Effects of Weight Loss on Lipid Transfer Proteins in Morbidly Obese Women

Obesity is associated with lipid abnormalities leading to an increased morbidity and mortality from atherosclerotic disease. Lipid transfer proteins such as Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein (CETP) and Phospholipid Transfer Protein (PLTP), and lipases such as lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hepatic lipase (HL) are involved in the pathogenesis of the obesity associated proatherogenic dyslipidemia. Nineteen severely obese female subjects undergoing laparosopic gastric banding participated in this prospective study. Subjects were examined with respect to body composition, lipid profile, CETP, PLTP, LPL and HL before and 1 year after surgical treatment. Mean weight loss was 22.2 kg, mainly due to losses in the fat depots. Triglycerides decreased and HDL₂-C increased significantly. In respect to transfer proteins mean CETP mass decreased from 1.82 to 1.71 μg mL^?1 (P = 0.043) and mean PLTP activity was reduced from 7.15 to 6.12 μmol mL^?1 h^?1 (P = 0.002), in parallel. In addition, both mean LPL activity and mean HL activity tended to decrease from 297 to 248 nmol mL^?1 h^?1 for LPL (P = 0.139) and from 371 to 319 nmol mL^?1 h^?1 for HL (P = 0.170), respectively. We conclude that weight loss induced by bariatric surgery is associated with the amelioration of the obesity-associated dyslipidemic state. This improvement may be attributable to decreased mass and action of the adipocyte tissue derived lipid transfer proteins CETP and PLTP.     

A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗大规模接种后的速发型接种反应观察

目的观察A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗大规模接种后的速发接种反应。方法以A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗为观察组,伤寒Vi多糖疫苗为对照组,按组群随机分层配对的原则,将观察现场分为108个组群,观察组和对照组各分配54个组群进行接种。建立接种反应监测系统,按统一表格和方法对两组的速发接种反应进行监测。结果两组共接种34 543人,其中A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗接种18 167人,伤寒Vi多糖疫苗接种16 376人。A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗速发接种反应率为0.44‰;伤寒Vi多糖疫苗速发接种反应率为0.79‰,二者差异无统计学意义;速发接种反应均出现在接种后15 min内,最早的出现在接种后5 min,速发接种反应中有2例为异常反应,但未出现严重反应。结论A+C群脑膜炎球菌多糖疫苗速发接种反应发生率低,预后良好。     

Synthesis of Metal-containing Polymers via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP). Part I. Polymers Containing Main Group Metals

Synthesis of a broad range of diverse polymers containing main group metals by the new ROMP approach starting from metal-functionalized cyclic monomers and taking advantage of both classical and well-defined W-, Mo- and Ru-based metathesis catalytic systems is critically surveyed. Emphasis is laid upon Si-containing ring-opening metathesis polymers, popular due to the easy accessibility of the corresponding monomers and the valuable properties of the obtained polymers. Also highlighted is the production of modern advanced materials based on metal-containing polymers as well as some of their multifarious applications. Future opportunities for this field are finally outlined.     

Molecular structure and rheological properties of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified by two different chain extenders

This paper compares the molecular structure and rheological properties of a commercial poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) after reactive processing with different concentrations of either pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) or a multifunctional epoxide (Joncryl®ADR-4368) as a chain extender. By size exclusion chromatography with triple detection, an increase of molar mass, a broadening of molar mass distribution, and the generation of long-chain branched molecules were found for both chain extenders. While gel-free materials were obtained with PMDA, the processing with Joncryl leads to the formation of gels. The effect of branching, indicated by the Mark–Houwink exponent, is more pronounced for materials with Joncryl compared to PMDA and points to a more compact branching structure of the PET/Joncryl molecules. Rheological measurements in shear and elongation support the analysis from SEC and reveal a complex tree-like branching structure for both chain extenders. In addition, the role of the two modifiers with respect to processing was assessed.     

Elastoplastic buckling as source of misinterpretation of micropillar tests

Microscopic compression tests (micropillar tests) are typically used to obtain stiffness and strength properties of materials at small length scales. In this work it is shown that structural effects, in particular instabilities, have implications on the resulting load–displacement diagram. Care has to be taken when the measured load–displacement path of a micropillar is interpreted as a stress–strain path of the material. Several structural effects are discussed by means of computational analysis.     

Differential Regulation of Interferon Signaling Pathways in CD4+ T Cells of the Low Type-2 Obesity-Associated Asthma Phenotype

In the era of personalized medicine, insights into the molecular mechanisms that differentially contribute to disease phenotypes, such as asthma phenotypes including obesity-associated asthma, are urgently needed. Peripheral blood was drawn from 10 obese, non-atopic asthmatic adults with a high body mass index (BMI; 36.67 ± 6.90); 10 non-obese, non-atopic asthmatic adults with normal BMI (23.88 ± 2.73); and 10 healthy controls with normal BMI (23.62 ± 3.74). All asthmatic patients were considered to represent a low type-2 asthma phenotype according to selective clinical parameters. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was conducted on peripheral blood CD4⁺ T cells. Thousands of differentially expressed genes were identified in both asthma groups compared with heathy controls. The expression of interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes associated with IFN-related signaling pathways was specifically affected in obese asthmatics, while the gap junction and G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligand binding pathways were enriched in both asthma groups. Furthermore, obesity gene markers were also upregulated in CD4⁺ T cells from obese asthmatics compared with the two other groups. Additionally, the enriched genes of the three abovementioned pathways showed a unique correlation pattern with various laboratory and clinical parameters. The specific activation of IFN-related signaling and viral infection pathways might provide a novel view of the molecular mechanisms associated with the development of the low type-2 obesity-associated asthma phenotype, which is a step ahead in the development of new stratified therapeutic approaches.     

Newly Isolated Animal Pathogen Corynebacterium silvaticum Is Cytotoxic to Human Epithelial Cells

Corynebacterium silvaticum is a newly identified animal pathogen of forest animals such as roe deer and wild boars. The species is closely related to the emerging human pathogen Corynebacterium ulcerans and the widely distributed animal pathogen Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. In this study, Corynebacterium silvaticum strain W25 was characterized with respect to its interaction with human cell lines. Microscopy, measurement of transepithelial electric resistance and cytotoxicity assays revealed detrimental effects of C. silvaticum to different human epithelial cell lines and to an invertebrate animal model, Galleria mellonella larvae, comparable to diphtheria toxin-secreting C. ulcerans. Furthermore, the results obtained may indicate a considerable zoonotic potential of this newly identified species.