Sex-Related Difference in the Association Between Child Neglect and the Accuracy of Body Weight Perception Among Chinese Primary Schoolchildren

Introduction: Body weight perception (BWP) directly determines weight management behaviors. Although child neglect is a well-established risk factor for managing body weight, little is known about its association with the accuracy of BWP. This study aimed to assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between child neglect and BWP accuracy in primary schoolchildren, and explore how these differ based on the sex of the child.Methods: The sample included 1,063 primary schoolchildren (557 boys and 506 girls, aged 8&ndash;10 years) from a two-wave observational study between 2018 and 2019 in Wuhan, China. Child neglect and BWP were investigated using self-administered questionnaires. The accuracy of BWP was defined by comparing the BWP and actual body weight, and it was categorized into three groups&mdash;consistent, underestimated, and overestimated. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted with fitting child neglect as the independent variable and the accuracy of BWP as the dependent variable.Results: The prevalence of weight misperception was ~44% at baseline (underestimation 40%; overestimation 4%) in Chinese primary schoolchildren. In the cross-sectional analysis, children with a higher level of neglect were more likely to misperceive their body weight. Moreover, there was an apparent sex-related difference that boys who experienced a higher level of neglect significantly reported more underestimation, while girls reported more overestimation. There was no significant longitudinal association between child neglect and the change in BWP accuracy.Conclusions: This study revealed that a higher level of neglect was significantly associated with underestimated BWP in boys and overestimated BWP in girls. The mechanisms of sex-related difference and whether child neglect is involved in the change in BWP, merit further investigations.</jats:p

Relationship between the autoantibody and expression of β3-adrenoceptor in lung and heart.

BACKGROUND: Evidences suggest that β3 -adrenoceptor (β3-AR) plays an important role in heart failure (HF), although no data is reported indicating how these effects may change with the increasing age. Pulmonary congestion and edema are the major life-threatening complications associated with HF. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the anti-β3-AR autoantibody and the expression of β3-AR in the lungs and heart for both aged patients and rats with HF. METHODS: Synthetic β3-AR peptides served as the target antigens in ELISA were used to screen the anti-β3-AR autoantibody in aged patients and rats. Two aged rat models were constructed based on aortic banding and sham-operation. The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in the lung and heart was measured in intervention and non-intervention groups by Western blot analysis at the baseline, 5(th), 7(th), 9(th) and 11(th) week, respectively. RESULTS: The frequency and titer of anti-β3-AR autoantibody in aged patients and rats with HF were higher than those in the control group (p<0.05). The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in pulmonary tissues decreased continually from the 7(th) week (p<0.05), followed by HF observed during the 9(th) week. The expression of β3-AR in myocardial tissues continued to increase after the 9(th) week (p<0.05), and the expression of both β3-AR mRNA and protein in the BRL group [HF group with BRL37344 (4-[-[2-hydroxy-(3-chlorophenyl)ethyl-amino] phenoxyacetic acid) (a β3-AR agonist) injection] was positively correlated with BRL37344 when compared with non-BRL group (HF group without BRL37344 injection) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Anti-β3-AR autoantibody was detected in aged patients and rats with HF. The expression of β3-AR mRNA and protein in pulmonary tissues decreased continually, and began earlier than in the heart, but its expression in myocardial tissues increased continually and could be further promoted by β3-AR agonist

The ratio of left ventricle weight to body weight following injection.

<p>Data are presented as means ± standard errors. Sham: control group; Non-BRL: HF group without BRL37344 injection; BRL: HF group with BRL37344 injection; BW: body weight; LVW: left ventricular weight; LV/BW: left ventricular weight/body weight.</p>*<p><i>P</i><0.05 vs. Sham group;</p>†<p><i>P</i><0.01 vs. Sham group;</p>‡<p><i>P</i><0.05 vs. Non-BRL group;</p>§<p><i>P</i><0.01 vs. Non-BRL group.</p

Myocardiac β3-AR mRNA by RT-PCR and β3-AR Protein by Western blot.

