Association of Allergic Symptoms in the First 2 Years of Life With Sleep Outcomes Among Chinese Toddlers

Background: Previous studies have linked allergic symptoms to sleep in children, but the associations might be different when considering different types of allergic symptoms or sleep outcomes. Moreover, the combined effects of multiple allergic symptoms remain unclear in early life. This study aimed to investigate the associations between multiple allergic symptoms and sleep outcomes in early life. Methods: We included 673 toddlers aged 2 years from a birth cohort in Guangzhou, China. We identified allergic symptoms (skin, eyes and nose, gastrointestinal tract, mouth and lips, and wheeze) within 2 years via standard questionnaires. Sleep outcomes including sleep duration and quality over the past month were assessed based on the Chinese version of the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire. Associations between allergic symptoms and sleep outcomes were examined using multivariable linear regression and logistic regression. Results: Compared to children without allergic symptoms, children with allergic nasal and ocular symptoms had higher odds of frequent nighttime awakenings (OR = 1.41; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.93) and irregular sleep (OR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.05, 2.00); children with allergic gastrointestinal symptoms slept 0.28 h less during nighttime (95% CI: -0.48, -0.07) and 0.25 h less per day (95% CI: -0.43, -0.08), and had 59% higher odds of irregular sleep (95% CI: 1.24, 2.04). We also found significant association of multiple allergic symptoms with shortened nighttime sleep duration and increased irregular sleep. Whereas, allergic skin, mouth and lips, and wheeze symptoms were not significantly associated with sleep outcomes. Conclusion: Allergic symptoms within 2 years of age were adversely associated with sleep outcomes, which highlight the importance of early screening of allergic symptoms in toddlers in order to improve their sleep outcomes

The associations of residential greenness with fetal growth in utero and birth weight: A birth cohort study in Beijing, China

Background: Although studies have examined the association between residential greenness and birth weight, there is no evidence regarding the association between residential greenness and fetal growth in utero. We aimed to investigate the associations of residential greenness with both fetal growth in utero and birth weight. Methods: A birth cohort (2014–2017) with 18,665 singleton pregnancies was established in Tongzhou Maternal and Child hospital of Beijing, China. Residential greenness was matched with maternal residential address and estimated from remote satellite data using normalized difference vegetation index with 200 m and 500 m buffers (NDVI-200 and NDVI-500). Fetal parameters including estimated fetal weight (EFW), abdominal circumference (AC), head circumference (HC) an

Examining associations of folic acid supplements administered to mothers during pre-conceptional and prenatal periods with autism spectrum disorders in their offspring: insights from a multi-center study in China

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between maternal folic acid (FA) supplementation during the pre-conceptional and prenatal periods and the subsequent risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring.MethodsA total of 6,049 toddlers aged 16–30 months were recruited from August 2016 to March 2017 for this cross-sectional study conducted in China. The parents of the enrolled toddlers provided information on maternal supplemental FA, socio-demographic information, and related covariates. Standard diagnostic procedures were implemented to identify toddlers with ASD.ResultsAmong the 6,049 children included in the study, consisting of 3,364 boys with an average age of 22.7 ± 4.1 months, a total of 71 children (1.2%) were diagnosed with ASD. Mothers who did not consume FA supplements during the prenatal period were found to have a significantly increased risk of having offspring with ASD, in comparison to those who were exposed to FA supplements (odds ratio [OR] = 2.47). However, we did not find a similar association during the pre-conceptional period. Compared to mothers who consistently used FA supplements from pre-conception to the prenatal period, those who never used FA supplements were statistically significantly associated with a higher risk of ASD in their offspring (OR = 2.88).ConclusionThis study indicated that providing continuous maternal FA supplementation during the pre-conceptional and prenatal periods may decrease the risk of ASD in offspring. The prenatal period is considered to be the most crucial time for intervention

cAMP/CREB-regulated LINC00473 marks LKB1-inactivated lung cancer and mediates tumor growth

