Assays for insulin and Insulin-like regulation of energy metabolism.

Accumulating experimental evidence indicates that dysregulation of energy metabolism is a fundamental process that is associated with the phenotype of metabolic disorders, in particular type II diabetes and obesity. Many current antidiabetic drugs (metformin, glitazones) target the pathways that control glucose metabolism. Very recently, technologies (Bionas Inc., Germany; Seahorse Bioscience Inc., USA) have been developed that manage to rapidly profile the bioenergetic pathways in a variety of cell types. These include alterations caused by drugs that target the specific metabolic pathways the cell uses to ensure its energy demands, normal metabolic functions, and survival. These technologies allow a more detailed analysis of the link between glucose/lipid metabolism and energy metabolism, including interference of one or the other by compounds/drug candidates, as well as the screening for or characterization of drug candidates affecting or leaving unaffected those pathways. For this, both the oxygen consumption rate (OCR), which primarily reflects mitochondrial respiration, and the extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), which primarily reflects lactic acid production (glycolysis), are measured using the Bionas or Seahorse technology. Furthermore, the OCR and ECAR readings allow to profile the metabolic sensitivities and degree of inhibition/stimulation of a number of cell lines relevant for the study of glucose and lipid metabolism and its regulation toward modulators of anaerobic and aerobic energy metabolism (e.g., phloretin, 2-deoxyglucose, dinitrophenol). Analysis of the sensitivities of the cell lines to these modulators provides insights into their bioenergetic preferences/dependencies and their global physiological responses to the modulation. This characterization may be useful for the selection of cell lines appropriate for use in screening for compounds with antiproliferative activity (ECAR for anaerobic energy metabolism; Boros et al. 2002) as well as insulin-like metabolic activity (OCR for aerobic energy metabolism; Wolf et al. 1997), with regard to sensitivity and responsiveness of their energy metabolism and the relevant bioenergetic pathways (Ehret et al. 2001). During the last decade, multiparametric cellular microelectronic interdigitated biosensor chips for microphysiological and screening applications with living cells have been developed (Ehret et al. 2001; Lehmann et al. 2000)

Does Caesarean Section Affect Breastfeeding Practices in China? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC. Objectives To ascertain the association between caesarean delivery and breastfeeding practices in China. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines. Electronic databases of CNKI, Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, ProQuest and Science Direct were searched and screened to identify relevant articles from January 1990 to June 2015. Both fixed and random effect meta-analysis techniques were used to estimate the pooled effect size between caesarean delivery and breastfeeding outcomes at different time points. Sensitivity analysis and publication bias test were also conducted. Results Forty six studies were eligible for the qualitative synthesis of systematic review; among them, 27 studies were included for the meta-analysis. At the early postpartum period, the odds of exclusive breastfeeding after caesarean section was 47% (pooled OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.41, 0.68) lower than that after vaginal delivery. At 4 months postpartum, the odds of breastfeeding was similarly lower (pooled OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53, 0.71) for caesarean mothers. Substantial heterogeneity among studies was detected for both breastfeeding outcomes. Subgroup analyses stratified by study design, time points of breastfeeding outcomes and definitions of breastfeeding all confirmed the negative association between caesarean section and breastfeeding prevalence. Conclusions In China, breastfeeding practices were affected adversely by caesarean delivery. Therefore, health policy to improve breastfeeding outcomes should take this into consideration

Triggers of acute cardiovascular events and potential preventive strategies: Prophylactic role of regular exercise

There is now considerable evidence to suggest that acute myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, and stroke can be triggered by physical, chemical, and psychological stressors, including heavy physical exertion and situations that create heightened emotional stress. The increased risk appears to be largely limited to a susceptible subset of the population, that is, individuals with known or occult cardiovascular (CV) disease. In this article, we summarize the evidence supporting the impact of selected triggers in the pathogenesis of acute CV events, as well as the potential role of various preventive strategies, especially regular exercise training and improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness to reduce the CV risk imposed by various triggers