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The aim of this study was to examine the effect of whole soy and purified daidzein on markers of thyroid function in Chinese postmenopausal women who were equol-producers. Total 270 eligible women were randomized to either one of the three isocaloric supplements: 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder +63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (placebo) daily for 6 months. Serum thyroid markers were tested at baseline and 6 months for thyroid stimulating hormone, free triiodothyronine, reverse triiodothyronine and free thyroxine (FT4). There was no significant difference in the 6-month changes of thyroid markers among the three groups. Subgroup analysis among women with lowered thyroid function suggested a modest decrease of FT4. This randomized controlled trial among Chinese equol-producing postmenopausal women indicates the consumption of whole soy and purified daidzein at the provided dosages are safe and have no detrimental effect on thyroid function.

Existing data on folate status and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis are scarce. We prospectively examined whether serum folate concentrations at diagnosis were associated with liver cancer-specific survival (LCSS) and overall survival (OS) among 982 patients with newly diagnosed, previously untreated HCC, who were enrolled in the Guangdong Liver Cancer Cohort (GLCC) study between September 2013 and February 2017. Serum folate concentrations were measured using chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Cox proportional hazards models were performed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI by sex-specific quartile of serum folate. Compared with patients in the third quartile of serum folate, patients in the lowest quartile had significantly inferior LCSS (HR = 1·48; 95 % CI 1·05, 2·09) and OS (HR = 1·43; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·99) after adjustment for non-clinical and clinical prognostic factors. The associations were not significantly modified by sex, age at diagnosis, alcohol drinking status and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage. However, there were statistically significant interactions on both multiplicative and additive scale between serum folate and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels or smoking status and the associations of lower serum folate with worse LCSS and OS were only evident among patients with CRP > 3·0 mg/l or current smokers. An inverse association with LCSS were also observed among patients with liver damage score ≥3. These results suggest that lower serum folate concentrations at diagnosis are independently associated with worse HCC survival, most prominently among patients with systemic inflammation and current smokers. A future trial of folate supplementation seems to be promising in HCC patients with lower folate status.

Background: There is no information on the association between exposure to fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of 2·5 μm or less (PM2·5) and the date-based secondary attack rate (DBSAR) of COVID-19. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study performed in Guangzhou, China, based on hourly concentration data of PM>sub>2·5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO from January 1, 2020 to February 15, 2020 from approximately 1,500 monitoring stations in China and the addresses of the participants, we used the Kriging interpolation method to calculate the moving average (MA) concentrations of the pollutants over the previous 1 to 14 days before symptom onset of secondary cases. After simultaneously adjusting for a series of key covariates, we evaluated the dose-response relationship between PM2·5 and DBSAR using a generalized linear mixed model. Findings: DBSAR fluctuated from 2·12% on January 17 to 6·61% on February 13. The significantly positive relationship between PM2·5 exposure and DBSAR at prior 1 to 14 MA days. For example, the dose-response relationship was as follows, for every 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM2·5, DBSAR increased by 2·77% (95% CI: 1·32% to 4·22%; P < 0·001) at prior 1 MA day and 5·82% (95% CI: 4·00% to 7·65%; P < 0·0001) at prior 14 MA days. The effect of PM2·5 exposure in DBSAR significantly differed by age and exposure time. Interpretation: There was a strong nonlinear dose-response relationship between exposure to PM2·5 and DBSAR at prior 1 to 14 MA days, which provide significant evidence and suggests that transmission by aerosol is possible. Funding Statement: This study was supported by grants from the Health Science and Technology Plan Project of Guangzhou (20191A01158). Declaration of Interests: All authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was approved by the ethics committee of the Guangzhou CDC (Guangzhou, China). Analyses involving personally identifiable data were conducted at the Guangzhou CDC. The analyses were performed with anonymized data.

Cyanidin-3-O-β-glucoside (Cy-3-G) has protective properties in many diseases. Whether Cy-3-G has protective effects on alcohol induced liver injuries remains uncertain. In our study, mice were fed with a high fat high cholesterol diet (HFC) plus ethanol for 12 weeks. Cy-3-G supplementation reversed the liver damage induced by alcohol. In vitro studies, Cy-3-G restored the intracellular energy status of LX-2 cells and inhibited the activation of LX-2 cells induced by ethanol plus palmitate. The protective effect of Cy-3-G is via the increase of AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy. In conclusion, Cy-3-G ameliorated chronic alcoholic liver injuries, possibly by improving energy metabolic status. Specifically, liver fibrosis was protected by Cy-3-G via inhibiting the activation of stellate cells, which was mediated partially by AMPK/autophagy signaling pathway.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of malignant cells, possessing stemness, with strong tumorigenic capability, conferring resistance to therapy and leading to the relapse of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our previous study suggested that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) would be a novel target for the CSCs-like side population (SP) cells in NPC. In the present study, we further found that COX-2 maintained the stemness of NPC by enhancing the activity of mitochondrial dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), a mitochondrial fission mediator, by studying both sorted SP cells from NPC cell lines and gene expression analyses in NPC tissues. Using both overexpression and knockdown of COX-2, we demonstrated that the localization of COX-2 at mitochondria promotes the stemness of NPC by recruiting the mitochondrial translocation of p53, increasing the activity of Drp1 and inducing mitochondrial fisson. Inhibition of the expression or the activity of Drp1 by siRNA or Mdivi-1 downregulates the stemness of NPC. The present study also found that inhibition of mitochondrial COX-2 with resveratrol (RSV), a natural phytochemical, increased the sensitivity of NPC to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a classical chemotherapy drug for NPC. The underlying mechanism is that RSV suppresses mitochondrial COX-2, thereby reducing NPC stemness by inhibiting Drp1 activity as demonstrated in both the in vitro and the in vivo studies. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that mitochondrial COX-2 is a potential theranostic target for the CSCs in NPC. Inhibition of mitochondrial COX-2 could be an attractive therapeutic option for the effective clinical treatment of therapy-resistant NPC.

