Background: Evidence on the association between the non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDLc)-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLc) ratio (non-HDLc/HDLc) and carotid plaques is still limited. This study aims to assess the relationship between the non-HDLc/HDLc and carotid plaques in a population with a high risk of stroke. Methods: A cross-sectional study based on the community was conducted in Yangzhou, China. Residents (no younger than 40 years old) underwent questionnaire interviews, physical examinations, and laboratory testing during 2013–2014. The subjects with a high risk of stroke were further selected (at least three of eight risk factors including hypertension, atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, smoking, lack of exercise, overweight, and family history of stroke) or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or stroke history. Carotid ultrasonography was then performed on the high stroke risk participants. Carotid plaque was defined as a focal carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) ≥1.5 cm or a discrete structure protruding into the arterial lumen at least 50% of the surrounding cIMT. Logistic regression was employed to evaluate the relationship between the non-HDLc/HDLc and carotid plaques. Results: Overall, 839 subjects with a high risk of stroke were ultimately included in the analysis, and carotid plaques were identified in 341 (40.6%) of them. Participants in the highest non-HDLc/HDLc tertile group presented a higher proportion of carotid plaques than did those in the other two groups. After adjustment for other confounders, each unit increase in the non-HDLc/HDLc was significantly associated with carotid plaques (OR 1.55, 95%CI 1.28–1.88). In the subgroup analysis, the non-HDLc/HDLc was positively and significantly associated with the presence of carotid plaques in most subgroups. Additionally, the non-HDLc/HDLc interacted significantly with three stratification variables, including sex (OR 1.31 for males vs. OR 2.37 for females, P interaction = 0.016), exercise (OR 1.18 for subjects without lack of exercise vs. OR 1.99 for subjects with lack of exercise, P interaction = 0.004) and heart diseases (OR 1.40 for subjects without heart diseases vs. OR 3.12 for subjects with heart diseases, P interaction = 0.033). Conclusion: The non-HDLc/HDLc was positively associated with the presence of carotid plaques in a Chinese high stroke risk population. A prospective study or randomized clinical trial of lipid-lowering therapy in the Chinese population is needed to evaluate their causal relationship.

Background. The current study aims to explore the effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in kidney tissues in a murine diabetic nephropathy (DN) model, and to investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. Methods. Wister rats were randomly divided into three equal experiment groups, the AGE group, the RSA group and the control group. The rats in the AGE group and the RSA group were administered with AGEs and rat serum albumin (RSA) via the tail vein, respectively, whereas those in the control group received no injection. Following the extraction of total RNA from the murine kidney tissues, miRNA profiling was performed using a miRNA microarray to determine the global differences in miRNA expression between the three experiment groups. The identified panel of aberrantly expressed miRNA candidates were subsequently validated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the target genes and enriched signaling pathway for the validated miRNAs. Results. Compared with RSA group, miR-7d-3p, miR-92b-3p, miR-181b-5p and miR-196c-5p were found to be significantly up-regulated in the AGE group, whereas miR-7a-1-3p, miR-186-5p, miR-192-5P, miR-196b-5p and miR-345-5p were shown to be down-regulated (p<0.05). Among the nine miRNA candidates, miR-92b-3p was validated by qRT-PCR analysis. Subsequent bioinformatic study indicated that SMAD7 could be a potential downstream gene target of miR-92b-3p. Both immunohistochemical staining and western blotting showed that SMAD7 expression was significantly suppressed in the kidney tissues harvested from the AGE group compared to those from the control and the RSA group. Discussion. The results of the current study revealed a correlation between increased renal level of miR-92b-3p and elevated serum level of AGEs in a murine model of DN.

Background. The current study aims to explore the effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in kidney tissues in a murine diabetic nephropathy (DN) model, and to investigate the possible underlying mechanisms. Methods. Wister rats were randomly divided into three equal experiment groups, the AGE group, the RSA group and the control group. The rats in the AGE group and the RSA group were administered with AGEs and rat serum albumin (RSA) via the tail vein, respectively, whereas those in the control group received no injection. Following the extraction of total RNA from the murine kidney tissues, miRNA profiling was performed using a miRNA microarray to determine the global differences in miRNA expression between the three experiment groups. The identified panel of aberrantly expressed miRNA candidates were subsequently validated by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the target genes and enriched signaling pathway for the validated miRNAs. Results. Compared with RSA group, miR-7d-3p, miR-92b-3p, miR-181b-5p and miR-196c-5p were found to be significantly up-regulated in the AGE group, whereas miR-7a-1-3p, miR-186-5p, miR-192-5P, miR-196b-5p and miR-345-5p were shown to be down-regulated (p<0.05). Among the nine miRNA candidates, miR-92b-3p was validated by qRT-PCR analysis. Subsequent bioinformatic study indicated that SMAD7 could be a potential downstream gene target of miR-92b-3p. Both immunohistochemical staining and western blotting showed that SMAD7 expression was significantly suppressed in the kidney tissues harvested from the AGE group compared to those from the control and the RSA group. Discussion. The results of the current study revealed a correlation between increased renal level of miR-92b-3p and elevated serum level of AGEs in a murine model of DN.