Effect of vitamin D on oxidative stress and serum inflammatory factors in the patients with type 2 diabetes.

The type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an urgent global health problem. T2DM patients are in a state of high oxidative stress and inflammation. Vitamin D and glutathione (GSH) play crucial roles in antioxidation and anti-inflammation. However, T2DM patients have lower vitamin D and GSH levels than healthy persons. A randomized controlled trial was conducted to see the effect of the vitamin D supplementation on oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in T2DM patients. In this study, a total of 178 T2DM patients were randomly enrolled, 92 patients received regular treatment (T2DM group) and 86 patients in Vitamin D group received extra vitamin D 400 IU per day in addition to regular treatment. Serum vitamin D, GSH, GSH metabolic enzyme GCLC and GR, inflammatory factor MCP-1, and IL-8 levels were investigated. We found that the T2DM group has significantly higher concentrations of MCP-1 and IL-8 than those in the healthy donor group. After vitamin D supplementation for 90 days, T2DM patients had a 2-fold increase of GSH levels, from 2.72 ± 0.84 to 5.76 ± 3.19 µmol/ml, the concentration of MCP-1 decreased from 51.11 ± 20.86 to 25.42 ± 13.06 pg/ml, and IL-8 also decreased from 38.21 ± 21.76 to 16.05 ± 8.99 pg/ml. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that vitamin D could regulate the production of GSH, thereby reducing the serum levels of MCP-1 and IL-8, alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation, providing evidence of the necessity and feasibility of adjuvant vitamin D treatment among patients with T2DM. On the other hand, vitamin D and GSH levels have important diagnostic and prognostic values in T2DM patients.

Susceptibility to initiate smoking among junior and senior high school nonsmokers in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: Most smokers begin using tobacco in their teens and recent reports indicate that smoking prevalence is climbing among youth in Taiwan. The purpose of this paper was to determine the associated factors of susceptibility of youth smoking by different types of schools. METHODS: A total of 4689 junior high students and 3918 senior high students participated in a school-based survey to determine the associated factors of susceptibility of youth smoking through anonymous self-administered questionnaire in 2004-2005. RESULTS: Susceptibility to initiate smoking ranged from 11.3% for junior high to 12.7% for general senior high and 12.4% for vocational senior students. For all/male smoking-susceptible students, more junior high students had one or more parents or best friends who smoked than did general or vocational senior high students. For all/female smoking-susceptible students, significantly more junior high students experienced secondhand smoke in public places than did non-susceptible students. CONCLUSIONS: Developing tailored, comprehensive smoking-prevention programs for junior high students should involve establishing tobacco-free households and communities.

Identification of 1-isopropylsulfonyl-2-amine benzimidazoles as a new class of inhibitors of hepatitis B virus.

A series of 1-isopropylsulfonyl-2-amine benzimidazole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity and cytotoxicity in the HepG2.2.15 cell line. In general, these derivatives are potent HBV inhibitors (IC(50)<4 microM) with high selectivity indices (SIs>40). Compounds 5b-e, g, j, and 9a were among the most prominent compounds, with IC(50)s of 0.70-2.0 microM and SIs of 41-274. The potent anti-HBV activity and safety profiles of the most promising compounds 5d and j (IC(50)s=0.70 microM, SIs>120) demonstrate the potential of this series of benzimidazoles for the development of new anti-HBV drugs.

Synthesis and anti-hepatitis B virus activity of novel benzimidazole derivatives.

A series of novel benzimidazole derivatives was synthesized and evaluated for their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity and cytotoxicity in vitro. Strong activity against HBV replication and low cytotoxicity were generally observed in these benzimidazoles. The most promising compounds were 12a and 12b, with similar high antiviral potency (IC50 = 0.9 and 0.7 microM, respectively) and remarkable selectivity indices (>1111 and 714, respectively). They were selected for further evaluation as novel HBV inhibitors.

[An analysis on the clinical applications of in-vitro diagnostic devices from the results of a blind research, and some suggestions].

