This experiment was conducted to investigate whether dietary chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) could attenuate high-fat (HF) diet-induced growth retardation, lipid accumulation and bile acid (BA) metabolism disorder in the liver of yellow catfish Pelteobagrus fulvidraco. Yellow catfish (initial weight: 4·40 (sem 0·08) g) were fed four diets: the control (105·8 g/kg lipid), HF diet (HF group, 159·6 g/kg lipid), the control supplemented with 0·9 g/kg CDCA (CDCA group) and HF diet supplemented with 0·9 g/kg CDCA (HF + CDCA group). CDCA supplemented in the HF diet significantly improved growth performance and feed utilisation of yellow catfish (P < 0·05). CDCA alleviated HF-induced increment of hepatic lipid and cholesterol contents by down-regulating the expressions of lipogenesis-related genes and proteins and up-regulating the expressions of lipololysis-related genes and proteins. Compared with the control group, CDCA group significantly reduced cholesterol level (P < 0·05). CDCA significantly inhibited BA biosynthesis and changed BA profile by activating farnesoid X receptor (P < 0·05). The contents of CDCA, taurochenodeoxycholic acid and glycochenodeoxycholic acid were significantly increased with the supplementation of CDCA (P < 0·05). HF-induced elevation of cholic acid content was significantly attenuated by the supplementation of CDCA (P < 0·05). Supplementation of CDCA in the control and HF groups could improve the liver antioxidant capacity. This study proved that CDCA could improve growth retardation, lipid accumulation and BA metabolism disorder induced by HF diet, which provided new insight into understanding the physiological functions of BA in fish.

In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between the consumption of dairy products and the risk of prostate cancer. We searched PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases for relevant articles and identified a total of thirty-three cohort studies between 1989 and 2020. The qualities of included studies were assessed using Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Pooled adjusted relative risks (RR) with 95 % CI were calculated. We performed subgroup analyses stratified by dairy type, prostate cancer type, follow-up years, treatment era, collection times, adjustment for confounders and geographic location. In the subgroup analysis stratified by prostate cancer type, the pooled RR were 0·98 (95 % CI 0·94, 1·03) in the advanced group, 1·10 (95 % CI 0·98, 1·24) in the non-advanced group and 0·92 (95 % CI 0·84, 1·00) in the fatal group. In the dose–response analysis, a positive association for the risk of prostate cancer was observed for total dairy products 400 g/d (RR: 1·02; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·03), total milk 200 g/d (RR: 1·02; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·03), cheese 40 g/d (RR: 1·01; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·03) and butter 50 g/d (RR: 1·03; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·05). A decreased risk was observed for the intake of whole milk 100 g/d (RR: 0·97; 95 % CI 0·96, 0·99). Our meta-analysis suggests that high intakes of dairy products may be associated with an increased risk of prostate cancer; however, since many of the studies were affected by prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening bias, additional studies with an adjustment of PSA screening are needed.

Limb remote ischemic conditioning (LRIC) provides a physiologic strategy for harnessing the body’s endogenous protective capabilities against injury induced by ischemia–reperfusion in the central nervous system. The aim of the present study was to determine if LRIC played a role in protecting the retina from ischemia–reperfusion injury. A total of 81 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to sham and ischemia/reperfusion with or without remote LRIC arms. The retinal ischemic model was generated through right middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and pterygopalatine artery occlusion for 60 min followed by 1, 3, and 7 days of subsequent reperfusion. LRIC was conducted immediately following MCAO by tightening a tourniquet around the upper thigh and releasing for three cycles. Paraffin sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin in order to quantify the number of cells in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) layer throughout the duration of the study. Cellular expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was detected and examined through immunohistochemistry. Protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) was also analyzed by Western blot techniques. Our study demonstrated that the loss of cells in RGC layer was attenuated by LRIC treatment at 3 and 7 days following reperfusion (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry studies depicted a gradual increase (P < 0.05) in GFAP levels from day 1 through day 7 following ischemia and subsequent reperfusion, whereas LRIC reduced GFAP levels at 1, 3, and 7 days postreperfusion. In addition, LRIC increased the expression of Nrf2 and HO-1 at day 1 and 3 following ischemia/reperfusion. This particular study is the first remote conditioning study applicable to retinal ischemia. Our results strongly support the position that LRIC may be used as a noninvasive neuroprotective strategy, which provides retinal protection from ischemia–reperfusion injury through the upregulation of antioxidative stress proteins, such as Nrf2 and HO-1.

