ABSTRACT
Bone area is one measure of bone size that is easily derived from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans. In a GWA study of DXA bone area of the hip and lumbar spine (N ≥ 28,954), we find thirteen independent association signals at twelve loci that replicate in samples of European and East Asian descent (N = 13,608 - 21,277). Eight DXA area loci associate with osteoarthritis, including rs143384 in GDF5 and a missense variant in COL11A1 (rs3753841). The strongest DXA area association is with rs11614913[T] in the microRNA MIR196A2 gene that associates with lumbar spine area (P = 2.3 × 10-42, ß = -0.090) and confers risk of hip fracture (P = 1.0 × 10-8, OR = 1.11). We demonstrate that the risk allele is less efficient in repressing miR-196a-5p target genes. We also show that the DXA area measure contributes to the risk of hip fracture independent of bone density.
Subject(s)
Bone Density/genetics , Hip Fractures/genetics , MicroRNAs/genetics , Osteoarthritis/genetics , Absorptiometry, Photon , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Alleles , Body Height/genetics , Bone and Bones/diagnostic imaging , Bone and Bones/physiology , Case-Control Studies , Collagen Type XI/genetics , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Genetic Loci , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Genome-Wide Association Study , Growth Differentiation Factor 5/genetics , Hip Fractures/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Osteoarthritis/epidemiology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
The original HTML version of this Article was updated shortly after publication to add links to the Peer Review file.In addition, affiliations 16 and 17 incorrectly read 'School of Medicine Sydney, University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, WA, 6160, Australia' and 'St Vincent's Clinical School, University of New South Wales Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.' This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
ABSTRACT
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common allergic skin disease, characterized by dryness, itchiness, thickening and inflammation of the skin. Infiltration of eosinophils into the dermal layer and presence of edema are typical characteristics in the skin biopsy of AD patients. Previous in vitro and clinical studies showed that the Pentaherbs formula (PHF) consisting of five traditional Chinese herbal medicines, Flos Lonicerae, Herba Menthae, Cortex Phellodendri, Cortex Moutan and Rhizoma Atractylodis at w/w ratio of 2:1:2:2:2 exhibited therapeutic potential in treating AD. In this study, an in vivo murine model with oxazolone (OXA)-mediated dermatitis was used to elucidate the efficacy of PHF. Active ingredients of PHF water extract were also identified and quantified, and their in vitro anti-inflammatory activities on pruritogenic cytokine IL-31- and alarmin IL-33-activated human eosinophils and dermal fibroblasts were evaluated. Ear swelling, epidermis thickening and eosinophils infiltration in epidermal and dermal layers, and the release of serum IL-12 of the murine OXA-mediated dermatitis were significantly reduced upon oral or topical treatment with PHF (all p < 0.05). Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid and berberine contents (w/w) in PHF were found to be 0.479%, 1.201% and 0.022%, respectively. Gallic acid and chlorogenic acid could suppress the release of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 and chemokine CCL7 and CXCL8, respectively, in IL-31- and IL-33-treated eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture; while berberine could suppress the release of IL-6, CXCL8, CCL2 and CCL7 in the eosinophil culture and eosinophils-dermal fibroblasts co-culture (all p < 0.05). These findings suggest that PHF can ameliorate allergic inflammation and attenuate the activation of eosinophils.
Subject(s)
Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Berberine/administration & dosage , Chlorogenic Acid/administration & dosage , Dermatitis, Atopic/drug therapy , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Gallic Acid/administration & dosage , Animals , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Berberine/pharmacology , Cells, Cultured , Chemokines/metabolism , Chlorogenic Acid/pharmacology , Coculture Techniques , Dermatitis, Atopic/chemically induced , Dermatitis, Atopic/immunology , Disease Models, Animal , Eosinophils/cytology , Eosinophils/drug effects , Fibroblasts/cytology , Fibroblasts/drug effects , Gallic Acid/pharmacology , Humans , Interleukin-12/metabolism , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Mice , Oxazolone/adverse effectsABSTRACT
Bone mineral density (BMD) is a measure of osteoporosis and is useful in evaluating the risk of fracture. In a genome-wide association study of BMD among 20,100 Icelanders, with follow-up in 10,091 subjects of European and East-Asian descent, we found a new BMD locus that harbours the PTCH1 gene, represented by rs28377268 (freq. 11.4-22.6%) that associates with reduced spine BMD (P=1.0 × 10(-11), ß=-0.09). We also identified a new spine BMD signal in RSPO3, rs577721086 (freq. 6.8%), that associates with increased spine BMD (P=6.6 × 10(-10), ß=0.14). Importantly, both variants associate with osteoporotic fractures and affect expression of the PTCH1 and RSPO3 genes that is in line with their influence on BMD and known biological function of these genes. Additional new BMD signals were also found at the AXIN1 and SOST loci and a new lead SNP at the EN1 locus.
