Aim To study the activation of Nrf2 in-duced by baicalein ( BAI ) , and its protection against carbon tetrachloride ( CCl4 ) , ethanol and acetamino-phen ( APAP )-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods A reporter gene assay was conducted in human normal liver L-02 cells to detect the activation of transcription factor Nrf2 induced by baicalein. APAP ( 10 mmol · L-1 ) , CCl4 (10 mmol·L-1 ) and Ethanol (100 mmol · L-1 ) were used to induce hepatotoxicity in L-02 cells. After the pre-incubation with Baicalein (0, 1, 10, 25, 50, 100 μmol·L-1 ) for 15 min, cells were administrated with or without those above hepatotoxins. 48 h later, cell viability was detected by 3-(4, 5-dim-ethylthiazol-2-yl ) 2 , 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Results Baicalein (25, 50 μmol· L-1 ) induced the activation of Nrf2 ( P <0. 01 , P <0. 05) in the reporter gene assay. As compared with control, three hepatotoxins ( APAP, CCl4 , Ethanol ) all decreased cell viability ( P<0. 01 ) , and baicalein significantly reversed such decreases in a concentra-tion-dependent manner ( P<0. 01 ) . Conclusion Ba-icalein can induce the activation of transcription factor Nrf2 , which is probably one of the mechanisms con-tributing to the protection of baicalein against hepato-toxins (APAP, CCl4, Ethanol)-induced hepatotoxici-ty.

OBJECTIVETo observe effects of combination of different points on glucose metabolism in the patient of cerebral infarction.

METHODSNeiguan (PC 6), Shuigou (GV 26), Fengchi (GB 20), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Taichong (LR 3) were selected for the Xingnao Kaiqiao group (n =7), and Hegu (LI 4), Quchi (LI 11), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Xuanzhong (GB 39) for the routine acupuncture group (n = 5). PET-CT was used to observe the local cerebral glucose metabolism.

RESULTSThe cerebral regions activated in the the Xingnao Kaiqiao group included infarction center, gyrus temporalis superior, thalamus, gyrus temporalis inferior, gyrus rectus, insula, lateral occipital lobe, parietal lobe and cerebellum, and in the routine acupuncture group included gyrus frontalis inferior, caudate nucleus, cingulated gyrus, hippocampus, precuneus and parietal lobe.

CONCLUSIONPET is very suitable for exploring acupuncture mechanisms in treatment of cerebral infarction, and further shows the specificity of acupoints-brain functional region.

Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; metabolism ; Cerebral Infarction ; metabolism ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Positron-Emission Tomography

OBJECTIVETo uncover the transmission patterns of the HIV epidemic in Dehong prefecture.

METHODSThe reviewed case reports, data of sentinel surveillance, testing and special survey were analyzed by SAS 8.0 program. The transmission patterns were modeled by utilizing data including sizes of the whole population and the high risk groups, high risk behavior data from 1989 to 2007, and the population index such as sex ratio and fertility rate.

RESULTSIn 2005, case reports showed the proportion of people infected with HIV through sexual contact was 39.1%, and 46.9% in 2006. Among 1636 cases reported between January 1 to September 20, 2007, the proportion of people infected with HIV through sexual contact was 52%. From 1989 to 2007, the proportion of HIV infection among drug users was declining, while HIV infection through sexual contact was rising after standardizing the population tested/surveyed. The Asian Epidemic Model has shown that the proportions of incident HIV infections through sexual transmissions were 50.6%, 52.3% and 52.7% respectively from 2005 to 2007. Correspondingly, the proportions of incident cases by injecting drug user were 48.9%, 47.2% and 46.7% respectively during this period. Moreover, the Workbook method has shown that, among adults living with HIV in 2007, 50.3% were infected through injecting drugs and 48.4% through unsafe sexual activity.