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia (total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) ≥ 10 μmol/l) and its major determinants in rural Chinese hypertensive patients. A cross-sectional investigation was carried out in Lianyungang of Jiangsu province, China. This analysis included 13 946 hypertensive adults. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia was 51·6 % (42·7 % in women and 65·6 % in men). The OR of hyperhomocysteinaemia were 1·52 (95 % CI 1·39, 1·67) and 2·32 (95 % CI 2·07, 2·61) for participants aged 55–65 and 65–75 v. 45–55 years; 1·27 (95 % CI 1·18, 1·37) for participants with a BMI ≥ 25 v. < 25 kg/m2; 1·14 (95 % CI 1·06, 1·23) for participants with v. without antihypertensive treatment; 1·09 (95 % CI 1·00, 1·18) for residents inland v. coastal; 0·89 (95 % CI 0·82, 0·97) and 0·83 (95 % CI 0·74, 0·92) for participants with moderate and high v. low physical activity levels; 1·54 (95 % CI 1·41, 1·68) and 2·47 (95 % CI 2·17, 2·81) for participants with a glomerular filtration rate 60–90 and < 60 v. ≥ 90 ml/min per 1·73 m2; and 1·20 (95 % CI 1·07, 1·35) and 3·81 (95 % CI 3·33, 4·36) for participants with CT and TT v. CC genotype at methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677C>T polymorphism, respectively. Furthermore, higher tHcy concentrations were observed in smokers of both sexes (men: geometric mean 12·1 (interquartile range (IQR) 9·2–14·5) v. 11·9 (IQR 9·3–14·0) μmol/l, P= 0·005; women: geometric mean 10·3 (IQR 8·3–13·0) v. 9·6 (IQR 7·8–11·6) μmol/l, P= 0·010), and only in males with hypertension grade 3 (v. grade 1 or controlled blood pressure) (geometric mean 12·1 (IQR 9·2–14·4) v. 11·7 (IQR 9·2–14·0), P= 0·016) and in male non-drinkers (yes v. no) (geometric mean 12·3 (IQR 9·4–14·8) v. 11·7 (IQR 9·1–13·9), P= 0·014). In conclusion, there was a high prevalence of hyperhomocysteinaemia in Chinese hypertensive adults, particularly in the inlanders, who may benefit greatly from tHcy-lowering strategies, such as folic acid supplementation and lifestyle change.

The oxidation behavior of three types of plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) processed Ti–Si–C–N coatings with silicon content ranging from 4.3 to 11.6 at.% has been investigated at high temperatures. Systematic characterization was conducted to study the evolution of composition, phase constituents, hardness, surface morphologies, microstructures, and grain size during oxidation. A two-stage oxidation process was observed between 700 and 1000 °C for all three coatings. Experimental results indicate that a superhardness of 40 GPa can be maintained up to 700, 800, and 850 °C for 4.3, 7.4, and 11.6 at.% Si coatings, respectively; the dual-phased 7.4 and 11.6 at.% Si coatings show a better oxidation resistance than the single-phased 4.3 at.% Si coating. On the basis of the results, a mechanism is proposed to explain the relationship between the nanostructure and oxidation behavior.

A new type of Ti–Si–C–N coatings deposited on high-speed steel substrate by means of pulsed direct current (dc) plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition was investigated. The as-deposited coatings were characterized systematically by using energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and microhardness with particular attention paid to the microstructure of the coatings. It has been shown that C content has a profound effect on the microstructure and hardness of coatings. TEM and XRD analyses revealed that these coatings consist of the dominate Ti(C, N) with a silicide (TiSi2, Si3N4, or SiC, depending on the C content in the coatings). The crystallite sizes are in the range of 8–35 nm, which decrease with increasing C content. The Ti–Si–C–N coatings with high C content (25.2–38.6 at.%) possess superhardness (41–48 GPa). This can be attributed to the grain refinement/grain boundary hardening and dispersion hardening of the hard, nanosized crystalline Si3N4 or SiC formed in the deposition.