BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to analyze the trends in death and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) associated with unbalanced dietary fatty acid intake in China from 1990 to 2021, and to predict the disease burden levels up to 2050. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN:Using Global Burden of Disease 2021 data, we examined death and DALYs rates by age, sex, and risk fac-tors. Joinpoint regression assessed temporal trends. Decomposition analysis evaluated contributions of population growth, aging, and epidemiological transitions. Age-period-cohort (APC) modeling estimated cohort and period effects. Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) modeling projected future CVD burden. RESULTS:Age-standardized death and DALYs rates for CVD attributable to low seafood n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and high trans fatty acids declined, while those due to insufficient n-6 PUFAs intake increased. Despite fluctuations, overall CVD burden showed a downward trend. Burden was higher in males and older groups. Population growth drove the absolute increase in burden, while aging and epidemiological shifts had variable effects by risk factor. APC modeling revealed significant age, period, and cohort influences. BAPC projections indicate continued decline in CVD burden from fatty acid imbalances through 2050. CONCLUSIONS:The CVD burden linked to imbalanced fatty acid consumption demonstrated a general decline, with forecasts suggesting a continued decrease by 2050. Older adults and males were highlighted as priority populations for focused interventions. These results can inform the development of targeted prevention and control initiatives.

Our previous studies have found that caprylic acid (C8:0) can improve blood lipids and reduce inflammation levels and may be related to the upregulation of the p-JAK2/p-STAT3 pathway by ABCA1. This study aims to investigate the effects of C8:0 and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on lipids, inflammatory levels, and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in ABCA1-deficient mice (ABCA1−/−) and ABCA1 knock-down (ABCA1-KD) RAW 264.7 cells. Twenty 6-week ABCA1−/− mice were randomly divided into four groups and fed a high-fat diet, or a diet of 2% C8:0, 2% palmitic acid (C16:0) or 2% EPA for 8 weeks, respectively. The RAW 264.7 cells were divided into the control or control + LPS group, and the ABCA1-KD RAW 264.7 cells were divided into ABCA1-KD with LPS (LPS group), ABCA1-KD with LPS + C8:0 (C8:0 group), and ABCA1-KD with LPS + EPA (EPA group). Serum lipid profiles and inflammatory levels were measured, and ABCA1 and JAK2/STAT3 mRNA and protein expressions were determined by RT-PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively. Our results showed that serum lipid and inflammatory levels increased in ABCA1−/− mice (p < 0.05). After the intervention of different fatty acids in ABCA1−/− mice, TG and TNF-α were significantly lower, while MCP-1 increased significantly in the C8:0 group (p < 0.05); however, LDL-C, TC, TNF-α, IL-6, and MCP-1 levels decreased significantly and IL-10 increased significantly in the EPA group (p < 0.05). In the aorta of ABCA1−/− mice, C8:0 significantly decreased p-STAT3 and p-JAK2 mRNA, while EPA significantly reduced TLR4 and NF-κBp65 mRNA. In the ABCA1-KD RAW 264.7 cells, TNF-α and MCP-1 were increased significantly and IL-10 and IL-1β were significantly decreased in the C8:0 group (p < 0.05). The protein expressions of ABCA1 and p-JAK2 were significantly higher, and the NF-κBp65 was significantly lower in the C8:0 and EPA groups (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, compared to the C8:0 group, the NF-κBp65 protein expression was significantly lower in the EPA group (p < 0.05). Our study showed that EPA had better effects than C8:0 on inhibiting inflammation and improving blood lipids in the absence of ABCA1. C8:0 may be involved mainly in inhibiting inflammation through upregulation of the ABCA1 and p-JAK2/p-STAT3 pathways, while EPA may be involved mainly in inhibiting inflammation through the TLR4/NF-κBp65 signaling pathway. The upregulation of the ABCA1 expression pathway by functional nutrients may provide research targets for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

