Longitudinal association between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms among college students in Yunnan Province / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To explore the association between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms among college students in Yunnan Province, so as to provide a reference for the prevention and treatment of anxiety symptoms in this population.@*Methods@#A cluster random sample of 2 515 first year students from two universities in Yunnan Province was selected to carry out a longitudinal investigation which included a baseline survey (November 2021, T1) and three follow up visits (June 2022, T2; November 2022, T3; June 2023, T4). The food frequency questionnaire was administered to assess processed food consumption, and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21, Chinese version) was used to evaluate anxiety symptoms. A generalized estimation equation model was used to analyze the relationship between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms.@*Results@#The detection rates of T1-T4 anxiety symptoms among college students in Yunnan Province were 29.70%, 36.70%, 37.69% and 38.73 %, respectively, and the corresponding anxiety symptom scores were 4(0,8), 4(0,10), 4(0,12), 2(0,14). After controlling for demographic variables and confounding factors in the generalized estimation equation model, a statistically significant association was found between consumption of carbonated beverages ( β=0.06, 95%CI =0.03-0.08), and other processed snacks ( β= 0.04 , 95%CI =0.01-0.07) ( P <0.05). The stratified analysis by gender showed that the consumption of carbonated beverages ( β=0.08, 95%CI =0.05-0.12) and fast food ( β=0.03, 95%CI =0.00-0.06) was significantly associated with anxiety symptoms in female college students ( P <0.05). There was no significant association between processed food consumption and anxiety symptoms in male college students ( P >0.05).@*Conclusions@#Processed food consumption by college students in Yunnan Province may increase the risk of anxiety symptoms, particularly among female students. There is a need to strengthen guidance in respect to processed food consumption, so as to prevent and treat anxiety symptoms.

Effects of transplantation of umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells into the scrotum on sexual function in elderly mice.

Aim: This study investigated the effect of allografting umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells (UCBMCs) into the scrotum on sexual function in male elderly mice. Methods: UCBMCs were injected once into the scrotal sheath cavity of elderly mice. Results: The transplanted UCBMCs survived in the scrotal sheath cavity for 1 month. The mice had significantly increased blood testosterone concentrations, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels and total nitric oxide synthase (T-NOS) activity in the corpus cavernosum and an increase in the number of mouse matings within 30 min (all p = 0.000). Conclusion: Scrotum-implanted UCBMCs improve the sexual function of male elderly mice through testosterone production and the NOS/cGMP pathway, which may provide an innovative transplantation approach for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.

Psychometric Properties of General Self-Efficacy (GSE) Scale Korean Version for Older Korean Immigrants with Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study in the United States.

Patients with diabetes must have self-efficacy to perform necessary self-care tasks. Self-efficacy has been considered as one of the primary motivators on diabetes self-care; therefore, it is essential for health care professionals to assess the self-efficacy of patients with diabetes to provide optimal care. Despite older Korean immigrants having greater difficulty in diabetes management, research on self-efficacy for them is lacking. This study aims to examine the psychometric property of the General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version for older Korean immigrants with diabetes in the United States. In this cross-sectional, methodological study, data were collected using convenience sampling. Cronbach's alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to examine the psychometric properties. Cronbach's alpha for the entire GSE scale Korean version is 0.81. The initial Eigenvalues show two factors, coping and confidence; however, the confirmatory factor analysis showed reasonable goodness of fit to the data (χ2(35) = 86.24, p < 0.01), χ2/df ratio = 2.46, AGFI = 0.87, GFI = 0.91, IFI = 0.90, ECVI = 0.74, CFI = 0.89, and RMSEA = 0.093 in the one-factor model. The General Self-Efficacy scale Korean version demonstrated acceptable reliability and validity. It can be used to investigate self-efficacy and to devise culturally tailored diabetes interventions.

Effects of UCMSCs Delivered through Different Transplantation Approaches on Acute Radiation Enteritis in Rats.

