Peer Support Training Improved the Glycemic Control, Insulin Management, and Diabetic Behaviors of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Rural Communities of Central China: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of peer support in Chinese diabetes patients is still uncertain. The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of a peer support program on the outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes who received community-based insulin therapy in rural communities of central China. MATERIAL/METHODS: Two hundred and eight eligible patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned into the traditional training group (control group, n=111) and peer support intervention group (peer group, n=97) between June 2013 and January 2014 in 2 rural communities of Jingzhou area, China. Both groups received 3-month traditional training, followed by another 4-month traditional training or peer support training, respectively. At baseline and 7 months after treatment, the blood glycemic level was evaluated by biochemical detection. Capacities of self-management and knowledge related to insulin usage were assessed by questionnaire survey. RESULTS: Ninety-seven and ninety patients completed this study in the control group and peer group, respectively. There was no significant difference in age, gender, diabetes duration, insulin usage time, and complications between the 2 groups at baseline (P>0.05). Compared with the control group, peer group patients achieved a more significant decrease in blood glycosylated hemoglobin levels (P<0.05), increase in knowledge related to insulin usage, and increase of diabetes self-management ability (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Peer support intervention effectively improves outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes in rural communities of central China.

Pretreatment with the compound asperuloside decreases acute lung injury via inhibiting MAPK and NF-κB signaling in a murine model.

Asperuloside, an iridoid glycoside found in Herba Paederiae, is a component from traditional Chinese herbal medicine. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effects and potential mechanisms of asperuloside action on inflammatory responses in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells and an LPS-induced lung injury model. The pro-inflammatory cytokines and signaling pathways were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and Western blotting to determine the effects of asperuloside. We found that asperuloside can significantly downregulate tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 levels in vitro and in vivo, and treatment with asperuloside significantly reduced the lung wet-to-dry weight, histological alterations and myeloperoxidase activity in a murine model of LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI). In addition, Western blot analysis that pretreatment with asperuloside remarkably blunted the phosphorylation of inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa-B (IκBα), extracellular signal-related kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun. N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) in LPS-stimulated inflammation. These results indicate that asperuloside exerts its anti-inflammatory effect in correlation with inhibition of a pro-inflammatory mediator through suppressing nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) nuclear translocation and MAPK phosphorylation in a dose-dependent manner.