ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effect of commercial low-sodium and high-potassium salt substitutes on blood pressure in the rural community-based population in China.Methods We conducted a quasi-experiment on 411 adults, who were 30 to 60 years of age, in 2 rural communities from Laiwu city in Shandong province of China on data from blood pressure screening.The subjects were divided into 2 groups: high blood pressure (HBP) and non-HBP (NHBP). Both groups and their family members took a low-sodium and high-potassium salt substitute for 3 months to replace the normal salt in their bodies. Blood pressure (BP) and 24-hour urinary sodium and potassium were measured regularly in the 2 groups. Results There was a continuously decreasing trend for BP at the end of the first month. Three months later, the mean BP decreased by 7.4 mm Hg (1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa, t=10.096, P=0.000) for SBP and 3.8 mm Hg (t=8.017, P=0.000) for DBP in the HBP group,when compared to a 1.2 mm Hg(t=2.507,P=0.007) decrease on SBP and 1.0 nun Hg(t=2.987, P=0.002) on DBP in the NHBP group. The mean urinary sodium had a decrease of 15.5 mmol/24 h (t=1.803,P=0.037) ,but the urinary potassium increased by 4.2 mmol/24 h (t' =2.132, P=0.018). The result of urinary sodium appepared to be as follows:potassium ratio (Na+/K+ ) decreased by 1.2 (t=2.786,P=0.003) in the HBP group. However,in NHBP group,the mean urinary sodium decreased by 1.7 mmol/24 h (t=0.211, P=0.417) and urinary potassium increased by 3.7 mmol/24 h (t' =2.207,P=0.015) ,together with the decrease ofNa+/K+ by 0.7 (t=1.818, P=0.036). Conclusion Results from our study clearly demonstrated that the intake of low-sodium and high-potassium salt substitute could effectively reduce the BP with good compliance among adults in the rural community-based population in China. This was an effective but non-medical method to prevent and control the high blood pressure.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the function of apoptosis in esophageal cancer cells induced by soybean isoflavone, and the relation between this apoptosis and expression of bcl-2 and bax.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In vitro experiments, MTT assay was used to determine the cell growth inhibitory rate. Transmission electron microscope and TUNEL staining method were used to quantitatively and qualitatively detect the apoptosis status of esophageal cancer cell line EC-9706 before and after the soybean isoflavone treatment. Immunohistochemical staining and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene bcl-2 and bax.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Soybean isoflavone inhibited the growth of esophageal cancer cell line EC-9706 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Soybean isoflavone induced EC-9706 cells to undergo apoptosis with typically apoptotic characteristics, including morphological changes of chromatin condensation, chromatin crescent formation, nucleus fragmentation and apoptotic body formation by transmission electron microscope and staining positive cells, using TUNEL assay. Soybean isoflavone reduced the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene bcl-2, and improving the expression of apoptosis-regulated gene bax.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Soybean isoflavone seemed to be able to induce the apoptosis in esophageal cancer. This type of apoptosis might be mediated by down-expression of apoptosis-regulated gene bcl-2 and up-expression of apoptosis-regulated gene bax.</p>