Incidence and risk factors associated with progression to mild cognitive impairment among middle aged and older adults.

OBJECTIVE: We performed this longitudinal 2-year follow-up study to determine the incidence and risk factors associated with MCI in middle-aged and older adults. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This community-based longitudinal study was conducted in adults aged ≥ 50 years with normal cognitive function in Shanghai community, China, over a period of two years. Information about the socio-demographic, behavioral, anthropometric, and biochemical parameters was obtained at the baseline and cognitive function was assessed at the end of the follow-up period using the Montreal cognitive assessment tool. RESULTS: A total of 985 participants aged ≥ 50 years were included in the analysis. Incidence of MCI during the 2-year follow-up period among the study participants was 26.7% (95% CI: 24.0%-29.6%). Participants with lower level of education [primary - adjusted RR=2.79 (95% CI: 1.38-5.64 and secondary - adjusted RR=1.62 (95% CI: 1.17-2.24)], with history of cerebral infarction (adjusted RR=1.49; 95% CI: 1.05-2.12), history of cerebral hemorrhage (adjusted RR=3.20; 95% CI: 1.22-8.40) were found to have significantly higher risk of MCI. Regular tea consumption was associated with significantly reduced risk of MCI development (adjusted RR=0.69; 95% CI: 0.49-0.96). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that one in four participants developed MCI during the 2-year follow-up period. Lower educational level, history of cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage and tea consumption were significant determinants of MCI incidence. The target groups identified in this study should be closely monitored with regular follow-up investigations for early diagnosis and appropriate management of the condition.

[Research on spectral characteristics of the water content of snow in the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain during snow melt].

The research on water content of snow has the real meaning of the flow of runoff and flood in Spring. Our team got the original data from ASD and Snow Folk, meanwhile these data were anglicized and handled under the help of SPSS19.0 and Excel. The result shows that there are several valleys for the absorbing in visible and near-infrared region in the curve of spectrum characteristics; the spectrum characteristics and the water content of surface snow are negative correlated, and this kind of relation will change with the increase in wavelength, and there lies three minimum values of correlation in the visible and near infrared region. The prediction model wasconstructed, which lies in the visible light band, the result is positive, the model in the band of 350 nm has high-precision, reaching 75.9%, and there is high fitting degree of the predicted and measured values, while in the near infrared, the model constructed in the band of 1 204 nm holds the highest accuracy.

In vitro chemosensitivity assay of ascites in epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for chemosensitivity test in ascites. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The relationship of the in vitro sensitivity results and the clinicopathological characteristics, objective response rates (ORRs) of chemotherapy, and time to progression (TTP) were retrospectively analyzed in 120 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. The clinical response criterion was based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) standard. The log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to estimate TTP. RESULTS: MTT assays revealed that tumor cells from ascites of primary and type II EOC were more sensitive to paclitaxel (PTX) and carboplatin (CBDCA) than relapse (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) and type I (p = 0.03, p = 0.02, respectively) EOC. p53 positive expression and Ki67 high expression were associated with high PTX (p = 0.01 and p < 0.01, respectively) and CBDCA (p = 0.03 and p < 0.01, respectively) sensitivity. Ki67 weak positive immunostaining was associated with topotecan (p < 0.01), gemcitabine (p < 0.01), and doxorubicin (p < 0.01) resistance. Chemosensitivity to CBDCA/PTX was associated with the ORR ofneo-adjuvant (p = 0.03) and adjuvant (p = 0.02) chemotherapy. The MTT assay results of ascites were consistent with the clinical response (p = 0.04) and TTP (p = 0.04) in patients with platinum-resistant relapse EOC tumors. CONCLUSIONS: Evaluation of the chemosensitivity of ascites in EOC by MTT can aid the establishment of individualized clinical chemotherapeutic plans for platinum-resistant relapse patients.

Effects of zinc oxide-montmorillonite hybrid on growth performance, intestinal structure, and function of broiler chicken.

