[The association between body fat distribution and calcaneal bone mineral density in children and adolescents aged 6-16 years in Beijing].

Objective: To understand the association between body fat distribution and calcaneal bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents aged 6-16 years in Beijing. Methods: Children and adolescents were selected in 30 schools (8 primary schools, 21 middle schools and one 12-year education school) from Dongcheng, Tongzhou, Fangshan and Miyun districts of Beijing by using a stratified cluster sampling method from November 2017 to January 2018. A total of 15 030 students in grade 1 to 4 of primary school, grade 1 of junior and senior middle school were enrolled after excluding subjects who were not able to participate into this study due to trauma or other uncomfortable physical conditions or with missing key values or with diabetes and kidney diseases. Questionnaire survey, body composition and calcaneus bone mineral density were conducted. The relation of fat mass percentage (FMP), trunk to total fat ratio (TrTFR), trunk to limb fat ratio (TrLFR), limb to total fat ratio (LTFR) and viscera to total fat ratio (VTFR) with calcaneus BMD were assessed using the multivariate linear regression models after adjusting for possible confounding effects. The central fat distribution types were divided into 4 groups including type 1: both trunk fat and visceral fat greater than the sex-and age-specific internal P(75); type 2: barely trunk fat greater than P(75); type 3: barely visceral fat greater than P(75); type 4: both trunk fat and visceral fat greater than P(75). The central fat distribution types were included into the model in the form of dummy variables to analyze its relationship with calcaneal BMD. The sex-and age-specific z-scores of fat distribution indicators and BMD were calculated. Results: A total of 15 030 participants aged (11.4±3.3) years (50.2% boys) were involved in the analysis. In both genders, after adjusting for age, height, lean mass index, smoking, drinking, physical activity, milk intake, vitamin D and calcium supplementation, FMP, TrTFR, TrLFR and VTFR were negatively correlated with calcaneal BMD (all P value<0.05), while LTFR was positively associated with calcaneal BMD (all P values<0.05). Compared to the central fat distribution type 1, the regression coefficients (95% CI) of type 2, 3 and 4 were -0.253 (-0.418, -0.087), -0.385 (-0.567, -0.204) and -0.428 (-0.487, -0.369) in boys, respectively; the regression coefficients (95% CI) of type 3 and 4 were -0.158 (-0.301, -0.015) and -0.226 (-0.290, -0.163), respectively. Conclusion: Body fat distribution and central fat distribution in children and adolescents were correlated with calcaneus bone mineral density.

[The association between blood lipids and calcaneus bone mineral density in children and adolescents aged 6-16 years in Beijing].

Objective: To investigate the association between blood lipid and calcaneus bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents aged 6-16 years in Beijing. Methods: Children and adolescents were selected in 30 schools (8 primary schools, 21 middle schools and one 12-year education school) from Dongcheng, Tongzhou, Fangshan and Miyun districts of Beijing by using a stratified cluster sampling method from November 2017 to January 2018. A total of 14 303 students in grade 1 to 4 of primary school, grade 1 of junior and senior middle school were enrolled after excluding subjects who were not able to participate into this study due to trauma or other uncomfortable physical conditions or with missing key values or with diabetes and kidney diseases. Questionnaire survey, blood lipid and calcaneus BMD were conducted. Multivariate linear regression was applied to quantify the association between calcaneal BMD as a dependent variable and blood lipid level as an independent variable after adjusting for the potential confounding factors. Furthermore, quantile regression was used to analyze the association between blood lipid level and different percentiles (P(25), P(50) and P(75)) of ultrasonic velocity values of bone mineral density, and parallel test was conducted for regression coefficients of different percentiles. Results: A total of 14 303 participants aged (11.4±3.3) years (49.9% boys) were involved in the analysis. The mean age of 14 303 participants was (11.0±3.3) years. 7 142 boys accounted for 49.9%. The mean±SD of calcaneal BMD, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) were (1 540.9±33.8) m/s, (3.90±0.76), (2.18±0.62), and (1.40±0.32) mmol/L, respectively. The P(5)0 (P(25), P(75)) of triglyceride (TG) was 0.69 (0.49-0.94) mmol/L. After the adjustment of age, height, smoking, drinking, vitamin D and calcium supplementation, dairy intake, physical activity, FMI, and MMI, a significantly inverse association (P<0.05) between TG level and calcaneus BMD was observed in both genders, which the regression coefficients (95%CI) in boys and girls were -0.064 (-0.085, -0.044) and -0.073 (-0.094, -0.053), respectively. Conclusion: The level of BMD was associated with TG in boys and girls. Therefore, it is important to prevent children from hypertriglyceridemia for the bone health promotion.

