The prevalence and associated factors of metabolic syndrome among Tibetan pastoralists in transition from nomadic to settled urban environment / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To study the prevalence and associated factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) among Tibetan pastoralists in transition from high altitude nomadic to settled urbanized environment, especially dietary factors. Methods: The community-based cross-sectional study included 920 Tibetan adults (men 419, women 501). Data were collected using questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and biomarker tests. Questionnaires included socio-economic, lifestyle characteristics and food consumption. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns. The risk factors of MS and its components were analyzed by logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence rates of MS and its components were 32.8% (MS), 83.7% (decreased HDL-C), 62.1% (central obesity), 36.7% (elevated blood pressure), 11.8% (elevated TG), and 7.9% (elevated blood glucose), respectively. The prevalence of overweight was 31.2%, obesity 30.3%. Multivariate analysis showed smoking was associated factor for both of decreased HDL-C (OR=1.239, 95%CI: 1.025-1.496) and elevated TG (OR=1.277, 95%CI: 1.038-1.571). Alcohol drinking appeared as associated factor of elevated TG (OR=1.426, 95%CI: 1.055-1.927). However, physical activity showed as a protective factor for central obesity, decreased HDL-C, and elevated TG. With the increase of age, the adherence to the urban and western dietary patterns decreased, and that to the pastoral dietary pattern increased. By quintiles of dietary pattern scores, the urban dietary pattern was significantly associated with MS (trend test P=0.016). Conclusions: Tibetan pastoralists had high prevalence of both MS and obesity. Smoking, alcohol drinking, the transition from pastoral dietary pattern to urban dietary pattern and inadequate physical activity served as associated factors for MS and its components.

Dihydromyricetin promotes cell apoptosis through activating endoplasmic reticulum stress in ovarian cancer A2780 cells / 药学学报

This study was designed to investigate the effect of dihydromyricetin (DHM) on inducing apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells A2780 through endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) pathway and the mechanisms involved in vitro and in vivo. A2780 cells were treated with different concentrations of DHM, and the protein expression levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) which is related to ERS increased, apoptotic proteins C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-12 (caspase-12) elevated. After pretreatment with ERS inhibitor, 4-phenyl butyric acid (4-PBA), following the intervention with DHM, the A2780 cell viability decreased and apoptotic rate increased. All animal welfare and experimental procedures were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University. Intraperitoneal injection of DHM suspension into nude mice with ovarian cancer could significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumor in vivo, increase the protein expression levels of GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-3. Moreover, swollen and broken endoplasmic reticulum could be observed in tumor tissues, suggesting that DHM intervention induces apoptosis mediated by ERS. The results indicated that DHM could induce apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells and inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mice, which might be related to the activation of ERS pathway.

Advances in Dual-task Training for Balance Dysfunction after Stroke (review) / 中国康复理论与实践

Multiple tasks performance is necessary for daily living to adapt environments. The stroke patients often fall in ability of dual tasks, which may be less improved by routine rehabilitation. This paper summarized the researches about the effect of dual-task training on the balance function of stroke patients, and discussed the possible ways to it.

Role of Wnt Inhibitory Factor-1 in Inhibition of Bisdemethoxycurcumin Mediated Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Highly Metastatic Lung Cancer 95D Cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) is an active component of curcumin and a chemotherapeutic agent, which has been suggested to inhibit tumor growth, invasion and metastasis in multiple cancers. But its contribution and mechanism of action in invasion and metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are not very clear. Therefore, we tried to study the effects of BDMC on regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is closely linked to tumor cell invasion and metastasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>In this study, we first induced transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) mediated EMT in highly metastatic lung cancer 95D cells. Thereafter, we studied the effects of BDMC on invasion and migration of 95D cells. In addition, EMT markers expressions were also analyzed by western blot and immunofluorescence assays. The contribution of Wnt inhibitory factor-1 (WIF-1) in regulating BDMC effects on TGF-β1 induced EMT were further analyzed by its overexpression and small interfering RNA knockdown studies.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It was observed that BDMC inhibited the TGF-β1 induced EMT in 95D cells. Furthermore, it also inhibited the Wnt signaling pathway by upregulating WIF-1 protein expression. In addition, WIF-1 manipulation studies further revealed that WIF-1 is a central molecule mediating BDMC response towards TGF-β1 induced EMT by regulating cell invasion and migration.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Our study concluded that BDMC effects on TGF-β1 induced EMT in NSCLC are mediated through WIF-1 and elucidated a novel mechanism of EMT regulation by BDMC.</p>