<p>(A) Representative analysis of myocardiac β3-AR mRNA level by RT-PCR. Lane M: marker; bp: base pair; lane n5: the 5^th week, non-BRL group; lane n7: the 7^th week, non-BRL group; lane n9: the 9^th week, non-BRL group; lane n11: the 11^th week, non-BRL group; lane B5: the 5^th week, BRL group; lane B7: the 7^th week, BRL group; lane B9: the 9^th week, BRL group; lane B11: the 11^th week, BRL group. (B) Bar plot showed the data from myocardial tissues of all animals in each group. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. The expression of β3-AR was significantly higher at the 9^th and 11^th week in the BRL group than that in the Banded group (*<i>p</i><0.05, BRL group vs. Banded group). The β3-AR revealed a time-dependent increase in each group (<i>p</i><0.01). (C) Immunoblot of myocardiac β3-AR protein in representative animals. Lane n5: the 5^th week, non-BRL group; lane n7: the 7^th week, non-BRL group; lane n9: the 9^th week, non-BRL group; lane n11: the 11^th week, non-BRL group; lane B5: the 5^th week, BRL group; lane B7: the 7^th week, BRL group; lane B9: the 9^th week, BRL group; lane B11: the 11^th week, BRL group. GAPDH: glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase. (D) Bar plot showed the data from myocardiac tissues of all animals in each group. The data were analyzed by ANOVA. At each time point (except 5 wk), the expression of β3-AR protein was significantly higher in the BRL group than that in the Banded group. The expression of β3-AR protein revealed a time-dependent increase, and its expression at the 11^th week was significantly higher than that at the 5^th week (<i>p</i><0.01, Banded group: 0.62±0.08 vs. 0.51±0.03; BRL group: 1.01±0.10 vs. 0.52±0.02). (**<i>p</i><0.01, BRL group vs. Banded group). BRL group: HF group with β₃-AR agonist BRL37344 injection; non-BRL: HF group without BRL37344 injection.</p

Cardiac histopathology at different times and in different groups.

<p>Representative images of myocardial cells at the 5^th, 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th week [observed with a Brightfield microscope under 40× magnification (Olympus BX 51, Japan) were presented. During the 5–7^th week after operation, the myocardial cells revealed an ordered arrangement and normal intercellular space without nuclear degeneration. However, at the 9^th week, the time-dependent increase of interstitial fibrosis, edema, degeneration, necrosis, and myocyte hypertrophy was observed in the BRL group when compared to the Banded group. BRL group: HF group with β₃-AR agonist BRL37344 injection; non-BRL: HF group without BRL37344 injection.</p

Hemodynamic effects following injection.

<p>Data are presented as means ± standard error. Sham: control group; Non-BRL: HF group without BRL37344 injection; BRL: HF group with BRL37344 injection; HR: heart rate; LVESP: left ventricular end-systolic pressure; LVEDP: left ventricular end-diastolic pressure; dp/dt max: maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure; dp/dt min: maximum rate of fall of left ventricular pressure.</p>*<p><i>P</i><0.01 vs. Sham group;</p>†<p><i>P</i><0.05 vs. Non-BRL group;</p>‡<p><i>P</i><0.01 vs. Non-BRL group.</p

The frequencies of anti-β₃-autoantibodies in non-BRL and BRL groups of aged rats with heart failure.

<p>2 mL of blood samples were collected before treatment, and at the 5^th, 6^th,7^th, 8^th,9^th, 10^th and 11^th week after treatment. The sera were separated by centrifugation (3000 rpm, Beckman CS-15R Centrifuge) for 10 min and stored at −80°C until needed for assay. Anti-β₃-AR autoantibody was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The frequencies of anti-β₃-autoantibodies in the BRL group increased markedly at the 5^th week, and reached a maximum at the 10^th week in both BRL group and non-BRL group. The frequencies of anti-β₃-autoantibodies were significantly higher in BRL group than non-BRL group and Sham group (*<i>p</i><0.05). BRL group: HF group with β₃-AR agonist of BRL37344 injection; non-BRL group: HF group without BRL37344 injection.</p

Expression of β3-AR mRNA by RT-PCR and β3-AR protein by Western blot in lung.

<p>(A) Representative analysis of β3-AR mRNA level by RT-PCR. Lane M: marker; bp: base pair; lane n5: the 5^th week, non-BRL group; lane n7: the 7^th week, non-BRL group; lane n9: the 9^th week, non-BRL group; lane n11: the 11^th week, non-BRL group. (B) Bar plot showed the data from all animals in the non-BRL group. Data were analyzed by ANOVA. β3-AR revealed a decrease with the deterioration of heart failure. (*<i>p</i><0.05, versus non-BRL group 2 weeks prior to treatment). (C) Immunoblot of β3-AR protein in representative animals. Lane n5: the 5^th week, non-BRL group; lane n7: the 7^th week, non-BRL group; lane n9: the 9^th week, non-BRL group; lane n11: the 11^th week, non-BRL group. GAPDH: glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase. (D) Bar plot showed the data from all animals in each group. The data are analyzed by ANOVA. β3-AR protein revealed a decrease with the deterioration of heart failure. (*<i>p</i><0.05, versus non-BRL group 2 weeks prior to treatment). BRL group: HF group with β₃-AR agonist BRL37344 injection; non-BRL: HF group without BRL37344 injection.</p