Background: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are known to play a fundamental role in the progression of liver fibrosis. Once HSCs are activated, they are involved in proliferation, migration, and contractility which are characteristics of liver fibrogenesis. Recent studies have shown that irisin, a myokine secreted during physical exercise, has a protective effect in various metabolic diseases, especially in renal fibrosis. However, whether irisin is involved in HSC activation and other processes associated with liver fibrosis has not yet been investigated. In this study, we reveal the role of irisin in HSC activation as well as in proliferation, migration, and contractile properties of HSCs in vitro. Methods: LX-2 cells, immortalized human HSCs, were treated with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a core regulator of HSC fibrosis, with or without irisin, and markers of the aforementioned processes were analyzed. Further, an inflammatory response was stimulated with TGF-β1 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in combination with irisin and the expression of cytokines was measured. Results: Recombinant irisin significantly suppressed the expression of TGF-β1-stimulated fibrosis markers including alpha-smooth muscle actin and collagen type 1 alpha 1 and prevented the TGF-β1-induced proliferation, migration, and contractility of LX-2 cells. Additionally, irisin ameliorated the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-1β induced by TGF-β1 and LPS treatments. Conclusion These findings suggested that irisin potently improved the progression of hepatic fibrosis by regulating HSC activation, proliferation, migration, contractility, and HSC-mediated production of inflammatory cytokine.

Background: Coordinating between soldiers and people bring significant results in protecting healthy for soldiers and people in malaria epidemic area.\r\n', u'Objectives: To evaluate epidemic supervision and propose solutions protecting healthy for soldiers and people in malaria epidemic area.\r\n', u'Subjects and methods: A retrospective cross sectional study was carried out on two provinces Binh Phuoc and Dak Lak\r\n', u'Results: there was 4 main disease types were fever, tuberculosis, diarrhea and malaria. Malaria at investigated times still accounted high rate comparing with general fever rate. Malaria risk contained in people living or working in forest and mountain field; free emigrants; armed forces and border guard. These subjects needed to improve regularly protection from malaria. Communication of health education is one of important method to prevent and control malaria.\r\n', u'Conclusion: It is necessary to implement strong methods (such as providing insecticide treated bed nets, indoor residual spray) to prevent and control malaria. \r\n', u'
Epidemic supervision ; healthy ; soldier ; malaria epidemic area.

Background: Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the major cells which play a pivotal role in liver fibrosis. During injury, extracellular stimulators can induce HSCs transdifferentiated into active form. Phloretin showed its ability to protect the liver from injury, so in this research we would like to investigate the effect of phloretin on succinate-induced HSCs activation in vitro and liver fibrosis in vivo study. Methods: In in vitro, succinate was used to induce HSCs activation, and then the effect of phloretin on activated HSCs was examined. In in vivo, succinate was used to generated liver fibrosis in mouse and phloretin co-treated to check its protection on the liver. Results: Phloretin can reduce the increase of fibrogenic markers and inhibits the proliferation, migration, and contraction caused by succinate in in vitro experiments. Moreover, an upregulation of proteins associated with aerobic glycolysis occurred during the activation of HSCs, which was attenuated by phloretin treatment. In in vivo experiments, intraperitoneal injection of phloretin decreased expression of fibrotic and glycolytic markers in the livers of mice with sodium succinate diet-induced liver fibrosis. These results suggest that aerobic glycolysis plays critical role in activation of HSCs and succinate can induce liver fibrosis in mice, whereas phloretin has therapeutic potential for treating hepatic fibrosis. Conclusion Intraperitoneal injection of phloretin attenuated succinate-induced hepatic fibrosis and alleviates the succinate-induced HSCs activation.

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play a key role in liver fibrosis. Succinate and succinate receptor (GPR91) signaling pathway are involved in the activation, proliferation, and migration of HSCs. We investigated whether succinate may induce hepatic fibrosis. The mice were randomly divided into 2 groups —the control group (chow diet-fed mice, n = 26) and sodium succinate group (2% sodium succinate + chow diet, n = 38). Each diet was provided for 16 weeks. Mice administered an oral diet of 2% sodium succinate for sixteen weeks lost body weight and had increased serum alanine transaminase and hepatic triglyceride contents compared to those in the control mice. Moreover, mice fed with sodium succinate showed increased expression of the alpha smooth muscle actin protein and gene in the liver at 8 weeks of feeding and increased fibrosis in their histology at 16 weeks of feeding. However, the expression of the GPR91 protein and mRNA increased at 4 weeks of feeding, but decreased at 8 and 16 weeks of feeding. These results suggest that an oral succinate diet could induce liver damage and liver fibrosis in mice and that GPR91 signaling might be an early marker or sensor of hepatic fibrosis development.

Background: Dry sauna treatments improve the quality of life for chronic pain, congestive heart failure, and type 2 diabetes patients. This study aimed to determine whether dry sauna therapy improved the quality of life of obese people. Methods: A total of 38 consecutive participants aged over 20 years with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 were recruited for the study. The participants were treated with a 90°C dry sauna for 15 minutes, twice daily for 4 consecutive days. To assess the quality of life, all participants completed the 5 level EQ-5D questionnaires and the EQ-Visual Analog Scale. Study parameters were measured on the same day prior to commencing the sauna sessions in a fasted state and 2 days after the last sauna session. Results: The average age was 62.3±9.5 years; 84.2% of the participants were female. The mean body mass index was 28.5±2.4 kg/m2. Dry sauna significantly improved the mean 5 level EQ-5D index scores from 0.83±0.12 to 0.89±0.11 and increased the mean EQ-Visual Analog Scale from 79.0±15.2 to 91.1±9.7. However, there were no significant changes in body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate, or body composition before and after the 8-session sauna therapy. Conclusion Dry sauna improved the health-related quality of life of obese patients without adverse events. Further clinical studies in larger study populations are needed to verify these findings and provide concrete evidence for obesity treatment.