Autophagy Accompanied with Bisdemethoxycurcumin-induced Apoptosis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC) on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, A549, and the highly metastatic lung cancer 95D cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CCK-8 assay was used to assess the effect of BDMC on cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate apoptosis. Western blot analysis, electron microscopy, and quantification of GFP-LC3 punctuates were used to test the effect of BDMC on autophagy and apoptosis of lung cancer cells.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>BDMC inhibited the viability of NSCLC cells, but had no cytotoxic effects on lung small airway epithelial cells (SAECs). The apoptotic cell death induced by BDMC was accompanied with the induction of autophagy in NSCLC cells. Blockage of autophagy by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) repressed the growth inhibitory effects and induction of apoptosis by BDMC. In addition, BDMC treatment significantly decreased smoothened (SMO) and the transcription factor glioma-associated oncogene 1 (Gli1) expression. Furthermore, depletion of Gli1 by siRNA and cyclopamine (a specific SMO inhibitor) induced autophagy.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Aberrant activation of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling has been implicated in several human cancers, including lung cancers. The present findings provide direct evidence that BDMC-induced autophagy plays a pro-death role in NSCLC, in part, by inhibiting Hedgehog signaling.</p>

The anti-oxidative effect of deferiprone on ocular lens in diabetic rat / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Oxidative stress is thought to be responsible to diabetes-complicated cataract.Our previous study demonstrated that as an iron chelator,deferiprone can protect lens from oxidative damage.Objective This further study aimed to investigate the role of deferiprone on the formation of diabetic-complicated cataract.Methods Forty 6-week-old Wistar rats were included in the study and randomized into 4 groups.Eight of them were used as the normal control group.Diabetes mellitus animal models were established in 22 rats by the carbonhydratediet and fat diet and the intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg streptozocin (STZ).The deferiprone of 50 mg and 100 mg were intragastrically given in 8 model rats respectively after 3 days once a day for 8 weeks.The opacification of lenses was examined under the slit lamp weekly after treatment.The animals were sacrificed and the lenses were obtained at the eighth week of deferiprone injection.The concentrations of water-soluble protein ( WSP),urine-soluble protein (USP) and alkali-soluble protein (ASP) in rat lens suspension were detected by Bradford method.The super oxide dimutese (SOD),malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) were determined spectrometically using xanthine oxidase,thiobarbituric acid,dithio bis-nitrobenzoic acid.Results No evidently differences were found in the content of the WSP,USP and ASP among the these groups( F=1.73,0.18,0.09,P＞0.05).The contents of MDA in 50 mg deferiprone group and 100 mg deferiprone group were ( 1.05 ± 0.10 ) mmol/g and ( 1.05 ± 0.22 ) mmol/g respectively,showing a significant decline in comparison with diabetic model group (P＜0.05).The SOD and GSH contents in lens were (321.29±16.57) U/mg,(322.07±22.16) U/mg and (7.83±0.65 ) mg/g,(7.70±0.77 ) mg/g respectively in 50 mg deferiprone group and 100 mg deferiprone group and were considerably elevated in comparison with ( 298.70± 14.69 ) U/mg and ( 5.47 ± 1.01 ) mg/g of diabetic model groups ( P＜0.05 ).No significant differences were found in the indexes mentioned above between 50 mg and 100 mg deferiprone groups(P＞0.05).Conclusions Deferiprone can reduce oxidative stress and improve the energy metabolism of the lens in diabetic rats.