Study on iodine nutrition and related influencing factors of children aged 8-10 in Wuhan / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand the status of iodine nutrition and its related influencing factors of school-age children in Wuhan, so as to provide the basis for adjusting the strategies of IDD prevention and control.@*Methods@#In 5 districts of Wuhan (Hongshan, Hanyang, Hannan, Jiangxia, Dongxihu), non-boarding students aged 8-10 years old were selected from each of the five sample areas in the east, west, south, north and middle. Samples of urine and the cooking salt from their home were randornly colleted among children. Height, weight measurement and a self-administered questionnaire were conducted at the same time. A total of 942 valid questionnaires were collected, including 484 boys and 458 girls.@*Results@#The median of iodine content of children s household salt was 23.20 mg/kg, the median of urinary iodine of children in the city was 251.00 μg/L. Children s random urine iodine concentration was related to gender, whether kelp was consumed the day before the survey, the frequency of consuming milk, and whether they received radiological examinations(P<0.05). Male (OR=1.38, 95%CI=1.04-1.82), consumption of kelp the day before the survey (OR=1.67,95%CI=1.13-2.47) and radiological examination (OR=1.26,95%CI=1.05-1.52) were risk factors for children with urinary iodine concentration higher than the upper limit of the appropriate value(P<0.05). The awareness rate of children s iodine deficiency disease prevention knowledge in Wuhan was 69.64%.@*Conclusion@#The iodine nutritional status of children aged 8-10 years in Wuhan was higher than the appropriate level recommended by international organizations. The random urine iodine concentration of children was affected by many factors and the awareness rate of children s iodine deficiency disease knowledge in Wuhan was low. Therefore, health education for children and residents on iodine deficiency disorders should be strengthened, and they should be properly guided and intervened to ensure that iodine deficiency is prevented while iodine excess is avoided.

Mechanism of hyperhomocysteinemia induced renal injury in CBS+/- mice / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: In chronic kidney disease, there is often an increase in the level of homocysteine, which can lead to podocyte apoptosis, but the specific mechanism is not clear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the mechanism of hyperhomocysteinemia-induced renal injury in Cbs+/- mice. METHODS: Cbs+/+ mice (control group) and Cbs+/- mice (model group) with similar body weight were selected, with 10 mice in each group, and were fed with high methionine diet. After 8 weeks, the mice were killed, the serum was separated and the kidney tissue was obtained. The levels of serum homocysteine, urea nitrogen and creatinine were measured by automatic biochemical analyzer. The renal injury was observed by Periodic Acid-Schiff staining and transmission electron microscope. TUNEL staining was used to observe the apoptosis of glomeruli. The protein expression levels of Bax, Bcl-2 and caspase12 were detected by western blot. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with Cbs+/+ mice, the level of serum homocysteine, urea nitrogen and creatinine in Cbs+/- mice were significantly increased (P < 0.01). The Periodic Acid-Schiff staining results showed that the glomerular basement membrane of Cbs+/+ mice was clear and the thickness was uniform, while the Cbs+/- mouse glomerular basement membrane showed varying degrees of uneven thickness, widening of membrane area and thickening of matrix. Under the transmission electron microscope, the glomerular basement membrane of Cbs+/+ mice was clear and the foot process was regular, while the glomerular basement membrane of Cbs+/- mice was locally thickened and the foot process was irregular fusion. TUNEL staining showed that the number of apoptotic cells in glomeruli of Cbs+/- mice was significantly increased compared with Cbs+/+ mice; meanwhile, western blot detection showed that the protein levels of Bax/Bcl-2 and caspase12 were significantly increased (P < 0.05). To conclude, podocyte apoptosis plays an important role in hyperhomocysteinemia-induced renal injury in Cbs+/- mice.