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a member of fibroblast growth factor superfamily has received extensive attention for its positive effect on metabolism. Many tissues are target of FGF21 action. The effect of FGF21 on improving lipid and glucose metabolism has been proved. It also suggests that FGF21 plays a conspicuous role in a state of prolonged fasting and starvation. This article will review the role of FGF21 in regulating lipid and glucose metabolism and discuss the involved cellular and molecular mechanisms.

Cancer stem cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and contribute to both disease initiation and relapse. In this study, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) was found to regulate cancer stem-like side population cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and enhance cancer stem-like cells' characteristics such as higher colony formation efficiency and overexpression of stemness-associated genes. The regulatory effect of COX-2 on cancer stem-like characteristics may be mediated by ABCG2. COX-2 overexpression by a gain-of-function experiment increased the proportion of side population cells and their cancer stemness properties. The present study also demonstrated that in contrast to the classical chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil, which increased the proportion of side population cells and upregulated the expression of COX-2, parthenolide, a naturally occurring small molecule, preferentially targeted the side population cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells and downregulated COX-2. Moreover, we found that the cancer stem-like cells' phenotype was suppressed by using COX-2 inhibitors NS-398 and CAY10404 or knocking down COX-2 with siRNA and shRNA. These findings suggest that COX-2 inhibition is the mechanism by which parthenolide induces cell death in the cancer stem-like cells of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In addition, parthenolide exhibited an inhibitory effect on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) nucler translocation by suppressing both the phosphorylation of IκB kinase complex and IκBα degradation. Taken together, these results suggest that parthenolide may exert its cancer stem cell-targeted chemotherapy through the NF-κB/COX-2 pathway.

Lycopene possesses strong antioxidant ability, which may provide protection against cancer and other degenerative diseases. An ultrasound-assisted extraction method has been developed for the extraction of lycopene from papaya (Carica papaya L.) processing waste. Optimization conditions were firstly determined using single factor experiment, and then response surface methodology was used. Analysis showed that second-order polynomial models produced a satisfactory fitting of the experimental data with regard to lycopene (R 2 = 0.9147, P

Background Diabetes represents one of the greatest medical and socioeconomic threats worldwide. The pathogenesis involved is complicated. The effect of methyl donors and genetic polymorphisms in metabolic enzymes on the risk of microangiopathy in patients with diabetes is not well understood. This study investigates the association of homocysteine, choline and betaine levels and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) G774C (rs12325817) genotypes with the risk of diabetes and its related microangiopathic complications. Methods Between January 2009 and June 2010, 184 diabetic patients and 188 non-diabetic control subjects were enrolled in the hospital-based case-control study. Serum concentrations of betaine and choline were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)–mass spectrometry. Serum concentrations of homocysteine were assayed using HPLC. PEMT gene mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism. Results After adjustment for potential confounders, serum total homocysteine had a significant dose-dependent positive association, and serum choline had an inverse association with the risks of diabetes and its microangiopathic complications (both p

Fruits are wildly consumed and considered to have various health benefits. The aim of this study was to supply new information on the antiproliferative function of selected fruits for nutritionists and the general public. The in vitro antiproliferative activities of the peels, pulps and seeds of 61 fruits on four cancer cell lines, A549 (human lung cancer cells), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cells), HepG2 (human hepatoma cells) and HT-29 (human colon cancer cells) were evaluated by MTT assay. The results revealed that different fruits and different parts of one fruit exhibited different antiproliferative capacities. Nine of the 162 samples from 61 fruits showed remarkable inhibitory effects toward the four cancer cell lines, and all decreased the viability of the cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. The results suggested that some fruits (such as honey peach, salak, orange, and Peru ground cherry) may serve as potential dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of cancer because of strong antiproliferative activities against the cancer cell lines. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The occurrence and levels of benzo[a]pyrene in various heat-treated foods from China were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection. In a total of 119 samples, 105 were found to contain benzo[a]pyrene at levels of 0.03 to 19.75 µg/kg. The benzo[a]pyrene contents in 12 animal source foods were higher than the Chinese maximum permissible level in food (5 µg/kg) and the highest level was 19.75 µg/kg, nearly four times the maximum permissible level. The results revealed a widespread carinogenic public health risk from benzo[a]pyrene in heat-treated foods. The highest benzo[a]pyrene levels were found in animal source samples such as charcoal-grilled and smoked meats, especially pork, beef and sausage, while trace levels of benzo[a]pyrene were present in grain food. Charcoal-grilled vegetables were found to also contain certain levels of benzo[a]pyrene. This study provided new information on benzo[a]pyrene content of a variety of heat-treated foods from China.

