The Smartphone-Assisted Intervention Improved Perception of Nutritional Status among Middle School Students.

Misperception of nutritional status is common and hinders the progress of childhood obesity prevention. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a smartphone-assisted intervention to improve student and parental perception of students' nutritional status (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese). We conducted a parallel-group controlled trial with a non-randomized design in three junior middle schools of Beijing, China in 2019. One school was allocated to the intervention group and two schools to the control group. A total of 573 students (aged 13.1 ± 0.4 years) participated in the trial. The 3-month intervention included three components: health education sessions for students and parents, regular monitoring of students' weight, and the provision of feedback via a smartphone application. Schools in the control group continued their usual practice. Primary outcomes included the student and parental accurate perception of students' nutritional status. The percentage of students' accurate perception of their own nutritional status in the intervention group increased from 49.0% to 59.2% from baseline to three months, whereas it decreased from 64.1% to 58.1% in the control group; the adjusted odds ratio (OR) between the two groups was 1.71 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13, 2.59). The intervention did not significantly improve parental perception of students' nutritional status (p > 0.05). The study findings provided a brief approach for improving perception of nutritional status among middle school students.

Ethyl Rosmarinate Protects High Glucose-Induced Injury in Human Endothelial Cells.

Ethyl rosmarinate (RAE) is one of the active constituents from Clinopodium chinense (Benth.) O. Kuntze, which is used for diabetic treatment in Chinese folk medicine. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of RAE on high glucose-induced injury in endothelial cells and explored its underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that both RAE and rosmarinic acid (RA) increased cell viability, decreased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and attenuated high glucose-induced endothelial cells apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by Hochest staining, Annexin V⁻FITC/PI double staining, and caspase-3 activity. RAE and RA both elevated Bcl-2 expression and reduced Bax expression, according to Western blot. We also found that LY294002 (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, or PI3K inhibitor) weakened the protective effect of RAE. In addition, PDTC (nuclear factor-κB, or NF-κB inhibitor) and SP600125 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase, or JNK inhibitor) could inhibit the apoptosis in endothelial cells caused by high glucose. Further, we demonstrated that RAE activated Akt, and the molecular docking analysis predicted that RAE showed more affinity with Akt than RA. Moreover, we found that RAE inhibited the activation of NF-κB and JNK. These results suggested that RAE protected endothelial cells from high glucose-induced apoptosis by alleviating reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and regulating the PI3K/Akt/Bcl-2 pathway, the NF-κB pathway, and the JNK pathway. In general, RAE showed greater potency than RA equivalent.

[The hypolipidemic and liver protective effect of (Z)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide on hyperlipidemic golden hamsters].

This study is to observe preventive effect of (Z)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide on hyperlipidemia and fatty liver of golden hamsters. Hyperlipidemic golden hamsters fed with high-fat diet was administered orally with (Z)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide (10, 20 and 40 mg x kg(-1)) for 5 weeks. Levels of serum and hepatic lipid content, liver histology, hepatic MDA and SOD levels, serum ALT and AST levels were evaluated in golden hamsters. (Z)-N-(2-Hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide has a hypolipidemic effect, and could reduce hepatic lipid content, serum ALT and AST levels, hepatic MDA level, increase hepatic SOD activity. (Z)-N-(2-Hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide plays an important role in reducing serum lipid, restraining hepatic fatty deposition and protecting liver to get rid of peroxidation injury of hyperlipidemic golden hamsters. The exact lipid-lowering mechanism of (Z)-N-(2-hydroxyethyl) docos-13-enamide needs further investigation.

Tissue distribution of s-oleylpropanolamide in rats detected by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

This paper is to report the development of a rapid and sensitive method for the determination of s-oleylpropanolamide (OPA) in various tissues of rat (brain, heart, lung, liver, spleen, small intestine, kidney, adipose tissue and muscle), and to assess the applicability of the assay to tissue distribution. OPA was extracted by liquid-liquid extraction method with undecylenoylethanolamide as an internal standard. The concentrations of OPA were determined by LC-MS/MS after a single intragastric dose of 50 mg x kg(-1) at 4 time points (5 rats per group). With multiple reactions monitoring mode (MRM) the limit of quantification (LLOQ) was determined at 1 microg x L(-1). The calibration curve was linear from 1 to 2 x 104 microg x L(-1) (r > or = 0.999 0) for tissue homogenates. Validation parameters such as accuracy, precision and recovery were found to be within the acceptance criteria of the assay validation guidelines. The highest concentration was found in small intestine (the highest time point is 15 min) and heart (the highest time point is 90 min). The assay is rapid, sensitive and applicable to studying tissue distribution of OPA in rats.

[A community-based epidemiologic study on gastroesophageal reflux disease in Haidian district of Beijing].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and its symptoms in Haidian district of Beijing, identify its associated risk factors and analyze the relations between GERD and history of other diseases. METHODS: 2615 residents of 18-80 years old were selected to participate in the study by multi-stage sampling from Haidian district from June and September in 2008. Questionnaires were distributed to obtain the information on demographic characteristics, diseases history and the reflux disease questionnaire (RDQ). RESULTS: The prevalence of GERD in the population was 8.4% (220/2615), and the prevalence of heartburn, reflux, both heartburn and reflux were 1.0% (25/2615), 6.2% (163/2615) and 1.2% (32/2615), respectively. Multi-factor analysis showed rural area (OR = 2.237, 95%CI: 1.422 - 3.517), female (OR = 1.456, 95%CI: 1.085 - 1.955), high education (OR = 1.242, 95%CI: 1.001 - 1.542), pressure (OR = 1.277, 95%CI: 1.089 - 1.497), bad emotional status (OR = 1.320, 95%CI: 1.046 - 1.665), and family history of gastrointestinal disorders (OR = 1.594, 95%CI: 1.075 - 2.365) were significantly associated with GERD. Rural area (OR = 2.481, 95%CI: 1.278 - 4.818), female (OR = 1.747, 95%CI: 0.902 - 3.386), drinking (OR = 1.838, 95%CI: 0.916 - 3.690), no exercise (OR = 2.091; 95%CI: 1.131 - 3.867) and bad emotional status (OR = 1.657, 95%CI: 1.123 - 2.446) were significant risk factors for heartburn. Rural area (OR = 2.171, 95%CI: 1.326 - 3.556), female (OR = 1.505, 95%CI: 1.102 - 2.056), high education (OR = 1.347, 95%CI: 1.063 - 1.706), pressure (OR = 1.317, 95%CI: 1.113 - 1.558), bad emotional status (OR = 1.266, 95%CI: 0.992 - 1.616), and family history of gastrointestinal disorders (OR = 1.739, 95%CI: 1.163 - 2.600) were significantly associated with reflux symptom. History of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, anxiety, depression, peptic ulcer, gastritis, and renal diseases were found to be significantly related to GERD and its symptoms. CONCLUSION: This area has epidemic of GERD, which was related to mental problems and unhealthy life style, and should be paid more attention by conducting effective community-based interventions.