Oral health disparities of children among Southeast Asian immigrant women in arranged transnational marriages in Taiwan.

This study assessed the oral health disparities and oral health care needs of children whose parents are Southeast Asian immigrant women in arranged transnational marriages. We used the baseline data of the Lay Health Advisor Approach to Promote Oral Health Program (LHA-POHP) to explore the disparities in oral health between immigrant and native children, and the factors associated with their oral health. A cross-sectional community-based study was conducted to collect data from mothers and their preschool children in Southern Taiwan in 2011. A total of 590 (440 natives, 150 immigrants) children aged 4-6 years and their mothers completed the questionnaire and oral examination. Multiple regression models were used to analyze the association between children's oral health and their related factors. The caries index was 6.05 in immigrant children and 3.88 in native children (p < 0.001). The caries prevalence of maxillary anterior teeth in the labial surfaces was higher among immigrants, ranging from 14.7 to 22%. The factor associated with children's caries index was maternal tooth brushing frequency (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 8.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.95-41.05). When the mothers did not direct children to brush teeth after eating sweets, their children were more likely to have decayed teeth (aOR = 3.54, 95% CI 1.04-12.03). Children's filled teeth were related to their dental regular check-ups (aOR = 2.28, 95% CI 1.26-4.10). Disparities in oral health among immigrant and native children were observed. The findings suggest that culturally adequate oral health promotion intervention programs should be implemented for immigrants.

Improved PCR-based subtractive hybridization strategy for cloning differentially expressed genes.

An improved PCR-based subtractive hybridization strategy was used to clone apoptosis-related genes induced by all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) from human promyelocytic leukemia cell line HL-60 cells. The protocol used the cap-finder method, long-distance PCR, streptavidin magnetic bead-mediated subtraction and spin column chromatography. Twenty-seven clones related to apoptosis were identified by reverse dot blot assay. Seventeen were known genes, of which seven have been reported to be apoptosis related. The remaining 10 were unknown genes, five of which were sequenced and named apr-1 to apr-5. apr-1, apr-2, apr-3 and TNF were reidentified by reverse dot blot, and it is suggested that they might be related to apoptosis. The results suggest that this strategy might be efficient for large-scale cloning of differentially expressed genes in target cells.

[Excitant effect of suberogorgin on isolated guinea pig trachea].

Suberogorgin (Sub) was shown to increase the tension of isolated guinea pig trachea in a dose-dependent manner. Its ED50 was 52.5 mumol.L-1. The stimulation of sub on trachea was antagonized by atropine 0.65 mumol.L-1, and inhibited by atropine 0.13 mumol.L-1, cobrotoxin 2.4 micrograms.ml-1 and by tetrodotoxin 1 mumol.L-1. On the contracted trachea induced by galanthamine 35.5 mumol.L-1, acetylcholine increased the tension but Sub did not. Galanthamine was also shown not to increase the tension of trachea that had been treated with Sub 258 mumol.L-1 for 10 min. The results indicate that the trachea-excitant action of Sub is related to the M and N receptor and the Na+ channel.

Hypotensive effect of tenuifolic saponin and its mechanism.

AIM: To study the effect of tenuifolic saponin (TS) on arterial pressure. METHODS: Mean arterial pressure (MAP) was recorded from left carotid artery in rat which was anesthetized with urethane and then injected i.v. gtt with a transfusion of NaCl 0.15 mol.L-1. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) of conscious rat and renovascular hypertensive rat (RVHR) was measured by tail cuff method. RESULTS: TS 2, 4, 8 mg.kg-1 i.v., 20 and 40 mg.kg-1 i.g. reduced the MAP by 31%, 37%, 50%, 21%, and 31%, respectively. Bilateral vagotomy plus atropine (Atr) i.v., or pretreatment with diphenhydramine hydrochloride (Dip) failed to influence TS effect. Lack of effect of TS on carotid-occlusion-induced- or epinephrine (Epi)-induced-hypertensive response was found. SBP in conscious rat and RVHR was suppressed, highest by 38.0% and 26.8% at 60 and 90 min, maintaining at least 2 and 3 h, respectively, after i.g. TS 40 mg.kg-1. CONCLUSION: TS reduced the arterial pressure, not related to vagus excitation, ganglionic blockade, and peripheral alpha-adrenergic-, M-cholinergic-, and H1-receptors.