In order to supply new information on the antioxidant function of cereal foods, the antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents of both lipophilic and hydrophilic components of 24 cereal grains from China were systematically evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. The lipophilic components of cereals were extracted with tetrahydrofuran, and the hydrophilic ones were extracted with a methanol-acetic acid-water (50:3.7:46.3, v/v/v) mixture. Main phenolic compounds and their contents were also quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with a photodiode array detector. The results showed that different cereals had diverse antioxidant capacities and the variation was very large. Phenolic compounds gallic acid, kaempferol, quercetin, galangin and cyanidin 3-glucoside were widely found in those cereals. The pigmented cereals, such as black rice, red rice and purple rice, possessed the highest antioxidant capacities and total phenolic contents among tested cereals, and could be important sources of natural antioxidants for health promotion and disease risk reduction. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fruit wastes are one of the main sources of municipal waste. In order to explore the potential of fruit wastes as natural resources of bioactive compounds, the antioxidant potency and total phenolic contents (TPC) of lipophilic and hydrophilic components in wastes (peel and seed) of 50 fruits were systematically evaluated. The results showed that different fruit residues had diverse antioxidant potency and the variation was very large. Furthermore, the main bioactive compounds were identified and quantified, and catechin, cyanidin 3-glucoside, epicatechin, galangin, gallic acid, homogentisic acid, kaempferol, and chlorogenic acid were widely found in these residues. Especially, the values of ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) and TPC in the residues were higher than in pulps. The results showed that fruit residues could be inexpensive and readily available resources of bioactive compounds for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Mulberry is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicines. Anthocyanins are the main bioactive components of mulberry, and possess important biological activities, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study investigated the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of anthocyanins from mulberry by using response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction conditions associated with anthocyanin yield, including extraction solvent, liquid-to-solid rate, temperature and extraction time, are discussed. The optimal conditions obtained by RSM for UAE from mulberry include 63.8% methanol contains 1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), 43.2 °C temperature, 23.8 (v/w) liquid-to-solid ratio, and 40 min time for the maximum yield (64.70 ± 0.45 mg/g). The results indicated that the UAE can be an effective method for the extraction of some active components from plant materials.

Background The prevalence of adolescent smoking has been increasing rapidly in China. Theory-based smoking prevention programmes in schools may be an effective approach in preventing smoking among Chinese adolescents. Methods A school-level cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among 7th and 8th grade students (N = 2343) in four junior high schools in southern China during 2004–06. The theory-based, multi-level intervention was compared with the standard health curriculum. Outcome measures comprised changes in students’ smoking-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Results The mean knowledge scores from baseline to the 1- and 2-year follow-ups increased more in the intervention group than in the control group, whereas there was little change in attitude scores. At the 1-year follow-up (the total sample), the interventions reduced the probability of baseline experimental smokers’ escalating to regular smoker [7.9 vs 18.3%; adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.12–0.97, P = 0.043], but did not reduce the probability of baseline non-smokers’ initiating smoking (7.9 vs 10.6%; adjusted OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.54–1.38, P = 0.538). At the 2-year follow-up (only 7th grade students), similar proportions of baseline non-smokers initiated smoking in the intervention group and the control group (13.5 vs 13.1%), while a possibly lower proportion of baseline experimental smokers escalated to regular smoking in the intervention group than the control group (22.6 vs 40.0%; adjusted OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.12–1.57, P = 0.199). Conclusions This multi-level intervention programme had a moderate effect on inhibiting the escalation from experimental to regular smoking among Chinese adolescents, but had little effect on the initiation of smoking. The programme improved adolescents’ smoking-related knowledge, but did not change their attitudes towards smoking.

Elevated levels of postprandial triacylglycerol-rich lipoproteins (ppTRLs) are atherogenic. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have exaggerated postprandial lipemia associated with elevation or prolonged residence of ppTRL remnants. We examined whether dietary fatty acid compositions (DFACs) decrease atherogenic lipid profiles in ppTRL subfractions in T2DM Chinese patients. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted among 28 T2DM patients. Patients consumed 1 of 3 standardized DFAC-specific fat meals: equidominant (1:1:1), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-dominant (PUFA-D, 1:1.7:2.3), or monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)-dominant (MUFA-D, 1:1.7:1.2) meals. Numbers in parenthesis, respectively, represent the ratio of saturated fatty acids, MUFA, and PUFA to saturated fatty acids. The MUFA-D meal was the control. Triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels were measured in Svedberg flotation rate (S(f)) greater than 400, S(f) 60 to 400, S(f) 20 to 60, and S(f) 12 to 20 ppTRL subfractions at fasting (0 hour) and 2, 4, and 6 hours after the consumption of the fat meals. Effects of DFACs on mean concentrations of triacylglycerols and cholesterol averaged over 0, 2, 4, and 6 hours in ppTRL subfractions were assessed using linear mixed models. Stability and robustness were validated with 1000 bootstrap replicates. Contrasted to the control, equidominant meal reduced 6-hour average triacylglycerol levels in S(f) greater than 400 (P = .002, bootstrap P < .05) and S(f) 20 to 60 (P = .02, bootstrap P < .05) subfractions, and decreased average S(f) 20 to 60 cholesterol (P = .04, bootstrap P < .05); PUFA-D decreased S(f) greater than 400 average triacylglycerol levels (P = .09, bootstrap P < .05). Bootstrap samples suggested that PUFA-D decreased average S(f) 20 to 60 cholesterol levels (bootstrap P < .05). Therefore, modifying DFACs attenuates the atherogenic lipid profile of ppTRLs in T2DM patients; but increasing PUFA ratio may be more feasible.