Subject(s)
Bone Density/genetics , Fractures, Spontaneous/genetics , Osteoporosis/complications , Receptors, Cell Surface/metabolism , Spine/physiology , Thrombospondins/metabolism , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Fractures, Spontaneous/pathology , Gene Expression Regulation/physiology , Genetic Variation , Genome-Wide Association Study , Genotype , Humans , Iceland , Male , Middle Aged , Patched Receptors , Patched-1 Receptor , Receptors, Cell Surface/genetics , Thrombospondins/geneticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Flavoxate has had a long history of use in the treatment of overactive bladder, despite the lack of documentation on its clinical efficacy and mechanism(s) of action. This study was conducted to understand how contractility characteristics of the detrusor are affected after a short period of flavoxate treatment. METHODS: Eight-week-old mice were treated with flavoxate for 5 days and detrusor contractile responses were examined ex vivo under different pharmacological and electrical stimuli. RESULTS: K(+) -Krebs'-induced contraction developed more slowly while 64 Hz electrical field stimulation-induced contraction developed faster in flavoxate-treated strips when compared to control. Amplitudes of maximal and steady-state contraction induced by 3 µmol/L carbachol were also larger after flavoxate treatment. Control strips showed an overall greater dependence on stimulus strength in eliciting the responses. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provided new information of how short-term flavoxate treatment altered contractility characteristics at the bladder level, which may instill new interest in investigating the use of this drug in bladder disorders not responding well to conventional treatments.
Subject(s)
Flavoxate/pharmacology , Muscle Contraction/drug effects , Urinary Bladder/drug effects , Urological Agents/pharmacology , Animals , Flavoxate/administration & dosage , In Vitro Techniques , Male , Mice , Urological Agents/administration & dosageABSTRACT
Pentaherb formula (PHF) has been proven to improve the quality of life of children with atopic dermatitis without side effects. The aim of this study was to elucidate the potential anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activities of PHF, Moutan Cortex (Danpi/DP) and gallic acid (GA) using human basophils (KU812 cells), which are crucial effector cells in allergic inflammation. PHF, DP and GA could significantly suppress the expression of allergic inflammatory cytokine IL-33-upregulated intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, and the release of chemokines CCL2, CCL5, CXCL8 and inflammatory cytokine IL-6 from KU812 cells (all p < 0.05). With the combined use of dexamethasone (0.01 µg/mL) and GA (10 µg/mL), the suppression of ICAM-1 expression and CCL5 and IL-6 release of IL-33-activated KU812 cells were significantly greater than the use of GA alone (all p < 0.05). The suppression of the IL-33-induced activation of intracellular signalling molecules p38 mitogen activated protein kinase, nuclear factor-kB and c-Jun amino-terminal kinase in GA-treated KU812 cells could be the underlying mechanism for the suppression on ICAM-1, chemokines and cytokines. The combined use of dexamethasone with the natural products PHF or DP or GA might therefore enhance the development of a novel therapeutic modality for allergic inflammatory diseases with high potency and fewer side effects.
