Mediating effect of physical sub-health in the association of sugar-sweetened beverages consumption with depressive symptoms in Chinese college students: A structural equation model.

BACKGROUND: Although previous findings with small samples indicated that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) consumption was associated with depressive symptoms in adolescents, the mediating effect of physical sub-health in the association is unknown. METHODS: A survey was conducted among freshmen from 11 provinces in China. A food frequency questionnaire was used to collect dietary behavior, and patient health questionnaire-9 items was used to assess depressive symptoms. A generalized linear model was used to analyze the association between SSB consumption, physical sub-health and depressive symptoms. The structural equation model was used to analyze the mediating effect of physical sub-health. RESULTS: Of the 31,856 participants, 36.5 % had positive depressive symptoms. After adjusting for variables, carbonate beverages (ß = 0.11; 95%CI: 0.07-0.15; P = 0.000) and milk tea (ß = 0.07; 95%CI: 0.01-0.13; P = 0.021) consumption was associated with depressive symptoms in boys. Carbonate beverages (ß = 0.09; 95%CI: 0.05-0.13; P = 0.000), tea beverages (ß = 0.09; 95%CI: 0.04-0.13; P = 0.000), and milk tea (ß = 0.08; 95%CI: 0.04-0.11; P = 0.000) consumption was associated with depressive symptoms in girls. The mediating effect of physical sub-health accounted for 81.3 % of the total effect in the mediating model of SSB associated with depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective survey has certain information bias. Association observed in the cross-sectional study is uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the consumption of SSB associated with depressive symptoms in Chinese college students, and physical sub-health plays a complete mediating role in the association.

A decision tree model of hypertension among college students in Yunnan Province, China.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have indicated that the prevalence rate of hypertension in adolescents is high, but it has not received much attention and the influencing factors are unclear, especially in Yunnan Province, China. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cluster sampling method was used to investigate 4781 freshmen in a college in Kunming, Yunnan Province from November to December. Demographic and lifestyle data were collected using questionnaires, and height, weight and blood pressure were measured. Decision tree model of hypertension in college students was established by Chi-square automatic interactive detection method. RESULTS: Prevalence of prehypertension of systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were detected in 33.9% and 32.1%, respectively. Prevalence of hypertension of SBP and DBP was detected in 1.2% and 7.2%, respectively. The hypertension and prehypertension decision tree of SBP has gender (χ2 = 728.64, p < .001) at the first level and body mass index (BMI) (boys: χ2 = 55.98, p < .001; girls: χ2 = 79.58, p < .001) at the second level. The hypertension and prehypertension decision tree of DBP has gender (χ2 = 381.83, p < .001) at the first level, BMI (boys: χ2 = 40.54, p < .001; girls: χ2 = 48.79, p < .001) at the second level, only children (χ2 = 6.43, p = .04) and red wine consumption (χ2 = 8.17, p = .017) at the third level. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that gender, BMI, only children and red wine consumption were the main factors affecting hypertension in college students in southwest border areas of China.

Hypertension in Chinese adolescent is generally ignored. This study first reports the prevalence of hypertension in adolescents in Yunnan Province, China.Four thousand seven hundred and eighty-one freshmen were surveyed and height, weight and blood pressure were measured. A decision tree model was used to analyze the predictors of hypertension.The study demonstrated that gender, BMI, only children and red wine predict hypertension in adolescents.

Study on mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1-induced human neural stem cells differentiation by genechip / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The molecular targets of ginsenoside Rg1-induced neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiation were screened by genechip.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>7th day following ginsenoside Rg1 induced human neural stem cells to neurons the gene expression was observed by genechip. The purpose gene and signal transduction pathways were selected by the data calculations, and then confirmed by western blot and immunohistochemical method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>7th day following Rg1-induced NSCs differentiation, there were about 675 different genes, 255 genes of which were up-regulated and 420 genes down-regulated obviously. Meanwhile the ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase) in MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway was related with the NSCs differentiation. The Western blot and immunohistochemistry detection confirmed that ERK 1/2 protein and its phosphorylation were significantly increased, which can be blocked by PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor). In addition, differentiation rate of NSCs was also decreased obviously in ginsenoside Rg1-induced differentiated NSCs when ERK blocker PD98059 was used.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ERK1/2 is an important molecular target in ginsenoside Rg1-induced NSC differentiation. The selected differentially expressed genes by genechip may provide new clues to study of ginsenoside Rg1-induced NSCs differentiation.</p>