Xuezhikang reduced arterial stiffness in patients with essential hypertension: a preliminary study

This study aimed to test the effects of xuezhikang, a cholestin extract that contains statin-like components, on arterial stiffness in patients with essential hypertension. One hundred hypertensive patients from the Chinese PLA General Hospital were randomly allocated to receive xuezhikang (1200 mg/day, orally) or placebo (same capsules containing only pharmaceutical excipients). Physical examination outcomes, lipid profile, high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9) levels, and arterial outcomes, including stiffness parameter (β), pressure-strain elasticity modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC), augmentation index (AI), and one-point pulse wave velocity (PWVβ) were obtained at baseline and after 6 months of the intervention. Xuezhikang significantly reduced β (8.4±3.1 vs 6.8±2.1, P=0.007), Ep (122.8±43.9 vs 100.7±33.2, P=0.009), PWVβ (6.7±1.2 vs 6.1±1.0, P=0.013), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (3.4±0.6 vs 2.9±0.5, P=0.001), hs-CRP [2.1 (0.4-10.0) vs 1.4 (0.3-4.1), P=0.020], and MMP-9 (17.2±2.4 vs 12.7±3.8, P <0.001) compared to baseline. The placebo had no effect on these parameters. The changes of PWVβ in the xuezhikang group was significantly associated with the changes of hs-CRP and MMP-9 (r=0.144, P=0.043; r=0.278, P=0.030, respectively) but not with lipid profile changes. Our research showed xuezhikang can improve the parameters of arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients, and its effect was independent of lipid lowering.

CD19+ B cell subsets in the peripheral blood and skin lesions of psoriasis patients and their correlations with disease severity

T lymphocytes are important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, and increasing evidence indicates that B cells also play an important role. The mechanisms of action, however, remain unclear. We evaluated the ratios of CD19+ B cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 157 patients with psoriasis (65 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, 32 patients with erythrodermic psoriasis, 30 patients with arthropathic psoriasis, and 30 patients with pustular psoriasis) and 35 healthy controls (HCs). Ratios of CD19+ B cells in skin lesions were compared with non-lesions in 7 erythrodermic psoriasis patients. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) was used to measure disease severity. CD19+ B cell ratios in PBMCs from psoriasis vulgaris (at both the active and stationary stage) and arthropathic psoriasis patients were higher compared with HCs (P<0.01), but ratios were lower in erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis patients (P<0.01). CD19+ B cell ratios in erythrodermic psoriasis skin lesions were higher than in non-lesion areas (P<0.001). Different subsets of CD19+CD40+, CD19+CD44+, CD19+CD80+, CD19+CD86+, CD19+CD11b+, and CD19+HLA-DR+ B cells in PBMCs were observed in different psoriasis clinical subtypes. PASI scores were positively correlated with CD19+ B cell ratios in psoriasis vulgaris and arthropathic psoriasis cases (r=0.871 and r=0.692, respectively, P<0.01), but were negatively correlated in pustular psoriasis (r=-0.569, P<0.01). The results indicated that similar to T cells, B cells activation may also play important roles in different pathological stages of psoriasis.

Exercise improved lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity in rats fed a high-fat diet by regulating glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and musclin expression

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exercise training on triglyceride deposition and the expression of musclin and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in a rat model of insulin resistance. Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks old, weight 160±10 g) were fed a high-fat diet (40% calories from fat) and randomly divided into high-fat control group and swimming intervention group. Rats fed with standard food served as normal control. We found that 8-week swimming intervention significantly decreased body weight (from 516.23±46.27 to 455.43±32.55 g) and visceral fat content (from 39.36±2.50 to 33.02±2.24 g) but increased insulin sensitivity index of the rats fed with a high-fat diet. Moreover, swimming intervention improved serum levels of TG (from 1.40±0.83 to 0.58±0.26 mmol/L) and free fatty acids (from 837.80±164.25 to 556.38±144.77 μEq/L) as well as muscle triglycerides deposition (from 0.55±0.06 to 0.45±0.02 mmol/g) in rats fed a high-fat diet. Compared with rats fed a standard food, musclin expression was significantly elevated, while GLUT4 expression was decreased in the muscles of rats fed a high-fat diet. In sharp contrast, swimming intervention significantly reduced the expression of musclin and increased the expression of GLUT4 in the muscles of rats fed a high-fat diet. In conclusion, increased musclin expression may be associated with insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, and exercise training improves lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity probably by upregulating GLUT4 and downregulating musclin.

