Serum vitamin C levels and their correlation with chronic kidney disease in adults: a nationwide study.

INTRODUCTION: Inflammation and oxidative stress play significant roles in the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Given the recognized antioxidant properties of vitamin C, our study aimed to explore the correlation between CKD and serum vitamin C levels. METHODS: Data were gathered from the 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants below 18 years of age, pregnant individuals, those lacking essential data for CKD diagnosis, or individuals with incomplete serum vitamin C data were excluded. Subgroup and weighted multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the potential correlation between serum vitamin C and CKD. RESULTS: Our study comprised 4969 participants, revealing an overall CKD prevalence of 15.0%. The results indicated that individuals with reduced serum vitamin C levels were more likely to be male, possess lower educational attainment, have a diminished poverty-income ratio, engage in heavy drinking, and be current smokers. Additionally, they exhibited a higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes. Significantly, participants in the third quartile group experienced a 37.0%, 47.0%, and 46.6% decrease in the risk of developing albuminuria, low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and CKD, respectively. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that individuals between 65 and 80 years of age showed a statistically reduced risk of developing CKD and low eGFR when their serum vitamin C levels fell in the third and fourth quartile groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings reveal a correlation between elevated serum vitamin C levels and a decreased risk of developing albuminuria, low eGFR, and CKD. Appropriately increasing serum vitamin C levels may hold promise in protecting renal function, particularly among older individuals.

The impact of platelet indices on ischemic stroke: a Mendelian randomization study and mediation analysis.

Introduction: Platelet indices (PIs) are hematological parameters that indicate the number, morphology, and activation of platelets. Although some clinical trials suggest an association between PIs and the risk of stroke, the lack of robust evidence is attributed to confounding effects and reverse causation. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the association between PIs and stroke risk through Mendelian randomization (MR) while exploring the mediating effect of blood pressure in this association. Methods: We identified genetic variants associated with PIs, including platelet count (PLT), platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet crit (PCT), in the UK Biobank (n = 350,474). Relevant genome-wide association studies were utilized to gather summary statistics pertaining to the traits of interest. We primarily used the inverse-variance weighted analysis to obtain estimates for individual causal power. Result: We observed a positive correlation between genetically predicted increases in PCT levels with the stroke onset [PCT: OR (95%CI) = 1.113(1.047, 1.183), p < 0.001]. However, no significant causal relationship was found between PLT, PDW, and MPV and the risk of stroke [PLT: OR (95%CI) = 1.037(0.979, 1.098), p = 0.221; PDW: OR (95%CI) = 0.973(0.923, 1.024), p = 0.294; MPV: OR (95%CI) = 0.990(0.945, 1.038), p = 0.675]. Multivariable MR analyses and mediation analysis found that the proportion mediated by systolic blood pressure (SBP) is 23.71% [95%CI (10.85-33.31%)] and the proportion mediated by diastolic blood pressure (DBP) is 28.09% [95%CI (12.92-39.63%)]. Conclusion: This large MR study presents evidence for the potential causal relationship between the PCT level and the risk of ischemic stroke, which might be mediated by blood pressure.

Repeated exposure to sevoflurane in neonatal rats impairs cognition in adulthood via the PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.

Sevoflurane (Sev) anesthesia is widely used in pediatrics due to its low blood-gas partition coefficient and lack of pungency. However, Sev treatment may lead to cognitive dysfunction in later life. The current study administered Sev to neonatal rats to investigate the effects of Sev treatment on cognitive performance in adulthood. In total, 6-day-old rats received 3% Sev for 2 h daily for 3 consecutive days. The cognitive function of rats in adulthood was evaluated in 56-day-old rats by Morris water maze test. The hippocampal neuron morphology was observed by Nissl staining. Hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were measured by ELISA. The protein expression of protein kinase A (PKA), cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated-CREB (p-CREB) and BDNF in hippocampus were assessed by western blotting. The water maze results demonstrated that neonatal treatment with Sev resulted in a significant impairment of cognition in 56-day-old adult rats. Behavioral analysis revealed that Sev treatment increased latency to first pass the platform and decreased residence in target quadrants and across platform frequency compared with the control group in Morris water maze tests. Furthermore, compared with the control group, neonatal exposure to Sev reduced the number of neurons and the concentration of BDNF in the hippocampus, a brain region important for learning and memory. Additionally, Sev significantly decreased the expression of PKA, p-CREB, BDNF and the p-CREB/CREB ratio. Treatment with bucladesine, a selective PKA agonist, partially reversed the deleterious effects of Sev. In summary, the results indicated that PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling served an important role in the cognitive decline caused by neonatal exposure to Sev.

