Association Between Lipid Profiles and Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: New Evidence from a Retrospective Study.

Objective To explore the association between lipid profiles and left ventricular hypertrophy in a Chinese general population. Methods We conducted a retrospective observational study to investigate the relationship between lipid markers [including triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, non-HDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein[a], and composite lipid profiles] and left ventricular hypertrophy. A total of 309,400 participants of two populations (one from Beijing and another from nationwide) who underwent physical examinations at different health management centers between 2009 and 2018 in China were included in the cross-sectional study. 7,475 participants who had multiple physical examinations and initially did not have left ventricular hypertrophy constituted a longitudinal cohort to analyze the association between lipid markers and the new-onset of left ventricular hypertrophy. Left ventricular hypertrophy was measured by echocardiography and defined as an end-diastolic thickness of the interventricular septum or left ventricle posterior wall > 11 mm. The Logistic regression model was used in the cross-sectional study. Coxmodel and Coxmodel with restricted cubic splines were used in the longitudinal cohort. Results In the cross-sectional study, for participants in the highest tertile of each lipid marker compared to the respective lowest, triglycerides [odds ratio (OR): 1.250, 95%CI: 1.060 to 1.474], HDL-cholesterol (OR: 0.780, 95%CI: 0.662 to 0.918), and lipoprotein(a) (OR: 1.311, 95%CI: 1.115 to 1.541) had an association with left ventricular hypertrophy. In the longitudinal cohort, for participants in the highest tertile of each lipid marker at the baseline compared to the respective lowest, triglycerides [hazard ratio (HR): 3.277, 95%CI: 1.720 to 6.244], HDL-cholesterol (HR: 0.516, 95%CI: 0.283 to 0.940), non-HDL-cholesterol (HR: 2.309, 95%CI: 1.296 to 4.112), apolipoprotein B (HR: 2.244, 95%CI: 1.251 to 4.032) showed an association with new-onset left ventricular hypertrophy. In the Coxmodel with forward stepwise selection, triglycerides were the only lipid markers entered into the final model. Conclusion Lipids levels, especially triglycerides, are associated with left ventricular hypertrophy. Controlling triglycerides level potentiate to be a strategy in harnessing cardiac remodeling but deserve to be further investigated.

High Remnant Cholesterol Level Potentiates the Development of Hypertension.

Background: Emerging evidence suggests an association between remnant cholesterol (RC) and vascular damage and hypertension. However, this association has not been explored in a large-scale population in China, and a temporal relationship between RC and hypertension also needs to be investigated. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study in 2,199,366 individuals and a longitudinal study in 24,252 individuals with repeated measurements of lipid profile and blood pressure in at least a 3-year follow-up. The logistic model was used to explore the association between lipid components and hypertension in the cross-sectional analysis. The Cox model was used to analyze the association between high RC (HRC) at baseline and the subsequent incidence of hypertension or the association between hypertension at baseline and incidence of HRC. The cross-lagged panel model was applied to analyze the temporal relationship between RC and hypertension. Results: RC level as a continuous variable had the highest correlation with hypertension among lipid profiles, including RC, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, with an odds ratio of 1.59 (95% confidence interval: 1.58-1.59). In the longitudinal cohort, HRC at baseline was associated with incident hypertension. We further explored the temporal relationship between RC and hypertension using the cross-lagged analysis, and the results showed that RC increase preceded the development of hypertension, rather than vice versa. Conclusions: RC had an unexpected high correlation with the prevalence and incidence of hypertension. Moreover, RC increase might precede the development of hypertension, suggesting the potential role of RC in the development of hypertension.

Tantalum-incorporated hydroxyapatite coating on titanium implants: its mechanical and in vitro osteogenic properties.

OBJECTIVE: The fabrication of bioactive coatings on metallic implants to enhance osseointegration has become a topic of general interest in orthopedics and dentistry. Hydroxyapatite (HA) coating has been shown to induce bone formation and promote bone-implant integration. Unfortunately, poor mechanical performance has hindered this from becoming a favorable coating material. The majority of present studies have focused in incorporating different elements into HA coatings to improve mechanical properties. In recent years, tantalum (Ta) has received increasing attention due to its excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. The aim of on the present study was to investigate the fabrication and biological performance of Ta-incorporated HA coatings. METHODS: Ta-incorporated HA coatings were fabricated using the plasma spray technique on a titanium substrate, and the surface characteristics and mechanical properties were examined. In addition, the effects of Ta-incorporated HA coatings on the biological behavior of mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were investigated. RESULTS: Ta-incorporated HA coatings with microporous structure had higher roughness and wettability. In addition, the bonding strength of Ta/HA coatings with the substrate was substantially superior to HA coatings. Furthermore, Ta-incorporated HA coatings not only facilitated initial cell adhesion and faster proliferation, but also promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the incorporation of Ta could improve mechanical performance and increase the osteogenic activity of HA coatings. The Ta-incorporated HA coating fabricated by plasma spraying is expected to be a promising bio-coating material for metallic implants.