Subject(s)
Anti-Allergic Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Gallic Acid/pharmacology , Basophils/drug effects , Basophils/metabolism , Cell Adhesion Molecules/metabolism , Cell Line , Chemokines/biosynthesis , Dexamethasone/pharmacology , Humans , Interleukin-33 , Interleukin-6/biosynthesis , Interleukins/pharmacology , JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism , Paeonia , Phosphorylation/drug effects , p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are characterized by abnormal central processing with altered brain activation in response to visceral nociceptive signals. The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on IBS patients is unclear. The study is set to study the effect of EA on brain activation during noxious rectal distension in IBS patients using a randomized sham-controlled model. METHODS: Thirty IBS-diarrhea patients were randomized to true electroacupuncture or sham acupuncture. Functional MRI was performed to evaluate cerebral activation at the following time points: (1) baseline when there was rectal distension only, (2) rectal distension during application of EA, (3) rectal distension after cessation of EA and (4) EA alone with no rectal distension. Group comparison was made under each condition using SPM5 program. RESULTS: Rectal distension induced significant activation of the anterior cingulated cortex, prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and cerebellum at baseline. During and immediately after EA, increased cerebral activation from baseline was observed in the anterior cingulated cortex, bilateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, temporal regions and right insula in both groups. However, true electroacupuncture led to significantly higher activation at right insula, as well as pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus when compared to sham acupuncture. CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that acupuncture might have the potential effect of pain modulation in IBS by 2 actions: (1) modulation of serotonin pathway at insula and (2) modulation of mood and affection in higher cortical center via ascending pathway at the pulvinar and medial nucleus of the thalamus.
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the association between depressive symptoms in elderly Chinese men and the total testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), DHEA sulphate (DHEAS), oestradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels, and the free androgen index. Cross-sectional data from 1147 community-dwelling elderly men, aged 65 and older, were used. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Total testosterone, free testosterone, DHEA, DHEAS, total oestradiol, the free androgen index and SHBG levels were assessed. DHEA was significantly associated with GDS score, and there was a trend towards DHEAS association, but this was not significant (ß=-0.110, P=0.015; ß=-0.074, P=0.055). However, no association was seen between depressive symptoms and total testosterone levels, free testosterone levels, oestradiol levels or SHBG levels. In terms of the presence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms, there were no statistically significant differences between patients in the lowest quartile of sex steroid hormone levels and those in other quartiles of sex steroid hormone levels. Similarly to Western studies, our study shows that DHEA and DHEAS levels are associated with depressive symptoms.
Subject(s)
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate/blood , Depression/blood , Aged , China , Humans , Male , Testosterone/bloodABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Recent evidence suggests that depression can result in abdominal obesity in the elderly. Few longitudinal studies are available and none has been conducted outside the United States. METHODS: To examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and abdominal obesity, data from 3,998 community-dwelling Chinese elderly men and women age 65 years and older with 4-year follow-up were analyzed. Depression was defined by a Geriatric Depression Scale score of 8 or higher. At baseline and after 4 years, overall obesity measures included body mass index, percentage of body fat, and general adiposity or body fat index (expressed by total body fat mass measured by DEXA (dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) in kilograms divided by the square of stature in meters). Abdominal obesity measures included waist circumference, waist to hip ratio, and relative truncal fat (ratio of truncal fat mass to total fat mass measured by DEXA). RESULTS: After adjustment for sociodemographics, lifestyle, and medical factors, the presence of clinically relevant depressive symptoms at baseline was associated with significant decrease in waist circumference at follow-up after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, baseline obesity, lifestyle, and medical factors (ß = -1.801, t = -2.93, df = 1564, p = 0.0034), although this relationship disappeared in older age women in further age-stratified analysis. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that depressive symptoms may result in a decrease in abdominal obesity, suggesting that more research is needed to further explore this relationship. Similar studies conducted in different cultural groups may help to explain these conflicting findings.
