Maternal betaine supplementation ameliorates fatty liver disease in offspring mice by inhibiting hepatic NLRP3 inflammasome activation

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#Previous research has shown maternal betaine supplementation alleviates fetal-derived hepatic steatosis. Therefore, this study examined the anti-inflammatory effect of maternal betaine intake in offspring mice and its mechanism.MATERIALS/METHODS: Female C57BL/6J mice and their offspring were randomly divided into 3 groups according to the treatment received during gestation and lactation: control diet (CD), fatty liver disease (FLD), and fatty liver disease + 1% betaine (FLD-BET). The FLD group was given a high-fat diet and streptozotocin (HFD + STZ), and the FLD-BET group was treated with HFD + STZ + 1% betaine. After weaning, the offspring mice were given a normal diet for 5 weeks and then dissected to measure the relevant indexes. @*RESULTS@#Compared to the CD group, the offspring mice in the FLD group revealed obvious hepatic steatosis and increased serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α; maternal betaine supplementation reversed these changes. The hepatic mRNA expression levels of IL-6, IL-18, and Caspase-1 were significantly higher in the FLD group than in the CD group. Maternal betaine supplementation reduced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing C-terminal caspase recruitment domain (ASC). Maternal betaine supplementation also reversed the increasing protein expressions of nitric oxide dioxygenase-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3), ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18 in offspring mice exposed to HFD + STZ. Maternal betaine supplementation decreased the homocysteine (Hcy) and s-adenosine homocysteine (SAH) levels significantly in the livers. Furthermore, the hepatic Hcy concentrations showed significant inverse relationships with the mRNA expression of TNF-α, NLRP3, ASC, and IL-18. The hepatic SAH concentration was inversely associated with the IL-1β mRNA expression. @*CONCLUSIONS@#The lipotropic and anti-inflammatory effect of maternal betaine supplementation may be associated with the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome in the livers of the offspring mice.

Clinical application of three-dimensional technique in segmentectomy / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#More and more relevant research results show that anatomical segmentectomy has the same effect as traditional lobectomy in the surgical treatment of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (diameter<2.0 cm). Segmentectomy is more difficult than lobotomy. Nowadays, with the promotion of personalization medicine and precision medicine, three-dimensional technique has been widely applied in the medical field. It has advantages such as preoperative simulation, intraoperative positioning, intraoperative navigation, clinical teaching and so on. It plays a key role in the discovery of local anatomical variation of pulmonary segment. This paper reviewed the clinical application of three-dimensional technique and briefly described the clinical application value of this technique in segmentectomy.

Design and clinical application of an improved male urinary catheter / 局解手术学杂志

Objective To reduce the complications of male indwelling urinary catheter and improve patient compliance by improved the traditional male urinary catheter.Methods Inspired by using ‘condom’‘fresh-keeping bags’and other pseudo catheter in clinic,the tradi-tional male urinary catheter was improved as‘pseudo catheter ’and the hydrocolloid dressing was used as bonding device.Results An im-proved male urinary catheter was successfully designed,which applied in 68 patients without urinary tract infection,catheterization failure nor foreskin edema.Conclusion The improved male urinary catheter has the advantages of less cost,simple operation,no pain,higher patient com-pliance and less complications,wihch is worthy to spread in clinic,especially in young patients and long-term bedridden elderly patients at home.

Influence of social support and coping style on chronic post-traumatic stress disorder after floods / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the long-term prognosis and influence of social support and coping style of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after suffering from floods.Methods Patients suffered PTSD due to Dongting lake flood in 1998 were selected through cluster random sampling.PTSD scale civilian version (PCL-C) was used to examine and diagnose the participants in this study.PTSD was then evaluated by the social support rating scale (SSRS) and the simple coping style questionnaire (SCSQ).Results Among all the 120 subjects,14(11.67％) of them were diagnosed as having PTSD.Compared with the rehabilitation group,scores on subjective support,objective support,total social support and positive coping,total of coping style from the nonrehabilitation group all appeared significant low (P＜0.05).Data from the multivariate logistic regression showed that social support (OR=0.281,95％CI:0.117-0.678) and coping style (OR=0.293,95％ CI:0.128-0.672) were protective factors of the chronic PTSD after the floods while disaster experience (OR=1.626,95％CI:1.118-2.365) appeared as a risk factor.Conclusion Chronic PTSD developed after the floods called for attention.Better social support,positive coping style could significantly improve the long-term prognosis of patients with PTSD after the floods.