Detection of goat meat adulteration by real-time PCR based on a reference primer.

Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) has become one of the most concerned food safety issues. However, existing mainstream PCR methods could neither achieve qualitative detection purposes, nor detect all possible meat species involved in adulteration. When meat has been adulterated with unidentified species but the result indicates no adulteration, it is a false negative; when meat has not been adulterated deliberately but has somehow been polluted during its processing or packaging, a false positive emerges. A novel reference primer based real-time PCR approach was developed in this study for quantitative determination of goat meat adulterated with pork. By calculating the ratio of Ct (specificity/reference), a good linear correlation (R2 = 0.9929) could be deduced for the goat meat content. We also successfully amplified simulated samples and the results showed high accuracy with an average recovery of 108.74% for the samples.

[Rapidly Detection for Moso Bamboo Density under Different Moisture ConditionBased on X-CT Technology].

Density, which is closely relate with many physical and mechanical properties of bamboo, is one of the important indicators of bamboo material properties. Moreover, because of existing different moisture gradients in bamboo, the measured results of the density are different. Based on X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) technology, the divergent degree of the CT values of 7 different aged Moso bamboo was compared under oven-dried, air-dried and water-saturated conditions. Except for the 4-year-old and 10-year-old Moso bamboo, the CT values of other aged bamboos have minor differences with each other; the models for the measured CT values and the corresponding densities of Moso bamboo were respectively fitted under oven-dried, air-dried and water-saturated conditions. Meanwhile, the model was also fitted under different moisture gradients, which was composed by the measured CT values and the corresponding densities of Moso bamboo. Then the relations between the CT values andthe densitiesof 7 different aged Moso bamboo were systematically analyzed under single moisture content and three moisture gradients;the CT values were fitted under oven-dried condition, of which the radial positions are relative to the outer of Moso bamboo. According to the relation between the CT value and the density, the fitting curves explain the reasons for the radial density variations of 7 different aged Moso bamboo. Results show that the relations, which are fitted by the measured densities and the corresponding CT values of 7 different aged Moso bamboo under oven-dried, air-dried and water-saturated conditions, are good linear and the slopes of those models are approximate; the relation of the densities with the CT values for Moso bamboo is linear under different moisture gradients, moreover, which is rarely affected by moisture. The regression equation is: D=0.001 H+1.003 2, R2=0.968 3(D is the density, H is the CT value) and the determination coefficient of the validation model is: R2=0.974 3; there is no obvious variation between the densities of the inner and the outer, but not in middle part to 7 different aged Moso bamboo under oven-dried condition. To realize rapid detection on the densities of Moso bamboo under different moisture content, these results provide technical support and data reference. At the same time, X-ray computed tomography (X-CT) technology also puts forward a new feasible way for the further studies of bamboo material properties and structure.

[Spectral properties of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl) benzimidazole].

2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl) benzimidazole (HBI) is one kind of organic molecule with excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) effect. The absorption spectra of HBI were observed in toluene, the mixture of toluene and ethanol, and ethanol, respectively. It was found that the absorption spectra in the three solvents are similar. The fluorescence of HBI was observed under the excitation of 317 nm light. Only one fluorescence band with a peak wavelength of 470 nm was observed in the toluene. There appeared two fluorescence bands in the mixed solvents and ethanol, of which the peak wavelength was 370 and 450 nm, respectively. Based on the ESPT theory, the fluorescence band with a peak at 370 nm is attributed to the emission from enol form of HBI molecule, while the band with a peak at 470 nm is attributed to the emission from tautomer form (i. e. keto form) via ESPT process. Because of the strong polarity of ethanol, the intermolecular H-bond can be formed between the HBI molecules and the ethanol and HBI molecules tend to exist in the solvated form. When HBI molecules in solvated form were excited, the zwitterionic form of HBI was formed via ESPT and returned to the ground state accompanied with fluorescence emission, so the fluorescence band with a peak at 450 nm is attributed to the zwitterionic emission of HBI. When the HBI in the three kinds of solvents was excited by the picosecond laser pulse at 532 nm, the two-photon induced fluorescence was not observed in the nonpolar solvents but observed in the polar solvents, which indicate that two-photon effect occurred in solvated form.

[Spectroscopic investigation of 3-hydroxyflavone in different polarity and pH values solutions].

