Objective To study the prevalence of mental disorders among the Chinese youths aged 15-34 years,in rural areas and to identify risk factors related to suicide.Methods A consecutive sampling strategy was used for suicidal cases in 16 randomly selected counties in Hunan,Liaoning,and Shandong provinces.Between 2005 and 2008,a total of 392 suicide cases were recruited with 416 community controls at the same age range,selected from the same areas one family member together with one close friend of each suicidal case were interviewed,using the psychological autopsy (PA) method.The same method with structured instruments was performed on the two informants for each control in the same community.SCID was used for the diagnosis of mental disease.Results 48.0％ of the suicides were diagnosed as having at least one mental disorder episode,in comparison with only 3.8％ among the controls.It was found that mental disorder was the most important risk factor for the Chinese young suicide cases in the rural areas.Conclusion As seen in the Western countries,mental disorder had also been the number one correlate on suicidal cases in China,with the difference as other social and psychological factors might have played relatively more important roles in China.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the fat decreasing effects of fenofibrate on alcoholic fatty liver and drug-induced fatty liver in rats.

METHODSAlcoholic fatty liver and drug-induced fatty liver rats models were established. The two kinds of rats with fatty liver were seperatedly divided into fenofibrate treatment group (80 mg/kg daily) and control group without treatment. Rats were killed after four weeks, then the levels of serum triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and malondialdehyde (MDA), hepatic lipase (HL), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) both in serum and liver tissue were measured according to the Test Kits. Histopathological changes in liver was dyed with HE and observed under light microscope.

RESULTSAfter treatment by fenofibrate, in the serum of rats with alcoholic fatty liver, the level of TG decreased significantly (1.07 mmol/L 0.06 mmol/L vs 1.56 mmol/L 0.29 mmol/L, t=5.115, p<0.001), while the level of TC had no alteration. The levels of MDA both in serum and liver tissue decreased (1.10 nmol/L 0.22 nmol/L vs 1.26 nmol/L 0.21 nmol/L, t=0.592, p<0.05; 5.92 nmol/g 1.24 nmol/g vs 7.42 nmol/g 1.22 nmol/g, t=3.477, p<0.05, respectively), while the levels of HL, LPL in serum and liver tissue increased significantly (Serum: 0.053muEq/ml/h 0.006muEq/ml/h vs 0.037 muEq/ml/h 0.006muEq/ml/h, t=-5.086, p<0.001; 0.018 muEq/ml/h 0.004 muEq/ml/h vs 0.014muEq/ml/h 0.004muEq/ml/h, t=-2.485, p<0.05. Liver tissue: 0.075muEq/ml/h 0.010muEq/ml/h vs 0.065muEq/ml/h 0.007muEq/ml/h, t=-2.437, p<0.05; 0.022 muEq/ml/h 0.014 muEq/ml/h vs 0.008 muEq/ml/h 0.002 muEq/ml/h, t=-2.876, p<0.05). Fat content in liver decreased (26.01 mg/g 1.69 mg/g vs 71.45 mg/g 2.66 mg/g, t=-43.224, p<0.001). The pathological changes of liver in fenofibrate-treated rats with alcoholic fatty liver were improved. For the drug-induced fatty liver rats, fenofibrate treatment group had no difference from the untreated control group.

CONCLUSIONFenofibrate can significantly decrease the fat content in liver tissue of rats with alcoholic fatty liver, as well as ameliorating liver pathological changes. But fenofibrate has no effect on drug-induced fatty liver.

Animals ; Carbon Tetrachloride ; toxicity ; Fatty Liver ; chemically induced ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Fatty Liver, Alcoholic ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Fenofibrate ; therapeutic use ; Hypolipidemic Agents ; therapeutic use ; Lipids ; blood ; Liver ; pathology ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo understand the environmental risk factors on attempted suicide, and to study the interaction between factors as gene polymorphism of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) associated to attempted suicide.

METHODSPaired case-control study of 205 suicide attempters (89 male, 116 female) and molecular biological techniques were used to study the relation between gene polymorphism of COMT, environmental factors and the rate of attempted suicide. Controls were paired with cases according to the same gender, similar age (no more than 3 years) and in the same district.