Based on a blind research of in-vitro diagnostic devices in use,this paper analyses the error rates of clinical laboratory items in hospitals of different levels, and gives some advies and suggestions for clinical laboratory administration.

[The relationship between abdominal fat volume and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in obesity people].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between abdominal fat volume and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome in obesity people. METHODS: From July 2009 to July 2010, 50 patients with BMI > 25 were prospectively selected for study from the patients who complained of snoring in the Respiratory department. The patients were divided into OSAHS group and non-OSAHS group according to the result of sleep apnea monitoring. All the patients also received full abdominal CT and the whole abdominal fat volume was measured by 3-D CT reconstruction system. SPSS 13.0 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The whole abdominal fat volume in the two groups was analyzed by T- test, which was significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.01). It showed that there was a statistical relationship between OSAHS and abdominal fat in obesity people. CONCLUSION: In obesity people, OSAHS has a close relationship with abdominal fat volume. The abdominal fat volume is markedly higher in OSAHS patients than that in non-OSAHS people.

Factors associated with Taiwanese junior high school personnel advising students to quit smoking.

BACKGROUND: Most smokers in developing countries begin smoking before age 18, and smoking prevalence is rising among adolescents. School personnel represent a target group for tobacco-control efforts because they interact daily with students, are role models for students, teach about tobacco-use prevention in school curricula, and implement school tobacco-control policies. The prevalence of teenage smoking has been examined in numerous studies, but few have focused on the influence of school personnel and the characteristics of school personnel who enforce school nonsmoking policy. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with junior high school personnel advising students to quit smoking. METHODS: School personnel (N = 7129) were recruited by cluster sampling from 60 junior high schools in Taiwan; of these, 5280 voluntarily returned self-administered, anonymous questionnaires (response rate = 74.06%) in 2004. RESULTS: Most personnel (70%) had advised students to quit smoking. School personnel who were older, male, responsible for teaching health, smokers, with positive attitude against tobacco, or with more knowledge of tobacco hazards were more likely to advise students to quit smoking. Personnel with more interest in and access to tobacco-related materials were more likely to advise students to quit smoking. Personnel who had received tobacco-prevention training were 2.41 times more likely to persuade students to quit smoking after adjusting for other factors. However, only half of the participants had ever had access to educational materials about tobacco use, and 8% had ever received training to prevent tobacco use. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce youth smoking prevalence, school tobacco-control programs should support tobacco-prevention training for school personnel.

Association between social climate for smoking and youth smoking behaviors in Taiwan: an ecological study.

BACKGROUND: Social acceptance of smoking is associated with smoking prevalence. Higher smoking rates and ETS exposure might be considered as important indicators for pro-tobacco social norms or social climate. Among studies indicating the association between youth smoking and adult smoking behaviors, most were from individual-level study designs. OBJECTIVES: An ecological study was conducted to determine the role of social climate, i.e., adult smoking behaviors and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), on youth smoking behaviors. METHODS: Data on the smoking behavior and ETS of 16,688 Taiwanese adults were collected in 2004 by telephone administration of the Taiwan Adult Smoking Survey. Similar data on 22,339 junior high school students were collected in 2004 by school-based administration of the Taiwan Youth Tobacco Survey. City/county-level data were analyzed across 25 counties by descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: In both adult and youth populations, overall or gender-specific smoking prevalence and ETS varied widely across counties/cities. The current youth smoking rate within counties was significantly positively correlated with the current adult smoking prevalence as well as home ETS exposure in adults or youth. For male youth, a 1% increase in the rate of home ETS exposure reported by youth increased the current male youth smoking rate by 0.20% after controlling the female youth smoking rate and home ETS exposure reported by adults (p=0.0197). For female youth, male youth smoking prevalence was the only variable that contributed significantly (Beta=0.46, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Community health nurses should develop tobacco-control interventions that are tailored to support smoke-free environments by decreasing the social acceptability of smoking.