The absorption and fluorescence spectra of 3-hydroxyflavone (3-HF) in different polar solvents were observed with UV-Vis spectrometer and fluorescence spectrometer, respectively. There are three absorption bands in the absorption spectra, wherein two absorption bands with absorption peak at 300 and 345 nm, respectively, are strong, and the other one with absorption peak at 415 nm is weak When the samples in different polar solvents were excited by 345 nm light, there appeared two new fluorescence bands peaked at 400 and 526 nm, respectively. The fluorescence band at 400 nm is attributable to the emission from enol structure and its intensity increases with increasing the polarity of protic solvents; that at 526 nm is attributable to the emission from the isomer structure and its intensity decreases with increasing the polarity of protic solvents. The results show that the increase in the polarity of protic solvents prevents the formation of isomer. When the samples in different polar solvents were excited by 415 nm light, three new fluorescence bands peaked at 440, 471 and 515 nm have not been reported so far. In order to identify the three new fluorescence bands, we prepared the samples with pH value of 5.0, 4.0 and 3.0 through incorporating the different amounts of acetic acid into 3-HF solution. The fluorescence spectra in different pH value solution were observed under excitation of 415 nm light, and it was found that the intensity of two fluorescence bands in the region of shorter wavelength changes with pH values changing. For identifying the fluorescence band of 515 nm peak wavelength, we put sodium hydroxide into 3-HF in ethanol solution and prepared 3-HF samples with pH values of 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, and 10.0. When the samples were excited by the 415 nm light, it was found that two fluorescence bands in the region of shorter wavelength disappeared and the intensity of the fluorescence band of 515 nm was enhanced. Since in sodium hydroxide solution 3-HF forms anion easily, we ascribed the fluorescence band with 515 nm peak wavelength to the emission from the 3-HF anion.

[The spectra properties of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole in different solvents].

2-(2 -hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) is a typical compound with excited--state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) effect. The mechanism of the influence of the solvent polarity on the ESIPT effect of HBT was investigated by means of absorption and fluorescence spectra in different polar solvents. The absorption spectra of HBT molecule in all solvents have the similar configuration and are mainly situated in the UV region from 260 to 370 nm. The absorption peaks are located at 287 and 335 nm and have the decline trend with the increase in the solvent polarity. In addition, there is a very weak absorption band at 400 nm and it is attributable to the absorption from the keto form of HBT. Under UV excitation at 335 nm, the fluorescence spectra in all the solvents were obtained. All the fluorescence spectra exhibit dual fluorescence peaks, which are located at 385 and 512 nm respectively. The former is attributed to the emission from the HBT enol forms, named the normal fluorescence, and the latter the emission from the keto tautomer emission, named ESIPT fluorescence. The fluorescence spectra of HBT show that the intensity of the normal fluorescence is obviously increased and the intensity of the ESIPT fluorescence is decreased with enhancing the polarity of the solvents. This indicates that the strong polar solvents are not favorable to the ESIPT of HBT. Because the solvated enols in the polar solvent prevent the ESIPT from happening, the ESIPT efficiency of HBT in cyclohexane is the largest and that of HBT in ethanol is the smallest. The three fluorescence bands of HBT in different polarity solvents were observed with 400 nm excitation. One fluorescence band at ca. 510 nm is referred to as the ESIPT fluorescence. This confirms that the weak absorption at 400 nm results from the keto tautomer and the enol and keto forms can coexist under the normal condition, but the enol form is the absolutely predominant. In addition, the other two unknown fluorescent emission bands appear at 436 and 456 nm respectively. Their possible origin is the emission from the deprotonated anion of HBT keto tautomer.

[Influence of Zea mays L. saponin (ZMLS) on ultrastructure of kidney and pancreas in diabetes rats induced by streptozocin].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the effect of Zea mays L. saponin (ZMLS) on ultrastructure of kidney and pancreas in the diabetes rats induced by streptozocin. METHOD: The diabetic rat model was established by injections of STZ, blood glucose, the ultrastructure of the kidney and pancreas were observed. RESULT: Compared with the model group, the large, middle-dose ZMLS groups and melbinum group could remarkably decrease the blood glucose (P < 0.01), the large, middle, small-dose ZMLS groups could remarkably prevent the pancreatic islet beta-cell from the injury induced by Streptozotocin. Melbinum and the large, middle-dose ZMLS groups could remarkably increase mitochondrial Vv, deltam and euchromatin Vv (P < 0.01), and significantly decrease the delta, Nucleus delta and heterochromatin Vv (P < 0.01). The small dose of ZMLS obviously increases mitochondrial Vv (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: ZMLS showed good effect on decreasing blood glucose and protection action on the kidney and pancreas injury of induced by STZ.

[Study on the fluorescence spectra of 7-hydroxyquinoline in dimethyl sulfoxide solution].

7-hydroxyquinoline (7-HQ) is a kind of organic molecule with excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) effect. 7-HQ in ethanol solution causes ESPT reaction under the excitation of ultraviolet light. The fluorescence spectrum of the sample exhibits two bands. In contrast, 7-HQ in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMS) solution does not cause ESPT reaction. The fluorescence spectrum of the sample exhibits a single band. But after the sample was irradiated with a strong UV light, its fluorescence spectrum also exhibits two bands. This phenomenon is reported for the first time in the present paper, and its cause is investigated through the study on the absorption spectra and fluorescence spectra of 7-HQ in ethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide and N, N-dimethyl formamide solution. The conclusion is that the change in the fluorescence spectrum of 7-HQ in DMS solution is due to the fact that 7-HQ causes ESPT reaction which results from the photodecomposition of DMS and the product of water after the solution was irradiated with strong UV light.