Effects of embryonic ethanol exposure at low doses on neuronal development, voluntary ethanol consumption and related behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish: Role of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides.

Embryonic exposure to ethanol is known to affect neurochemical systems in rodents and increase alcohol drinking and related behaviors in humans and rodents. With zebrafish emerging as a powerful tool for uncovering neural mechanisms of numerous diseases and exhibiting similarities to rodents, the present report building on our rat studies examined in zebrafish the effects of embryonic ethanol exposure on hypothalamic neurogenesis, expression of orexigenic neuropeptides, and voluntary ethanol consumption and locomotor behaviors in larval and adult zebrafish, and also effects of central neuropeptide injections on these behaviors affected by ethanol. At 24h post-fertilization, zebrafish embryos were exposed for 2h to ethanol, at low concentrations of 0.25% and 0.5%, in the tank water. Embryonic ethanol compared to control dose-dependently increased hypothalamic neurogenesis and the proliferation and expression of the orexigenic peptides, galanin (GAL) and orexin (OX), in the anterior hypothalamus. These changes in hypothalamic peptide neurons were accompanied by an increase in voluntary consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin and in novelty-induced locomotor and exploratory behavior in adult zebrafish and locomotor activity in larvae. After intracerebroventricular injection, these peptides compared to vehicle had specific effects on these behaviors altered by ethanol, with GAL stimulating consumption of 10% ethanol-gelatin more than plain gelatin food and OX stimulating novelty-induced locomotor behavior while increasing intake of food and ethanol equally. These results, similar to those obtained in rats, suggest that the ethanol-induced increase in genesis and expression of these hypothalamic peptide neurons contribute to the behavioral changes induced by embryonic exposure to ethanol.

The assessment of efficacy of Diascorea alata for menopausal symptom treatment in Taiwanese women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of Diascorea alata for treatment of menopausal symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical investigation on 50 menopausal women randomly assigned to two groups, treated for 12 months with either placebo or two sachets daily of Diascorea extracts containing 12 mg/sachet. Primary outcome measures were changes in the Greene Climacteric Scale caused by Diascorea compared with placebo; secondary outcomes were changes in plasma hormone profiles. One-way ANCOVA test was performed to investigate the significance. RESULTS: At 6 months and at the end of treatment, those women who received Diascorea showed general improvement in almost all the clinical symptoms investigated. A significant reduction was noted in the total Greene scores in the Diascorea group assessed at the end of 12 months' treatment (p < 0.01). This phenomenon was more significant for the psychological parameters of anxiety than for other parameters. Apparent improvements were noted in the parameters 'feeling tense or nervous' (p = 0.007), 'insomnia' (p = 0.004), 'excitable' (p = 0.047) and 'musculoskeletal pain' (p = 0.019) among those receiving Diascorea. Diascorea consumption also resulted in positive effects on blood hormone profiles. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with placebo, Diascorea alata improves symptoms, particularly the psychological parameters in menopausal women. Safety monitoring indicated that standardized extracts of Diascorea alata were safe during daily administration over a period of 12 months.

