Myricetin is an effective antioxidant in the treatment of obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders. The objective of this study was to explore the regressive effect of myricetin on pre-existing hepatic steatosis induced by high-fat diet (HFD). C57BL/6 mice were fed either a standard diet or a HFD for 12 weeks and then half of the mice were treated with myricetin (0.12% in the diet, w/w) while on their respective diets for further 12 weeks. Myricetin treatment significantly alleviated HFD-induced steatosis, decreased hepatic lipid accumulation and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) levels, and increased antioxidative enzyme activities, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities. Microarray analysis of hepatic gene expression profiles showed that myricetin significantly altered the expression profiles of 177 genes which were involved in 12 biological pathways, including the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway and peroxisome. Further research indicated that myricetin elevated hepatic nuclear Nrf2 translocation, increased the protein expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1), reduced the protein expression of PPARγ, and normalized the expressions of genes that were involved in peroxisome and the PPAR signaling pathway. Our data indicated that myricetin might represent an effective therapeutic agent to treat HFD-induced hepatic steatosis via activating the Nrf2 pathway and the PPAR signaling pathway.

Background: China has the largest number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the world. However, owing to insufficient knowledge of self-management in patients with diabetes, blood glucose (BG) control is poor. Most diabetes-related self-management applications fail to bring significant benefits to patients with T2DM because of the low use rate and difficult operation. Objective: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the combination of the self-designed web-based T2DM management software TangPlan and WeChat on fasting BG (FBG), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body weight, blood pressure (BP), and lipid profiles in patients with T2DM over a 6-month period. Methods: Participants were recruited and randomized into the TangPlan and WeChat or control groups. Participants in the control group received usual care, whereas the TangPlan and WeChat participants received self-management guidance with the help of TangPlan and WeChat from health care professionals, including BG self-monitoring; healthy eating; active physical exercise; increasing medication compliance; and health education during follow-ups, lectures, or web-based communication. They were also asked to record and send self-management data to the health care professionals via WeChat to obtain timely and effective guidance on diabetes self-management. Results: In this study, 76.9% (120/156) of participants completed the 6-month follow-up visit. After the intervention, FBG (mean 6.51, SD 1.66 mmol/L; P=.048), HbA1c (mean 6.87%, SD 1.11%; P<.001), body weight (mean 66.50, SD 9.51 kg; P=.006), systolic BP (mean 127.03, SD 8.00 mm Hg; P=.005), diastolic BP (mean 75.25, SD 5.88 mm Hg; P=.03), serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean 2.50, SD 0.61 mmol/L; P=.006), and total cholesterol (mean 4.01, SD 0.83 mmol/L; P=.02) in the TangPlan and WeChat group were all significantly lower, whereas serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean 1.20, SD 0.25 mmol/L; P=.01) was remarkably higher than in those in the control group. Compared with the baseline data, significance was found in the mean change in FBG (95% CI −0.83 to −0.20; P=.002), HbA1c (95% CI −1.92 to −1.28; P<.001), body weight (95% CI −3.13 to −1.68; P<.001), BMI (95% CI −1.10 to −0.60; P<.001), systolic BP (95% CI −7.37 to −3.94; P<.001), diastolic BP (95% CI −4.52 to −2.33; P<.001), triglycerides (95% CI −0.16 to −0.03; P=.004), serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (95% CI −0.54 to −0.30; P<.001), and total cholesterol (95% CI −0.60 to −0.34; P<.001) in the TangPlan and WeChat group but not in the control group (P=.08-.88). Conclusions: Compared with usual care for patients with T2DM, the combination of TangPlan and WeChat was effective in improving glycemic control (decrease in HbA1c and BG levels) and serum lipid profiles as well as reducing body weight in patients with T2DM after 6 months. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000028843; https://tinyurl.com/559kuve6

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is a common pathological process, which may lead to dysfunctions and failures of multiple organs. A flawless medical way of endogenous therapeutic target can illuminate accurate clinical applications. γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been known as a marker in I/R injury of the central nervous system (mainly in the brain) for a long time, and it may play a vital role in the occurrence of I/R injury. It has been observed that throughout cerebral I/R, levels, syntheses, releases, metabolisms, receptors, and transmissions of GABA undergo complex pathological variations. Scientists have investigated the GABAergic enhancers for attenuating cerebral I/R injury; however, discussions on existing problems and mechanisms of available drugs were seldom carried out so far. Therefore, this review would summarize the process of pathological variations in the GABA system under cerebral I/R injury and will cover corresponding probable issues and mechanisms in using GABA-related drugs to illuminate the concern about clinical illness for accurately preventing cerebral I/R injury. In addition, the study will summarize the increasing GABA signals that can prevent I/R injuries occurring in peripheral organs, and the roles of GABA were also discussed correspondingly.