OBJECTIVE:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as an autoimmune disease, poses a huge social and economic burden worldwide. Although the diagnosis of RA has been gradually improved, there is still a need to discover accurate and rapid biomarkers for diagnosis and therapy with a precise understanding of the disease. This study aimed to screen diagnostic biomarkers and analyze immune infiltration in RA based on weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA).MATERIALS AND METHODS:Firstly, we screened the experimental and validation sets associated with RA from the GEO database. Crossover genes were obtained using differential genes (DEGs) and key modules in WGCNA. Subsequently, the crossover genes were constructed into protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and screened to obtain hub genes. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve assessment was performed to identify diagnostic biomarkers. In addition, we used the Cibersort algorithm for immuno-infiltration analysis and the DGidb database to search for drugs associated with diagnostic biomarkers.RESULTS:In the end, 377 DEGs were identified, and the enrichment analysis revealed significant associations with the immune system. Blue modules in the WGCNA analysis were positively associated with the disease and were identified as key modules. ROC curves evaluated the four hub genes, which significantly differentiated RA from healthy controls and could be used as diagnostic biomarkers. In further analysis, we found that RA is closely related to immunity, and the search identified multiple drugs that hold promise for treating RA.CONCLUSIONS:BCL2A1, PTGS2, FAS, and LY96 may be used as diagnostic biomarkers, which is significant for diagnosing and treating RA.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the effects of caprylic acid (C8:0) on lipid metabolism and inflammation, and examine the mechanisms underlying these effects in mice and cells.MethodsFifty-six 6-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were randomly allocated to four groups fed a high-fat diet (HFD) without or with 2% C8:0, palmitic acid (C16:0) or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). RAW246.7 cells were randomly divided into five groups: normal, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), LPS+C8:0, LPS+EPA and LPS+cAMP. The serum lipid profiles, inflammatory biomolecules, and ABCA1 and JAK2/STAT3 mRNA and protein expression were measured.ResultsC8:0 decreased TC and LDL-C, and increased the HDL-C/LDL-C ratio after injection of LPS. Without LPS, it decreased TC in mice ( P < 0.05). Moreover, C8:0 decreased the inflammatory response after LPS treatment in both mice and cells ( P < 0.05). Mechanistic investigations in C57BL/6J mouse aortas after injection of LPS indicated that C8:0 resulted in higher ABCA1 and JAK2/STAT3 expression than that with HFD, C16:0 and EPA, and resulted in lower TNF-α, NF-κB mRNA expression than that with HFD ( P < 0.05). In RAW 264.7 cells, C8:0 resulted in lower expression of pNF-κBP65 than that in the LPS group, and higher protein expression of ABCA1, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 than that in the LPS and LPS+cAMP groups ( P < 0.05).ConclusionOur studies demonstrated that C8:0 may play an important role in lipid metabolism and the inflammatory response, and the mechanism may be associated with ABCA1 and the p-JAK2/p-STAT3 signaling pathway.

This study was a prospective, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and aimed to compare the effect of placebo, soy isoflavone, calcium and soy isoflavone combined with calcium on bone mineral density (BMD). One hundred and sixty perimenopausal women with osteoporosis or osteopenia were enrolled and randomised into four groups: control, soy isoflavone, calcium and soy isoflavone combined with calcium groups. After intervention, compared with control, isoflavone and calcium groups, mean changes from their corresponding baseline values of BMD, calcium/phosphorus, vitamin D and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-pX) activity were significantly increased, however, those of phosphorus, osteocalcin, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) were significantly decreased in isoflavone combined with calcium group. The results showed that soy isoflavone, calcium and isoflavone combined with calcium therapy were effective and safe on attenuating BMD loss in perimenopausal women and isoflavone combined with calcium therapy was better than soy isoflavone and calcium alone.