Healthy-side dominance of middle- and long-latency neuromagnetic fields in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Any lesion along the neural axis may induce a subsequent functional reorganization at the level above. The present study used magnetoencephalography to investigate auditory-evoked magnetic fields [a component of the middle-latency auditory evoked fields peaking at approximately 50 ms (P50m) and a component of the long-latency auditory evoked fields peaking at approximately 100 ms (N100m)] on stimulation of both healthy and affected ears in patients with acute unilateral idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) of moderate degree in order to elucidate the functional plasticity of the auditory system. Sixteen right-handed, previously untreated adult patients with acute unilateral left (n = 8) or right (n = 8) ISSNHL of moderate degree were studied. Sixteen right-handed healthy volunteers with normal hearing served as control. Auditory neuromagnetic responses, measured by a whole-head 306-channel neuromagnetometer, were detected by monaural tone stimulation applied to affected and healthy ears, respectively, in different sessions. Intragroup and intergroup interhemispheric differences of peak dipole strengths and latencies of P50m and N100m, respectively, to monaural tones were evaluated. Healthy-side amplitude dominance of both P50m and N100m was found in ISSNHL, i.e. contralateral dominance was preserved on affected-ear stimulation but ipsilateral dominance was seen on healthy-ear stimulation. The phenomena could be attributed to the combined contralateral attenuation and ipsilateral enhancement of P50m and N100m activity in response to healthy-ear stimulation. Our findings confirmed that functional modulation can occur within the first few tens of milliseconds of evoked response at the auditory cortex in ISSNHL. The mechanisms of healthy-side dominance might be ascribed to a functional retune of auditory pathways, i.e. conjoined contralateral inhibition and ipsilateral excitation of the auditory pathway in response to healthy-ear stimulation. The effect could be registered in cortical responses.

Change in International Prostate Symptom Score after transurethral prostatectomy in Taiwanese men with benign prostate hyperplasia: use of these changes to predict the outcome.

To investigate whether the pre- and postoperative International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) change predicts the outcome of transurethral prostatectomy in a Taiwanese population, 99 patients (transurethral prostatectomy candidates) were assessed with the IPSS before and 6-12 months after surgery. All symptoms improved significantly postoperatively. Patients with a greater preoperative IPSS benefited the most. Improvements in preoperative obstructive symptoms (incomplete emptying, intermittency, straining, and weak stream) were greater than those in irritable symptoms (urgency, frequency, and nocturia). A significant correlation was found between IPSS and quality of life (QOL) before and after transurethral prostatectomy. A change of 1 unit on the IPSS scale was found to decrease the QOL score 0.282 units. The positive predictive value of a >or=7-IPSS point decrease depended on the predictive IPSS criteria applied. When the preoperative IPSS was more than 17, the sensitivity was 83.5% and specificity was 30%. Postoperative improvement did not differ significantly between acute urinary retention (AUR) and non-AUR patients. Change in IPSS of more than 7 points predicted symptomatic improvement with high sensitivity. The predictive value depends on the definition of significant improvement (magnitude of IPSS change) and on the level of IPSS symptoms (sufficient to warrant transurethral prostatectomy).

Chest wall thickness measurements and the dosimetric implications for male workers in the south Korean uranium industry.

Using ultrasound techniques, the Human Monitoring Laboratory has measured chest wall thicknesses of a group of male workers at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. A site-specific biometric equation has been developed for these workers, who are somewhat smaller than other workers reported in the literature. Chest wall thickness is an important modifier on lung counting efficiency. These data have been put into the perspective of the ICRP recommended dose limits for occupationally exposed workers: 100 mSv in a 5-year period with a maximum of 50 mSv in any one year. For measured chest wall thicknesses of 1.9 cm to 4.1 cm and a 30 min counting time, the achievable MDAs for natural uranium in the KAERI lung counter vary from 6.6 mg to 13.2 mg. These values are close to, or even exceed, the predicted amounts of natural uranium that will remain in the lung (absorption type M and S) after an intake equal to the Annual Limit on Intake corresponding to a committed dose of 20 mSv. This paper shows that the KAERI lung counter probably cannot detect an intake of Type S natural uranium in a worker with a chest wall thickness equal to the average value (2.7 cm) under routine counting conditions.

Metabolism of chiisanoside from Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus by human intestinal bacteria and its relation to some biological activities.

The metabolic pathway of chiisanoside isolated from leaves of Acanthopanax divaricatus var. albeofructus (Araliaceae) by human intestinal bacteria and by the protein fraction of leaves of this plant were investigated, and the cytotoxic and anti-rotaviral activities of chiisanoside and its metabolite, chiisanogenin, were assayed. Chiisanogenin was produced as a main metabolite, when chiisanoside were incubated for 15 h with human intestinal bacteria. This metabolic pathway proceeded more potently with the protein fraction than with human intestinal bacteria. The in vitro cytotoxicity of chiisanogenin was superior to that of chiisanoside. H+/K+ ATPase was more potently inhibited by chiisanogenin than by chiisanoside. However, the anti-rotaviral activity of chiisanoside was more potent than that of chiisanogenin.

