[Association of triglyceride glucose index and risk of incident hypertension: a prospective cohort study].

Objective: To explore the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and the risk of developing hypertension among rural Chinese adults. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted from 2007 to 2008, involving 20 194 adults selected through random cluster sampling from a rural community in Luoyang City, Henan Province. Follow-ups were carried out in 2013-2014 and 2018-2020. After excluding participants with hypertension at baseline, those with missing TyG index data, individuals who passed away during follow-up, and those with incomplete hypertension status at the second visit, 9 802 participants were included in the analysis. Baseline and follow-up assessments included questionnaire interviews, physical measurements (including blood pressure), and blood sample collection for fasting lipid and glucose levels. Participants were divided into four groups according to TyG index quartiles, and a modified Poisson regression model was utilized to assess the association between TyG index quartiles and hypertension risk. Results: The study cohort comprised 9 802 participants with a median age of 48 (39, 57) years, including 3 803 males (38.80%). Participants were distributed across TyG index quartiles as follows: TyG<8.2 group (2 224 individuals), TyG 8.2-8.5 group (2 653 individuals), TyG 8.6-8.9 (2 441 individuals), and TyG≥9.0 (2 484 individuals). Over a follow-up period of (11.1±1.3) years, 3 378 subjects developed hypertension, resulting in a cumulative incidence of 34.46% (3 378/9 802). The risk of hypertension increased with higher TyG index quartiles (Ptrend<0.05). Compared to the TyG<8.2, the TyG 8.2-8.5 (RR=1.11, 95%CI 1.01-1.22, P=0.023), TyG 8.6-8.9 (RR=1.16, 95%CI 1.06-1.27, P=0.023), and TyG≥9.0 (RR=1.20, 95%CI 1.10-1.31, P=0.023) exhibited increased hypertension risk after adjusting for age, gender, educational level, and other potential confounders. Subgroup analyses based on gender and age at baseline yielded results consistent with the main analysis. Conclusions: The TyG index is positively correlated with the risk of developing hypertension in the rural adult population.

[The efficacy of cyclosporine A as salvage therapy for severe active ulcerative colitis refractory to glucocorticoid].

Objective: To clarify the efficacy and safety of cyclosporine A (CsA) as salvage therapy in patients with severe active ulcerative colitis (UC) and refractory to steroids. Methods: A total of 24 severe active UC patients refractory to steroids and hospitalized from 2006 to 2012, were retrospectively enrolled.Data including demographic features, clinical manifestations, laboratory tests and medications were collected. Results: CsA was effective in 15(62.5%) patients, who did not receive colectomy during 12-week administration. This regimen was tolerable in most patients.Twelve (50.0%) patients reported 16 adverse events, but only one patient withdrew CsA due to intolerance.The rates of adverse events in initial intravenous CsA including 4 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1,) 3 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) and 2 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) were 2/2, 9/17 and 1/5 respectively.Responders had higher white blood cell count compared with non-responders (P= 0.045). Conclusions: CsA could be an effective alternative regimen to colectomy in severe active UC patients who are refractory to steroids.

Rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by ferrocenyl-phosphine ligands: synthesis and catalytic styrene hydrogenation.

A series of ferrocenylphosphine-stabilized rhodium nanoparticles has been prepared in one pot from the organometallic [Rh(η3-C3H5)3] precursor. This complex has been decomposed by hydrogen treatment (3 bar) in dichloromethane in the presence of five different ferrocene-based phosphine ligands. Very small rhodium nanoparticles in the size range of 1.1-1.7 nm have been obtained. These nanoparticles have shown activity in a model catalytic reaction, namely the hydrogenation of styrene. These results evidence that the metal surface is not blocked despite the steric bulk of the stabilizing ligands. Moreover, certain selectivity has been observed depending on the ligand employed. To the best of our knowledge, such a type of compound has not yet been used for stabilizing metal nanoparticles and our findings highlight the interest to do so.

Characterization of some biochemical properties of bradykinin-induced cAMP and cGMP formation in guinea pig ileum.