目的 对不同疾病住院患者血清维生素浓度进行分析,为不同疾病患者补充维生素的选择提供依据.方法 通过对2016年11月-2018年7月解放军总医院第一医学中心14 026例住院患者(其中包括10 680例疾病患者和3 346例查体正常者)进行血清9种维生素(A/D/E/C/B 1/B6/B9/B9/B12)浓度测定,分析不同类型疾病住院患者的维生素营养状况.结果 住院患者存在不同程度的血清维生素缺乏,其中维生素D、维生素B2及维生素A缺乏率较高(19.3％、12.1％、5.9％).不同疾病住院患者维生素B2、维生素B12、维生素C、维生素D和维生素E与查体正常者有统计学差异,其中肿瘤和消化系统疾病住院患者维生素B12水平与查体正常者有统计学差异(384.78±78.67 pg/ml、378.28±74.77 pg/ml vs 412.42±78.51 pg/ml,P均＜0.05);肿瘤、消化系统、神经系统、呼吸系统和泌尿生殖系统疾病住院患者维生素C水平显著低于查体正常者(50.90± 5.81μmol/L、50.63±5.81μmol/L、49.68±6.42 μ mol/L、50.53±5.92μmol/L、51.18±7.12μmol/L vs 53.14±6.66 μ mol/L,P均＜0.05);泌尿生殖系统疾病住院患者维生素D水平低于查体正常者(33.30±11.47 ng/ml vs 38.34±11.44 ng/ml,P＜0.05),肿瘤、消化系统、呼吸系统、泌尿生殖系统和内分泌系统疾病住院患者维生素E水平与查体正常者有统计学差异(11.04±0.42μg/ml、10.97±0.40μg/ml、10.92±0.40μg/ml、10.94±0.36μg/ml、11.07±0.44μg/mlvs11.24±0.51μg/ml,P均＜0.05).结论 相对健康人群,住院患者血清维生素D、维生素B2、维生素A缺乏现象较为突出,血清维生素监测可为临床合理补充维生素提供帮助.

目的 探讨中链脂肪酸(medium-chain fatty acid,MCFA)和α-亚麻酸(α-linolenic acid,ALA)对APP/PS1转基因小鼠学习记忆功能及大脑Aβ42、Tau蛋白表达的影响.方法 将25只4周龄APP/PS1转基因小鼠随机分为ALA+MCFA组(8只)、MCFA组(9只)和长链脂肪酸(long chain fatty acid,LCFA)组(8只,对照组),同窝野生型小鼠为WT组(10只,正常对照组).各组小鼠用不同脂肪酸配制饲料连续喂养至36周龄,用Morris水迷宫进行定位航行实验和空间探索实验,并记录平均逃避潜伏期、平台穿越次数和平台象限滞留时间百分比.免疫组化法检测海马Aβ沉积,Western blot方法检测APP、Aβ42蛋白及Tau蛋白表达.结果 与LCFA组小鼠相比,ALA+MCFA组和MCFA组小鼠水迷宫定位航行试验平均逃避潜伏期明显缩短(P＜0.05),空间探索试验平台穿越次数则明显较高(P＜0.05),海马组织Aβ斑块数目相对较少,且皮质和海马Aβ42蛋白及Tau蛋白表达均较低(P＜0.05).结论 与LCFA相比,ALA和MCFA能通过减少Aβ42蛋白生成及Tau蛋白磷酸化水平,改善APP/PS1转基因小鼠学习记忆功能,具有潜在的延缓阿尔茨海默病发生和进展的作用.

Objective To observe the effects of oral probiotics supplementation (Lactobacilluscasei strain Shirota, LcS) on inflammatory response, upper respiratory-tract infection, and immune function of soldiers in military training. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial. We recruited 100 male volunteers from soldiers in Chinese PLA General Hospital. The volunteers were randomly divided into experimental group (n=50, received 100 ml of fermented milk beverage containing LcS twice a day) and control group (n=50, received 100 ml of ordinary milk twice a day). The dietary intake, upper respiratory tract infection and gastrointestinal reaction were investigated and the NK cell activity, serum inflammatory factors, and immune indicators and saliva IgA levels were measured at 0, 2 and 4 months, respectively. Results A total of 87 subjects completed the intervention (45 in experimental group and 42 in control group), with the lost to follow-up rate of 13％. At 2 months, the levels of serum lgG, CD3 and CD4 were significantly higher in the experimental group than those of control group [IgG, (1 268.24土290.81) mg/dl vs (1 124.53 ±272.79) mg/dl; CD3, (0.72 ± 0.07) vs (0.66±0.05); CD4, (0.38±0.07) vs (0.35±0.05); all P ＜ 0.05]; At 4 months, the levels of serum lgE, lgG, CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8, saliva IgA, neutrophils and lymphocytes were significantly higher in experimental group than control group [lgE, (231.14±177.71)mg/dl vs (142.74±112.08) mg/dl; lgG, (1 243.22±290.58) mg/dl vs (1 036.23±228.71) mg/dl; CD3, (0.70 ±0.05) vs (0.65 ± 0.04); CD4, (0.41 ±0.06) vs (0.34 ±0.04); CD4/CD8, (1.68 ±0.43) vs (1.31 ±0.32); saliva IgA, (181.67±39.12) μ g/ml vs (147.38±33.53) μ g/ml; neutrophils, (0.57±0.06) vs (0.53±0.08); lymphocytes, (0.53 ± 0.08) vs (0.33 ±0.06); all P ＜ 0.05], while serum C-reactive protein, IL-1 level and white blood cell count were significantly lower in experimental group than control group [serum C-reactive protein, (0.31 ±0.02) mg/dl vs (0.51 ±0.25) mg/dl; IL-1, (9.96 ± 4.44) pg/ml vs(14.51±6.67) pg/ml; white blood cell, (5.10 ± 0.35)109/L vs (7.12±0.93)109/L; all P ＜ 0.05]; The incidence of gastrointestinal disease in experimental group was significantly lower than that of control group (2 months, 4.45％ vs 23.80％; 4 months, 4.45％ vs21.43％; P ＜ 0.05, respectively); The incidence of upper respiratory tract infection in the two groups showed no significant difference (2 months, 8.89％ vs 11.90％; 4 months, 8.89％ vs 11.90％; P ＞ 0.05, respectively), but it showed a downward trend. Conclusion Long-term oral LcS supplementation can reduce the inflammatory response and improve the immune function, which may be beneficial to preventing upper respiratory tract infection.

