Biomedical subjects

Gang Hu

Publications and source records attributed to Gang Hu.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Socio-economic status and serum lipids: a cross-sectional study in a Chinese urban population.

Socio-economic status and serum lipids are important factors in the progression of cardiovascular disease. We studied the association between socio-economic status and serum lipids in a Chinese urban population. In all, 4,541 respondents (2,231 men and 2,310 women) between 25-64 years of age participated in a cross-sectional population survey carried out in Tianjin, China, and provided blood samples. Three socio-economic indicators (education, occupation, and income), total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides were determined. People in higher socio-economic groups had a more unfavorable serum lipid profile compared with those in lower socio-economic groups. This significant association was especially apparent in men. Education seemed to be the most important predictor of serum lipids in the three socio-economic indicators. The direction of the association between high socio-economic status and poor serum lipid profiles appears to be opposite to those observed in the developed countries.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

TL1A is a TNF-like ligand for DR3 and TR6/DcR3 and functions as a T cell costimulator.

DR3 is a death domain-containing receptor that is upregulated during T cell activation and whose overexpression induces apoptosis and NF-kappaB activation in cell lines. Here we show that an endothelial cell-derived TNF-like factor, TL1A, is a ligand for DR3 and decoy receptor TR6/DcR3 and that its expression is inducible by TNF and IL-1alpha. TL1A induces NF-kappaB activation and apoptosis in DR3-expressing cell lines, while TR6-Fc protein antagonizes these signaling events. Interestingly, in T cells, TL1A acts as a costimulator that increases IL-2 responsiveness and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines both in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that interaction of TL1A with DR3 promotes T cell expansion during an immune response, whereas TR6 has an opposing effect.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

ITF-2, a downstream target of the Wnt/TCF pathway, is activated in human cancers with beta-catenin defects and promotes neoplastic transformation.

In many cancers, inactivation of the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) or Axin tumor suppressor proteins or activating mutations in beta-catenin lead to elevated beta-catenin levels, enhanced binding of beta-catenin to T cell factor (TCF) proteins, and increased expression of TCF-regulated genes. We found that the gene for the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor ITF-2 (immunoglobulin transcription factor-2) was activated in rat E1A-immortalized RK3E cells following neoplastic transformation by beta-catenin or ligand-induced activation of a beta-catenin-estrogen receptor fusion protein. Human cancers with beta-catenin regulatory defects had elevated ITF-2 expression, and ITF-2 was repressed by restoring wild-type APC function or inhibiting TCF activity. Of note, ITF-2 promoted neoplastic transformation of RK3E cells. We propose that ITF-2 is a TCF-regulated gene, which functions in concert with other TCF target genes to promote growth and/or survival of cancer cells with defects in beta-catenin regulation.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

An interaction between ATP and high K+: mutual impairment of ATP- and high K(+)-evoked [Ca2+]i increase in NG 108-15 cells.

The interaction between ATP- and high K(+)-evoked increase in intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) was investigated to gain an insight into the mechanism of interaction of ATP with voltage-sensitive calcium channels. [Ca2+]i was measured in the neuronal model, neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cells (NG 108-15), using the fluorescence indicator fura-2. In the presence of 1.8 mM extracellular Ca2+, ATP induced a rapid, concentration-dependent increase in [Ca2+]i. High K+ (50 mM) evoked a [Ca2+]i rise from 109 +/- 11 nM to 387 +/- 81 nM (n = 16). The application of either of these two [Ca2+]i-increase provoking agents in sequence with the other caused impairment of the latter effect. The mutual desensitization of the responses to ATP and high K+ strongly suggests that both agents rely at least in part on the same source of Ca2+ for elevation of [Ca2+]i in NG 108-15 cells.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2002

Comparison of dietary and non-dietary risk factors in overweight and normal-weight Chinese adults.

The aim of the present study was to compare the differences in dietary and non-dietary factors contributing to normal weight and overweight among urban Chinese adults. Two cross-sectional population surveys were carried out in Tianjin, one of the largest cities in China. A total of 2631 subjects aged 25-64 years were selected by random stratified cluster sampling; 398 men and 490 women were overweight, and 886 men and 857 women were of normal weight. The diet was assessed by food weighing plus consecutive individual 3 d food records. Health-related behaviours and anthropometry were assessed. The overweight group had significantly higher mean daily intakes of energy and carbohydrate than the normal-weight group. Overweight men also had significantly higher mean daily intakes of protein and fat than normal-weight men. Age, daily intakes of energy and carbohydrate, and marital status were positively associated with overweight, while occupational and commuting physical activity, as well as smoking, were inversely associated with overweight among both genders. Daily intakes of protein, fat and alcohol were positively related to the incidence of being overweight among men. People with 7-12 years education were more likely to be overweight compared with those with less than 6 years of education. High intakes of energy and carbohydrate among both genders, as well as high intakes of protein and fat among men, and lower levels of occupational and commuting physical activity, being a non-smoker, and partly higher socio-economic status were related to a greater incidence of being overweight in this population.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Commuting, leisure-time physical activity, and cardiovascular risk factors in China.

