Cataract surgery is associated with a reduced risk of dementia: a nationwide population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Our purpose was to determine the association of cataract surgery with subsequent development of dementia in older adults with newly diagnosed cataract. METHODS: By using data from Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), a population-based cohort study including 491 226 subjects aged 70 or older with first-time diagnosis of cataract coded from 2000 to 2009 was conducted. After matching cataract patients receiving cataract surgery with cataract patients without receiving cataract surgery for age, sex, index date, Charlson Comorbidity Index score, interval between first coding of cataract diagnosis and index date, hypertension and diabetes mellitus, 113 123 patients in each cohort were enrolled. The main outcome measure was newly diagnosed dementia coded by neurologists or psychiatrists more than 365 days after cataract surgery. Incidence rate and hazard ratio of dementia were compared between the cataract surgery and cataract diagnosis cohorts. RESULTS: The incidence rate of dementia was 22.40 per 1000 person-years in the cataract surgery cohort and 28.87 per 1000 person-years in the cataract diagnosis cohort. The rate of dementia was significantly lower in the cataract surgery group (hazard ratio 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.75-0.79, P < 0.001). Female gender (P < 0.001) and a shorter interval between the date of first coding of a cataract diagnosis and the date of cataract surgery (P = 0.009) were significantly associated with a lower incidence rate of dementia. CONCLUSION: In an NHIRD cohort of Taiwanese aged 70 years and older with a diagnosis of cataract, patients undergoing cataract surgery were associated with a reduced risk of subsequent dementia compared with those without cataract surgery.

Bone mineral density in postmenopausal Chinese women treated with calcium fortification in soymilk and cow's milk.

UNLABELLED: Eighteen months of daily consumption of milk containing 250 mg calcium prevented bone mineral density (BMD) loss at the hip and the femoral neck in postmenopausal Chinese women aged 45 to 65. INTRODUCTION: Estrogen-related bone loss in postmenopausal women can be prevented by the consumption of milk with high doses of calcium and soymilk with high doses of isoflavones. However, high doses of calcium and isoflavones may not be necessary to attain a beneficial effect of milk and soymilk on BMD. We hypothesized that BMD will increase in postmenopausal Chinese women who consume daily 250 mg calcium in milk or soymilk. Milk prevented bone loss at the hip and the femoral neck in postmenopausal Chinese women. METHODS: A total of 141 eligible Chinese women without osteoporosis, aged 45-65, and postmenopausal for more than 2 years were randomized into groups receiving for 18 months (A) milk with 250 mg calcium daily, (B) soymilk with 250 mg calcium daily, or (C) neither milk nor soymilk. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured the BMD of the spine and hip at 0, 6, 12, and 18 months. RESULTS: The BMD in the hip (2.52%) and the femoral neck (2.82%) of the women consuming milk was significantly higher (hip, P = 0.01; femoral neck, P < 0.0000001). The women in the control group experienced a reduction in BMD at all sites; the reduction in BMD was only significant at the hip during 12 months (P = 0.008) and at the femoral neck during 18 months (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Daily consumption of milk containing 250 mg calcium over 18 months prevents BMD loss at the hip and the femoral neck in postmenopausal Chinese women.

Risk of extrathymic cancer in patients with myasthenia gravis in Taiwan: a nationwide population-based study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The relationship between myasthenia gravis (MG) and extrathymic malignancies has not been determined. This study aimed to explore the risk of extrathymic malignancy in patients with MG based on a nationwide population-based dataset. METHODS: We identified 2614 patients with MG from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database between 1997 and 2005 and compared the incidence rates of extrathymic malignancies with 15, 684 randomly selected age-, sex-, and comorbidity-matched subjects without MG. Both cohorts were followed until the end of 2009. Cox proportional hazard model was used to evaluate the predictors of extrathymic malignancy in the MG cohort, including age, sex, comorbidities, and prescription drugs. RESULTS: After an average follow-up of 8 years, the MG cohort had a higher risk of extrathymic cancers with an incidence rate ratio (IRR) of 1.38 (95% CI 1.12-1.68, P = 0.002) than the control cohort. Although breast cancer was the most common cancer found, no statistically significant relationship between MG and any specific malignancy was observed. Cox multivariate proportional hazards analysis showed that only age (HR = 1.05, 95% CI 1.04-1.06, P < 0.001) and liver cirrhosis (IRR = 3.85, 95% CI 1.22-12.14, P = 0.021) were predictors of extrathymic cancers in the MG cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that patients with MG had an increased risk of extrathymic malignancy in a follow-up of 8 years, but no specific susceptibility to certain malignancies was found.

