Investigation of the response of Platycodongrandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC to salt stress using combined transcriptomics and metabolomics.

BACKGROUND: Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC is a famous traditional Chinese medicine in China and an authentic medicine in Inner Mongolia. It has been traditionally used as an expectorant in cough and also has anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological effects. As a homologous plant of medicine and food, P. grandiflorus is widely planted in Northeast China. Soil salinity isa limiting factor for its cultivation. In this study, we comprehensively described the physiological characteristics of P. grandiflorus and combined transcriptomics and metabolomics to study the response of roots of P. grandiflorus to salt stress. RESULTS: Overall, 8,988 differentially expressed genes were activated and significantly altered the metabolic processes. In total, 428 differentially abundant metabolites were affected by salt stress. After moderate and severe salt stress, most of the differentially abundant metabolites were enriched in the L-phenylalanine metabolic pathway. Through the comprehensive analysis of the interaction between key genes and metabolites, the main pathways such as lignin compound biosynthesis and triterpene saponin biosynthesis were completed. The relative content of compounds related to lignin biosynthesis, such as caffeic acid, coniferin, and syringing, increased under salt stress, and the related genes such as PAL, C4H, and the key enzyme gene UGT72E2 were activated to adapt to the salt stress. Platycodon saponin is one of the major triterpene saponins in P. grandiflorus, and Platycodin D is its most abundant major bioactive component. Under severe salt stress, Platycodin D level increased by nearly 1.77-fold compared with the control group. Most of the genes involved insynthetic pathway of Platycodin D, such as HMGCR, GGPS, SE, and LUP, were upregulated under salt stress. CONCLUSION: Salt stress led to a decrease in the biomass and affected the activities of antioxidant enzymes and contents of osmotic regulators in the plant. These results provided not only novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of response of P. grandiflorus to salt stress but also a foundation for future studies on the function of genes related to salt tolerance in the triterpenoid saponin biosynthesis pathway.

Combinatorial Structural Engineering of Multichannel Hierarchical Hollow Microspheres Assembled from Centripetal Fe/C Nanosheets to Achieve Effective Integration of Sound Absorption and Microwave Absorption.

Electromagnetic radiation and noise pollution are two of the four major environmental pollution sources. Although various materials with excellent microwave absorption performances or sound absorption properties have been manufactured, it is still a great challenge to design materials with both microwave absorption and sound absorption abilities due to different energy consumption mechanisms. Herein, a combination strategy based on structural engineering was proposed to develop bi-functional hierarchical Fe/C hollow microspheres composed of centripetal Fe/C nanosheets. Both of the interconnected channels created by multiple gaps among the adjacent Fe/C nanosheets and the hollow structure have positive effects on the absorbing performances by promoting the penetration of microwaves and acoustic waves and prolonging action time between microwave energy and acoustic energy with materials. In addition, a polymer-protection strategy and a high-temperature reduction process were applied to keep this unique morphology and further improve the performances of the composite. As a result, the optimized hierarchical Fe/C-500 hollow composite exhibits a wide effective absorption bandwidth of 7.52 GHz (10.48-18.00 GHz) at only 1.75 mm. Furthermore, the Fe/C-500 composite can effectively absorb sound wave in the frequency of 1209-3307 Hz, basically including part of the low frequency range (<2000 Hz) and most of the medium frequency range (2000-3500 Hz), and has 90% absorption of sound at 1721-1962 Hz. This work puts new insight into the engineering and development of microwave absorption-sound absorption-integrated functional materials with promising applications.

Rational design of two-dimensional flaky Fe/void/C composites for enhanced microwave absorption properties.

