Effects of a walking exercise programme on disease activity, sleep quality, and quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

AIM: This quasi-experimental study aimed to explore effects of walking exercise on disease activity, sleep quality, and quality of life among individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus. METHODS: After recruiting people with systemic lupus erythematosus from a hospital in Taiwan between October 2020 and June 2021, participants were free to opt to receive one walking exercise programme plus standard care for 3 months or to membership of a control group receiving routine care. Primary outcomes included Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Scale, and a quality-of-life scale for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, namely, LupusQoL. These scales were administered first, at baseline and later, within 1 week following completion of the intervention. Between-group effects were compared using generalized estimating equations with adjustment for baseline variables. RESULTS: The experimental and control groups each included 40 participants. Multivariate analysis indicated that adding the walking exercise programme into routine care elevated sleep quality and LupusQoL (the latter in the subscales of physical health, planning, and intimate relationships), except for disease activity. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study supported the addition of walking exercise as part of routine care for people with systemic lupus erythematosus and may be a reference in the provision of adequate care for these patients.

Guanxinning tablets improve myocardial hypertrophy by inhibiting the activation of MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Myocardial hypertrophy may lead to heart failure and sudden death. As traditional Chinese medicine, Guanxinning tablets (GXN) have significant pharmacological effects in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, the anti-cardiac hypertrophy efficacy of GXN and its mechanism of action are still unclear. Therefore, we established a heart failure rat model and isolated primary cardiomyocytes of neonatal rat to observe the protective effect of GXN on heart failure rat model and the intervention effect on myocardial cell hypertrophy, and to explore the possible mechanism of GXN preventing and treating myocardial hypertrophy. The results of in vivo experiments showed that GXN could significantly reduce the degree of cardiac hypertrophy, reduce the size of cardiomyocytes, inhibit the degree of myocardial remodeling and fibrosis, and improve cardiac function in rats with early heart failure. The results of in vitro experiments showed that GXN was safe for primary cardiomyocytes and could improve cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and reduce the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes in pathological state, which may be related to the inhibition of the over-activation of MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In conclusion, GXN may inhibit cardiac hypertrophy and improve early heart failure by inhibiting the over-activation of MEK-ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Increased Time Outdoors Is Followed by Reversal of the Long-Term Trend to Reduced Visual Acuity in Taiwan Primary School Students.

PURPOSE: To investigate the change in the prevalence of reduced visual acuity (VA) in Taiwanese school children after a policy intervention promoting increased time outdoors. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study based on the Taiwan School Student Visual Acuity Screen (TSVAS) by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: All school children from grades 1 through 6 were enrolled in the TSVAS from 2001 through 2015. METHODS: The TSVAS requires each school in Taiwan to perform measurements of uncorrected VA (UCVA) on all students in grades 1 through 6 every half year using a Tumbling E chart. Reduced VA was defined as UCVA of 20/25 or less. Data from 1.2 to 1.9 million primary school children each year were collected from 2001 through 2015. A policy program named Tian-Tian 120 encouraged schools to take students outdoors for 120 minutes every day for myopia prevention. It was instituted in September 2010. To investigate the impact of the intervention, a segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series was performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of reduced VA. RESULTS: From 2001 to 2011, the prevalence of reduced VA of school children from grades 1 through 6 increased from 34.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 34.7%-34.9%) to 50.0% (95% CI, 49.9%-50.1%). After the implementation of the Tian-Tian 120 outdoor program, the prevalence decreased continuously from 49.4% (95% CI, 49.3%-49.5%) in 2012 to 46.1% (95% CI, 46.0%-46.2%) in 2015, reversing the previous long-term trend. For the segmented regression analysis controlling for gender and grade, a significant constant upward trend before the intervention in the mean annual change of prevalence was found (+1.58%; standard error [SE], 0.08; P < 0.001). After the intervention, the trend changed significantly, with a constant decrease by -2.34% annually (SE, 0.23; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Policy intervention to promote increased time outdoors in schools was followed by a reversal of the long-term trend toward increased low VA in school children in Taiwan. Because randomized trials have demonstrated outdoor exposure slowing myopia onset, interventions to promote increased time outdoors may be useful in other areas affected by an epidemic of myopia.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms of IL-13 and CD14 genes in allergic rhinitis: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis for single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in interleukin-13 (IL-13) and cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) genes and the risk for allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: We screened studies identified through seven databases including Pubmed, Medline, Web of Science, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, Wanfang, and China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were determined to assess the association under allelic, dominant and recessive models. RESULTS: Twelve studies with a total of 8547 participants (3223 cases and 5324 controls) investigated IL-13 SNP rs20541, five studies combining 4580 participants (1411 cases and 3169 controls) examined IL-13 SNP rs1800925, and nine studies with 2301 participants (1174 cases and 1127 controls) assessed CD14 SNP rs2569190. We found that the A allele of IL-13 SNP rs20541 was associated with an increased risk of AR (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.28, P < 0.001). Stratifying studies by ethnic group produced significant results in Asians (OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.11-1.32, P < 0.001), but not in Caucasians (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.00-1.30, P = 0.051). No association of IL-13 SNP rs1800925 and CD14 SNP rs2569190 with AR risk was found in either Asians or Caucasians (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that IL-13 SNP rs20541 is significantly associated with AR risk in Asians but not in Caucasians. However, the accumulating evidence does not support an association of IL-13 SNP rs1800925 and CD14 SNP rs2569190 with AR risk.