Radiation enteritis is the most common and serious complication of abdominal or pelvic radiation therapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as well as cell protection agents, inhibit apoptosis and promote the proliferation of injured tissues. 3 human umbilical cords MSCs (UCMSCs) were injected into the tail vein or peritoneal cavity of a rat model of radiation enteritis. The temporary protective effect was assessed by identification of donor cells, detection of cellular immune parameters and inflammatory cytokine levels, quantitation of jejunum mucosal preservation and examination of the rat remaining life. Only the rats in the intraperitoneal injection group exhibited a few positive donor cells 7 days after transplantation. CD4+/CD8+ T cells, a cellular immune parameter, decreased in the abdominal exudate of intraperitoneal injection group, compared with the model-only control and tail vein groups (both P < .05). Both serum and abdominal exudate TNF-α and IL-6 levels in the intraperitoneally injected rats rapidly decreased and were significantly different from those in the model-only control and tail vein injection groups (all P < .05). Mucosal surface area and survival time increased in the intraperitoneal injection group compared with the vehicle and tail vein injection groups (all P = .000). Therefore, the administration of UCMSCs with intraperitoneal injection approach postponed death in a rat model of radiation enteritis, which was associated with reduced serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6). However, UCMSCs injected via the tail vein triggered an intense cellular immune response in the serum that adversely affects their survival. This treatment failed to suppress circulating serum and abdominal exudate levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and could not provide a therapeutic benefit for prolonging life against acute radiation enteritis.

Effects of BDNF Signaling on Anxiety-Related Behavior and Spatial Memory of Adolescent Rats in Different Length of Maternal Separation.

As an adverse form of early-life stress (ELS), maternal separation (MS) can interfere with the development of cognition and behaviors of adolescent rodents. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the regulation of brain development and function, but the molecular mechanisms by which BDNF regulates brain function and behavior in MS with different stressor strengths remain unclear. This descriptive study characterized the levels of BDNF in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and plasma corticosterone (CORT) from the offspring of rats exposed to early handling (EH, 15-min separation per day) and prolonged MS (PMS, 180-min separation per day), during postnatal days (PND) 1­21. The behavioral and biochemical analyses were performed during adolescence (PND 42­56). PMS resulted in reduced weight and decreased locomotor activity in the open field test and Y-maze task compared to control (CON) group, with EH showing an intermediate phenotype. BDNF protein levels in the PFC were lower in PMS compared to EH and further reduced in CON male rats. Plasma CORT levels were higher in PMS compared to CON with EH again showing intermediate levels. Neither PMS or EH affected spatial learning in the Y-maze task. These findings indicate that longer periods of maternal separation are necessary to increase anxiety-like behavior, elevate CORT levels, and further suppress BDNF levels in the PFC, providing a possible mechanism to explain why more severe forms of ELS lead to more significant psychiatric and medical consequences later in life.

Soil seed burial and competition with surrounding plants determine the emergence and development of seedling of an endangered species Horsfieldia hainanensis Merr. in China.

Three well-conserved Horsfieldia hainanensis Merr. populations were used to investigate their soil seed bank and seedling regeneration characteristics and their relationship to environmental factors. The results showed that the seed reserves were low in the H. hainanensis soil seed bank (16.93~24.74 seed/m2). The distribution pattern for the seeds and seedlings in the H. hainanensis populations was aggregated, and they were mainly found around 2-3 m from the mother plant. The seeds in the litter layer and the 5-10 cm soil layer showed no vigor, and only 25.7%~33.3% of the total seeds in the 0-5 cm soil layer were viable affected by the high temperature and humidity, the animals' eating and poisoning. Affected by the height and coverage of the surrounding herbaceous layer and shrub layer, the seedlings of H. hainanensis could not obtain enough light and nutrients in the competition, resulting in the survival competitiveness of 1- to 3-year-old (1-3a) seedlings in the habitat had been in a weak position and a large number of seedlings died. It would take at least four years for seedlings to develop under the current environmental constraints. It can be concluded that the low seed reserve in the soil seed bank and high mortality of seedlings of H. hainanensis lead to slow or even stagnation of population regeneration, which was an important reason for the endangered of H. hainanensis. Therefore, the next research focus is to explore the influence mechanism of environmental factors on seed germination and seedling growth of H. hainanensis.

Anxiety-like behaviour assessments of adolescent rats after repeated maternal separation during early life.