Background Southeast China is one of the sites of influenza origin. During 2003--2004, nine avian influenza outbreaks took place in Guangdong Province. But no human case was reported. To examine the status of potential human infection by human influenza (H1N1, H3N2) and avian influenza (H5N1, H7N7, H9N2) in the avian influenza epidemic area of Guangdong Province, China, we conducted a seroepidemiologic survey in the people of this area from April to June of 2004. Methods Three out of 9 H5N1 avian influenza affected poultry areas in Guangdong were randomly selected, and the population living within 3 kilometers of the affected poultries were chosen as the survey subjects. One thousand two hundred and fourteen people were selected from 3 villages at random. Human and avian influenza antibody titers were determined by hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test and microneutralization test (MNT). Results The positive rate of antibody to H5N1 was 3.03% in the occupational exposure group and 2.34% in general citizens group; that of H9N2 was 9.52% in the occupational exposure group and 3.76% in the general citizens group. Moreover one case in the occupational exposure group was positive for H7N7. One year later, all previously positive cases had become negative except for one H5N1-positive case. Conclusion The observations imply that H5N1 and H9N2 avian influenza silent infections exist in Guangdong populations.

Flavonoids exist extensively in the human diet, and a variety of health effects have been ascribed to them. The cytotoxic effects of 23 flavonoids on breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7), colorectal carcinoma cells (LoVo and DLD-1) and prostatic cancer cells (PC3) were investigated. By comparing the cytotoxicity (EC(50)) of selected molecules that differ in only one structure element, we identified several structural properties associated with enhanced cytotoxicity, including the presence of the 2,3-double bond, appropriate hydroxyl numbers, 3-OH, 6-OH and ortho-hydroxylation in ring B. Flavonoids with a 5-OH exhibited lower cytotoxicity than their non-hydroxylated counterparts. Results indicated that 3,6-dihydroxylflavone showed the most potent cytotoxic effect on these cancer cells. The appearance of apoptotic cells with DAPI staining was observed in cancer cells under 3,6-dihydroxylflavone treatment, and the apoptosis analysis by flow cytometry also showed that 3,6-dihydroxylflavone induced apoptotic cell death in these cancer cells. These results revealed the structurally related toxicity of flavonoids on human cancer cells, and indicates that 3,6-dihydroxylflavone is an active compound worthy of development for cancer chemotherapy.

The prevalence of smoking among Chinese adolescents has dramatically increased in recent years. The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in smoking-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among Chinese students in 3 types of secondary schools.This cross-sectional study was conducted among 3,957 students of seventh, eighth, and ninth grades and 2,870 student parents from 3 public, 1 factory, and 2 general-paid private secondary schools at Guangzhou in 2004. Participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics, smoking-related family and school environments, smoking-related knowledge and attitudes, and smoking behaviors.The average scores of students' smoking-related knowledge and attitudes (higher score, more against smoking) were highest in the factory school, followed by public schools and private schools. The differences among them were statistically significantly (P.05). The lifetime smoking prevalence was also significantly different (P.001) among 3 types of schools: 35.4% in private schools, 17.4% in public schools, and 13.2% in the factory school. The prevalence of students' weekly smoking was also higher in private schools (6.2%) than in public schools (4.9%) or the factory school (4.0%). Similar disparity was observed in the prevalence of daily smoking (3.9% private, 3.5% public, and 2.7% factory). However, differences in weekly and daily smoking were not statistically significant (P.05).Compared with students in public and factory schools, those in general-paid private schools had poorer smoking-related knowledge, more supportive attitudes toward smoking, and more popular smoking behaviors. Therefore, more intensive smoking prevention programs should be implemented among them.

