Objective:To investigate the effect of equol on the proliferation of colom cancer cells and to explore the mechanisms.Methods: Colon cancer cells (DLD1,HCT15,COLO205,LOVO,SW480) were incubated, the cell proliferation was identified by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay.Reverse transcription PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and the protein expression of estrogen receptor and nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)in the colon cancer cells, respectively.Moreover, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay was used to investigate the effect of estrogen receptor(ER) inhibitor,ERα agonist, and estrogen receptor ERβagonist on the cell proliferation.Results: ERα was faintly expressed in the DLD-1 and HCT-15 cells.However, ERβ expression in DLD1, HCT15, COLO205, LOVO, and SW480 colon cancer cells.Different concentrations of equol (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 μmol/L) significantly inhibited the growth of HCT-15 cell with the expression of ERα and ERβ.More-over, different concentrations of equol (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10 μmol/L) significantly inhibited the growth of LOVO, and SW480 cells with the ERβ expression in a dose-dependent manner as demonstrated with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide cell proliferation assay.mRNA expressions of ERα and ERβ in HCT-15 were stimulated significantly.Western blotting proved that the protein expressions of ERα and ERβ increased with the increasing of equol dose.Moreover we found significant difference of Nrf2 protein expression in HCT-15 cell stimulated by different concentrationss of equol.After the similation of estrogen receptor inhibitor, ERα agonist, or ERβ agonist, we found that only dif-ferent concentrations of ERβ agonist(0, 1, 10, 100, 1 000, 10 000 nmol/L) significantly inhibited the growth of HCT-15, LOVO, and SW480 in adose-dependent manner.Estrogen receptor inhibitor and ERα agonistdid not present significant effect on the cell proliferation of HCT-15, LOVO, and SW480.Conclusion: Equol inhibited the colon cancer cell proliferation by its estrogenic activities and antioxidant activities.

Objective:To investigate the status of blood mineral content of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside and explore the possible related influencing factors .Methods: The multistage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select one kindergarten and one primary school in seven cities ( Beijing and Guangzhou and so on ) and two towns randomly .Firstly, we selected one bottom class , middle class , top class in one kindergarten and one second grade and fifth grade in one pri-mary school randomly .Then all of the healthful students of these classes were investigated and the blood mineral content of calcium , magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were detected.Results:In the re-search, 1 842 students were investigated .The means of calcium, magnesium, lead, iron, copper, and zinc were in the standard range .The blood lead content of the boys was higher than that of the girls .The blood mineral content of different ages had statistical significance .The blood calcium and blood copper contents of the preschool children were higher than those of the school children .However , the school children had significantly higher blood lead , iron, and zinc contents in comparison with those of the pre-school children .The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency were 35.5%and 39.6%, respec-tively .The incidence of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of different ages had statistical significance , and with the age increasing , the incidence showed a decreasing trend .The incidences of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children whose age was more than or equal to 3 years and less than 4 years were up to 47.1%and 64.6%, respectively.The incidence of iron deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly higher than those in the first-tier cities.However, the incidence of zinc deficiency of the children in the countryside area was significantly lower than those in the first-tier cities and second-tier cities.Conclusion:The status of iron deficiency and zinc deficiency of children aged 3 to 12 years in Chinese cities and countryside were still serious .We should pay more attention to the nutrition interven-tional research on iron and zinc .