Owing to their unique electromagnetic properties and structure anisotropy, two-dimensional (2D) magnetic metal flakes are attracting special attention for applications as microwave absorption materials. However, the conductive network formed by the connected metal flakes may lead to impedance mismatching and reduced performance. In this study, a facile and rational strategy was developed to fabricate yolk-shell-structured 2D flaky Fe/void/C composites by using α-Fe2O3 hexagonal flakes as the template, followed by the coating of polydopamine (PDA) on the composite surface and calcination under H2/Ar. The volume shrinkage from Fe2O3 to Fe and PDA to carbon led to the formation of several irregular holes in Fe flakes and void space between the Fe cores and carbon cages. The thickness of carbon cages of the composites can be tailored by the simple modulation of the synthetic parameters. As a result of the synergistic effects of multiple chemical components, the shape anisotropy of iron flakes, and unique yolk-shell structures, the optimized sample exhibited excellent microwave absorption properties. With a matching thickness of only 1.6 mm, the strongest reflection loss (RL) was up to -27.80 dB at 14.72 GHz, and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB, RL < -10 dB) reached 6.40 GHz (11.60-18.00 GHz), which can cover the whole Ku-band. This study provides a novel approach to adjust and balance the permeability and permittivity of 2D magnetic metal flakes, which may promote the practical applications of flaky magnetic metal materials in microwave absorption.

Activation of monoaminergic system contributes to the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of J147.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder, which is closely related to the deficiency of monoamine neurotransmitters. Our previous study suggested that acute treatment with J147, a novel curcumin derivative, produced antidepressant-like effects in mouse model of depression by regulation of 5-HT receptor subtypes. However, it is still unknown whether the antidepressant-like effects of J147 are involved in activation of central monoaminergic system. In this study, a series of classical behavior tests were employed to assess the involvement of monoaminergic system in antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects after sub-acute treatment of mice with J147 for 3 days. The results suggested that J147 at 10 mg/kg significantly reduced the immobility time in both the tail suspension and forced swimming tests, but didn't show effects in the sucrose preference test. Similarly, sub-acute treatment of J147 did not induce amelioration in novelty suppressed feeding test. J147 increased duration and crossing time in the central area, but did not show significant change in rearing counts in the open field test. In neurochemical assays, studies suggested that serotonin and noradrenaline levels were significantly increased in the frontal cortex and hippocampus after treatment of J147 by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with an electrochemical detector. Moreover, J147-induced significant inhibition of monoamine oxidase A activity. These findings suggest that the antidepressant- and anxiolytic-like effects of J147 might be related to the monoaminergic system by the evidence that high dose of J147 inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A activity and increases synaptic monoamines in the mouse brain.

Changes in oxidation-antioxidation function on the thymus of chickens infected with reticuloendotheliosis virus.

BACKGROUND: Reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) is a retrovirus that causes severe immunosuppression in poultry. Animals grow slowly under conditions of oxidative stress. In addition, long-term oxidative stress can impair immune function, as well as accelerate aging and death. This study aimed to elucidate the pathogenesis of REV from the perspective of changes in oxidative-antioxidative function following REV infection. METHODS: A total of 80 one-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) chickens were randomly divided into a control group (Group C) and an REV-infected group (Group I). The chickens in Group I received intraperitoneal injections of REV with 104.62/0.1 mL TCID50. Thymus was collected on day 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 49 for histopathology and assessed the status of oxidative stress. RESULTS: In chickens infected with REV, the levels of H2O2 and MDA in the thymus increased, the levels of TAC, SOD, CAT, and GPx1 decreased, and there was a reduction in CAT and Gpx1 mRNA expression compared with the control group. The thymus index was also significantly reduced. Morphological analysis showed that REV infection caused an increase in the thymic reticular endothelial cells, inflammatory cell infiltration, mitochondrial swelling, and nuclear damage. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that an increase in oxidative stress enhanced lipid peroxidation, markedly decreased antioxidant function, caused thymus atrophy, and immunosuppression in REV-infected chickens.

Phosphodiesterase-2 Inhibitor Bay 60-7550 Ameliorates Aß-Induced Cognitive and Memory Impairment via Regulation of the HPA Axis.