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oil from berries of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.

Essential oils of Schisandra chinensis seeds and berries without seeds were separately extracted. A total of 55 compounds were identified in the essential oil of berries without seeds (EOB), representing 85.75% of the total content. A total of 52 compounds were identified in the essential oil of seeds (EOS), representing 89.74% of the total content. For EOB, the top three content compounds were α-cis-bergamotene (10.79%), 4,11-selinadiene (5.28%) and α-cadinol (5.19%), while the top three content compounds of EOS were ylangene (10.16%), ß-himachalene (9.46%) and di-epi-α-cedrene (8.92%). The antioxidant activity of the essential oil was tested using the DPPH radical-scavenging method. The antioxidant activity of EOB was higher than EOS. The IC(50) values of EOB and EOS were 8.4 and 15.8 mg/mL, respectively. This study concluded that EOB and EOS were not only different in extraction yield but also in chemical composition and antioxidant activity.

Areca-treated fibroblasts enhance tumorigenesis of oral epithelial cells.

Several hundred million Asians chew areca nut, which is strongly associated with oral carcinogenesis in people of this region. The impacts of areca nut extract on oral target cells are largely unclear. This study hypothesized an inductive role for areca-nut-exposed stromal cells in the progression of oral carcinomas in an at-risk population. Oral fibroblasts with chronic subtoxic areca nut extract treatment exhibited growth arrest and MMP-2 activation. The supernatant of arrested oral fibroblasts activated the AKT signaling pathway in oral carcinoma cells. The enhancement of proliferation, migration, and anchorage-independent growth of oral carcinoma cells elicited by such supernatant could be abrogated by blockers against MMP-2 or AKT. Subcutaneous co-injection of arrested oral fibroblasts into nude mice significantly enhanced the tumorigenicity of xenographic oral carcinoma cells. This study concludes that areca nut extract may impair oral fibroblasts and then modulate the progression of oral epithelial oncogenesis via their secreted molecules.

Areca nut extract represses migration and differentiation while activating matrix metalloproteinase-9 of normal gingival epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Areca (betel) chewing is associated with an increase in the incidence of periodontal diseases. Aberrations in matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression have been reported to be associated with periodontal disease. This study investigated the effects of areca nut extract on MMP activity and the phenotype of human gingival epithelial cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and gelatin zymography were used to assay MMPs. Cell viability, mobility and detachment assays were performed to characterize the phenotypic impact. Confocal microscopy was employed to evaluate cell aggregation and the distribution of E-cadherin and F-actin. RESULTS: Treatment of gingival epithelial cells with 10 microg/mL of areca nut extract reduced its cell viability. Treatment with 5 and 10 microg/mL of areca nut extract for 24 h activated MMP-9 but not MMP-2 in gingival epithelial cells. This activation could be nuclear factor-kappaB dependent and was abrogated by 10 microM curcumin. Areca nut extract also reduced the migration and detachment of gingival epithelial cells. The differentiated cell-cell contact of gingival epithelial cells was markedly impaired by areca nut extract. This was accompanied by a disruption of distribution of E-cadherin and F-actin. CONCLUSION: The areca nut extract-mediated activation of MMP-9 in gingival epithelial cells could signify a potential periodontal pathogenesis in areca chewers. The areca nut extract-mediated inhibition of cell viability and migration, together with the changed aggregation in gingival epithelial cells, suggests that impairment of the re-epithelization underlies the process and this, in turn, might exacerbate gingival inflammation.

