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Background: The incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is increasing gradually, but the pathogenesis is not completely clear. MicroRNA, a highly conserved endogenous noncoding small molecule RNA, plays an essential role in the regulation of gene expression and is a hotspot in cancer research worldwide., Objectives: Although previous studies have confirmed that the abnormal expression of microRNAs is closely related to the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, the role of miRNA-331-3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to explore the role and mechanism of miRNA-331-3p in the progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma., Materials and Methods: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the expression of miRNA-331-3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma clinical samples and cell lines (CNE-1 and 5-8F cells). After overexpression of miRNA-331-3p in CNE-1 cells, cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, cell invasion was detected by Transwell assay, and apoptosis was tested by flow cytometry. In addition, the dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the target gene of miRNA-331-3p and Western blotting was performed to measure the relative protein expression., Results: The expression of miRNA-331-3p in nasopharyngeal carcinoma clinical samples and cells was decreased significantly. Overexpression of miRNA-331-3p markedly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CNE-1 cells and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, overexpression of miRNA-331-3p reduced the expression of target gene elF4B, leading to inhibition of the phosphorylation of Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Serine/ threonine kinase (AKT)., Conclusion: miRNA-331-3p inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting elF4B gene and then blocked the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway., Significance: The role of miRNA-331-3p in the development of NPC and its mechanism provide new ideas for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Objective: To compare the differences in hyperlipidaemia prevalence and its risk factors between the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations., Design: Cross-sectional study of hyperlipidaemia., Setting: Both populations were from Lihu and Baxu villages in Nandan County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China., Subjects: A total of 1170 healthy subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 1173 participants of Han Chinese aged 15-89 years were surveyed by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Information on demographic, dietary and lifestyle characteristics was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, serum lipids and apolipoproteins were measured, and BMI (kg/m2) was calculated as weight divided by the square of height., Results: The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriacylglycerolaemia and hyperlipidaemia in Bai Ku Yao and Han were 12.4 % v. 26.2 % (P < 0.001), 15.0 % v. 14.8 % (P > 0.05) and 24.4 % v. 33.9 % (P < 0.001), respectively. Hyperlipidaemia was positively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, total energy and total fat intakes, and negatively associated with physical activity and total dietary fibre intake in Bai Ku Yao (P < 0.05 to 0.001). Hyperlipidaemia was positively associated with age, alcohol consumption, BMI, waist circumference, total energy and total fat intakes, and inversely correlated with physical activity and total dietary fibre intake in Han (P < 0.05 to 0.001)., Conclusions: The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia and hyperlipidaemia was significantly lower in the Bai Ku Yao than in the Han population, which might result from different dietary habits, lifestyle choices and physical activity level, as well as genetic factors between the two ethnic groups.

Objective: Both hyperlipidemia and hypertension are the risk factors for coronary heart disease. Although studies have shown that there is an association between plasma lipid and blood pressure levels, the association of hyperlipidemia and hypertension is still not well established. The present study was undertaken to compare the differences in several environmental and genetic factors between hyperlipidemia and hypertension in the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang population., Methods: A total of 1669 participants were surveyed by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Information on environmental factors was collected with standardized questionnaires. Genotyping of angiotensin-converting enzyme, angiotensinogen, angiotensin receptor 2, apolipoprotein (apo) A-I, apoB, apoE, cholesteryl ester transfer protein, G-protein beta-3 subunit, hepatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase, microsomal triglyceride transfer protein, regulator of G-protein signaling 2, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 was also performed., Results: There were 358 (21.45%) participants with isolated hyperlipidemia, 257 (15.40%) with isolated hypertension, 189 (11.32%) with both conditions, and 865 (51.83%) normals. Hyperlipidemia was positively correlated with age, BMI, alcohol consumption, total energy and total fat intake, apoE, and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein genotypes, and negatively associated with total dietary fiber intake, apoA-I, and lipoprotein lipase genotypes. Hypertension was positively correlated with male sex, age, hyperlipidemia, total energy, total fat, and sodium intake, apoE, angiotensin receptor 2, and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein genotypes, and negatively associated with education level, total dietary fiber intake, angiotensin-converting enzyme, apoA-I, and lipoprotein lipase genotypes., Conclusion: These findings suggest that hyperlipidemia and hypertension have many common risk factors. Hyperlipidemia is associated with hypertension in many aspects.

