Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes various liver diseases and metabolic disorders. With direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), which effectively eradicate pan-genotypic HCV, hepatic and concomitant metabolic restorations are achieved. The study aims to evaluate the posttherapeutic benefits of lipid and glycemic homeostasis. Nighty-five chronic hepatitis C patients who achieved sustained virological response (SVR) by using DAAs were enrolled to collect plasma samples and fractionated lipoproteins at baseline, SVR, and during the post-SVR follow-ups for 6 months (pS6m) and 1 year (pS1yr). The lipid and glycemic parameters were analyzed to establish muturally modulatory relationships. Plasma cholesterol (Chol) and glucose were elevated at SVR from baseline, whereas plasma Chol remained increased until pS1yr; however, glucose returned to the basal level. The post-SVR responses included a peak elevation of glycated hemoglobin at pS6m, a sustained elevation of triglyceride (Tg), and sustained declines in insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-insulin resistance, and HOMA-beta levels until pS1yr. The changes in plasma Chol and high-density-lipoprotein Chol showed positive correlations, as did the plasma Tg with low-density-lipoprotein Tg and very-low-density-lipoprotein Tg per particle load. Very-low-density-lipoprotein was found to be loaded with increased Tg and Chol and underwent efficient Tg catabolism in the form of conversion into low-density-lipoprotein. Additionally, the posttherapeutic dynamics exhibited correlations of high-density-lipoprotein Chol with plasma glucose and HOMA-beta. Irrespective of the baseline metabolic status, the posttherapeutic interdependent modulation of blood glycemic and lipid metabolic parameters were revealed in chronic hepatitis C patients following clearance of HCV viremia by DAA treatment.

Background/Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major metabolic disorder and is frequently accompanied by liver steatosis. Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ) is a glucose-regulated molecular chaperone that has been implicated in hepatic lipid deposition under nutrient overload. This study aimed to investigate the role of hepatocyte-specific ApoJ deletion in hepatic metabolism under diabetic conditions. Methods: A T2DM mouse model with hepatocyte-specific ApoJ knockout (HKO) was established through a high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin injection. Hepatic metabolic profiles were analyzed using untargeted metabolomics with UHPLC–MS/MS. Differential metabolites were subjected to KEGG pathway and Sankey diagram analyses to identify biologically relevant pathways. Results: In total, 140 metabolites showed significant differential abundance in HKO mouse liver, primarily encompassing organic acids and derivatives as well as lipids and lipid-like molecules. KEGG analysis revealed that ApoJ deletion enhanced pathways related to vitamin digestion and absorption, thiamine metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, lysine degradation, and 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism. In contrast, pathways associated with galactose metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, purine metabolism, and the pentose phosphate pathway were suppressed. Sankey diagram analysis further demonstrated that ApoJ deletion markedly reshapes hepatic metabolic networks in T2DM. Conclusions: Given the central role of hepatic dysmetabolism in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications, targeting ApoJ may represent a promising therapeutic approach for restoring hepatic metabolic homeostasis and preventing diabetes-associated steatosis.

The rhizosphere of Fabaceae contains plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that regulate phytohormone balance, nutrient acquisition, and biofilm formation, thereby contributing to plant development and stress tolerance. Although Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and exopolysaccharides (EPS) are well-established PGPR-associated factors, their combined contributions to waterlogging tolerance in soybean remain unclear. In this study, Bacillus-like PGPR were isolated from the rhizosphere of soybean plants cultivated in field soil, and Priestia megaterium and P. aryabhattai were identified among Bacillus-like bacteria based on strong EPS production, a PGPR-associated trait. The P. megaterium isolate S135-A1-2 was subjected to gamma-ray irradiation to generate mutants, from which mutants #6 (increased EPS), #8 (increased IAA), and #12 (increased EPS and IAA) were selected for further analysis. Mutant #8 produced 4.48 μg/mL IAA, a 3.6-fold increase over the parental strain, and protease and siderophore activities were also evaluated as additional PGPR-associated traits. Their plant growth-promoting traits were evaluated using pot assays under waterlogging conditions. Inoculation with mutants #6 and #8 increased lateral root development and root biomass relative to the parental strain, whereas mutant #12 showed a distinct response pattern associated with dual-trait enhancement under waterlogging stress. After 7 days of waterlogging, mutant #12 showed higher chlorophyll-related values than mutants #6 and #8. These results indicate that gamma-irradiated P. megaterium mutants can differentially modify soybean root system responses to flooding stress, supporting gamma-ray irradiation as a useful approach for developing PGPR with improved functions for agricultural applications under waterlogging stresses.