Association Between Paraoxonase 2 Ser311Cys Polymorphism and Coronary Heart Disease Risk: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND The relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and the paraoxonase 2 (PON2) Ser311Cys polymorphism has received much attention. We conducted a meta-analysis on the results from published case-control studies examining this relation. MATERIAL AND METHODS A literature search was performed using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge databases until October 2015. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Stata version 11.0 software. Data were pooled using the random-effects model. RESULTS Nine studies were eligible for statistical analysis and included a total of 5278 participants. The results did not support an association between the Ser311Cys polymorphism and CHD in the overall populations (Asians, Caucasians, and a Hispanic mixed population) under dominant (OR 1.07; 95% CI 0.91-1.28; Pz=0.413), recessive (OR 1.19; 95% CI 0.72-1.95; Pz=0.500), homozygote (OR 1.20; 95% CI 0.71-2.03; Pz=0.489), and allelic comparison (OR 1.08; 95% CI 0.91-1.28; Pz=0.390) models. However, in subgroup analysis according to ethnicity, we found that the Ser311Cys polymorphism was associated with CHD risk in Caucasians under recessive (OR 2.08; 95% CI 1.30-3.34; Pz=0.002) and homozygote (OR 2.16; 95% CI 1.33-3.50; Pz=0.002) models. Subgroup analysis indicated no significant association of this polymorphism with CHD in either Asian or Hispanic populations. CONCLUSIONS The PON2 Ser311Cys polymorphism is associated with CHD risk in Caucasians, but there is no association between this polymorphism and CHD in Asians or Hispanic populations.

Lack of Association Between the IL1B (-511 and +3954), IL1RN VNTR Polymorphisms and Tuberculosis Risk: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several recent studies have provided evidence that polymorphisms in the interleukin-1 (IL1) gene are implicated in tuberculosis (TB). However, results of different studies are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis investigating the association of the IL1B (-511 and +3954) and IL1RN VNTR polymorphisms with TB risk. METHODS: A systematic review of the English literature was conducted by searching Pubmed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases for relevant studies. Pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed effects models. Between-study heterogeneity and publication bias were also evaluated. RESULTS: Nine case-control studies including 3327 participants were reviewed and analyzed. Our results did not indicate any association of the IL1B (-511 and +3954) and IL1RN VNTR polymorphisms with TB risk in the overall populations. The pooled OR of the IL1B -511 polymorphism was 1.09 (95 % CI 0.87-1.36) for the dominant model, 1.11 (0.89-1.38) for the recessive model, 1.15 (0.87-1.50) for the homozygote model, and 1.07 (0.94-1.23) for the allelic comparison model. ORs for the IL1B +3954 and IL1RN VNTR polymorphisms were similar. In subgroup analysis stratified by ethnicity, the results revealed no association between these polymorphisms and TB risk in black people, Asians, and Caucasians, respectively. We did not identify significant between-study heterogeneity across all studies, and there was no evidence of publication bias. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate there is a lack of association between the IL1B (-511 and +3954), IL1RN VNTR polymorphisms and TB risk.

