Objective To investigate the relationship between carotid intima media thickness (IMT) and pulse pressure index (PPI) in elderly hypertensive patients.PPI was defined as 24 h mean pulse pressure(PP)/24 h mean SBP.Methods One hundred and three elderly hypertensive patients were categorized by PPI level:group A (PPI

Objective To investigate the relationship between serum adiponectin and metabolic syndrome(MS) in children and adolescents with obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD).Methods Four elementary schools and 4 middle schools were selected from Haidian district in Beijing with representative cluster sampling.Two hundred and eighty obese children(obese group),65 obese children with NAFLD(NAFLD group) and 264 normal weight children(healthy control group) aged 7 to 18 years were recruited from the 8 schools with uncompletely randomized sampling.Data including questionnaire,anthropometric measurements,B type ultrasonographic examination for liver were collected and fasting blood laboratory assay were determined.Variables including triglyceride(TG),adiponectin,alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase(AST) were skewed distribution and natural logarithmical transformations were performed.Chi-square test for category and multiple binary Logistic regression analysis were used to statistical analysis.Results Body mass index(BMI) and waist circumference(WC) in obese group and NAFLD group were higher than those in healthy control group.All the chi-square tests for trend among the 3 groups were statistically significant(P

Cassiae Semen is a common traditional Chinese medicine, and contents of anthraquinones of Cassiae Semen different significantly from area to area. According to Chinese Pharmacopoeia (2010 edition), only contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol were used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen, another data could be added later. Ten batches of Cassiae Semen from different areas were determined, and total anthraquinones, total free anthraquinones and total combined anthraquinones contents were assessed by ultraviolet visible spectrophotometer, contents of aurantio obtusin, rhein, aloe emodin, emodin, chrysophanol and physcion were determined by HPLC. After that, principal components analysis was used to evaluate these data determined previous by dimension reduction analysis. At last, the result suggests that three main components were found out, it shows that content of aloe emodin could be used to evaluate the quality of Cassiae Semen as well as contents of aurantio obtusin and chrysophanol. And Cassiae Semen from Hebei province posseses higher quality than Cassiae Semen from other different areas. All these results can provide a good reference for quality evaluating of Cassiae Semen medicinal materials at a certain extent.
Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Cassia ; chemistry ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Principal Component Analysis

Candida shehatae xyl1 gene and Pichia stipitis xyl2 gene were amplified by PCR and the xyl1 and xyl2 were both placed under the promoter GAL of vector pYES2 to produce the recombinant expression vector pYES2-P12. Subsequently the pYES2-P12 vector was transformed into S. cerevisiae YS58 by LiAc to produce the recombinant yeast YSS8-12. It was indicate that the recombinant yeast YSS8-12 could converse xylose to ethanol with the xylose consumption rate of 81. 3%.

The effect of 1-deoxynojirimycin(DNJ)on the proliferation of rat mesangial cells was observed and its mechanism was explored.The results showed that DNJ significantly inhibited the proliferation of rat mesangial cells induced by high glucose in time-and dose-dependent manners.DNJ significantly decreased expressions of?-smooth muscle action(?-SMA),integrin?1 mRNA and protein and focal adhesion kinase (FAK)protein stimulated by high glucose in rat mesangial cells(P

3-8 years old group(group C2) with 50 cases] were detected.A gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue(GnRHa) stimulation test was performed in 140 girls with IPT.The 140 girls were divided into 3 groups:IPT group,CPP group,and peripheral precocious puberty group(PPP group).Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitneg tests were performed on the data between every groups.Results For basal LH levels,there were significant diffe-rences between IPT1 group and group C1,among IPT2 group,CPP group and group C2(Pa0.05).For peak LH/FSH ratios,there was significant difference between IPT2 group and CPP group(P

Objective:To investigate the effects of musk-1, a glucoprotein component isolated from the water extract of musk, on some functions of rat polymorphonuclear leukocytes activated by IL-8 in vitro.Method：An in vitro incubation system was used. Superoxide anion production was determined by cytochrome C reduction. β-glucuronidase and lysozyme release was quantitated by enzyme reactions in which phenolphthaleinglucuronic acid and Micrococcus Lysodeikticus were as the substrates, respectively.Results:In comparison with control, musk-1 at concentration 1～100 μg*ml-1 can increase superoxide anion production by 91.7%～291%, and decrease β-glucuronidase and lysozyme release by 2.2%～58.1% and 3.9%～39.8%, respectively.Conclusion:Inhibition of lysosomel enzyme release might be considered as one of mechanisms of antiinflammatory action of musk.

