Q5 Group Research Articles

Protective effect and mechanism of quercetin on learning and memory function after global ischemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Objective To observe the effect of quercetin (Que) on neurological behavior, cell apoptosis and apoptosis-related protein expression in hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Exploring the mechanism of quercetin-induced neuroprotective effect against global cerebral I/R injury. Methods Seventy two Male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=18): sham+vehicle group (S group), I/R+vehicle group (I/R group), I/R+Que 5 mg·kg-1·d-1 group (Q5 group) and I/R+Que 10 mg·kg-1·d-1 group (Q10 group). The global cerebral ischemia reperfusion model was established by a four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) ligation method, and the duration of ischemia was 15 min. Sham-operated animals were treated similarly to those in the ischemic group, but neither the vertebral arteries nor the common carotid arteries were occluded. The rats in Q5 group and Q10 group were administered with 0.05%, 0.10% of the quercetin solution by garage at the dose of 5 mg·kg-1·d-1 and 10 mg·kg-1·d-1 respectively. S group and I/R group were given equal volume of vehicle. The quercetin and vehicle were administrated by gavage once per day 3 d before I/R and continued till the end of observation. The Morris maze test was performed 8 d after reperfusion. At 24 h after reperfusion, TUNEL staining and Annexin V-FITC/PI double labeled flow cytometry were used to evaluate apoptosis in hippocampus tissue, the expressions of Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, survivin, cleaved caspase-3, phosphorylated protein kinase B(p-Akt), Bad, p-Bad protein were determined by Western blot. Results In Morris water maze test, escape latency results showed that compared with I/R group, the escape latency in Q5 group and Q10 group was obviously reduced (P<0.05). Space probe test showed that the active time in the target quadrant in Q5 group and Q10 group were significantly longer than active time in the target quadrant (P<0.05). The frequency of crossing the original position platform was significantly increased (P<0.05). TUNEL assay showed that a large number of apoptotic cells in I/R group, while less positive cells could be seen in Q5 group and Q10 group. Annexin V-FITC/PI double staining flow cytometry detection results showed that the proportion of apoptotic cells in Q5 group and Q10 group were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Western blot results showed that Bcl-2, Bcl-xl, survivin, p-Akt and p-Bad expression levels were significantly increased in Q5 group and Q10 group (P<0.05) while cleaved caspase-3 expression level was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Conclusions Quercetin can up-regulate the expression of p-Akt, p-Bad, Bcl-2, Bcl-xl and survivin while down-regulate the expression of cleaved caspase-3, which leads to the inhibition of apoptosis, eventually protects neuron cells from global cerebral I/R injury and improves the learning and memory function. Key words: Quercetin; Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion; Learning; Memory; Hippocampus; Apoptosis

Effect of grip strength on mental health

BackgroundThis study is to longitudinally investigate the association between grip strength and mental health disorders in middle aged and aged population from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. MethodsData from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA) from 2006 to 2016 was assessed using longitudinal data analysis and out of the 9279 research subjects gathered 1549 (16.7%) participants were reported as Q1 group and 2074 (22.4%) participants were reported as Q5 group. To analyze the association between grip strength and mental health disorders, generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used. ResultsThe association between grip strength and cognitive decline was statistically significant, with the following Odds ratio (OR) predicting decreased cognitive decline: OR = 4.99 (p < .0001) for Q1 group vs. Q5 group. The association between grip strength and MMSE and CESD was also statistically significant, with the following estimate (B) predicting decreased MMSE score: B = −0.12 (p < .0001) for Q1 group vs. Q5 group. In terms of CESD, CESD score was higher for Q1 group (B = 0.34, p < .0001) compared to Q5 group. ConclusionThis study shows a significant association between grip strength and risk of mental illness in Korean middle aged and aged population. Therefore, grip strength should be given more focus in terms of resistance training programs.

Protection of GnRH analogue by chitosan-dextran sulfate nanoparticles for intravaginal application in rabbit artificial insemination

The present study was designed to prove new rabbit insemination extenders containing aminopeptidase inhibitors (AMIs) with or without chitosan (CS)-dextran sulfate (DS) nanoparticles entrapping the GnRH analogue. In addition, different hormone concentrations were tested in these extenders, evaluating their in vivo effect on rabbit reproductive performance after artificial insemination. A total of 911 females were inseminated with semen diluted with the four experimental extenders (C4 group: 4 μg buserelin/doe in control medium (Tris-citric acid-glucose supplemented with bestatin 10 μM and EDTA 20 mM), C5 group: 5 μg of buserelin/doe in control medium, Q4 group: 4 μg of buserelin/doe into CS-DS nanoparticles in control medium, Q5 group: 5 μg of busereline/doe into CS-DS nanoparticles in control medium). Results showed that fertility was significantly lower in C4 group compared to C5, Q5 and Q4 groups (0.7 versus 0.85, 0.85 and 0.82, respectively). On the contrary, prolificacy was similar in the four experimental groups studied (P > 0.05). We conclude that the CS-DS nanoparticles prepared by a coacervation process as carrier for buserelin acetate allows reducing the concentration of hormone used in extenders supplemented with bestatin and EDTA without affecting the fertility and prolificacy of rabbit females.

