Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder characterized by the presence of hypertension with the onset of either proteinuria, maternal organ or uteroplacental dysfunction. Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity worldwide. However, the etiopathologies of preeclampsia are not fully understood. Many studies have indicated that genes are differentially expressed between normal and in the disease state. Hence, this study systematically searched the literature on human gene expression that was differentially expressed in preeclampsia. An electronic search was performed through 2019 through PubMed, Scopus, Ovid-Medline, and Gene Expression Omnibus where the following MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) terms were used and they had been specified as the primary focus of the articles: Gene, placenta, preeclampsia, and pregnancy in the title or We also found additional MeSH terms through Cochrane Library: Transcript, sequencing, and profiling. From 687 studies retrieved from the search, only original publications that had performed high throughput sequencing of human placental tissues that reported on differentially expressed genes in pregnancies with preeclampsia were included. Two reviewers independently scrutinized the titles and abstracts before examining the eligibility of studies that met the inclusion criteria. For each study, study design, sample size, sampling type, and method for gene analysis and gene were identified. The genes listed were further analyzed with the DAVID, STRING and Cytoscape MCODE. Three original research articles involving preeclampsia comprising the datasets in gene expression were included. By combining three studies together, 250 differentially expressed genes were produced at a significance setting of p < 0.05. We identified candidate genes: LEP, NRIP1, SASH1, and ZADHHC8P1. Through GO analysis, we found extracellular matrix organization as the highly significant enriched ontology in a group of upregulated genes and immune process in downregulated genes. Studies on a genetic level have the potential to provide new insights into the regulation and to widen the basis for identification of changes in the mechanism of preeclampsia. Integrated bioinformatics could identify differentially expressed genes which could be candidate genes and potential pathways in preeclampsia that may improve our understanding of the cause and underlying molecular mechanisms that could be used as potential biomarkers for risk stratification and treatment.

Objectives: This study investigated effects of reduced serum condition and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on angiogenic potential of adipose stromal cells (ASCs) in vitro.Materials and methods: Adipose stromal cells were cultured in three different types of medium: (i) F12/DMEM (FD) supplemented with 10% FBS from passage 0 (P0) to P6; (ii) FD supplemented with 2% FBS at P6; and (iii) FD supplemented with 2% FBS plus 50 ng/ml of VEGF at P6. Morphological changes and growth rate of ASCs were recorded. Changes in stemness, angiogenic and endogenic genes’ expressions were analysed using Real‐Time PCR.Results: Adipose stromal cells changed from fibroblast‐like shape when cultured in 10% FBS medium to polygonal when cultured in 2% FBS plus VEGF‐supplemented medium. Their growth rate was lower in 2% FBS medium, but increased with addition of VEGF. Real‐Time PCR showed that ASCs maintained most of their stemness and angiogenic genes’ expression in 10% FBS at P1, P5 and P6, but this increased significantly in 2% FBS at P6. Endogenic genes expression such as PECAM‐1, VE chaderin and VEGFR‐2 decreased after serial passage in 10% FBS, but increased significantly at P6 in 2% FBS. Addition of VEGF did not cause any significant change in gene expression level.Conclusion: Adipose stromal cells had greater angiogenic potential when cultured in reduced serum conditions. VEGF did not enhance their angiogenic potential in 2% FBS‐supplemented medium.

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) fruit is an important food in the Middle East. Some date palm cultivars like the Ajwa is revered for its health-promoting properties. Phytochemicals like phenolic compounds are in part responsible for such health benefits. However, detailed information on these compounds is lacking. The present work aimed to investigate phytochemical components of Ajwa cultivar using UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS in three different extraction solvents (aqueous, methanol–water, acetone–water) and three different extraction durations (2, 5 and 24 h). The proposed method provided tentative identification of 169 bioactive compounds out of which 44 (polyphenols and other phytochemical compounds) were successfully identified from three different extracts and three different extraction durations. Twenty-one compounds never previously reported in the Ajwa cultivar were identified. Aqueous-based extraction solvent and 24-h extraction duration yielded most phytochemical compounds.

The hepatic matrisome is involved in the remodeling phase of liver regeneration. As the gut microbiota has been implicated in liver regeneration, we investigated its role in liver regeneration focusing on gene expression of the hepatic matrisome after partial hepatectomy (PHx) in germ-free (GF) mice, and in GF mice reconstituted with normal gut microbiota (XGF). Liver mass restoration, hepatocyte proliferation, and immune response were assessed following 70% PHx. Hepatic matrisome and collagen gene expression were also analyzed. Reduced liver weight/body weight ratio, mitotic count, and hepatocyte proliferative index at 72 h post PHx in GF mice were preceded by reduced expression of cytokine receptor genes Tnfrsf1a and Il6ra, and Hgf gene at 3 h post PHx. In XGF mice, these indices were significantly higher than in GF mice, and similar to that of control mice, indicating normal liver regeneration. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of the matrisome were lower in GF compared to XGF mice at both 3 h and 72 h post PHx. GF mice also demonstrated lower collagen expression, with significantly lower expression of Col1a1, Col1a2, Col5a1, and Col6a2 compared to WT mice at 72 h post PHx. In conclusion, enhanced liver regeneration and matrisome expression in XGF mice suggests that interaction of the gut microbiota and matrisome may play a significant role in the regulation of hepatic remodeling during the regenerative process.

Introduction. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major global health issue projected to exceed 700 million cases by 2045. In Malaysia, T2DM prevalence has risen, with notable ethnic disparities. Gap statement. The gut microbiota’s role in T2DM pathogenesis is well recognized, yet its composition in Malaysia’s ethnically diverse population remains underexplored. Aim. This study aimed to characterize gut microbiota composition among T2DM and ethnicity-matched adults without diabetes (nonDM) in Malaysia. Methodology. A case–control study was conducted with 45 T2DM and 45 nonDM participants matched by ethnicity from a primary care clinic in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Faecal DNA was subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing to identify microbiota diversity and composition differences and compare predicted functional capabilities. Correlations between bacterial taxa, clinical characteristics and dietary intake were analysed. Results. T2DM participants showed decreased alpha diversity (observed, P-value=0.002, r=0.69; Shannon, P-value<0.001, r=0.73) and significant differences in beta diversity (permutational multivariate ANOVA, R²=0.036, P-value=0.001). Linear discriminant analysis effect size and multiple regression analysis, adjusted for covariates age, gender, BMI and intakes of protein, fat, carbohydrate and fibre, identified the phylum Proteobacteria and genera Escherichia–Shigella to be increased, while the genera Anaerostipes and Romboutsia decreased in T2DM. These bacteria were associated with various clinical characteristics and dietary intake. However, these ‘potential biomarkers’ were not uniformly present across all participants, suggesting that individual bacterial taxa may not serve as universal biomarkers. Conclusion. Significant gut microbiota differences exist between T2DM and nonDM individuals in Malaysia, indicating a dysbiosis characterized by increased pro-inflammatory bacteria and reduced short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria in T2DM. While these findings highlight the potential functional relevance of gut microbiota in T2DM pathogenesis, addressing limitations such as participant matching for confounding factors in future studies could uncover additional significant differences in microbiota composition. Furthermore, the variability in taxa prevalence across individuals suggests that targeting microbial metabolic products may offer more promising strategies to inform microbiota-targeted interventions than relying solely on specific bacterial taxa as biomarkers.