Spa therapy (balneotherapy) relieves mental stress, sleep disorder, and general health problems in sub-healthy people.

To investigate the relieving effects of hot spring balneotherapy on mental stress, sleep disorder, general health problems, and women's health problems in sub-healthy people, we recruited 500 volunteers in sub-health in Chongqing, and 362 volunteers completed the project, including 223 in the intervention group and 139 in the control group. The intervention group underwent hot spring balneotherapy for 5 months, while the control group did not. The two groups took questionnaire investigation (general data, mental stress, emotional status, sleep quality, general health problems, as well as some women's health problems) and physical examination (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, blood lipid, blood sugar) 5 months before and after the intervention, respectively. After intervention, sleep disorder (difficulty in falling asleep (P = 0.017); dreaminess, nightmare suffering, and restless sleep (P = 0.013); easy awakening (P = 0.003) and difficulty in falling into sleep again after awakening(P = 0.016); and mental stress (P = 0.031) and problems of general health (head pain (P = 0.026), joint pain(P = 0.009), leg or foot cramps (P = 0.001), blurred vision (P = 0.009)) were relieved significantly in the intervention group, as compared with the control group. While other indicators (fatigue, eye tiredness, limb numbness, constipation, skin allergy) and women's health problems (breast distending pain; dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation) were relieved significantly in the self-comparison of the intervention group before and after intervention (P < 0.05), but showed no statistically significant difference between two groups (P > 0.05). All indications (except bad mood, low mood, and worry or irritability) in the intervention group significantly improved, with effect size from 0.096 to 1.302. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the frequency, length, and location of balneotherapy in the intervention group were the factors influencing emotion, sleep, and health condition (P < 0.05). Relief of insomnia, fatigue, and leg or foot cramps was greater in old-age group than in young-aged group (P < 0.05). Physical examination found that waist circumferences in women of various ages under 55 years were significantly reduced in the intervention group (P < 0.05), while that in men did not significantly change (P > 0.05). Spa therapy (balneotherapy) relieves mental stress, sleep disorder, general health, and reduces women's waist circumferences in sub-healthy people.

[Health Qigong Wuqinxi improves hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectra in prefrontal cortex and hippocampus in college students with mild depression].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of health Qigong Wuqinxi exercise on mild depression in college students and analyze the changes in hydrogen proton magnetic resonance spectra (1H-MRS) in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus after the exercise. METHODS: Fifty-eight volunteer college students, including 30 with mild depression and 28 healthy students, were randomized into the intervention group and non-intervention group. The students in the intervention group were asked to practice health Qigong Wuqinxi training for 12 weeks and those in the non-intervention group did not engage in such training. For each subject, BECK Depression Self-reported questionnaire (BDI), Hamilton Depression rating scale (HAMD) score, and the metabolic parameters of 1H-MRS in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus were evaluated before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Before the intervention, the scores of BDI and HAMD in the depression group were significantly higher than that in the control group (P<0.01), and were lowered obviously after the 12-week intervention (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, 1H-MRS in the depression group before intervention showed significantly increased NAA/Cr value in the left prefrontal cortex, Cho/Cr value in the bilateral hippocampus and the left frontal lobe, and Cho/Cr value of the left hippocampus and right frontal lobe (P<0.05) with significantly lowered NAA/Cho value in the bilateral prefrontal and Cho/NAA value in the right hippocampus (P<0.05). After 12 weeks of intervention, NAA/Cr value in the bilateral hippocampus and the NAA/Cho value in the right hippocampus were significantly lowered (P<0.05), and NAA/Cho value in the right prefrontal and Cho/NAA value in the right hippocampus were significantly increased (P<0.05) in the depression group. Before the intervention, Pearson correlation analysis showed that the scores of HAMD and BDI were positively correlated with Cho/Cr value in the hippocampus and NAA/Cr value in prefrontal lobe (P<0.01) and inversely with NAA/Cho in prefrontal lobe and Cho/NAA value in the hippocampus (P<0.05); after the intervention, the scores of HAMD and BDI were positively correlated with NAA/Cr value in the hippocampus and Cho/Cr value in the left hippocampus (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Exercise of health Qigong Wuqinxi can reduce depression scale scores in patients with mild depression and improve the metabolic indexes (NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr values) in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.