Correlation between serum uric acid level and acute renal injury after coronary artery bypass grafting

Objective: To evaluate whether early postoperative serum uric acid level can predict postoperative acute renal injury (AKI) among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: The study retrospectively enrolled 1 306 patients undergoing CABG in Fuwai Hospital between September 2012 and December 2013. The patients were divided into 5 groups by the concentrations of serum uric acid measured on the morning of the first postoperative day, and uric acid categories were as follow: less than 195 μmol/L (Q1 group, 262 cases), 195-236 μmol/L (Q2 group, 263 cases), 237-280 μmol/L (Q3 group, 260 cases), 281-336 μmol/L (Q4 group, 261 cases), more than 336 μmol/L (Q5 group, 260 cases). The primary end points were AKI (RIFLE criteria), severe AKI (AKI≥stage Ⅰ), postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) requirement, in-hospital death, length of stay in hospital and intensive care unit(ICU). The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to determine the ability of the early postoperative serum uric acid level as a risk factor for postoperative AKI prediction. Results: Among the 1 306 patients enrolled in the study, AKI was found in 335 patients (25.65%). After adjusting for variables that were different between the 5 groups, the Q5 group had significantly higher risk of AKI, AKI≥ stage Ⅰ and the requirement of CRRT (P<0.01). The ROC for the outcome of postoperative AKI had an AUC of 0.648 (95% CI: 0.612-0.683) when serum creatinine levels alone were used and 0.722 (95% CI: 0.688-0.755) when serum uric acid levels alone were used (both P<0.001). Early postoperative serum uric acid was a better predictor than serum creatinine(P<0.001). Conclusion: The serum uric acid concentration within 12 hours after operation is an independent predictor of postoperative AKI in patients undergoing CABG, which could be used to identify patients at high risk for AKI.

Prospective cohort study on the predictive value of serum uric acid levels to the incident nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Objective To assess the predictive value of serum uric acid levels to the incident nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)in a cohort of healthy population. Methods A prospective cohort study of NAFLD incidence was conducted in Xinjiang province, from 2012 to 2014. A cohort study was performed on 2 207 subjects with no evidence of fatty liver disease by liver ultrasound and with no major risk factors for liver disease at baseline. All participants were interviewed to carry out the epidemiological questionnaire survey, physical examination, abdominal ultrasonography, as well as blood biochemistry measurements. The hazard ratios of NAFLD were compared among groups with different uric acid levels. All subjects were classified according to serum uric acid (within normal range grouped by quartile: Q1-Q4 group; above the normal range: Q5 group). Results NAFLD was newly diagnosed in 13.72% subjects within the 3-year period. The incidence of NAFLD was increased with elevated serum uric acid quartiles(P<0.01). In multivariate logistic regression, after adjustment for gender, age, race, metabolic syndrome and its components, OR for incident fatty liver in Q2 to Q5 of serum uric acid concentration as compared to Q1 were 2.509, 3.172, 3.392, and 4.041 respectively. Conclusion Elevated serum uric acid concentrations may predict NAFLD in the subjects for a regular health checkup. (Chin J Endocrinol Metab, 2017, 33: 203-207) Key words: Serum uric acid; Fatty liver; Early diagnosis; Health examination population

Associations between serum uric acid levels and the incidence of nonfatal stroke: a nationwide community-based cohort study.

Hyperuricemia is an established risk factor for cardiovascular events and mortality. This study investigated the association between serum uric acid and the incidence of nonfatal stroke in a Japanese community-based population. We used a nationwide database of 155,322 subjects (aged 40-73, male 39%) who participated in the annual "Specific Health Check and Guidance in Japan" checkup from 2008 to 2010. We examined the relationship between the quintiles of serum uric acid levels at baseline and the incidence of nonfatal stroke during a 2-year study period using self-reported data. The crude incidence of nonfatal stroke was significantly associated with serum uric acid levels at baseline, showing the lowest values in subjects with the 3rd quintile (Q3: men, 5.0-5.6; women, 3.8-4.3) of uric acid levels (mg/dL) and the highest values in subjects with the highest quintile (Q5: men ≥7.1, women ≥5.5) both in men and women (P<0.05). In multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analysis, the odds ratio (OR) of the Q5 group was significantly higher than for the Q3 group in both men and women [men: OR 1.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.54, women: OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.00-1.48]. In the subgroup analysis, the OR of the Q5 group of uric acid levels for incident stroke was high, irrespective of characteristics such as age, sex, and renal function. This study has shown that serum uric acid is independently associated with the incidence of nonfatal stroke in the general Japanese population.