PURPOSE: The relationship between both commuting and leisure-time physical activity and selected cardiovascular risk factors was analyzed. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in 1996 in urban Tianjin, China. A total of 2002 male and 1974 female subjects aged 15-69 yr completed the survey. Commuting, leisure-time physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, and cigarette smoking were determined. RESULTS: Doing more than 60 min of commuting physical activity or combined commuting and leisure-time physical activity was related to the highest mean blood pressure and the highest prevalence of hypertension among both genders compared with going to and from work by bus; 31-60 min commuting only or commuting plus leisure-time physical activity was associated with the lowest mean blood pressure in women and the lowest prevalence of hypertension in both genders. Daily time on commuting or leisure-time physical activity was inversely related to mean body mass index and prevalence of overweight among men and prevalence of smoking among both genders. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that commuting and leisure-time physical activity were favorably associated with cardiovascular risk factors in this Chinese population, except that more than 60 min of physical activity was associated with high blood pressure.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Field studies using a recombinant mycoinsecticide (Metarhizium anisopliae) reveal that it is rhizosphere competent.

In the summer of 2000, we released genetically altered insect-pathogenic fungi onto a plot of cabbages at a field site on the Upper Marlboro Research Station, Md. The transformed derivatives of Metarhizium anisopliae ARSEF 1080, designated GPMa and GMa, carried the Aequorea victoria green fluorescent protein (gfp) gene alone (GMa) or with additional protease genes (Pr1) (GPMa). The study (i) confirmed the utility of gfp for monitoring pathogen strains in field populations over time, (ii) demonstrated little dissemination of transgenic strains and produced no evidence of transmission by nontarget insects, (iii) found that recombinant fungi were genetically stable over 1 year under field conditions, and (iv) determined that deployment of the transgenic strains did not depress the culturable indigenous fungal microflora. The major point of the study was to monitor the fate (survivorship) of transformants under field conditions. In nonrhizosphere soil, the amount of GMa decreased from 10(5) propagules/g at depths of 0 to 2 cm to 10(3) propagules/g after several months. However, the densities of GMa remained at 10(5) propagules/g in the inner rhizosphere, demonstrating that rhizospheric soils are a potential reservoir for M. anisopliae. These results place a sharp focus on the biology of the soil/root interphase as a site where plants, insects, and pathogens interact to determine fungal biocontrol efficacy, cycling, and survival. However, the rhizospheric effect was less marked for GPMa, and overall it showed reduced persistence in soils than did GMa.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

[Study on the effects of lead from small industry of battery recycling on environment and children's health].

OBJECTIVE: In order to minimize lead pollution and to protect the identified individuals with high blood lead level from lead contamination, an epidemiological study was carried on children living around the village and township-owned lead industries in Tianying town. METHODS: Environmental monitoring: lead levels in air, soil, drinking water and crops were measured. Biological monitoring: 959 children aged 5 - 12 years were selected from villages where the lead smelters located near the residential areas and the battery disassembling was done in some families. The control children (207 pupils) were from other villages without lead exposure. Blood lead, ZnPP and teeth lead were determined. Height, weight and head circle of children and IQ scores were measured. RESULTS: The environment was seriously polluted. The average lead concentrations in air and soils were 8.5 times and 10 times of the MACs (national health standard) respectively. Eighty-five per cent the air samples with lead concentrations higher than the national health standard. Local crops and wheat at farmers' home were also contaminated by lead dust, with. Lead content being 24 times higher than the standard. The mean blood lead and ZnPP levels of children lived in the polluted areas were 496 microgram/L and 9.41 microgram/g Hb respectively. The lead exposure caused adverse effects on children's IQ and physical development. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to remove and reduce currently active sources of lead pollution in the community and to increase public awareness of potential health effects of lead exposure.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2001

Stochastic resonance of small-world networks.

Stochastic resonance (SR) of a coupled array of bistable oscillators with small-world connectivity is numerically studied. At certain coupling strength, it is found that both temporal SR and spatial synchronization of the oscillators can be considerably improved by increasing the order of randomness of the network due to the long-range couplings. Moreover, our results show that a small fraction of long-range couplings is sufficient to obtain great improvement in SR and synchronization.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1993