Background: It remains essential for patient safety to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools to diagnose non-alcoholic fatty liver rather than invasive techniques. Aim: Our case-control study was to address the value of circulating miRNAs as a potential non-invasive biomarker for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty acid diseases (NAFLD) and monitoring of disease progression. Methods: Routine clinical assessment, laboratory tests, anthropometric study, and liver biopsy results reported for 210 patients with NAFLD (124 patients of simple steatosis (SS) and 86 of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)). Apparently matched for age and gender, healthy participants (n= 90) were enrolled as a control group. Serum samples were tested for micro-RNAs (−122, −34a and −99a) by quantitative-PCR. Results: By histopathology, 124 of the NAFLD group were of SS and 86 patients were of NASH. Compared with the control subjects, both mi-RNA-122 and −34a levels were increased in NAFLD (p< 001) and at a cutoff = 1.261, mi-RNA-122 had 92% sensitivity, 85% specificity to differentiate NAFLD from healthy controls, while mi-RNA-99a were significantly decreased in NAFLD patients with an observed decrease in disease severity, and at a cutoff = 0.46, miRNA-99a had 94% sensitivity and 96% specificity to discriminate SS from NASH. Conclusion: The integration of a circulating mi-RNA panel to diagnose NAFLD cases and to discriminate between SS and NASH. Large-scale study is still needed to verify the other mi-RNA profiles and their role in NAFLD pathogenesis and targeting therapy.

IntroductionEpidemiological and genetic studies have recorded the association between proinflammatory cytokines and the development of insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The role of interleukin 6 (IL-6), NH2-terminal portion pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and resistin in the pathogenesis of heart disease in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is still a matter of controversy. The current study aimed to evaluate the role of these biomarkers in the development of left ventricular systolic dysfunction and the ability to use them as non-invasive test in the prediction of left ventricular hypertrophy and systolic dysfunction in T2DM.Research design and methods150 participants were included in this case–control study. Patients were divided into two subgroups according to echocardiographic findings: group 1a included 46 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and echocardiographic evidence of abnormal systolic function; group 1b included 54 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and with normal echocardiogenic study; and group 2 included 50 apparently healthy controls. Routine laboratory investigations such as complete blood count, liver and renal function tests, and lipid profile, serum IL-6, NT-proBNP, and resistin were measured in all participants. Conventional echocardiography was done with special concern on the assessment of left ventricular systolic function (ejection fraction).ResultsThere was a significant increase in the level of resistin, NT-proBNP and IL-6 in group 1a patients compared with group 1b and in healthy controls. Echocardiographic parameters showed a significant increase in left ventricular mass index, left ventricle posterior wall thickness, interventricular septum thickness, and left ventricle mass in group 1a compared with group 1b and the control group. The increased left ventricular mass index was associated with higher levels of IL-6, NT-proBNP and resistin.ConclusionsProinflammatory cytokines had a clear relation with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and hypertrophy and can be used as early non-invasive markers for detection of left ventricular remodeling and systolic dysfunction in patients with T2DM.

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Background: Bile acids (BAs) are cholesterol-derived steroid acids and constitute one of the major components of bile. They are known to have a part in assimilation of lipid, cholesterol and fat dissolvable vitamins. Recent researches have revealed that bile acids operate as signaling molecules that regulate the metabolism of bile acids, fatty acids, glucose homeostasis, lipoproteins and energy metabolism via interfering with nuclear and surface receptors.Objective: to investigate the role of bile acids signaling in farnesoid x receptor (FXR) / fibroblast growth factor(FGF)19 pathway in cholesterol metabolism in normal and gallstone gallbladders.Methodology: Thirty individuals participated in this study and were separated into 2 groups, each group 15 individuals. Group (i) normal group: adult persons with healthy gallbladder underwent elective cholecystectomy as a part of another procedure as they were living-donor liver transplant, and group(ii) gallstone group (GS): adult persons underwent elective cholecystectomy for gallstone disease. Serum concentration of cholesterol, Fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19), Cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP7A1) and Sterol 12-hydroxylase (CYP8B1) and bile concentration of Phospholipid, Cholic acid (CA), Deoxycholic acid (DCA) and Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA) were determined.Results: Concentration of cholesterol,CYP7A1 and CYP8B1 in the serum as well as concentration of cholesterol in bile were all significantly higher in gallstone group. While, concentration of FGF19 in serum as well as concentration of phospholipids, CA, DCA and CDCA in bile were all significantly lower in gallstone group. Conclusion:The bile acids/FXR/FGF19 pathway regulates cholesterol metabolism and prevents gallstone development by reducing the levels.

Background: Malnutrition due to protein deficiency is an emerging problem worldwide particularly in the developing countries. Reproductive system development and growth depends on maintaining healthy nutrition especially in childhood and adolescence.Objective: The present study aims at studying the possible protective efficacy of carnosine in testicular atrophy, defective spermatogenesis and reduced reproductive performance induced by supplementation of protein deficient diet (PDD) to male rats. Methodology: Forty juvenile male albino rats were allocated into four equal groups; each group is 10 rats (i) normal control rats, (ii) protein deficient diet (PDD) group (received PDD for 75 days and saline intraperitoneal (IP) 5 days/week), (iii) carnosine (CAR) group (received carnosine 250 mg/kg body weight (bw), IP 5 days/week for 75 days); (iv) CAR-PDD group (received PDD for 75 days and carnosine 250 mg/kg body weight (bw), IP 5 days/week).Results: PDD supplementation lead to decreased body and testicular weights, reduced sex hormones and sperm count, motility and vitality (Live: Death ratio). In addition, the PDD-treated group had decreased levels of the antioxidant enzymes as reduced catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in testicular tissue. These toxic effects were accompanied by elevation of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Increased proapoptotic marker; caspase-9 and decreased Bcl-2 was also found. On the other hand, CAR co-administration with PDD significantly evaded these effects which were confirmed histologically. Conclusion:CAR could be used as complementary supplements in malnutrition for protection against PDD induced testicular atrophy in male albino rats.