CD4 T lymphocytes mediated protection against invasive pneumococcal infection induced by mucosal immunization with ClpP and CbpA

Intranasal delivery of pneumococcal protein vaccines would be a promising way to prevent invasive pneumococcal infection. Using an invasive infection model by intranasal inoculation of pneumococci, we demonstrated that immunizing mice intranasally with a mixture of ClpP (the caseinolytic protease) and CbpA (Choline binding protein A) elicited better protection than that of immunizing either single ClpP or CbpA. Anti-ClpP or anti-CbpA hyperimmune sera from intranasal-immunized mice significantly inhibited the adhesion of Streptococcus pneumoniae to A549 cells and combination of two antisera resulted in an additive effect. Both of two antisera could also kill S. pneumoniae by polymorphonuclear leukocytes in a complement-dependent way. The anti-infection activity and production of hyperimmune antibodies induced by mucosal immunization with ClpP and CbpA could be abrogated by the depletion of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. Our data therefore indicated a critical role for CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in developing mucosal protein-based vaccines against invasive pneumococcal infection.     

多系统萎缩58例临床分析

[目的]分析多系统萎缩(MSA)的临床特征. [方法]回顾性分析58例临床诊断MSA患者的临床资料. [结果]男性36例,女性22例,发病年龄33～75(55.8±9.3)岁.30(51.7%)例以行走不稳、言语不清等小脑症状为首发症状,22(37.9%)例以自主神经功能障碍为首发症状.37(63.8%)例MSA患者出现3个以上系统同时受累.MSA患者中40(70%)例表现有小脑萎缩;MSA-P患者中4例表现为延髓、脑桥和小脑萎缩. [结论]MSA是一种累及神经系统多部位的变性疾病,男性多于女性,中老年起病,缓慢进展,首发症状以小脑症状最多,其次为自主神经功能障碍.多数患者出现3个以上系统同时受累.MRI表现多以小脑萎缩为主,MSA-P患者也可表现为延髓脑桥小脑萎缩,对MSA诊断有肯定意义.本病暂无特殊治疗,预后差,但有些药物可改善部分患者临床症状.     

我国7城市中小学生食物购买行为调查

目的分析城市中小学生食物购买行为,为开展中小学生营养健康教育提供依据。方法采用多阶段随机整群抽样的方法,从北京等7个城市选取7427名中小学生作为研究对象,使用问卷调查收集中小学生食物购买相关行为及影响因素等信息。结果城市中小学生家庭中,母亲是食物的主要购买者,总是或经常购买的比例为72．2％。总是或经常参与食物购买的比例以小学生最高,为39．0％,初中生和高中生分别为28．9％和21．0％。总是或经常要求购买食物的比例以高中生最高,为27．5％,小学生和初中生分别为14．9％和25．5％。总是或经常被征求购买意见的比例以高中生最高,为50．8％,小学生和初中生分别为35．5％和41．9％。中小学生购买食物优先考虑的因素为口味、自己喜好和卫生等。结论城市中小学生家庭主要由母亲负责食物购买,中小学生对家庭食物购买有一定的影响力,应加强对中小学生及其家长的食物和营养知识的教育,提高他们合理选择和搭配食物的能力。     

叶下珠化学成分及其抗乙肝病毒活性的研究

对大戟科叶下珠属植物叶下珠的干燥全草进行了化学成分及其抗乙肝病毒活性的研究，共分得１１个化合物，其中２个新化合物为去氢诃子次酸甲酯、短叶苏木酚酸甲酯。通过抗病毒、抗乙肝表面抗原及保肝试验，肯定了叶下珠的抗乙肝病毒活性。     

Oxidative stress and antioxidant defenses in two green microalgae exposed to copper

The aim of this work was to assess the effects of 1 week copper exposure (6.2, 108, 210 and 414 μM) on Scenedesmus vacuolatus and Chlorella kessleri. The strains showed different susceptibility to copper. Copper content was determined in both strains by total X-ray reflection fluorescence analysis (TXRF). In S. vacuolatus, the increase of medium copper concentration induced an augmentation of protein and MDA content, and a significant decrease in the chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio. S. vacuolatus showed a significant increase of catalase activity in 210 and 414 μM of copper, and a significant increment of SOD activity and GSH content only in 414 μM of copper. On the contrary, C. kessleri did not show significant differences in these parameters between 6.2 and 108 μM of copper. Increased copper in the environment evokes oxidative stress and an increase in the antioxidant defenses of S. vacuolatus.     

Development of amino acid composition database for Korean foods

To provide true and correct information on diet and health for consumers, a 5-year project for nutrient database was started in 2001. Food list representing usual diet of Koreans was developed using the result of the 2001 National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHNS) and 2002 Seasonal Nutrition Survey. Based on the food intake data obtained from 1-day 24-h recall interviews, a food list of 150 representative food items for chemical analysis was formulated considering the amount and frequency of consumption, dietary pattern differences by sex and age class, and probable high content of protein. Foods were purchased in triplicates considering the area of production or the best-selling brands for processed foods. Then foods were analyzed for amino acids using HPLC. As a result, amino acid composition of 150 food items for 18 kinds was constructed into a database. This database is expected to contribute toward achieving health goals stated in the ‘Health Plan 2010’ by allowing informed-consumers decide and choose foods based on the recent, updated and correct nutrient composition of foods to accommodate their own needs.     