Objective. To identify modifiable family and school environmental factors associated with Chinese adolescent smoking behaviors including never-smoking, experimental smoking, regular smoking, and attempting to quit. Methods. A cross-sectional survey using self-reported questionnaires was conducted in Huangpu, Guangzhou in December of 2004. A total of 3957 pupils agreed to complete the questionnaires. The prevalence odds ratio (risk) of experimental smoking was compared to never-smoking, adjusting for gender and age in unconditional logistic regression analysis. The risk of regular smoking was compared to experimental smoking, and the risk of attempting quitting was analyzed in regular smokers. Results. The cigarette smoking of peers, mothers, fathers, brothers, and supervising teachers, passive smoking, and seeing someone smoking on campus increased the risk of experimental smoking vs. nonsmoking, while no-smoking signs, perceived anti-tobacco atmosphere in school, and being taught smoking-related health knowledge decreased the risk. The factors associated with regular smoking compared to experimental smoking included the smoking of peers, brothers, fathers and supervising teachers, teacher's tolerance, and passive smoking. Being taught smoking-related knowledge, perceived anti-tobacco atmosphere and no-smoking signs in school were positively associated with regular smoker's attempt to quit, while supervising teacher's smoking, parents' and teachers' tolerance could delay it. Conclusions. These modifiable family and school environmental factors as well as their interaction with gender and age should be highly considered in adolescent smoking prevention in China.

Low level of immunity for SARS-CoV among well healthcare workers reinforces the need for infection control measures in hospitals to prevent epidemics., To determine the prevalence of inapparent infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) among healthcare workers, we performed a serosurvey to test for immunoglobulin (Ig) G antibodies to the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) among 1,147 healthcare workers in 3 hospitals that admitted SARS patients in mid-May 2003. Among them were 90 healthcare workers with SARS. As a reference group, 709 healthcare workers who worked in 2 hospitals that never admitted any SARS patients were similarly tested. The seroprevalence rate was 88.9% (80/90) for healthcare workers with SARS and 1.4% (15/1,057) for healthcare workers who were apparently healthy. The seroprevalence in the reference group was 0.4% (3/709). These findings suggest that inapparent infection is uncommon. Low level of immunity among unaffected healthcare workers reinforces the need for adequate personal protection and other infection control measures in hospitals to prevent future epidemics.

Apolipoprotein (apo)E-deficient mice were used to study the antiatherogenic effect of black rice pigment fraction (BRF) and the possible mechanisms by which it inhibits atherogenesis. The apoE-deficient mice (n = 45) were randomly divided into three groups and received AIN-93G diet (positive group), AIN-93G with 5 g of black rice pigment fraction/100 g (BRF group) and AIN-93G with 5 g of white rice outer layer fraction/100 g (WRF group) for 16 wk. C57BL/6J mice (n = 15) received AIN-93G and were used as a control group. Blood samples were collected for measurement of lipid concentration, antioxidized LDL antibody and nitric oxide concentration. Livers were extracted for determination of cholesterol concentrations, and aortas were used to determine cholesterol concentrations and inducible nitric oxide synthase protein and mRNA expression. Hearts were used to assess atherosclerotic plaque formation. The apoE-deficient mice fed the black rice pigment fraction diet had 48% (P < 0.01) less atherosclerotic lesion area compared with apoE-deficient mice fed only the AIN-93G diet and 46% (P < 0.01) less lesion area compared with mice fed the white rice outer layer fraction diet. This observation corresponded with significantly (P < 0.05) lower total serum cholesterol, lower liver and aorta cholesterol (P < 0.01) and higher HDL cholesterol (P < 0.05) concentrations and lower (P < 0.05) antioxidized LDL antibody titer in apoE-deficient mice fed the black rice pigment fraction diet compared with positive and WRF groups. Notwithstanding this, mice fed the black rice pigment fraction diet also had lower CD4(+) T lymphocyte expression (P < 0.05) and weaker inducible nitric oxide synthase expression (P < 0.05) compared with mice fed the AIN-93G diet and the white rice outer layer fraction diet, respectively. We concluded that the inhibition of atherosclerotic lesions of the black rice pigment fraction is attributed to the improvement in cholesterol accumulation and reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation.

To understand the infection status and epidemiological features of HBV in permanent residents of Shenzhen city.A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was performed for questionnaire survey to permanently-registered residents of 1-59 years old in Luohu and Baoan district of Shenzhen in 2010, and blood samples of the subjects were collected. Hepatitis B virus-related surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus surface antibody (anti-HBs) were detected with ELISA.The total 3771 studied population showed 252 HBsAg positive and 2712 anti-HBs positive residents with the standardization prevalence as 9.73% and 72.83% , respectively. The difference of the prevalence of HBsAg and anti-HBs between males and females were not statistically significant (P0.05). The prevalence of HBsAg was reduced with increasing age. The differences of the prevalence of HBsAg between Shenzhen permanent registered and non-permanent registered population were not significant, but the prevalence of anti-HBs in Permanent registered residents (78.32%) was higher than in non-permanent (66.03%, χ(2) = 41.613, P0.001). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly different in various occupational and educational levels. Peasants had the highest prevalence (24.13%) and medical workers had the highest prevalence of anti-HBs (89.10% ). People with junior high school education had the highest prevalence of HBsAg (12.76%) and the lowest of anti-HBs (62.45%). Population with high-level education had the highest prevalence of anti-HBs(81.00% average). The prevalence of HBsAg was over 10% in people who were born in Shenzhen and Guangdong province, and the anti-HBs was the highest in Shenzhen population with the prevalence as 74.48% and 76.47% , respectively.In the Shenzhen resident population, the overall prevalence of HBV was lower than the average level of Guangdong province, but higher than the national wide.