Water-retention effect of suberogorgin was due to secretion of antidiuretic hormone in rat.

AIM: To study the mechanism of antidiuretic effect of suberogorgin (Sub). METHODS: Conscious rat was given i.g. Sub 3.16 mg.kg-1 20 min after water-loaded treatment and then urine was collected in metabolic cage. Ion excretion was determined in atomic emission spectrometry. Urinary prostaglandin E (PGE), plasma PGE, antidiuretic hormone (ADH), and aldosterone were measured with RIA. Sub vs pituitrin or DOCA effects were carried out in hypophysectomized or adrenalectomized rats. RESULTS: The urine volume and the excretions of urinary sodium and potassium were decreased, maximally by 91%, 76%, and 86%, during the 24-h period after Sub. This antidiuretic effect possessed a progressive weakening with time. The concentrations of urinary PGE, plasma PGE, and ADH were increased by 25%, 212%, and 538%, respectively, but plasma aldosterone was not significantly influenced, 2 h after Sub dosing. The response of urine-excretion of rat to Sub was almost resisted by hypophysectomy but not by adrenalectomy. CONCLUSION: Sub decreased the urine excretion by, at least in part, accelerating the secretion of ADH but neither by PGE nor by aldosterone.

Suberogorgin vs N-cyclohexyl suberogorgamide effects on urine, respiration, and blood pressure in rat and cat.

AIM: To compare the pharmacological actions of suberogorgin (Sub) and N-cyclohexyl suberogorgamide (N-CS). METHODS: Urine was collected from rats and anesthetized cats which had been loaded with water. The concentrations of Na+ and K+ in urine were determined in ICAP-9000 atomic emission spectrometry. An equitoxic (1/50 LD50) dose of Sub and N-CS was used in cats. RESULTS: The cat urine was decreased by 63% after i.v. Sub 0.4 mg.kg-1, but increased by 25% after i.v. N-CS 1.5 mg.kg-1, lasting at least 9 h. Sub and N-CS increased the respiratory rate and tidal volume, but did not change the blood pressure. The rat urine was decreased by 48% after i.p. Sub 1.3 mg.kg-1, but increased by 14% after i.p. N-CS 3.2 mg.kg-1. Sub and N-CS increased the concentrations of Na+ and K+ in rat urine. These effects lasted at least 24 h. CONCLUSION: Sub is an antidiuretic, while N-CS is a diuretic drug.

Inhibitory effect of suberogorgin on acetylcholinesterase.

AIM: To study the selection, reversibility, and kinetics of suberogorgin (Sub) on acetylcholinesterase (AChE). METHODS: The human plasma was used as butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). The activity of ChE was determined with colorimetry. RESULTS: Sub obviously inhibited the AChE in vitro with pl50 4.03, 4.92, 3.82, and 4.67 in RBC membranes (of rat and human) and tissue extracts (of rat brain and earthworm dorsal muscle), respectively. No inhibition on BuChE was observed. The inhibition of Sub on AChE was far lower than that of physostigmine, but was close to that of galanthamine. Sub decreased the AChE activity to the lowest within 3 min after it was incubated with AChE. Centrifugalization washing reactivated the AChE which had been inhibited by Sub. The double-reciprocal plots of different concentrations of Sub on AChE showed parallel lines. CONCLUSION: Sub was a selective, reversible, and contra-competetive inhibitor of AChE at the binding site on the peripheral anion region of AChE.

Effects of suberogorgin and its derivates on learning and memory in mice.

