Lipid Composition, Cytotoxic and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Effects of Two Brown Algae Species Lobophora tsengii and Lobophora australis.

In this paper, the lipid classes, compositions of the neutral lipids, phospholipids and fatty acids, acetylcholinesterase inhibition and cytotoxic activity of two brown algae Lobophora tsengii D. Tien & Z. Sun and Lobophora australis Z. Sun, F. C. Gurgel & H. Kawai have been investigated. The polar lipid class had the highest content in total lipid (TL) (43.47% in L. tsengii and 48.95% in L. australis). Phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were the main components in the phospholipids of two studied brown algae with contents varied from 32.27% to 52.33%. Total lipids were rich in PUFA (42.54% of total fatty acids for L. australis and 32.98% for L. tsengii), with EPA (11.46%, 14.30%) and AA (8.0%, 11.96%). L. tsengii methanol extract inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in in vitro assay with an IC50 value of 25.45 µg/mL. Both Lobophora methanol extracts display cytotoxic effects against four human cancer cell lines (KB, MCF7, HepG2 and A549) with IC50 in the range of 21.11-83.61 µg/mL. Especially, L. australis extract showed a strong cytotoxicity against KB cell lines with IC50 value of 21.11±0.39 µg/mL.

Six New Polyoxygenated Xanthones from Garcinia cowa and Their Neuroprotective Effects on Glutamate-Mediated Hippocampal Neuronal HT22 Cell Death.

Six new polyoxygenated xanthones, garcicowanones F-H (1-3), norcowanol A-B (4-5), and garcinone F (6) along with twelve known compounds 7-18 were obtained from the latex of Garcinia cowa Roxb. ex Choisy. All new compounds have a 1,3,7-trioxygenated or 1,3,6,7-tetraoxygenated xanthone nucleus and differ from majority of xanthones from G. cowa by hydrated side chains. Compounds 1, 7, 8 and 18 exhibited significant neuroprotective effects on glutamate-mediated hippocampal neuronal HT22 cell death. In particular, compound 1 exhibited the most potent neuroprotective effect with >80 % cell viability in the concentration range of 2.9-115 µM. Further studies on compound 1 showed that it decreased cellular Ca2+ influx and inhibits cellular reactive oxygen species generation in HT22 cells. A Western blot analysis showed that MAPK phosphorylation, Bax, and AIF translocation dramatically increased upon treatment with 5 mM glutamate and decreased upon a co-treatment with compound 1.

Telephone-Based Smoking Cessation Counseling Service: Satisfaction and Outcomes in Vietnamese Smokers.

BACKGROUND: As a method to acknowledge the devastating health and economic impacts of tobacco usage worldwide, telephone-based tobacco cessation counseling services have emerged as a potential tool to aid people in their quitting process. This study explores the satisfaction of smokers who use the QUITLINE service and factors associated with their quit attempts and cessation. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of 110 participants was conducted from June to July 2016 at the Respiratory Center at Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Multivariate logistic regression was used, and it was found that the percentage of people quitting smoking increased after using the service. RESULTS: In total, 65.5% of participants were completely satisfied with the counseling service. The mean score of staff/s capacity/responsiveness, motivation, and service convenience were 4.37 ± 0.78, 4.30 ± 0.81, and 4.27 ± 0.66, respectively. The smoking relapse rate was relatively high at 58.3%, which mainly resulted from cravings and busy work (26.2% and 14.3%, respectively). A higher satisfaction score in "Staffs' capacity and responsiveness" was negatively associated with "ever tried to quit smoking in consecutive 24 h" and actually quit smoking after receiving counseling. Meanwhile, a higher score in the "Motivation" domain was positively associated with both quit attempt indicators as well as actually quitting smoking after receiving counseling (OR = 9.48; 95%CI = 2.27; 39.57). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that it is crucial for decision makers to place more focus on countermeasures for smoking relapse and to strengthen the capacity of staff, especially in motivating clients. Interventions should also be maintained throughout a long period of time to prevent relapse.