Hemodynamics and anesthetic effect of propofol combined with remifentanil in patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy under laryngeal mask airway anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of propofol combined with remifentanil on hemodynamics and anesthetic effect in patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy under laryngeal mask airway (LMA) anesthesia. METHODS: From December 2018 to December 2019, gynecological patients who underwent laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy in our hospital were chosen and randomly separated into control group (group A) and combination group (group B). In the group B, patients were anesthetized with remifentanil combined with propofol. In the group A, patients were anesthetized with fentanyl combined with propofol. The anesthetic effect, hemodynamic changes, alertness-sedation score (OAAS), verbal depiction score (VRA), postoperative VAS score and adverse reactions were observed and compared in both groups. RESULTS: The anesthesia induction time, recovery time of postoperative spontaneous respiration, time of opening eyes and time of removing laryngeal mask in the group B were shorter than those in the group A, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The OAAS scores at the time of recovery and 5 min after laryngeal mask removal in the group B were obviously lower than those in the group A. The mean arterial pressure and heart rate before and after 40 min pneumoperitoneum were more stable than those in the group A. The degree of postoperative pain in the group B was also significantly weaker than that in the group A. The incidence of postoperative adverse reactions was also lower than that of the group A, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Propofol combined with remifentanil and LMA anesthesia has better anesthetic effect, more stable condition and higher safety for patients undergoing laparoscopic ovarian cystectomy.

Study on miscibility, thermal properties, degradation behaviors, and toughening mechanism of poly(lactic acid)/poly (ethylene-butylacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate) blends.

In the work, the poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (ethylene-butylacrylate-glycidyl methacrylate) (PTW) blends were prepared by melt compounding. PTW as a toughening agent for PLA, the PLA/PTW blends had good compatibility due to the chemical reaction between the epoxy groups of PTW and the end group of PLA during the blending process. With increasing PTW content from 0 to 20%, the impact strength of PLA/PTW blends was enhanced from 4.6 to 54.1 kJ/m2 and the elongation at break was increased from 5.6% to 270%. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the impact fracture surfaces showed a large amount of cavities and plastic deformation, which caused by the elastomer and the interfacial adhesion enhanced through the interaction of the terminal functional groups. That was the reason that the toughness of PLA was increased. Finally, proteinase K-catalyzed degradation tests shown that the addition of PTW was beneficial to the biodegradation of PLA and reduced environmental pollution.

