Health Promotion ; Humans ; Occupational Health

AIM: To investigate the effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate(EGCG) on 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion(MPP+)-induced apoptosis in rat pheochromocytoma(PC12) cells and to explore the relationships between its roles of anti-oxidation,intracellular calcium homeostasis and anti-apoptosis.METHODS: Rat PC12 cells were pretreated with vehicle control or EGCG(10,50,and 100 ?mol/L) for 30 min,then cultured with MPP+(900 ?mol/L) for 24 h.The cell viability and apoptosis were monitored by MTT assay and flow cytometry using Annexin V and PI.The activity of intracellular reactive oxygen species(ROS),contents of superoxide dismutase(SOD) and malondialdehyde(MDA),cytoplasmic Ca2+ density and apoptotic morphology of mitochondria were examined by fluorescent plate-based assays,confocal microscope,and transmission electron microscope,respectively.RESULTS: MPP+ impaired the PC12 cells in a concentration-dependent pattern and induced apoptosis of the cells(31% versus control).Compared with the control,the cells pretreated with EGCG showed markedly higher rate of viability and lower apoptosis.Meanwhile,EGCG pretreatment significantly increased the SOD activity and decreased the levels of MDA and ROS.Interestingly,EGCG also decreased the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+ and improved the morphology of mitochondria.CONCLUSION: EGCG exhibits inhibitory effects on MPP+-induced apoptosis in rat PC12 cells,which is possibly associated with increasing the cell ability of anti-oxidation and decreasing the concentration of cytoplasmic Ca2+.

Aim To investigate the antagonistic action of EGCG on apoptosis of rat PC12 cell induced by MPP+.Methods PC12 cells were cultured and the apoptosis induced by MPP+(900 ?mol?L-1)was observed.The cells were randomly divided into 6 groups:blank group without any treatment,MPP+ control group,vitamin E group and EGCG groups(10,50,100 ?mol?L-1).After treatment of drugs,cell viability,leakage of LDH,morphological changes of mitochondria and apoptosis were detected by MTT,Hoechst 33342 staining,transmission electron microscope and flow cytometry,respectively.Results After treatment of cultured PC12 cells with MPP+,cell viability was decreased,leakage of LDH and apoptotic rate were increased,and mitochondria swelling,vacuole and cristae breakage were observed.Vitamin E and EGCG en-hanced cell viability,reduced the leakage of LDH and apoptotic rate,and decreased the damage degree of mitochondria.Conclusions EGCG possesses the ability of inhibiting rat PC12 cell apoptosis induced by MPP+,and its protective action may relate to its function of keeping mitochondria integrality.

Objective To explore the factors affecting blood level of elderly hypertensive patients, using a multilevel analysis model. Methods 927 elderly hypertensive patients from 23 communities were studied, through a multi-stage random sampling method. The influencing factors on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were analyzed through a two-level linear multilevel model, respectively. Results The average blood pressure of subjects appeared as: SBP (139.2±11.7) mm Hg ( 1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa), DBP (85.6±8.6) mm Hg. Ratio of physician versus patients was the factor affecting blood level of subjects from the community level. SBP and DBP of the subjects from the higher physician/patient ratio communities were 3.86 mm Hg and 2.51 mm Hg, lower than the subjects in the lower ratio communities, after controlling the other related factors. Age, gender,overweight/obesity were the individual risk factors of hypertension, while factors as regularl medicine taking, reducing salt intake and related self-efficacy to manage disease could reduce the blood pressure.Reducing salt intake could lower the SBP for 2.44 mm Hg and DBP for 2.03 mm Hg, after controlling the other factors. Conclusion Multilevel analysis model could effectively analyze the hierarchically structured data while both factors from the community and individual levels could affect the blood level among elderly patients with hypertension.

