BACKGROUND: Overstimation of blood pressure(BP) by clinic measurements occur in about 20 to 30% of subjects(white-coat hypertension) who may, consequently, be misdiagnosed as hypertensives and received unnecessary medications. The clinical significance of white-coat hypertension and its effects on the cardiovascular wystem have not been studied systematically.This study was designed to evaluate the influences of white-coat hypertension and white-coat effect, defined as difference between clinic and ambulatory BP, on the LV mass and diastolic function. METHODS: LV mass index was calculated and LV systolic and diastolic function were assessed by the analysis of mitral and pulmonary venous flow velocity in 45 untreated essential hypertensives and 20 normotensives(NT). Ambulatory BP monitoring classified hypertensives as white-coat hypertensives(WCHT,n=20) and sustained hypertensives(SHT, n=25). RESULTS: 1) Left ventricular systolic indices were not different among the three groups. 2) Left ventricular mass inedx of WCHT(114.5+/-36.3g/m2) was similar to that of SHT(115.6+/-34.9g/m2) and was significantly greater than that of NT(86.5+/-37.7g/m2)(p<0.05). 3) Some of left ventricular diastolic parameters(isovolumic relaxation time, E/A ratio, A velocity, pulmonary systolic fraction, ratio of systolic to diastolic forward flow velocity) of WCHT and SHT were significantly different from those of NT(p<0.05), but there were no differences between two hypertensive groups. 4) Even though both systolic and diastolic white-coat effect in WCHT were significantly greater than those of SHT(o<0.05),white-coat effect did not influence on the left ventricular mass or function in both groups. CONCLUSION: An increased left ventricular mass and diastolic dysfunction in WCHT suggests that white-coat hypertension could not be considered as an entirely innocuous clinical condition.
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory ; Hypertension* ; Relaxation

Background: Particulate matter (PM) is an air pollutant that can impair the human skin.Antioxidants have been tested to improve PM-induced skin inflammation. Objective: In this study, we investigated the effects of dieckol on PM-induced inflammation on cultured human sebocytes, outer root sheath (ORS) cells, and mice pretreated with Cutibacterium acnes. Methods: We cultured and treated the sebocytes and ORS cells with 5 μM of dieckol and 100 μg/ml of PM10 for 24 h. The C. acnes−pretreated mice received 5 μM of dieckol and 100 μg/ml of PM10. We measured cell viability using MTT assay. Real-time PCR and measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and sebum production analyzed the effects. Results: Dieckol inhibited the upregulation of the gene expression of the inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP), aryl hydrocarbon receptor, and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells by PM10 in the cultured sebocytes and ORS cells and inhibited an increase in ROS production by PM10 in the cultured sebocytes.In addition, dieckol decreased the inflammatory cytokines, MMP, and sebum production in C. acnes−pretreated mice. Conclusion Dieckol effectively reduced the expression of inflammatory biomarkers and the production of sebum in cultured sebocytes, ORS cells, and C. acnes−pretreated mice.

Background: Particulate matter (PM) is one of the air pollutants that can damage human skin; the recent increase in the amount of PM may be detrimental to skin health. Objective: We aimed to investigate the effects of PM on cultured human sebocytes and outer root sheath (ORS) cells and the effects of Siegesbeckia Herba extract (SHE) on PM-treated cultured cells. Methods: Sebocytes and ORS cells were cultured. The cultured cells were treated with various concentrations of PM of <10 μm in size (PM10) (10 μg/ml, 25 μg/ml, 50 μg/ml, and 100 μg/ml) for 24 h. Real-time polymerase chain reaction, measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS), small interfering (si) RNA transfection, Oil Red O and Nile red staining, and immunofluorescence staining were performed to analyze the presence of inflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-kB), ROS, and lipid production. In addition, PM10 (100 μg/ml)-treated cultured cells were treated with 10 mg/ml of SHE. Results: PM10 upregulates the expression of inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, AhR, NFkB, and ROS in cultured human sebocytes and ORS cells. The production of ROS was dramatically reduced in AhR siRNA-transfected cells. In addition, PM10 upregulates sebum production in cultured sebocytes. SHE inhibited the upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, AhR, NF-kB, ROS, and sebum production in cultured human sebocytes and/or ORS cells by PM10. Conclusion Effects of PM10 on cultured human sebocytes and ORS cells can be regulated by SH.