ABSTRACT
Daidzein, a natural soy isoflavone, has a structure similar to estradiol and exhibiting bone-sparing effects against osteoporosis. However, the molecular mechanisms of osteogenesis remain unclear. We hypothesized that daidzein stimulates osteogenesis through estrogen receptor (ER)-dependent signal pathways. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the effects of daidzein compared with 17ß-estradiol on proliferation, differentiation, and cisplatin-induced apoptosis in human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells containing 2 ER isoforms. The results showed that daidzein stimulated cell proliferation by altering cell cycle distribution, promoted cell differentiation by increasing the alkaline phosphatase activity and collagen content, and reduced cell apoptosis associated by up-regulating the expression of Bcl-xL. The above actions of daidzein were prevented by cotreatment with the ER antagonist ICI 182780. Using small interfering RNA technology, we further demonstrated that the effects of daidzein on alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen content, and cell apoptosis are mediated by both ERα and ERß, whereas the effects on cell proliferation are primarily mediated by ERα. However, the effects of 17ß-estradiol on osteoblastic proliferation and survival are mediated by both ER isotypes, and the effects on osteoblastic differentiation are primarily mediated by ERα. The use of specific inhibitors indicated that activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MEK/ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B or PKB (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway at least partially accounts for these effects of daidzein. Taken together, the results indicate that daidzein stimulates osteogenesis through facilitating proliferation, differentiation, and antiapoptosis in human osteoblast-like MG-63 cells via activation of MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt in an ER-dependent manner.
Subject(s)
Apoptosis/drug effects , Cell Differentiation/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Isoflavones/pharmacology , Osteoblasts/drug effects , Osteogenesis/drug effects , Alkaline Phosphatase/metabolism , Cell Line , Cisplatin/toxicity , Estradiol/analogs & derivatives , Estradiol/pharmacology , Estrogen Receptor Antagonists/pharmacology , Fulvestrant , Humans , Osteoblasts/cytology , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics , Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism , Receptors, Estrogen/antagonists & inhibitors , Receptors, Estrogen/genetics , Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism , Signal Transduction , bcl-X Protein/genetics , bcl-X Protein/metabolismABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study was to investigate bullying among hospital nurses and its correlates. BACKGROUND: Chinese people were unlikely to express their opinions or pursue individual rights. Workplace bullying took place more easily among the educated people within Chinese culture. However, studies related to workplace bullying among hospital nurses in Taiwan were still limited. DESIGN: A cross-sectional design. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-five nurses who worked in the regional teaching hospital in south Taiwan were recruited. The significant predictors of workplace bullying were identified by using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean of overall bullying was 1·47, showing that the frequency of the nurses having experienced workplace bullying was between 'never' and 'now and then'. The most frequent bullying item was 'being yelled at or being the target of anger', followed by 'being the objects of untruthful criticism' and 'having views ignored'. Hospital nurses working in the Emergency room would gain 10·888 points more in the overall bullying scale compared with those who worked in operation rooms or haemodialysis rooms. They were more likely to be bullied. Hospital nurses with one year increase in nursing experience were 0·207 points less likely to be bullied. CONCLUSIONS: Reducing workplace bullying among hospital nurses was an essential method to provide quality assurance to health care. Nurse managers should build up zero tolerance policy to decrease nurses' exposure to workplace bullying. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Training programmes related to bullying prevention are suggested to avoid workplace bullying. The contents of the educational training programmes or workshops should incorporate the characteristics and consequences of the workplace bullying, and the strategies to deal with bullying.
Subject(s)
Bullying , Nursing Staff, Hospital/psychology , Workplace , Adult , Career Mobility , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Hospitals, Teaching , Humans , Male , Nursing Staff, Hospital/organization & administration , Surveys and Questionnaires , TaiwanABSTRACT
As a highly valued ingredient of Chinese medicinal remedies, musk is used as a detoxification agent and for treating fever, inflammation and swelling, and pain. Muscone (3-methylcyclopentadecanone-1), an odoriferous secretion from the ventral glands of male musk deer, is believed to be the active ingredient. A small amount of muscopyridine is also found in the secretion from the ventral glands of male musk deer. Common counterfeit ingredients are musk xylene, musk ambrette, musk ketone, and diphenhydramine. An extraction/GC-MS protocol/data evaluation scheme was developed and applied to study allegedly musk-containing Musk-Tiger Bone Plaster preparations and musk pods (or grains) from Chinese medicine stores and an airport customs. The content of muscone in a specific sample was estimated based on the percentage of the amount recovered from the first extraction. No muscone or counterfeit ingredients were found in all musk pod (or grain) samples from the customs and in the majority of Musk-Tiger Bone Plaster preparations, while muscone (alone or with counterfeit ingredients) was found in most of the musk pod (or grain) collected from Chinese medicine stores.