Subject(s)
Depression/complications , Obesity, Abdominal/etiology , Aged , Asian People/ethnology , Body Mass Index , Comorbidity , Depression/diagnosis , Depression/ethnology , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Geriatric Assessment , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Neuropsychological Tests , Obesity, Abdominal/diagnosis , Obesity, Abdominal/ethnology , Regression Analysis , Self Report , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether MR perfusion indices or marrow fat content at baseline can predict areal bone mineral density (BMDa) loss. METHODS: Repeat dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of the hip was performed in female subjects at 2 years (n = 52) and 4 years (n = 45) following baseline MR perfusion imaging and spectroscopy of the hip. RESULTS: Percentage reduction in femoral neck BMDa at 4 years post-baseline was greater in subjects with below median acetabulum enhancement slope (E(slope)) (-5.6 ± 1.2 Vs -1.1 ± 1.2 (mean ± standard error) p = 0.014) or muscle maximum enhancement (E(max)) (-5.7 ± 1.2 Vs -0.23 ± 1.2, p = 0.009) after adjusting for baseline co-variables. Baseline MR parameters correlated with reduction in BMDa at 4 years (acetabulum E(slope) r = 0.517, p = 0.0003; muscle E(max) r = 0.306, p = 0.043) as well as traditionally applied clinical risk factors. Acetabulum E(slope), femoral neck E(max) and marrow fat content at baseline had sensitivities of 89%, 81% and 72% respectively at distinguishing between fast (>1%/annum) (n = 18) and slow (<1%/annum) (n = 27) BMD losers. CONCLUSION: Elderly female subjects with reduced perfusion indices at baseline had increased femoral neck bone loss at 4 years. Selected perfusion indices and marrow fat content have a moderate to high sensitivity in discriminating between fast and slow bone losers.
Subject(s)
Bone Density/physiology , Densitometry/methods , Femur Head/anatomy & histology , Femur Head/physiology , Magnetic Resonance Angiography/methods , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
Most genome-wide association (GWA) studies have focused on populations of European ancestry with limited assessment of the influence of the sequence variants on populations of other ethnicities. To determine whether markers that we have recently shown to associate with Bone Mineral Density (BMD) in Europeans also associate with BMD in East-Asians we analysed 50 markers from 23 genomic loci in samples from Korea (nâ=â1,397) and two Chinese Hong Kong sample sets (nâ=â3,869 and nâ=â785). Through this effort we identified fourteen loci that associated with BMD in East-Asian samples using a false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05; 1p36 (ZBTB40, Pâ=â4.3×10(-9)), 1p31 (GPR177, Pâ=â0.00012), 3p22 (CTNNB1, Pâ=â0.00013), 4q22 (MEPE, Pâ=â0.0026), 5q14 (MEF2C, Pâ=â1.3×10(-5)), 6q25 (ESR1, Pâ=â0.0011), 7p14 (STARD3NL, Pâ=â0.00025), 7q21 (FLJ42280, Pâ=â0.00017), 8q24 (TNFRSF11B, Pâ=â3.4×10(-5)), 11p15 (SOX6, Pâ=â0.00033), 11q13 (LRP5, Pâ=â0.0033), 13q14 (TNFSF11, Pâ=â7.5×10(-5)), 16q24 (FOXL1, Pâ=â0.0010) and 17q21 (SOST, Pâ=â0.015). Our study marks an early effort towards the challenge of cataloguing bone density variants shared by many ethnicities by testing BMD variants that have been established in Europeans, in East-Asians.
Subject(s)
Asian People/genetics , Bone Density/genetics , White People/genetics , Aged , Chromosome Mapping , Female , Genome-Wide Association Study , Hip , Humans , Male , Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide , SpineABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Few prospective studies have been conducted to identify risk factors associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Our objective is to evaluate the dietary, lifestyle and medical risk factors of LUTS. METHODS: Data were collected from a large prospective cohort of elderly Chinese men in Hong Kong. Eight hundred seventy-one subjects provided response to a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire and physical examination at baseline and at 4-year follow-up. LUTS and depressive symptoms were assessed using International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) and Geriatric Depressive Symptom Scale (GDS). RESULTS: The GDS score was independently associated with increased risk of having moderate to severe LUTS (odd ratios (OR) = 2.08; confidence interval (CI) = 1.28-3.40; Wald chi-square test = 9.52 and p = 0.023). A history of coronary heart disease was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe LUTS (OR = 1.65, CI: 1.05-2.59; Wald chi-square test = 4.74 and p = 0.029). Alcohol consumption of seven drinks or more per week was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe LUTS (OR = 2.51; CI: 1.32-4.79; Wald chi-square test = 8.01 and p = 0.018). LIMITATIONS: We have studied LUTS but not surgical BPH. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that medical and lifestyle factors may increase the risk of LUTS in Chinese elderly men.