Fucoidan is one of the main bioactive components of polysaccharides. The current study was focused on the anti-tumor effects of fucoidan on human heptoma cell line HepG2 and the possible mechanisms. Fucoidan treatment resulted in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner detected by MTT assay, flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. The results of flow cytometric analysis revealed that fucoidan induced G2/M arrest in the cell cycle progression. Hoechst 33258 and Annexin V/PI staining results showed that the apoptotic cell number was increased, which was associated with a dose-dependent up-regulation of Bax and down-regulation of Bcl-2 and p-Stat3. In parallel, the up-regulation of p53 and the increase in reactive oxygen species were also observed, which may play important roles in the inhibition of HepG2 growth by fucoidan. In the meantime, Cyclin B1 and CDK1 were down-regulated by fucoidan treatment. Down-regulation of p-Stat3 by fucoidan resulted in apoptosis and an increase in ROS in response to fucoidan exposure. We therefore concluded that fucoidan induces apoptosis through the down-regulation of p-Stat3. These results suggest that fucoidan may be used as a novel anti-cancer agent for hepatocarcinoma.

OBJECTIVETo examine the association between Ponderal index (PI) at birth and metabolic syndrome during middle age.

METHODSTotally, 975 adults (494 men and 481 women) aged 41-52 from the study cohort of Fetal Origin of Adult Disease were recruited in the study for clinic examinations, involving anthropometry and measurements of blood pressure, fasting and 2 hr plasma levels of glucose and insulin, serum lipid profile. Their HOMA-insulin resistance (IR) index was estimated. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was diagnosed according to 1999 WHO definition. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the effect of PI on MS and the interaction between PI at birth and body mass index (BMI) in adulthood.

RESULTSPrevalence of MS was 18.7% in this mid-aged population, 24.8%, 19.4%, 16.3% and 14.0% in those with less than the 25th percentile, the 25th to less than the 50th percentile, the 50th to less than the 75th percentile and more than 75th percentile of PI at birth, respectively, in a decreasing trend (chi2 M-H for trend=9.938 adjusted for gender, P=0.002). Logistic regression analysis showed that both PI at birth and BMI during adulthood could influence their occurrence of MS (beta=-0.125, P=0.002, for PI; and beta=0.430, P=0.000, for BMI). A synergistic effect between PI at birth and BMI in adulthood was observed in this population. Persons who were thin at birth with PI less than the 25th percentile, and became overweight with BMI greater than or equal to 24 kg/m2 later in their life, were at higher risk of suffering from metabolic syndrome (OR=29.1, 95% CI=13.6-62.1), in comparison with those who became overweight during adulthood from a higher PI at birth (OR=16.0, 95% CI=7.9-32.3) and those who were thin at birth and remained a appropriate BMI during their adulthood (OR=2.0, 95% CI=0.7-5.7). Attributable fraction of the interaction to MS was 34.6%.

CONCLUSIONSThin at birth was a predictor for later occurrence of metabolic syndrome, as well as an effect modifier for the association between of later BMI and metabolic syndrome, i.e., overweight later in his life was most deleterious for a person with growth retardation at birth.

Adult ; Birth Weight ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Body Mass Index ; China ; epidemiology ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; physiology ; Lipids ; blood ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between serum level of leptin and the components of metabolic syndrome in a group of mid-aged Chinese population.

METHODS345 adults (184 men and 161 women) aged 46 - 53 were enrolled from Fetal Origin of Adult Disease (FOAD) cohort to participate the clinic examination including anthropometry, measurements of blood pressure, fasting and 2 hr plasma levels of glucose and insulin, serum levels of lipid and leptin. HOMA-IR index was calculated to estimate individual insulin resistance. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was diagnosed according to the definition criteria issued by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) in 2005.

RESULTSThe prevalences of central obesity, higher serum level of triglyceride (TG), lower serum level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), IFG, higher blood pressure and MS were 53.0%, 47.5%, 34.2%, 26.7%, 33.9%, 31.9% in this mid-aged population, respectively. Serum geometric mean level of leptin was higher in females than in males. Serum level of leptin increased with the prevalence of MS and components of abnormal metabolism. The serum level of leptin compared with central obesity, higher blood pressure, higher serum level of triglyceride (TG), lower serum level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), IFG and MS was significantly higher respectively (P < 0.05) without HDL-C in males. The serum level of leptin increased with the number of components of abnormal metabolism subjects had (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONThe serum level of leptin in this population is significantly associated with MS and components of MS. Hyperleptinemia could be a new component of metabolic syndrome. It might be a target in selection of MS and relative diseases.

China ; epidemiology ; Cholesterol, HDL ; blood ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperinsulinism ; blood ; Insulin ; metabolism ; Insulin Resistance ; Leptin ; blood ; Male ; Metabolic Syndrome ; blood ; epidemiology ; Middle Aged ; Obesity ; blood