Levels and distribution of self-rated health in the Kazakh population: results from the Kazakhstan household health survey 2012

BACKGROUND: The high and fluctuating mortality and rising health inequalities in post-Soviet countries have attracted considerable attention. However, there are very few individual-level data on distribution of health outcomes in Central Asian countries of the former Soviet Union. We analysed socioeconomic predictors of two self-rated health outcomes in a national survey in Kazakhstan. METHODS: We used data from the 2012 Kazakhstan Household Health Survey on 12,560 respondents aged 15+. Self-rated health, self-reported worsening of health, and a range of socio-demographic variables were collected in an interview. The self-rated health outcomes were dichotomized and logistic regression was used to estimate their associations with education, income, ownership of a car, second house and computer, marital status, ethnicity and urban/rural residence. RESULTS: The prevalence of poor/very poor self-rated health was 5.3%, and 11.0% of participants reported worse health compared to 1 year ago. After controlling for age, sex and region, all socio-demographic factors were related to self-rated health. After adjusting for all variables, education and car ownership showed the most consistent effects; the odds ratio of poor health and worsening of health were 0.43 (95% confidence interval 0.32-0.58) and 0.54 (0.44-0.68) for university vs. primary education, respectively, and 0.64 (0.51-0.82) and 0.68 (0.58-0.80) for car ownership, respectively. Unmarried persons, ethnic Russians and urban residents also had increased prevalence of poor health in multivariable models. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations of using subjective health measures, these data suggest strong associations between two measures of self-rated health and a number of socioeconomic characteristics. Future studies and health policy initiatives in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries should take social determinants of health into account

Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia in older persons in urban and rural population in the Astana region, Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND: Despite high cardiovascular mortality in Central Asian republics of the former Soviet Union, there is limited information about major risk factors, including blood lipids. We investigated the prevalence of impaired concentrations of blood lipids, the awareness, treatment and control of hypercholesterolemia, and factors associated with these indicators in urban and rural populations in Kazakhstan. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of random urban and rural population samples (the state capital Astana and Akmol village). Men and women aged 50-74 years were examined; a total of 954 adults participated (response rate 59%). Serum concentrations of total, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides and a range of other cardiovascular risk factors were measured. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (total cholesterol ≥6.2 mmol/l) was 37%; among subjects with hypercholesterolemia, 57% were aware of their condition, 41% took medication and 23% had total cholesterol <6.2 mmol/l (4.5% <5 mmol/l). The prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypercholesterolemia were all higher in the urban than the rural area. Similarly, the proportions of subjects with impaired concentrations of specific lipids fractions were also considerably higher in the urban population. Most associations with other covariates were in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: This study found relatively high prevalence of dyslipidemia in the Kazakh population, and the blood lipid profile was less favourable in the urban area. These pronounced urban-rural differences may be related to urbanization, the associated nutrition transition and to access to health care

Gene expression and methylation profiles as a biomarker for human radiation exposure

Taking into account the fact that Kazakhstan is one of the world's leaders in uranium mining, and given the extent of the damage suffered as a result of the work on the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the general background radiation in some regions came under the influence of additional effects of chronic exposure to low doses of radiation, the study and search for new methods of dosimetry, as an integral part of the radiological protection of the population, is a priority for the state. The purpose of this study is the search for and development of potential biomarkers by assessing the impact if ionising radiation on gene expression and quantification of global methylation and hydroxymethylation of uranium industry workers

Altered NR2A/NR2B ratio in hippocampus of spatial learning-impaired aged rats

The activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is critical for the induction of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Aging can alter glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the hippocampus, and cognitive impairments in aged animals are accompanied by reduced NMDARmediated plasticity at Schaffer collateral—CA1 synapses. However, the specific contribution of NMDAR subunits to NMDAR-mediated synaptic responses in aged tissue has not yet been fully understood. The main purpose of present study was to examine whether there is an impact of aging on NMDAR subunit expression and whether synaptic plasticity may depend on NMDAR subunit composition in the aged hippocampus

Gene expression and methylation profiles as a biomarker for human radiation exposure

Taking into account the fact that Kazakhstan is one of the world's leaders in uranium mining, and given the extent of the damage suffered as a result of the work on the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, the general background radiation in some regions came under the influence of additional effects of chronic exposure to low doses of radiation, the study and search for new methods of dosimetry, as an integral part of the radiological protection of the population, is a priority for the state. The purpose of this study is the search for and development of potential biomarkers by assessing the impact if ionising radiation on gene expression and quantification of global methylation and hydroxymethylation of uranium industry workers