Relationship between dietary vitamin C and Type 2 diabetes

To examine the correlation between dietary vitamin C intake and Type 2 diabetes. A total of 5 168 participants from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University were randomly selected. According to the vitamin C intake, the participants were divided into 5 groups: a Q1 group (n=1 033), a Q2 group (n=1 034), a Q3 group (n=1 034), a Q4 group (n=1 034) and a Q5 group (n=1 033). They were also divided into a Type 2 diabetes group (n=502) and a non-diabetes group (n=4 666). The height, weight, and blood pressure were measured, and vitamin C intake and other dairy consumption were evaluated using a food frequency questionnaire and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression model were used to analyze the relationship between dietary vitamin C and Type 2 diabetes. The univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in the vitamin C consumption in energy intake, activity level, dietary fiber intake, nutritional supplementation status, drinking or not drinking, education level among the different vitamin C intake groups (all P<0.05). There were also significant differences in age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and vitamin C intake between the Type 2 diabetes group and the non-diabetes group (all P<0.05). After the adjustment for age, gender, hypertension, energy intake or smoking status, the multiple logistic regression model found that the multivariable adjusted OR was 0.610 (95% CI 0.428-0.870) for the highest level of vitamin C intake (>154.78 mg/d) in comparison with the lowest level (≤ 63.26 mg/d). The results suggested that the vitamin C intake was inversely associated with the Type 2 diabetes (r=-0.029, P<0.05). There is a significant negative correlation between the dietary vitamin C intake and the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Inpatient Rehabilitation Volume and Functional Outcomes in Stroke, Lower Extremity Fracture, and Lower Extremity Joint Replacement

It is unclear if volume-outcome relationships exist in inpatient rehabilitation. Assess associations between facility volumes and 2 patient-centered outcomes in the 3 most common diagnostic groups in inpatient rehabilitation. We used hierarchical linear and generalized linear models to analyze administrative assessment data from patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation services for stroke (n=202,423), lower extremity fracture (n=132,194), or lower extremity joint replacement (n=148,068) between 2006 and 2008 in 717 rehabilitation facilities across the United States. Facilities were assigned to quintiles based on average annual diagnosis-specific patient volumes. Discharge functional status (FIM instrument) and probability of home discharge. Facility-level factors accounted for 6%-15% of the variance in discharge FIM total scores and 3%-5% of the variance in home discharge probability across the 3 diagnostic groups. We used the middle volume quintile (Q3) as the reference group for all analyses and detected small, but statistically significant (P<0.01) associations with discharge functional status in all 3 diagnosis groups. Only the highest volume quintile (Q5) reached statistical significance, displaying higher functional status ratings than Q3 each time. The largest effect was observed in FIM total scores among fracture patients, with only a 3.6-point difference in Q5 and Q3 group means. Volume was not independently related to home discharge. Outcome-specific volume effects ranged from small (functional status) to none (home discharge) in all 3 diagnostic groups. Patients with these conditions can be treated locally rather than at higher volume regional centers. Further regionalization of inpatient rehabilitation services is not needed for these conditions.

Effects of total and green vegetable intakes on glycated hemoglobin A1c and triglycerides in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: The Japanese Elderly Intervention Trial

Many reports have shown that vegetable intake is effective in inhibiting the onset and progression of diabetes mellitus, although the amount of vegetable intake required to be effective remains as unclear. The present study therefore aimed to clarify the relationship between the amount of vegetable intake and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and other metabolic parameters using male Japanese type 2 diabetic patients aged 65 years or older as subjects. Participants were 417 male type 2 diabetic patients aged 65 years or older enrolled in the Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial. Dietary intakes were measured by using the Food Frequency Questionnaires method. The patients were divided into five groups by their daily total vegetable intake (A1: ~100 g, A2: 100~150 g, A3: 150~200 g, A4: 200~300 g, A5: 300 g~), and compared HbA1c and other metabolic parameters. Furthermore, the relationship between daily green vegetable intake and HbA1c and other metabolic parameters were examined among five groups divided by quintile methods. There were significant decreases in HbA1c, triglycerides and waist circumference with an increase of total vegetable intake. A significant decrease of HbA1c levels was observed in patients with a daily total vegetable intake of 150 g or more. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease of serum triglyceride levels in patients with a total vegetable intake of 200 g or more. HbA1c levels showed a decreasing tendency with the increase of green vegetable intake, and HbA1c levels in the Q1 group (green vegetable intake: less than 40 g) was significantly higher than those in the other four groups (anovaP = 0.025). In addition, there were significant decreases of body mass index, triglyceride levels and waist circumference with the increase of green vegetable intake. Triglyceride levels decreased significantly from the Q3 group (green vegetable intake: 70 g or more) to the Q5 group (green vegetable intake: 130 g or more; anovaP = 0.016). In the group with a lower intake of total vegetables and green vegetables, the protein energy ratio decreased significantly. As a result, the fat energy ratio and energy intake tended to increase with the decrease of total and green vegetable intakes. Furthermore, intake of grains, sweets and alcoholic beverages increased with the decrease of total vegetable intake. In contrast, intake of nuts, potatoes, sugar, legumes, fruit, seaweed and fish increased with the increase of total vegetable intake Daily total vegetable intake of 200 g or more, and green vegetable intake of 70 g or more correlated with improved control of HbA1c and triglyceride levels in elderly type 2 diabetes patients through achieving a well-balanced diet.