The dysfunction of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is often seen in Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with cognitive deficits. Selective inhibition of phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 and 5 has already proven to be effective in reducing beta-amyloid 1-42 (Aß1-42)-mediated pathology by regulating corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression, suggesting that PDE-dependent signaling is involved in Aß1-42-induced HPA axis dysfunction. However, nausea and vomiting are the side effects of some PDE4 inhibitors, which turn our attention to other PDEs. PDE2 are highly expressed in the hippocampus and cortex, which associate with learning and memory, but not in the area postrema that would cause vomiting. The present study suggested that microinjection of Aß1-42 to the intracerebroventricle induced learning and memory impairments and dysregulation of the HPA axis by increased expression of CRF and GR. However, the PDE2 inhibitor Bay 60-7550 significantly ameliorated the learning and memory impairment in the Morris water maze (MWM) and step-down passive avoidance tests. The Aß1-42-induced increased CRF and GR levels were also reversed by the treatment with Bay 60-7550. These Bay 60-7550's effects were prevented by pretreatment with the PKG inhibitor KT5823. Moreover, the Bay 60-7550-induced downstream phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding (pCREB) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was also prevented (or partially prevented) by KT5823 or the PKA inhibitor H89. These results may lead to the discovery of novel strategies for the treatment of age-related cognitive disorders, such as AD, which affects approximately 44 million people worldwide.

Resveratrol Improves Brain-Gut Axis by Regulation of 5-HT-Dependent Signaling in the Rat Model of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is at high risk of co-morbid depression and anxiety, which reduces patients' quality of life and increases the burden of health care costs. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for IBS still remain unknown. This study investigated the effects of resveratrol on stress-related depression, anxiety, intestinal and visceral dysfunction in rat model of IBS. Rats received chronic acute combining stress (CACS) for 22 days exhibited depression/anxiety-like behavior, visceral hypersensitivity and altered intestinal motility, as measured by the forced swimming, marble bury, abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) and intestinal tract motility (ITM) tests. These abnormalities were accompanied by reduced 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) level in the hippocampus and increased 5-HT expression in the gut (ileum and colon) after CACS. Chronic treatment of IBS rats with resveratrol dose-dependently normalized CACS-induced both central nervous and peripheral dysfunction, which were consistent with its differentially regulating 5-HT contents in the brain and intestine. Pretreatment with the 5-HT1A receptor antagonist NAN-190 hydrobromide (NAN-190) prevented such effects. While sub-threshold of 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT potentiated the effects of low dose of resveratrol (10 mg/kg) on CACS-related behavioral abnormalities. Furthermore, resveratrol markedly increased PKA, p-cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB) and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus of IBS rats, while decreased PKA, pCREB and BDNF levels were found in the ileum and colon. These effects were prevented by NAN-190, which were consistent with the behavioral changes. The present results suggested that resveratrol improved anti-IBS-like effects on depression, anxiety, visceral hypersensitivity and intestinal motility abnormality through regulating 5-HT1A-dependent PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling in the brain-gut axis.

Inhibition of Phosphodiesterase-4 Reverses Aß-Induced Memory Impairment by Regulation of HPA Axis Related cAMP Signaling.

Beta amyloid peptides (Aß) are found to be associated with dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis) that leads to memory and cognitive deficits in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) inhibitors increase the intracellular cAMP activities, which may ameliorate cognitive deficits associated with AD. However, it remains unclear whether PDE4-mediated reversal of cognitive impairment in mouse model of AD is related to HPA axis and downstream cAMP-dependent pathway. The present study investigated the effects of PDE4 inhibitor rolipram on Aß1-42-induced cognitive dysfunction and its underlying mechanisms. The step-down passive avoidance (PA) and Morris water-maze (MWM) tests were conducted 1 week (1 W), 2 months (2 M), and 6 months (6 M) after intracerebroventricular microjection (i.c.v.) of Aß1-42. The results suggested that memory impairment emerged as early as 1 W, peaked at 2 M, and lasted until 6 M after injection. Chronic treatment with rolipram (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg/d, i.p.) for 2 weeks (i.e., treatment started at 1.5 months after Aß1-42 microinjection) dose-dependently improved memory performance in both MWM and PA tests. Moreover, rolipram reversed the Aß-induced increases in serum corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin-releasing factor, and glucocorticoid receptors (CRF-R and GR) levels, whereas it decreases in brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and the ratio of pCREB to CREB expression. These effects of rolipram were prevented by pre-treatment with PKA inhibitor H89. The findings indicated that the protective effects of rolipram against Aß1-42-induced memory deficits might involve HPA axis and cAMP-CREB-BDNF signaling.

