Case Report: A Clinical and Genetic Analysis of Childhood Growth Hormone Deficiency With Familial Hypercholesterolemia

BackgroundGrowth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a developmental disorder in children characterized by low growth hormone (GH), short stature and unfavorable lipid profiles. Familial hypercholesteremia (FH) is an inborn disorder of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) metabolism which results in premature cardiovascular events. The co-occurrence of GHD and FH, which may aggravate the hypercholesteremic condition in the affected individuals, had rarely been discussed in previous publication.MethodsThis work reports two cases of GHD with FH, and explores the lipid profiles of GHD children and their therapeutic response to recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH). The diagnosis of GHD is based on low peak GH level (<7 ng/mL) in GH provocation test. FH is diagnosed by high LDL-C level (≥ 4 mmol/L) and confirmed genetic mutations in the LDL-C metabolic pathway. We also searched all previously published metabolic studies on GHD children as of December 31, 2020. Information on their LDL-C, duration and dose of rhGH treatment were retrieved and summarized.ResultsThe first case was a 5.3 year-old boy. His height was 103.6 cm (SDS = -2.29) and his peak GH in provocative test was 6.37 ng/mL. Additionally, his LDL-C was 4.80 mmol/L and he harbored a heterozygous mutation for the apolipoprotein B (APOB) gene (c.10579 C > T). The second case was a 9-year-old girl at the height of 117.3 cm (SDS = -2.91). Her GH peaked at 4.99 ng/mL in insulin-induced hypoglycemic test and 2.80 ng/mL in L-dopa test. Her LDL-C was 6.16 mmol/L, and she carried a mutated copy of the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) gene (c.809 G > A). Literature review indicated that GHD children suffered from higher baseline LDL-C, but it was significantly reduced after rhGH treatment.ConclusionsFH should be considered if a GHD child has remarkably elevated LDL-C that cannot be attributed to low GH level alone. Genetic mutations in the LDL-C metabolic pathway prevent the body from effectively metabolizing lipids, thereby resulting in early-onset hypercholesteremia and probably playing a negative role in children’s growth

Drought intensity and post-drought precipitation determine vegetation recovery in a desert steppe in Inner Mongolia, China

Extreme drought events are expected to increase in frequency and severity, posing significant threats to ecosystems worldwide. While considerable research has been concentrated on the effects of climate extremes on the stability of grasslands, the process by which grassland productivity may recover after extreme drought events are still not well understood. Here, we conducted a four-year (2019–2022) recovery investigation after four-year's (2015–2018) extreme drought treatments of different intensities (control, press and pulse) to explore the vegetation recovery of desert-grassland ecosystems Inner Mongolia, China. Press drought involved a 66 % reduction in natural precipitation from May to August, while pulse drought reduced it by 100 % during June and July. We found that both press and pulse droughts led to a sharp decrease in aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) after four years, primarily due to reduced growth, density, and productivity of annual and perennial plants. However, ANPP under pulse drought could recover fully after four years of stopping of drought treatment, and it could not under press drought. Additionally, community structure (i.e., species richness, plant density, and height) fully recovered within 1 year after the end of the two extreme drought treatments. Both plant density and height contributed to the ANPP recovery after press and pulse droughts. Structural equation modeling (SEM) results further revealed that the reduction in ANPP during the extreme drought was primarily due to a decrease in plant density caused by reduced soil water content. The recovery of ANPP in pulse drought was directly caused by increased soil water content in the post-extreme drought. These results suggest that drought intensity and precipitation determine ANPP recovery in a degraded desert steppe. Our findings are crucial for deepening understanding of the processes and mechanisms of ecosystem recovery after extreme drought, as well as for the successful management and protection of grassland ecosystems

Synthesis and Properties of a Novel Environmental Epoxidized Glycidyl Ester of Ricinoleic Acetic Ester Plasticizer for Poly(vinyl chloride)

