Association of alcohol drinking with incident type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes: The Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study.

AIMS: We examined associations of baseline alcohol drinking with incident type 2 diabetes (T2D) or impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and explore whether the associations were modified by genetic polymorphisms of aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) and alcohol dehydrogenase-1B (ADH1B). MATERIALS AND METHODS: All participants were aged 50+ (mean = 60.45; standard deviation = 6.88) years. Information of alcohol consumption was collected at baseline from 2003 to 2008. Incident T2D was defined as fasting glucose ≥7.0 mmol/L or post-load glucose ≥11.1 mmol/L at follow-up examination (2008-2012), self-reported T2D and/or initiation of hypoglycaemia medication or insulin during follow-up. Impaired fasting glucose was defined as fasting glucose ≥5.6 mmol/L and <7 mmol/L. RESULTS: Of 15,716 participants without diabetes and 11,232 participants without diabetes and IFG at baseline, 1624 (10.33%) developed incident T2D and 1004 (8.94%) developed incident IFG during an average 4 years of follow-up. After multivariable adjustments, compared with never drinking, occasional or moderate alcohol drinking was not associated with risk of incident hyperglycaemia (T2D + IFG) (odds ratio (OR) = 1.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.95-1.27, and 0.90 (0.69-1.18), respectively), whereas heavy alcohol drinking was associated with a higher risk of incident hyperglycaemia (T2D + IFG) (OR = 1.82, 95% CI 1.24-2.68). No interactions of sex, overweight/obesity and genetic polymorphisms of ADH1B/ALDH2 genes with alcohol drinking on incident T2D and/or IFG were found (P for interaction from 0.12 to 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support a detrimental effect of heavy alcohol use on IFG and T2D. No protective effect was found for those carrying lower risk alleles for ADH1B/ALDH2 genes.

Danhong injection attenuates ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain damage which is associating with Nrf2 levels in vivo and in vitro.

Danhong injection, a Chinese Materia Medica standardized product extracted from Radix Salviae miltiorrhizae and Flos Carthami tinctorii, is used extensively for the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases such as acutely cerebral infarction in clinic. In this study, we further investigated the mechanisms of Danhong injection on cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage relating to Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway in vivo and in vitro. For in vivo experiment, cerebral I/R injury was induced through middle cerebral artery occlusion. Rats were randomly divided into five groups: sham-operated group, I/R injury group, 6 mg/kg edaravone injection (positive control drug) group, 0.9 ml/kg Danhong injection (DHI-L) group, 1.8 ml/kg Danhong injection (DHI-H) group. The neurological score, cerebral infarction and brain edema were assessed while levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in brain tissue were also evaluated. Transcription levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) were analysed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. For in vitro experiment, mouse Neuro-2A cells were wounded with H2O2 then cell viability and mRNA transcriptions levels of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 were detected. Protein expression level of Nrf2 was assayed by western blotting. The results showed that Danhong injection could ameliorate neurological score, cerebral infarction and brain edema. Also it can increase levels of SOD, GSH and decrease of MDA and upregulate expressions of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1 in ischemic brain tissue in vivo. What's more, it increased the mRNA transcription of Nrf2 and HO-1 and upregulated protein expression of Nrf2 in vitro. These findings suggested that Danhong injection could prevent I/R-induced brain damage through activating Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway.

Association of Testosterone and Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin With All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Older Chinese Men.

