Increased 5-hydroxymethylcytosine and Ten-eleven Translocation Protein Expression in Ultraviolet B-irradiated HaCaT Cells / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>DNA hydroxymethylation refers to a chemical modification process in which 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is catalyzed to 5- hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) by ten-eleven translocation (TET) family proteins. Recent studies have revealed that aberrant TETs expression or 5hmC level may play important roles in the occurrence and development of various pathological and physiological processes including cancer and aging. This study aimed to explore the relation between aberrant DNA hydroxymethylation with skin photoaging and to investigate the levels of TETs, 5mC, and 5hmC expression 24 h after 40 mJ/cm2 and 80 mJ/cm2 doses of ultraviolet B (UVB) irradiation to HaCaT cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>To explore whether aberrant DNA hydroxymethylation is also related to skin photoaging, 40 mJ/cm2 and 80 mJ/cm2 doses of UVB were chosen to treat keratinocytes (HaCaT cells). After 24 h of UVB irradiation, 5mC and 5hmC levels were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF), and at the same time, the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP-1) and TETs were assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or Western blot analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 40 mJ/cm2 and 80 mJ/cm2 doses of UVB exposure, both IHC and IF results showed that 5hmC levels increased significantly, while the 5mC levels did not exhibit significant changes in HaCaT cells, compared with HaCat cells without UVB exposure. Moreover, compared with HaCat cells without UVB exposure, the levels of TET1, TET2, and TET3 mRNA and protein expression were significantly upregulated (mRNA: P = 0.0022 and 0.0043 for TET1; all P < 0.0001 for TET2; all P = 0.0006 for TET3; protein: P = 0.0012 and 0.0006 for TET1; all P = 0.0022 for TET2; and all P = 0.0002 for TET3), and the levels of MMP-1 mRNA expression increased dose dependently in 40 mJ/cm2 and 80 mJ/cm2 UVB-irradiated groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>UVB radiation could cause increased 5hmC and TET expression, which might become a novel biomarker in UVB-related skin aging.</p>

Effect of group counseling on depression, compliance and blood sugar level in diabetic patients / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To establish an interference mode of group counseling for diabetic patients with depression and to evaluate the effectiveness of this mode on depression, treatment compliance and blood sugar level in the patients.
@*METHODS@#One hundred diabetic patients with depression were randomly divided into a counseling group and a control group (n=50 per group). Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) was applied to all the patients. The interference mode of group counseling was established through literature review, expert consultation or interview. The counseling group received counseling for 8 times within 2 months.
@*RESULTS@#There was a significant difference in the SDS scores at 0, 3, 6 or 12 months after the intervention between the 2 groups (P0.05). There was a significant difference in the compliance between any two time points after the intervention (P<0.05). Fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 h postprandial blood glucose (2hPG) or glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was significantly different at any two time points after the intervention (P<0.05).
@*CONCLUSION@#Group counseling can improve depression, compliance and blood sugar control in the diabetic patients.

Plasma levels of omentin-1 and visfatin in senile patients with coronary heart disease and heart failure

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the alteration of plasma levels of omentin-1 and visfatin in elderly patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart failure.@*METHODS@#Plasma omentin-1 and visfatin levels were measured in 90 subjects (29 stable angina pectoris (SAP) cases, 30 unstable angina pectoris (UAP) cases and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (age ≥ 60 years) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. According to the New York Heart Association classification, 59 CHDs were divided into three groups: functional I class, 11 cases; functional II/III class, 36 cases; and functional IV class, 12 cases.@*RESULTS@#The plasma level of omentin-1 in CHD patients was significantly lower than that of the control group. Omentin-1in SAP group and UAP group were significantly lower compared to the control group (there was no statistical significance between UAP group and SAP group; P >0.05). The plasma level of visfatin in CHD patients was significantly higher than that of the control group. Similarly, visfatin in SAP group and UAP group were all significantly higher compared to the control group, while there was no statistical significance between UAP group, and SAP group. The plasma omentin-1 level was negatively correlated with SBP (r=-0.264, P<0.05), positively correlated with HDL-c level (r=0.271, P<0.05); the plasma visfatin level was positively correlated with TC (r=0.292,P<0.05), negatively correlated with HDL-c level (r=-0.266,P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between plasma omentin-1 and visfatin levels (r=-0.280, P<0.05). Moreover, multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that omentin-1 and visfatin levels might be affected by HDL-c level. Logistic regression analysis showed that visfatin could be an independent risk factor of CHD.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Decreased levels of omentin-1 and increased levels of visfatin may be involved in the occurrence and development of CHD. Omentin-1 and visfatin, independently, may be protective and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, both omentin-1 and visfatin may be related to lipid metabolism. Visfatin may be an independent risk factor of CHD.

