Association of Well-Being in Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Enhanced Personal Health and Social Support: A Nationally Representative Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the relationship between multidimensional factors, such as environment, health status, behavior, social support, and the well-being of middle-aged and older adults. METHODS: This study utilized data from 2 waves of the nationally representative Taiwan Longitudinal Study on Aging Survey Report (TLSA) conducted in 2015 and 2019. The TLSA assesses socioeconomic status, physical and health status, the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5 index), and social support. Data regarding the degree of digital development were obtained from the 2020 Township Digital Development Report. We applied a generalized estimating equation (GEE) to analyze the influencing factors. RESULTS: This study included 4796 participants. Residing in areas with a higher degree of digital development, having a higher socioeconomic status, and experiencing better physical and mental health were significantly associated with well-being. Furthermore, emotional and attentive support mediated the association between physical and mental status and well-being. CONCLUSION: People's awareness of searching for and receiving social support and medical resources is important for enhancing their well-being. It is also crucial to pay attention to the living environment and maintain one's health status to promote well-being.

TGFß promotes fibrosis by MYST1-dependent epigenetic regulation of autophagy.

Activation of fibroblasts is essential for physiological tissue repair. Uncontrolled activation of fibroblasts, however, may lead to tissue fibrosis with organ dysfunction. Although several pathways capable of promoting fibroblast activation and tissue repair have been identified, their interplay in the context of chronic fibrotic diseases remains incompletely understood. Here, we provide evidence that transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) activates autophagy by an epigenetic mechanism to amplify its profibrotic effects. TGFß induces autophagy in fibrotic diseases by SMAD3-dependent downregulation of the H4K16 histone acetyltransferase MYST1, which regulates the expression of core components of the autophagy machinery such as ATG7 and BECLIN1. Activation of autophagy in fibroblasts promotes collagen release and is both, sufficient and required, to induce tissue fibrosis. Forced expression of MYST1 abrogates the stimulatory effects of TGFß on autophagy and re-establishes the epigenetic control of autophagy in fibrotic conditions. Interference with the aberrant activation of autophagy inhibits TGFß-induced fibroblast activation and ameliorates experimental dermal and pulmonary fibrosis. These findings link uncontrolled TGFß signaling to aberrant autophagy and deregulated epigenetics in fibrotic diseases and may contribute to the development of therapeutic interventions in fibrotic diseases.

Trends in the Immunomodulatory Effects of Cordyceps militaris: Total Extracts, Polysaccharides and Cordycepin.

Cordyceps militaris (C. militaris) is a fungus with a long history of widespread use in folk medicine, and its biological and medicinal functions are well studied. A crucial pharmacological effect of C. militaris is immunomodulation. In this review, we catalog the immunomodulatory effects of different extracts of C. militaris, namely total extracts, polysaccharides and cordycepin. Total extracts obtained using water or 50% ethyl alcohol and polysaccharides from C. militaris were discovered to tend to promote type 1 immunity, whereas total extracts obtained using 70-80% ethyl alcohol and cordycepin from C. militaris were more likely to promote type 2 immunity. This article is the first to classify the immunomodulatory effects of different extracts of C. militaris. In addition, we discovered a relationship between different segments or extracts and differing types of immunity. This review can provide the readers a comprehensive understanding on the immunomodulatory effects of the precious folk medicine and guidance on its use for both health people and those with an immunodeficiency.

An improved method for haptoglobin 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 purification using monoclonal antibody affinity chromatography in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate.

Human haptoglobin (Hp) is classified as three phenotypes: Hp 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2. Previously, we had isolated this protein by affinity columns using either hemoglobin or monoclonal antibody (mAb) prepared against Hp beta-chain (clone 8B1-3A). The isolated Hp from both methods, however, contaminates plasma apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I). In the present report, we have developed a novel affinity column procedure using an mAb prepared against alpha-chain of Hp (clone 3H8) for Hp purification. Plasma was first chromatographed onto the column followed by a normal wash with a buffer containing 0.12 M NaCl and 0.02 M phosphate, pH 7.4 (PBS). The bound proteins were then prewashed with a 0.04% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-PBS, pH 7.4, to remove the low-affinity bound apoA-I from Hp. Finally, the bound Hp was eluted with a 0.1% SDS-PBS, pH 11, and collected in tubes containing 1 M Tris-HCl, pH 6.8. As a result, the isolated Hp was devoid of apoA-I and was able to retain the biological function by forming an Hp-hemoglobin complex. The homogeneity of each isolated Hp 1-1, 2-1, or 2-2 was greater than 95% with an yield greater than 50%. The procedure described here is significantly improved in time consumption, recovery, and purity. The rationale, design, and optimization for each step are described in detail.