A novel renewable plasticizer based on castor oil, epoxidized glycidyl ester of ricinoleic acetic ester (EGERAE), was synthesized and applied into Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) for the first time. Its molecular structure was characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR. The effects of replacement of petroleum-based commercial plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP) with EGERAE in poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films were researched. Thermal stability, dynamic mechanical property and mechanical properties of PVC films were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and tensile tests. The results indicated that this castor oil-based plasticizer was able to improve the thermal stability of PVC blends when partially of completely substituting for DOP. Furthermore, EGERAE endowed PVC resin with enhanced flexibility. In addition, the exudation, volatility and extraction resistance characteristics of plasticizers were researched. The degradation mechanism and possible interaction between EGERAE and PVC molecules in the plasticized system were also investigated

Synthesis of Tung-Oil-Based Triglycidyl Ester Plasticizer and Its Effects on Poly(vinyl chloride) Soft Films

A tung-oil-derived renewable plasticizer, tung-maleic triglycidyl esters (TMTE), was prepared and incorporated into poly­(vinyl chloride) (PVC) for the first time. The chemical structure was studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and ¹³C NMR. The plasticizing effects of TMTE replacement of dioctyl phthalate (DOP) in soft PVC films were researched. Thermal stability, thermal degradation performance, dynamic mechanical property, and mechanical properties of pure PVC and PVC films were investigated with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), TGA-FTIR, TGA-mass spectrometry, dynamic mechanical analysis, and mechanical test. The results showed that PVC films plasticized with the TMTE exhibited increased thermal stability, plasticizing effect, compatibility, and flexibility. When 30 phr (parts per hundred parts of resin) DOP was substituted with TMTE in PVC blends, glass transition temperature (<i>T</i>_g) dropped from 41.46 to 40.18 °C, the initial decomposition temperature (<i>T</i>_i), 10% and 50% mass loss temperatures (<i>T</i>₁₀ and <i>T</i>₅₀), had maximum increases of 8.0, 20.0, and 27.5 °C, respectively. The interaction between TMTE and PVC molecule was also discussed. Furthermore, the extraction, exudation, and volatility resistance of plasticizers were carried out and analyzed by solubility parameters, the results of which revealed the migration stabilities of PVC films were promoted with the increasing amount of TMTE

Data_Sheet_1_The association of energy and macronutrient intake at breakfast and cardiovascular disease in Chinese adults: From a 14-year follow-up cohort study.docx

BackgroundWe aimed to examine the associations between energy and macronutrient intakes at breakfast and the incidence of cardiovascular events among Chinese adults.MethodsThere were 12,937 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey who met the study criteria and completed six rounds of questionnaires in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011. Combined weighing methods with 24-h dietary recall were used to measure dietary intake throughout the day. Intakes of macronutrients at breakfast were calculated using energy provided by nutrients as a percentage of breakfast energy. We calculated hazard ratios using a multivariable Cox frailty model with random intercepts to account for household clustering.ResultsDuring follow-up, we documented 453 (3.6 per 1,000 person-years) major cardiovascular events, 195 (1.5 per 1,000 person-years) myocardial infarctions, and 293 (2.3 per 1,000 person-years) strokes. In Chinese adults, more breakfast carbohydrates or less proteins intake was associated with the reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases. Especially for women, higher intake of breakfast carbohydrates was associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular events (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 0.47 [95%CI 0.30–0.74]; ptrend = 0.0008) and stroke (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 0.48 [95%CI 0.26–0.88]; ptrend = 0.0006). Higher intake of breakfast proteins was associated with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 1.77 [95%CI 1.12–2.79]; ptrend = 0.1162), myocardial infarction (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 2.49 [95%CI 1.21–5.11]; ptrend = 0.2641). There was a significant association between breakfast fat intake and cardiovascular diseases in the adult population, but less significant correlation was found in Chinese men or women. Breakfast fat intake was positively associated with the risk of major cardiovascular events (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 1.74 [95%CI 1.27–2.36]; ptrend = 0.0070), myocardial infarction (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 2.03 [95%CI 1.23–3.37]; ptrend = 0.0168), and stroke (quintile 5 vs. quintile 1, HR 1.64 [95%CI 1.12–2.41]; ptrend = 0.0732). There was a significant reduction in major cardiovascular events and stroke when breakfast energy intake was moderated, even if the independence of skipping breakfast.ConclusionHigh carbohydrate intake and low protein and fat intake at breakfast may contribute to cardiovascular health while maintaining a moderate energy intake.</p