Lack of association between the IL-13 C-1112T, G2044A polymorphisms and Graves' disease risk: evidence from a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have provided conflicting evidence implicating the IL-13 C-1112T and G2044A polymorphisms in Graves' disease (GD) risk. We undertook a meta-analysis to address this issue. METHODS: The Medline, Pubmed and Web of Science databases were searched for published case-control studies investigating the relation of the IL-13 C-1112T and G2044A polymorphisms with GD risk. Data were extracted using standardized forms and odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. RESULTS: Available data did not suggest an association between any of the two IL-13 polymorphisms and GD risk. For the C-1112T polymorphism, the combined OR was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.77-1.19) for dominant model (TT+CT vs CC), 0.97 (95% CI: 0.69-1.38) for recessive model (TT vs CT+CC), and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.68-1.39) for homozygote model (TT vs CC). ORs for the G2044A polymorphism were similar. In subgroup analyses stratified by ethnicity, we also did not find associations between these two variants and GD risk in Asians or Caucasians. Sensitivity analyses by excluding each of the involved study in turn did not change the pooled results. CONCLUSION: The IL-13 C-1112T and G2044A polymorphisms are not associated with GD risk.

Primary school teachers in China: associations of organizational justice and effort-reward imbalance with burnout and intentions to leave the profession in a cross-sectional sample.

OBJECTIVE: We examined associations of organizational justice (OJ) and effort-reward imbalance (ERI) with burnout and intentions to leave the teaching profession (ILTP) among primary school teachers in China. METHODS: Six primary schools located in Wuhan, China, were randomly selected from three different socioeconomic areas in 2010. In total, these schools employed 533 teachers, and 436 of these (82 %) participated in a cross-sectional survey. OJ and ERI were assessed by 13-item and 10-item questionnaires, respectively. Burnout was measured using the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory. ILTP were operationalized based on the frequency of thoughts about turnover during the past year. Logistic regression-based odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated separately for OJ and ERI. In a second step, these work stress scales were entered into the same regression model. RESULTS: Separate regression models suggested moderate to strong associations of OJ and ERI with burnout and ILTP. After simultaneous adjustment, the overall OJ score remained associated with burnout and ILTP, but ERI appeared to be the stronger and more consistent determinant of both outcomes. For instance, an increase of 1 standard deviation of the ERI score was associated with an OR of 2.60 (95 % CI 1.97-3.43) for burnout and with an OR of 2.26 (95 % CI 1.66-3.08) for ILTP. CONCLUSIONS: Organizational justice and in particular ERI appeared to be determinants of burnout and ILTP among primary school teachers in China.

The effectiveness of a community-based health promotion program for rural elders: a quasi-experimental design.

OBJECTIVES: A community-based health promotion program (CBHP) might be beneficial for the elderly, but evidence is limited. We therefore examined the effect of a CBHP on change of lifestyle, physiological indicators and depression score among seniors in 2 rural areas. METHODS: A prospective quasi-experimental design involved a total of 520 senior participants living in 6 rural villages, who were clustered and conveniently assigned to 2 intervention groups. Senior nursing students were the interveners for group 1 and community peer supporters for group 2. The primary outcome measure was the change in health-related behavior measured on the geriatric health promotion scale (GHPS). The secondary outcome comprised changes in the short form of the Chinese geriatric depression scale (CGDS-15), fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, waist circumference and blood pressure. Paired-t test and analysis of covariance were used for statistical inspection. RESULTS: Most of the participants were retired farmers or fishermen >75years of age who had little education. The total scores and all subscales of GHPS, along with some physiological indicators, improved significantly between pretest and post-test in both groups. After adjustment for confounders, intervention in group 1 was more effective than that in group 2 regarding self-protection behaviors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure was significantly lower in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: CBHP programs are valuable for improving healthy lifestyle, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure and depression score among seniors. The low cost and effectiveness of incorporating multidisciplinary resources to help rural elders to maintain a healthy status and a healthier lifestyle.