AIM: To study the relationship between the effects of suberogorgin (Sub) and its derivates on memory and their anti-acetylcholinesterase (AChE) actions. METHODS: The step-down latency (SDL) and the escape latency (EL) of mice were determined at the same time in a passive avoidance task after Sub, N-suberogorgamide-N-N-dicyclohexyl urea (Sub-DU), or N-cyclohexyl suberogorgamide (N-CS) was injected i.p. The AChE activities in brain hemogenates were determined with colorimetry. RESULTS: Sub 1.9, Sub-DU 3.0, or physostigmine (Phys) 0.15 mg.kg-1 obviously lengthened the SDL by 195%, 271%, and 210%, and shortened the EL by 56%, 61%, and 33%, and the two formers inhibited the brain AChE activities by 17% and 19%, respectively in aging (3-4 months) mice. These actions were decreased in a dose-dependent manner when Sub or Sub-DU was increased to 2.9-4.3 or 4.5-6.7 mg.kg-1 respectively. Sub 1.9, Sub-DU 2.0, and Phys 0.15 mg.kg-1 also lengthened the SDL by 187%, 209%, and 152%, and shortened the EL by 52%, 62%, and 57%, respectively in aged (12-14 months) mice. Sub 1.3-1.9, Sub-DU 0.9-2.0, or Phys 0.15 mg.kg-1 reversed the cycloheximide- or scopolamine-induced disruptions of memory retention. No obvious effect of N-CS on the acquisition of memory and the AChE activity in mice was observed. CONCLUSION: The improvements of Sub and Sub-DU on memory were chiefly related to their anti-AChE actions.

[Effect of sodium suberogorgin on hemodynamics and myocardial ischemic-reperfused injury in isolated guinea pig working hearts].

AIM: To study the actions of sodium suberogorgin (Sub) on normal- and myocardial ischemic-reperfused-working hearts. METHODS: The isolated guinea pig working hearts were perfused with edetic acid (0.2 mumol.L(-1))-Krebs-Henseleit solution by left pulmonary vein at 37 +/- 0.5 degrees C. The perfusing pressure of left atrium and the afterload of left ventricle were maintained at 1.0 and 7.2 kPa, respectively. During 50-min low-flow global ischemia, coronary flow was maintained at 4.7 +/- 0.2% of normal working hearts via retrograding perfusion. Reperfusion lasted 35 min following ischemia. RESULTS: Before ischemia, the aortic pressure, left ventricular systolic pressure, the maximal rate of left ventricular pressure change (+ dp/dtmax and -dp/dtmax), cardiac output, stroke volume, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and heart rate of working hearts treated with Sub 10 mumol.L(-1) for 10 min were increased by 14%, 17%, 17%, 22%, 15%, 32%, -200%, and -11%, respectively. These parameters were reduced when Sub was increased to 50 mumol.L(-1). Reperfusion aggravated the myocardial damages induced by ischemia. Sub 10 mumol.L(-1) used before and during low-flow ischemia completely restored all above parameters except heart rate to the level of preischemia. When Sub was increased to 50 mumol.L(-1), only an attenuation of myocardial damage was observed. CONCLUSION: Sub obviously improved the ischemic-reperfused injury in isolated working hearts.

[Excitant effect of sodium suberogorgin on isolated rabbit ileum].

Suberogorgin was isolated from Gorgoniae suberogorgia sp from South China Sea. The isolated rabbit ileum contracted in a concentration-dependent manner by suberogorgin-Na (Sub) 2.13 mumol.L-1 or higher. Sub 213 mumol.L-1 had no effect on the relaxation induced by norepinephrine and isoprenaline 10-100 mumol.L-1 on ileum. The stimulation of Sub on ileum was antagonized by atropine 56 mumol.L-1 or indometacin 0.35 mmol.L-1 and was partly blocked by indometacin 0.17 mmol.L-1, but was not affected by diphenhydramine 10 mumol.L-1. On the contracted ileum induced by neostigmine 1.7 mumol.L-1, acetylcholine 0.1 mumol.L-1 increased the tension but Sub 213 mumolL-1 did not. Sub obviously inhibited the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from mouse brain hemogenates in vitro. Its pI50 (negative logarithm of molar concentration causing 50% inhibition of AChE) was 4.18, while the pI50 of neostigmine was 4.75. The results indicated that the ileum-excitant action of Sub was chiefly related to the inhibition of AChE.