Background: Vitamin E has long been linked to skin health, including all of its possible functions in cosmetic products, to its roles in membrane integrity and even the aging process. However, reports on the relationship between serum vitamin E levels and the risk of chronic inflammatory skin diseases have been inconsistent. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between serum vitamin E levels and chronic inflammatory skin diseases. Methods: We searched the PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus databases, with no time limit up to 30.06.2021. Studies examining serum vitamin E levels in patients with chronic inflammatory skin diseases were selected. Results: Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Compared with controls, a lower vitamin E level was found in patients with vitiligo (SMD: -0.70, 95% CI: -1.21 to -0.19), psoriasis (SMD: -2.73, 95% CI: -3.57 to -1.18), atopic dermatitis (SMD: -1.08, 95% CI: -1.80 to -0.36) and acne (SMD: -0.67, 95% CI: -1.05 to -0.30). Conclusions: Our meta-analysis showed that serum vitamin E levels were lower in patients suffering from vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne. This study highlights the need to evaluate vitamin E status to improve its level in patients with skin diseases.

Obesity is one of the major public health problems threatening the world, as well as a potential risk factor for chronic metabolic diseases. There is growing evidence that iron metabolism is altered in obese people, however, the highly refined regulation of iron metabolism in obesity and obesity-related complications is still being investigated. Iron accumulation can affect the body’s sensitivity to insulin, Type 2 diabetes, liver disease and cardiovascular disease. This review summarized the changes and potential mechanisms of iron metabolism in several chronic diseases related to obesity, providing new clues for future research.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) is an essential metabolite that plays a crucial role in diverse biological processes, including energy metabolism, gene expression, DNA repair, and mitochondrial function. An aberrant NAD⁺ level mediates the development of cardiovascular dysfunction and diseases. Both in vivo and in vitro studies have demonstrated that nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), as a NAD⁺ precursor, alleviates the development of cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, atherosclerosis, and myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Importantly, NMN has suggested pharmacological activities mostly through its involvement in NAD⁺ biosynthesis. Several clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the efficacy and safety of NMN supplementation, indicating its potential role in cardiovascular protection without significant adverse effects. In this review, we systematically summarize the impact of NMN as a nutraceutical and potential therapeutic drug on cardiovascular diseases and emphasize the correlation between NMN supplementation and cardiovascular protection.

Background: The present study evaluates the effectiveness of fractional carbon dioxide (CO₂) laser for the treatment of burn scars. Method: Literature search was conducted in electronic databases and studies were selected by following pre-determined eligibility criteria. Random effect meta-analyses were performed to achieve the effect size of the changes (mean difference (MD) between post-treatment and pretreatment values) in selected scar assessment scale scores and other important outcome measures. Results: 14 studies were included. Treatment of burn scars with fractional CO₂ laser significantly improved Vancouver Scar Scale (MD −3.01 [95% confidence interval (CI) −3.79, −2.22]; p ˂ .00001), Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS)– Patient (MD −14.38 [95% CI −17.62, −11.13]; p ˂ .00001, POSAS – Observer (MD −8.81 [9% CI −11.60, −6.02]; p ˂ .00001 and Scar Assessment Scale (MD 1.64 [95% CI 0.49, 2.78]; p = .005) scores especially with regards to pigmentation, vascularity, pliability, and height of scar. Pain and pruritis also improved with this treatment. Scar thickness measured with ultrasonography decreased non-significantly (MD −0.48 [95% CI −1.04, 0.09]; p = .1) whereas cutometer measures, R0 (scar firmness) and R2 (scar elasticity) did not change meaningfully. Conclusion: Fractional CO₂ laser therapy is a valuable tool for the treatment of burn scars which has potential for reducing scar severity.

The mechanisms of Bisphenol A (BPA) induced learning and memory impairment have still not been fully elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding small RNA molecules involved in the process of toxicant-induced neurotoxicity. To investigate the role of miRNAs in BPA-induced learning and memory impairment, we analyzed the impacts of BPA on miRNA expression profile by high-throughput sequencing in mice hippocampus. Results showed that mice treated with BPA displayed impairments of spatial learning and memory and changes in the expression of miRNAs in the hippocampus. Seventeen miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed after BPA exposure, of these, 13 and 4 miRNAs were up- and downregulated, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis of Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway suggests that BPA exposure significantly triggered transcriptional changes of miRNAs associated with learning and memory; the top five affected pathways involved in impairment of learning and memory are: 1) Long-term depression (LTD); 2) Thyroid hormone synthesis; 3) GnRH signaling pathway; 4) Long-term potentiation (LTP); 5) Serotonergic synapse. Eight BPA-responsive differentially expressed miRNAs regulating LTP and LTD were further screened to validate the miRNA sequencing data using Real-Time PCR. The deregulation expression levels of proteins of five target genes (CaMKII, MEK1/2, IP3R, AMPAR1 and PLCβ4) were investigated via western blot, for further verifying the results of gene target analysis. Our results showed that LTP and LTD related miRNAs and their targets could contribute to BPA-induced impairment of learning and memory. This study provides valuable information for novel miRNA biomarkers to detect changes in impairment of learning and memory induced by BPA exposure.