Background: Sex differences are observed in many aspects of mammalian cardiovascular function and pathology. Hypertension is more common in men than in women of the same age. Although the effects of gonadal hormones on blood pressure are considered contributing factors, the reasons for sex differences in hypertension are still not fully understood. The present study was undertaken to compare the differences in several environmental and genetic factors between men and women in the Hei Yi Zhuang, an isolated subgroup of the Zhuang minority in China., Methods: Information on demography, diet, and lifestyle was collected in 835 women and 834 men aged 15 to 84 years. Genotyping of angiotensin-converting enzyme, adrenergic receptor beta(3), aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, calpastatin, connexin 37, hepatic lipase, lipoprotein lipase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor, and von Willebrand factor also was performed in these subjects., Results: The levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension were lower in women than in men (P < .05). Hypertension was positively associated with age, physical activity, alcohol consumption, body mass index, waist circumference, hyperlipidemia, total energy, total fat, sodium intake, and sodium/potassium ratio, and negatively associated with education level, total dietary fiber, potassium intake, angiotensin-converting enzyme, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, and hepatic lipase genotypes in men (P < .05). Hypertension was positively associated with age, hyperlipidemia, total energy, total fat, sodium intake, sodium/potassium ratio, calpastatin, and von Willebrand factor genotypes, and negatively associated with education level, total dietary fiber, potassium, calcium intake, lipoprotein lipase, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor genotypes in women (P < .05)., Conclusion: Sex differences in the prevalence of hypertension in the Hei Yi Zhuang population may be mainly attributed to the differences in dietary habits, lifestyle choices, sodium and potassium intakes, physical activity level, and some genetic polymorphisms.

Background: There are fifty-six ethnic groups in China. Han is the largest group and Bai Ku Yao is the isolated subgroup of the Yao minority. Little is known about the difference in the prevalence of hyperlipidemia between the Han and other minority groups in the rural areas., Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the associations of diet and lifestyle factors with hyperlipidemia for middle-aged and elderly persons between the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations., Design: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 485 subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 501 subjects of Han Chinese ethnicity aged 40 years and older were surveyed by a stratified cluster random sampling technique., Methods: Information on demography, dietary intake, and lifestyle factors was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and serum lipid levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared., Results: The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hyperlipidemia in Bai Ku Yao and Han were 19.59% vs 36.13% (P<0.001), 13.81% vs 16.97% (P>0.05), and 28.45% vs 43.11% (P<0.001), respectively. Hyperlipidemia was positively correlated with BMI; waist circumference; total energy, total fat, and saturated fatty acids intakes; and negatively associated with sex (women were higher), physical activity, and total dietary fiber intake in Bai Ku Yao (P<0.05 to 0.001), whereas hyperlipidemia was positively associated with BMI; waist circumference; total energy, total fat, and saturated fatty acids intakes; and negatively associated with physical activity and total dietary fiber intake in Han (P<0.05 to 0.001)., Conclusions: The prevalence of hyperlipidemia was significantly lower among ethnic Bai Ku Yao than among ethic Han individuals, which might mainly be attributed to the more favorable dietary patterns, lifestyle choices, and physical activity levels in the former ethnic group.

Bai Ku Yao is an isolated subgroup of the Yao minority in China. The special customs and cultures including their clothing, intraethnic marriages, corn wine and rum intakes are still completely conserved to the present day. Little is known about the association of diet and alcohol consumption with serum lipid levels in this population. The aim of this study was to compare the differences in diet, alcohol consumption, and serum lipid levels of the middle-aged and elderly between the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations. A total of 485 subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 501 participants of Han Chinese aged 40 and over were surveyed by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Information on dietary intake and alcohol consumption was collected by standard questionnaires. Serum lipid levels were measured. Education level, height, weight, body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, hypertension, and total energy, fat, protein, dietary cholesterol, and salt intakes were lower in Bai Ku Yao than in Han (P < .05-.001), whereas physical activity level, carbohydrate, vegetal protein, and total dietary fiber intakes were higher in Bai Ku Yao than in Han (P < .001 for all). Serum total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein (Apo) A1, and Apo B levels were lower in Bai Ku Yao than in Han (P < .001 for all). The levels of triglyceride, HDL-C, Apo A1, and the ratio of Apo A1 to Apo B in Bai Ku Yao were higher, but the levels of LDL-C and Apo B were lower in drinkers than in nondrinkers. The levels of triglyceride, HDL-C, LDL-C, Apo A1, Apo B, and the ratio of Apo A1 to Apo B in Bai Ku Yao were also influenced by the amount of alcohol consumed (P < .05-.001). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in Han were higher and LDL-C levels were lower in drinkers than in nondrinkers (P < .01 for each). Serum total cholesterol, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels in Han were also associated with the amount of alcohol consumed (P < .05-.001). The differences in the lipid levels between the two ethnic groups may partially attribute to the differences in dietary habits and alcohol consumption.

