Research on the economic effects of housing support expenditures under the perspective of consumption heterogeneity: Evidence from China.

What kind of impact does the government's housing support expenditure have on residents' consumption? This is a topic that deserves in-depth study and is of practical significance. This study constructs provincial equilibrium panel data based on China's guaranteed housing construction and financial expenditures on housing support data from 1999-2009 and 2000-2021. It applies the systematic GMM method to estimate the impact of government housing support expenditures on residents' consumption. The study found that whatever form of expenditure on housing support contributed to the total consumption of urban residents, while the impact on the consumption structure had different results. Based on the divisions of consumption structure, the results of the increase in government housing support expenditure on the consumption structure of urban residents are different. An examination of different forms of housing support reveals that the predominantly secure form of housing construction has a positive effect on all consumption structure divisions. Whereas the predominantly monetary subsidy form has a significant positive relationship with housing, necessity, and durability consumption expenditures, it has a weak or even negative relationship with non-housing, non-necessity, and non-durability consumption expenditures. The research in this paper makes up for the lack of current literature examining the economic effects of housing support from the perspective of consumption structure and provides a theoretical basis and policy reference for constructing a multi-level gradient housing support system.

Advanced glycation end products promote the proliferation and migration of primary rat vascular smooth muscle cells via the upregulation of BAG3.

The present study was aimed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) on advanced glycation end product (AGE)-induced proliferation and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and whether Bcl-2­associated athanogene 3 (BAG3) is involved in the process. Primary rat VSMCs were extracted and cultured in vitro. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and cell proliferation was detected by EdU incorporation assay. Cell migration was detected by wound healing and Transwell assays. BAG3 was detected using qPCR and western blot analysis. Transcriptional and translational inhibitors (actinomycin D and cycloheximide, respectively) were used to study the effect of AGEs on the expression of BAG3 in VSMCs. Lentiviral plasmids containing short hairpin RNA (shRNA) against rat BAG3 or control shRNA were transduced into VSMCs. Cellular ROS were detected by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by tetramethylrhodamine methyl ester (TMRE) staining. AGEs significantly increased the expression of BAG3 in a dose-and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, AGEs mainly increased the expression of BAG3 mRNA by increasing the RNA synthesis rather than inhibiting the RNA translation. BAG3 knockdown reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs induced by AGEs. BAG3 knockdown reduced the generation of ROS and sustained the mitochondrial membrane potential of VSMCs. Reduction of ROS production by N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a potent antioxidant, also reduced the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. On the whole, the present study demonstrated for the first time that AGEs could increase ROS production and promote the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by upregulating BAG3 expression. This study indicated that BAG3 should be considered as a potential target for the prevention and/or treatment of vascular complications of diabetes.