Objective. Previous studies have indicated that cigarette smokers are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and that both smoking and type 2 diabetes are associated with C-reactive protein (CRP). This study examined whether CRP mediates the association between smoking quantity and type 2 diabetes.Methods. Nine hundred and eighty-four current Chinese smokers were selected from a community-based chronic disease survey conducted in Guangzhou and Zhuhai. Type 2 diabetes was defined according to the WHO 1999 criteria. CRP was measured with flow cytometry. Binary logistic regression was performed to assess the mediation.Results. A positive association was observed between smoking quantity and type 2 diabetes (P<0.05). After controlling for potential confounders, daily cigarette consumption was significantly associated with higher CRP levels. Current smokers with type 2 diabetes had higher CRP levels than smokers without type 2 diabetes. The association between the smoking quantity and type 2 diabetes was mediated by CRP, which accounted for 50.77% of the association.Conclusions. This study provides further evidence that smoking quantity is positively associated with type 2 diabetes and suggests that the association between smoking and type 2 diabetes might be mediated by CRP.

The influence of white, red and black rice consumption on atherosclerotic plaque formation induced by hypercholesterolemia was investigated in rabbits. Male rabbits (n = 36) were divided into five groups. They were fed a normal laboratory purified diet (normal group, n = 6), a high cholesterol (0.5 g/100 g) diet (HC group, n = 6), a high cholesterol diet with 30 g/100 g white rice (WR group, n = 8), 30 g/100 g red rice (RR group, n = 8), or 30 g/100 g black rice (BR group, n = 8) for 10 wk. Blood samples were collected for lipid measurements and aorta were removed for assessment of atherosclerotic plaques at the end of the protocol. The oxidant and antioxidant status of blood, erythrocytes, liver and aorta was evaluated. The area of atherosclerotic plaque was 50% lower in rabbits fed the red or black rice diets than in those fed the white rice diet. Compared with the HC and WR groups, serum HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I concentration were greater (P < 0.05) in the RR and BR groups. Liver reactive oxygen species (ROS) and aortic malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower, and the liver total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly higher in the RR and BR groups compared with the HC and WR groups. Red or black rice consumption reduced or retarded the progression of atherosclerotic plaque development induced by dietary cholesterol. The enhanced serum HDL cholesterol and apo A-I concentrations, and the increased antioxidant and decreased oxidative status may be mechanisms of the antiatherogenic effect of red or black rice.

OBJECTIVES Previous studies indicated that cigarette smokers were more likely to develop hypertension, and both smoking and hypertension were associated with inflammation. Whether inflammation mediates the relationship of them is unclear. This study aims to examine whether inflammation mediates the association between smoking and hypertension. METHODS Nine hundred and eighty-four Chinese current smokers from a community-based chronic diseases survey in Guangzhou and Zhuhai were interviewed about sociodemographics, smoking, chronic conditions, and other health-related variables. Hypertension was defined according to 2007 European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology (ESH-ESC) Practice Guidelines. Inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) were measured by flow cytometry. Logistic regressions were performed to assess the mediation of inflammation on the relationship between smoking quantity and hypertension. RESULTS We observed a positive association between smoking quantity and hypertension (P

Published data concerning associations between IRS1 variants and type 2 diabetes and related traits have been inconsistent. We examined the relationship between common variants in IRS1, type 2 diabetes, and related traits including insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and DNA damage in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study.We genotyped six common IRS1 variants in an adult Puerto Rican population (n=1132) and tested for association with risk of type 2 diabetes and related traits.SNPs rs934167 and rs1801123 showed significant association with fasting glucose concentrations (p = 0.005 and p = 0.016, respectively) and rs934167 showed significant association with plasma insulin levels (p = 0.005). Carriers of the rs934167 minor allele had significantly higher HOMA-IR and lower QUICKI (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively), and a 40% and 58% greater likelihood of being hyperglycaemic or hyperinsulinemic (OR = 1.40 and 1.58; p = 0.013 and 0.002, respectively). However, they exhibited only a marginally significant trend towards having type 2 diabetes (OR=1.27, p = 0.077). Furthermore, carriers of the haplotype C-T of the rs934167 and rs1801123 minor alleles showed consistent patterns of associations after correction for multiple testing. In addition, the G972R (rs1801278) minor allele was significantly associated with higher urinary 8-OHdG concentrations (p = 0.020) and plasma CRP levels (p = 0.035).Our results support IRS1 variants associated with type 2 diabetes risk in adult Puerto Ricans. Moreover, we report the novel finding that IRS1 variant G972R (rs1801278) may contribute to oxidative DNA damage and inflammation.

The consumption of tea and herbal infusions has increased rapidly in recent years. More and more people consume these infusions as daily beverages as well as for health purposes. The aim of this study was to supply new information on the antiproliferative function of these infusions for nutritionists and the general public. The in vitro antiproliferative activities of 60 different tea and herbal infusions on four cancer cell lines were evaluated by MTT assay. The results showed that some infusions strongly inhibited the proliferation of A549 (human lung cancer cells), MCF-7 (human breast cancer cells), HepG2 (human hepatoma cells) and HT-29 (human colon cancer cells), and decreased the viability of these cancer cell lines in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, some bioactive components in the infusions were also separated and determined by HPLC. The results suggested that some tea and herbal infusions may be potential dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of cancer.