Objective: Little is known about the prevalence of hypertension in Bai Ku Yao, an isolated subgroup of the Yao minority in China. The aim of this study was to compare the difference in the prevalence of hypertension and its risk factors between the Guangxi Bai Ku Yao and Han populations., Methods: A cross-sectional study of hypertension in 1170 subjects of Bai Ku Yao and 1173 participants of Han Chinese aged 15-89 was conducted by a stratified randomized cluster sampling. Information on diet and lifestyle was collected with standardized questionnaires. Blood pressure, serum lipids and several anthropometric parameters were obtained in all subjects., Results: Systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure levels and hypertension prevalence (10.85% vs 16.45%, p<0.001) were lower in Bai Ku Yao than in Han. Hypertension was positively correlated with male, age, physical activity, body mass index, waist circumference, total energy, total fat and sodium intakes, and negatively associated with education level and total dietary fibre intake in both ethnic groups (p<0.05-0.001). Hypertension was also positively associated with alcohol consumption in Han. The rates of awareness, treatment and control were lower in Bai Ku Yao than in Han (p<0.05 for all)., Conclusions: The difference in the hypertension prevalence between the two ethnic groups might result from different diet, lifestyle, physical activity level, sodium intake and genetic factors.

Background: Previous studies suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a regulator of naturally occurring angiogenesis. However, whether VEGF plays a role in cardiomyocyte apoptosis is not known., Aim: To investigate the effects of intramyocardial injection of VEGF165 cDNA on cardiac performance and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction., Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent left coronary artery ligation and were randomised to receive VEGF165 cDNA (treated group) or pcDNA3.1 (control), injected directly into the border zone of the ischaemic myocardium. Twenty rats underwent thoracotomy and injection of pcDNA3.1, without coronary ligation (sham group). Haemodynamic and apoptotic parameters were measured two weeks after injection., Results: Three sham, eight control, and five treated animals died. Haemodynamic parameters and microvessel counts in the treated group were significantly better than in the control (P<0.05 to 0.01). Apoptotic index in the treated group was less than in the control (P<0.01). Caspase-3 activation and mitochondrial cytochrome c release in the treated group were also lower than in the control (P<0.01). VEGF165 cDNA treatment significantly inhibited p53, Fas, Bax, and increased VEGF and Bcl-2 expression in the myocardium., Conclusion: Intramyocardial injection of VEGF165 cDNA significantly improved cardiac performance, stimulated angiogenesis and reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction.

Background: Han is the largest nationality and Zhuang is the largest minority among 56 nationalities in China. Hei Yi (means black-worship and black dressing) Zhuang is a special subgroup of 43 ethnic subgroups of Zhuang. There are limited data about the effect of environmental factors on the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of demographic, dietary, and other lifestyle factors on the prevalence of hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations., Design: We performed a cross-sectional study of 1166 randomly selected people of Hei Yi Zhuang aged 7-84 years from seven villages in Napo County, Guangxi, China; and 1018 people of Han aged 6-89 years from nine villages in the same region., Methods: Information on demographic characteristics, dietary patterns, and other lifestyle factors was collected by standard questionnaires. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, serum lipids and apolipoproteins were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as a measure of weight relative to height., Results: The prevalence rates of hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperlipidemia in Hei Yi Zhuang and Han were 23.6 versus 27.0% (P>0.05), 12.3 versus 14.4% (P>0.05) and 29.9 versus 34.2% (P<0.05), respectively. The prevalence of hyperlipidemia was positively correlated with age, BMI and blood pressure (P<0.05- 0.001) in Hei Yi Zhuang, whereas it was positively associated with age, BMI, blood pressure and alcohol consumption in Han (P<0.01-0.001). There was no significant correlation between the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and sex or cigarette smoking in Hei Yi Zhuang, Han or a combined population of Hei Yi Zhuang and Han (P>0.05), and alcohol consumption in Hei Yi Zhuang (P>0.05)., Conclusion: The current study reveals that there is a significant difference in the prevalence of hyperlipidemia and its risk factors between Hei Yi Zhuang and Han, which might result from different demographic characteristics, dietary habits and other lifestyle factors.