Assessment of triglyceride clearance of haemoperfusion from three cases of hypertriglyceridaemia-induced acute pancreatitis: a case series.

Rapid reduction of plasma triglycerides (TG) is believed to improve the outcome of pancreatitis in the context of hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG)-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP). Previous studies have suggested that haemoperfusion (HP) with the Jafron cartridge series could be effective for reducing TG concentrations in patients with HTG-AP. However, the clearance capacity (CC) for TG removal has not been reported. This case series reports on data from three patients with HTG-AP who underwent HP with HA230 or HA330 cartridges. Blood samples were collected from both before and after the cartridge circuit every 30 min and the CC was calculated. Twelve pairs of blood samples were collected for each type of HP cartridge. The mean ± SD CC of the HA230 cartridge for TG removal in this case series was 0.009781 ± 1.117235 ml/min (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.7000762, 0.7196384 ml). The mean ± SD CC of the HA330 cartridge for TG removal in this case series was 0.344914 ± 1.412183 ml/min (95% CI, -0.5523448, 1.2421721 ml). Based on the findings of this small case series, special caution is advised when considering the use of the HA230 and HA330 cartridges for reducing blood TG concentration pending further conclusive evidence from larger studies.

Association of the MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-12 gene polymorphisms with COPD risk: a meta-analysis.

Introduction: Given the evidence that the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a number of case-control studies have attempted to assess the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in MMP genes and COPD risk. However, reliable measures of these results are lacking. Material and methods: We assessed the published evidence for association of the MMP-3, MMP-9 and MMP-12 polymorphisms with COPD risk using meta-analytic techniques. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for each study using fixed or random effect models. Results: A total of 23 case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. No significant association was observed between the MMP-9 rs3918242 polymorphism and COPD risk in the overall populations under the dominant (T/T + C/T vs. C/C: OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.00-1.69, p = 0.054) and allele contrast (T allele vs. C allele: OR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.97-1.53, p = 0.088) models. However, in sub-group analysis the polymorphism rs3918242 was significant in Asians under the dominant model (T/T + C/T vs. C/C: OR = 1.66, 95% CI: 1.02-2.72, p = 0.043). The results for MMP-12 rs2276109 showed an association with COPD only in mixed populations (G/G + A/G vs. A/A: OR = 1.57, 95% CI: 1.10-2.24, p = 0.013; G allele vs. A allele: OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.09-2.14, p = 0.015). We did not find any significant association of the MMP-12 rs652438 and MMP-3 rs35068180 polymorphisms with COPD. Conclusions: The findings of this meta-analysis suggest that there is a risk of COPD associated with the MMP-9 rs3918242 and MMP-12 rs2276109 polymorphisms in certain ethnic groups.

[The relationship between adolescent body size and health promoting behavior and biochemical indicator factors].

BACKGROUND: Tainan City has the third highest prevalence of junior high school student obesity of all administrative districts in Taiwan. School nurses play an important role in promoting student health. Understanding the factors that significantly impact student weight is critical to designing effective student health promotion programs. PURPOSE: This study explored the relationships between health promotion behavior and serum biomarker variables and body size. METHODS: Researchers used a cross-sectional descriptive study design and stratified cluster random sampling. Subjects were 7th graders who received an in-school health checkup with blood test at 41 public junior high schools in Tainan City between July 2010 and May 2011. Research instruments included the adolescent health promotion (AHP) scale, serum biochemical profile and BMI (body mass index). Obtained data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS: Of the 726 students who participated in this study, 22.2% were underweight and 23.8% were overweight or obese. Higher AHP scores correlated with better biomarkers and body size. Multivariate analysis found factors that increased the risk of being overweight included: being male, having a father with a relatively low level of education, playing video games frequently, and doing little or no exercise (odds ratio = 1.93, 1.75, 1.07, 1.04, respectively). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Participants with relatively healthy behaviors had better biomarkers and a lower risk of being overweight. Findings can support the development of evidence-based school programs to promote student health.