Influence of social support and coping style on chronic post-traumatic stress disorder after floods / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To explore the long-term prognosis and influence of social support and coping style of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after suffering from floods.Methods Patients suffered PTSD due to Dongting lake flood in 1998 were selected through cluster random sampling.PTSD scale civilian version (PCL-C) was used to examine and diagnose the participants in this study.PTSD was then evaluated by the social support rating scale (SSRS) and the simple coping style questionnaire (SCSQ).Results Among all the 120 subjects,14(11.67％) of them were diagnosed as having PTSD.Compared with the rehabilitation group,scores on subjective support,objective support,total social support and positive coping,total of coping style from the nonrehabilitation group all appeared significant low (P＜0.05).Data from the multivariate logistic regression showed that social support (OR=0.281,95％CI:0.117-0.678) and coping style (OR=0.293,95％ CI:0.128-0.672) were protective factors of the chronic PTSD after the floods while disaster experience (OR=1.626,95％CI:1.118-2.365) appeared as a risk factor.Conclusion Chronic PTSD developed after the floods called for attention.Better social support,positive coping style could significantly improve the long-term prognosis of patients with PTSD after the floods.

Study on the change of unsafe sexual behaviors and its determinants in HIV-positive persons after being notified as HIV seropositive / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective To study the change of unsafe sexual behaviors and its determinants in HIV-positive persons after being notified as HIV seropositive.Methods Questionnaires were employed in HIV-positive persons whose testing results being notified over 1 year in Changsha and Hengyang between March 2013 and July 2013.Results Interview was carried out on 268 HIV-positive persons who reported having considerable variability in unsafe sexual behaviors.The incidence of unsafe sexual behaviors declined from 98.8％ to 12.7％ after being notified as HIV seropositive.Risk factors related to unsafe sexual behaviors after the notification would include gender (men OR=0.443,95％CI:0.209-0.937) and living with sexual partner (OR=2.549,95％CI:1.053-6.174).Conclusion Notification regarding one's HIV seropositivity could considerably reduce the incidence of unsafe sexual behaviors in HIV-positive persons,however,women and those who were living with sexual partners seemed likely to keep practicing unsafe sexual behavior,thereafter.

Analysis of pulmonary dysfunction of 1 953 coal miners in Hunan Province / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of dust exposure, type of work, age, length of service and duration of dust exposure on pulmonary function in coal miners by pulmonary function tests.
@*METHODS@#A total of 1 953 coal miners, who received occupational healthy examination and pulmonary function tests during June, 2013 and August, 2014 in Hunan Prevention and Treatment Institute, were enrolled for this study.
@*RESULTS@#A total of 1 302 miners (66.7%) displayed pulmonary dysfunction, including 1 139 with mild dysfunction (58.3%) and 163 with moderate or more serious dysfunction (8.3%). The risk factors for pulmonary dysfunction were age (OR=1.329, 95% CI: 1.196-1.620), dust exposure duration (OR=1.267, 95% CI: 1.136-1.413) and type of works (mining workers OR=1.156, 95% CI: 1.033-1.293; all P<0.05).
@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence rate of pulmonary dysfunction in coal miners is relatively high in Hunan Province. Most of them are mild dysfunction. The incidence rate of pulmonary dysfunction in mining works is statistically higher than that in other work types. Older workers and long duration-exposed workers are more likely to have pulmonary dysfunction.

Effect of underground work on cardiovascular system in coal miners / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To study the effect of underground work on cardiovascular system health in coal miners.
@*METHODS@#Male coal miners, who received electrocardiographic examinations between June, 2013 and August, 2014 in Hunan Prevention and Treatment Institute for Occupational Diseases to exclude pneumoconiosis, were enrolled for this study (n=3 134). Miners with 2 years or more underground work experience were selected as the exposed group (n=2 370), while miners without underground work experience were selected as the control group (n=764). The prevalence of electrocardiographic abnormalities and the influential factors were compared between the 2 groups.
@*RESULTS@#The prevalences of electrocardiographic abnormalities, hypertension, heart rate abnormalities and cardiovascular system abnormalities in the exposed group vs the control group were 37.6% vs 25.4%, 20.5% vs 13.4%, 5.7% vs 6.0%, 49.8% vs 35.2%, respectively. The cardiovascular system abnormalities were correlated with the underground work (OR=3.128, 95% CI: 1.969-4.970), the underground work experience (OR=1.205, 95% CI: 1.070-1.358) and the type of works (mining worker OR=1.820, 95% CI: 1.527-2.169; auxiliary worker OR=1.937, 95% CI: 1.511-2.482; other worker OR=3.291, 95%CI: 2.120-5.109).
@*CONCLUSION@#Underground work may increase the prevalence of cardiovascular system abnormalities for coal miners. The longer the coal miners work in underground, the higher the risk of the cardiovascular system abnormalities they are.