Oxidative stress and substance P mediate psychological stress-induced autophagy and delay of hair growth in mice.

Neuropeptide substance P (SP) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been demonstrated to play an important role in psychological stress-induced alteration of hair cycle, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. The present study aims to investigate possible contribution of SP and ROS in chronic restraint stress (CRS, a chronic psychological stress model) induced abnormal of hair cycle and induction of autophagy. Mouse CRS model was applied for 18 days with or without treatment antioxidant Tempol (a free radical scavenger) or SP receptor (NK1) antagonist (RP67580). After CRS procedure, hair growth cycle, oxidative stress markers and skin tissue autophagy levels were analyzed by ELISA or western blot. Our results revealed that CRS reduced body weight gain, distance of movement and times of standing, affected hair cycle by prolonging the telogen stage and delaying subsequent anagen and catagen stage. In addition, CRS resulted in increase of lipid peroxidation levels and reduction of the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and increase of autophagy markers (microtubule-associated proteins, light chain 3-II, LC3-II, and Beclin-1) in mice skin. Treatment with Tempol restored GSH-Px activity, and significantly reduced increases of lipid peroxidation levels and LC3-II and Beclin-1 expressions, as well as normalized hair cycle. In addition; RP67580 also restored SOD and GSH-Px activities, and markedly reduced increases of lipid peroxidation levels and LC3-II and Beclin-1 expressions, and normalized hair cycle. Our study provides the first strong evidence for SP and ROS play a role not only in alteration of hair cycle but also in induction of autophagy in psychological stress model, suggesting autophagy may contribute to psychological stress-induced abnormal of hair cycle.

[Epidemiology of birth defects in high-prevalence areas of China].

OBJECTIVE: To study the levels of prevalence and to describe the epidemiological features of birth defects in high-prevalence areas in China. METHODS: A population-based retrospective study was conducted in two counties of Shanxi province that including birth defects among fetuses and live births born after 20 weeks' gestational age in the study areas from 2002 through 2004. RESULTS: During 2002 - 2004, the prevalence of birth defects was 844.2 per 10 000 births in study areas and the first five main birth defects were inguinal hernia (182.2 per 10,000 births), anencephaly (104.4 per 10 000 births), congenital mental retardation (79.4 per 10,000 births), congenital heart diseases (73.2 per 10,000 births) and spina bifida (63.9 per 10,000 births). These five main birth defects accounted for about 60% of total birth defect cases. Inguinal hernia, undescended testicle, congenital mental retardation were usually not included for statistical analysis on birth defect. Excluding these birth defects, the prevalence of birth defects in study areas was 537.2 per 10,000 births and the first five main birth defects were anencephaly, congenital heart diseases, spina bifida, hydrocephaly (40.5 per 10 000 births) and encephalocele (31.2 per 10 000 births). The male prevalence of birth defects was 966.2 per 10 000 births, which was significantly higher than prevalence in females. The prevalence rates of birth defects for maternal age groups under 20 years old and over 30 years old were remarkably higher than those for 20-24 year and 25-29 year old mothers. The teenage mothers were at higher risk of having a child with neural tube defects(NTDs) or congenital heart diseases. Prevalence rates under 20 year maternal age group were 408.8 and 188.7 per 10 000 births for NTDs and congenital heart diseases respectively, whereas corresponding rates were 204.8 and 91.0 per 10 000 births for groups over 30 years of age. The prevalence rates increased with increasing gravidity or parity. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the patterns of birth defects in study areas were very different from those of other areas, with an unusually high prevalence of NTDs. The study also suggested that both young and advanced mothers were at increased risk of having a child with a birth defect.

[Study on the socio-economic risk factors on birth defects in Lvliang district of Shanxi province].

OBJECTIVE: To study the risk factors in high prevalence district of birth defects (BD) to provide evidence for intervention development. METHODS: Quantitative analysis had been carried out based on the investigation at three counties in Shanxi province. 491 useable questionnaires had been collected with a response rate as 94.6%. Binary logistic regression was performed to analyze the risk factors of BD. RESULTS: Data from logistic regression analyses revealed that factors as: the status of family income, knowledge on healthy birth and rearing, behavior and illness during pregnancy were influencing the occurrence of BD, with OR values as 0.535, 3.265, 0.403 and 1.379 respectively. Better family income and knowledge on BD were negatively (P values are 0.000 and 0.001 respectively), while illness during pregnancy and alcohol intake of the husbands were positively correlated (P values are 0.005 and 0.012 respectively) to the occurrence of BD. CONCLUSION: Measures as accelerating the development of local economy, providing education on BD knowledge to the couples, changing negative life style and improving the health status would reduce the risk of BD. Preconceptional-periconceptional care seemed to be the new idea for healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.