[Study on treatment effect and mechanism of Hirsutella sinensis mycelium in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study and discuss the effect and mechanism of Hirsutella sinensis mycelium (HSM) on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in rats. METHOD: Forty Wistar rats were divided into five groups: the normal control group, the model control group, the high-dose group (1.0 g x kg(-1) HSM), the low-dose group (0.5 g x kg(-1) HSM), and the positive control group (10 mg x kg(-1) hydrocortisone). In addition to rats in the normal control group, the pulmonary fibrosis model was established by injecting 5 mg x kg(-1) bleomycin into rat tracheas for consecutively 28 days, in order to observe their lung function, lung tissue hydroxyproline, cytokines and pathology. RESULT: After rats were administered with HSM, 0.5 g x kg(-1) and 1.0 g x kg(-1) HSM could significantly decrease lung index and hydroxyproline content (P<0.01), while notably improving pulmonary function, alveolus inflammation and fibrosis degree (P<0.05, P<0.01); 1.0 g x kg(-1) HSM could decrease significantly protein expressions of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and TGF-beta1 in lung tissues, while increasing significantly protein expressions of IFN-gamma (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: HSM have better effect in treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in rats. Its treatment effect and mechanism are related to the regulation of TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and TGF-beta1 and IFN-gamma imbalance.

Frailty, Health Literacy, and Self-Care in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease in Taiwan.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a chronic and often irreversible disease that requires active self-care to mitigate adverse outcomes. This study aimed to analyze the associations of demographic and disease data, frailty, health literacy (HL), and CKD self-care (CKDSC) in patients with CKD. We conducted a cross-sectional study at two hospitals in Taiwan. A total of 144 CKD patients with a mean age of 66.8 ± 9.1 years were included in the study. Among them, 79.2% were in CKD G3, and the mean time since diagnosis of CKD was 86 ± 48 months. Approximately 62.5% were identified as non-frail. The mean of HL and CKDSC were 11.76 ± 4.10 and 62.12 ± 9.31. In multivariate linear regression analysis, age ≥ 65 years (odds ratio (OR) = 5.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.59-9.75), non-frailty (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 0.02-5.40), and high critical HL (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 0.13-2.90) showed significant positive correlation with CKDSC. Therefore, management of patients with CKD should focus on the young population, reinforcing health education strategies that improve critical HL and preventing frailty that may interfere with self-care. In addition, the patient's social support resources should be expanded to achieve the goal of CKDSC.

[Analysis of risk factors of healthy side fracture after hip fracture surgery in the elderly].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and related risk factors of healthy side fracture after hip fracture surgery in the elderly, so as to provide basis for the prevention of re-fracture. METHODS: The data of 452 patients over 65 years old with femoral neck fracture or intertrochanteric fracture treated with hip arthroplasty or proximal femoral intramedullary nailing from June 2012 to June 2017 were analyzed, including 168 males and 284 females, the age ranged from 65 to 97(75.5±7.5) years. There were 191 cases of femoral neck fracture and 261 cases of femoral intertrochanteric fracture. According to whether there was a fracture in the healthy hip after operation, the patients were divided into fracture group and no fracture group. The gender, age, body mass index, fracture type, initial treatment method, bone mineral density, bed time, medical compliance, postoperative short-term delirium, whether there were medical diseases before injury and Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up were recorded. Univariate Logistic regression analysis was used to screen out the risk factors of healthy side fracture after operation, and then statistically significant risk factors were included in multi factor Logistic regression analysis to screen out the independent risk factors of healthy side fracture after operation of hip fracture in the elderly. RESULTS: Among them, 42 of the 452 patients had hip fractures on the healthy side with an incidence of 9.3%. The average interval between the two fractures was (2.9±2.1) years. Univariate Logistic regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in age, bone mineral density, medical compliance, short-term postoperative deliriun, pre-injury complicated with medical diseases and Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up (P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that age(OR=4.227), bone mineral density(OR=4.313), combined with medical diseases (OR=5.616) and low hip Harris score at the final follow-up (OR=3.891) were independent risk factors for healthy side fractures after hip fracture surgery in elderly(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The age, bone mineral density, combined with medical diseases and low Harris score of hip joint in the final follow-up are the main risk factors of healthy side fracture after hip fracture in the elderly. It is necessary to strengthen the treatment of medical diseases, anti osteoporosis and improve hip joint function within 3 years after operation, so as to prevent the occurrence of healthy side hip fracture.

