Long-Term Treatment of Cuban Policosanol Attenuates Abnormal Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Response via Amyloid Plaques Reduction in 5xFAD Mice.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder resulting in cognitive decline or dementia, the number of patients with AD is continuously increasing. Although a lot of great progress has been made in research and development of AD therapeutics, there is no fundamental cure for this disease yet. This study demonstrated the memory-improving effects of Cuban policosanol (PCO) in 5xFAD mice, which is an animal model of AD. Following 4-months of treatment with PCO in 5xFAD mice, we found that the number of amyloid plaques decreased in the brain compared to the vehicle-treated 5xFAD mice. Long-term PCO treatment in 5xFAD mice resulted in the reduction of gliosis and abnormal inflammatory cytokines level (interleukin [IL]-1ß, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α) in the cortex and hippocampus. Levels of lipid peroxide (4-hydroxynonenal [4-HNE]) and superoxide dismutase (SOD1 and SOD2) levels were also recoverd in the brains of PCO-treated 5xFAD mice. Notably, PCO administration reduced memory deficits in the passive avoidance test, as well as synaptic loss (PSD-95, synaptophysin) in 5xFAD mice. Collectively, we identified the potential effects of PCO as a useful supplement to delay or prevent AD progression by inhibiting the formation of Aß plaques in the brain.

Factors Related to Sleep Disorders among Male Firefighters.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with sleep disorders in male firefighters working in a metropolitan city in South Korea. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires including the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, Korean Occupational Stress Scale-Short Form, Psychosocial Well-Being Index-Short Form, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and Beck-Depression Inventory-2 as well as surveys collecting socio-demographic characteristics and work-related factors were given to 730 male firefighters. After exclusion for missing data, 657 male firefighters were included, and logistic regression analysis adjusted for the work-related factors, psychosocial factors, and general risk factors were used to assess the relationship between sleep disorders and associated factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of sleep disorders was 48.7%. Shift work (adjusted OR 1.58, 95% CI = 1.02-2.45), musculoskeletal symptoms (adjusted OR 2.89, 95% CI = 2.02-4.14), and depression (adjusted OR 7.04 95% CI = 4.03-12.30) were associated with sleep disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal symptoms, shift work, and depression are associated with sleep disorders. Integrated health management is needed to promote good sleep quality among firefighters.