INTRODUCTION: In Malaysia, hypertension prevalence has increased from 13% in 1996 to 43% in 2006 based on the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey.
METHODOLOGY: Recognising the importance of hypertension control to prevent cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, a cross-sectional study was carried out to assess factors influencing blood pressure among 74 hypertensive adults (22 men, 52 women, mean age 61.1 +/- 8.8 years old) attending an outpatient clinic of a government health clinic in Klang Valley. Subjects were interviewed to obtain information on social and health, physical activity level and food intake using Diet History Questionnaire (DHQ) and Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, waist circumference and percentage of body fat were also conducted.
RESULTS: The majority of the subjects (71.6%) had poor hypertension control as determined using blood pressure. Women aged 30-59 years old had a higher mean diastolic blood pressure (87.3 +/- 11.6 mmHg) than women aged 60 years old (78.5 +/- 9.5 mmHg) (p < 0.05). Most of the men (36.4%) achieved three out of six Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) for Hypertension Recommendations as outlined by the Malaysian Dietitians' Association. About one-third (30.8%) of the women achieved two out of six of the guidelines. High sodium intake (adjusted OR 3.501, 95% CI 1.116-10.985, p < 0.05), daily consumption of coffee (adjusted OR 0.302, 95% CI 0.093-0.983, p < 0.05) and less intake of milk (adjusted OR 3.328, 95% CI 1.055-10.493, p < 0.05) were associated with uncontrolled hypertension.
CONCLUSION: Three quarters of the subjects had unsatisfactory hypertensive control and was related to food intake and eating habits including high salt diet, coffee consumption and inadequate milk intake were unsatisfactory. There is a need to implement a nutrition intervention programme based on MNT to achieve good hypertensive control among subjects.
Study site: klinik kesihatan, Klang Valley, Malaysia
Full-term amniotic fluid stem cell (AFSC) is an underexplored reserve of broadly multipotent stem cells with potential applications in cell replacement therapy. One aspect worth exploring is the potential of AFSCs to differentiate into neural lineages. Previously, we have shown that full-term AFSC lines established from term gestation amniotic fluid, known as R3 and R2, differentiated into neural lineage through the monolayer adherent method suggesting their neurogenic potential. The neural commitment of the cells through the formation of multicellular aggregates has never been shown before. Here, we explored the ability of R3 to commit to neural fate via the formation of three-dimensional multicellular aggregates, namely embryoid bodies (EBs) and neurospheres, exhibiting distinct characteristics resembling EBs and neurospheres as obtained from other published pluripotent and neural stem cells (NSCs), respectively. Different cell seeding densities of the cells cultured in their respective induction medium generated two distinct types of aggregates with the appropriate sizes for EBs (300-350 µm) and neurospheres (50-100 µm). The neurospheres expressed a significantly high level of Nestin than EBs. However, EBs stained positive for TUJ1, suggesting the presence of early post-mitotic neurons representing the ectodermal lineage. In contrast, the presence of the NSC population in neurosphere culture was validated with positive expression of Sox1. Notably, dissociated cells from both aggregates differentiated into MAP2-positive neural cells, highlighting the ability of both types of multicellular aggregates to commit to the neural fate. In conclusion, this study highlights the first evidence of neurosphere formation from full-term AFSCs in addition to neural fate commitment via EBs formation. Findings from this study allow researchers to select the suitable approach for neural cell generation and expansion according to research needs.
Coastal habitats are exposed to increasing pressure of nanopollutants commonly combined with warming due to the seasonal temperature cycles and global climate change. To investigate the toxicological effects of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) and elevated temperature on the intestinal health of the mussels (Mytilus coruscus), the mussels were exposed to 0.1 mg/L TiO2 NPs with different crystal structures for 14 days at 20 °C and 28 °C, respectively. Compared to 20 °C, the agglomeration of TiO2 NPs was more serious at 28 °C. Exposure to TiO2 NPs led to elevated mortality of M. coruscus and modified the intestinal microbial community as shown by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Exposure to TiO2 NPs changed the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. The relative abundances of putative mutualistic symbionts Tenericutes and Fusobacteria increased in the gut of M. coruscus exposed to anatase, which have contributed to the lower mortality in this group. LEfSe showed the combined stress of warming and TiO2 NPs increased the risk of M. coruscus being infected with potential pathogenic bacteria. This study emphasizes the toxicity differences between crystal structures of TiO2 NPs, and will provides an important reference for analyzing the physiological and ecological effects of nanomaterial pollution on bivalves under the background of global climate change.