Comparison of two water oxidation electrocatalysts by copper or zinc supermolecule complexes based on porphyrin ligand.

Based on the 5,10,15,20-tetra(cyanophenyl)porphyrin (CNTCPP) ligand, two supermolecule complexes formulated as [Cu(CNTCPP)]·2DMF (Cu-CNTCPP) and [Zn(CNTCPP)] (Zn-CNTCPP) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Cu-CNTCPP features a 0 dimensional (0D) supramoleculer structure, whereas Zn-CNTCPP is a 2D structure. With coordination unsaturated points, Cu-CNTCPP exhibits electrocatalytic activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with low potential in 1.0 M KOH, generating a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an potential of 1.66 V vs. RHE, which means it an efficient electrocatalytic material for OER.

Resveratrol-induced antinociception is involved in calcium channels and calcium/caffeine-sensitive pools.

Resveratrol has been widely investigated for its potential health properties, although little is known about its mechanism in vivo. Previous studies have indicated that resveratrol produces antinociceptive effects in mice. Calcium channels and calcium/caffeine-sensitive pools are reported to be associated with analgesic effect. The present study was to explore the involvement of Ca2+ channel and calcium/caffeine-sensitive pools in the antinociceptive response of resveratrol. Tail-flick test was used to assess antinociception in mice treated with resveratrol or the combinations of resveratrol with MK 801, nimodipine, CaCl2, ryanodine and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA), respectively. The Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in the spinal cord were also investigated when treated with the above drugs. The results showed that resveratrol increased the tail flick latency in the tail-flick test, in dose-dependent manner. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptor antagonist MK 801 potentiated the antinociceptive effects of sub-threshold dose of resveratrol at 10 mg/kg. Ca2+ channel blocker, however, abolished the antinociceptive effects of resveratrol. In contrast to these results, EGTA or ryanodine treatment (i.c.v.) potentiated resveratrol-induced antinociception. There was a significant decrease in p-CaMKII and an increase in BDNF expression in the spinal cord when combined with MK 801, nimodipine, ryanodine and EGTA. While an increase in p-CaMKII level and a decrease in BDNF expression were observed when high dose of resveratrol combined with CaCl2. These findings suggest that resveratrol exhibits the antinociceptive effects by inhibition of calcium channels and calcium/caffeine-sensitive pools.

Synergistic antidepressant-like effect of ferulic acid in combination with piperine: involvement of monoaminergic system.

The lifetime prevalence rate for major depressive disorder (MDD) is approximately 17 % for most developed countries around the world. Dietary polyphenols are currently used as an adjuvant therapy to accelerate the therapeutic efficacy on depression. Ferulic acid (FA) or 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-cinnamic acid (Fig. 1a) is a main polyphenolic component of Chinese herb Radix Angelicae Sinensis, which is found to have antidepressant-like effects through regulating serotonergic and noradrenergic function. The present study examined the synergistic effect of low doses of FA combined with subthreshold dose of piperine, a bioavailability enhancer, on depression-like behaviors in mice, and investigated the possible mechanism. The administration of FA, even in the highest dose tested, reduced immobility time by 60 % in the tail suspension and forced swimming tests (TST and FST) in mice when compared to control. The maximal antidepressant-like effect of FA was obtained with 200 mg/kg. In addition, piperine only produced a weak antidepressant-like effect in the TST and FST. However, the evidence from the interaction analysis suggested a synergistic effect when low doses of FA were combined with a subthreshold dose of piperine. Further neurochemical evidence such as monoamine levels in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus and measurements of monoamine oxidase activity also supported a synergistic effect of FA and piperine in the enhancement of monoaminergic function. This finding supports the concept that the combination strategy might be an alternative therapy in the treatment of psychiatric disorders with high efficacy and low side effects.