One of the receptor-mediated events, cyclic nucleotide, i.e. cAMP and cGMP formation induced by bradykinin in guinea pig ileum was investigated in this report. Bradykinin, similar to acetylcholine, produced a rapid rise in the levels of cAMP and cGMP in the ileum. The absolute amount of these cyclic nucleotides induced by the same dosages (10(-8) to 10(-6) M) of bradykinin was greater in cAMP than in cGMP. This increase in cyclic nucleotides was dependent upon the presence of calcium in the medium. Addition of EGTA (0.1 mM) in a calcium free medium resulted in a significant reduction of the levels. The elevation of cAMP and cGMP levels induced by bradykinin in the ileum could not be blocked by either atropine (an anticholinergic agent) or propranolol (a beta-adrenergic blocker). Both of these blockers did not alter the basal levels of two cyclic nucleotides. However bradykinin-induced cAMP formation could be completely blocked by either indomethacin (a prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor) or dexamethasone (a phospholipase A2 inhibitor), This, however, was not true in the case of bradykinin induced cGMP formation. Additionally, both blockers did not create a significant change in the basal levels of these cyclic nucleotides. Bradykinin induced cAMP formation in the ileum was indicated by observed results to likely occur through an indirect process, i.e. the formation and release of prostaglandin in the cell, whereas bradykinin-induced cGMP formation did not. The elevation of these cyclic nucleotides in the cells was observed to be related to the movement of calcium ion across the cell membrane.

Mutagenicity and safety evaluation of water extract of fermented Toona sinensis Roemor leaves.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mutagenicity and safety of water extract of fermented Toona sinensis Roemor leaves (WFTS). The WFTS was prepared by fermenting Toona sinensis Roemor leaves anaerobically for 14 d, and then extracting with boiling water. The mutagenic effects of WFTS were investigated using Ames test. No mutagenicity was found toward all tester strains (Salmonella typhimurium TA98, TA100, TA102, TA1535). In the acute oral toxicity study, a single limit dose of 2.5 or 5 g/kg body weight (bw) WFTS was given to male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, then the rats were observed for 14 d. No acute lethal effect at a maximal dose of 5 g/kg bw WFTS was observed in rats. In the subacute study, the male rats were administered daily by gavage at a dose of 0.5 or 1 g/kg bw/d of WFTS for 28 d. The results indicated that no significant toxic effect was found in the parameters of body and organ weight, as well as hematological, biochemical, urinary, and pathological parameters between control and the WFTS-treated rats. The level of no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of WFTS in male rats was 1 g/kg bw for subacute toxicity study.

Bioavailability for humans of deuterium-labeled monoglutamyl and polyglutamyl folates is affected by selected foods.

Dietary folate exists mainly as polyglutamyl forms that require deconjugation by Zn-dependent pteroylpolyglutamate hydrolase prior to intestinal absorption. Because deconjugation by pteroylpolyglutamate hydrolase is an essential step in the absorption of dietary polyglutamyl folates, factors influencing the deconjugation process may affect folate bioavailability. This study was conducted to evaluate in vivo the bioavailability of [2H4]folic acid (d4-PteGlu1) and [2H2]-pteroylhexaglutamate (d2-PteGlu6) administered in solution in water or citrate buffer or added to selected foods using a single-dose, dual-label protocol. In each of six trials, healthy men (n = 7) were given a single oral dose of d2-PteGlu6 and d4-PteGlu1 (677 nmol of each form) blended into orange juice, tomatoes, lima beans, 52 mmol/L citrate (pH 4.1), or water as the control. Urine was collected for 48 h and the isotopic labeling of urinary folates used as criteria of the relative bioavailability of administered PteGlu1 and PteGlu6. Urinary excretion of d4-folates and d2-folates derived from the respective oral doses did not differ from the control in any treatment within the statistical power of this protocol. High relative bioavailability of the polyglutamyl folate was reflected by ratios of urinary d2/d4 folates of approximately 1.0 for control, tomato, lima bean and citrate buffer trials, whereas the ratio of urinary d2/d4 folates when subjects consumed orange juice was approximately 33% less than the control ratio (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the bioavailability of polyglutamyl folates in orange juice would be partially incomplete. However, this would be compensated by the high total folate concentration of orange juice. The relation of these findings to endogenous dietary folates requires further investigation.