Subject(s)
Depression/complications , Life Style , Urologic Diseases/etiology , Age Factors , Aged , Alcohol Drinking/adverse effects , Atherosclerosis/complications , Chi-Square Distribution , Confidence Intervals , Coronary Disease/complications , Diet , Hong Kong/epidemiology , Humans , Male , Motor Activity , Odds Ratio , Prospective Studies , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Smoking/adverse effects , Socioeconomic Factors , Surveys and Questionnaires , Urologic Diseases/psychologyABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To test the hypothesis that sleep disturbances are independently associated with frailty status in older men. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of prospective cohort study. SETTING: Six U.S. centers. PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand one hundred thirty-three men aged 67 and older. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported sleep parameters (questionnaire); objective parameters of sleep-wake patterns (actigraphy data collected for an average of 5.2 nights); and objective parameters of sleep-disordered breathing, nocturnal hypoxemia, and periodic leg movements with arousals (PLMAs) (in-home overnight polysomnography). Frailty status was classified as robust, intermediate stage, or frail using criteria similar to those used in the Cardiovascular Health Study frailty index. RESULTS: The prevalence of sleep disturbances, including poor sleep quality, excessive daytime sleepiness, short sleep duration, lower sleep efficiency, prolonged sleep latency, sleep fragmentation (greater nighttime wakefulness and frequent, long wake episodes), sleep-disordered breathing, nocturnal hypoxemia, and frequent PLMAs, was lowest in robust men, intermediate in men in the intermediate-stage group, and highest in frail men (P-for-trend < or =.002 for all sleep parameters). After adjusting for multiple potential confounders, self-reported poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5, multivariable odds ratio (MOR)=1.28, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.09-1.50), sleep efficiency less than 70% (MOR=1.37, 95% CI=1.12-1.67), sleep latency of 60 minutes or longer (MOR=1.42, 95% CI=1.10-1.82), and sleep-disordered breathing (respiratory disturbance index > or =15, MOR=1.38, 95% CI=1.15-1.65) were each independently associated with higher odds of greater frailty status. CONCLUSION: Sleep disturbances, including poor self-reported sleep quality, lower sleep efficiency, prolonged sleep latency, and sleep-disordered breathing, are independently associated with greater evidence of frailty.
Subject(s)
Frail Elderly/statistics & numerical data , Sleep Wake Disorders/epidemiology , Aged , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Geriatric Assessment , Humans , Hypoxia/epidemiology , Independent Living , Male , Nocturnal Myoclonus Syndrome/epidemiology , Polysomnography , Sleep Apnea, Obstructive/epidemiology , Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders/epidemiology , United StatesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Danshen and gegen (D&G) have long been used in treatment of angina and other cardiac symptoms in Chinese materia medica. Recent pharmacological studies suggest their therapeutic values. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen) and Pueraria lobata (gegen) in secondary prevention. METHODS: One hundred (100) consecutive coronary patients (mean age 58 +/- 8 years) were randomized to adjunctive treatment with D&G combination (3 g) or placebo (6 capsules) for 24 weeks in double-blind parallel fashion, followed by optional open-label D&G (1.5 g/day) for 6 more months. Brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured using ultrasound. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. After 24 weeks and compared with baseline, there were no significant changes in blood pressures, blood hematological and biochemical profiles, or folate and homocysteine levels in both groups, but there was a mild decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in both groups (p < 0.05). Brachial FMD improved during D&G (p < 0.001) and less so during placebo treatment (p < 0.05), while improvement in carotid IMT was observed only in the D&G group (p < 0.05). After open-label D&G treatment for 6 more months (n = 45), further improvement in both brachial FMD (p < 0.0001) and carotid IMT (p < 0.0001) was observed. Eight (8) adverse events were reported-6 during placebo and 2 during D&G treatment-requiring treatment termination in 2 patients (on placebo). CONCLUSIONS: D&G adjunctive treatment in coronary patients was well tolerated and effective in improving vascular function and structure. These two herbs may become a novel agent for secondary prevention.