Relationship between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cognitive function of obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome patients

OBJECTIVE@#To determine the relationship between the blood serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level and cognitive function deterioration in patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), and to explore the possible mechanism of cognitive impairment.@*METHODS@#Twenty-eight male OSAHS patients and 14 normal males (as controls) were enrolled in the study. Polysomnography and the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) were conducted. The blood serum BDNF levels were measured using ELISA.@*RESULTS@#The OSAHS group had significantly decreased blood serum BDNF levels compared with the control group (t = -10.912, P = 0.000). The blood serum BDNF level of the subjects was significantly positively associated with the MoCA score (r = 0.544, P = 0.000), significantly negatively associated with the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and shallow sleep (S1+S2) (AHI: r = -0.607, P = 0.000; S1+S2: r = -0.768, P = 0.000), and significantly positively associated with the lowest SaO(2) (LSO), slow wave sleep (S3+S4), and rapid eye movement sleep (REM) (LSO: r = 0.566, P = 0.000; S3+S4: r = 0.778, P = 0.000; REM: r = 0.575, P = 0.000).@*CONCLUSIONS@#OSAHS patients have significantly decreased blood serum BDNF levels compared with the control. Nocturnal hypoxia as well as the deprivation of slow wave sleep and REM may lead to the decreased serum BDNF level of OSAHS patients. This decreased blood serum BDNF level may contribute to the cognitive impairment in OSAHS.

Inhibitive effect of triptolide on invasiveness of human fibrosarcoma cells by downregulating matrix metalloproteinase-9 expression

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the molecular mechanisms of antitumor properties of triptolide, a bioactive component isolated from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wolfordii Hook F.@*METHODS@#Human fibrosarcoma HT-1080 cells were treated with different doses of triptolide for 72 h. Then the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 and -9 were measured and the invasiveness of triptolide-treated HT-1080 cells was compared with that of anti-MMP-9-treated HT-1080 cells.@*RESULTS@#18 nmol/L triptolide inhibited the gene expression and activity of MMP-9, but not those of MMP-2, in HT-1080 cells. In addition, both 18 nmol/L triptolide and 3 μg/mL anti-MMP-9 significantly reduced the invasive potential of HT-1080 cells, by about 50% and 35%, respectively, compared with the control. Whereas there was no significant difference between the effect of 18 nmol/L triptolide and that of anti-MMP-9 on invasive potential of HT-1080 cells.@*CONCLUSIONS@#These data suggest that triptolide inhibits tumor cell invasion partly by reducing MMP-9 gene expression and activity.

Treatment compliance and health needs of rural patients with peptic ulcer / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the treatment compliance and basic health needs of rural patients with gastric ulcer.@*METHODS@#One hundred and sixteen patients with gastric ulcer were measured with treatment compliance questionnaire. The questionnaire contained 3 aspects: chemical therapy, regular callback, and improvement in life style, and had another part of questions which were designed to investigate the basic health needs of the patients.@*RESULTS@#The patient compliance rate in the aspect of improvement in life style was 4.3% (n=5). Both of the counterparts in the other 2 aspects were 7.8% (n=9). The main correlative factor with treatment compliance of the investigated patients was economic income. There were 105 patients (90.5%) needing health consultation, 98 patients (84.5%) needing diet instruction and 93 patients (80.2%) needing regular physical examination among the 116 patients investigated.@*CONCLUSION@#The treatment compliance rate of rural patients with gastric ulcer was very low. It is necessary to emphasize health education.