Effects of occupation on intracerebral hemorrhage-related deaths in Inner Mongolia.

This study assessed the relationship between occupation and Intracerebral Hemorrhage-related deaths and compared the differences in ICH-related deaths rates between the eastern and midwestern regions of Inner Mongolia. We used the case-control method. Cases included Intracerebral Hemorrhage-related deaths that occurred from 2009 to 2012 in Inner Mongolia while controls included non-circulatory system disease deaths that occurred during the same period. Odds ratios (ORs) for Intracerebral Hemorrhage-related deaths were calculated using logistic regression analysis, estimated according to occupation, and adjusted for marital status and age. The Intracerebral Hemorrhage mortality rate in the eastern regions (125.19/100000) was nearly 3 times higher than that in the midwestern regions (45.31/100000). ORs for agriculture-livestock workers, service professionals and general workers, professional workers and senior officials were in descending order. The age-adjusted OR for Intracerebral Hemorrhage-related deaths was lowest in unmarried men senior officials (OR 0.37, 95% CI 0.14-0.99). The Intracerebral Hemorrhage mortality rate in the eastern regions was much higher than that of the midwestern regions, since about 90% of Intracerebral Hemorrhage-related deaths in the eastern regions were those of agriculture-livestock workers who has the largest labor intensity of any other occupation assessed.

Gender differences in irritable bowel syndrome among medical students at Inner Mongolia Medical University, China: a cross-sectional study.

There is little epidemiological research on Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in Inner Mongolia, China. Here we investigated the prevalence of IBS and factors associated with IBS in both males and females in Inner Mongolia Medical University by a cross-sectional study. We recruited Inner Mongolia Medical University students residing in campus and asked them to complete a self-administered questionnaire. The prevalence of IBS in each factor we chose in all, male, and female students was determined. We assessed IBS subtypes in male and female students. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the factors associated with IBS in male and female students. The overall prevalence of IBS was 29.5%. The prevalence of IBS in female students was significantly higher than that in male students (31.3% vs. 24.8%, p < .001). Logistic regression results showed that attempting to lose weight and anxiety were both associated with increasing odds of IBS, while exercise was not associated with IBS in either male or female students. In female students, snack consumption and depression were also both associated with increasing odds of IBS. The predominant IBS subtype was the diarrhea-predominant type in both male and female students. Considering the high prevalence of IBS in students and the fact that the factors associated with IBS can be improved by individuals, students should be given adequate education and counseling to improve their mental health and lifestyle, especially female students in higher grades.

Magnesium sulfate induced toxicity in vitro in AGS gastric adenocarcinoma cells and in vivo in mouse gastric mucosa.

Magnesium sulfate is widely used as a food additive and as an orally administered medication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible cytotoxicity of magnesium sulfate on AGS human gastric adenocarcinoma cells and gastric mucosa in mice. A trypan blue exclusion assay was used to determine the reduction in viability of AGS cells exposed to magnesium sulfate, and then effects on cell proliferation were quantified. The role of magnesium sulfate-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine production in AGS cells was also investigated. mRNA expression for IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α was determined by RT-PCR, and secretion of these cytokines was measured by ELISA. Immunohistochemical evaluation of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α expression was conducted in mouse gastric mucosa. Addition of 3 to 50 mM magnesium sulfate to AGS cells inhibited both cell proliferation and cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Magnesium sulfate had little effect on production of IL-1ß or IL-6 but significantly inhibited production of IL-8. The animal model demonstrated that magnesium sulfate induced production of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α. These preliminary data suggest that magnesium sulfate had a direct effect on the stomach and initiates cytotoxicity in moderate concentrations and time periods by inhibiting viability and proliferation of AGS cells and by regulating expression and/or release of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

The role of small molecular weight compounds to increase vacuolation induced by VacA toxin in vitro.

VacA is a vacuolation protein toxin secreted by Helicobacter pylori. Many compounds have been implicated in the regulation of VacA toxin activity. In this study, regulation of cell vacuolation induced by VacA was observed with the addition of glycine, glycine hydrochloride, xylitol, and taurine by neutral red dye uptake assay using gastric human epithelial cell cultures. Glycine, xylitol, and taurine increased cell vacuolation significantly after 48h (p<0.05), with their effect apparent in a wide concentration range (0.2mM to about 100mM). Changes were sharp in respect of concentration and showed little dose-response characteristics. In contrast, upregulation of glycine hydrochloride on cell vacuolation in weak acidic extracellular pH was much retarded with VacA activity not initiated until 72h. In addition, our results showed that cell vacuolation was highest when the pH was 6.8. The increase in vacuolation was gentle in weak acidic extracellular pH and the increase dose-dependent with a Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.986 from 0.2 to 6.25mM. In this concentration range and at the same time point, the pH decrease was negatively correlated with vacuolating activity (r=0.922, p<0.01). In conclusion, our study showed that three small molecular compounds can increase vacuolation induced by VacA toxin in vitro.