Guanxinning tablet inhibits the interaction between leukocyte integrin Mac-1 and platelet GPIbα for antithrombosis without increased bleeding risk.

Recent studies have showed that thrombosis is closely related to leucocytes involved in immunity. Interfering with the binding of leukocyte integrin Mac-1 and platelet GPIbα can inhibit thrombosis without affecting physiological coagulation. Mac-1-GPIbα is proposed as a potential safety target for antithrombotic agents. Guanxinning tablet (GXNT) is an oral Chinese patent medicine used for the treatment of angina pectoris, which contains phenolic acid active ingredients, such as salvianolic acids, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, tanshinol, and protocatechualdehyde. Our previous studies demonstrated that GXN exhibited significant antithrombotic effects, and clinical studies suggested that it did not increase bleeding risk. In addition, GXN exerted a significantly regulatory effect on immune inflammation. In the current study, we intended to evaluate the effects of GXN on bleeding events and explore the safety antithrombotic mechanism of GXN based on leukocyte-platelet interaction. First, we established a gastric ulcer model induced by acetic acid in rats and found that GXN not only did not increase the degree of gastrointestinal bleeding when gastric ulcer occurred, but also had a certain promoting effect on the healing of gastric ulcer. Second, in vitroexperiments showed that after pretreatment with GXN and activation by phorbol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), the adhesion and aggregation of leukocytes with human platelets were reduced. It was also found that GXN reduced the expression and activation of Mac-1 in leucocytes, and inhibited platelet activation due to leukocyte engagement via Mac-1. Overall, the results suggest that GXN may be a safe antithrombotic agent, and its low bleeding risk mechanism is probably related to inhibited leukocyte-platelet aggregation and its interaction target Mac-1-GPIbα.

[Project to improve abdominal obesity in day care ward psychiatric patients].

BACKGROUND & PROBLEMS: Over half (57.14%) of patients in our ward suffer from abdominal obesity. This rate is on a continuing upward trend. Reasons for such obesity include lack of physical activity classes, inadequate physical activity, high calorie diets and unhealthy eating habits, chronic diseases and drug side effects, poor motivation to reduce weight, and lack of crisis awareness of abdominal obesity. PURPOSE: This project was designed to lessen the problem of abdominal obesity among psychiatric day care inpatients. RESOLUTION: Resolution measures implemented included: (1) arranging aerobic exercise classes; (2) scheduling classes to teach patients healthy diet habits and knowledge regarding diseases and drugs; (3) holding a waistline reduction competition; (4) displaying health education bulletin boards; (5) holding a quiz contest with prizes for correct answers. RESULTS: The eight abdominally obese patients in the ward achieved an average waist circumference reduction of 2.9 cm and the overall abdominal obesity rate in the ward fell to 35.7%. BMI, eating habits, and awareness of weight loss importance and motivation all improved. The outcome achieved targeted project objectives. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend the integration of obesity prevention into routine ward activities and quality control indicators. Nurses should provide patients with weight loss concepts, regularly monitor risk factors, and encourage patient family cooperation to maintain medical care quality.

The Adverse Impact of Incense Smoke on Human Health: From Mechanisms to Implications.

Incense burning is a very popular activity in daily life among many parts all over the world. A growing body of both epidemiological and experimental evidences has reported the negative effects of incense use on human well-being, posing a potential threat at public significance. This work is a comprehensive review that covers the latest findings regarding the adverse impact of incense smoke on our health, providing a panoramic visualization ranging from mechanisms to implications. The toxicities of incense smoke come directly from its harmful constituents and deposition capacity in the body. Besides, reactive oxygen species-driven oxidative stress and associated inflammation seem to be plausible underlying mechanisms, eliciting various unfavorable responses. Although our current knowledge remains many gaps, this issue still has some important implications.