Dietary components play an important role in the cause and pathogenesis of colorectal cancer by complicated interaction between diet components and gut microflora. Diet components not only alter bacterial metabolism, but also are chemically modified by microflora in gut into various carcinogens. Dietary fat, fibre, starch, total energy intake, calcium and dairy lactobacilli are currently under the study.

Diabetes represents one of the greatest medical and socioeconomic threats worldwide. The pathogenesis involved is complicated. The effect of methyl donors and genetic polymorphisms in metabolic enzymes on the risk of microangiopathy in patients with diabetes is not well understood. This study investigates the association of homocysteine, choline and betaine levels and phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT) G774C (rs12325817) genotypes with the risk of diabetes and its related microangiopathic complications.Between January 2009 and June 2010, 184 diabetic patients and 188 non-diabetic control subjects were enrolled in the hospital-based case-control study. Serum concentrations of betaine and choline were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-mass spectrometry. Serum concentrations of homocysteine were assayed using HPLC. PEMT gene mutations were detected by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism.After adjustment for potential confounders, serum total homocysteine had a significant dose-dependent positive association, and serum choline had an inverse association with the risks of diabetes and its microangiopathic complications (both p 0.001). Although serum betaine was not associated with the risk of diabetes, it had a significant inverse association with diabetic microangiopathy. Compared with GG genotype, the CC genotype of PEMT G774C was associated with a decreased risk of diabetes (OR 0.559, 95% CI 0.338, 0.926) and its microangiopathy (OR 0.452, 95% CI 0.218, 0.937).The GG genotype of the PEMT G774C polymorphism, higher levels of serum homocysteine and lower levels of serum betaine are associated with an increased risk of microangiopathy in patients with diabetes.

Acrylamide is potential carcinogenic compound that possesses neurotoxicity activity. In this study, the levels of acrylamide in 123 selected food samples from China was evaluated using a LC/MS/MS method. One hundred and fifteen (115) out of 123 samples showed positive levels of acrylamide in the range of 0.41 to 4,126.26 µg/kg. Generally, the highest acrylamide levels were found in fried products, such as potato, prawn strips and rice crust, with average values of 604.27, 341.40, and 201.51 µg/kg, respectively. Heated protein-rich food also showed some acrylamide content (ranging from 2.31 to 78.57 µg/kg). The results revealed that a potential acrylamide public health risk occurred in processed snacks, as well as the food consumed daily. This study supplied new information on acrylamide content of a variety of heat-treated foods from China.

The effect of orally administered lactobacilli on acute rotavirus diarrhea was tested in 42 well-nourished children ages 5-28 months. After oral rehydration, the patients were randomized to a study group, receiving human Lactobacillus casei strain GG 10(10) colony-forming units twice daily for five days, or a control group not given lactobacilli. Lactobacillus GG was found in the feces in 83% of the study group. The diarrheal phase was shortened in that group. Dietary supplementation with lactobacilli significantly influenced the bacterial enzyme profile: urease activity during diarrhea transiently increased in the control group but not in the study group; F = 8.6, P = 0.01. No intergroup differences were found in beta-glucuronidase, beta-glucosidase, and glycocholic acid hydrolase levels. We suggest that rotavirus infection gives rise to biphasic diarrhea, the first phase being an osmotic diarrhea and the second associated with overgrowth of specifically urease-producing bacteria. Oral bacteriotherapy appears a promising means to counteract the disturbed microbial balance.

The effects of yogurt containing viable Lactobacillus strain GG (L. GG) and/or fiber supplements on fecal enzyme activities (beta-glucuronidase, nitroreductase, beta-glucosidase, glycocholic acid hydrolase, urease) and on bacterial metabolites in urine (phenol, p-cresol) were studied in 64 females, 20-41 y old. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups: the first group received L. GG yogurt (2 x 150 mL/d, containing 10(11) colony-forming units (cfu)/L of L. GG), the second group received L. GG yogurt and a rye fiber product (30 g/d, equivalent to 9 g fiber/d), and the third group received placebo yogurt (pasteurized) and fiber. The supplementation period lasted 4 wk, with a preceding 2-wk baseline period and a 2-wk follow-up period. The mean fecal count of L. GG was approximately 10(6) cfu/g feces during the supplementation, and L. GG persisted in the fecal samples of 28% of the subjects for 2 wk after supplementation. L. GG yogurt alone or with fiber significantly decreased fecal beta-glucuronidase, nitroreductase and glycocholic acid hydrolase activities. These enzyme activities returned to baseline levels during the follow-up period. beta-Glucosidase and urease activities were not altered significantly during the study. The addition of fiber to L. GG and placebo yogurt had no effect on the enzymic activities. Urinary excretion of p-cresol decreased significantly in groups receiving L. GG. These data demonstrate that L. GG can modify the colonic environment with possible health effects.