Viability, biofilm formation, and MazEF expression in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains circulating in Xinjiang, China.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is one of the most common chronic infectious amphixenotic diseases worldwide. Prevention and control of TB are greatly difficult, due to the increase in drug-resistant TB, particularly multidrug-resistant TB. We speculated that there were some differences between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant MTB strains and that mazEF3,6,9 toxin-antitoxin systems (TASs) were involved in MTB viability. This study aimed to investigate differences in viability, biofilm formation, and MazEF expression between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant MTB strains circulating in Xinjiang, China, and whether mazEF3,6,9 TASs contribute to MTB viability under stress conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Growth profiles and biofilm-formation abilities of drug-sensitive, drug-resistant MTB strains and the control strain H37Rv were monitored. Using molecular biology experiments, the mRNA expression of the mazF3, 6, and 9 toxin genes, the mazE3, 6, and 9 antitoxin genes, and expression of the MazF9 protein were detected in the different MTB strains, H37RvΔmazEF3,6,9 mutants from the H37Rv parent strain were generated, and mutant viability was tested. RESULTS: Ex vivo culture analyses demonstrated that drug-resistant MTB strains exhibit higher survival rates than drug-sensitive strains and the control strain H37Rv. However, there was no statistical difference in biofilm-formation ability in the drug-sensitive, drug-resistant, and H37Rv strains. mazE3,6 mRNA-expression levels were relatively reduced in the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains compared to H37Rv. Conversely, mazE3,9 expression was increased in drug-sensitive strains compared to drug-resistant strains. Furthermore, compared with the H37Rv strain, mazF3,6 expression was increased in drug-resistant strains, mazF9 expression was increased in drug-sensitive strains, and mazF9 exhibited reduced expression in drug-resistant strains compared with drug-sensitive strains. Protein expression of mazF9 was increased in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains compared to H37Rv, while drug-resistant strains exhibited reduced mazF9 expression compared to drug-sensitive strains. Compared to H37Rv, H37RvΔmazEF3,6,9-deletion mutants grew more slowly under both stress conditions, and their ability to survive in host macrophages was also weaker. Furthermore, the host macrophage-apoptosis rate was higher after infection with any of the H37RvΔmazEF3,6,9 mutants than with the H37Rv strain. CONCLUSION: The increased viability of MTB drug-resistant strains compared with drug-sensitive strains is likely to be related to differential MazEF mRNA and protein expression. mazEF3,6,9 TASs contribute to MTB viability under stress conditions.

Aqua-(4-nitro-phthalato-κO)bis-[2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl-κN)pyridine-κN]-mangan-ese(II) hemihydrate.

In the title compound, [Mn(C(8)H(3)NO(6))(C(8)H(7)N(3))(2)(H(2)O)]·0.5H(2)O, the Mn(2+) ion is octa-hedrally coordinated by two 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine ligands, one 4-nitro-phthalate ligand and one coordinated water mol-ecule leading to an overall MnN(4)O(2) coordination environment. The two 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine ligands, which deviate from planarity by 0.0187 (2) and 0.0601 (2) Å, make a dihedral angle of 81.90 (6)°. An intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs. Inter-molecular π-π stacking inter-actions with a face-to-face separation of 3.61 (1) Šbetween the 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine ligands is observed. Additionally, O-H⋯O hydrogen bonding involving the uncoordinated water (which is situated on an inversion center), coordinated water mol-ecules and 2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine ligands leads to a three-dimensional network in the crystal structure.

Aqua-(4-nitro-phthalato)bis-[2-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine]-zinc(II) hemihydrate.

In the title compound, [Zn(C(8)H(3)NO(6))(C(8)H(7)N(3))(2)(H(2)O)]·0.5H(2)O, the Zn(II) atom shows a distorted octa-hedral ZnN(4)O(2) coordination environment and is bonded to two 3-(2-pyrid-yl)-1H-pyrazole ligands via the N atoms, one monodentate 4-nitro-phthalate ligand and one associated water mol-ecule. Additionally, one water of crystallization, with a site-occupation factor of 0.5, is present. The two 3-(2-pyrid-yl)-1H-pyrazole ligands are planar [r.m.s. deviations = 0.03 (1) and 0.35 (1) Å] and the dihedral angle between the two planar 3-(2-pyrid-yl)-1H-pyrazole ligands is 67.31 (4)°. Inter-molecular π-π stacking inter-actions between 3-(2-pyrid-yl)-1H-pyrazole ligands with a face-to-face separation of 3.64 (1) Šare observed. Moreover, the crystal structure is stabilized by O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the water of crystallization, the associated water mol-ecule and the 3-(2-pyrid-yl)-1H-pyrazole ligands.

(E)-3-Dimethyl-amino-1-(2-pyrid-yl)prop-2-en-1-one.

The mol-ecule of the title compound, C(10)H(12)N(2)O, is approximately planar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.072 Šfrom the mean plane for the non-H atoms. It was synthesized from 2-acetyl-pyridine and N,N-dimethyl-formamide dimethyl acetal in a one-step reaction.