Yan Lü

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Chronic inflammation contributes to the onset and development of metabolic diseases. Clinical evidence has suggested that coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has some effects on inflammatory markers. However, these results are equivocal. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the effects of CoQ10 on serum levels of inflammatory markers in people with metabolic diseases. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched up to February 2016 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The outcome parameters were related to inflammatory factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and C reactive protein (CRP). RevMan software was used for meta-analysis. Meta-regression analysis, Egger line regression test and Begg rank correlation test were performed by STATA software. RESULTS: Nine trials involving 428 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that compared with control group, CoQ10 supplementation has significantly improved the serum level of CoQ10 by 1.17μg/ml [MD = 1.17, 95% CI (0.47 to 1.87) μg/ml, I2 = 94%]. Meanwhile, it has significantly decreased TNF-α by 0.45 pg/ml [MD = -0.45, 95% CI (-0.67 to -0.24) pg/ml, I2 = 0%]. No significant difference was observed between CoQ10 and placebo with regard to CRP [MD = -0.21, 95% CI (-0.60 to 0.17) mg/L, I2 = 21%] and IL-6 [MD = -0.89, 95% CI (-1.95 to 0.16) pg/ml, I2 = 84%]. CONCLUSIONS: CoQ10 supplementation may partly improve the process of inflammatory state. The effects of CoQ10 on inflammation should be further investigated by conducting larger sample size and well-defined trials of long enough duration.

1,25(OH)(2)D(3) antiproliferative properties are widely known. However, the molecular bases of these properties are only partially elucidated. Since 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) effectively arrests growth in many tumors and hyperplastic tissues whose growth is driven by co-expression of EGFR and its ligand TGF-alpha, it was hypothesized that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) could affect the TGF-alpha/EGFR-autocrine growth loop. This study examined 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) regulation of EGFR-growth signals, using human epidermoid A431 cells, in which the overexpression of EGFR and TGF-alpha constitute the major autocrine mitogenic signal. 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) inhibited autocrine and EGF-induced A431 cell proliferation. Furthermore, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) changed the cellular localization of both TGF-alpha and EGFR and inhibited ligand-dependent phosphorylation of EGFR and ERK1/2. In addition, 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) impaired autocrine and EGF-induced nuclear translocation of activated EGFR and, consequently, its binding to AT-rich DNA sequences and transcriptional activation of the cyclin D1 promoter. These results demonstrate that 1,25(OH)(2)D(3) alters EGFR membrane trafficking and down-regulates EGFR growth signaling.

Recent data have revealed that oxidative products and inflammatory mediators are increased in the insulin-resistant states of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Obese patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) are at high risk for developing T2DM and have high incidence of dyslipidemia. α-Lipoic acid (ALA) is a potent antioxidant with insulin sensitizing activity. However, it is not clear whether ALA is effective on lipid parameters in humans. This study has investigated 22 obese subjects with IGT (obese-IGT), 13 of whom underwent 2-week ALA treatment, 600 mg intravenously once daily. Before and after the treatment, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps were used to measure insulin sensitivity. Meanwhile, plasma lipids, oxidative products, and chronic inflammatory markers were measured. After treatment of ALA in obese-IGT patients, insulin sensitivity was improved, insulin sensitivity index (ISI) impressively enhanced by 41%. Plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFAs), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (T-Chol), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-Chol), small dense LDL-Chol (sd-LDL), oxidized LDL-Chol (ox-LDL-Chol), very low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-Chol) were all significantly decreased (P < 0.01). At the same time, both plasma oxidative products (malondialdehyde (MDA), 8-iso-prostaglandin) and inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6)) were remarkably decreased (P < 0.01), while adiponectin was increased (P < 0.01). There are significant negative correlations between ISI and plasma FFAs, sd-LDL-Chol, ox-LDL-Chol, MDA, 8-iso-prostaglandin, TNF-α, and IL-6, and positive correlations with HDL-Chol and adiponectin in obese-IGT patients. The results indicate that short-term treatment with ALA can improve insulin sensitivity and plasma lipid profile possibly through amelioration of oxidative stress and chronic inflammatory reaction in obese patients with IGT.

BACKGROUND: Breastfeeding confers substantial benefits to child health and has also been associated with lower risk of maternal cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in later life. However, the evidence on the effects of CVD is still inconsistent, especially in East Asians, in whom the frequency and duration of breastfeeding significantly differ from those in the West. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 2004-2008, the nationwide China Kadoorie Biobank recruited 0.5 million individuals aged 30 to 79 years from 10 diverse regions across China. During 8 years of follow-up, 16 671 incident cases of coronary heart disease and 23 983 cases of stroke were recorded among 289 573 women without prior CVD at baseline. Cox regression yielded adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for incident CVD by breastfeeding. Overall, ≈99% of women had given birth, among whom 97% reported a history of breastfeeding, with a median duration of 12 months per child. Compared with parous women who had never breastfed, ever breastfeeding was associated with a significantly lower risk of CVD, with adjusted HRs of 0.91 (95% CI, 0.84-0.99) for coronary heart disease and 0.92 (95% CI, 0.85-0.99) for stroke. Women who had breastfed for ≥24 months had an 18% (HR, 0.82; 0.77-0.87) lower risk of coronary heart disease and a 17% (HR, 0.83; 0.79-0.87) lower risk of stroke compared with women who had never breastfed. Among women who ever breastfed, each additional 6 months of breastfeeding per child was associated with an adjusted HR of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.94-0.98) for coronary heart disease and 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.98) for stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Among Chinese women, a history of breastfeeding was associated with an ≈10% lower risk of CVD in later life and the magnitude of the inverse association was stronger among those with a longer duration of breastfeeding.