CONCLUSIONThe rapid rise in HIV infections through injecting drug in Dehong prefecture has been initially curbed. HIV epidemic has already witnessed a change from predominantly through drug injecting-related activity to an almost equally fuelled epidemic by sexual and drug-related transmission.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; epidemiology ; transmission ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Models, Statistical ; Risk Factors ; Social Problems

OBJECTIVETo design and rapidly evaluate a TaqMan assay for detecting influenza A viruses.

METHODSThe probe and the primers of the assay were designed with the software packages of DNA Star and Primer Premier 5.0. Their specificity and conservation were verified through Blast in GenBank and electronic hybridization. The assay's sensitivity was compared with the standard RT-PCR.

RESULTSThe designed primers and probe were confirmed to be very specific and conserved. The assay was 3-27 folds more sensitive than the standard RT-PCR. The RT and PCR steps could be simplified into one step.

CONCLUSIONThe TaqMan Real-time PCR assay is specific, sensitive and easy to perform.

Animals ; Birds ; Humans ; Influenza A virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Influenza in Birds ; diagnosis ; virology ; Influenza, Human ; diagnosis ; virology ; Reproducibility of Results ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVETo investigate the current situation of the sexual transmission of HIV in Dehong prefecture, analyze the influential factors, and provide support for drafting pertinent preventive interventions in the future.

METHODSWe had analyzed the data of case report from 2005 to 2007, and the prostitutes surveillance data from 2003 to 2007. A special survey was conducted from October 26 to November 7, 2007. Totally 685 people including prostitutes, the clients of prostitutes, people who were HIV positive and their partners, key insiders were interviewed in order to better understand the influential factors related to sexual transmission of HIV.

RESULTSAmong 1636 cases reported from January 1 to September 20, 2007, 52% were infected through sexual transmission. Among 586 cases infected through sexual transmission, 40.6% had commercial sexual behavior and 28.6% had unmarried sexual behavior. And the average rate of condom use was below 30%. The prostitutes' surveillance data from 2003 to 2007 showed that the HIV positive rate in prostitutes was 3.3% - 5.5%. The rate of condom use in the last month was 29.4% - 84.4% during commercial sexual activity, but it was 9.5% - 34.8% with fixed sexual partners. Although the rate of HIV and AIDS-related knowledge among prostitutes was 95.0%, there were still many misunderstanding regarding certain aspects of HIV and AIDS awareness.

CONCLUSIONSexual transmission has become one of the main transmission routes of HIV in Dehong prefecture. The main factors involved in the sexual transmission of HIV in Dehong prefecture might include the wide spreading of sexual services, cohabitation among unmarried couples, having multiple partners, casual sexual behavior, and the low rate of condom use.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; epidemiology ; transmission ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Notification ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Risk Factors ; Sex Work ; Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; epidemiology ; Social Problems

OBJECTIVETo determine whether elevated serum uric acid (UA) levels are associated with type 2 diabetes diagnosed using HbA1c levels among Chinese adults.

METHODSWe conducted two population-based cross-sectional studies in Qingdao in China in 2006 and 2009. A total of 6894 (39.4% men) subjects aged 35-74 years were included in the data analysis. Newly diagnosed diabetes was defined as HbA1c level of ⋝6.5%, and prediabetes was classified as HbA1c level between 5.7% and 6.4% according to the International Diabetes Federation criteria. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to assess the association between UA and prevalence of type 2 diabetes defined using Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels.

RESULTSSubjects with prediabetes had higher UA levels than those with normal glucose tolerance, newly diagnosed diabetes, and known diabetes, with corresponding values of 325.1 (82.5) µmol/L, 310.9 (84.2) µmol/L, 291.3 (81.7) µmol/L, 305.2 (83.6) µmol/L, respectively (P<0.001 for all comparisons). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that UA was a possible predictor for the prevalence of type 2 diabetes diagnosed using HbA1c levels, and the second quartile of UA levels had a higher odds ratio (OR: 4.088; 95% CI: 2.900-5.765) for HbA1c than the other quartiles after adjusting for age, body mass index, sex, marital status, education, income, alcohol consumption, smoking, and cardiometabolic parameters.

