0.319-0.529), with a moderate diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.682) for the former and a high diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.823) for the latter. However, the PBF was negatively correlated with the relative skeletal muscle index and identified as a risk factor for osteosarcopenia (OR = 1.404, 95% CI: 1.007-1.959), with a moderate diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.613). Conclusions: A higher BMI and lower PBF were associated with a lower prevalence of osteosarcopenia in postmenopausal women. Further research is required to elucidate the independent effects of the BMI and PBF on bone health.

Positive Association between APOA5 rs662799 Polymorphism and Coronary Heart Disease: A Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis

Objective

Apolipoprotein A5 (APOA5) is associated with plasma triglyceride (TG) levels, a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). This study explored the association between CHD and the APOA5 rs662799 polymorphism.

Methods

We collected 1,521 samples (783 CHD patients and 738 controls) for this case-control study. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager Software and Stata Software.

Results

Significant differences were observed between CHD cases and controls at the level of both genotype (χ² = 8.964, df = 2, P = 0.011) and allele (χ² = 9.180, df = 1, P = 0.002, OR = 1.275, 95% CI = 1.089–1.492). A breakdown analysis by gender showed a significant association of APOA5 rs662799 with CHD in males (χ² = 7.770, df = 1, P = 0.005; OR = 1.331, 95% CI = 1.088–1.628). An additional meta-analysis using 21378 cases and 28428 controls established that rs662799 is significantly associated with CHD (P < 0.00001).

Conclusion

Both our case-control study and meta-analysis confirm a significant association between APOA5 rs662799 and CHD. In addition, our results suggest a male-specific association between the APOA5 rs662799 polymorphism and CHD.

Association between phosphatase related gene variants and coronary artery disease: case-control study and meta-analysis

Recent studies showed that the serum alkaline phosphatase is an independent predictor of the coronary artery disease (CAD). In this work, we aimed to summarize the association between three phosphatase related single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs12526453, rs11066301 and rs3828329) and the risk of CAD in Han Chinese. Our results showed that the rs3828329 of the ACP1 gene was closely related to the risk of CAD in Han Chinese (OR = 1.45, p = 0.0006). This significant association of rs3828329 with CAD was only found in the females (Additive model: OR = 1.80, p = 0.001; dominant model: OR = 1.69, p = 0.03; recessive model: OR = 1.96, p = 0.0008). Moreover, rs3828329 was likely to exert its effect in females aged 65 years and older (OR = 2.27, p = 0.001). Further meta-analyses showed that the rs12526453 of PHACTR11 gene (OR = 1.14, p < 0.0001, random-effect method) and the rs11066301 of PTPN11 gene (OR = 1.15, p < 0.0001, fixed-effects method) were associated with CAD risk in multiple populations. Our results showed that the polymorphisms rs12526453 and rs11066301 are significantly associated with the CAD risk in multiple populations. The rs3828329 of ACP1 gene is also a risk factor of CAD in Han Chinese females aged 65 years and older.

Protective effect of proanthocyanidins on anoxia-reoxygenation injury of myocardial cells mediated by the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway and mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel

The aim of the present study was to examine the protective effect of proanthocyanidins anoxia-reoxygenation injury of myocardial cells and its association with phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/Akt and glycogen synthase kinase (PI3K/Akt/GSK)-3β and ATP-sensitive potassium channels. Neonatal rat myocardial cells were cultured and an anoxia-reoxygenation model was established following pretreatment with various drugs. The experiment was divided into five groups according to an experimental scheme. An MTT assay was used to examine the cell survival, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Myocardial apoptosis was also examined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining and western blot analysis was employed to detect the expression levels of caspase-3, p-Akt and p-glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β. The results revealed that myocardial cells in the anoxia-reoxygenation group (A/R) exhibited reduced survival rates, increased ROS levels and enhanced caspase-3 expression, as compared with the control group (CN; P<0.05). However, the increase in p-Akt and p-GSK-3β expression was not significantly different. In the proanthocyanidin pretreatment group (PC) the myocardial cell survival rate was increased, ROS levels were reduced, caspase-3 expression was decreased and p-Akt and p-GSK-3β expression levels were significantly increased as compared with the A/R group (P<0.05). Blockade of the PIK3/Akt channel by LY294002 eliminated the protective effects of proanthocyanidins and induced a significant decrease in p-Akt protein and p-GSK-3β expression levels as compared with the PC group. The inhibitor of mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (mitoKATP) channels, 5-HD, also significantly suppressed the protective effects of proanthocyanidins, but had no evident impact on p-Akt and p-GSK-3β expression as compared with the PC group. In conclusion, pretreatment with proanthocyanidins had a protective effect on rat myocardial cell anoxia/reoxygenation injury. This effect is associated with the activation of the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway and the opening of mitoKATP channels, which may have important roles downstream of PI3K.