[Association between metabolically healthy obesity and incident risk of stroke in adult aged over 40 from rural Henan province]

Objective: To investigate the association between metabolically healthy obesity and the incident risk of stroke in people aged ≥40 years from rural areas of Henan Province. Methods: During 2007 to 2008, 20 194 residents aged ≥18 years were selected for baseline examination by random cluster sampling and 17 265 participants were followed up during 2013 to 2014. According to the aim of current study, a total of 11 864 eligible subjects were included in this post-hoc analysis. Depending on body mass index and metabolic status, subjects were divided into four groups: metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obesity, metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obesity. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between metabolically healthy obesity and the risk of stroke. Results: The median (Q₁, Q₃) age of study participants was 54(46, 61) years, and 4 526 participants were men. During the mean follow-up of 6 years, the cumulative incidence of stroke was 7.16%. The incidence of stroke in metabolically healthy normal weight, metabolically healthy obesity, metabolically abnormal normal weight, and metabolically abnormal obesity were 3.73%, 4.61%, 8.99% and 9.38%, respectively (χ²=117.458, P<0.001). After adjusting possible confounding factors, compared with metabolically healthy normal weight, the risk of stroke was significantly increased in the metabolically healthy obesity group, metabolically abnormal normal weight group and metabolically abnormal obesity group with the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.52(1.10-2.12), 2.11(1.61-2.77) and 2.78(2.18-3.55), respectively. Stratified analysis showed that the risk of stroke was significantly higher in metabolically healthy obesity people aged 40-59 years compared with metabolically healthy normal weight group (OR=2.12, 95%CI: 1.36-3.30). Conclusion: Metabolically healthy obesity, metabolically abnormal normal weight and metabolically abnormal obesity are positively associated with the risk of stroke.

Delayed neuropathy and inhibition of soluble neuropathy target esterase following the administration of organophosphorus compounds to hens

Delayed neuropathy and inhibition of soluble neuropathy target esterase (NTE) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities in different regions of brain and spinal cord of adult hens were studied after the intravenous administration of leptophos (30 mg/kg), tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP 40 mg/kg) or dipterex (200 mg/kg). The level of NTE activity varied according to the regions of the central nervous system (CNS) of the control (normal) hen, being higher in the cerebrum (74.1 micromol of phenyl valerate hydrolyzed/10 minutes/mg protein) and in the cerebellum (68.7), and lower in the spinal cord (44.5 in cervical, 55.6 in thoracic and 50.0 in lumbar cord). Hens given leptophos and TOCP demonstrated delayed neuropathy with obvious inhibition of NTE, but the times of onset and the degrees of peak inhibition of NTE activity were different: 6-24 hours after dosing and 73-82% of normal activity for leptophos, and 24-48 hours and 45-80% for TOCP, respectively. Furthermore, the average inhibition of NTE during 6-48 hours after dosing, (called here 'period average inhibition') was also significantly different between the leptophos group (63-73%) and TOCP group (40-64%). Hens given dipterex did not demonstrate delayed neuropathy, and had the least peak inhibition and period average inhibition of NTE activity among the 3 groups. Ratios of NTE inhibition/AChE inhibition were higher in the leptophos group (0.91-1.24) and TOCP group (1.13-2.45) than in the dipterex group (0.25-0.79). These results indicate that the distribution of NTE in the soluble fraction of membrane proteins is different in different regions of the CNS, and that the degree of peak inhibition of NTE activity and the time of onset of peak inhibition induced by organophosphorus compounds (OPs) also differ for different OPs. Thus, practical and useful NTE measurements should identify the peak inhibition and period inhibition in several nervous tissue regions.

Transfer of leptophos in hen eggs and tissues of embryonic rats

To estimate the delayed neurotoxic effect of OPs on the next generation, we tried two examinations; one was on the distribution of leptophos in tissues and eggs of hens which are highly susceptible to the delayed neurotoxic effect of OPs but have no placenta, and the other was on the concentration of OPs in tissues of both pregnant and embryonic rats which are not susceptible to the delayed neurotoxic effect but have placenta, after leptophos was administered to the mother in both experiments. First, organophosphorus compound-induced delayed neurotoxicity (OPIDN) was checked in 4 hens and the concentration of leptophos was determined in the other 16 hens after 20 adult laying hens were given 30 mg/kg leptophos (iv), a neurotoxic organophosphate. Three out of 4 hens treated with leptophos showed OPIDN. The concentration of leptophos decreased sharply in the blood, liver, brain and spinal cord from 24 to 48 hr after leptophos administration, but clearance of leptophos was relatively slow in the ovary. Leptophos in laid egg yolk was detected every day for 10 days, and the highest concentration of leptophos in egg yolk was observed on the 6th day after administration to hens. Secondly, in order to investigate the transfer of leptophos to the embryo through the placenta, we divided the thirty-two pregnant rats into 2 groups. The first group received 10 mg/kg leptophos intraperitoneally on the 17th day of pregnancy and the second received 20 mg/kg leptophos on the same day. The time-course of leptophos concentration in the tissues of pregnant and embryonic rats was checked, and the correlation between findings in the pregnant rats and the embryos was determined. The time-course of leptophos concentration in the blood, liver, brain and placenta of the rats was similar to that in hens. Leptophos concentration in the liver and brain of the embryos was equal to approximately 60% of leptophos concentration in each tissue of the pregnant rats, and the concentration of leptophos in the liver and brain of embryonic rats correlated with that in the blood and placenta of pregnant rats (p < 0.01). In both groups treated with 10 and 20 mg/kg leptophos, the concentrations of leptophos in the liver and brain of embryos were lower than that of pregnant rats in the early period after dosing, but the concentrations in embryos were inversely higher than those in pregnant rats in the latter period (48 hr). Compared with the biological half-lives of leptophos in the liver and brain of pregnant rats, these parameters in embryonic rats were 1.58 and 1.87 times, respectively. These results indicate that some of the fat-soluble organophosphorus compounds readily pass through the blood-placenta barrier into the embryos and accumulate there. Therefore, the neurobehavioral development of F1 rats exposed to some organophosphorus compounds through the placenta of pregnant rats should be further examined.