A total of 450 one-day-old Arbor Acres male chickens were used to investigate the effects of zinc oxide-montmorillonite hybrid (ZnO-MMT) on growth performance, intestinal structure, and function. The birds were allotted to 5 dietary treatments for 21 d, each of which was replicated 6 times with 15 chicks per replicate. The dietary treatments were 1) corn-soybean meal diet (basal, containing 42.35 mg of Zn/kg); 2) basal diet + 600 mg of MMT/kg (equivalent to the MMT in the ZnO-MMT treatment); 3) basal diet + 60 mg of Zn/kg as ZnO; 4) basal diet + 60 mg of Zn/kg as ZnO-MMT; and 5) basal diet + 60 mg of Zn/kg as ZnSO(4)•7H(2)O. The results showed that chicks fed ZnO-MMT had higher (P < 0.05) ADG and feed intake than those fed the basal diet, MMT, or ZnO. Compared with the control, MMT, ZnO, or ZnSO(4), supplementation with ZnO-MMT decreased (P < 0.05) viable counts of Clostridium in small intestinal and cecal contents, increased (P < 0.05) colonic transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) values, and reduced (P < 0.05) colonic probe mannitol permeability as well as ileal or colonic inulin permeability. Compared with the control, supplemental ZnO-MMT increased (P < 0.05) villus height, the ratio of villus height to crypt depth at the small intestinal mucosa, the trypsin activity in the pancreas, and the digestive enzyme activities in small intestinal contents. Compared with the control, supplementation with ZnO increased (P < 0.05) the villus height and the villus height to crypt depth ratio at the duodenum. Supplementation with ZnSO(4) increased the trypsin activity in pancreas and small intestinal contents. However, supplemental MMT, ZnO, or ZnSO(4) did not affect (P > 0.05) growth performance, ileal and colonic barrier function, and intestinal microflora. The results indicated that supplementing 60 mg of Zn/kg as ZnO-MMT in broiler chickens improved growth performance, intestinal microflora, intestinal morphology, and barrier function as well as the digestive enzyme activities.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 mediates the anti-apoptosis of berberine in neurons during hypoxia/ischemia.

Berberine, a primary pharmacological active constitute of Coptidis Rhizoma, could inhibit neuronal apoptosis in cerebral ischemia. Here, we aimed to investigate whether and how HIF-1 is implicated in the anti-apoptosis effect of berberine on neurons under hypoxia/ischemia. Viability of PC12 cells treated with berberine prior to or following CoCl2-induced hypoxia was evaluated. Annexin V-PI staining was employed to analyse cell apoptosis ratio. HIF-1α and apoptosis-associated molecules were detected via Western blotting. TUNEL and immunohistochemistry were used to demonstrate apoptosis, HIF-1α and p53 levels in cerebral tissue of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats. Berberine pretreatment promoted PC12 cells survival and inhibited apoptosis under hypoxia condition. At the same time, it decreased cell viability and enhancement of apoptosis were observed with berberine treatment under hypoxia. Decreased HIF-1α, caspase 9, caspase 3 and increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio were responsible for the anti-apoptosis of berberine pretreatment. However, pro-apoptosis by berberine under hypoxia was indicated with opposing regulation of those molecules. Significant reduction of apoptosis, HIF-1α and p53 were found in cerebral tissue of MCAO rats treated with berberine. The present study suggests that berberine regulates neuronal apoptosis in cerebral ischemia, which might be dependent on the degree of cell injury. HIF-1 and the followed apoptotic pathway are involved in those effects of berberine.

Rabbit model of primary hyperparathyroidism induced by high-phosphate diet.

The objective of this study is to establish a new rabbit model of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) induced by high-phosphate diet. One hundred twenty rabbits were divided into two groups of 60 each. The treatment group was fed a high-phosphate diet (Ca:P = 1:7) and the control group was given a normal animal diet (Ca:P = 1:0.7) for 1 to 6 mo. Serologic examinations, including parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium and phosphorus levels, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and uric acid, and the histologic examination, including parathyroid, kidney, and bones, were performed at the end of each month for 6 mo. Compared with the control, serum PTH levels in the treatment groups were elevated at all six time points, whereas serum calcium levels were reduced, and serum phosphorus levels remain unchanged over the course of the first 3 mo. Serum calcium levels were increased, whereas serum phosphorus levels were reduced at 4, 5, and 6 mo. Parathyroid histopathological examination showed no change during the first month, whereas 60% of the animals exhibited mild hyperplasia starting at 2 mo, and 90% of the animals in the treatment group exhibited mild-to-moderate hyperplasia with gland enlargement starting from 3 mo through the end of the study. Histopathological examination of the kidneys showed no change at 1 mo, but focal parenchymal inflammation with calcium deposition was observed in the treatment groups at 2 to 6 mo. Fibrous tissue of the bone extended toward the cortex, and fibrosis was evident at the third month. The fibrous cells were found to be concentrated mainly on the inner and outer membranes of the bone cortex, and the amount of fibrous tissue increased as the disease progressed. We conclude that a new rabbit animal model of PHPT can be successfully created by the administration of a high-phosphate diet. This animal model can be used in various future studies related to PHPT.

454 EST analysis detects genes putatively involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis in Panax ginseng.

Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer is one of the most highly valued medicinal plants in the world. To analyze the transcriptome of P. ginseng and discover the genes involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis, cDNAs derived from the total RNA of 11-year-old, wood-grown P. ginseng roots were analyzed by 454 sequencing. A total of 217,529 high quality reads (expressed sequence tags, ESTs), with an average length of 409 bases, were generated from a one-quarter run to yield 31,741 unique sequences. The majority (20,198; 63.6%) of the unique sequences were annotated using BLAST similarity searches. A total of 16,810 and 16,577 unique sequences were assigned to functional classifications and biochemical pathways based on Gene Ontology analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes assignment, respectively. Nine genes involved in the biosynthesis of ginsenoside skeletons and many candidate genes putatively responsible for modification of the skeletons, including 133 cytochrome P450s and 235 glycosyltransferases, were identified. From these candidates, six transcripts encoding UDP-glycosyltransferases that were most likely to be involved in ginsenoside biosynthesis were selected. These results open a new avenue by which to explore and exploit biosynthetic and biochemical properties that may lead to drug improvement. These 454 ESTs will provide the foundation for further functional genomic research into the traditional herb P. ginseng or its closely related species.

