Is interleukin-18 associated with polycystic ovary syndrome?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent research show that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may have an association with low-grade chronic inflammation, IL-18 is considered as a strong risk marker of inflammation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To investigate serum IL-18 concentrations in PCOS patients and focus on its relationship between obesity and insulin resistance (IR). Sixty consecutive women with PCOS and thirty controls were recruited. Serum level of IL-18 and fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone (T) were measured.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Serum levels of IL-18 was significantly higher in the PCOS group than in the control group. Serum level of IL-18 was higher in the PCOS group with IR than in the PCOS group without IR. Serum level of IL-18 was higher in obese PCOS patients than in lean PCOS patients. Serum level of IL-18 was higher in lean PCOS patients than in the lean control group. Serum level of IL-18 in the PCOS group was positively related to BMI, IR index and T.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IL-18 level was increased in PCOS patients, and correlated with insulin resistance, obesity and hyperandrogenism.</p

4-(4-Fluoro­phen­yl)-2-oxo-1,2,5,6-tetra­hydro­benzo[h]quinoline-3-carbonitrile

In the mol­ecule of the title compound, C20H13FN2O, the fluoro­phenyl ring is oriented at a dihedral angle of 72.76 (3)° with respect to the fused benzene ring. In the crystal structure, inter­molecular N—H⋯O, C—H⋯O and C—H⋯F inter­actions link the mol­ecules into chains. π–π contacts between the quinoline and benzene rings [centroid–centroid distance = 3.918 (3) Å] may further stabilize the structure. A weak C—H⋯π inter­action is also present. The O atom and two of the CH2 groups of the quinoline ring system are disordered over two positions. The O atom was refined with occupancies of 0.489 (17) and 0.511 (17), while C and H atoms were refined with occupancies of 0.435 (13) and 0.565 (13)

Folic Acid supplementary reduce the incidence of adenocarcinoma in a mouse model of colorectal cancer: microarray gene expression profile

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Whether Folic acid is a potential drug that may prevent the progression of colorectal carcinoma and when to use are important healthy issues we focus on. Our study is to examine the effect of folic acid on the development of the CRC and the optimal time folic acid should be provided in a mouse-ICR model induced by 1, 2-Dimethylhydrazine. Also, we investigated the gene expression profile of this model related to folic acid.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Female ICR mouse (n = 130) were divided into 7 groups either with the treatment of 1, 2-Dimethylhydrazine (20 mg/kg bodyweight) weekly or folic acid (8 mg/kg bodyweight) twice a week for 12 or 24 weeks. Using a 4 × 44 K Agilent whole genome oligo microarray assay, different gene expression among groups (NS, DMH, FA2, FA3) were identified and selected genes were validated by real-time polymerase chain reaction.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Animals with a supplementary of folic acid showed a significant decrease in the incidence, the maximum diameter and multiplicity of adenocarcinomas (<it>P </it>< 0.05). Furthermore, there were fewer adenomas or adenocarcinomas developed in the group of folic acid supplementation in pre-adenoma stage compared to group of post-adenoma stage. Meanwhile, about 1070 genes that were changed by 1, 2-Dimethylhydrazine can be reversed by folic acid and 172 differentially genes were identified between the groups of pre- and post- adenoma stage using microarray gene expression analysis.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our study demonstrated that folic acid supplementary was significantly associated with the decrease risk of CRC. And the subgroup of providing folic acid without precancerous lesions was more effective than that with precancerous lesions.</p