Functional relationship between photosynthetic leaf gas exchange in response to silicon application and water stress mitigation in sugarcane

BACKGROUND: Water stress is one of the serious abiotic stresses that negatively influences the growth, development and production of sugarcane in arid and semi-arid regions. However, silicon (Si) has been applied as an alleviation strategy subjected to environmental stresses. METHODS: In this experiment, Si was applied as soil irrigation in sugarcane plants to understand the mitigation effect of Si against harmful impact of water stress on photosynthetic leaf gas exchange. RESULTS: In the present study we primarily revealed the consequences of low soil moisture content, which affect overall plant performance of sugarcane significantly. Silicon application reduced the adverse effects of water stress by improving the net photosynthetic assimilation rate (Anet) 1.35-18.75%, stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs) 3.26-21.57% and rate of transpiration (E) 1.16-17.83%. The mathematical models developed from the proposed hypothesis explained the functional relationships between photosynthetic responses of Si application and water stress mitigation. CONCLUSIONS: Silicon application showed high ameliorative effects on photosynthetic responses of sugarcane to water stress and could be used for mitigating environmental stresses in other crops, too, in future.

ABSI is a poor predictor of insulin resistance in Chinese adults and elderly without diabetes

ABSTRACT Objective: Recently, a new obesity index (A Body Shape Index, ABSI) based on waist circumference (WC) was developed, and high ABSI corresponds to a more central concentration of body volume. It is well known that central obesity is closely linked with insulin resistance (IR). Therefore, our study aimed to examine the discriminatory power of ABSI for IR in Chinese adults and elderly without diabetes. Subjects and methods: In 2007, a cross-sectional study was made. In this study, 570 individuals without diabetes were available for analysis (male: 56.1%, mean age: 62.3 ± 6.5 years). Insulin resistance was assessed by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR). Areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were determined to identify variables/models that could predict insulin resistance. Results: ABSI was associated with IR, the cut-off points was 0.0785 m11/6kg-2/3 to identifying IR and the area under the ROC (AUC) curve was 0.618 (95%CI: 0.561-0.675), which was not better than body mass index BMI (AUC = 0.753; 95%CI: 0.706-0.801), WC (AUC = 0.749; 95%CI: 0.700-0.797), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG, AUC = 0.752; 95%CI: 0.705-0.799). Furthermore, combination with ABSI could improve the discriminatory power of other variables for IR. The AUC curve increased from 0.753 to 0.771for BMI, 0.749 to 0.754 for WC, 0.752 to 0.769 for FPG, respectively. Conclusions: ABSI is associated with IR in the general Chinese adults and elderly without diabetes, but the discriminatory power for IR is poor. It is recommended that ABSI be used in combination with other variables.

Effects of Jinwu Jiangu recipe on IL-17/STAT3 signals in rheumatoid arthritis synoviocytes / 中国中药杂志

This paper aimed to investigate the effects of Jinwu Jiangu recipe total extract on the IL-17/STAT3 signals in rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts(RASF). The primary RASFs were cultured by tissue piece method ， and divided into blank control group， Jinwu Jiangu recipe low dose group， Jinwu Jiangu recipe middle dose group， Jinwu Jiangu recipe high dose group， and tripterygium glycosides control group. They were then treated with corresponding serum free medium， different doses of Jinwu Jiangu recipe total extract(0.06， 0.6， 6.0 g·L⁻¹)， and tripterygium glycosides(0.03 g·L⁻¹) respectively for 24 hours. The gene expression levels of RORα， RORγt， and STAT3 mRNA were detected by polymerase chain reaction(PCR)， and the protein activity of IL-17R and pSTAT3 were measured by Western blot assay. The results showed that as compared with blank control group， the expression levels of RORα， RORγt， IL-17R and STAT3 mRNA in RASF were significantly declined(<0.01). As compared with tripterygium glycosides control group， Jinwu Jiangu recipe total extract middle dose group and high dose group can down-regulate the expression levels of RORα， RORγt， IL-17R and STAT3 mRNA(<0.05)， and the effect was more obvious in high dose group(<0.01). As compared with blank control group， the protein expression levels of IL-17R and pSTAT3 in each treatment group were obviously decreased(<0.01). As compared with tripterygium glycosides control group， Jinwu Jiangu recipe high dose group had more obvious effect in down-regulating the protein expression of pSTAT3(<0.01). Therefore， Miao medicine Jinwu Jiangu recipe total extract can down-regulate the expressions of RORα， RORγt， and STAT3 mRNA， and inhibit the protein activity of IL-17R and pSTAT3 in RASF.