The effect of trans-resveratrol on post-stroke depression via regulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis.

Post-stroke depression (PSD) occurs about 40% among all stroke survivors, but the effective pharmacotherapy is inadequately understood. The present study investigated the effects of a natural polyphenol trans-resveratrol (RES) on behavioral changes after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and examined what its molecular targets may be. RES was shown to decrease the infarct size and neurological scores after MCAO, suggesting the amelioration of brain damage and motor activity. RES also reversed the depressive-like behaviors 13 days after MCAO, both in the forced swimming and sucrose consumption tests. Moreover, MCAO-induced series abnormalities related to depressive-like behaviors, such as an abnormal adrenal gland weight to body weight ratio, an increased expression of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus, the differential expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in these three brain regions, and a decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level, were ameliorated after treatment with increasing doses of RES at 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg via gavage. These findings provide compelling evidence that RES protects the brain against focal cerebral ischemia-induced injury, but most of all is its antidepressant-like effect on PSD, which might at least in part be mediated by regulation of hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis function.

Development and evaluation of a simple and effective prediction approach for identifying those at high risk of dyslipidemia in rural adult residents.

BACKGROUND: Dyslipidemia is an extremely prevalent but preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, many dyslipidemia patients remain undetected in resource limited settings. The study was performed to develop and evaluate a simple and effective prediction approach without biochemical parameters to identify those at high risk of dyslipidemia in rural adult population. METHODS: Demographic, dietary and lifestyle, and anthropometric data were collected by a cross-sectional survey from 8,914 participants living in rural areas aged 35-78 years. There were 6,686 participants randomly selected into a training group for constructing the artificial neural network (ANN) and logistic regression (LR) prediction models. The remaining 2,228 participants were assigned to a validation group for performance comparisons of ANN and LR models. The predictors of dyslipidemia risk were identified from the training group using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Predictive performance was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: Some risk factors were significantly associated with dyslipidemia, including age, gender, educational level, smoking, high-fat diet, vegetable and fruit intake, family history, physical activity, and central obesity. For the ANN model, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratio, positive and negative predictive values were 90.41%, 76.66%, 3.87, 0.13, 76.33%, and 90.58%, respectively, while LR model were only 57.37%, 70.91%, 1.97, 0.60, 62.09%, and 66.73%, respectively. The area under the ROC cure (AUC) value of the ANN model was 0.86±0.01, showing more accurate overall performance than traditional LR model (AUC = 0.68±0.01, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The ANN model is a simple and effective prediction approach to identify those at high risk of dyslipidemia, and it can be used to screen undiagnosed dyslipidemia patients in rural adult population. Further work is planned to confirm these results by incorporating multi-center and longer follow-up data.

[Multiple correspondence analysis on multiple metabolic abnormalities and family history in adults].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between phenomenon of aggregation on multiple metabolic abnormalities and their family history. METHODS: A random cluster sampling was carried out to study the phenomenon of multiple metabolic abnormalities among the adult inhabitants in a county of Henan province. Questionnaire, physical examination and biochemical tests were admitted. Multiple correspondence analyses were used to explore the aggregation of multiple metabolic abnormalities among objects including hyperlipidemia, diabetes, coronary heart disease etc. Corresponding relationships between objects and their parents on multiple metabolic abnormalities were also analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 3901 people were investigated including 1428 (36.6%) males and 2473 (63.4%) females. The mean age of them was 32.8±6.3. Data showed that the Cronbach's α were 0.547 and 0.387 while Eigen values were 1.971 and 1.535 in two dimensions, regarding the correspondence analysis on their parents' multiple metabolic abnormalities. Cronbach's α levels were 0.598 and 0.457 together with Eigen values as 2.263 and 1.743 in two dimensions on the correspondence analysis of the objects' and their parents' multiple metabolic abnormalities. Results from Multiple correspondence analysis diagrams showed that there was an aggregation of variety metabolic abnormalities in both objects and their parents but not between objects and their parents or between fathers and mothers, though χ2 test showed a weak correlation between some of the categories. The ranges of contingency coefficients between metabolic abnormalities were 0.04 to 0.11, 0.04 to 0.08 and 0.04 to 0.11 between parents, objects and fathers, objects and mothers, respectively. When compared with simple obesity, the central obesity aggregated appeared more obviously with other metabolic abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Both objects and their parents showed an aggregation of variety metabolic abnormalities. Aggregation of central obesity showed more obvious on other metabolic abnormalities than the simple obesity. Family histories of metabolic abnormalities played a moderate role in the generations suffering from multiple metabolic abnormalities.

