DNA was extracted from fecal samples and paired-end 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was performed using the Illumina MiSeq platform. When comparing whole microbial communities using PERMANOVA, no significant differences were observed among treatments (P = 0.735). Individual OTUs were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS with fixed effects of diet and room, and the random effects of period and animal. Out of the 100 most abundant individual OTUs, 36 showed significant differences in abundance based on treatment (q less then 0.05). Overall, OTUs assigned to genera related to fat digestion increased while OTUs assigned to genera involved in carbohydrate digestion decreased. In conclusion, the microbial community adapted to dietary intervention without jeopardizing the health of the animals, evaluated by body condition score, fecal characteristics, and blood parameters.
  Previous studies have shown that metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is associated with thyroid hormones (THs), immunity, and inflammation status, but few studies involved thyroid autoimmunity.  https://www.selleckchem.com/products/act001-dmamcl.html  This study aimed to evaluate the role of THs, thyroid autoantibodies, inflammatory biomarkers in MAFLD, its cofactors, and other possible determinants.
 
  In the study, a total of 424 Chinese patients were selected and categorized as non-MAFLD and MAFLD. Serum thyroid hormone, thyroid autoantibody and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels were measured. The data of blood pressure, the serum lipid profile, glucose and liver enzymes were collected. The differences and association between research findings were examined and analyzed by Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, One-Way ANOVA test and Multiple Logistic Regression models.
 
  The study showed significant increase in the prevalence of MAFLD with high thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels (
  < 0.01) and abnormal high-sensitive C-reac TSH levels and lower FT4, TRAb levels, but no significant association were found. However, Our findings provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of MAFLD by further investigating the impact of THs, thyroid autoimmunity, and inflammation on MAFLD patients.
 Taken together, TgAb may be a potential protective factor for MAFLD and elevated hsCRP level should be considered as an independent risk factor for MAFLD in both genders. TPOAb also demonstrated protective effect, but only in male. The prevalence of MAFLD increased with higher TSH levels and lower FT4, TRAb levels, but no significant association were found. However, Our findings provide a new insight into the pathogenesis of MAFLD by further investigating the impact of THs, thyroid autoimmunity, and inflammation on MAFLD patients.Islet culture prior to transplantation is a standard practice in many transplantation centers. Nevertheless, the abundant islet mass loss and function impairment during this serum-deprivation culture period restrain the success of islet transplantation. In the present study, we used a natural biomaterial derived product, amniotic membrane extract (AME), as medium supplementation of islet pretransplant cultivation to investigate its protective effect on islet survival and function and its underlying mechanisms, as well as the engraftment outcome of islets following AME treatment. Results showed that AME supplementation improved islet viability and function, and decreased islet apoptosis and islet loss during serum-deprived culture. This was associated with the increased phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathway. Moreover, transplantation of serum-deprivation stressed islets that were pre-treated with AME into diabetic mice revealed better blood glucose control and improved islet graft survival. In conclusion, AME could improve islet survival and function in vivo and in vitro, and was at least partially through increasing phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathway.As the incidence of malignancies in young adults is increasing, fertility preservation in cancer survivors arises as a major concern. Especially among female cancer patients, pregnancy rates are estimated to be 40% lower compared to women of the same age. Nowadays oncologists are to be preoccupied not only with their patients' successful treatment, but also with the maintenance of the potential of the latter to conceive and obtain children. Chemotherapy associated ovarian failure (COF), refers to disruption of ovarian function both as an endocrine gland and as a reproductive organ, due to previous exposure to chemotherapy agents. Although the underlying mechanism is not fully understood, it is supposed that chemotherapy agents may induce either DNA damage of premature ovarian follicle or early activation and apoptosis of them, resulting into early exhaustion of available follicle deposit. Various chemotherapy agents have been associated with COF with the highest incidence being reported for patients undergoing combination regimens. Although a variety of alternatives in order to maintain ovarian function and fertility in female cancer survivors are available, adequately established practices to do so are lacking. Thus, it is of major importance to investigate further and collect sufficient evidence, aiming to guide patients and physicians in everyday clinical practice.Cushing's disease (CD) is a serious endocrine disorder characterized by chronic hypercortisolism, or Cushing's syndrome (CS), caused by a corticotroph pituitary tumor, which induces an excessive adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and consequently cortisol secretion. CD presents a severe clinical burden, with impairment of the quality of life and increase in mortality. Pituitary surgery represents the first-line therapy, but it is non-curative in one third of patients, requiring additional treatments. Among second-line treatments, medical therapy is gradually gaining importance, although the current medical treatments are unable to reach optimal efficacy and safety profile. Therefore, new drugs and new formulations of presently available drugs are currently under clinical investigation in international clinical trials, in order to assess their efficacy and safety in CD, or in the general population of CS. Among pituitary-directed agents, pasireotide, in the twice-daily subcutaneous formulation, has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment both in clinical trials and in real-world studies, and extension studies of the phase II and III clinical trials reported evidence of long-term efficacy with general good safety profile, although associated with frequent hyperglycemia, which requires monitoring of glucose metabolism.