RESULTSThere were no significant differences in gene types and gene frequency between case and control groups. Multivariate conditional logistic regression model analysis showed that COMT Val/Val 158/108, low education level, cigarette smoking, emotional conflicts, psychologic disorders and depression were risk factors of attempted suicide with OR values as 2.43 (95% CI: 1.10 - 5.40), 5.70 (95% CI: 1.88 - 17.27), 3.54 (95% CI: 1.02 - 12.36), 10.96 (95% CI: 4.74 - 25.34), 6.35 (95% CI: 1.68 - 24.05) and 11.30 (95% CI: 4.58 - 27.89) respectively. There was no first level interaction between any two risk factors.

CONCLUSIONThe study supported that low education level, cigarette smoking, affective conflicts, psychiatric disorders, depression were risk factors of attempted suicide and COMT Val/Val 158/108 was suspected to be a susceptible gene type of attempted suicide but needs further study. The study also suggested that 116 bp in gene atlas be possibly correlated to high activity of COMT.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Case-Control Studies ; Catechol O-Methyltransferase ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; Depression ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; adverse effects ; Suicide, Attempted ; statistics & numerical data

OBJECTIVE12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA) plays an important role in precipitating cell differentiation for various tumor cells, especially leukemic cells. Changes of many genes may be involved in this process. The purpose of this study was to observe the relationship between the EGR1mRNA expression and cell differentiation during TPA-induced K562 cell differentiation.

METHODSIncubation of human K562 cells in vitro was applied to cultivate K562 cells. The cells were treated in two different ways. K562 cells of experiment group were treated with TPA and those of control group were treated without TPA. Using morphology (Wright's staining and NSE staining) and flow cytometry (FCM), the investigators observed the differentiation characteristics of K562 cells, cell-cycle and the differentiation antigen expressions of CD33 and CD14 on cell membranes. RT-PCR was carried out to assay EGR1 mRNA expression.

RESULTSAfter treated with TPA for 7 d, the morphology of K562 cells obviously tended to mature differentiation, like monocytes. The differentiation rate of induced K562 cells was up to 95% in experiment group and 4.5% in control group, respectively. Using SPSS software, the above result showed statistical significance (P < 0.01). Using NSE staining, K562 cells showed positive reaction. Some of them were densely stained. The positive rate was up to 86%. More than half of the positive cells could be inhibited by NaF. The inhibiting rate of NaF was up to 58.72%, showing statistical difference when compared with that of control group. FCM analysis showed that most of K562 cells stimulated by TPA underwent G1/S phase cell-cycle arrest. The composing rate of cell-cycle in TPA-treated group showed that (53.7 +/- 1.25)% of cells were at G0 + G1 phase and (44.3 +/- 1.32)% were at S phase (P < 0.05). The level of CD33 expression on cell membranes was mildly decreased from 0.997% to 0.893% (P > 0.05). However, the level of CD14 expression was significantly increased from 0.049% to 0.387% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONK562 cells could express EGR1mRNA during TPA-induced differentiation, which suggested that EGR1mRNA might participate in the process of K562 cells differentiating into monocyte/macrophages, and might play an important role in precipitating and maintaining cell differentiation for leukemic cells.

Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Carcinogens ; pharmacology ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Division ; drug effects ; genetics ; Cell Membrane ; chemistry ; drug effects ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Early Growth Response Protein 1 ; Flow Cytometry ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; drug effects ; Humans ; Immediate-Early Proteins ; genetics ; K562 Cells ; Lipopolysaccharide Receptors ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sialic Acid Binding Ig-like Lectin 3 ; Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factors ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of nano-TiO(2) intratracheal instillation on the progression of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-knockout mice.

METHODSThe nano-TiO(2) was ultrasound with phosphate-buffered saline solutions (PBS) into its suspension for exposure. A total of 46 specific pathogen free (SPF) level of 11-week-old male apolipoprotein E-knockout mice were randomly divided into groups by their body weights: non-treatment group (8 mice), PBS control group (9 mice), high dose group (1.0 mg/ml, 10 mice), medium dose group (0.5 mg/ml, 10 mice), and low dose group (0.1 mg/ml, 9 mice). Except the non-treatment group, mice from other groups were intratracheally instilled with 0.05 ml each time, twice a week. After exposure of 6 weeks, viscera index, blood TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, and organic lipid ratio were assessed as biomarkers. Artery and aortic root issues were assessed by histopathology.