Effects of various post-treatment by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride on delayed neurotoxicity induced by leptophos

Delayed neurotoxicity induced by leptophos, an organophosphorus insecticide, was intensified in hens when phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) at dose of 30, 60, and 120 mg/kg body weight was administered at different time intervals (24 hr, 3 days, and 5 days) for each dose of PMSF after the hens were exposed to 30 mg/kg (i.v.) of leptophos. The scores for organophosphorus-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN) in all groups treated with 120 mg/kg PMSF were significantly higher than those in the group treated with leptophos only (P<0.05 or P<0.01) and the initial signs of OPIDN appeared 2 or 3 days earlier in the former groups than in the latter group. Further, the greater the PMSF post-treatment dose, the more severe were the signs of OPIDN. These findings indicate that post-treatment with PMSF promotes leptophos-induced OPIDN and reduces the period to OPIDN onset. We also examined the effects of various time intervals between PMSF administration and exposure to leptophos on the development of OPIDN. The OPIDN scores in the two groups of hen treated with PMSF on days 3 and 5 after leptophos exposure were high, especially the score of the 5 days treated group became significantly higher on the 18th and 19th day after leptophos administration than even that of the 24 hr treated group with PMSF (P<0.05). These findings suggest that variations in both the dose of PMSF and the time intervals of PMSF post-treatment may affect the delayed neurotoxicity induced by leptophos. Moreover, these results also indicate that PMSF should not be used for either the treatment or the prevention of OPIDN.

A study on opioid peptides in CSF of patients with epilepsy

The contents of L-EK, M-EK and beta-EP in CSF of 32 epileptics and 24 controls were determined by RIA. The mean L-EK content of epileptics was significantly higher than that of the controls (P less than 0.01). There were no obvious changes with respect to mean M-EK and beta-EP contents. No significant differences were seen in L-EK contents between generalized and partial seizures, treated and untreated with antiepileptic drugs, normal and abnormal CT manifestation patient groups. These data indicated that endogenous L-EK content was related to human epilepsy, and changes in opioid peptides were selective changes shared by different types of seizures. The increase of L-EK content was not caused by taking antiepileptic drugs, nor due to structural pathological changes of the brain that might be found on CT scanning, but a manifestation of neurochemical disorders of the brain that resulted in epilepsy.

Observation on anti-brain antibody in serum of 110 epileptics

Cerebrocyte antigens of human embryo and indirect assay of solid phase ELISA were applied to measure concentrations of IgG subunit of serum anti-brain antibody (ABA) and other immunological indexes in 110 epileptics, 36 neurasthenic patients and 52 normal individuals. The results showed that the levels and abnormal rate of serum ABA in epileptic patients was much higher than those of controls (P less than 0.001). However there was no difference among the controls (P greater than 0.05). It suggested that epilepsy might be caused by certain factors resulting in the exposure of the sealed brain antigen which in turn stimulates ABA production and autoimmune responses. The serum level of ABA was correlated with that of serum IgG and IgA (P less than 0.05), but not with age, duration of disease, seizure types and the use or nonuse of anticonvulsive drugs (P greater than 0.05).

[Epidemiologic investigation of carcinoma of the esophagus and gastric cardia carcinoma in Nanao County, Guangdong province]

Nanao county, Guangdong province is a high incidence area of carcinoma of esophagus and gastric cardia carcinoma. By retrospective investigation of data in the past 14 years (1970 to 1983), the annual average crude mortality of carcinoma of esophagus and gastric cardia carcinoma was found to be 88.65/100,000, the age adjusted mortality of Chinese population was 82.91/100,000 and that of the world population was 113.09/100,000. The mortality of the male was 100.65/100,000 and of the female was 67.24/100,000 with the ratio of 1.38:1. As regards the relationship between the age and mortality, the highest rate occurs from 50 to 74. A higher mortality was also observed in the population engaged in salt production and fishing. The mortality was higher in the lower elevation areas than in the elevated regions.