Bilirubin and its changes were negatively associated with diabetic kidney disease incidence and progression: A five-year's cohort study based on 5323 Chinese male diabetic patients

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate the association between baseline bilirubin (TBiL) and follow-up TBiL changes for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) incidence and progression based on a 5?years' cohort study.

新疆哈萨克族RGS2基因1891-1892del TC多态性与原发性高血压关系的研究

目的 研究在新疆哈萨克族人群中G蛋白信号转导调节蛋白-2基因(regulator of G-protein signaling 2,RGS2)1891-1892del TC位点多态性与原发性高血压遗传易感性的关系.方法 采用病例(444例)-对照(489例)方法 进行关联分析,用TaqMan荧光实时定量PCR检测1891-1892del TC位点的基因型.结果 1891-1892del TC在该人群男性中(OR=1.698,P=0.03)以及总体人群中(OR=1.32,P=0.044)与高血压病显著相关;ID+DD基因型组的平均收缩压水平明显高于Ⅱ基因型组(P=0.04);DD和ID基因型组的血清尿酸水平均高于Ⅱ基因型组(P<0.01).结论 研究结果表明RGS2基因的D等位基因与新疆哈萨克族原发性高血压的遗传易感性相关,同时与血清尿酸水平升高相关.     

Plasma vaspin concentrations are decreased in acute coronary syndrome,but unchanged in patients without coronary lesions

Objective

Previous studies suggested that decreased serum vaspin levels were associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The present study aimed to investigate the association between plasma vaspin levels and different states of CAD.

Design and methods

A total of 162 patients with coronary angiography (CAG) proved that CAD was enrolled. Additional 103 patients complained with “chest discomfort” with negative CAG, and 60 normal subjects were enrolled in this study. The levels of plasma vaspin, adiponectin, clinical parameters, lipid profile and C reactive protein (CRP) were measured.

Results

The levels of plasma vaspin were significantly lower in the CAD group (0.47 ± 0.63 μg/L) than those in the healthy group and CAG (−) group (all p < 0.001). In CAD group, the pos hoc analysis showed that serum vaspin concentration in acute myocardial infarction group (0.21 ± 0.19 μg/L) was significantly lower than that in the unstable angina pectoris group (0.40 ± 0.37 μg/L) (p = 0.012), and serum vaspin concentration in unstable angina pectoris was significantly lower than that in stable angina pectoris group (0.92 ± 0.94 μg/L) (p = 0.013). The plasma vaspin concentration was also negatively correlated with the severity of CAD (1-vessel: 0.86 ± 0.90 μg/L; 2-vessel: 0.36 ± 0.39 μg/L; 3-vessel: 0.21 ± 0.16 μg/L). The plasma vaspin concentration in CAG (−) group with “chest discomfort” (1.93 ± 2.57 μg/L) was similar to the healthy control group (2.18 ± 3.49 μg/L).

Conclusions

The plasma vaspin concentration correlated to the severity of CAD. Furthermore, plasma vaspin has a value of avoiding patients without CAD from unnecessary CAG.     

Pomegranate flower ameliorates fatty liver in an animal model of type 2 diabetes and obesity

Aims of the study

Fatty liver is the most common cause of abnormal liver function tests. We investigated the effect and its underlying mechanism of pomegranate flower (PGF), a traditional antidiabetic medicine, on fatty liver.

Materials and methods

At the endpoint of treatment of male Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats with PGF extract (500 mg/kg, p.o. × 6 weeks), liver weight index, hepatic lipid contents (enzymatic colorimetric methods) and droplet accumulation (Oil Red O staining) were determined. Gene profiles (RT-PCR) were analyzed in the liver of ZDF rats and in human liver-derived HepG2 cell line.

Results

PGF-treated ZDF rats showed reduced ratio of liver weight to tibia length, hepatic triglyceride contents and lipid droplets. These effects were accompanied by enhanced hepatic gene expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), and reduced stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1. In contrast, PGF showed minimal effects on expression of genes responsible for synthesis, hydrolysis or uptake of fatty acid and triglycerides. PGF treatment also increased PPAR-alpha and ACO mRNA levels in HepG2 cells.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that this Unani medicine ameliorates diabetes and obesity-associated fatty liver, at least in part, by activating hepatic expression of genes responsible for fatty acid oxidation.     

乙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白c/el表位处TC标签的基因标记对S和e抗原表达的影响

目的 研究乙型肝炎病毒核心蛋白c/el表位处TC标签的基因标记对S和e抗原表达的影响,探索TC标签标记HBV病毒体的可行性.方法 以含有1.3倍HBV基因组的载体为模板,在HBV C基因中插入编码TC标签的碱基序列,得到重组的突变型HBV载体,其编码的核心蛋白的c/el表位处嵌入了TC标签.将野生型和突变型HBV载体分别瞬时转染HepG2细胞,Westernblot检测野生型和各种TC嵌合型核心蛋白的表达,酶联免疫吸附法分析病毒S和e抗原的表达.多组间比较用单因素方差分析.结果 Western blot显示各种嵌合型核心蛋白在细胞内成功表达,并且同野生型蛋白的表达水平无显著差别,酶联免疫吸附法检测表明各组细胞S和e抗原表达水平没有明显差别.结论 HBV核心蛋白c/el表位处TC标签的基因标记不会明显影响突变HBV载体表达病毒蛋白.     