Elicitor-induced association of isoflavone O-methyltransferase with endomembranes prevents the formation and 7-O-methylation of daidzein during isoflavonoid phytoalexin biosynthesis.

The bioactive isoflavonoids of the Leguminosae often are methylated on the 4'-position of their B-rings. Paradoxically, reverse genetic evidence implicates alfalfa isoflavone O-methyltransferase (IOMT) in the biosynthesis of 4'-O-methylated isoflavonoids such as the phytoalexin medicarpin in vivo, whereas biochemical studies indicate that IOMT has strict specificity for methylation of the A-ring 7-hydroxyl of daidzein, the presumed substrate for O-methylation, in vitro. Radiolabeling and isotope dilution studies now confirm that daidzein is not an intermediate in isoflavonoid phytoalexin biosynthesis in alfalfa. Furthermore, protein gel blot analysis and confocal microscopy of a transiently expressed IOMT-green fluorescent protein fusion in alfalfa leaves show that the operationally soluble IOMT localizes to endomembranes after elicitation of the isoflavonoid pathway. We propose that IOMT colocalizes with the endoplasmic reticulum-associated isoflavone synthase cytochrome P450 to ensure rapid B-ring methylation of the unstable 2,4',7-trihydroxyisoflavanone product of isoflavone synthase, thereby preventing its dehydration to daidzein and subsequent A-ring methylation by free IOMT. In this way, metabolic channeling at the entry point into isoflavonoid phytoalexin biosynthesis protects an unstable intermediate from an unproductive metabolic conversion.

[Regulation of fungal elicitors on the cell growth and biosynthesis of saponin of Panax ginseng cell suspension culture].

Adding fungal elicitors to the Panax ginseng cell suspension cultures, the biosynthesis of saponin was obviously induced, the total productivity of saponin in cultures could increase more than 30% of the control. During elicitation, the accumulation patterns of saponin in suspension cultured cells were changed, the culture time for maximum biosynthesis of saponin was shortened 2-4 days comparing with that of the control, and about 80% of biosynthetic saponin in elicited cells was secreted into medium, meanwhile the uptake for sucrose in medium of cells was enhanced, and the disturbing of pH in medium was observed, which predicated that an ion exchange occurred between elicited cells and medium.

Involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation of p185(c-erbB2/neu) in tumorigenicity induced by X-rays and the neu oncogene in human breast epithelial cells.

Ionizing radiation is the exogenous agent best proven to induce breast cancer. c-erbB2/neu amplification and overexpression are known to occur in breast cancer and are correlated with aggressive tumor growth and poor prognosis. We have developed simian virus 40-immortalized cell lines from normal human breast epithelial cells (HBECs) with luminal and stem-cell characteristics. In this study, we examined whether x-rays and a mutated neu oncogene are capable of inducing tumorigenicity in these cells. The results indicated that x-rays were effective in converting immortal non-tumorigenic HBECs to weakly tumorigenic cells that then could be transformed to highly tumorigenic cells by the neu oncogene. The in vitro growth of these tumorigenic cells was significantly faster than that of the parental non-tumorigenic cells in growth factor- and hormone-supplemented or -depleted media. The neu oncogene, however, had no tumorigenic effect on immortal non-tumorigenic cells. The expression of p185(c-erb82/neu) was elevated in neu-transduced immortal or weakly tumorigenic cell lines. However, only in the latter was p185(c-erbB2/neu) found to be phosphorylated at tyrosine residues. Thus, x-rays appear to induce a genetic alteration that confers weak tumorigenicity on immortal HBECs and interacts with p185(c-erbB2/neu) directly or indirectly to give rise to fast-growing tumors.

Effective 30-hour preservation of canine lungs with modified ET-Kyoto solution.