Determination of sulfite in Oriental herbal medicines.

Sulfite was detected in 7 varieties of Oriental herbal medicines (Pueraria radix, Zingiberis rhizoma, Platycodon radix, Adenophora radix, Pinellia tuber, Astragalus radix, and Paeonia radix) on the Korean market. Sulfiting of commercial Oriental herbal medicines by fumigation with burning bituminous coal was simulated, and the accumulation of sulfite was investigated by using fresh Platycodon radix roots obtained from a growing field. The sulfite level reached a plateau in 9 h, and the maximum sulfite level found by the Monier-Williams (MW) method (AOAC 990.28) was 1020 ppm. The sulfite content in the simulated Platycodon radix sample determined by alkali extraction followed by ion-exclusion chromatography with electrochemical detection (AOAC 990.31) was approximately 17% lower on average than the MW results. Free-sulfite levels determined by acid extraction and ion-exclusion chromatography with electrochemical detection were between 19 and 49% of the MW results. The advantages of different methods for sulfite determination and the significance of the results are discussed.

New 3,4-seco-lupane-type triterpene glycosides from Acanthopanax senticosus forma inermis.

Four new 3,4-seco-lupane-type triterpene glycosides (1-4) were isolated from the leaves of Acanthopanax senticosus forma inermis. The structures of 1-4 were established as 11alpha-hydroxy-3, 4-seco-lup-4(23),20(30)-dien-3-oic acid methyl ester 28-oic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-be ta-D-glucopyranoside, designated as inermoside (1); 1-deoxychiisanoside (2); 24-hydroxychiisanoside (3); and 11-deoxyisochiisanoside (4) by (1)H-(1)H COSY and (1)H-(13)C COSY(HMBC, HMQC) methods and FABMS.

Lupane-glycoside of Acanthopanax trifoliatus forma tristigmatis leaves.

This report contains the first characterization of acanthodiolglycoside which belongs to pentacyclic lupane triterpene glycoside.

Cloning of the human cDNA sequence encoding the NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase MLRQ subunit.

A cDNA clone encoding human NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I of mitochondrial respiratory chain) MLRQ subunit was isolated from human fetal liver cDNA library. The clone contained an open reading frame of 246 by which predicted a protein comprising 81 amino acids with a calculated molecular weight of 9,370 Da. The deduced amino acid sequence exhibited 95% homology (88% identity and 7% favored substitution) to that of bovine MLRQ subunit. Northern analysis revealed that the cDNA clone hybridized with a 0.7 kb mRNA species which was present in all tissues examined. The expression level of the 0.7 kb mRNA in heart, skeletal muscle, and brain was higher than in other organs. Human MLRQ cDNA could cross-hybridize with the genomic DNAs from various species.

Subsequent reproduction and obstetric outcome after methotrexate treatment of cervical pregnancy: a review of original literature and international collaborative follow-up.

The case reports of 22 patients with cervical pregnancies treated by methotrexate (MTX) administration and published in English literature between 1983 and 1995 were reviewed, by either original paper review or follow-up under international collaboration, to determine the subsequent reproductive performance and obstetric outcomes. Out of 22 cases, 18 (78%) MTX chemotherapy attempts succeeded with complete remission and four (22%) failed. Of the 13 women who wished to conceive and could be followed for at least 3 years, nine succeeded in having live births without congenital malformations, one spontaneously aborted and three suffered infertility. In general, MTX chemotherapy alone or combined with adjuvant methods such as subsequent cervical curettage or cervical tamponade, or intracervical potassium chloride injection, appears to be a convenient and effective method for the treatment of the majority of cervical pregnancies before 12 weeks gestation, and has not been shown to have detrimental effects on subsequent reproductive capacities, obstetric outcomes and progeny health for those cases with successful preservation of the uteri.

