Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
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During the course of pregnancy, dynamic remodeling of the gut microbiota occurs and contributes to maternal metabolic changes through an undefined mechanism. Because short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are a major product of gut microbiome fermentation, we investigated whether serum SCFA levels during pregnancy are related to key metabolic parameters in mothers and newborns. In this prospective study, 20 pregnant women without gestational diabetes were evaluated at 36-38 weeks of gestation, and their newborns were assessed after parturition. ⋯ In this cohort, serum acetate levels were associated with maternal weight gain and maternal adiponectin levels. In addition, serum propionate correlated negatively with maternal leptin levels, newborn length, and body weight. Taken together, this study observed that novel relationships exist among maternal SCFA levels and multiple interrelated maternal/newborn metabolic parameters.
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Review
Established and emerging biomarkers for the prediction of type 1 diabetes: a systematic review.
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease with a prolonged and variable latent period that culminates in the destruction of pancreatic β-cells and the development of hyperglycemia. There is a need for diagnostic biomarkers to detect more accurately individuals with prediabetes to expedite targeting for prevention and intervention strategies. To assess the current ability to predict the insidious development of T1D, we conducted a comprehensive systematic review for established and prospective predictive markers of T1D using the Medline, OVID, and EMBASE databases. ⋯ Research studies in general go beyond autoantibody screening and assess genetic predisposition, and quantitate risk of developing disease based on additional factors. However, there are few currently used techniques that assess the root of T1D: β-cell destruction. Thus, novel techniques are discussed with the potential to gauge degrees of β-cell stress and failure via protein, RNA, and DNA analyses.
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Review
Bisphenol A, obesity, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: genuine concern or unnecessary preoccupation?
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous industrial chemical found in a variety of plastic containers intended for food storage and in the epoxy resin linings of metal food and beverage cans, where it is used to prevent corrosion, food contamination, and spoilage. BPA has been linked recently to a wide variety of medical disorders and is known to have estrogenic activity with genomic as well as nongenomic estrogen receptor-mediated effects. ⋯ Typical levels of exposure to BPA in daily life are discussed, and both epidemiologic human data and mechanistic preclinical studies that have tested associations between BPA and obesity and diabetes are analyzed. Last, current policies and views of national and international regulatory agencies regarding the safety of BPA use are summarized.
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Epimorphin (Epim), a member of the syntaxin family of membrane-bound, intracellular vesicle-docking proteins, is expressed in intestinal myofibroblasts and macrophages. We demonstrated previously that Epimorphin(-/-)(Epim(-/-)) mice are protected, in part, from dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis. Although interleukin (IL)-6/p-Stat3 signaling has been implicated in the pathogenesis of colitis, the myofibroblast contribution to IL-6 signaling in colitis remains unexplored. ⋯ Epim deletion inhibits IL-6 secretion most profoundly from colonic myofibroblasts. Distribution of Stat3 activation is altered in DSS-treated Epim(-/-) mice. Our findings support the notion that myofibroblasts modulate IL-6/p-Stat3 signaling in DSS-treated Epim(-/-) mice.