Cadmium Exposure is Associated with the Prevalence of Dyslipidemia.

BACKGROUND: Cadmium is a widespread environmental and occupational pollutant that accumulates in human body with a biological half-life exceeding 10 years. Cadmium exposure has been demonstrated to increase rates of cardiovascular diseases. Whether occupational cadmium exposure is associated with the increase in the prevalence of dyslipidemia and hence contributes to the risk of cardiovascular diseases is still equivocal. To test the hypothesis that exposure to cadmium is related to the prevalence of dyslipidemia, we examined the associations between blood cadmium concentration and the prevalence of dyslipidemia in workers occupationally exposed to cadmium in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey on demographic data, blood cadmium level and lipid profile in cadmium exposed workers from seven cadmium smelting factories in central and southwestern China was conducted. We measured blood cadmium concentration and lipid components of 1489 cadmium exposed workers. The prevalence of dyslipidemia was compared across blood cadmium quartiles. Associations between the blood cadmium concentrations and the prevalence of dyslipidemia were assessed using confounder adjusted linear and logistic regressions. RESULTS: The blood cadmium concentration was 3.61±0.84µg/L ( mean ±SD). The prevalence of dyslipidemia in this occupational population was 66.3%. Mean blood cadmium concentration of workers with dyslipedemia was significantly higher than that of workers without dyslipidemia (p <0.01). The prevalence of dyslipidemia increased dose-dependently with elevations in blood cadmium concentrations (p for trend <0.001). Elevated levels of blood cadmium were associated with BMI, education attainment, income, smoking status and duration of exposure (all p <0.01). Furthermore, the profile of blood lipid was obviously changed in this occupational population. The prevalence of high TC, high TG, Low HDL-C and high LDL-C rose with increases in blood cadmium levels dose-dependently (p for trend <0.001). The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for dyslipidemia across the increasing blood cadmium quartiles were 1.21(1.16-1.55), 1.56(1.11-1.87), 1.79(1.26-2.25) respectively (referencing to 1.00; p for trend <0.001), after multivariate adjustment for BMI, education attainment, income, lifestyle factors and duration of exposure, the association between blood cadmium concentrations and the prevalence of dyslipidemia remained unchanged (all p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: Elevated blood cadmium concentration is associated with prevalence of dyslipidemia. Cadmium exposure could alter lipid metabolism in humans. It is imperative to control cadmium exposure of occupational population in cadmium related industries and reduce adverse health effects.

[Effect of Benzo [α]pryene and Butylated Hydroxylanisole on Learning and Memory in Rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neurotoxic effect of benzo[α]pryene (B[α]P) and protective effect of butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) on learning and memory in hippocampus of rats. METHODS: Ninety male, SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group, solvent control group, B[α]P exposed group [(2 mg/(kg x d)], BRA group [50 mg/(kg x d)] and B[α]P + BHA combined group. Rats were given the appropriate dose oral treatment according to body mass and group (the same volume of saline and peanut oil were given to blank and solvent control group, respectively) for 90 d. After 90 d exposer, Morris water maze (MWM) was conducted to estimate rats' learning and memory ability. The level of malonaldehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-Mg(2+)-ATPase activity and Ca2+ concentration were measured after rats were sacrificed and brain tissue were removed. RESULTS: Behavioral test results showed that the escape latency of B[α]P exposed group were significantly increased than other groups (P < 0.05); however, the number of crossing platform (4.13 ± 0.78) were decreased significant. The level of MDA [( 2.46 ± 0.39) nmol/mg prot.] and Ca2+ concentration [(146.3 ± 16.68) nmol/L] in the B[α]P exposed group increased significant, while the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase and SOD [(76.1 ± 11.42) nmol/mg prot.] were significantly decreased. Compared with B[α]P group, each index in B[α]P+ BHA combined group improved significantly (P < 0.05), besides, there were no statistically difference when compared with solvent control group. CONCLUSION: The neurotoxic effect of B[α]P may be related to the decrease of ATPase activity and the increase of Ca2+ concentration in hippocampus, while BHA can prevent these damages.