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of medium-chain fatty acid( MCFA) on high-density-lipoprotein( HDL) in serum, liver and small intestine in Sprague Dawley rats fed with high fat diet.METHODSThirty obese rats were divided into 3 groups randomly, and were fed high fat diet mixed with 2% octanoic acid, 2% decanoic acid, 2% oleic acid respectively for 8 weeks. The levels of blood HDL, apolipoprotein A1( ApoA1), apolipoprotein A2( ApoA2), triglyceride( TG), total cholesterol( TC), high-densitylipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-c) in serum were measured at the fourth and eighth week. The levels of HDL, ApoA1, and ApoA2 in liver and small intestine were measured by ELISA. Real-time PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of ApoA1 and ApoA2 in liver and small intestine from rats at the eighth week.RESULTSAt the eighth week, significant decreases in levels of serum TG and TC were observed in octanoic acid and decanoic acid groups as compared with oleic acid group( P < 0. 05). Greater increases in levels of serum HDL and HDL-c/LDL-c were observed in octanoic acid group than in oleic acid group( P < 0. 05). Greater increases in protein expression of HDL and ApoA1 and in mRNA expression of ApoA1 in small intestine were observed in octanoic acid group than in oleic acid group( P < 0. 05).CONCLUSIONMCFA can elevate the levels of HDL, HDL-c/LDL-c in serum, and increase the expressions of HDL and ApoA1 in small intestine.

目的 探讨住院肿瘤患者血液中的维生素浓度,并分析不同系统恶性肿瘤患者维生素浓度的不同.方法 选取2016年1月至2016年10月间解放军总医院收治的989例住院恶性肿瘤患者,对所有患者进行血清9种维生素(A/D/E/C/B1/B2/B6/B9/B12)浓度测定,分析不同系统恶性肿瘤住院患者的维生素营养状况.结果 恶性肿瘤住院患者维生素A、维生素B1、维生素B2、维生素B6、维生素C和维生素D均有不同程度的缺乏,其中维生素D缺乏最多.维生素A、维生素B1、维生素C和维生素D浓度在不同肿瘤患者中比较,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),泌尿和生殖系统肿瘤的患者维生素A浓度较低,淋巴系统肿瘤患者维生素B1的血清浓度最高,维生素C和维生素D浓度最低,消化系统肿瘤患者维生素B1水平较低,维生素C和维生素D浓度较高,生殖系统肿瘤患者的维生素B6浓度较低.结论 住院恶性肿瘤患者中,不同系统肿瘤患者存在不同程度维生素缺乏情况,应根据具体缺乏情况进行相应补充.

