AIM:To evaluate the effect of microRNA-155(miRNA-155) on the regulation of angiogenesis in diabetic rats with cerebral ischemic injury .METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 5 groups:sham group, cerebral ischemia group , diabetic cerebral ischemia group , diabetic cerebral ischemia +miRNA-155 inhibitors group and diabetic cerebral ischemia +scramble group .Diabetes model was made by injection of streptozocin and permanent cerebral ischemic model was developed by suture-occluded method .The scores of neurological deficit and infarct volume were estimated at 24 h after cerebral ischemia .miRNA-155 level was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction.The expression of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 ( PECAM-1/CD31 ) and vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) was detected by Western blotting .RESULTS:miRNA-155 inhibitor significantly reduced miRNA-155 levels in the ischemic cortex (P<0.05), improved the scores of neurological deficit , reduced infarction size and up-regulated the levels of CD31 and VEGF (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:miRNA-155 has a critical role in the regulation of angiogenesis in diabetic rats with cerebral ischemia .Down-regulation of miRNA-155 using miRNA-155 inhibitor attenuates brain infarct injury in diabetic rats .

Objective: To understand the energy and major nutrients intake of high school students in Shanghai, and to provide basis for formulating target nutritional interventions and health education. Methods: The probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to select 19 high schools, from which 9 boys and 9 girls from same class were randomly recruited for each grade. A total of 900 high school students were surveyed on their energy and major nutrients intake. Results: The medians of intake of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, sodium, iron, vitamin A, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-2, vitamin C and dietary fiber were 2 353 kcal/d, 97.3 g/d, 95.4 g/d, 265.4 g/d, 602.1 mg/d, 4 373 mg/d, 24.3 mg/d, 495.6 μgRE/d, 1.08 mg/d,1.21 mg/d, 83.2 mg/d and 1.01 g/d, respectively. Among of them, the medians of intake of energy, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B-1, vitamin B-2, vitamin C and dietary fiber for boys and girls were lower than reference standard(P<0.05). The medians of intake of energy and major nutrients in high school students who lived in countryside were less than those lived in suburban and urban(P<0.05), except carbohydrates and iron. The percentages of energy supplied byprotein, fat and carbohydrate were 16.9%, 37.2%and 46.0%, respectively. Conclusion The energy and calorigenic nutrients intake can meet the demand of daily consumption in high school students in Shanghai, but the intake of dietary fiber, some minerals and vitamins have a various degrees of deficiency. The proportion of energy supplied bycalorigenic nutrients is unbalanced.

Objective To investigate the association between ten single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and pulse pressure (PP) as well as the relationships between gene-gene interaction between PPARα/δ/γ genes and PP.Methods A total of 820 subjects,with 550 females and 270 males,were recruited from a cohort study of “Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome and Multi-metabolic Disorders in Jiangsu Province of China Study (PMMJS)”.Ten SNPs of PPARα/δ/γ genes were selected.GMDR software (version 1.0.1) was used to evaluate the gene-gene interactions among PPARs SNPs associated with PP.Results The mean levels of PP in people with mutant genotype of rs1805192 in PPARγ genes (PA+AA) showed a significant increase by 1.341 mmHg (95％CI:0.431-2.252 mmHg) when compared to the persons with wild genotype (PP).In the subgroup of subjects with more than 30 mmHg levels of PP,a six-locus model comprised rs135539 of PPARα,rs2016520 of PPARδ,rs10865710,rs1805192,rs709158 and rs3856806 of PPARγshowed a highest level of prediction accuracy (0.577) and displayed a better cross-validation consistency (10/10).In the subgroup of subjects with less than 40 mmHg levels of PP,a two-locus model was statistically associated with PP with 0.628 of prediction accuracy and 10/10 of cross-validation consistency.Conclusion PPARγrs1805192 was associated with the occurrence of PP.Gene-gene interactions among rs135539 of PPARα,rs2016520 of PPARδ,rs10865710,rs1805192,rs709158 and rs3856806 of PPARγ were all significantly related to PP.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a disease characterized by persistent respiratory symptoms and airflow limitation,and also associated with a variety of comorbidities.As one of the important extrapulmonary comorbidities of COPD,kidney injury has a high incidence and insidious onset,which will develop into chronic kidney disease without timely intervention,greatly increasing the risk of mortality and economic burden of COPD patients.There exist physiological and pathological relations between lung and kidney functions.However,the mechanisms underlying COPD-associated kidney injury remain unclear.This article provides a review of the research progress on the mechanisms of COPD-associated kidney injury,in order to provide reference for the clinical prevention and treatment and basic research.