It is widely accepted that thyroid hormones (THs), secreted from the thyroid, play important roles in energy metabolism. It is also known that THs also alter the functioning of other endocrine glands; however, their effects on pancreatic function have not yet been reviewed. One of the main functions of the pancreas is insulin secretion, which is altered in diabetes. Diabetes, therefore, could be related to thyroid dysfunction. Earlier research on this subject focused on TH regulation of pancreas function (such as insulin secretion) or on insulin function through TH-mediated increase of energy metabolism. Afterwards, epidemiological investigations and animal test research found a link between autoimmune diseases, thyroid dysfunction, and pancreas pathology; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that THs also play important roles in pancreas development and on islet pathology, both in diabetes and in pancreatic cancer. Therefore, an overview of the effects of thyroid and THs on pancreas physiology and pathology is presented. The topics contained in this review include a summary of the relationship between autoimmune thyroid dysfunction and autoimmune pancreas lesions and the effects of THs on pancreas development and pancreas pathology (diabetes and pancreatic cancer).

Little is known about the relationship between diet and depression through the gut microbiota among breast cancer patients. This study aimed to examine the dietary intake differences between depressed breast cancer (DBC) and non-depressed breast cancer (NBC) patients, and whether the differences could lead to gut microbiota changes that affect depressive symptoms. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) and 24 h dietary recall. Fecal samples of 18 DBC patients and 37 NBC patients were collected for next-generation sequencing. A total of 60 out of 205 breast cancer patients reported significant depressive symptoms suggested by a CES-D score ≥ 16, which might be related to lower intakes of energy, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B2, niacin, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese and tryptophan, and a poor diet quality indicated by a lower total Chinese Healthy Eating Index (CHEI) score. Additionally, NBC patients demonstrated greater gut microbiota diversity and a healthier composition, in which the relative abundances of Proteobacteria and Escherichia-Shigella were both lower than in the DBC patients (p < 0.05). Alpha diversity was a significant mediator between diet quality and depression, while calcium, phosphorus and selenium significantly regulated depression independent of the gut microbiota. Breast cancer-related depressive symptoms might be associated with a poor diet quality via gut microbiota-dependent pathways and lower micronutrient intake via microbiota-independent pathways.

Purpose: Normal weight obesity (NWO), defined as normal body mass index (BMI) and excessive body fat percentage (BF%), has been shown to be associated with a significantly higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome, cardiometabolic dysfunction and with higher mortality. However, there is limited literature regarding the potential associations between NWO and lifestyles. This study aimed to investigate the associations of lifestyles with NWO in Chinese university students. Participants and Methods: A total of 279 university students with normal BMI were recruited and divided into NWO and normal weight non-obesity (NWNO) groups by BF%. Body composition and anthropometrics were measured, and participants were asked to finish the Healthy Lifestyle Scale for University Students (HLSUS) questionnaire. Results: A total of 26 male (25.5%) and 71 female (40.1%) students were identified as NWO. Compared to NWNO students, body weight, BMI, body fat mass, visceral fat area, waist circumference and hip circumference of NWO students were all significantly higher both in male and female students (P < 0.05). The body fat mass, BF% and visceral fat area were significantly negatively correlated with the total HLSUS, physical exercise behavior, and dietary nutrition behavior scores in NWNO males, NWO and NWNO females (P < 0.05). The risk of NWO was lower in those students with higher scores in physical exercise behavior in both males (OR = 0.298, 95% CI = 0.121∼ 0.733) and females (OR = 0.653, 95% CI = 0.505∼ 0.843), while dietary nutrition behavior (OR = 0.759, 95% CI = 0.584∼ 0.986) and stress management behavior (OR = 0.503, 95% CI = 0.335∼ 0.755) decreased the risk of NWO only in females. Conclusion: The incidence of NWO was high among university students, especially in females, which might be related with unhealthy lifestyles. NWO university students should pay attention to lifestyle adjustments, especially physical exercise, dietary nutrition and stress management, for preventing the health risk in NWO.