[Objective] To compare the effects of different fatty acid sources on acute intestinal inflammation induced by LPS in mice.[Method] Totally 40 twelve-week old male C57BL / 6J mice were challenged with intraperitoneal injection with LPS (3.5mg / kg).After 24 hours,the LPS-chanllenged mice were randomly divided into five groups according to their fasting body weight including corn oil group (ω-6 fatty acid),olive oil group (ω-9 fatty acids),perilla oil group (ω-3 fatty acid),medium-long-chain oil group (medium chain fatty acid) and LPS injury group (glucose).Gavage mice according to the different group,and 7 days later,blood sample and small intestine tissue were collected and the level of inflammation factors and the mRNA expression of related molecules in TLR4 pathway were determined.Biopsy of the small intestine of mice was observed.Body weight of mice were measured every day during the study period.[Result] At the end of the study,body weight of mice in each group were increased,olive oil group and perilla oil group were significantly higher than LPS injury group and corn oil group (P ＜ 0.05).The concentrations of TNF-α,IL-1β,IL-6 in serum and small intestine,and the expression mRNA TLR4,MyD88 and TNF-α in small intestine tissue was the lowest in medium chain oil group,and were significantly lower than LPS injury group and corn oil group (P ＜ 0.05).Small intestine tissue pathological results showed that LPS injury group was the worst,corn oil group was a little worse,and olive oil group was in the medium.Medium chain oil and perilla oil group had no obvious injury.[Conclusion] It may be better for LPS induced intestine injury by gavage oil containing medium chain fatty acid,ω-3 fatty acid or ω-9 fatty acid.The mechanism may be via reducing inflarmnatory factors release by inhibiting TLR4 signaling pathway.

目的 探讨妊娠期糖尿病(gestational diabetes mellitus,GDM)患者孕中期母体体成分特点.方法 采用巢式病例对照研究方法,对象全部来自2012年5月20日-2013年12月31日期间参与多中心队列研究的人群,选取孕24～28周进行糖耐量筛查时诊断为GDM的142人为病例组,并在同一时期队列中未发生GDM的孕妇按照1:1比例,按其怀孕年龄、孕前体重和身高进行配对选取142人为对照组.采用多频生物电阻抗技术分析两组妇女在孕22～24周时的人体成分,比较两组间的体重(body weight,BW)、体质指数(body mass index,BMI)、去脂体质(free fat mass,FFM)、肌肉重(mus-cular mass,MM)、体脂(fat mass,FM)、体脂百分比(fat mass percentage,FMP)、总体水分(total body water,TBW)、细胞外水(extracellular water,ECW)和细胞内水(intracellular water,ICW)等指标的差异.结果 孕中期GDM患者的BW、BMI、FM、FMP、TBW和ECW均显著高于对照组(P＜0.05),而FFM、MM和ICW与对照组比较差异无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 GDM孕中期的体脂储备和细胞外水显著高于正常孕妇,而肌肉储备与正常孕妇无差异.

[Objective] To investigate the effects of the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular on blood lipid and blood glucose on the metabolic syndrome.[Method] A total of 60 metabdic syndrome patients were enrdled and randomly divided into two groups supplemented with the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular group or brown rice group.During the period of experiment (1month),records of diet were made every half a month.Blood biochemical variables,vitamin level and anthropometric measurements were measured at the initial and final time of the study.[Result] Four patients were excluded from the study.There were 27and 29 subjects left in the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular group and brown rice group,respectively.No sex difference was noted between the two groups.There was no significant difference in all parameters between the two groups at the intial time.After study,fasting blood-glucose,LDL-C and postprandial blood triacylglycerol were significantly lower in the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular group.The vitamin B9 level were significantly higher in the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular group.The vitamin B1 and vitamin B9 level were significantly higher compared with before experiment in the complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular group.The vitamin B1 and vitamin E level were significantly higher compared with before experiment in brown rice group [Conclusion] The complex powder of black rice and auricularia auricular can decrease fasting blood-glucose,LDL-C and postprandial blood triacylglycerol of the metabolic syndrome,it can be used as staple food for metabolic syndrome.