BACKGROUND: The associations of high and low testosterone with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk in men are conflicting. Our objective was to examine associations of total testosterone, free testosterone, bioavailable testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) with all-cause and CVD mortality in older Chinese men. METHODS: Total testosterone and SHBG were assayed, and free testosterone and bioavailable testosterone were calculated using Vermeulen formula. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess the associations with risks of all-cause and CVD mortality, giving hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Of 3 948 men aged 50+ years, 949 deaths (312 CVD) occurred during an average 10.5-year follow-up. After multivariable adjustments, the highest, versus the third, quartile of total testosterone and free testosterone were associated with higher all-cause mortality risk (1.17 [0.97-1.41] and 1.45 [1.20-1.74], respectively), whereas free testosterone was associated with higher CVD mortality risk (1.88 [1.33-2.66]). Similar positive associations were found for bioavailable testosterone and all-cause mortality risk (1.27 [1.05-1.54]). Lower SHBG (quartile 1 vs quartile 3) was associated with higher all-cause and CVD mortality risk (1.25 [1.04-1.52] and 1.28 [1.08-1.52], respectively). Consistent associations were observed in relatively healthy men and men excluded death during the first year. CONCLUSIONS: Higher total testosterone, free testosterone, and bioavailable testosterone were associated with higher all-cause mortality in older men, higher free testosterone was associated with higher CVD mortality whilst lower SHBG was associated with higher all-cause and CVD mortality. Clarification and confirmation of causality require further mechanistic studies.

Quantitative computed tomography measurement of cross-sectional area of small pulmonary vessels in asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional area (CSA) for small pulmonary vessels is considered a parameter of pulmonary vessel alterations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This study was to evaluate the correlation of CSA with airflow obstruction parameters in asthma. Furthermore, we aimed to measure the difference in vascular alteration between asthma phenotypes and evaluate its relation with cytokine levels. METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 20 adult asthmatic patients (13 women: age range, 26-80 years) and 20 healthy controls (8 women: age range, 23-61 years) from Peking University Third Hospital. Total CSA <5 mm (CSA<5) was measured with 64-slice spiral computed tomography, and the percentage CSA <5 for the lung area (%CSA<5) was calculated. Data were corrected for body surface area to obtain sixth-generation airway luminal diameter (LDcor), luminal area (Aicor), and airway wall thickness, and airway wall area percentage (WA%) was calculated. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the expression of leptin, total immunoglobulin E, periostin, and transforming growth factor ß1 in serum and matrix metalloproteinase 9 in induced sputum supernatant of asthmatic patients. The differences in %CSA<5 between subgroups were assessed by independent samples Student's t test, and Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation of %CSA<5 with clinical indexes and inflammatory cytokine levels. RESULTS: Patients with asthma and controls did not differ in %CSA<5. In asthma patients, %CSA<5 was lower with initial onset age ≤12 years old, airflow restriction and uncontrolled Global Initiative for Asthma classification (all P < 0.05). Moreover, it was positively correlated with forced vital capacity ratio in 1 s (FEV1)/forced expiratory volume ratio, FEV1%, LDcor, Aicor, and serum leptin level (all P < 0.05) and negatively with total lung WA% (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: %CSA<5 of pulmonary small vessels was well correlated with airflow limitation indexes and sixth-generation airway parameters. It has certain significance in predicting the clinical control of asthma.

Comparative Study of Recessive Spherical Headed Silicone Intubation and Endonasal Dacryocystorhinostomy under Nasal Endoscopy for Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction.

Between July 2014 and November 2015, we compared the curative effects and cost-effectiveness of two kinds of nasal endoscopic surgery for nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) in a single-centre, two-armed clinical trial with a 1-year follow-up. We included two groups: a recessive spherical headed silicone intubation (RSHSI) group and an endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy (En-DCR) group; both received nasal endoscopy. Patients were recruited from the Otorhinolaryngology and Ophthalmology departments. The main outcome measures were epiphora improvement (classified as cure, effective, or invalid), cost-effectiveness, visual analogue scale (VAS) intraoperative pain score, bleeding volume, operating time, hospitalisation time, total cost, and VAS postoperative epiphora score. No significant group difference was identified in postoperative epiphora VAS scores (P > 0.050) or success rate (P = 0.406). However, average VAS intraoperative pain score, operating time, bleeding volume, hospitalisation time and total cost in the RSHSI group were clearly lower to those in the En-DCR group (P = 0.000). In conclusion, RSHSI under nasal endoscopy can provide similar treatment outcomes to En-DCR. RSHSI has advantages including minimal invasiveness, reduced risk, shorter duration of surgery and hospitalisation, reduced intraoperative discomfort, and lower financial burden, which is more acceptable to patients. Thus, RSHSI may be the preferred option for NLDO.