Total lymphocyte count as a surrogate marker to predict CD4 count in human immunodeficiency virus-infected children: a retrospective evaluation.

A retrospective study was conducted, and 576 human immunodeficiency virus-infected children with total lymphocyte count (TLC) and CD4 count were recruited from China. Spearman rank order correlation and receiver-operating characteristic were used. An overall positive correlation was noted between TLC and CD4 count (prehighly active antiretroviral therapy [pre-HAART], r = 0.789, 6 months of HAART, r = 0.642, 12 months of HAART, r = 0.691, P = 0.001). TLC ≤ 2600 cells/mm(3) predicted a CD4 count of ≤ 350 cells/mm(3) with 82.9% sensitivity, 79.6% specificity pre-HAART. Meanwhile, the optimum prediction for CD4 count of ≤ 350 cells/mm(3) was a TLC of ≤ 2400 cells/mm at 6 months (73.6% sensitivity and 74.1% specificity) and 12 months (81.7% sensitivity and 76.5% specificity) of HAART. TLC can be used as a surrogate marker for predicting CD4 count of human immunodeficiency virus-infected children before and during HAART in resource-limited countries.

[Power and the cutoff value of waist-to-height ratio predicting metabolism syndrome].

OBJECTIVE: In order to gain a simple, accurate, economical and family-used predictor for metabolism syndrome (MS), the predictive power and the cutoff value of waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were explored. METHODS: A random cluster sampling was carried out in a county of Henan Province. Questionnaire, physical examination and biochemical tests were admitted to the adult inhabitants. Statistics software MedCalc was used to compare the areas under curve of ROC (AUC) between WHtR and WC on predicting metabolism abnormal components. The cutoff value of WHtR predicting MS was calculated. The characters of false positive and false negative population were analyzed. RESULTS: The AUC of WHtR were larger than WC in most of the metabolism abnormal components, though there was no statistical significance in some metabolic abnormality components. The cutoff value of WHtR was 0.51 in male, 0.52 in female and 0.52 in total. The means of components such as weight, BMI, WC in false positive group were higher than that in false negative group. However, the means of other components were lower. There were 80.78% people who had one metabolic abnormality component. There were 8. 59% people who had two components. CONCLUSION: The power of WHtR predicting one or more metabolic abnormality components was strong. It is a good predictor for MS. The cutoff value was 0.52.

[Multilevel regression analysis on region cluster and risk factors of hypertension in the Chinese adult population].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the region cluster and risk factors of hypertension in the Chinese adult population and to explore the application of multilevel regression model in the risk factors of hypertension. METHODS: Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to choose 15,540 individuals aged 35-74 years from 10 regions in China. Two-level logistic regression models were fitted under MLwiN 2.02 software. RESULTS: The region cluster of hypertension existed and variance portion coefficient was 3.1%. After adjusting for the age and gender, overall obese people (BMI> or =28 kg/m2) were 4.50 (95% CI: 4.00-5.06) times, overweight people (BMI=24-27.9 kg/m2) were 2.26 (95% CI: 2.07-2.46) times more likely to be hypertensive as compared with those of normal BMI (18.5-23.9 kg/m2), and those centrally obesive people (Waist circumference > or =85 cm in male or 80 cm in female) were 2.62 (95% CI: 2.42-2.83) times more likely to be hypertensive as compared with those of normal WC. The age-and gender-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of triglyceride (TG), serum total cholesterol (TC), glucose, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and drinking alcohol were 2.10 (95% CI: 1.89-2.33), 2.08 (95% CI: 1.84-2.35), 1.85 (95% CI: 1.60-2.14), 1.58 (95% CI: 1.38-1.81), 1.49 (95% CI: 1.32-1.69) and 1.15 (95% CI: 1.05-1.27), respectively. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of hypertension was not only affected by individual risk factors, such as obesity, drinking alcohol, abnormal glucose and serum lipids profile, but also affected by the geographic environment where people resided in. Population-and risk factors targeted strategies, proved a promising way to reduce individual risk of hypertension in the primary prevention of hypertension.