[Rutin protects against trimethyltin-induced learning and memory impairment in BALB/c mice by antagonizing down-regulated synaptophysin expression].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the protective effects of rutin against learning and memory impairment induced by trimethyltin (TMT) and investigate the possible mechanism. METHODS: Forty 6- to 9-week-old male BALB/c mice were randomized equally into saline group (control), TMT group, TMT+rutin group, and rutin group. Mouse models of learning and memory impairment were establish by acute TMT (2.25 mg/kg) exposure. In TMT+rutin and rutin treatment groups, the mice received intraperitioneal injection of rutin (10 mg/kg) for 1 week before TMT exposure. Twenty-four hours after TMT exposure, Morris water maze test was employed to test the escape latency of the mice, and the synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus and cortex were analyzed by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared that in TMT group, the escape latency of the mice in water maze test was significantly shorter in the other 3 groups (P<0.05); the escape latency in TMT +rutin group was similar with that in the control and rutin groups (P>0.05). Western blotting showed significantly decreased synaptophysin expression in the hippocampus and cortex in TMT group (P<0.05); synaptophysin expression in TMT +rutin group increased significantly compared with that in TMT group (P<0.05) but showed no statistical significance from that in rutin and control groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Rutin pretreatment offers protective effect against TMT-induced learning and memory impairment in mice possibly by antagonizing decreased synaptophysin in the hippocampus and cortex.

Synaptophysin and the dopaminergic system in hippocampus are involved in the protective effect of rutin against trimethyltin-induced learning and memory impairment.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of rutin against trimethyltin-induced spatial learning and memory impairment in mice. This study focused on the role of synaptophysin, growth-associated protein 43 and the action of the dopaminergic system in mechanisms associated with rutin protection and trimethyltin-induced spatial learning and memory impairment. METHODS: Cognitive learning and memory was measured by Morris Water Maze. The expression of synaptophysin and growth-associated protein 43 in hippocampus was analyzed by western blot. The concentrations of dopamine, homovanillic acid, and dihyroxyphenylacetic acid in hippocampus were detected using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection. RESULTS: Trimethyltin-induced spatial learning impairment showed a dose-dependent mode. Synaptophysin but not growth-associated protein 43 was decreased in the hippocampus after trimethyltin administration. The concentration of dopamine decreased, while homovanillic acid increased in the hippocampus after trimethyltin administration. Mice pretreated with 20 mg/kg of rutin for 7 consecutive days exhibited improved water maze performance. Moreover, rutin pretreatment reversed the decrease of synaptophysin expression and dopamine alteration. DISCUSSION: These results suggest that rutin may protect against spatial memory impairment induced by trimethyltin. Synaptophysin and the dopaminergic system may be involved in trimethyltin-induced neuronal damage in hippocampus.

The monitoring results of electromagnetic radiation of 110-kV high-voltage lines in one urban location in Chongqing P.R. China.

To understand electromagnetic radiation field strength and its influencing factors of certain 110-kV high-voltage lines in one urban area of Chongqing by measuring 110-kV high-voltage line's electromagnetic radiation level. According to the methodology as determined by the National Hygienic Standards, we selected certain adjacent residential buildings, high-voltage lines along a specific street and selected different distances around its vertical projection point as monitoring points. The levels of electromagnetic radiations were measured respectively. In this investigation within the frequency of 5-1,000 Hz both the electric field strength and magnetic field strength of each monitoring sites were lower than the public exposure standards as determined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection. However, the electrical field strength on the roof adjacent to the high-voltage lines was significantly higher than that as measured on the other floors in the same buildings (p < 0.05). The electromagnetic radiation measurements of different monitoring points, under the same high-voltage lines, showed the location which is nearer the high-voltage line maintain a consistently higher level of radiation than the more distant locations (p < 0.05). Electromagnetic radiation generated by high-voltage lines decreases proportionally to the distance from the lines. The buildings can to some extent shield (or absorb) the electric fields generated by high-voltage lines nearby. The electromagnetic radiation intensity near high-voltage lines may be mitigated or intensified by the manner in which the high-voltage lines are set up, and it merits attention for the potential impact on human health.