CircCSDE1 Regulates Proliferation and Differentiation of C2C12 Myoblasts by Sponging miR-21-3p

The growth and development of skeletal muscle is regulated by many factors, and recent studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) can participate in this process. The model of porcine skeletal muscle injury was constructed to search for circRNAs that can regulate the growth and development of skeletal muscle in pigs. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, a novel circRNA (circCSDE1) was screened out, which is highly expressed in skeletal muscle. Functional studies in C2C12 cells demonstrated that circCSDE1 could promote proliferation and inhibit myoblast differentiation, while opposing changes were observed by circCSDE1 knockdown. A dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that circCSDE1 directly targeted miR-21-3p to regulate the expression of the downstream target gene (Cyclin-dependent kinase 16, CDK16). Moreover, miR-21-3p could inhibit proliferation and promote myoblast differentiation in C2C12 cells, opposite with the effects of circCSDE1. Additionally, the rescue experiments offered further evidence that circCSDE1 and its target, miR-21-3p, work together to regulate myoblast proliferation and differentiation. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs

FNDC5 Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation of Primary Preadipocytes in Mashen Pigs

Fibronectin type III domain-containing protein 5 (FNDC5) plays an important role in fat deposition, which can be cut to form Irisin to promote fat thermogenesis, resulting in a decrease in fat content. However, the mechanism of FNDC5 related to fat deposition in pigs is still unclear. In this research, we studied the expression of FNDC5 on different adiposes and its function in the adipogenic differentiation of primary preadipocytes in Mashen pigs. The expression pattern of FNDC5 was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting in Mashen pigs. FNDC5 overexpression and interference vectors were constructed and transfected into porcine primary preadipocytes by lentivirus. Then, the expression of key adipogenic genes was detected by qRT-PCR and the content of lipid droplets was detected by Oil Red O staining. The results showed that the expression of FNDC5 in abdominal fat was higher than that in back subcutaneous fat in Mashen pigs, whereas the expression in back subcutaneous fat of Mashen pigs was significantly higher than that of Large White pigs. In vitro, FNDC5 promoted the adipogenic differentiation of primary preadipocytes of Mashen pigs and upregulated the expression of genes related to adipogenesis, but did not activate the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. This study can provide a theoretical basis for FNDC5 in adipogenic differentiation in pigs

Shanghai cognitive intervention of mild cognitive impairment for delaying progress with longitudinal evaluation-a prospective, randomized controlled study (SIMPLE): rationale, design, and methodology

Abstract Background Mild cognitive impairment is an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Increasing evidence has indicated that cognitive training could improve cognitive abilities of MCI patients in multiple cognitive domains, making it a promising therapeutic approach for MCI. However, the effect of long-time training has not been widely explored. It is also necessary to evaluate the extent how it could reduce the convertion rate from MCI to AD. Methods/design The SIMPLE study is a multicenter, randomized, single-blind prospective clinical trial assessing the effects of computerized cognitive training on different cognitive domains in MCI patients. It is carried out in 7 centers in China. The study population includes patients aged 50–85, and they are randomly allocated to the training or control group. The primary outcome is to compare the conversion rate of MCI within 36-month follow-up. Structural and functional MRI will be used to interpret the effect of cognitive training. The cognitive training comprises a variety of games related with cognitive domains such as attention, memory, visualspatial ability and executive function. We cautiously set 50% reduction in the rate of conversion as estimated effect. With 80–90% statistical power and 12% as the overall probability of conversion within the study period, 600–800 patients are finally required in the study. The first patent has been recruited in April 2017. Discussion Previous studies suggested the benefit of cognitive training for MCI, but neither long-time nor Chinese culture were investigated. The SIMPLE designs and utilizes an improved computerized cognitive training approach and assesses its effects on MCI progress. In addition, neural activities explaining the effects on cognition function changes will be revealed, which could in turn to imply more useful therapeutic approaches. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03119051

Additional file 1: of Shanghai cognitive intervention of mild cognitive impairment for delaying progress with longitudinal evaluation-a prospective, randomized controlled study (SIMPLE): rationale, design, and methodology

Description of neuropsychological battery. Here is the description of neuropsychological assessments used in in the SIMPLE study, including their versions, scores and clinical significance. (DOCX 35 kb