Objective To investigate the roles of three Tiao-Bu Fei-Shen Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)therapies in improving airway mucus hypersecretion in rats with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).Methods Ninety rats were divided randomly into nine groups:control(Control)group,model(COPD)group,Bu-Fei Jian-Pi Formula(BJF)group,Bu-Fei Yi-Shen Formula(BYF)group,Yi-Qi Zi-Shen Formula(YZF)group,ERK1/2 inhibitor(PD98059)group,Bu-Fei Jian-Pi combined with inhibitor(BJF+PD98059)group,Bu-Fei Yi-Shen combined with inhibitor(BYF+PD98059)group,and Yi-Qi Zi-Shen combined with inhibitor(YZF+PD98059)group.A rat model of COPD was established by exposing rats to cigarette smoke followed by repeated bacterial infection from weeks 1～8.From weeks 9～16,rats in the control and COPD groups were given 2 mL normal saline,rats in the BJF,BYF,and YZF groups were given the three Tiao-Bu Fei-Shen formulas by gavage,and rats in the PD98059,BJF+PD98059,BYF+PD98059,and YZF+PD98059 groups were given PD98059 by intraperitoneal injection for 7 days at the 16th week.Lung function tests were conducted after 16 weeks and lung tissue morphology,lung water content,inflammatory cell count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid,and serum levels of inflammatory factors were also assessed.Goblet cell proportion was determined by Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff staining,and Muc5AC and Muc5B expression levels were detected by immunohistochemistry.mRNA expression levels of ERK1,ERK2,ENaC,CFTR,and AQP5 were detected by polymerase chain reaction and protein expression levels of ERK1/2 and P-ERK1/2 in lung tissue were determined by Western Blot.Results TV,MV,FVC,FEV0.1,FEV0.1/FVC were significantly decreased(P＜0.01)in COPD rats compared with those in the control group.Lung pathology revealed alveolar disorder,massive fracture of the alveolar wall,and severe shrinkage/thickening of the airway wall accompanied by extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells.Lung tissue water content was significantly increased in COPD rats(P＜0.01),while the proportion of macrophages in BALF was significantly reduced(P＜0.01)and the proportions of neutrophils and lymphocytes were significantly increased(P＜0.01).Serum levels of TNF-α and IL-1β were significantly increased in COPD rats(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The percentage of goblet cells and expression levels of Muc5AC and Muc5B in airway epithelial cells were significantly increased(P＜0.01),mRNA expression levels of ERK1,ERK2,and ENaC in lung tissue were significantly elevated(P＜0.01),while mRNA expression levels of CFTR and AQP5 were significantly decreased(P＜0.01)in COPD rats compared with levels in the control group.The expression of P-ERK1/2,ERK1/2 in lung tissue was significantly increased(P＜0.01)Rats in the treatment groups demonstrated improvements in the above indicators(P＜0.05,P＜0.01)compared with the COPD group,the groups receiving the three Tiao-Bu Fei-Shen formulas combined with PD98059 showing superior efficacy compared with the single treatment groups(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).Conclusions The three tested Tiao-Bu Fei-Shen therapies can ameliorate airway mucus hypersecretion in COPD rats by inhibiting the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Thyroid carcinoma is a common cervical tumor. Its occurrence is associated with genetic and environmental factors. The incidence rate of thyroid cancer is increasing. However, the pathogenesis and the influencing factors of thyroid carcinoma are not yet fully understood. Many clinical studies and epidemiological investigations have found that such factors as radiation exposure, female hormone metabolism, and obesity have important links with the occurrence of thyroid cancer, but its association with factors such as dietary factors remains controversial. Therefore, it is urgent to explore and validate the relationship between various factors and thyroid cancer through epidemiological studies. In order to provide reference for the prevention of thyroid cancer, this special column “Thyroid carcinoma and associated risk factors” focused on the associations of female reproductive factors and dietary factors (including intake of iodine-rich foods) with thyroid carcinoma (nodules).

The global production and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been on the rise in recent decades. The intake of SSBs has been increasing in China, and it is more prevalent among children and adolescents. As research continues to intensify, more and more studies have shown that, in addition to the increased risks of dental caries and obesity reported by the World Health Organization (WHO), SSBs intake can also increase risks of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gout, and cancer, and early death, adding to the burden of disease. Due to the health risks associated with the overconsumption of SSBs, many countries around the world have taken measures to control the intake. The main measures currently in place are taxation of SSBs, restrictions on marketing and sales of SSBs, front-of-package labeling and reducing availability of SSBs in schools. In China, the main measures currently in place are to control the sales of beverages in schools, with Shenzhen taking the lead in implementing health warning labeling to alcoholic beverages and carbonated beverages, extending the measures to reduce SSBs intake beyond school grounds.

Background There are few studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid cancer, and the relationship between diet quality and thyroid cancer remains uncertain. Objective This study aims to assess the diet quality with the Chinese Health Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Methods A 1∶1 gender- and age-matched hospital-based case-control study included newly diagnosed PTC patients and matched controls from Shanghai Cancer Hospital and Renji Hospital (East) in Shanghai, China. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics, history of diseases, dietary intakes, and lifestyles. Food intakes in the past one year were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, from which the CHDI score was calculated. The CHDI, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents, was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was conducted to explore the relationship between diet quality and PTC. Results A total of 350 pairs of cases and controls were recruited. The overall median CHDI score of the cases was lower than that of the controls (67.8 vs. 73.4, P<0.001). The cases had lower median scores of fruits (6.8 vs. 9.5), dairy products (3.6 vs. 5.6), and soybeans (4.6 vs. 5.5) than the controls (P<0.05); the cases had a higher median score of refined grains than the controls (5.0 vs. 4.9), and the percentage of the cases that met diet recommendations for refined grains was higher than the percentage of the controls (65.4% vs. 48.6%) (P<0.05); the cases showed lower median scores of whole grains/beans/tubers, total vegetables, dark vegetables, and fish/shrimps (0.9 vs. 1.4, 3.1 vs. 4.4, 3.6 vs. 5.0, and 3.3 vs. 4.0, respectively), and the percentages of the cases meeting their diet recommendations were lower than the percentages of the controls (6.3% vs. 8.6%, 32.6% vs. 42.0%, 38.6% vs. 50.6%, and 34.0% vs. 40.3%, respectively, P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis suggested that qualified and good diet quality were associated with a reduced the risk of PTC (qualified diet quality, OR=0.37, 95%CI: 0.23−0.62; good diet quality, OR=0.19, 95%CI: 0.10−0.36); the statistical significance remained after excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions (qualified diet quality, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.15−0.52; good diet quality, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.09−0.43). Conclusion Those with qualified or good diet quality have a lower risk of PTC. PTC patients have insufficient intakes of fruits, dairy, soybeans, whole grains/beans/tubers, vegetables, and fish/shrimps.

Background Thyroid carcinoma is a serious threat to human health in Shanghai and a focus of cancer prevention and treatment. Objective This study aims to assess the relationship between foods rich in iodine and papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC)．Methods In a hospital-based case-control study matched by gender and age (±3 years old), 402 pairs of cases (new incidences) and controls were included and studied. A validated questionnaire and food frequency questionnaire survey was conducted face to face to obtain demographic characteristics and dietary intake. A multiple conditional logistic regression model was applied to explore the relationship between foods rich in iodine (including seaweeds, kelp, and dried shrimps) and PTC. Results The mean age of the participants was (41.17±11.51) years in this study. Compared with the controls, more cases had a lower education and a manual occupation (P<0.05); more cases were overweight or obese, had a history of benign thyroid conditions, and had a family history of thyroid diseases (P<0.05); the two groups were different in the frequency of CT examination in the past ten years (P<0.05). The results of multiple conditional logistic regression analysis showed that consumption of iodine-rich foods was associated with a lower risk of PTC (for <1 time per week, OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.12−0.35; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.10−0.33; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.13, 95%CI: 0.04−0.44) (P<0.05). Specifically, those who consumed seaweeds (for <1 time per week, OR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.11−0.30; for 1−2 times per week, OR=0.11, 95%CI: 0.05−0.23; for ≥3 times per week, OR=0.15, 95%CI: 0.03−0.75), kelp (for <1 time per week, OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.18−0.43; for ≤2 times per week, OR=0.24, 95%CI: 0.11−0.50), and dried shrimps (for <1 time per week, OR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.29−0.69; for ≤2 times per week: OR=0.34, 95%CI: 0.18−0.65) had a lower risk of PTC (P<0.05). After excluding patients who had a history of benign thyroid conditions, the favorable association remained significant among patients who had consumption of iodine-rich foods, seaweeds, shrimps, and kelp (P<0.05). Conclusion Less PTC patients consume iodine-rich foods than the controls.

Background Both domestic and foreign studies on the diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules are rare at present, and the relationship between thyroid nodules and diet quality is still unclear. Objective This study aims to evaluate the diet quality of thyroid nodules with the China Healthy Diet Index (CHDI) and to explore the relationship between diet quality and thyroid nodules. Methods We conducted a hospital-based case-control study in which 387 patients with thyroid nodules were matched individually (1∶1) by gender and age (±3 years) to the controls who ordered a routine physical examine and with negative thyroid nodules reported by B-ultrasound in the same hospital. A structured questionnaire was applied to collect data on general characteristics and diet. CHDI was employed to evaluate the diet quality of the two groups. CHDI is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents and the recommended food intake in the balanced diet pagoda, combined with the dietary nutritional status of Chinese population. The index contains 13 scoring components, and the highest total score is 100, with a higher score representing better dietary quality. CHDI scores < 60, 60-<80, and ≥80 are recognized as unqualified, qualified, and good diet quality, respectively. Results The scores of the thyroid nodule cases were lower than the scores of the controls in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps (all Ps<0.05). The nonparametric test results found that there were significant differences in the distributions of scores in total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, soybeans, and fish/shrimps between the case and the control groups (all Ps<0.05). The percentages reaching the full scores in food variety, meat and eggs, and empty calories in both groups exceeded 60%, while the percentages reaching the full scores in whole grains/beans/tubers, dairy, soybeans, and sodium were lower than 30% in the two groups. The median CHDI scores of the thyroid nodule cases and the controls were 69.1 and 72.9, respectively; the cases' CHDI score was lower than the controls' (P<0.05). The proportions of unqualified diet in the case and the control groups accounted for 23.0% and 13.7% respectively (P=0.001). After being adjusted for education level, marital status, occupation, monthly household income per capita, body mass index, hypertension/diabetes, energy, and iodine intake, the results of logistic regression analysis showed that the risk for thyroid nodules was negatively associated with CHDI score (CHDI qualified group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.484, 95%CI: 0.291-0.804; CHDI good dietary quality group vs. CHDI unqualified group, OR=0.414, 95%CI: 0.230−0.746). Conclusion The diet quality of patients with thyroid nodules is lower than that of the control group, as the former reported lower consumptions of total vegetables, dark vegetables, fruits, and fish/shrimps. Those who have good or qualified diet quality show a reduced risk of thyroid nodules than those with unqualified dietary quality.