一种有效分离人尿激肽释放酶和人尿胰蛋白酶抑制剂的方法

人尿激肽释放酶和人尿胰蛋白酶抑制剂是存在于尿中的酸性蛋白.本文通过ZnCl2胶体沉淀和乙醇沉淀相结合的方法可有效分离两者,得率高、活性保留好.     

我国卫生区域划分研究

目的:我国不同地区卫生资源发展不平衡,制定区域卫生规划要综合考虑不同地区的经济、社会、人口、健康等方面的状况。方法:利用统计年鉴数据,考虑经济、社会、人口、健康等因素,分别通过主成分分析和因子分析方法计算不同地区的综合得分,然后对综合得分进行聚类分析。结果:主成分分析综合得分和因子分析综合得分的聚类分析将全国以省(自治区、直辖市)为单元划分为6类地区,两种分析方法的分类结果类似。结论:将全国卫生区域分为六类,第一类地区:上海市、北京市;第二类地区:天津市;第三类地区:江苏省、浙江省、广东省;第四类地区:辽宁省、山东省、福建省、内蒙古自治区、吉林省、重庆市、陕西省、湖北省、黑龙江省、山西省、河南省、湖南省、河北省、海南省、四川省、江西省、安徽省;第五类地区为:广西壮族自治区、宁夏回族自治区、新疆维吾尔自治区、甘肃省、青海省、贵州省、云南省;第六类地区为:西藏自治区。分类结果基本符合中国31个省(自治区、直辖市)的卫生发展实际。     

Protective role of caffeic acid in an Aβ25-35-induced Alzheimer's disease model

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Alzheimer''s disease (AD) is characterized by deficits in memory and cognitive functions. The accumulation of amyloid beta peptide (Aβ) and oxidative stress in the brain are the most common causes of AD.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Caffeic acid (CA) is an active phenolic compound that has a variety of pharmacological actions. We studied the protective abilities of CA in an Aβ_25-35-injected AD mouse model. CA was administered at an oral dose of 10 or 50 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. Behavioral tests including T-maze, object recognition, and Morris water maze were carried out to assess cognitive abilities. In addition, lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide (NO) production in the brain were measured to investigate the protective effect of CA in oxidative stress.

RESULTS

In the T-maze and object recognition tests, novel route awareness and novel object recognition were improved by oral administration of CA compared with the Aβ_25-35-injected control group. These results indicate that administration of CA improved spatial cognitive and memory functions. The Morris water maze test showed that memory function was enhanced by administration of CA. In addition, CA inhibited lipid peroxidation and NO formation in the liver, kidney, and brain compared with the Aβ_25-35-injected control group. In particular, CA 50 mg/kg/day showed the stronger protective effect from cognitive impairment than CA 10 mg/kg/day.

CONCLUSIONS

The present results suggest that CA improves Aβ_25-35-induced memory deficits and cognitive impairment through inhibition of lipid peroxidation and NO production.     

Nutrition knowledge,outcome expectations,self-efficacy,and eating behaviors by calcium intake level in Korean female college students

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Calcium is important but deficient in diets of young adult women. This study aimed to examine if cognitive factors and eating behaviors differ according to calcium intake based on the Social Cognitive Theory.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Subjects were female college students in Seoul, Korea. Three hundred students completed the questionnaire regarding calcium intake, nutrition knowledge, outcome expectations, self-efficacy and eating behaviors. Data on 240 students were analyzed using t-test or χ²-test. Subjects were categorized into two groups, high calcium intake (HC, ≥ 650 mg/day) and low calcium intake (LC, < 650 mg/day), according to recommended intakes of calcium for women aged 19-29 years.

RESULTS

The LC group constituted 77.9% of total subjects. Nutrition knowledge was not different according to calcium intake. Three out of 12 outcome expectations items were significantly different between the HC and LC groups. Subjects in the HC group agreed more strongly with the practical benefits of consuming calcium-rich foods, including ''taste'' (P < 0.01) and ''going well with other snacks'' (P < 0.05), compared to those in the LC group. Negative expectations of ''indigestion'' were stronger in the LC group than HC group (P < 0.001). Among self-efficacy items, perceived ability of ''eating dairy foods for snacks'' (P < 0.001), ''eating dairy foods every day'' (P < 0.01), and ''eating calcium-rich side dishes at meals'' (P < 0.05) differed significantly between the HC and LC groups. Eating behaviors including more frequent consumption of dairy foods, fruits or fruit juice (P < 0.001), anchovy, seaweeds, green vegetables, protein-rich foods (P < 0.05), and less frequent consumption of sweets or soft drinks (P < 0.01) were significantly related to calcium intake.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that outcome expectations, self-efficacy in consuming calcium-rich foods, and eating behaviors are important in explaining calcium intake. Nutrition education needs to address practical benefits, reduce negative expectations of calcium-rich foods, increase self-efficacy, and modify eating behaviors contributing to calcium intake.