The Relationship between Endogenous Androgens and Body Fat Distribution in Early and Late Postmenopausal Women

Objectives

To investigate the relationship between endogenous androgens and body fat distribution in early and late postmenopausal women.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled postmenopausal women consisting of an early group (≤5 years since menopause, n = 105) and a late group (≥10 years since menopause, n = 107). Each group was subdivided into normal weight (BMI <24 kg/m²) group, overweight and obese (BMI ≥24 kg/m²) group. Fasting total testosterone (T), dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEA-S) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels were measured. Body fat distribution was evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).

Results

Late postmenopausal women had a higher proportion of body fat than early postmenopausal women. The body fat of the overweight and obese women had a greater tendency to accumulate in the abdomen compared with the normal weight women both in early and late postmenopausal groups. The overweight and obese women had a higher free testosterone (FT) than the normal weight women in early postmenopausal women (P<0.05). In late postmenopausal women, the overweight and obese women had higher DHEA-S levels than normal weight women (P<0.05). No direct relationship was observed between the T levels and body fat distribution both in early and late postmenopausal groups (P>0.05).The FT in early postmenopausal women and the DHEA-S levels in late postmenopausal women correlated positively with the trunk/leg fat ratio (T/L) and the proportion of android fat whereas correlated negatively with the proportion of gynoid fat in the partial correlation and multiple linear regression analyses (all P<0.05).

Conclusions

Serum T levels do not correlate directly with body fat distribution, the FT in early postmenopausal women and DHEA-S levels in late postmenopausal women correlate positively with abdominal fat accumulation.     

SCD1 promotes lipid mobilization in subcutaneous white adipose tissue

Beiging of white adipose tissue (WAT) has beneficial effects on metabolism. Although it is known that beige adipocytes are active in lipid catabolism and thermogenesis, how they are regulated deserves more explorations. In this study, we demonstrate that stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) responded to cold stimulation and was able to promote mobilization of triacylglycerol [TAG (triglyceride)]. In vitro studies showed that SCD1 promoted lipolysis in C3H10T1/2 white adipocytes. The lipolytic effect was contributed by one of SCD1’s products, oleic acid (OA). OA upregulated adipose TAG lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase expression. When SCD1 was overexpressed in the scWAT of mice, lipolysis was enhanced, and oxygen consumption and heat generation were increased. These effects were also demonstrated by the SCD1 knockdown experiments in mice. In conclusion, our study suggests that SCD1, known as an enzyme for lipid synthesis, plays a role in upregulating lipid mobilization through its desaturation product, OA.     

Application of Melatonin-Enhanced Tolerance to High-Temperature Stress in Cherry Radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. radculus pers)

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - The growth and development of cold-season plants are susceptible to high temperature. Melatonin is a plant growth regulator with potential to improve plant...     

Long Noncoding RNA SNHG5 Knockdown Alleviates Neuropathic Pain by Targeting the miR-154-5p/CXCL13 Axis

Neurochemical Research - Neuropathic pain is an unneglectable pain condition with limited treatment options owing to its enigmatic underlying mechanisms. Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host...     

Targeting BAX ubiquitin-binding sites reveals that BAX activation is essential for its ubiquitin-dependent degradation

BAX is an important proapoptotic protein of the BCL-2 family, and its stability is essential for the regulation of the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. A previous study revealed that BAX could undergo degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. In this study, we identified two lysine sites, K21 and K123, that were critical ubiquitin-binding sites in BAX. Mutation of these two sites prolonged the half-life of BAX and also affected its proapoptotic ability. Intriguingly, we found that ABT-737, a BCL-2 inhibitor, significantly enhanced TRAIL-induced BAX degradation in HCT116 cells and increased TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the HCT116 only with the BAX K21R/K123R mutant, not other BAX mutants. In addition, overexpression of PARKIN, an E3 ubiquitin ligase targeting BAX, dramatically decreased BAX protein level when only treated with ABT-737 in HCT116 cells. Therefore, we speculated that BAX activation is essential for its ubiquitin-dependent degradation.     

Roles of noncoding RNAs in drug resistance in multiple myeloma

Despite the administration of new effective drugs in recent years, relapse and drug resistance are still the main obstacles in multiple myeloma (MM) treatment, making MM an incurable disease. To overcome drug resistance in MM, it is critical to understand the underlying mechanisms of malfunctioning gene expression and develop novel targeted therapies. During the past few decades, with the discovery and characterization of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), the landscape of dysregulated ncRNAs of cancers as well as their biological and pathobiological functions in tumorigenesis and drug resistance have been recognized. Studies about ncRNAs improved the understanding of variations of drug response among individuals at a level distinguished from genetic polymorphism, and provided with new orientations for targeted therapies. In this review, we will summarize the emerging impact and underlying molecular mechanisms of the most relevant classes of ncRNAs in drug resistance of MM, and discuss the potential as well as strategies of treating ncRNAs as therapeutic targets.     

白酒可培养微生物数据库构建

[目的] 白酒可培养微生物的分离筛选是白酒行业重要的研究内容,本文旨在构建中国白酒生产环境中可培养微生物信息数据库。[方法] 数据库信息主要来源于通过人工查阅和整理目前已发表的白酒微生物的相关的文献报道和菌种保藏中心相关的筛选自白酒生态系统的微生物信息。数据库主要设计3个功能：（1）白酒可培养微生物信息检索：通过菌株名称、分离位置、培养基、代谢产物等为条件检索相关的白酒可培养微生物信息,从而获取该白酒微生物详细的生理生化与分类学信息;（2）培养基信息检索：通过特定培养基成分,培养基编号和名称检索相关的培养基信息,包括培养的组成和配制方法。（3）数据更新：在线上传新的可培养微生物和培养基信息。[结果] 目前数据库共收1221种白酒可培养微生物和295种培养基信息,网址为：http：//cmbaijiu.i-sanger.com/。[结论] 本数据库是我国白酒领域首个可培养微生物信息的数据库,将有助于白酒微生物培养的相关研究工作开展。