Effect of Jinwu Jiangu Recipe on Expressions of NF-kappaB and IL-17 in Collagen Induced Arthritis Model Rats / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the effect of Jinwu Jiangu Recipe (JJR) on the expression of synovial cells' nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and serum interleukin 17 (IL-17) in collagen induced arthritis (CIA) rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 60 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, i.e., the blank control group, the model group, high, middle, and low dose JJR treatment groups, and the tripterygium control group, 10 in each group. Except rats in the blank control group, CIA model was established in rats of the rest 5 groups. Then they were treated from the 7th day of modeling. After 4 weeks of medication they were sacrificed, serum collected, and synovium of joints were isolated. The expression of serum IL-17 was detected in synovium of joints by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). And the expression of NF-kappaB/P65, Ikappabetaalpha and NF-KappaB/P50 were detected by Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank control group, the serum IL-17 level increased in the model group (P <0. 01). Compared with the model group, the serum IL-17 level obviously decreased in high and middle dose JJR groups and the tripterygium control group (P < 0.01). Results of Western blot showed, when compared with the blank control group, protein activities of NF-kappaB/P65 and NF-kappaB/P50 were significantly enhanced in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, protein activities of NF-kappaB/P65 and NF-kappaB/P50 significantly decreased in high and middle dose JJR groups and the tripterygium control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). All indices mentioned above were higher in the low dose JJR group than in the tripterygium control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>JJR could lower the expression of serum IL-17 in CIA model rats, and inhibit protein activities of NF-kappaB/P65 and NF-kappaB/P50.</p>

Chinese medical syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis: a clinical literature study / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the distribution features of Chinese medical syndromes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by literature retrieval.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Pertinent articles on treating RA by syndrome differentiation were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure Databases (CNKI), VIP Chinese Biomedical Journal Database, Guizhou Digital Library, and Duxiu Chinese Academic Periodicals full papers database from January 2000 to December 2011.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 33 documents were recruited covering 4 233 cases. Damp-heat blocking collaterals syndrome occupied the top in the occurrence frequency (20 times, 60.61%), followed by deficiency of Gan and Shen syndrome (18 times, 54.55%), intermingled phlegm and blood-stasis syndrome (17 times, 51.52%), wind-cold-damp impediment syndrome (15 times, 45.45%), cold-damp blocking collaterals syndrome (14 times, 42.42%), wind-damp-heat impediment and deficiency of qi and blood syndrome (10 times, 30.30%), and intermingled cold and heat syndrome (9 times, 27.27%). According to the case number of patients, it was sequenced as damp-heat blocking collaterals syndrome syndrome (768 cases, 18.14%), wind-damp-heat impediment syndrome(666 cases, 15.73%), wind-cold-damp impediment syndrome(584 cases, 13.80%), cold-damp blocking collaterals syndrome syndrome (517 cases, 12.21%), intermingled cold and heat syndrome (415 cases, 9.80%), intermingled phlegm and blood-stasis syndrome (364 cases, 8.60%), deficiency of Gan and Shen syndrome (235 cases, 5.55%),asthenia of healthy energy due to lingering arthralgia syndrome (223 cases, 5.27%). The case numbers of remaining syndromes did not exceed 5%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Damp-heat blocking collaterals syndrome was the main syndrome in RA patients, followed by wind-cold-damp impediment syndrome,wind-damp-heat impediment syndrome,cold-damp blocking collaterals syndrome,intermingled phlegm and blood-stasis syndrome, and deficiency of Gan and Shen syndrome.</p>