[Multivariate response model with multilevel and its application in the influencing factors of blood pressure].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the application of multivariate response model with multilevel in the influencing factors of blood pressure. METHODS: Two response model with three-level was fitted under MLwin 2.02 software. RESULTS: The correlation coefficient between systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 0.949 at region level, and 0.701 at individual level. SBP and DBP level increased with age, while the regression coefficient of age on SBP was significantly higher than on DBP, beta was 0.720 (SBP) and 0.118 (DBP) individually (chi2 = 4284.56, P < 0.001). The DBP and SBP level of male were higher than that of female, while the regression coefficient of gender on DBP was significantly higher than on SBP, beta was 2.208 (SBP) and 3.113 (DBP) individually (chi2 = 31.35, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Multivariate response model with multilevel can be used to analyze the hierarchy structure data, and it is also a good tool to analyze the influencing factors of blood pressure.

The AcrAB-TolC pump is involved in multidrug resistance in clinical Shigella flexneri isolates.

The two multiple-antibiotic resistance (Mar) phenotypes (n = 8, respectively) and susceptible isolates (n = 4) of Shigella flexneri from China were characterized involving the efflux pump AcrAB-TolC. The accumulation of ciprofloxacin, acrAB-tolC PCR, and levels of mRNA with northern blots were performed in three groups. Sequencing of acrAB-tolC was performed in selected isolates. An efflux inhibition was performed with Phe-Arg-beta-naphthylamide. The accumulation of ciprofloxacin at steady state in susceptible isolates was significantly higher than that in the two Mar groups (p < 0.05). The level of accumulation in the Mar strains was increased upon the addition of the protonophore carbonyl cyanidem-chlorophenylhydrazone. The expression level of acrA mRNA in the Mar isolates was significantly higher than that in the susceptible isolates (p < 0.05). Mar strain H26 had a single-nucleotide substitution in locus 322(G-->T) of acrA, and Mar 0008 in locus 171(C-->A). The susceptible strain N15 had a base deletion in locus 36 (C) of tolC gene. The role of the inhibitors of efflux pumps was significant in some isolates with the high expression of Mar pump genes. In conclusion, overexpression of acrA gene leads to Mar in clinical isolates of S. flexneri, and ciprofloxacin acquired susceptible to S. flexneri with Phe-Arg-beta-naphthylamide.

Spread of HIV in one village in central China with a high prevalence rate of blood-borne AIDS.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the state of HIV infection, its secular trends and influencing factors in a village central China with a high prevalence rate of blood-borne AIDS. METHODS: HIV screening in WY village was carried out. RESULTS: The rate of paid blood donors in WY village was found to be 36.3% (466/1285). The HIV infection rate was 15.3% (197/1285). Among 197 HIV positive cases, 80 (40.6%) were infected through paid blood donation, four (2.0%) were infected through sexual activity, seven cases (3.6%) were infected through mother-to-child transmission, one case (0.5%) was infected through transfusion, and one (0.5%) was infected through nosocomial infection. In 100 cases (50.8%) the infection route could not be identified, however, based on their history of paid blood donation, their age, and the chance of becoming infected with HIV through paid blood donation, it is likely that most of these 100 cases were infected by paid blood donation. In the final four cases the method of transmission could not be determined. Of the infected women of reproductive age only 1.9% (2/103) had the intention to conceive. In the cases of HIV status conflicting spouses, 51.7% (30/58) did not consistently use condoms. CONCLUSIONS: The main route of HIV transmission was found to have been paid blood donation in the past, and will be by sexual means in the future.