The LKB1 tumor suppressor gene is frequently mutated and inactivated in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Loss of LKB1 promotes cancer progression and influences therapeutic responses in preclinical studies; however, specific targeted therapies for lung cancer with LKB1 inactivation are currently unavailable. Here, we have identified a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) signature that is associated with the loss of LKB1 function. We discovered that LINC00473 is consistently the most highly induced gene in LKB1-inactivated human primary NSCLC samples and derived cell lines. Elevated LINC00473 expression correlated with poor prognosis, and sustained LINC00473 expression was required for the growth and survival of LKB1-inactivated NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, LINC00473 was induced by LKB1 inactivation and subsequent cyclic AMP–responsive element–binding protein (CREB)/CREB-regulated transcription coactivator (CRTC) activation. We determined that LINC00473 is a nuclear lncRNA and interacts with NONO, a component of the cAMP signaling pathway, thereby facilitating CRTC/CREB-mediated transcription. Collectively, our study demonstrates that LINC00473 expression potentially serves as a robust biomarker for tumor LKB1 functional status that can be integrated into clinical trials for patient selection and treatment evaluation, and implicates LINC00473 as a therapeutic target for LKB1-inactivated NSCLC

The sugar and energy in non-carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The consumption of non-carbonated sugar-sweetened beverages (NCSSBs) has many adverse health effects. However, the sugar and energy content in NCSSBs sold in China remain unknown. We aimed to investigate the sugar and energy content of NCSSBs in China and how these contents were labelled. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 15 supermarkets in Haidian District, Beijing from July to October 2017. The product packaging and nutrient information panels of NCSSBs were recorded to obtain type of products (local/imported), serving size, nutrient contents of carbohydrate, sugar and energy. For those NCSSBs without sugar content information, we used carbohydrate content as a replacement. RESULTS: A total of 463 NCSSBs met the inclusion criteria and were included in our analysis. The median of sugar content and energy content was 9.6 [interquartile range (IQR): 7.1-11.3] g/100 ml and 176 (IQR: 121-201) kJ/100 ml. The median of sugar contents in juice drinks, tea-based beverages, sports drinks and energy drinks were 10.4, 8.5, 5.0 and 7.4 g/100 ml. Imported products had higher sugar and energy content than local products. There were 95.2% products of NCSSBs receiving a 'red'(high) label for sugars per portion according to the UK criteria, and 81.6% products exceeding the daily free sugar intake recommendation from the World Health Organization (25 g). There were 82 (17.7%) products with sugar content on the nutrition labels and 60.2% of them were imported products. CONCLUSIONS: NCSSBs had high sugar and energy content, and few of them provided sugar content information on their nutrition labels especially in local products. Measures including developing better regulation of labelling, reducing sugar content and restricting the serving size are needed for reducing sugar intakes in China

Incidence of childhood overweight and obesity and its association with weight-related attitudes and behaviors in China: a national longitudinal study

Abstract Background Childhood obesity is a major public health challenge. We aimed to investigate the incidence of overweight/obesity among Chinese children; and prospectively examine the associations of weight-change intention with risk of overweight/obesity and behavioral changes in initially normal-weight children. Methods A national sample of 21,796 children aged 6–17 years were investigated in September 2013 and followed up nine months later, of which 19,887 (91%) were normal weight and 1909 (9%) were underweight at baseline. Weight and height were objectively measured. Weight perception, weight-change intention, weight control practices, weight-related behaviors, and demographic information were obtained by questionnaires. Results Among children with underweight or normal-weight, the cumulative incidence of overweight/obesity was 2.77% (95% CI 2.55–2.99). Among normal-weight children, those who overestimated their weight had higher baseline BMI z-scores and an increased relative risk (RR) of overweight/obesity (RR 1.51, 95% CI 1.15–1.99). Children who misperceived themselves as underweight or overweight had stronger weight-change intention than their counterparts. However, children with weight-change intention did not develop greater changes in dietary intakes, physical activities, or sedentary behaviors than those without intention. There was no significant association between weight-change intention and incidence after adjusting for BMI z-scores at baseline. Self-reported improving diet, increasing physical activity, and dieting were associated with certain actual behavioral improvements and smaller increase in BMI z-score, but not associated with decreased risk of overweight/obesity. Conclusion The 9-months cumulative incidence of overweight/obesity was 2.77% among Chinese children. Weight-change intention was not associated with incidence of overweight/obesity in normal-weight children, regardless of their weight perception. More importantly, children’s weight-change intention was insufficient in achieving desirable behavioral changes. Future overweight and obesity prevention programs should directly target on promoting children’s actual behavioral changes