Maternal separation (MS) plays a central role in developing physiology and psychology during the individual ontogeny process. MS is used to research the neurobiological mechanisms of mental disorders and early life stress. In this study, we investigated the effects of repeated MS and early handling (EH) on locomotor activity in an open-field test, a light-dark box test and an elevated plus-maze test of adolescent rats. The results showed that MS reduced locomotor activities in the open-field test, and increased anxiety-like behaviours in the light-dark box test and the elevated plus-maze test in adolescent rats. These tests indicated that early life stress caused by MS might induce anxiety-like behaviours during adolescence. However, compared with the control group, both the MS and EH groups showed conflicting anxiety levels. The results also suggested that females were more prone to showing anxiety-like behaviour compared with males when suffering from high-intensity stimulation. However, because of the low anxiety level associated with EH, the sex difference in behaviour was not significant. The present study provides novel insights into the effects of MS and EH on behaviour, which shows unique anxiety levels different in adolescent male and female rats.

Short- and long-term antidepressant effects of ketamine in a rat chronic unpredictable stress model.

OBJECTIVE: This research was aimed to evaluate the behaviors of short- or long-term antidepressant effects of ketamine in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). BACKGROUND: Ketamine, a glutamate noncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, regulates excitatory amino acid functions, such as anxiety disorders and major depression, and plays an important role in synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. METHODS: After 42 days of CUS model, male rats received either a single injection of ketamine (10 mg/kg; day 43) or 15 daily injections (days 43-75). The influence of ketamine on behavioral reactivity was assessed 24 hr (short-term) or 7 weeks after ketamine treatment (long-term). Behavioral tests used to assess the effects of these treatments included the sucrose preference (SP), open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), forced swimming (FS), and water maze (WM) to detect anxiety-like behavior (OF and EPM), forced swimming (FS), and water maze (WM). Results: Short-term ketamine administration resulted in increases of body weight gain, higher sensitivity to sucrose, augmented locomotor activity in the OF, more entries into the open arms of the EPM, along increased activity in the FS test; all responses indicative of reductions in depression/despair in anxiety-eliciting situations. No significant differences in these behaviors were obtained under conditions of long-term ketamine administration (p > .05). The CUS + Ketamine group showed significantly increased activity as compared with the CUS + Vehicle group for analysis of the long-term effects of ketamine (*p < .05). Nor were significant differences obtained in learning and memory performance in rats receiving ketamine (p > .05). CONCLUSION: Taken together these findings demonstrate that a short-term administration of ketamine induced rapid antidepressant-like effects in adult male rats exposed to CUS conditions, effects that were not observed in response to the long-term treatment regime.

[Study on molecular target promoting human neural stem cells of ginsenoside Rg1 by gene chip].

OBJECTIVE: To screen out main molecular target promoting human neural stem cells (NSCs) of ginsenoside Rg1 by using the gene chip technology. METHOD: First, MTT assay was adopted to screen out the optimal concentration of Rg1-promoted NSC proliferation (120 mg x L(-1)). Then, on the 7th day after the Rg1-promoted NSC proliferation, the expression of target genes was observed by the gene chip technology. The most important target gene and signal transduction pathways were screened out through the data calculations. RESULT: On the 7th day after the Rg1-promoted NSC proliferation, obtained 440 differential genes, 266 significantly upregulated genes and 174 significantly down-regulated genes. HES1 gene, CAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate)-PKA (protein kinase A) and PI3K (phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase)-AKT signal transduction pathways were closely related to the NSC proliferation. CONCLUSION: The differentially expressed genes screened out by gene chip may provide new clues for studies on molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1-promoted NSCs proliferation.

[Study on mechanism of ginsenoside Rg1-induced human neural stem cells differentiation by genechip].

OBJECTIVE: The molecular targets of ginsenoside Rg1-induced neural stem cells (NSCs) differentiation were screened by genechip. METHOD: 7th day following ginsenoside Rg1 induced human neural stem cells to neurons the gene expression was observed by genechip. The purpose gene and signal transduction pathways were selected by the data calculations, and then confirmed by western blot and immunohistochemical method. RESULT: 7th day following Rg1-induced NSCs differentiation, there were about 675 different genes, 255 genes of which were up-regulated and 420 genes down-regulated obviously. Meanwhile the ERK1/2 (extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase) in MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) pathway was related with the NSCs differentiation. The Western blot and immunohistochemistry detection confirmed that ERK 1/2 protein and its phosphorylation were significantly increased, which can be blocked by PD98059 (ERK1/2 inhibitor). In addition, differentiation rate of NSCs was also decreased obviously in ginsenoside Rg1-induced differentiated NSCs when ERK blocker PD98059 was used. CONCLUSION: ERK1/2 is an important molecular target in ginsenoside Rg1-induced NSC differentiation. The selected differentially expressed genes by genechip may provide new clues to study of ginsenoside Rg1-induced NSCs differentiation.