After freeze-drying, the ultrastructure of boar sperms was observed by optical and electron microscopy. The in vitro development ability of the sperm was also examined with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The rate of male pronuclear formation was (68.52%), for cleavage (59.17%) and for blastocyst formation (19.16%) of the trehalose group (0.2 mol/L), significantly higher than those of the 50 mmol/L EDTA group (64.59%, 56.26% and 15.62%) and the control group (35.36%, 52.33% and 8.60%) (P < 0.05). After storage for 60, 120 and 180 d at 4 degrees C, no significant difference in the in vitro development was observed (P > 0.05). The male pronuclear, cleavage and blastocyst formation after ICSI with freeze-dried spermatozoa incubated for 1 h was superior than those incubated for 2 h (P < 0.05). No significant differences in the structures after stored at 4 degrees C or -20 degrees C (P > 0.05) were observed between the trehalose group and EDTA group. The percent of B grade freeze-dried boar spermatozoa in the trehalose group was higher than that of the EDTA group (P < 0.05). Based on the ultrastructure observation, main cryogenic damage in freeze-dried boar spermatozoa was swelling, damage or rupture in the sperm acrosome, neck and tail.
Animals ; Freeze Drying ; Male ; Semen Preservation ; methods ; veterinary ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; veterinary ; Spermatozoa ; Swine ; Trehalose ; pharmacology

Objective:To determine the gestational weight gain and its risk factors and adverse effects among pregnant women in Beijing.Methods:Between June 2018 and June 2019, all registered infants and their mothers in a child care center of a third-tier-class hospital in Beijing were selected. A self-made questionnaire was used to collect the basic information of the maternal mothers. Chi-square test and analysis of variance were used to describe the basic characteristics of the study subjects and clarify the harmful effect of gestational weight gain for maternal and infant health. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of both insufficient and excessive weight gain during pregnancy.Results:A total of 3732 maternal mothers and their babies were included. The average weight gain of maternal mothers during pregnancy was 13.0 kg. The results of this study showed that the proportion of insufficient weight gain during pregnancy was 31.8% and the proportion of excessive weight gain was 24.1%. It was further found that young age, pre-pregnancy body mass index indicating overweight and obesity, primipara, and low education were independent risk factors for excessive weight gain during pregnancy. The risk of excessive weight gain of pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity was 2.40 times ( OR=2.40, 95% CI=1.91-3.03, P<0.001) and 2.90 times higher, respectively, ( OR=2.90, 95% CI=1.59-5.27, P<0.001) when compared with that of pre-pregnancy normal weight. In addition, our results suggested that excessive weight gain significantly increased the risk of macrosomia for the infant and the risk of cesarean section, gestational hypertension, and postpartum weight retention for maternal mothers. Conclusions:Age, pre-pregnancy BMI, primipara, and education level were the influencing factors for gestational weight gain. Considering the serious harmful effects of both insufficient and excessive weight gain for maternal and infant health, weight management during pregnancy should be strengthened for these high-risk populations in the future.

BACKGROUNDInfancy is a critical period of growth and physiological development, in which breast milk is the best source of nutrients. Compared to western countries, research on breast milk of Chinese population are limited. Thus, it is necessary to measure breast milk energy and macronutrient concentrations of healthy urban Chinese mothers at different lactation stages, to expand the database of milk composition of Chinese population, and to examine whether dietary or other maternal factors can affect the levels of macronutrients in breast milk.

METHODSBreast milk of full expression of one side breast from 436 urban Chinese lactating mothers at 5-11 days, 12-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-120 days, and 121-240 days postpartum was obtained at 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Total energy, lactose, protein, and fat contents were measured. 24-hour dietary recall was surveyed, and maternal nutrient intakes were analyzed.

RESULTSMilk composition changed over the course of lactation and large individual variations were documented. The concentrations were 61.3 kcal/dl for total energy, 7.1 g/dl for lactose, 0.9 g/dl for protein, and 3.4 g/dl for fat in mature milk. Stage of lactation was a strong factor affecting milk composition. Minimal evidence was found for associations between maternal current dietary intake and milk macronutrient concentration, consistently with prior research. Maternal body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with milk fat content, to a greater extent than did dietary intake. All other maternal characteristics were not significant for milk composition.

CONCLUSIONThese findings suggest that milk composition is generally weakly associated with maternal factors except for stage of lactation, and is likely to be more susceptible to long-term maternal nutritional status than short-term dietary fluctuation.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Body Mass Index ; Female ; Humans ; Lactation ; physiology ; Middle Aged ; Milk, Human ; chemistry ; Mothers ; Young Adult