Serum Levels of Asprosin, a Novel Adipokine, Are Significantly Lowered in Patients with Acromegaly

Background. Asprosin is a novel identified adipokine secreted mainly by white adipose tissue, which is elevated in metabolic diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Acromegaly is a syndrome caused by pituitary growth hormone (GH) cell adenoma with excessive GH secretion. Serum adipocytokines levels may be involved in abnormal glycolipid metabolism in acromegaly patients. Objectives. To investigate serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients and its correlation with high GH levels and glucolipid metabolic parameters. Methods. A retrospective case-control study was conducted and 68 acromegaly patients and 121 controls were included in this study. Clinical information and laboratory examinations were collected and serum asprosin levels were measured by commercial ELISA kits. Results. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were significantly lower than controls (P<0.001). Serum asprosin levels in patients with the course of acromegaly ≥5 years (compared with <5 years), high area under curve of growth hormone (GH-AUC) after 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) (compared with low GH-AUC patients), and high IGF-1 SDS group (compared with low IGF-1 SDS group) were significantly reduced (all P<0.05). Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients were negatively correlated with the course of acromegaly, IGF-1 SDS, nadir growth hormone value (GH-Nadir), and GH-AUC after OGTT. Multiple stepwise linear regression indicated that acromegaly was an independent influencing factor of serum asprosin levels. According to serum asprosin levels tertiles, the risk of acromegaly in the lowest group was 2.67 times higher than the highest group (OR ＝ 3.665, 95% CI 1.677 ∼ 8.007, P=0.001), and the increased risk of the lowest group still existed after adjusting for gender, age, BMI, and TC (Model 2). Conclusions. Serum asprosin levels in acromegaly patients are lowered, which may be related to increased blood glucose and reduced body fat mass caused by long-term high GH levels exposure

Effects of multi-resource addition on grassland plant productivity and biodiversity along a resource gradient

The change of plant biodiversity caused by resource-enhancing global changes has greatly affected grassland produc-tivity. However, it remains unclear how multi-resource enrichment induces the effects of multifaceted biodiversity on grassland productivity under different site resource constraints. We conducted a multiple resource addition (MRA) ex-periment of water and nutrients at three sites located along a resource gradient in northern China. This allowed us to assess the response of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), species (species richness and plant density), functional (functional richness and community-weighted mean of traits) and phylogenetic (phylogenetic richness) diversity to increasing number of MRA. We used structural equation model (SEM) to examine the direct and indirect effects of MRA and multifaceted biodiversity on ANPP. The combined addition of the four resources increased ANPP at all three sites. But with increasing number of MRA, biodiversity varied at the three sites. At the high resource constraint site, species richness, plant density and leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) increased. At the medium resource con-straint site, plant height and LNC increased, leaf dry matter content (LDMC) decreased. At the low resource constraint site, species, functional and phylogenetic richness decreased, and height increased. The SEM showed that MRA in-creased ANPP directly at all three sites, and indirectly by increasing plant density at the high constraint site and height at the medium constraint site. Independent of MRA, ANPP was affected by height at the high resource constraint site and LNC at the low resource constraint site. Our results illustrate that multi-resource addition positively affects produc-tivity, while affects biodiversity depending on site resource constraint. The study highlights that site resource con-straint conditions need to be taken into consideration to better predict grassland structure and function, particularly under the future multifaceted global change scenarios