Investigation of the structure of gallate xylose polymers and their antioxidant properties for skin care products.

Xylose is the second most abundant monosaccharide in nature, and gallic acid (GA) has properties of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. Hence, the gallate xylose (GX) polymers were synthesized from d-xylose and gallic acid for skin care applications in this paper. Then, the structure, generation mechanisms and the antioxidant activity of the generated polymer were studied. It got the results that: The generated GX polymers have strong antioxidant properties, yielded in 80.1% of GA mass. The DPPH scavenging activity was over 80.0% under the polymer's solution over 0.2 mg/mL. Moreover, the reaction mechanisms of DPPH removal were explained in a new theory based on Mass spectral analysis. Therefore, it demonstrates that the GX polymers of is a potential antioxidant material for skin care products, and it does contribution to the theory of DPPH removal for application in the fields of chemistry, biology and medicine researches.

Association of lipoprotein (a) and 1 year prognosis in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

AIM: Current study was to evaluate relationship between baseline serum lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] level and prognosis in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and to explore whether the relationship would be modified by baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) level. METHODS AND RESULTS: This is an observational prospective study. HFrEF patients from outpatient clinic were consecutively recruited (n = 362). Based on Lp(a) cutoff (30 mg/dL), patients were divided into normal and high Lp(a) groups; and based on Hs-CRP cutoff (3 mg/dL), patients were divided into low-degree and high-degree groups. The 1 year rate of HF rehospitalization was similar between these two groups (22.7% vs. 24.1%, P = 0.18), while the 1 year rate of cardiovascular mortality was higher in Lp(a) ≥ 30 mg/dL versus Lp(a) < 30 mg/dL groups (20.3% vs. 13.3%, P = 0.009), as was composite endpoint (44.4% vs. 36.0%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, elevated Lp(a) level remained associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.22 and 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.64, P = 0.02] and composite endpoint (HR 1.38 and 95% CI 1.16-2.01, P = 0.006). In Hs-CRP ≥ 3 mg/dL group, elevated Lp(a) level was associated with HF rehospitalization, cardiovascular mortality, and composite endpoint, which was not observed in Hs-CRP < 3 mg/dL group. The association was greater for cardiovascular mortality (P-interaction = 0.04) and composite endpoint (P-interaction = 0.02) in Hs-CRP ≥ 3 mg/dL versus Hs-CRP < 3 mg/dL groups. CONCLUSION: Elevated Lp(a) level is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular mortality in HFrEF patients, which might be due to enhanced systemic inflammation.

Sex-specific cardiac and vascular responses to hypertension in Chinese populations without overt cardiovascular diseases.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of current study was to evaluate sex-specific cardiac and vascular responses to hypertension in Chinese populations without overt cardiovascular disease. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study and participants were enrolled in outpatient clinic between January 2017 and December 2019. Transthoracic echocardiographic measurements were performed to evaluate cardiac and vascular structure and function. RESULTS: Among 486 participants, women account for 36.2% (n = 176). Compared to men, women were younger, had shorter duration of hypertension, and more likely to be abdominal obesity. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) were similar, but women had higher mean pulse pressure (PP) than men. After adjustment for covariates, women had higher E/e' ratio and arterial elastance (Ea). The proportion of patients with concentric remodeling was higher in women (14.7% vs 9.5%). Increased SBP was associated with relative wall thickness (RWT), stroke volume (SV) index, E/e' ratio and Ea in both women and men, and the magnitude of the association between SBP and E/e' ratio was greater in women than in men (Pinteraction = 0.04). Increased DBP was associated with RWT and Ea in both women and men with similar magnitude. Increased PP was associated with RWT, E/e' ratio and Ea in both women and men, and the magnitude of the association between PP and Ea was greater in women than in men (Pinteraction = 0.03). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the current study indicates cardiac and vascular responses to hypertension are greater in women than in men, manifesting as an increased estimated LV filling pressure and arterial elastance in women.

Comparison of ambulatory blood pressure and clinic blood pressure in relation to cardiovascular diseases in diabetic patients.

The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic values of ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and clinic blood pressure (CBP) in diabetic patients with hypertension. A total of 450 diabetic hypertensive patients without established cardiovascular diseases were enrolled and 416 patients who had finished 12months' follow-up were included in final analysis. Baseline data were collected and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to evaluate prognostic value of ABP and CBP. Compared to those without study endpoints (n = 370), those experienced study endpoints (n = 46) were more elderly and more likely to be male, and had longer hypertension duration (7.0 ±â€Š3.0 years vs. 6.4 ±â€Š2.1 years, P < .05). No significant between-group differences in CBP indices were observed. However, those with study endpoints had significantly higher 24-hour systolic BP (SBP) (134 ±â€Š10 mmHg vs. 128 ±â€Š7 mmHg), nighttime SBP (130 ±â€Š7 mmHg vs. 120 ±â€Š5 mmHg), night/day SBP ratio (0.97 ±â€Š0.09 vs. 0.94 ±â€Š0.08), higher proportion of non-dipping BP pattern (39.1% vs. 31.4%) and higher 24-hour SBP variability. After extensively adjusted for traditional risk factors, nondipping BP pattern and 24-hourSBP, only 24-hour SBP and nighttime SBP remained independently related with cardiovascular outcomes, with hazard ratios and associated 95% confidence interval as 1.53 (1.28-2.03) and 1.50 (1.26-1.89), respectively. Although no independent relationship between BP pattern and cardiovascular outcomes was observed. In summary, in diabetic hypertensive patients without established cardiovascular diseases, baseline 24-hour SBP and nighttime SBP are useful markers for predicting short-term cardiovascular outcomes.

Increased Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 activity portends an increased risk of resistant hypertension.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) activity and incidence of resistant hypertension (RH). METHODS: This was a cross-sectional research. In essential, it was an observational design and collecting data on a population at a single point in time to evaluate the associations of studied variables. Totally 208 patients with arterial hypertension were enrolled. Baseline characteristics were collected and fasting venous blood were drawn for plasma Lp-PLA2 activity assessment. Twenty-four hour ambulatory blood pressure ambulatory (ABPM) was performed to diagnose RH. Initially, based on ABPM examination, all participants were divided into two groups, namely RH group and without RH group. And thereafter, in order to evaluate the effects of Lp-PLA2 activity on blood pressure, all participants were divided into low (< 225 nm/min/ml) and high (≥ 225 nm/min/ml) Lp-PLA2 activity groups based on the cut-off value of Lp-PLA2 activity. Comparisons were conducted between groups. RESULTS: Forty two patients were diagnosed as RH. Compared to patients without RH, patients with RH were more elderly, had more males, smokers, longer duration of hypertension, higher plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level and Lp-PLA2 activity (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). More RH patients treated with calcium channel blocker and diuretic, while less treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor, angiotensin receptor blocker and statins (P < 0.05 for all comparisons). Compared to low Lp-PLA2 group, the rate of RH was significantly higher in high Lp-PLA2 group (26.7 % versus 6.1 %, P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that after adjusted for age, gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension duration, CRP, and anti-hypertensive drugs, association between Lp-PLA2 activity and RH remained significant, with odds ratio (OD) of 2.02 (95 % confidence interval, CI 1.85-2.06, P < 0.05). Nonetheless, the association was attenuated when further adjusted for statins, with OR of 1.81 (95 % CI 1.74-1.93, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Increased plasma Lp-PLA2 activity portends increased risk of RH, and statins may be beneficial to reduce incidence of RH in subjects with increased plasma Lp-PLA2 activity.