Association of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver in a cross-sectional study in Wan Song Community, China

Our objective was to examine associations of adult weight gain and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Cross-sectional interview data from 844 residents in Wan Song Community from October 2009 to April 2010 were analyzed in multivariate logistic regression models to examine odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) between NAFLD and weight change from age 20. Questionnaires, physical examinations, laboratory examinations, and ultrasonographic examination of the liver were carried out. Maximum rate of weight gain, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, and alanine transaminase were higher in the NAFLD group than in the control group. HDL-C in the NAFLD group was lower than in the control group. As weight gain increased (measured as the difference between current weight and weight at age 20 years), the OR of NAFLD increased in multivariate models. NAFLD OR rose with increasing weight gain as follows: OR (95%CI) for NAFLD associated with weight gain of 20+ kg compared to stable weight (change <5 kg) was 4.23 (2.49-7.09). Significantly increased NAFLD OR were observed even for weight gains of 5-9.9 kg. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric, the OR of NAFLD also increased as weight gain increased. For the “age 20 to highest lifetime weight” metric and the “age 20 to current weight” metric, insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) increased as weight gain increased (P<0.001). In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, significant association was observed between adult weight gain and NAFLD (OR=1.027, 95%CI=1.002-1.055, P=0.025). We conclude that adult weight gain is strongly associated with NAFLD.

Early responses of the STAT3 pathway to platinum drugs are associated with cisplatin resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer

Cisplatin resistance remains one of the major obstacles when treating epithelial ovarian cancer. Because oxaliplatin and nedaplatin are effective against cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer in clinical trials and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is associated with cisplatin resistance, we investigated whether overcoming cisplatin resistance by oxaliplatin and nedaplatin was associated with the STAT3 pathway in ovarian cancer. Alamar blue, clonogenic, and wound healing assays, and Western blot analysis were used to compare the effects of platinum drugs in SKOV-3 cells. At an equitoxic dose, oxaliplatin and nedaplatin exhibited similar inhibitory effects on colony-forming ability and greater inhibition on cell motility than cisplatin in ovarian cancer. Early in the time course of drug administration, cisplatin increased the expression of pSTAT3 (Tyr705), STAT3α, VEGF, survivin, and Bcl-XL, while oxaliplatin and nedaplatin exhibited the opposite effects, and upregulated pSTAT3 (Ser727) and STAT3β. The STAT3 pathway responded early to platinum drugs associated with cisplatin resistance in epithelial ovarian cancer and provided a rationale for new therapeutic strategies to reverse cisplatin resistance.

Study of simplified measures for malaria surveillance in the late consolidation phase in China.

This paper presents the results of a study on simplified surveillance methods conducted in 23 pilot counties in 11 provinces and municipalities in China where reside 15 million people and malaria control has been in the late consolidation phase. Two simplified surveillance Schemes (A and B) taking treatment of clinical cases as the main measure were implemented in 1992-1994. The rate of annual blood examination for case detection was 1.0% in pilot Scheme A, while in areas of scheme B it was 0.3%. The implementation of both Scheme A and Scheme B, simplified or without treatment of infection foci and management of mobile populations, acquired satisfactory effects against malaria. Consequently, malaria incidence was declining steadily, only a few indigenous and introduced cases were detected. The parasite rate in residents and the IFA positive rate in children were very low. The results of pilot studies and cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that Scheme B is effective, rational and economic, and can be implemented to replace the routine surveillance measures in areas where malaria has been at the late consolidation phase in China.