Subject(s)
Coronary Disease/therapy , Endothelium, Vascular/drug effects , Phytotherapy , Plant Preparations/therapeutic use , Pueraria , Salvia miltiorrhiza , Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use , Brachial Artery/drug effects , Carotid Arteries/drug effects , Cholesterol, LDL/blood , Double-Blind Method , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Secondary Prevention , Tunica Intima/drug effects , Tunica Media/drug effects , Vasodilator Agents/pharmacologyABSTRACT
Osteoporosis is associated with an increase in marrow fat. Fats, particularly polyunsaturated fats, either in co-cultures or diet, have been shown to significantly influence bone remodeling. Whether the increase in marrow fat seen in osteoporosis is also associated with a change in fatty acid composition is not known. This study was undertaken to investigate the fatty acid composition in subjects of varying bone mineral density (BMD). Samples of marrow fat and subcutaneous fat from 126 subjects (98 females, 34 males, mean age 69.7+/-10.5 years) undergoing orthopedic surgery were analyzed for fatty acid composition by gas chromatography. These results were correlated with BMD assessed by DXA. A total of 22 fatty acids were identified in marrow and subcutaneous fat. Significant differences in fatty acid composition existed between marrow and subcutaneous fat as well as between marrow fat samples obtained from the proximal femur and proximal tibia. Other than cis-7-hexadecenoic acid [C16:1 (n=9)] and docosanoic acid [C22:0], no difference in marrow fatty acid composition was evident between subject groups of varying BMD (normal, low bone mass, and osteoporosis). In conclusion, there exists a wide range of individual fatty acids in marrow fat. Marrow fatty acid composition differs from that of subcutaneous fat and varies between predominantly erythropoetic and fatty marrow sites. Other than cis-7-hexadecenoic acid [C16:1 (n=9)] and docosanoic acid [C22:0], no difference in marrow fatty acid composition was evident between subjects of varying BMD.
Subject(s)
Bone Density/physiology , Bone Marrow/metabolism , Fatty Acids/analysis , Subcutaneous Fat/chemistry , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Chromatography, Gas , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/analysis , Fatty Acids, Unsaturated/metabolism , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Subcutaneous Fat/metabolismABSTRACT
In the present study, human mast cell line (HMC-1) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were pre-incubated with various concentrations of Fructus xanthii extract solution followed by being stimulated with phorbol myristate acetate and further incubated for 24 hours. The cytokines, in cell culture supernatants, of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, IL-8, GM-CSF, and TNF-alpha in the supernatant were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results demonstrated that Fructus xanthii could modulate the mast cell-mediated and PBMNC-mediated inflammatory and immunological reactions modulated by cytokines. And our study supplied the evidence of the mechanisms of Fructus Xanthii in treating inflammatory and allergic diseases.
Subject(s)
Anti-Allergic Agents/pharmacology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , Cytokines/metabolism , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Mast Cells/drug effects , Xanthium , Anti-Allergic Agents/isolation & purification , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/isolation & purification , Cell Line , Cells, Cultured , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Humans , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology , Mast Cells/immunology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate/pharmacology , Time Factors , Xanthium/chemistryABSTRACT
A link between bone blood flow and osteoporosis may exist. Outside of the spine, the proximal femur is the most common site of osteoporotic fracture and is also an area prone to avascular necrosis and fracture nonunion. This study of the proximal femur investigates the relationship between BMD, bone marrow fat content, bone perfusion, and muscle perfusion. One hundred twenty healthy female subjects (mean age, 74 yr; age range, 67-89 yr) underwent DXA examination of the hip, proton MR spectroscopy, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the right proximal femur, acetabulum, and adductor thigh muscle. In all bone areas examined (femoral head, femoral neck, femoral shaft, acetabulum), perfusion indices (maximum enhancement, enhancement slope) were significantly reduced in subjects with osteoporosis compared with subjects with osteopenia or normal BMD. Adductor muscle perfusion was not affected by change in BMD. As marrow perfusion decreased in the proximal femur, marrow fat increased (r = 0.827). This increase in fat content seemed to account for the decrease in marrow perfusion more than a reduction in BMD. For normal BMD subjects, perfusion parameters in the femoral head were one third of those in the femoral neck or shaft and one fifth of those in the acetabulum. Perfusion throughout the proximal femur is reduced in osteoporotic subjects compared with osteopenic and normal subjects. This reduction in perfusion only affects bone and not those tissues outside of bone with the same blood supply. As bone perfusion decreased, there was a corresponding increase in marrow fat.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/physiopathology , Osteoporosis/physiopathology , Absorptiometry, Photon , Aged , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Middle Aged , Osteoporosis/diagnosis , Osteoporosis/diagnostic imaging , Reproducibility of ResultsABSTRACT
High-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy as a complementary method in the analysis of human bone marrow fatty acid (FA) composition was examined. Marrow FA composition in 10 bone samples measured by NMR and gas chromatography (GC) were compared. NMR T1 relaxation time of FA was determined and reproducibility tests were performed to assess the variability. Good correlations were obtained between the NMR and GC results for omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (Spearman r, 0.878), omega-3 PUFA (0.895), monounsaturated FA (0.964) and saturated FA (0.939). The NMR method tended to overestimate saturated FA and underestimate omega-3/omega-6 ratio compared to GC results. T1 relaxation time of marrow FA was 0.56-3.65s. Coefficient of variation of the NMR method was 0.6-8.2% in intra-experimental and 0.2-8.4% in inter-experimental measurements. This study demonstrates a complementary role for 1H NMR spectroscopy as an additional analytical tool in human lipid research.