CONCLUSIONSerum UA is significantly associated with type 2 diabetes diagnosed using HbA1c levels, independent of other cardiometabolic parameters.

Adult ; Aged ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; statistics & numerical data ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; epidemiology ; Female ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Uric Acid ; blood

BACKGROUNDBiliverdin (BV) has a protective role against ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). However, the protective role and potential mechanisms of BV on lung IRI (LIRI) remain to be elucidated. Thus, we aimed to investigate the protective role and potential mechanisms of BV on LIRI.

METHODSLungs were isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats to establish an ex vivo LIRI model. After an initial 15 min stabilization period, the isolated lungs were subjected to ischemia for 60 min, followed by 90 min of reperfusion with or without BV treatment.

RESULTSLungs in the I/R group exhibited significant decrease in tidal volume (1.44 ± 0.23 ml/min in I/R group vs. 2.41 ± 0.31 ml/min in sham group; P< 0.001), lung compliance (0.27 ± 0.06 ml/cmH2O in I/R group vs. 0.44 ± 0.09 ml/cmH2O in sham group; P< 0.001; 1 cmH2O=0.098 kPa), and oxygen partial pressure (PaO2) levels (64.12 ± 12 mmHg in I/R group vs. 114 ± 8.0 mmHg in sham group; P< 0.001; 1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa). In contrast, these parameters in the BV group (2.27 ± 0.37 ml/min of tidal volume, 0.41 ± 0.10 ml/cmH2O of compliance, and 98.7 ± 9.7 mmHg of PaO2) were significantly higher compared with the I/R group (P = 0.004, P< 0.001, and P< 0.001, respectively). Compared to the I/R group, the contents of superoxide dismutase were significantly higher (47.07 ± 7.91 U/mg protein vs. 33.84 ± 10.15 U/mg protein; P = 0.005) while the wet/dry weight ratio (P < 0.01), methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (1.92 ± 0.25 nmol/mg protein vs. 2.67 ± 0.46 nmol/mg protein; P< 0.001), and adenosine triphosphate contents (297.05 ± 47.45 nmol/mg protein vs. 208.09 ± 29.11 nmol/mg protein; P = 0.005) were markedly lower in BV-treated lungs. Histological analysis revealed that BV alleviated LIRI. Furthermore, the expression of inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-β) was downregulated and the expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and Jun N-terminal kinase was significantly reduced in BV group (all P< 0.01 compared to I/R group). Finally, the apoptosis index in the BV group was significantly decreased (P < 0.01 compared to I/R group).

CONCLUSIONBV protects lung IRI through its antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects.

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of coronary heart disease in adult twins recruited from Chinese Twin Registry (CNTR), and provide clues and evidence for the effect of genetic and environmental influences on coronary heart disease. Methods: By using the data of CNTR during 2010-2018, a total of 34 583 twin pairs aged ≥18 years who completed questionnaire survey and had related information were included in the current study to analyze the population and area distribution characteristics of coronary heart disease. Random effect models were used to compare the differences between groups. The concordane rate of coronary heart disease were calculated respectively in monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs to estimate the heritability. Results: The twin pairs included in this analysis were aged (34.2±12.4) years. The overall prevalence rate of coronary heart disease in twin pairs was 0.7%. Twin pairs who were women, older, obese and lived in northern China had higher prevalence of coronary heart disease (P<0.05). Intra-pair analysis in the same-sex twin pairs found that the concordane rate of coronary heart disease was higher in MZ twin pairs (25.3%) than in DZ twins (7.4%), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The overall heritability of coronary heart disease was 19.3% (95%CI: 11.8%-26.8%). Stratified by gender, age and area, the concordane rate was still higher in MZ twin pairs than in DZ pairs. Participants who were women, aged 18-30 years or ≥60 years and lived in northern China had a higher heritability of coronary heart disease. Conclusion: The distribution of coronary heart disease in twin pairs differed in populations and areas. The prevalence of coronary heart disease was affected by genetic factors, but the effect varied with age, gender and area.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Coronary Disease/genetics* ; Diseases in Twins/genetics* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Twins, Dizygotic ; Twins, Monozygotic/genetics*

Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and associated risk factors of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing. Methods: We designed a tinnitus epidemiological questionnaire. The multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling methods was applied to obtain study subjects in six areas (Nanchong, Jiangjin, Fengdu, Yunyang, Suining and Ya'an), which were selected for epidemiological investigation. Home visit completion of epidemiological questionnaires was conducted. The trained investigators guided the respondents to fill in the tinnitus epidemiological questionnaires, and the epidemiological status of six areas on prevalence and risk factor was investigated. SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis. Results: Sampling population were 10 289, in which 9 273 were valid questionnaires. There were 4 281 males and 4 992 females, with an average age of 47.3 years, among which 34.83% (3 230/9 273) had tinnitus. 3.99% (370/9 273) were diagnosed with bothersome tinnitus. In a multivariable logistic regression mod, the following factors were associated with onsetting of tinnitus: sleep disorder [Odds Ratio(OR)=3.74] and noise exposure(OR=1.99). The risk of disease was lowest in the age of 30-40 years old, while the risk of disease was higher for people under 30 and over 40. In another multivariable logistic regression mode, the following factors were associated with having bothersome tinnitus: older people were more likely to suffer from tinnitus, sleep disorders (OR=4.68) and noise exposure (OR=1.56). Conclusions: The prevalence of tinnitus in Sichuan and Chongqing is about 34.83%, but most of the tinnitus is short-lived and has low loudness, which will not affect the patients. Only a small number of patients with tinnitus (3.99%) persist and affect their health and need treatment. The occurrence and exacerbation of tinnitus may be related to sleep, age, and noise exposure.
Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tinnitus/epidemiology*

Hematopoietic stem cells are capable of self-renewal or differentiation when they divide. Three types of cell divisions exist. A dividing stem cell may generate 2 new stem cells (symmetrical renewal division), or 2 differentiating cells (symmetrical differentiation division), or 1 cell of each type (asymmetrical division). This study was aimed to explore an efficient and stable method to distinguish the way of cell division in hematopoietic stem cells. Previous studies showed that the distribution of Numb in a cell could be used to distinguish the type of cell division in various kinds of cells. Therefore, the distribution of Numb protein was detected by immunofluorescence in mitotic CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells of mice exploring the relationship between Numb protein and centrosomes. Since CD48 positive marks the HSC that have lost the ability to reconstitute the blood system in mice, CD48 marker could be used to distinguish cell fate decision between self-renewal and differentiation as a living marker. In this study, the CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells were sorted from bone marrow cells of mice and the cells were directly labeled with Alexa Fluor (AF) 488-conjugated anti-CD48 antibody in living cultures. After 3 days, the percentage of AF488(+) cells was evaluated under microscope and by FACS. Then colony forming cell assay (CFC) was performed and the ability of cell proliferation were compared between AF488(+) and AF488(-) cells. The results showed that Numb could be used to distinguish different cell division types of hematopoietic stem cells, which was symmetrically or asymmetrically segregated in mitotic CD48(-)CD150(+)LSK cells. The self-labeled fluorochrome could be detected both by FACS as well as microscope. There were about 40% AF488(+) cells after 3 day-cultures in medium titrated with self-labeled AF 488-conjugated anti-CD48 antibody, and the results were consistent between confocal fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry analysis. The colony forming ability of AF488(+) cells was significantly higher than that of AF488(-) cells (P < 0.05). The proliferation ability of AF488(-) cells was also significantly higher than AF488(+) cells (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the expression of CD48 can distinguish cell division of hematopoietic stem cells and can be used as a live marker for the loss of stemness. In comparison with the Numb protein staining, this method can be used in living cells, thus provides greater convenience for subsequent cell culture studies and cell transplantation experiments.
Animals ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; CD48 Antigen ; Cell Division ; Cells, Cultured ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL