Objective: To investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of chronic diseases among adult residents in Hunan Province, so as to provide insights into management of chronic diseases. Methods: Permanent residents at ages of 18 years and older were sampled using a multi-stage random sampling method in Hunan Province from April to June, 2021, and participants' demographics, smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep quality and development of chronic diseases were collected using questionnaire surveys. The prevalence of chronic diseases was estimated and standardized by the seventh national population census data. In addition, the factors affecting the prevalence of chronic diseases were identified using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of qualified 9 469 adult residents were enrolled, including 4 678 men (49.40%) and 4 791 women (50.60%), with a mean age of (59.37±14.14) years. The overall prevalence and standardized prevalence rates of chronic diseases were 50.84% and 38.44%, respectively, and the prevalence and standardized prevalence rates of hypertension, protrusion of intervertebral disc and diabetes were 18.66% and 15.06%, 6.31% and 5.28%, and 4.44% and 4.18%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that women (OR=1.252, 95%CI: 1.131-1.386), age (45 years-, OR=3.699, 95%CI: 3.104-4.407; 60 years and older, OR=9.255, 95%CI: 7.743-11.064), unmarried/divorced/widowed (OR=1.170, 95%CI: 1.036-1.321), educational level (junior high school, OR=0.730, 95%CI: 0.653-0.816; high school/technical secondary school, OR=0.710, 95%CI: 0.609-0.827; diploma and above, OR=0.586, 95%CI: 0.454-0.758), monthly household income (3 000 yuan-, OR=0.846, 95%CI: 0.759-0.943; 6 000 yuan-, OR=0.819, 95%CI: 0.710-0.943; 10 000 yuan and higher, OR=0.790, 95%CI: 0.657-0.950), smoking (OR=1.528, 95%CI: 1.363-1.713), insomnia (OR=2.637, 95%CI: 2.271-3.063) statistically correlated with the development of chronic diseases. Conclusion The prevalence of chronic diseases was 50.84% among adult residents in Hunan Province in 2021, and hypertension was the predominant chronic disease. Women, the middle-aged and elderly residents, residents with a low educational level and residents with low incomes are at a high risk of developing chronic diseases.

Objective: To induce hypospadias in male rat offspring by maternal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) during late pregnancy and further investigate its mechanisms. METHODS: We randomly divided 20 pregnant rats into a DBP exposure and a control group, the former treated intragastrically with DBP while the latter with soybean oil at 750 mg per kilogram of the body weight per day from gestation days (GD) 14 to 18. On postnatal day (PND) 1, we recorded the incidence rate of hypospadias and observed the histopathological changes in the genital tubercle of the hypospadiac rats. We also measured the level of serum testosterone (T) by radioimmunoassay and determined the mRNA and protein expressions of the androgen receptor (AR), sonic hedgehog (Shh), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4) and fibroblast growth factor 8 (Fgf8) in the genital tubercle by real-time PCR and Western blot. RESULTS: No hypospadiac male rats were found in the control group. The incidence rate of hypospadias in male offspring was 43.6% in the DBP-treatment group. Histological analysis confirmed hypospadiac malformation. The serum testosterone concentration was decreased in the hypospadiac male rats as compared with the controls (［0.49 ± 0.05］ vs ［1.12 ± 0.05］ ng/ml, P <0.05). The mRNA expressions of AR, Shh, Bmp4 and Fgf8 in the genital tubercle were significantly lower in the hypospadiac male rats than in the controls (AR: 0.50 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05; Shh: 0.65 ± 0.07 vs 1.00 ± 0.15, P <0.05; Bmp4: 0.42 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.13, P <0.05; Fgf8: 0.46 ± 0.04 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05), and so were their protein expressions (AR: 0.34 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.09, P <0.05; Shh: 0.51 ± 0.07 vs 1.00 ± 0.12, P <0.05; Bmp4: 0.43 ± 0.05 vs 1.00 ± 0.11, P <0.05; Fgf8: 0.57 ± 0.04 vs 1.00 ± 0.13, P <0.05). CONCLUSIONS Maternal exposure to DBP during late pregnancy can induce hypospadias in the male rat offspring. DBP affects the development of the genital tubercle by reducing the serum T concentration and expressions of AR, Shh, Bmp4 and Fgf8 in the genital tubercle, which might underlie the mechanism of DBP inducing hypospadias.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 4 ; blood ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; toxicity ; Female ; Fibroblast Growth Factor 8 ; blood ; Hedgehog Proteins ; blood ; Hypospadias ; blood ; chemically induced ; pathology ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Plasticizers ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Androgen ; blood ; Soybean Oil ; Testosterone ; blood