BACKGROUND: With the aim of developing a preservation solution that can preserve donor lungs reliably for a long time, we prepared a modified ET-Kyoto solution by adding N-acetylcysteine, nitroglycerin, and dibutyryl adenosine 3', 5'-cyclic phosphate to the previously reported ET-Kyoto solution, which contains trehalose, gluconate, and hydroxyethyl starch. In this study, we examined the efficacy of modified ET-Kyoto solution in 30-hour lung preservation. METHODS: Twenty five pairs of adult mongrel dogs were divided into four groups. Donor lungs were flushed with modified ET-Kyoto solution (n = 9), with ET-Kyoto solution (n = 6), with University of Wisconsin solution group (n = 6), or with ET-Kyoto solution plus the solvents of nitroglycerin (ethanol and propylene glycol) (n = 4), then stored at 4 degrees C for 30 hours. All animals were treated with prostaglandin E1. Left lungs were transplanted and reperfused for 6 hours. RESULTS: With respect to arterial oxygen tension, peak inspiratory pressure, and wet-to-dry lung weight ratio, modified ET-Kyoto solution was significantly superior to ET-Kyoto solution. The modified ET-Kyoto solution was significantly superior to University of Wisconsin solution with respect to survival rate, arterial oxygen tension, and wet-to-dry lung weight ratio. Ultrastructural findings supported these results. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that modified ET-Kyoto solution is superior to University of Wisconsin solution for 30-hour lung preservation.

Minocycline as a modulator of chemotherapy and hyperthermia in vitro and in vivo.

We tested the ability of the collagenase-inhibitor minocycline to increase the effectiveness of CDDP, BCNU and mitomycin C +/- hyperthermia. When tested in vitro in FSaIIC fibrosarcoma cells, exposure to minocycline (100 microM for 24 h) decreased the CDDP cytotoxicity at 37 degrees C and pH 7.40 in both normally oxygenated and hypoxic cells and decreased the cytotoxicity of CDDP at 42 degrees C or 43 degrees C in normally oxygenated cells while increasing the killing in hypoxic cells. When tested at pH 6.45, the presence of minocycline tended to protect both normally oxygenated and hypoxic cells from the cytotoxic effects of CDDP +/- hyperthermia. With exposure to BCNU, minocycline markedly protected both normally oxygenated and hypoxic cells at 37 degrees C at both pHs. As the temperature during the exposure to BCNU was increased to 42 degrees C or 43 degrees C, the protection afforded by minocycline diminished especially under low pH conditions where BCNU plus 43 degrees C was extremely cytotoxic to both normally oxygenated and hypoxic cells. One hour exposure to mitomycin C was more cytotoxic to hypoxic than normally oxygenated cells under all conditions of pH and temperature tested and the cytotoxicity of mitomycin C under each condition was increased by minocycline. Both CDDP and BCNU were much more cytotoxic toward FSaIIC tumors in vivo when drug administration was followed by local heating (43 degrees C, 30 min) of the tumor bearing limb. In each case, treatment with minocycline had little effect on tumor-cell killing. Treatment with mitomycin C and hyperthermia resulted in additive tumor-cell killing, and minocycline administration further increased that effect.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Chemical constituents of Parthenocissus thomsonii (Laws.) Planch].

Five compounds (1-5) were isolated from the leaves of Parthenocissus thomsonii collected in Henan. On the basis of chemical reaction and spectroscopic studies, 1, 2 and 3 were identified as friedelin, epifriedelanol and quercetin respectively.

Effect of intracerebroventricular injection of thyrotropin-releasing hormone on the nociceptive discharges in mesencephalic reticular formation in the rat.

Extracellular recording method was used to examine the effect of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on 71 unit discharges of pain-excited neurons (PEN) in mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) in 58 rats. Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of TRH (10 micrograms/10 micrograms) produced significant decrease of pain discharge rate of PEN. TRH potentiated the inhibitory effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on nociceptive discharges when application of EA at bilateral "Zusanli" was coupled with icv injection of TRH. Both of these inhibiting effects of TRH were completely offset or strikingly decreased by icv preinjection of the cholinergic M-receptor blocker atropine. The results mentioned above and the mechanism of the inhibitory effect of TRH on pain discharges were discussed in this paper.