Tobacco smoking and nicotine dependence among patients with respiratory diseases in Vietnam: Status and correlated factors.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding nicotine dependence can support clinicians in enhancing the effectiveness of treatments for respiratory patients. Our research aimed to assess the severity of nicotine dependence among patients with respiratory diseases in Vietnam and accordingly suggest potential interventions for tobacco cessation. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Respiratory center of Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, for two months of 2016 (October and November). A total of 508 respondents participated in the study Data on socio-economic characteristics and smoking patterns were collected. The Euroqol-5 dimensions-5 levels (EQ-5D-5L) and Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) were used to evaluate patient's quality of life and the nicotine dependence level, respectively. Kruskal-Wallis and Chi-square tests were used to assess the differences between variables. We applied the multivariate logistic regression and Tobit regression to categorize the association between nicotine dependence level and other factors. RESULTS: A total of 508 patients enrolled in our study. Former smokers and current smokers accounted for 8.1% and 38.6% of the sample, respectively. Current smokers were more likely to be male, work as free lancers, and report anxiety/depression. Higher level of nicotine dependence among current smokers was associated with the employment status of the patient. The mean number of cigarettes per day was 15.7 (SD = 11.1). The mean score of the FTND was 5.1 (SD = 2.0). Freelancers were more likely to be a current smoker (OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.21; 5.79). People who experienced anxiety/depression had a higher likelihood of smoking (OR = 2.21, 95% CI = 1.04; 4.72). CONCLUSIONS: Current smokers demonstrated a moderate level of nicotine dependence, which predict a difficult quitting and suggest the development of specialized programs to support smoking cessation counseling. Furthermore, the capabilities of physicians in supporting and counseling patients in quitting smoking should be strengthened.

Inadequate Knowledge, Attitude and Practices about Second-Hand Smoke among Non-Smoking Pregnant Women in Urban Vietnam: The Need for Health Literacy Reinforcement.

The rate of exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) is relatively high in several countries, including Vietnam, and health issues related to SHS have worsened in recent years, especially for pregnant women and their infants. Enhancement of knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores of pregnant women in Vietnam could raise practical interventions to protect their health and reduce complications of SHS. A cross-sectional study of 432 pregnant women who came to the Obstetrics Department of Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam for antenatal care was conducted in 2016 to collect information about their KAP related to SHS. Composite mean scores from survey questions assessing their KAP were calculated on a 10-point scale, finding mean scores of 4.19, 7.45, and 4.30, respectively. Higher scores indicated better knowledge, attitude, and practice. Generalized linear models identified that age, occupation, living place, and sources of information were associated with SHS-related KAP. Findings from this study indicate that suitable programs related to SHS should be implemented to improve and reinforce health literacy to both mothers and smokers to reduce the harmfulness of smoking on women and their infants' health.

Passive Smoking Exposure and Perceived Health Status in Children Seeking Pediatric Care Services at a Vietnamese Tertiary Hospital.

Understanding the predictors of health conditions and exposure to secondhand smoke among children is necessary to determine the severity of the issues and identify effective solutions. Despite the significant prevalence in smoking and child exposure to secondhand smoke, there have been only a few studies focusing on this area in Vietnam, and thus the current study aims to fill in this gap. The questionnaires of 435 children aged between 0 and 6 and their caregivers, who agreed to participate in the research, were collected at the Pediatric Department of Bach Mai hospital, Hanoi, in 2016. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with perceived health status and exposure to secondhand smoke among children in the last 24 h and the last 7 days from the date of the survey. Our study found that 43% of the respondents had smokers in the family, and 46.4% of children were exposed to passive smoking in the last 7 days. Urban children were most frequently exposed to passive smoking at home and in public, whereas in the rural area, the home and relatives' houses were the most common places for exposure. Compared to children whose caregivers were farmers, children of non-government workers were more likely to be exposed to passive smoking in the last 7 days. Moreover, children in a family having smoking rules and no smokers were less likely to be exposed to passive smoking in the last 24 h and 7 days than those living in a family allowing smoking and having smokers. In conclusion, our study shows that the government needs to implement better public smoking monitoring and encourage caregivers to implement smoke-free households or smoking rules in their houses.