Subject(s)
Bone Marrow/chemistry , Fatty Acids/analysis , Fatty Acids/chemistry , Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/methods , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Chromatography, Gas , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Protons , Reproducibility of Results , Time FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Results from previous epidemiological studies on the relationship between depression and peripheral arterial diseases (PADs) were mixed. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate this relationship in a large Chinese elderly sample. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from the baseline examination of a large cohort study on Chinese elderly were used in this current study. A stratified convenience sample of 3985 Hong Kong men and women aged 65 to 92 were recruited from the community. Clinically relevant depressive symptoms were assessed by the use of a validated screening instrument for depression: the Chinese version of the Short Form of Geriatric Depression Scale. PAD was assessed by the ankle-brachial index, with an index of <0.9 indicating the presence of PAD. Multiple logistic regression was used to compare the presence of PAD in depressed and nondepressed subjects, controlling for confounding variables for the relationship. RESULTS: In the total subject population, more severe peripheral atherosclerosis was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive disorders. The presence of peripheral atherosclerosis was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.46 (95% confidence interval=1.01-2.10) of having clinically relevant depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: We showed that depressive symptoms were associated with peripheral atherosclerosis in the Asian elderly after adjusting for stroke and cardiovascular diseases. Prospective studies are needed to provide conclusive evidence on the causality of the relationship between peripheral atherosclerosis and depressive symptoms.
Subject(s)
Atherosclerosis/epidemiology , Depression/diagnosis , Depression/epidemiology , Hypertension/epidemiology , Aged , Atherosclerosis/diagnosis , Atherosclerosis/physiopathology , Catchment Area, Health , China/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Hypertension/diagnosis , Lower Extremity/blood supply , Lower Extremity/physiopathology , Male , Prevalence , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The objective of the present study is to explore the association between lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and dietary isoflavone in elderly men. In a large prospective cohort of 2000 Chinese men, the association between dietary isoflavone and LUTS were studied using standardized structured questionnaires. Dietary intake was assessed by a modified version of the Block FFQ. LUTS were assessed by the Chinese version of the International Prostatic Symptoms Score. Demographic, lifestyle and other medical information were also collected and were adjusted for in the analysis. After excluding 299 men with history of bladder surgery, bladder or prostate cancer or who were current users of medication for urinary problems, the association between LUTS and dietary isoflavone was explored. A total of 96.2 % of subjects reported some consumption of genistein, glycitein or daidzein. In ordinal multinominal logistic regression, subjects with dietary total isoflavone of more than 5.1 mg were significantly less likely to suffer from more severe LUTS (dietary intake from 5.1 to 9.5 mg: OR 0.59; 95 % CI 0.44, 0.80; from 9.6 to 14.3 mg: OR 0.81; 95 % CI 0.61, 1.09; from 14.4 to 21.7 mg: OR 0.68; 95 % CI 0.51, 0.92; 21.8 mg and above: OR 0.73; 95 % CI 0.54, 0.98) after adjustment for covariates. In this cross-sectional study, we showed a strong inverse association between dietary intake of isoflavone and the risk of LUTS.