Long-lasting infiltration anaesthesia by lidocaine-loaded biodegradable nanoparticles in hydrogel in rats.

BACKGROUND: Infiltration of a long-lasting anaesthetic is helpful during the post-operative period. The recently developed local drug delivery system, biodegradable nanoparticles in a thermo-sensitive hydrogel (nanogel system), may possibly provide an extended duration of drugs. Therefore, we evaluated whether prolonged infiltration anaesthesia could be achieved by loading lidocaine into this delivery system. METHODS: Thirty male rats were randomized into five groups of six rats each: saline; 2% hydrochloride lidocaine solution; lidocaine-loaded nanogel system and its compositing formulations, namely lido-nano gel; lido-nano; and lidogel. Durations of local anaesthesia with subcutaneously injected agents were measured by tail flick latency tests in a randomized, blind fashion. RESULTS: Lido-nano gel produced effective anaesthesia for 360+/-113 min, compared with 150+/-33 min by lidogel, 180+/-37 min by lido-nano, and 110+/-45 min by lidocaine solution (P<0.001, means+/-SD), and elicited complete sensory blockade for 300+/-114 min, compared with 75+/-37 min by lidogel, 105+/-53 min by lido-nano, and 60+/-33 min by lidocaine solution (P<0.001, means+/-SD) without severe skin/systemic toxicity. CONCLUSION: Lidocaine-loaded biodegradable nanoparticles in hydrogel produced prolonged infiltration anaesthesia in rats without severe toxicity, indicating a possible way to develop long-lasting local anaesthetics.

Rapid method for simultaneous determination of flavonoid, saponins and polyacetylenes in folium ginseng and radix ginseng by pressurized liquid extraction and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry.

A rapid pressurized liquid extraction (PLE) and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of one flavonoid (panasenoside), nine saponins (ginsenoside Rg1, Re, Rf, Rg2, Rb1, Rc, Rb2, Rb3 and Rd) and two polyacetylenes (panaxydol and panaxynol) in folium ginseng and radix ginseng was developed. A Prevail C(18) rocket column (33 mm x 7 mm, 3.0 microm) and gradient elution were used during the analysis. Flavonoid was quantified at 355 nm, and saponins and polyacetylenes were determined at 203 nm. The chromatographic peaks of 12 investigated compounds in samples were unambiguously identified by compared their UV spectra and/or MS data with the related reference compounds. All calibration curves showed good linearity (r>0.999) within the test ranges. The intra- and inter-day variations for 12 analytes were less than 1.17% and 2.17%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the investigated compounds in 10 samples of radix ginseng and folium ginseng, respectively. The result showed that PLE combined with rocket column HPLC analysis could provide a rapid method for analysis of compounds in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), which is helpful to comprehensive evaluation of quality of radix ginseng and folium ginseng.

Simultaneous determination of nucleobases, nucleosides and saponins in Panax notoginseng using multiple columns high performance liquid chromatography.

A new multiple columns HPLC method for simultaneous determination of 16 characteristic components, 5 nucleobases and nucleosides (uracil, cytidine, uridine, guanosine and adenosine), and 11 saponins (notoginsenoside R1, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Re, notoginsenoside R4, notoginsenoside Fa, ginsenoside Rb1, notoginsenoside R2, ginsenoside Rg2, ginsenoside Rh1, ginsenoside Rd and notoginsenoside K), in the root of Panax notoginseng, a valued traditional Chinese medicinal herb, were developed. Notoginsenoside R4, Fa and K were first quantitatively determined in P. notoginseng. The 5 nucleobases and nucleosides compounds were separated on a Zorbax SB-Aq column (150 x 4.6 mm, 5.0 microm) and 11 saponins were analyzed using a Zorbax Bonus-RP column (150 x 4.6 mm, 5.0 microm) with column switching. The column temperature was set at 30 degrees C. Mobile phase was composed of 5mM ammonium acetate aqueous (A), water (B) and acetonitrile (C) using a gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.5 mL/min and detection wavelengths were set at 260 nm for nucleobases and nucleosides, and 203 nm for saponins. The developed method had good repeatability and sensitivity for quantification of 16 analytes with overall precision (including intra- and inter-day) less than 3% (RSD), and LOD and LOQ were less than 1.33 microg/mL and 5.12 microg/mL, respectively. The method was successfully applied to the simultaneous determination of 16 analytes in 15 samples of P. notoginseng collected from different places of China, which indicated that multiple columns HPLC can be used for comprehensive quality control of P. notoginseng.