氟伐他汀治疗老年原发性高胆固醇血症的临床观察

目的 :探讨氟伐他汀对老年原发性高胆固醇血症 (PHC)的疗效、安全性及耐受性。方法 :采用随机双盲平行对照法 ,将 82例老年PHC病人分成氟伐他汀组 (试验组 ) 42例和安慰剂组 (对照组 ) 40例 ,氟伐他汀 2 0mg/d～ 40mg/d ,治疗 12周后观察疗效和安全性。结果 :用药 12周后血清总胆固醇(TC )、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇(LDL -C)、三酰甘油 (TG)结果升高 ,两组较治疗前均值下降率比较有统计学意义 (P <0 .0 5～ 0 .0 1) ,两组副反应发生率分别为 7.5 %和5 .1% (P >0 .0 5 ) ,主要表现为胃肠道症状 ,均可耐受。结论 :服用氟伐他汀 2 0mg/d～ 40mg/d治疗老年PHC ,能明显降低TC、TG、LDL -C ,升高HDL -C ,且安全性好 ,易于耐受。     

Hot Deformation and Constitutive Modeling of TC21 Titanium Alloy

Titanium alloys are extensively employed in the fabrication of various aviation structural parts, of which the most crucial processing step is hot working. In order to study the high-temperature deformation behavior of the TC21 titanium alloy, high-temperature tensile tests were performed. The results reveal that the flow stress of the material gradually decreases with an increased strain rate, and the stress increases rapidly with an increase in strain during the deformation of the alloy. Following this, flow stress gradually decreases. Flow stress decreases sharply, and the sample fractures when the appearance of necking and microvoids is observed. The Arrhenius and Radial basis function (RBF) neural network constitutive models are established in order to accurately describe the high-temperature deformation behavior of the material. In the modified Arrhenius model, strain rate indexes are expressed as a function of deformation temperature and strain rates; furthermore, the high prediction ability of the model was obtained. For the Radial basis function, the network parameters were obtained using the trial-and-error method. The established models could better forecast the flow stress of materials, and highly accurate results are obtained using the radial basis function model. The relationships between the stress index and the deformation activation energy with strain indicate that the primary deformation mechanism involves grain boundary slip and viscous slip of dislocations. The process of dynamic recrystallization primarily promotes the softening of the material.     

化痰降浊汤对高脂血症血脂的影响

目的观察化痰降浊汤对高脂血症患者血脂的影响。方法选取60例患者,予化痰降浊汤口服(药物组成:泽泻15 g,山楂10 g,陈皮20 g。水煎取汁150 mL。消毒,灭菌,4℃保存备用),1次/d,连续30 d。结果服用化痰降浊汤后,总胆固醇、三酰甘油、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇指标均下降,高密度脂蛋白胆固醇指标上调。结论化痰降浊汤具有调节血脂的作用。     

Ultrasonographic findings in metatarsophalangeal and talocrural joints in healthy persons

The objective of this study was to establish whether healthy persons have effusions detectable by ultrasonography (US) in metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and talocrural (TC) joints. Fifty consecutive healthy persons without symptoms in ankles and feet were studied. Thirty-eight of them were women, and their mean age was 47.4 (range 23–62) years. Eighteen of the 500 MTP joints studied in nine persons and four of the 100 TC joints in three persons showed effusions upon investigation. One person had effusion in five MTP joints, one in four, two in two, and the remaining five in one MTP joint. None of the studied joints yielded pathological findings in Doppler US examination. These results indicate that the detection of effusion by grayscale US in the absence of Doppler US in MTP and TC joints can be found in healthy persons.     

Dietary intervention with emphasis on folate intake reduces serum lipids but not plasma homocysteine levels in hyperlipidemic patients

Hyperlipidemia and hyperhomocysteinemia are regarded as major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Medical nutrition therapy (MNT), which involves a combination of nutritional diagnosis, therapy, and counseling for at-risk patients, has been proposed as a protocol to control these risk factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of an intensive MNT, specifically tailored to Korean hyperlipidemic patients, on levels of serum lipids and plasma homocysteine. Forty hyperlipidemic patients with blood levels of total cholesterol ≥200 mg/dL or triacylglycerol ≥150 mg/dL were recruited from the Kyung Hee University Medical Center (Seoul, Korea). They were randomly divided into control (no treatment) or experimental (MNT treatment) groups. A registered dietitian performed MNT, emphasizing dietary folate intake based on the guidelines for Korean hyperlipidemic patients; this was performed 5 times during the 12 weeks of the experiment. After the MNT period, we observed that body mass index (P < .001) and fat percentage (P < .05) was significantly decreased in the experimental group but not in the control group. Daily energy consumption, as well as carbohydrate, fat, and cholesterol intakes, all decreased significantly (P < .05) in the MNT group, whereas folate intake increased (P < .05). Blood levels of triacylglycerol (−30.8%), total cholesterol (−20.9%), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (−14.5%), and ratio of low-density lipoprotein/high-density lipoprotein (−17.1%) were significantly lower in the experimental group after MNT (P < .001) compared with the control group. Plasma homocysteine levels were unchanged (P = .98); however, the levels of folate (P < .01), vitamin B₆ (P < .01), and vitamin B₁₂ (P < .05) increased significantly in the experimental group. These results indicate that MNT, with an emphasis on folate intake, can be effective at reducing blood levels of lipids and improving the blood levels of folate, vitamin B₆, and vitamin B₁₂ in Korean hyperlipidemic patients.