[Research advances in the adverse effects of azo dyes].

China is the world's largest producer and user of dyes. The mass production and widespread use of disperse azo dyes led to environmental pollutions and potential human health risks. Azo dyes in environmental media (i.e., water, soil, air, and dust), food and clothing can enter the human body through multiple exposure routes, and some of them can be metabolized to produce more toxic metabolites, which can trigger toxic effects such as allergic reactions, tumor formation, and endocrine disruptions. This study systematically reviewed the production and use of azo dyes, environmental concentrations, human exposures, toxic effects and their underlying mechanisms, and regulations and standards. Meanwhile, the research trends of azo dyes were also discussed.

Defective Central Immune Tolerance Induced by High-Dose D-Galactose Resembles Aging.

D-Galactose (D-Gal) promotes accumulation of reactive oxygen species and formation of advanced glycation end-products, ultimately resulting in oxidative stress. D-Gal has been widely used to induce accelerated aging in anti-aging medical research. Although thymic epithelial cells are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress, there are few reports on the thymus changes accompanying D-Gal-induced aging in mice. To study the effect of D-Gal on rodent thymus, we investigated the degree of thymus atrophy and changes in the atrophy relative index in C57BL/6J mice following subcutaneous injection of D-Gal at different doses (200, 500, 1000 mg/kg per day) for 60 days. Compared with the vehicle-treated (0.9% saline) and young controls, D-Gal at doses of 500 and 1000 mg/kg per day led to a significant thymic atrophy; the latter dose caused atrophy similar to that observed in naturally aged (18-20-month-old) mice. Mice treated with high-dose D-Gal exhibited greater immunosenescence, defective central immune tolerance, increased levels of activated splenic immune cell, and chronic low-grade inflammation, i.e., outcomes similar to those observed in natural aging in mice. Taken together, our results indicate that mice treated with high-dose D-Gal may be a valid model for studying induced thymic atrophy and effects of aging on the immune system.

[Analysis of 2 204 stillbirths in 11 hospitals of Guangdong province].

Objective: To analyze the incidence and causes of stillbirth in 11 hospitals of Guangdong province, and to explore the appropriate interventions. Methods: Clinical data of stillbirth in 11 hospitals of Guangdong province were collected from January 2014 to December 2016. The gestational weeks, causes, maternal conditions and other factors were analyzed. Results: (1) From 2014 to 2016, 103 472 newborns were delivered in the 11 hospitals, and the number of stillbirth was 2 204, with the incidence of 2.13%. Among them, 0.71%(738/103 472) was therapeutic induction, 1.42%(1 066/103 472) was natural stillbirth. At different gestational age (<28 weeks, 28-<37 weeks and ≥37 weeks), the incidence of stillbirth was 55.63% (1 226/2 204), 28.45% (627/2 204) and 15.92% (351/2 204), respectively, with statistically significant difference (P<0.01). (2) For stillbirth<28 weeks, the first reason was therapeutic induction, accounting for 53.34% (654/1 226). For stillbirth during 28-37 weeks, pre-eclampsia was the major cause, accounting for 40.67% (255/627). And for full-term stillbirth, the causes were umbilical cord factors (19.37%, 68/351), abnormal labor (17.09%, 60/351). (3) In all the stillbirth cases, the incidence of fetal growth restriction (FGR) <28 weeks was significantly higher than that during 28-37 weeks [23.49% (288/1 226) vs 18.02% (113/627) , P<0.01]. (4) The stillbirth rate during labor was significantly higher in women ≥35 years old than in younger women [63.88% (191/299) vs 36.12% (108/299) ; χ(2)=9.346, P=0.000]. For the causes of stillbirth during labor, the incidence of severe maternal obstetrical complications [61.11% (33/54) vs 38.89% (21/54) ; χ(2)=3.323, P=0.002], abnormal labor [65.82% (52/79) vs 34.18% (27/79) ; χ(2)=4.067, P=0.001] and abnormal fetal position [66.63% (26/39) vs 33.37% (13/39) ; χ(2)=3.002, P=0.013] were higher in women ≥35 years old than in younger women. (5) Cesarean section during labor accounted for 33.77% (101/299) of stillbirth, including 76 cases of emergency cesarean section or converted to cesarean section during labor. Conclusions: (1) The incidence of stillbirth in the 11 hospitals is high, and the causes are different at different gestational ages, therefore, different interventions are needed to reduce the incidence in different gestational weeks. Supervision of therapeutic induction should be strengthened <28 gestational weeks; standard management of pregnancy might decrease the occurrence of natural death ≥28 weeks. (2) Attention should be paid to fetal body weight during pregnancy, especially FGR. (3) The stillbirth rate is high in elderly pregnant women, so it is important to strengthen the management of the elderly pregnant women.