RESULTSAfter 5 weeks exposure, mice body weights in high dose group ((29.7 ± 1.9) g) started to drop, compared to PBS control ((31.3 ± 1.9) g, t = -1.58, P < 0.05) and low dose group ((31.4 ± 1.4) g, t = -1.17, P < 0.05); after 6 weeks, high dose group ((28.8 ± 1.5) g) was lower than PBS control ((30.4 ± 1.9) g, t = -1.60, P < 0.05), non-treatment group ((30.2 ± 1.3) g, t = -1.43, P < 0.05) and low dose group ((30.6 ± 1.0) g, t = -1.83, P < 0.05). TC levels of non-treatment, PBS control, high dose group, medium dose group and low dose group were (2.92 ± 1.18), (3.12 ± 0.73), (4.19 ± 1.86), (3.46 ± 0.72) and (2.57 ± 0.64) mmol/L, respectively; TG levels were (0.39 ± 0.13), (0.39 ± 0.08), (0.60 ± 0.21), (0.55 ± 0.19) and (0.41 ± 0.11) mmol/L, respectively; HDL-C levels were (1.67 ± 0.45), (1.54 ± 0.67), (0.93 ± 0.50), (1.02 ± 0.48) and (1.31 ± 0.64) mmol/L; TG levels of high dose group were higher than that of non-treatment group (t = 1.27, P = 0.03) and low dose group (t = 1.62, P = 0.01); TG levels of medium dose group was higher than PBS control (t = 0.16, P = 0.04), and TC levels of high dose group were higher than PBS control (t = 0.22, P = 0.01), non-treatment group (t = 0.22, P = 0.04) and low dose group (t = 0.20, P = 0.03), and HDL-C levels of high dose group were lower than PBS control (t = -0.61, P = 0.04) and non-treatment group (t = -0.74, P = 0.04); organic lipid ratio of each group were (2.27 ± 0.51)%, (2.06 ± 0.53)%, (2.90 ± 0.50)%, (2.60 ± 0.23)%, (2.24 ± 0.45)%; high dose group were higher than PBS control (t = 0.85, P = 0.00), non-treatment group (t = 0.64, P = 0.03) and low dose group (t = 0.67, P = 0.01); medium dose group was higher than PBS control (t = 0.54, P = 0.02). The plaque lipid content and calcium content which showed the progression of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture were elevated in medium and high dose groups.

CONCLUSIONIntratracheal instillation of nano-TiO(2) can induce dyslipidemia and accelerate the development of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture in ApoE-/-mice.

Animals ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Atherosclerosis ; blood ; chemically induced ; Dyslipidemias ; blood ; chemically induced ; Instillation, Drug ; Lipid Metabolism ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; Nanoparticles ; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms ; Titanium ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between the 7th exon G894T mutation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene and overweight in patients with essential hypertension.

METHODSTotally, 116 patients with essential hypertension taking no medications and 136 normotensives were selected from a steel workers as study subjects. Polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism were performed to detect mutation of the 7th exon G894T. Additive model was used to analyze interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on hypertension. Population attributable risk percent (PAR%) for them, etiologic fraction, was applied to their contribution to hypertension.

RESULTSThere was a positive interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on essential hypertension, with an index of interaction of 1.99 and attributable interaction percent of 30.76%. Their pure attributable interaction percent was 36.38%. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that there still was positive interaction between G894T mutation and overweight on essential hypertension, adjusted for age, sex, smoking and alcohol drinking. Index of their attributable interaction was 2.85, with attributable interaction percent of 39.97%, also adjusted for the above-mentioned factors. Their pure attributable interaction percent was 46.49% and PAR% was estimated as about 15% under certain condition.

CONCLUSIONSInteraction between mutation of the 7th exon G894T of eNOS gene and overweight played an important role in essential hypertension of the studied population. Control of body weight in the population with both G894T mutation and overweight could markedly decrease their risk of hypertension.

Adult ; Exons ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; etiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; genetics ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Obesity ; complications

OBJECTIVETo analyze the association between G894T (Glu298Asp) mutation at exon 7 in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene and essential hypertension.