ObjectiveTo explore the interactions between smoking andCYP2A6genotypes on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as well as potential pathways for smoking in causing T2DM.DesignCross-sectional study.MethodsA total of 1344 smokers with complete data from a community-based T2DM survey in Guangzhou and Zhuhai of China from July 2006 to June 2007 were interviewed with a structured questionnaire about socio-demographic status and daily cigarette consumption. Serum glucose, insulin, and cotinine were measured after an overnight fast. Subjects were genotyped forCYP2A6and classified, according to genotype, into normal, intermediate, slow, or poor nicotine metabolizers based on prior knowledge ofCYP2A6allele associations with nicotine C-oxidation rate. Abdominal obesity was defined as a waist-to-hip ratio ≥0.90 for males or ≥0.85 for females. Type 2 diabetic patients (n=154) were diagnosed according to WHO 1999 criteria. Chi-square tests, multivariate logistic regression models, and a structural equation model were used in this study.ResultsMultivariate analysis indicated that, compared with light smoking, heavy smoking significantly increased the risk of T2DM (odds ratio (OR)=1.75, 95% CI=1.01–3.05). There were significant interactions between heavy smoking and slowCYP2A6(OR=5.12, 95% CI=1.08–24.23) and poorCYP2A6metabolizer genotypes (OR=8.54, 95% CI=1.28–57.02) on T2DM. Structural equation modeling indicated thatCYP2A6moderation of smoking quantity risk on T2DM was mediated by the effects on serum cotinine, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion.ConclusionsHeavy smoking was significantly associated with T2DM, and this association was moderated byCYP2A6genotype and mediated by serum cotinine, abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, and insulin secretion.

Monocyte adhesion to the vascular endothelium and their subsequent trans-endothelial migration are pivotal early events in atherogenesis. In this study, the effect of delphinidin, belonging to the group of anthocyanin, on adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells induced by ox-LDL was investigated. The results showed that the pre-treatment with delphinidin (50, 100, or 200 μM) dose-dependently decreased the ox-LDL-induced up-regulation of the expression of ICAM-1 and P-selectin, and the enhanced adhesion and transmigration of monocytes. To determine the role of ROS/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway, intracellular ROS level, p38MAPK protein expression, NF-κB transcription activity and protein expression, IκB-α degradation, NADPH oxidase subunit (Nox2 and p22phox) protein, and mRNA expression were measured. The results showed that delphinidin attenuated ox-LDL-induced generation of ROS, p38MAPK protein expression, NF-κB transcription activity and protein expression, IκB-α degradation, NADPH oxidase subunit (Nox2 and p22phox) protein and mRNA expression in endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that delphinidin attenuates ox-LDL induced expression of adhesion molecules (P-selectin and ICAM-1) and the adhesion of monocytes to endothelial cells by inhibiting ROS/p38MAPK/NF-κB pathway. These findings provide a basis for the design of potent antiatherosclerotic agents that will have therapeutic potential in the prevention of AS.

Previous studies in the world reported inconsistent results about the relationship of medical professional education with medical students' smoking behaviors, and no similar research had been published in China.This paper aims to explore whether the differences of smoking-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors existed between medical and non-medical undergraduate students.Eight thousand one hundred thirty-eight undergraduate students sampled from a university in Guangzhou were investigated with a self-administered structured questionnaire about their smoking-related knowledge, attitude and behaviors, and other relevant factors. General linear model and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to test the differences in smoking-related knowledge, attitude, and behaviors between medical and non-medical students while controlling for potential confounding variables.There was no difference in smoking-related knowledge scores between medical and non-medical freshmen, but medical sophomores and juniors had higher scores of smoking-related knowledge than their non-medical counterparts. The medical sophomores had higher mean score of attitudes towards smoking than non-medical ones. Before entering university, the difference in the prevalence of experimental and regular smoking between medical and non-medical college students was not significant. After entering university, in contrast, the overall prevalence of regular smoking was significantly higher among male non-medical college students than among male medical students. Stratified by current academic year, this difference was significant only among male sophomores.Medical students have higher smoking-related knowledge, stronger anti-smoking attitude, and lower prevalence of regular smoking than non-medical college students of similar age, which may be associated with medical professional education.

The concentrations of heavy metals in both local environmental samples (water and crops) and in the whole blood of 1,152 local residents were determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. We calculated rate ratios and standardized mortality ratios based on age-, gender-, and cause-specific mortality for both the district and province. Multi-regression models were then used to evaluate the associations between the exposure to multiple heavy metals and cause-specific mortality in the studied population. Significant increases in the mean concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in the blood samples were found to be associated with a substantially elevated all-cancer mortality rate in this high-exposure area (HEA). There were also significantly elevated mortality rates in the HEA for both sexes from a wide range of causes (all-cause), including cardiovascular disease (CVD), when compared with a low-exposure area (LEA). Further analysis showed positive correlations between exposure to both cadmium and lead and a higher risk of all-cancer mortality among women and for both sexes combined. In contrast, zinc exposure negatively correlated with the risk of cause-specific mortality, but this was not significant. These results of our current study thus reveal that long-term environmental exposure to both cadmium and lead is associated with an increased risk of all-cause, CVD, and all-cancer mortality, whereas zinc exposure showed a possible weak protection against death from CVD.