<i>Background:</i> Evidence suggests that recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) protects neurons and cardiomyocytes from acute insults. We investigated the protective effect of rHuEPO on cyclosporine (CsA)-induced renal injury. <i>Methods:</i> CsA (15 mg/kg/day) was given to rats for 1 or 4 weeks, and rHuEPO was concurrently administered at a dose of 100 units/kg (thrice weekly). Effects of rHuEPO on CsA-induced renal injury were evaluated with tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) score, macrophage infiltration, expression of proinflammatory and profibrotic cytokines, and apoptotic cell death. <i>Results:</i> Administration of rHuEPO decreased TIF score and the number of macrophages, which increased significantly in CsA-treated rat kidneys. At the molecular level, rHuEPO treatment decreased proinflammatory mediators (osteopontin and C-reactive protein) and profibrotic mediators (transforming growth factor-β1 and transforming growth factor-β1-inducible gene-h3). Increased apoptotic cell death in CsA-treated rat kidneys was significantly decreased with rHuEPO cotreatment, and apoptosis-related genes were regulated in favor of cell survival (increased Bcl-2 and suppressed caspase-3). <i>Conclusion:</i> rHuEPO has a renoprotective effect against chronic CsA-induced renal injury.
Abstract Objective Hyperuricemia is associated with metabolic and cardiovascular diseases and mortality. Efforts to lower the risk of hyperuricemia in various ways are needed as the prevalence of these diseases increases in postmenopausal women. Studies have shown that one of these methods is associated with adequate sleep duration, which is related to a low risk of hyperuricemia. Considering that it is difficult for people to get enough sleep in modern society, this study hypothesized that weekend catch-up sleep could be an alternative. To our knowledge, no past study has investigated the relation between weekend catch-up sleep and hyperuricemia in postmenopausal women. Hence, the aim of this research was to estimate the relation between weekend catch-up sleep and hyperuricemia with insufficient sleep in postmenopausal women during weekday or workday. Methods This study included 1,877 participants extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII. The study population was divided into weekend catch-up sleep and non–weekend catch-up sleep groups. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were derived using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Weekend catch-up sleep had a significantly lower prevalence of hyperuricemia after adjusting for confounders (odds ratio, 0.758 [95% confidence interval, 0.576-0.997]). In a subgroup analysis, weekend catch-up sleep of 1 to 2 hours was significantly correlated with a lower prevalence of hyperuricemia after adjusting for confounders (odds ratio: 0.522 [95% confidence interval, 0.323-0.845]). Conclusions Weekend catch-up sleep had a decreased prevalence of hyperuricemia in postmenopausal women with sleep deprivation.
Background: Although there have been studies that neck circumference is related to metabolic syndrome and muscle strength, it has not been well studied in the elderly.Therefore, in this study, the relationship between neck circumference and muscle strength with metabolic syndrome was investigated by using handgrip strength measurement in older adults. Methods:The study was conducted with the subjects aged 60 years or older who participated in the first year of the 8th National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019).The neck circumferences were divided into four quartiles.The difference in metabolic indicators, handgrip strength and risk of metabolic syndrome according to the neck circumference was compared. Results:The male group over 75 years of age had a smaller neck circumference than the 60-64 years old group (P＜0.001).Absolute handgrip strength (AHGS) and relative handgrip strength (RHGS) gradually decreased with increasing age, and as the neck circumference quartile increases, the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome increases in both male and female older adults.The higher RHGS, the lower the odds ratio of metabolic syndrome (OR: Male 0.42, Female 0.22). Conclusion:In the study, it was found that when the neck circumference of elderly male and female increased, the RHGS decreased and the risk of metabolic syndrome increased.It was also found that the risk of metabolic syndrome decreased as the RHGS increased.The RHGS along with neck circumference also showed potential as an index for risk assessment of metabolic syndrome in the older adults.
<b><i>Objective:</i></b> The objective of this study is to evaluate irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as a risk factor for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in Korean women after controlling for basic confounding factors and considering detailed demographic and clinical information. <b><i>Subjects and Methods:</i></b> We performed a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort analysis and matched every IBS case with a non-IBS case at a 1:4 frequency ratio based on age. The population consisted of female patients with data in the Health Insurance Review and Assessment (HIRA) database from 2002 to 2010. To determine the risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture in IBS and non-IBS patients, hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models, adjusting for confounding variables, such as the area of residence, health insurance type, and economic status. <b><i>Results:</i></b> We identified 1,017,468 patients in the HIRA database with data from 2002 to 2010 who could potentially be included in the cohort. Among these, we identified 1,545 (11.4%) women (age >19 years) with newly diagnosed IBS (IBS group). Additionally, 6,180 patients without IBS and age-matched to the IBS group were selected. Cox modeling revealed that the crude HRs for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in patients with IBS were 1.476 (95% CI, 1.241–1.754) and 1.427 (95% CI, 1.086–1.876), respectively. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our data showed an increased incidence of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures in women with IBS compared with age-matched controls.
Skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to examine the association between breakfast-eating habits and inflammation, using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as a marker.
Effective electrocatalysts with high activity for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) play a crucial role in generating environmentally and sustainable hydrogen fuel via electrolysis. Currently, most highly active electrocatalysts are synthesized through complex multisteps and high-temperature heat treatments, which limit their industrial applications. Herein, we developed a cobalt–copper–selenide (CoCuSe) electrocatalyst for the OER via simple electrodeposition and a hydrothermal method. CoCuSe showed exceptional OER activity by forming highly active oxyhydroxide species through surface reconstruction. In particular, CoCuSe demonstrated a significant reduction in the activation barrier for OER despite exhibiting the same OER mechanism as CoCu(OH)2 and thus improved OER activity. Furthermore, when utilizing CoCuSe in conjunction with an industrial crystalline silicon solar cell, the alkaline water electrolyzer effectively produced hydrogen energy in the presence of natural light, demonstrating a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of around 13.0%. This research suggests that the remarkable activity of transition metal selenides results from a reduced activation barrier for OER.
It is known that approximately 10% of successful quitters relapse annually. This study aimed to investigate the factors related to long-term smoking relapse in individuals who succeeded in maintaining smoking cessation for 6 months after attending a regional smoking cessation program. This study enrolled 943 individuals registered for the regional smoking cessation program at the Busan Smoking Cessation Center in 2018-2019 who maintained smoking cessation for 6 months. A survey was conducted using a smartphone link or through phone calls, and the data for 305 participants who finally completed the survey were analyzed. The questionnaire addressed individual, inter-individual, organizational, and community-level factors related to smoking relapse. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with smoking relapse by period. The Cox proportional hazard regression model was used for the factors associated with smoking relapse for the entire period. The smoking relapse rate at the time of the survey was 25.4%. In the analysis of smoking relapse by period, relapse was associated with the belief that smoking relieves stress, the number of single-person households, and poor subjective health status. In the analysis of smoking relapse during the entire period, we observed a significant association with the belief that smoking relieves stress (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.65, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-4.61), single-person households (HR: 1.95, 95% CI: 1.16-3.26), and high levels of emotional stress (HR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.04-2.85). Long-term follow-up is necessary to prevent smoking relapse in single-person households, individuals who believe that smoking relieves stress, and those experiencing high levels of subjective emotional stress. Interventional therapies for stress relief and awareness improvement in smokers need to be developed.
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