ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The study sought to assess the prevalence and the risk factors associated with anemia among male and female young adults in (Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Saud University and Alfaisal University in September 2016 among young adults aged 18 to 28 years old. Data were collected using an interview questionnaire. Additionally, the respondents were evaluated clinically and via laboratory testing for anemia. RESULTS: Our study population showed a higher percentage of men as compared to women participants. About half of our study sample had a lightly active lifestyle, and more than one-third of the study participants were overweight (34.7%). The average age of the respondents was 22.08 ± 1.98 years. The only factor significantly associated with anemia was gender, in that female gender showed a positive association with anemia. CONCLUSION: The most explicit risk factor for anemia among Saudi individuals of college and young professional ages was the female gender. Dietary lifestyle, heavy menstruation, pregnancy, and intake of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were additional important risk factors among these individuals, but they were statistically not significant.
ABSTRACT
Aims: Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) are considered the principal regulators of cardiac fibrosis. Factors that influence CF activity are difficult to determine. When isolated and cultured in vitro, CFs undergo rapid phenotypic changes including increased expression of α-SMA. Here we describe a new model to study CFs and their response to pharmacological and mechanical stimuli using in vitro cultured mouse, dog and human myocardial slices. Methods and results: Unloading of myocardial slices induced CF proliferation without α-SMA expression up to 7 days in culture. CFs migrating onto the culture plastic support or cultured on glass expressed αSMA within 3 days. The cells on the slice remained αSMA(-) despite transforming growth factor-ß (20 ng/ml) or angiotensin II (200 µM) stimulation. When diastolic load was applied to myocardial slices using A-shaped stretchers, CF proliferation was significantly prevented at Days 3 and 7 (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Myocardial slices allow the study of CFs in a multicellular environment and may be used to effectively study mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis and potential targets.