Follicular fluid levels of insulin-like growth factor I, insulin-like growth factor binding protein I, and ovarian steroids collected during ovum pick-up.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate interrelationships between levels of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP-I), and ovarian steroids in late preovulatory follicular fluid (FF) after pituitary desensitization with GnRH agonist and controlled ovarian hyperstimulation. DESIGN: Follicular fluid and matched serum were collected during the ovum pick-up. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein I, E2, P, and androstenedione (A) were measured by means of RIA, whereas T was measured by means of fluoroimmunoassay and IGF-I by means of immunoradiometric assay. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-nine patients underwent 62 ovum pick-ups for IVF. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Levels of IGF-I, IGFBP-I, E2, P4 (representative of follicular maturity), T, and A in FF and the volume of this fluid were determined. Levels of E2 to A (representative of aromatase activity) in FF were examined in relation to the volume of FF. RESULTS: Levels of FF-IGF-I decreased with increasing volume of FF. This observation is unprecedented. In contrast, FF-P increased with increasing volume of FF. The reverse relationships with FF volume between FF-IGF-I and FF-P may not be causal because no correlation was found between concentrations of FF-IGF-I and FF-P. Our findings are consistent with and complementary to those in previous reports. The follicular fluid E2:A ratio, FF-E2, FF-A, FF-T, and FF-IGFBP-I were not found to be correlated with volume of FF. CONCLUSION: Decreased levels of FF-IGF-I with unaltered levels of FF-IGFBP-I in larger follicles may favor a shift toward diminished action of IGF-I at the time of immediate preovulation. The physiological significance of this shift remains uncertain as it is not reflected in the levels of steroids in FF.

The effect of methylene blue-sensitized photodynamic treatment on bladder cancer cells: a further study on flow cytometric basis.

The cytotoxic effect mediated by methylene blue-sensitized photoinactivation on bladder cancer cells has been well known for years, but the actual mechanism is still not clear. Specific fluorescence stains were used in a multiparameter approach. The changes in cellular size, granularity, protein content, RNA and DNA were analyzed by flow cytometry. The results showed that, in addition to cell size, all the other parameters, including cellular granularity, protein, RNA and DNA, diminished following photodynamic therapy. The cytotoxic efficacy is closely related to time of stain and illumination. The DNA and cell cycle were affected simultaneously with decreased DNA content and arrest in the G0/G1 phase. These multistage processes occurred synchronously after the phototherapy. Our results suggest that the methylene blue-sensitized photooxidation of bladder cancer cells is carried out by multimedia reactions through which the intracellular proteins (enzymes in mitochondria), RNA (ribosomes) and DNA (chromatin) decrease with loss of cytoplasmic granularity.

Ultrastructural changes of bladder cancer cells following methylene blue-sensitized photodynamic treatment.

The cytotoxic efficacy of methylene blue-sensitized photoinactivation of bladder cancer cells has been proved in vitro and in vivo in our previous work. The ultrastructural changes of MBT-2 murine bladder cancer cells following methylene blue-sensitized phototherapy have been evaluated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. MBT-2 cells were pretreated with 0.1% methylene blue, and then exposed to ordinary light for different durations from 1 to 60 min. Both electron microscopic examinations showed that changes in tumor cells occurred at 5 min of illumination with fenestration and minipore formation on the cell membrane and mitochondrial disintegration. At 30 min, cleavage and cracking of the cell membrane with ribosomal lysis were noted. Finally, fragmentation with decomposition of the membrane and chromosomal condensation and lysis resulted at 60 min. This study showed that the cytotoxic effect induced by methylene blue phototherapy is initiated in the cell membrane and intracellular mitochondria in the early phase.

Differential diagnosis of testicular mass by cytological examination of seminal fluid collected by ejaculation or prostatic massage.

The cytological examination of the seminal fluid of 3 patients with painless testicular masses was performed using an ordinary conventional technique. Neoplastic cells appeared in the ejaculate or fluid from prostatic massage of all patients. The final pathologies were seminoma, choriocarcinoma and mixed teratocarcinoma. Malignant cells were no longer found in the seminal fluid after orchiectomy. This sample, noninvasive technique plus further flow cytometric study of cellular DNA contents is a great help in the preoperative differential diagnosis of testicular masses.