Elevated serum complement C3 levels are related to the development of prediabetes in an adult population: the Tianjin Chronic Low-Grade Systematic Inflammation and Health Cohort Study.

AIMS: To investigate whether serum complement C3 is related to the prevalence and incidence of prediabetes in an adult population. METHODS: A cross-sectional (n = 10 206) and prospective cohort study (n = 3333), with a mean (range; 95% CI) follow-up of 2.63 (1-6; 2.58-2.68) years, was conducted in people recruited from the Health Management Centre of Tianjin Medical University General Hospital in Tianjin, China. Measurement of serum C3 concentration, blood fasting glucose, oral glucose tolerance, HbA1c and other potential confounding factors was performed at baseline and each year during the follow-up. Prediabetes was defined according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association. Adjusted logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to assess the relationships between C3 quintiles and prediabetes. RESULTS: The prevalence and incidence of prediabetes were 38.5% and 119 per 1000 person-years, respectively. In cross-sectional analysis, after adjustment for potential confounders, the odds ratios of prediabetes for increasing quintiles of C3 were 1.00 (reference), 1.32 (95% CI 1.14-1.53), 1.37 (95% CI 1.18-1.59), 1.75 (95% CI 1.51-2.03), 2.25 (95% CI 1.93-2.62; P for trend < 0.0001). In the cohort analysis, the multiple-adjusted hazard ratio of prediabetes in the highest quintile of baseline C3 was 1.43 (95% CI 1.15, 1.78; P for trend < 0.001), when compared with the lowest quintile. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that elevated serum C3 levels are significantly related to an increased risk of developing prediabetes in an adult population, suggesting that C3 can be used as a biomarker in high-risk individuals to improve primary prevention of prediabetes and diabetes.

[Multi-centric clinical study of trial of labor after cesarean section].

OBJECTIVE: To study the feasibility and safety of trial of labor after cesarean section (TOLAC). METHODS: Retrospective analysis of five medical center of Guangdong province from January 2011 to December 2015 hospitalized delivery information, compare the same scar TOLAC (research group) with the scar pregnancy (control group) pregnancy outcomes, to study the feasibility and safety of TOLAC. RESULTS: (1) During 2011-2015, total delivery 95 600 cases in five medical center, 13 824 cases of thme with uterine scar pregnancy, including 12 027 cases elective repeat cesarean section and 1 797 cases (13.00%, 1 797/13 824) with scar uterus vaginal trial of labor. Among 1 308 cases of vaginal delivery, the success for trial of labor rate was 72.79% (1 308/1 797). From 2011 to 2015, there were increased rate of pregnancy after cesarean section, which were respectively 10.71%, 13.28%, 14.45%, 15.54% and 16.98%. The will of vaginal birth were rising and the rate were respectively 11.85%, 12.25%, 13.49%, 13.82% and 12.93%. (2) There were 489 (27.21%, 489/1 797) cases of scar uterus maternal emergency cesarean section in the trial of labor, reason for "social factors" require for cesarean delivery have 68 cases, the percentage was 13.91% (68/489), compared with control group (7.18%, 206/2 869), the difference was statistically significant difference (χ(2)=27.356, P=0.000). Doctors diagnosed as "aura uterine rupture" in the labor was 11.86% (58/489), compared with that in control group (1.43%, 41/2 869), the differences were statistically significant difference (χ(2)=1 578.223, P=0.000). (3) The incidence of uterine rupture of the research group (0.74%, 9/1 211) was significantly higher than that of control group (0.01%,2/31 200; χ(2)> 2 000, P=0.000). The incidence of postpartum hemorrhage in research group was 6.94% (84/1 211), compared with that in the control group (3.05%, 951/31 200), there was statistically significant difference (χ(2)=16.328, P=0.000). While, there were no statistical significancefor the labor time limit, birth rate of severe asphyxia and neonatal birth weight average differences between two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The rate of pregnancy after cesarean section is increasing year by year, and the will of vaginal birth is increasing, while it still are generally low. TOLAC is safe and feasible, but also significantly higher risk, strictly labor monitoring and can proceed fast cesarean delivery in delivery room is an important guarantee of safe delivery.

