Age- and sex-related trends in body composition among Beijing adults aged 20-60 years: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is the most serious global epidemic and body composition is the main indicator to evaluate obesity. This study aimed to investigate the changing trends of body composition by age and gender in Beijing adults aged 20-60 years and explore the distribution of obesity rates in different age groups of both sexes under different evaluation criteria. METHODS: A total of 24,948 adults aged 20-60 years in Beijing, including 10,225 males and 14,192 females, were included, divided into four age groups (20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥ 50 years) with each decade of age as an age group. Body composition indicators (BMI, fat mass, BF%, muscle mass, visceral fat area, and WHR) were measured in all subjects. RESULTS: BMI and total fat mass peaked in males aged 40-49 years (BMI = 25.75 kg/m2, total fat mass = 17.70 kg). Female BMI, fat mass and BF% all increased significantly with age (p < 0.01). Total muscle peaked in males aged 30-39 years and decreased significantly thereafter (p < 0.0001). Visceral fat area and WHR increased significantly with age in both sexes (p < 0.0001). Age was significantly positively correlated with BMI, BF%, fat mass, WHR, and visceral fat area in both sexes (p < 0.0001), and age was negatively correlated with muscle mass in males (standard ß = - 0.14, p < 0.0001) while positive in female (standard ß = 0.05, p < 0.0001). Under the BMI criterion, the obesity rate peaked at 27.33% in males at the age of 20-29 years. Under the BF% criterion, the obesity rate peaked at 17.41% in males at the age of 30-39 years, and increased in females with age. The central obesity rate of both sexes increased with age under the criteria of WHR and visceral fat area. CONCLUSION: The results of this study reveal that age- and sex-related patterns of body composition and obesity change among Beijing adults aged 20-60 years may differ across age groups and that such patterns of change should be considered when developing public health strategies.

Exploration of the Teaching Reform in Pharmacology in Our School / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The staff of our Pharmacology Teaching and Research Section has taken a series of measures to reform the pharmacological teaching methods to meet the requirements of the market for the talented persons,such as:adopting bilingual teaching method;reforming pharmacology experimental teaching methods;applying modernized teaching techniques etc.

Effects of berberine on left atria and trachea in guinea pigs / 中国临床药理学与治疗学

AIM: To observe the effects of berberine (Ber) on left atria and trachea in guinea pigs. METHODS: The experiment was carried out with isolated left atria and trachea in guinea pigs, and the effects and interactions were compared between Ber and pinacidil (Pin). RESULTS: Ber concentration-dependent increased the force of contractile, while Pin decreased the force. Ber leaded a parallel rightward shift in accumulated response curve of depression contraction of left atria by Car, and it hardly changed the maximum response (E_(max)), while Pin leaded a parallel leftward shift in the same curve. In the combination of Ber and Pin, the dose-response curve hardly changed as the control one. In isolated guinea pig trachea, Ber caused a leftward shift in the dose-response curve of ACh, whereas Pin produced a rightward shift in the same curve without changing E_(max). When both Ber and Pin existed in the same container, there was no modification in the response to ACh. CONCLUSION: Ber shows the effect of blocking potassium channel.