Pain and cognitive dysfunction are the risk factors of delirium in elderly hip fracture Chinese patients.

AIMS: To observe the incidence of delirium in elderly hip fracture patients and search for the potential risk factors. METHODS: Patients over 60 years were included in this study. Gender, age, education level, fracture type, organic dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction, comorbidity, medication, time from admission to surgery, and pain intensity were collected and analyzed, together with laboratory assessments and surgery including surgery type, time in surgery and blood loss in surgery. RESULTS: 16 in 123 patients developed delirium. The incidence rate of delirium was 13% in the period of 6 days after surgery. Pain intensity and cognitive dysfunction were the risk factors. CONCLUSION: Pain intensity and cognitive impairment after hip fracture were found as the risk factors for development of delirium in elder Chinese patients. Prevention and management of delirium needs pain management pre- and post-operatively.

[Effect of ginsenoside Rg1 on functional expression of human neural stem cells: a patch clamp study].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of ginsenoside Rg1 on the functional expression of human neural stem cells (hNSCs). METHOD: The membrane electrophysiological properties and sodium and potassium ion channels in the hNSCs induced by Rg1 were analyzed using the whole-cell patch-clamp. RESULT: On the 7th day, the neuron-like cells derived from ginsenoside Rg1 (20 mg x L(-1))-induced NSCs show: (1) The resting membrane potential: (-45.70 +/- 2.63) mV, the membrane capacitance: (26.89 +/- 1.91) pF, the membrane input impedance: (877.51 +/- 20.44) MH (P < 0.05 compared with the control group, respectively); (2) The detection rate of inward sodium current which is rapidly activated and inactivated in voltage-dependence was 50%, and its average peak value was (711.48 +/- 158.03) pA (P < 0.05 compared with the control group); (3) The outward potassium currents were composed of rapidly activated and inactivated transient outward potassium current and delayed rectifier outward potassium current, and its average peak value was (1 070.42 +/- 177.18) pA (P < 0.05 compared with the control group). CONCLUSION: Ginsenoside Rg1 can promote the functional expression and maturity of hNSCs.

Cytological differential diagnosis among adenocarcinoma, epithelial mesothelioma, and reactive mesothelial cells in serous effusions by immunocytochemistry.

The objective of the study is to estimate the expression of some antibodies in the metastatic adenocarcinomas, malignant epithelial mesotheliomas, and reactive mesothelial cells in serous effusions and to choose effective panel to the differential diagnosis. Totally 113 effusion cytology samples (80 pleural fluid, 30 ascitic, and 3 pericardial fluid) from 60 cases of metastatic adenocarcinoma (ACA), 18 cases of malignant epithelial mesothelioma (MM), and 35 cases of reactive mesothelium (RM) were included in this study. The cytological diagnoses of these cases were confirmed by histopathology or clinical datas. Smears and cell blocks were prepared for each case. Immunocytochemical study was performed on the cell block sections. The sensitivity of E-cadherin, CEA, MOC-31, and Ber-EP4 for adenocarcinoma was 86.7%, 80%, 70%, and 76.4%, respectively. The specificity was 98.1%, 96.2%, 92.5%, and 86.8%, respectively. The sensitivity of calretinin, HBME-1, and thrombomodulin for RM/MM was 83%, 79.2%, and 47.2% respectively. The specificity was 88.3%, 21.7%, and 70%, respectively. The expression of E-cadherin, CEA, MOC-31, Ber-EP4, calretinin, and thrombomodulin showed significant difference between ACA and RM/MM (P < 0.01). The reactivity of EMA and Des showed significant difference between RM and MM (P < 0.01). In our opinion, the antibody panel that consists of E-cadherin, CEA, calretinin, and thrombomodulin should be the best for differential diagnosis between metastatic adenocarcinomas and RM/MM in serous effusions. EMA and Des should be used to differentiate malignant epithelial mesothelioma and reactive mesothelial cells. EMA positive and Des negative favor MM, while Des positive and EMA negative favor RM.