Effects of dynamic change in fetuin-A levels from the first to the second trimester on insulin resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus: a nested case–control study

ObjectiveTo examine the effects of dynamic change in fetuin-A levels before the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on insulin resistance and GDM.Research design and methodsA total of 135 women with GDM and 135 normal glucose tolerance (NGT) women with matched age (±2 years old) and gestational age at taking the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were included in this nested case–control study. Fasting venous blood samples were collected at the prenatal visit of the first trimester and during OGTT of the second trimester. Plasma concentration of fetuin-A and insulin was determined.ResultsThe plasma fetuin-A concentration in women with GDM was significantly higher than NGT controls in both the first trimester (medians: 403.0 pg/mL vs 273.4 pg/mL; p<0.05) and the second trimester (medians: 475.7 pg/mL vs 290.8 pg/mL; p<0.05) and notably increased from the first to the second trimester. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that the change in fetuin-A concentration was associated with the changes in fasting insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of insulin resistance, and HOMA of β-cell function (HOMA-β) (p<0.05). The highest quartile of the increase in fetuin-A concentration from the first to the second trimester was associated with a higher risk of developing GDM compared with the lowest quartile (OR 2.14; 95% CI 1.05 to 4.37).ConclusionsThe dynamic change in fetuin-A levels was associated with the changes in insulin resistance and β-cell function from the first to the second trimester, and was associated with an increased risk of the development of GDM, indicating that fetuin-A could be a biomarker to predict the risk of GDM.Trial registration numberNCT03814395

Social mobility by parent education and childhood overweight and obesity: a prospective cohort study

Background: The association of social mobility, measured by parent education and childhood overweight and obesity (OWOB) has been scarcely reported on. This study evaluated the associations between social mobility measured by parent education and childhood OWOB at child age 6 and 10 years. Methods: We analyzed data of 4030 children and parents participating in the Generation R study. We used generalized linear models controlling for potential confounders to determine if social mobility (upward mobility, static-low and static-high based on the change of parent education) was associated with age-and sex-specific standard deviation scores of body mass index (BMI-SDS) or OWOB (the cut-offs of International Obesity Task Force). Results: Mean BMI-SDS of the children was 0.2360.89 and 0.2661.03 at child age 6 and 10 years, respectively; the prevalence of OWOB increased from 15.2 to 17.4%. Compared with children from mothers in the upward mobility group, children from mothers in the static-high group had lower BMI-SDS and lower odds of OWOB at both ages (all P < 0.001). Compared with children from fathers in the upward mobility group, children from fathers in static-low group had higher BMI-SDS and higher odds of OWOB at both ages (all P < 0.05). Conclusions: Our study contributes to the literature by showing that the behaviors of parents' obtaining a higher level of education after the child was born may be beneficial to attenuate the odds of the child developing overweight in late childhood

Acute and Subchronic Toxicity Studies of Aristolochic Acid A in Tianfu Broilers

Aristolochic acid (AA) is one of the components of some traditional Chinese medicines, which has high toxic potential in animals, leading to huge economic losses in the breeding industry. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the toxicology of AA on Tianfu broilers through acute and subchronic toxicity tests. The results showed that the median lethal dose of AA to Tianfu broilers was 14.52 mg/kg. After continuous intraperitoneal injection of AA solution (1.452 mg/kg) for 28 days, the swollen and necrotic renal tubular epithelial cells were histologically observed; in addition, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cre) were significantly increased, indicating AA could induce serious kidney lesions in broilers. Moreover, the ROS, the apoptosis rate and the depolarization rate of the mitochondrial membrane potential of broilers’ renal cells increased. The results of QRT-PCR showed that AA reduced the mRNA expressions of HO-1, NQO1, Raf-1 and Bcl-2, while the expressions of Bax and Caspase-3 increased, which show that AA aroused oxidative stress and promoted the apoptosis of renal cells. In conclusion, AA has been found to damage broilers’ kidneys by breaking the redox balance to form oxidative stress, along with promoting apoptosis of renal cells