[Objective] To investigate the effects of Maca and Maca compound products on immune index and vitamin levels in patients with climacteric syndrome.[Method] Totally 80 subjects with menopausal syndrome were randomly divided into compound Maca group (n =40) and Maca group (n =40),and gave them with compound Maca or Maca products to test the biochemical examination,routine blood,lgA,lgM,serum vitamin levels and body composition changes on 0 and 3months.[Result] A total of 73 subjects completed the research (compound Maca group 37,Maca group 36),the lost of follow-up rate was 8.75％.The two groups of biochemical examination,routine blood,lgA,lgM and body composition changes showed no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05).The two groups of serum IgA were significantly increased,and the IgM of compound Maca group was increased and total cholesterol levels was significantly decreased compared with before intervention (P ＜0.05).The two groups of vitamin B1,vitamin B2,vitamin B12,vitamin C,vitamin D were significantly higher,and the vitamin B6 of Maca group was also significantly higher compared with before intervention (P ＜0.05).[Conclusion] Compound Maca and Maca products all can adjust the immune level,improve the level of serum vitamin,and compound Maca products can also improve the serum cholesterol levels of patients with climacteric syndrome.

OBJECTIVETo assess nutritional status and define gender- and age-specific handgrip strength (HGS) cut-point values for malnutrition or nutritional risk in elderly inpatients.METHODSA cross-sectional study of 1,343 elderly inpatients was conducted in the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Nutrition Risk Screening (NRS 2002) and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) were administered. Anthropometric measurements and blood biochemical indicators were obtained using standard techniques. The gender- and age-specific receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the HGS for nutritional status by SGA and NRS 2002. Sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the curves (AUCs) were calculated.RESULTSAccording to NRS 2002 and SGA, 63.81% of elderly inpatients were at nutritional risk and 28.22% were malnourished. Patients with higher HGS had an independently decreased risk of malnutrition and nutritional risk. The AUCs varied between 0.670 and 0.761. According to NRS 2002, the optimal HGS cut-points were 27.5 kg (65-74 years) and 21.0 kg (75-90 years) for men and 17.0 kg (65-74 years) and 14.6 kg (75-90 years) for women. According to SGA, the optimal HGS cut-points were 24.9 kg (65-74 years) and 20.8 kg (75-90 years) for men and 15.2 kg (65-74 years) and 13.5 kg (75-90 years) for women.CONCLUSIONElderly inpatients had increased incidence of malnutrition or nutritional risk. HGS cut-points can be used for assessing nutritional status in elderly inpatients at hospital admission in China.

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the important risk factors of atherosclerosis (AS). The aim of this study is to explore the effect of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) on serum cholesterol levels and their mechanism of action. Hyperlipemia, as a model of abnormal lipid hypermetabolism, was established by using a high fat diet in C57BL/6J mice. Forty eight mice with dyslipidemia were randomly divided into 4 groups, 12 mice per group, including the control group, the 2% caprylic acid (C8:0)-treated group, 2% capric acid (C10:0)-treated group, and 2% oleic acid (C18:1)-treated group. All mice were fed with a high fat diet. After 16 weeks, the mice were anesthetized with chloral hydrate. The mouse portal vein blood, the liver and the start site of the ileum (1 cm) were collected. The body weight of the mice and blood lipid profiles were measured. Gene transcription and the expression level associated with bile acid metabolism in the liver and small intestine were determined by real-time PCR and the western blotting method. The concentrations of bile acid metabolites in bile and feces were analysed. After 16 weeks of treatment, the concentrations of TC and LDL-C in the caprylic acid group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the transcription and expression level of LXR, CYP7A1, CYP27A1 and ABCG8 in the caprylic acid and capric acid groups were significantly higher than those in the control group in the liver (P < 0.05), however the transcription and expression level of the small heterodimer partner (SHP) were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05); the transcription and expression level of LXR, ABCG5 and ABCG8 in the caprylic acid, capric acid and oleic acid groups were significantly higher than those in the control group in the small intestine (P < 0.05). The concentrations of total bile acid, mainly cholic acid and cholesterol in bile and feces were significantly higher in the caprylic and capric acid groups than those of in the control group (P < 0.05). Thus, MCFA increased the expression of LXR and ABCG8, enhanced CYP7A1 and CYP27A1 expression, decreased and SHP expression in the liver, thereby promoted liver bile acid synthesis and excretion. In addition MCFA increased the expression of ABCG5, ABCG8 and LXR in the small intestine, thereby inhibiting small intestinal bile acid absorption, increasing the concentrations of cholesterol and bile acid in bile and feces and reducing the level of serum cholesterol.

