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Scope: To compare the effects of supplementary eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) versus α-linolenic acid (ALA) on lipid profiles, inflammatory status, and fatty acid composition of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in hypercholesterolemic adults., Methods and Results: A randomized, controlled, double-blind trial is conducted to examine the effects of consumption of control oil, 4.2 g/d ALA, 7.2 g/d ALA, 1.8 g/d DHA+EPA, or 3.6 g/d EPA+DHA for 12 weeks on lipid profiles, fatty acid composition of PBMCs and in vitro production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by PBMCs in 123 subjects with hypercholesteremia. After the intervention, subjects who receive a low and high dose of DHA/EPA experience 11.99% and 15.78% decreases in triglycerides which is significantly different from that of the control group (p < 0.05). The in vitro study indicates that supplementation of high-dose DHA+EPA induces the greatest decrease of IL-6 production by PBMCs relative to other groups (p = 0.046). ALA intervention significantly increases the PBMCs composition of ALA but not EPA/DHA., Conclusion: EPA+DHA, but not ALA, improves lipids and inflammation status in hypercholesterolemic adults. Supplementation of ALA does not increase the PBMCs composition of EPA/DHA in middle-aged to elderly Chinese., (© 2019 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

Objectives: We performed a meta-analysis to assess the association and possible dose-response relationship between dietary inflammation index (DII)™ and colorectal cancer (CRC)., Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database for all relevant studies. The pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random effects model., Results: A total of eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled RRs of CRC, colon and rectal cancer for the highest versus lowest DII categories were 1.43 (95% CI 1.25-1.63), 1.37 (95% CI 1.16-1.62) and 1.44 (95% CI 1.23-1.69), respectively. A significant positive association was observed both in cohort studies (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14-1.38) and case-control studies (RR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.48-2.22). Nonlinear associations between DII scores and the risk of CRC, colon and rectal cancer were found in the dose-response analyses, the results showed that the risks of CRC, colon and rectal cancer increased slowly when the DII score was above 1.30, 2.21, and 1.30, respectively., Conclusion: Higher DII scores might increase CRC risk. Thus, people should adopt more anti-inflammatory diets such as those high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, and spices.

Background: The pathogenesis of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) has not been elucidated, but urinary microorganisms and metabolites have been shown to be closely associated with the inflammatory response of IC/BPS. Nevertheless, the exact mechanisms related to this response have not been clarified. Methods: 16S rRNA sequencing and untargeted metabolomics techniques were used to analyse the urinary microbial and metabolite profiles of 30 IC/BPS patients and 30 healthy controls, and correlation analyses were performed to explore the mechanisms by which they might be involved in the inflammatory response of IC/BPS. Results: Twenty-eight differential genera, such as Lactobacillus and Sphingomonas, were identified. A total of 44 differential metabolites such as 1,3,7-trimethyluric acid and theophylline were screened. The abundance of Lactobacillus and Escherichia-Shigella was significantly higher in the urine of female IC/BPS patients and healthy controls compared to males, while Bacteroides and Acinetobacter were lower than in males. The results of the Pearson correlation analysis suggested that differential microorganisms may influence the composition of metabolites. The Lactobacillus genus may be a protective bacterium against IC/BPS, whereas Sphingomonas may be a pathogenic factor. The differential metabolite theophylline, as an anti-inflammatory substance, may downregulate the inflammatory response of IC/BPS. Conclusions: This study revealed microbial and metabolite profiles in the urine of IC/BPS patients versus healthy controls in both males and females. We also found some microorganisms and metabolites closely related to the inflammatory response of IC/BPS, which provided directions for future aetiological and therapeutic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship of depression with levels of serum inflammatory factors and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in patients with perimenopausal syndrome was analyzed to investigate the predictive values of risk factors for depression in patients with perimenopausal syndrome. A total of 73 patients with perimenopausal syndrome were selected, and divided into the depression (n=30) and non-depression (n=43) groups. Results showed that the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) scores in the depression group were significantly higher than those in the non-depression group (P<0.05). The serum BDNF level in the depression group was significantly lower than that in the non-depression group (P<0.05). The levels of serum inflammatory factors, including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), in depression group were obviously higher than those in non-depression group (P<0.05). The correlation analyses of serum inflammatory factor and BDNF levels with depression showed that CRP and TNF-α were positively correlated with SDS score, while BDNF level was negatively correlated with SDS score. Logistic regression analyses revealed that menstrual status, chronic diseases, serum inflammatory factors (CRP, IL-6 and TNF-α) and BDNF levels had independent predictive values for depression in patients with perimenopausal syndrome (P<0.05). In conclusion, levels of serum CRP, IL-6, TNF-α and BDNF can be used as judgment indicators for the severity of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive mechanical loads on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can cause mandibular cartilage degradation and subchondral bone erosion, but the treatment of these conditions remains challenging. Salubrinal, which target eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 alpha, has been shown to have multiple beneficial effects on skeletal tissue. Here, we examined the effect of a Salubrinal injection on the mandibular cartilage and subchondral bone of the TMJ under various compressive stresses. We conducted in vivo analyses in rat models using various compressive stresses (40 g and 80 g), and we observed time-related degeneration and pathological changes in the cartilage and subchondral bone of the TMJ at days 1, 3 and 7 through histological measurements, subcellular observation, and changes in proliferation and apoptosis. After the Salubrinal injection, the thickness of the cartilage recovered, and the pathological change was alleviated. In the Salubrinal/light (Sal/light) compressive stress group, the drug altered the proliferation and apoptosis of chondrocytes most significantly at day 1. In the Salubrinal/heavy (Sal/heavy) compressive stress group, the drug increased the proliferation of chondrocytes most significantly at day 1 and reduced the apoptosis of chondrocytes most significantly at day 7. Salubrinal also increased the area of the bone trabeculae and suppressed inflammatory responses and pathological change in the subchondral bone of the TMJ. Together, these results indicate that the administration of Salubrinal reduces apoptosis and strengthens the proliferation of chondrocyte to varying degrees at days 1, 3 and 7 under various compressive mechanical stresses, both of which contribute to the recovery of cartilage thickness and the alleviation of pathological change. Salubrinal also suppresses inflammatory responses and pathological change in the subchondral bone of the TMJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]