METHODSOne hundred and sixteen essential hypertensives without taking hypertensive medication and 136 normotensives screened from health workers in a steel factory were selected as subjects in this study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Ban II restriction enzyme digestion were performed to detect the G894T mutation.

RESULTSG894T mutation was significantly associated with essential hypertension. The T allele frequency in essential hypertensive group was significantly higher than that in normotensive group (16.0% versus 8.8%, P = 0.019, OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.14 - 3.37). The levels of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure in the G894T mutant genotypes were all significantly elevated in hypertensive, normotensive, and the total subjects (P < 0.05). After adjusting factors as age, sex, smoking, alcohol drinking, body mass index, triglyceride, serum total cholesterol, serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol by analysis of multiple covariance, significant positive effect of the G894T mutant genotypes on blood pressure in the total subjects (P < 0.01) was noticed.

CONCLUSIONThis study suggested that the G894T mutation in the endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene might serve as a major risk factor of essential hypertension in this study population.

Adult ; Alleles ; Blood Pressure ; genetics ; China ; epidemiology ; Exons ; Female ; Gene Frequency ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; genetics ; Genotype ; Humans ; Hypertension ; enzymology ; genetics ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; genetics ; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III ; Point Mutation ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Risk Factors

BACKGROUNDThere has been an increase in the incidence of breast cancer in China, but no definite risk and protective factors for breast cancer have been identified in Chinese females. This study was designed to identify the risk factors for female breast cancer in North and East China.

METHODSA 1:3 matched, case-control study was conducted. All of the subjects in the case and control groups were selected from a previous epidemiological survey of 122 058 females aged 25 to 70 years. Single and multiple Logistic regression analyses were used to study potential factors in the development of breast cancer.

RESULTSSignificant differences at the level of α=0.20 between case and control groups were observed for the following factors: economic status, social status, family annual income, bean product consumption, body mass index (BMI), family history of breast cancer in the first or second degree, number of miscarriages, menstrual pattern, benign breast disease history, nipple leakage, inverted nipple, history of diabetes mellitus, history of hypertension, history of ovarian cyst, physical exercise, current and global quality of life satisfaction, healthy behavior and prevention, and scores of breast cancer-related knowledge. After Cox-regression model analysis (α=0.10), six factors were found to be significantly related to breast cancer, of which the ORs and 95%CIs were: BMI, 1.696 (1.169-2.460, P=0.005); benign breast disease history, 2.672 (0.848-8.416, P=0.093); family history of breast cancer, 7.080 (1.758-28.551, P=0.006); number of miscarriages, 1.738 (1.014-2.978, P=0.044); global quality of life satisfaction, 3.044 (1.804-5.136, P=0.000); healthy behavior and prevention, 3.294 (1.692-6.412, P=0.000).

CONCLUSIONSA comprehensive range of factors related to breast cancer was identified. Women should be educated about a healthy lifestyle, especially those with a family history of breast cancer or a personal history of benign breast disease.

Adult ; Aged ; Breast Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors

AIM: To explore the neuroprotective effect of fasudil combined with bone marrow -derived neural stem cells ( BM-NSCs) on the mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis ( EAE).METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice (8~10 weeks old, n=32) were immunized with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein 35-55 (MOG35-55) to establish chronic EAE model .The mice were randomly divided into control ( ddH2 O ) group, fasudil group , BM-NSCs group , and fasudil+BM-NSCs group .The clinical score and body weight were recorded every other day .The expression of neurotrophic factors was determined by immunofluorescence staining .RESULTS:In comparison with ddH2O group, fasud-il combined with BM-NSCs delayed onset and ameliorated severity of EAE .The numbers of brain-derived neurotrophic fac-tor, glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor , nerve growth factor , neurotrophin-3 and ciliary neurotrophic factor positive cells in fasudil group, BM-NSCs group and fasudil +BM-NSCs group were all increased in various extents .In particularly, the expression of these neurotrophic factors in fasudil +BM-NSCs group was significantly higher than that in the mice treated with fasudil or BM-NSCs alone (P<0.01).CONCLUSION:Fasudil combined with BM-NSCs promotes the expression of neurotrophic factors and improves microenvironment of central nervous system , thus playing a positive role in neural restora-tion and regeneration through a synergistic and superimposed effect .

Humans ; Mitral Valve/surgery* ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Cardiac Surgical Procedures