We previously observed that medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) could reduce body fat mass and improve the metabolism of cholesterol. We hypothesized that MCTs can improve atherosclerosis by promoting the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) process. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the roles of MCTs in macrophage RCT and the progression of atherosclerosis. To test this hypothesis, 30 4-week-old ApoE-deficient (ApoE(-/-)) mice were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed a diet of 2% MCTs or long-chain triglycerides (LCTs) for 16 weeks. Ten age- and sex-matched C57BL/6J mice were fed a diet of 2% LCTs as the control. Macrophage-to-feces RCT was assessed in vivo by intraperitoneal injection of RAW 264.7 macrophages containing (3)H-labeled cholesterol, and atherosclerotic plaques were measured. The mRNA and protein expressions were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses, respectively. There was a greater decrease in body fat mass, atherosclerotic plaques, and an improvement in serum lipid profiles. In addition, the MCT mice group showed an increase in (3)H-tracer in the feces and a decrease in the liver. Significantly higher levels of mRNA and protein expression of hepatic ATP-binding cassette transporter A1, ATP-binding cassette transporter G5, cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase, and intestinal ATP-binding cassette transporter G8, as well as lower levels of expression of intestinal Niemann-Pick C1-like 1, were found in the MCT group. These results suggest that MCTs could obviously promote macrophage RCT and improve atherosclerosis in ApoE(-/-) mice, indicating that MCTs have the potential to prevent cardiovascular disease.

Objective To observe the changes of clinical and nutritional status in type 2 diabetic patients after eating diet containing pumpkin seed oil. Methods Seventy eight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (including 29 males and 49 females) in our hospital from Sep. 2014 to Apr. 2015 were recruited, aged (63.05 ± 7.24) years old. They were provided diets containing three stages, basic diet (BD group, before admission), diabetic diet (DD group, intervention for 3 days after admission), pumpkin seed oil+diabetic diet (PODD group, intervention for 7 days after DD). Patients in DD group were given soybean oil 25 ml/d, and patients in PODD group were given pumpkin seed oil 10 ml+soybean oil 15 ml/d. The changes of clinical and nutritional status of patients in different stages were compared. The items observed included blood routine examination including C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose metabolism indexes [blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum insulin], lipids metabolism indexes [triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol], nutritional indexes [height, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist cir-cumference, hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, triceps skinfold thickness, mid-upper arm muscle circumference (MUAMC), serum albumin, total protein, Fe, total Fe binding force, lymphocyte count (LC) and SGA score], as well as other indexes (liver function, renal function). Results The levels of blood glucose, HbA1c, TG, BMI, wait circumfer-ence in DD group and PODD group were significantly lower compared with those in BD group (P<0.05), but no signif-icant difference was found between DD group and PODD group (P>0.05). The level of CRP in PODD group was sig-nificantly lower than that in BD group (P<0.05), but showed no statistically significant difference with that of DD group (P>0.05). The levels of MUAMC, Fe, LC and SGA score in PODD group were significantly higher compared with those in BD group and DD group (P<0.05), but other indexes showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion Eating diet containing pumpkin seed oil may benefit type 2 diabetic patients by improving glucose and lipid metabolism, as well as nutritional status.

目的 探讨不同孕前体质量指数(pre-pregnant body mass index,pBMI)妇女孕中晚期人体成分变化特点.方法 采用多中心队列研究设计,以多频生物电阻抗技术检测孕妇孕中、晚期的去脂体质量(free fat mass,FFM)、肌肉重(muscular mass,MM)、体脂(fat mass,FM)、体脂百分比(fat mass percentage,FMP)、总体水(total body water,TBW)、细胞外液(extracellular water,ECW)和细胞内液(intracellular water,ICW)等成分.按pBMI将孕妇分为消瘦组202例(pBMI＜18.5 kg/m2)、正常组738例(18.5 kg/m2≤pBMI＜24 kg/m2)、超重组117例(24 kg/m2≤pBMI＜28 kg/m2)和肥胖组32例(pBMI≥28 kg/m2)共四组,分析比较孕中晚期各项人体成分变化值的差异.结果 整个孕中晚期,4组的FFM、MM、ECW、ICW和TBW变化值差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).肥胖组FM增加(2.46±4.34) kg,显著低于其他3组(P＜0.05);各组间FMP增加程度均有统计学差异(P＜0.01),并随pBMI增大而依次减少.结论 不同pBMI孕妇孕中晚期去脂体质量增加无差异,而体脂百分比变化明显.