Comparative proteomics analysis of chronic atrophic gastritis: changes of protein expression in chronic atrophic gastritis without Helicobacter pylori infection

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a very common gastritis and one of the major precursor lesions of gastric cancer, one of the most common cancers worldwide. The molecular mechanism underlying CAG is unclear, but its elucidation is essential for the prevention and early detection of gastric cancer and appropriate intervention. A combination of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry was used in the present study to analyze the differentially expressed proteins. Samples from 21 patients (9 females and 12 males; mean age: 61.8 years) were used. We identified 18 differentially expressed proteins in CAG compared with matched normal mucosa. Eight proteins were up-regulated and 10 down-regulated in CAG when compared with the same amounts of proteins in individually matched normal gastric mucosa. Two novel proteins, proteasome activator subunit 1 (PSME1), which was down-regulated in CAG, and ribosomal protein S12 (RPS12), which was up-regulated in CAG, were further investigated. Their expression was validated by Western blot and RT-PCR in 15 CAG samples matched with normal mucosa. The expression level of RPS12 was significantly higher in CAG than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). In contrast, the expression level of PSME1 in CAG was significantly lower than in matched normal gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). This study clearly demonstrated that there are some changes in protein expression between CAG and normal mucosa. In these changes, down-regulation of PSME1 and up-regulation of RPS12 could be involved in the development of CAG. Thus, the differentially expressed proteins might play important roles in CAG as functional molecules.

Effect of jiedu huayu recipe containing serum on the expressions of survivin and NF-kappaB of K562/A02 cell apoptosis by / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum on the expressions of survivin gene of leukemia K562/A02 cell apoptosis and the expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>K562/A02 cells were divided into six groups. An equal volume of calf serum, rabbit serum, high, middle, and low dose Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum, and interferon was respectively added. K562 sensitive cell strain was set up as the control. The expressions of survivin in K562/A02 cells after treated with Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum were detected using semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. The expressions of NF-kappaB/P65, NF-kappaB/P50, and IKBa were detected using Westem blot method.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The survivin resistant gene was highly expressed in K562/A02 cells. After treated by Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum, the expressions of survivin could be obviously lowered in the high and middle dose Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum groups as well as the interferon control group. NF-kappaB was also highly expressed in K562/A02 resistant cells. After treated by Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum, the expressions of P65, P50, and IkappaBalpha decreased to some degrees. The decrement was the most obvious in the middle and high dose Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum groups. The decreased expressions of P65 and P50 in the high dose Jiedu Huayu Recipe containing serum group were higher than that in the interferon control group (P<0.05). The decrement of IkappaBalpha was equivalent to that of the interferon control group (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Jiedu Huayu Recipe could block the NF-kappaB signal pathway of K562/A02 cells and reverse drug resistance by influencing the expression of NF-kappaB-survivin genes.</p>

Nucleotide diversity and molecular evolution of the WAG-2 gene in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L) and its relatives

In this work, we examined the genetic diversity and evolution of the WAG-2 gene based on new WAG-2 alleles isolated from wheat and its relatives. Only single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and no insertions and deletions (indels) were found in exon sequences of WAG-2 from different species. More SNPs and indels occurred in introns than in exons. For exons, exons+introns and introns, the nucleotide polymorphism Π decreased from diploid and tetraploid genotypes to hexaploid genotypes. This finding indicated that the diversity of WAG-2 in diploids was greater than in hexaploids because of the strong selection pressure on the latter. All dn/ds ratios were < 1.0, indicating that WAG-2 belongs to a conserved gene affected by negative selection. Thirty-nine of the 57 particular SNPs and eight of the 10 indels were detected in diploid species. The degree of divergence in intron length among WAG-2 clones and phylogenetic tree topology suggested the existence of three homoeologs in the A, B or D genome of common wheat. Wheat AG-like genes were divided into WAG-1 and WAG-2 clades. The latter clade contained WAG-2, OsMADS3 and ZMM2 genes, indicating functional homoeology among them.