[Impact of social support for schizophrenia patients on their quality of life and family life satisfaction].

Objective: To explore the relationship of social support to patients with schizophrenia, family burden with patients' quality of life and family life satisfaction. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select 358 patients with schizophrenia and 358 patients' family members in Gansu Province who met the inclusion criteria were included. The Social Support Rating Scale, Family Burden Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Quality of Life Scale were used in the survey. AMOS 24.0 was used to explore the pathway of influence of family burden on social support to patients with schizophrenia, patients' quality of life and patients' family life satisfaction. Results: There was a two-by-two significant correlation between patients' access to social support, family burden, patients' life quality and family life satisfaction (P<0.05), and the total score of the social support scale negatively predicted the total score of the life quality scale (ß=-0.28, P<0.05) and positively predicted the total score of the life satisfaction scale (ß=0.52, P<0.05). Family burden was a full mediator between the social support to the patient and the patient's quality of life, and as a partial mediator between the social support to the patient and the family's life satisfaction. Conclusions: Social support to people with schizophrenia is a significant predictor of their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Family burden mediates the relationship of social support to patients with their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Interventions can focus on increasing social support for the patient and reducing the burden on the patient's family to improve the patient's quality of life and increase the satisfaction of the patient's family.

Effect of RRR-alpha-tocopherol succinate on the growth and immunity in broilers.

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of 2 esters of alpha-tocopherol, all-rac-alpha-tocopherol acetate and RRR-alpha-tocopherol succinate (d-alpha-TOS) on growth and immunity in broiler chicks. Three hundred twenty 1-d-old commercial Arbor Acres broilers were randomly distributed to 4 treatments, each of which had 8 pens of 10 chicks per pen. Birds in the control group were fed with the diets supplemented with 30 mg/kg of all-rac-alpha-tocopherol acetate or the basal diet with d-alpha-TOS supplementation at 10 mg/kg (TOS1 group), 30 mg/kg (TOS2 group), and 50 mg/ kg (TOS3 group), respectively, for 42 d. The results showed that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in BW gain, feed intake, or G:F among the treatments. Significant positive correlations existed between dietary supplemental alpha-TOS levels and plasma (R(2) = 0.9831, P < 0.01) or hepatic (R(2) = 0.9336, P < 0.05) alpha-tocopherol concentrations and a negative correlation with plasma (R(2) = 0.9487, P < 0.05) or hepatic (R(2) = -0.9901, P = 0.0518) malondialdehyde levels. The concentrations of serum glutathione (GSH) were highest at 50 mg/kg at 42 d of age (P < 0.05), and hepatic GSH was significantly higher at 30 and 50 mg/kg compared with the other groups. Marked enhancement of splenic T- and B-lymphocyte proliferation occurred in group TOS3 as compared with the other groups. The study suggests that the immunoenhancement effect observed in broilers fed additional d-alpha-TOS between 30 and 50 mg/kg might result from increased retention of alpha-tocopherol and reduction in lipid peroxidation, as evidenced by the decrease in malondialdehyde and the increase in GSH.