[Expression of Sirtuin 1 in visceral adipose tissue in Tibetan mini-pigs with obesity and insulin resistance induced by high fat/cholesterol diet].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Sirt1 in visceral adipose tissue in Tibetan mini-pigs with obesity and insulin resistance induced by high fat/cholesterol diet. METHODS: Twelve male Tibetan mini-pigs were divided into 2 groups randomly: normal control (NC) group, high-fat/cholesterol (HFC) diet group, 6 in each group. After 16 weeks of modeling, fasting body weight and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were measured in anterior venous blood, and atherosclerosis index (AI) was calculated. Meanwhile, intravenous glucose tolerance test was conducted to observe the changes of blood glucose and insulin, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. After euthanasia, visceral fat rate was detected, and visceral fat tissue was taken for histopathological observation and fat cell diameter analysis. RT-PCR was used to observe the mRNA expression levels of Sirtuin1 (Sirt1), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-assisted activator 1α (PGC-1α), forkhead box protein O1 (FoxO1), lipolysis-related gene hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and fat synthesis-related gene fatty acid synthase (FASN)changes in adipose tissue. RESULTS: Compared with the NC group, the body weight, BMI, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C, AI and visceral fat rate were significantly increased after 16 weeks of high-fat/cholesterol induction in Tibetan mini-pigs(P＜0.05,P＜0.01). Meanwhile, the glucose tolerance curve was significantly delayed and the area under the curve of blood glucose and insulin was significantly increased (P＜0.05). HE pathological observation and quantitative analysis showed that fat cells were hypertrophy and the average cell diameter was increased significantly (P＜0.01). In addition, the mRNA expression levels of Sirt1,PGC-1α, GLUT4, and HSL were all decreased in varying degrees in adipose tissue, among which the mRNA expressions of Sirt1 and HSL were significantly decreased (P＜0.05), while the mRNA expressions of FOXO1, IGF-1, PPARγ, and FASN were significantly increased (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). CONCLUSION: Tibetan mini-pigs were induced by high fat/cholesterol diet to form obesity model with phenotypic characteristics such as lipid disorder and insulin resistance, whereas Sirt1 plays a key role in visceral fat deposition and insulin sensitivity reduction in obese Tibetan mini-pigs.

Network Pharmacology-Based Approach Uncovers the Mechanism of GuanXinNing Tablet for Treating Thrombus by MAPKs Signal Pathway.

BACKGROUND: GuanXinNing tablet (GXNT), a traditional Chinese patent medicine, has been found to have remarkable antithrombotic effects and can effectively inhibit pro-thrombotic factors in previous studies. However, the mechanism of its antithrombotic effects remains little known. METHODS: In this study, we first determined and identified the sources of each main compound in GXNT using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Through the approach of network pharmacology, we predicted the action targets of the active components, mapped the target genes related to thrombus, and obtained potential antithrombotic targets for active ingredients. We then performed gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses and KEGG signaling pathway analyses for the action targets, and constructed networks of active component-target and active component-target-pathway for GXNT. Additionally, we evaluated the pharmacodynamic effects of GXNT on thrombus using the rat thrombus model induced by FeCl3, observed the effects of antiplatelet aggregation via platelet assay, and further verified the results predicted by network pharmacology via Western blot. RESULTS: In total, 14 active ingredients were identified in GXNT, and 83 action targets were predicted, 17 of which are antithrombotic targets that potentially participate in processes including response to oxidative stress and positive regulation of blood vessel endothelial cell migration. KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the predicted action targets were involved in multiple signal pathways, such as MAPK, IL-17, and platelet activation. Pharmacodynamics study found that GXNT could significantly reduce the thrombus length and weight, lower platelet aggregation function, and decrease the levels of Fbg and PAI-1. In addition, GXNT could significantly increase 6-keto-PGF1α content and regulate the ratio of TXB2/6-keto-PGF1α, while not having dramatic effects on TXB2. GXNT was also observed to visibly inhibit maximum platelet aggregation. Herein, we further studied the thrombus-related MAPKs signaling pathway and found that GXNT could significantly reduce the phosphorylation levels of p38MAPK, ERK, and JNK proteins in platelet. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the pharmacodynamic material basis of GXNT and its potential multicomponent-multitarget-multipath pharmacological effects, confirmed the antithrombotic effects of GXNT, and showed that its mechanism may be related to inhibiting phosphorylation of p38, ERK, and JNK proteins in MAPKs signaling pathway, partially verifying the results from network pharmacology. The results from this study could provide a theoretical basis for the development and clinical application of GXNT.