Objective To investigate effects of different doses of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in fetal mouse osteoblasts.Methods Calvaria osteoblasts of fetal mice of 19 days were cultured.The effects of rhBMP-2 at different doses and different action times on VEGF expression patterns in fetal mouse osteoblasts were observed with reverse transcrip- tion-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot staining.Results In the present study,RT-PCR detected a steady expression of VEGF mRNA in the control fetal mouse osteoblasts.The levels of VEGF mRNA increased in an apparent biphasic manner with a maximum stimulation (about 2-fold above the control,P＜0.05 ) in both VEGF mRNA species observed at 300 ng/mL of rbBMP-2.After 48 h of rhBMP-2 treatment,the VEGF mRNA levels approached those in the control.The VEGF mRNA levels appeared to be biphasic in rhBMP-2-treated cultures,showing peak induction at 3 and 24 h and remaining elevated at 48 b.Compared with the individual control value at each time point,an apparent maximum increase (about 2.5-fold above the control,P＜0.05) occurred at 6 h.The second peak induction,about 2-fold above that in the control,occurred at about 36 h.Conclusions The expression of VEGF mRNA is steady in the control fetal mouse osteoblasts.RhBMP-2 can promote the expression of VEGF in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners.

Acute Disease ; Adult ; Animals ; Brucellosis ; transmission ; Cattle ; blood ; Female ; Food Handling ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Diseases ; etiology ; Sheep ; blood

Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cadmium Compounds ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Humans ; Quantum Dots ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; analysis ; metabolism ; Selenium Compounds ; Spectrometry, Fluorescence ; Tellurium ; Zinc Compounds

Objective To explore the effect of different indexes on evaluating insulin resistance in obese children. Methods Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in obese children (n= 61) and age - matched normal volunteers( n= 23) Serum glucose and insulin levels were determined at 0,30,60,120,180 min after OGTT, insulin resistance was estimated by homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). Indexes such as the ratio of area under the curve of glucose(AUCG)/area under the curve of insulin(AUCI), the ratio of fasting blood sugar(FBG) and fasting blood insulin (FINS) were meanwhile calculated. Results The level of serum FINS was significantly higher in obese children(P

Diagnosis, Differential ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Granuloma, Pyogenic ; pathology ; surgery ; Hemangioma, Capillary ; pathology ; Hemangiosarcoma ; pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo revise diagnosis criteria of asbestos-induced occupational lung cancer.

METHODSAll literatures which met the criteria of cohort studies with results of lung cancer incidence or mortality among workers exposed to asbestos would incorporate into the systematic review. Meanwhile, the information about diagnosis criteria on asbestos-induced lung cancer in other countries was collected. Meta analysis was used to calculate meta-SMR and its 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS21 asbestos-exposed cohorts were summarized. The percentage of all deaths due to mesothelioma was 0 to 36.36%. The main kind of asbestos-exposed raw material was chrysotile which accounted for 47.6%, and 7 cohorts (33.3%) didn't provide the information. There were 13 cohorts in 15 which concluded that the lung cancer risk of workers with asbestos exposure had increased (lung cancer SMR = 1.6 ∼ 6.52, P < 0.05). Meta-SMR of 10 included cohorts is 2.09, with 95%CI 1.73 to 2.52 by using Meta analysis. When cumulative asbestos exposure years were less than one year, the risk of lung cancer had increased (lung cancer SMR = 1.6 ∼ 1.82, P < 0.05). When latent period of lung cancer was more than 15 years, the risk of lung cancer had increased (lung cancer SMR = 2.08 ∼ 3.75, P < 0.05). There were three studies, which had analyzed the relation between cumulative asbestos exposure years and the risk of mesothelioma, showing that when cumulative asbestos exposure years were less than one year, the risk of mesothelioma had increased (mesothelioma SMR = 18.0 ∼ 20.0, P < 0.05). When latent period of mesothelioma was more than 15 years, the risk of mesothelioma had increased.

CONCLUSIONThe emphasis of the new version of asbestos-induced lung cancer and mesothelioma diagnosis criteria should focus on cumulative asbestos exposure years and latent period.

Asbestos ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Mesothelioma ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Occupational Diseases ; diagnosis ; Occupational Exposure ; Risk Assessment