AIMS: To compare TEWL and skin hydration in patients with DM and controls, and to investigate associations between TEWL and skin hydration with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS), treatment, peripheral neuropathy (PN) and age in patients with diabetes.
METHODS: This was a prospective, case-control study carried out at a tertiary medical centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. TEWL and skin hydration measurements were taken at six different body sites in both groups.
RESULTS: In total, 146 patients (73 cases, 73 controls) were included (24 men and 49 women in each group). No significant difference in TEWL or skin hydration was seen between patients with DM and controls, but there were significant reductions in skin hydration in patients with DM who had FBS > 7 mmol/L (P 6.5% (P 1 U/kg/day (P 45 years old, there was a significant reduction in TEWL (P = 0.04) and hydration (P 8 mmol/L and increased in patients with higher insulin requirement.
METHODS: We hypothesized that introducing a group VII ERF transcription factor in Arabidopsis could enhance waterlogging stress tolerance. To test this hypothesis, we isolated MaERFVII3 from banana roots, where it exhibited a significant induction in response to waterlogging stress. The isolated MaERFVII3 was introduced into Arabidopsis plants for functional gene studies.
RESULTS: Compared with wild-type plants, the MaERFVII3-expressing Arabidopsis showed increased survival and biomass under waterlogging stress. Furthermore, the abundance of transcripts related to waterlogging and hypoxia response showed an elevation in transgenic plants but a decrease in wild-type and empty vector plants when exposed to waterlogging stress. Our results demonstrate the significant contribution of MaERFVII3 to waterlogging tolerance in Arabidopsis, providing baseline data for further exploration and potentially contributing to crop improvement programs.