BackgroundTo directly compare traditional lipid ratios (total cholesterol [TC]/high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C], non-HDL-C/HDL-C, low density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C]/HDL-C, and triglycerides [TG]/HDL-C), apolipoprotein B (apoB)/apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) ratio, visceral adiposity index (VAI), lipid accumulation product (LAP), and the product of TG and fasting glucose (TyG) for strength and independence as risk factors for insulin resistance (IR).MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 7629 Chinese adults using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey 2009.ResultsFor all lipid ratios (traditional lipid ratios and apoB/apoA-I), among both sexes, TG/HDL-C explained the most additional percentage of variation in HOMA-IR (2.9% in men, and 2.3% in women); for all variables of interest, the variability in HOMA-IR explained by VAI and TG/HDL-C were comparable; TyG had the most significant association with HOMA-IR, which explained 9.1% for men and 7.8% for women of the variability in HOMA-IR. Logistic regression analysis showed the similar patterns. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that, among both sexes, TG/HDL-C was a better discriminator of IR than apoB/apoA-I; the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for VAI (0.695 in men and 0.682 in women) was greater than that for TG/HDL-C (AUC 0.665 in men and 0.664 in women); TyG presented the greatest value of AUC (0.709 in men and 0.711 in women).ConclusionThe apoB/apoA-I performs no better than any of the traditional lipid ratios in correlating with IR. The TG/HDL-C, VAI and TyG are better markers for early identification of IR individuals.

Glaucoma, a major cause of blindness worldwide, is a neurodegenerative optic neuropathy in which vision loss is caused by loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To better define the pathways mediating RGC death and identify targets for the development of neuroprotective drugs, we developed a high-throughput RNA interference screen with primary RGCs and used it to screen the full mouse kinome. The screen identified dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) as a key neuroprotective target in RGCs. In cultured RGCs, DLK signaling is both necessary and sufficient for cell death. DLK undergoes robust posttranscriptional up-regulation in response to axonal injury in vitro and in vivo. Using a conditional knockout approach, we confirmed that DLK is required for RGC JNK activation and cell death in a rodent model of optic neuropathy. In addition, tozasertib, a small molecule protein kinase inhibitor with activity against DLK, protects RGCs from cell death in rodent glaucoma and traumatic optic neuropathy models. Together, our results establish a previously undescribed drug/drug target combination in glaucoma, identify an early marker of RGC injury, and provide a starting point for the development of more specific neuroprotective DLK inhibitors for the treatment of glaucoma, nonglaucomatous forms of optic neuropathy, and perhaps other CNS neurodegenerations.G laucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide (1). It is a neurodegenerative disease in which vision loss is caused by the axonal injury and death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) (2), the projection neurons that process and transmit vision from the retina to the brain. Current therapies (i.e., surgery, laser, and eye drops) all act by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). However, pressure reduction can be difficult to achieve, and even with significant pressure lowering, RGC loss can continue. Efforts have therefore been made to develop neuroprotective agents that would complement IOP-lowering therapies by directly inhibiting the RGC cell death process (3, 4). However, no neuroprotective agent has yet been approved for clinical use.Protein kinases provide attractive targets for the development of neuroprotective agents. A number of kinases, including cyclindependent kinases, death-associated protein kinases, JNK1-3, MAPKs, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β, are involved in neuronal cell death (5-12). An additional attraction is that protein kinases are readily druggable. The pharmacology and medicinal chemistry of kinase inhibitors are well-developed, with kinases now being the most important class of drug targets after G protein-coupled receptors (13). Although the primary clinical use of kinase inhibitors continues to be as antineoplastic agents, increasing attention is being paid to their use in other areas (14,15).To identify, in a comprehensive and unbiased manner, kinases that could serve as targets for neuroprotective glaucoma therapy, we screened the entire mouse kinome for kinases whose inhibition promotes RGC survival. For this screen, we develope...