Han is the largest nationality and Zhuang is the largest minority among the 56 nationalities in China. Geographically and linguistically, Zhuang can be classified into 43 ethnic subgroups, with the Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese, who live in Napo County bordering northeast Vietnam and comprise a population of 51,655, having the most conservative culture and customs (Hei Yi means "black-clothing" and the Hei Yi Zhuang revere and wear the color black). The determinants of hypertension and its risk factors in this population have not been well-defined. To obtain some of this information, a cross-sectional study of hypertension was carried out in 1,166 Hei Yi Zhuang Chinese (aged 7-84; mean, 44.00+/-17.54 years) and 1,018 Han Chinese controls (42.95+/-17.11; range, 6-89 years) in the same area. Information on demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors and lifestyle factors was collected by questionnaire. The overall prevalence rates of hypertension and isolated systolic hypertension in Hei Yi Zhuang were higher than those in Han (23.2% vs. 16.0% and 11.5% vs. 3.7%; p<0.001 for each). The levels of systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure in Hei Yi Zhuang were also higher than those in Han (p<0.001 for each). The prevalence of hypertension was positively correlated with triglycerides, male gender, and age in Hei Yi Zhuang, whereas it was positively correlated with total cholesterol, male gender, age, and alcohol consumption in Han. The rates of awareness, treatment and control in Hei Yi Zhuang were lower than those in Han (8.5% vs. 20.9%, 4.4% vs. 15.3%, and 1.9% vs. 10.4%; p<0.001 for each), which may have been due to unique geographical characteristics, unwholesome lifestyles, greater sodium intake, lower education levels, and genetic risk factors in the former group.

Background: Han is the largest and Zhuang is the second largest among the 56 nationalities in China. Geographically and linguistically, Zhuang can be classified into 43 ethnic subgroups, among which Hei Yi (which means "black worship" and "black dressing") Zhuang is the most conservative group, according to its unique culture and customs. Little is known about the lipid profiles and corresponding risk factors of hyperlipidemia in this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the effects of demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and lifestyle factors on the prevalence of hyperlipidemia for the middle-aged and elderly in the Guangxi Hei Yi Zhuang and Han populations., Methods: A sample of 657 people of Hei Yi Zhuang aged 40 years and over was randomly selected from 7 villages in Napo County, Guangxi, China. Information on demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and lifestyle factors was collected by questionnaire. Blood pressure, height, weight, waist circumference, and serum lipid and apolipoprotein (apo) levels were measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated as a measure of weight relative to height. The results were compared with those in 520 people of Han living in the same region., Results: The prevalence of hyperlipidemia in the Hei Yi Zhuang was significantly lower than that in the Han (36.2% vs 42.3%; p < .05). The levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apo B in Hei Yi Zhuang were also significantly lower than those in the Han (p < .05 to .001), but the levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and the ratio of apo A-I to apo B in the Hei Yi Zhuang were significantly higher than those in the Han (p < .01 and < .001, respectively). There were no significant differences in apo A-I levels between the two ethnic groups (p > .05). The prevalence of hyperlipidemia was positively correlated with BMI and blood pressure in the Hei Yi Zhuang. Hyperlipidemia was positively associated with age, BMI, and blood pressure and negatively associated with gender (female higher) in the Han., Conclusions: In the present study of the middle-aged and elderly population, the Hei Yi Zhuang have a more favorable lipid profile and a lower prevalence of hyperlipidemia than do the Han, and there is also a significant difference in the risk factors for hyperlipidemia between the two ethnic groups, which might result from the effects of different demographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and lifestyle factors.