Altered NR2A/NR2B ratio in hippocampus of spatial learning-impaired aged rats

The activation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is critical for the induction of synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Aging can alter glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the hippocampus, and cognitive impairments in aged animals are accompanied by reduced NMDARmediated plasticity at Schaffer collateral—CA1 synapses. However, the specific contribution of NMDAR subunits to NMDAR-mediated synaptic responses in aged tissue has not yet been fully understood. The main purpose of present study was to examine whether there is an impact of aging on NMDAR subunit expression and whether synaptic plasticity may depend on NMDAR subunit composition in the aged hippocampus

Metagenomic analysis of gut microbial communities from a Central Asian population

OBJECTIVE: Changes in the gut microbiota are increasingly recognised to be involved in many diseases. This ecosystem is known to be shaped by many factors, including climate, geography, host nutrition, lifestyle and medication. Thus, knowledge of varying populations with different habits is important for a better understanding of the microbiome. DESIGN: We therefore conducted a metagenomic analysis of intestinal microbiota from Kazakh donors, recruiting 84 subjects, including male and female healthy subjects and metabolic syndrome (MetS) patients aged 25-75 years, from the Kazakh administrative centre, Astana. We characterise and describe these microbiomes, the first deep-sequencing cohort from Central Asia, in comparison with a global dataset (832 individuals from five countries on three continents), and explore correlations between microbiota, clinical and laboratory parameters as well as with nutritional data from Food Frequency Questionnaires. RESULTS: We observe that Kazakh microbiomes are relatively different from both European and East Asian counterparts, though similar to other Central Asian microbiomes, with the most striking difference being significantly more samples falling within the Prevotella-rich enterotype, potentially reflecting regional diet and lifestyle. We show that this enterotype designation remains stable within an individual over time in 82% of cases. We further observe gut microbiome features that distinguish MetS patients from controls (eg, significantly reduced Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, Bifidobacteria and Subdoligranulum, alongside increased Prevotella), though these overlap little with previously published reports and thus may reflect idiosyncrasies of the present cohort. CONCLUSION: Taken together, this exploratory study describes gut microbiome data from an understudied population, providing a starting point for further comparative work on biogeography and research on widespread diseases. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN37346212; Post-results

Effect of Celergen, a marine derivative, on in vitro hepatocarcinogenesis

The aim of this study was to test for a potential anticarcinogenic effect of Celergen, a marine derivative devoid of traceable amounts of inorganic arsenic, on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis in the HepG2 human liver cancer cell line. Celergen significantly inhibited the proliferation of cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner while limiting the cell cycle progression at the G1 phase and significantly inducing apoptosis. Further examination showed that Celergen enhanced expression of the p21CIPl1WAF1, GADD153 genes and downregulated the c-myc gene. These results suggest that Celergen exerts promising chemopreventive properties to be further investigated

Investigation of SiC and C Nanostructures Obtained by MWCVD

The results of experiments on the synthesis of SiC and C nanostructures by chemical vapor deposition in microwave plasma are presented in this article. The single crystal silicon plates with orientations [100] and [111] which previously passed chemical purification were used as substrates. Also, the substrates of porous silicon were prepared in order to activate the surface during the synthesis. The synthesis temperature ranged from 700 to 900 °C in steps of 100 °C. The pressure in the chamber was changed depending on the power of the plasma. Studies by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that formed nanostructures have a diameter of 200‒350 nm and a rough surface. The formation of nanostructures on the polished Si occurs on the SiC buffer layer. Analysis of SEM images of the samples shows that growth of NS on the surface of porous silicon is more widespread in contrast to the polished Si. The results of X-Ray spectral microanalysis showed that the carbon content in samples of nanostructures on polished Si varies from 10 to 20% and remains constant on porous silicon ~ 25%. The results of studies by Raman scattering confirmed that SiC film with structure of 3C-SiC is formed on the polished Si. Besides, the presence of main carbon peaks on both types of substrates in the range of 1338.2 and 1583 cm‒1 should be noted, which correspond to the carbon nanostructures

Short-chain fatty acid propionate protects from hypertensive cardiovascular damage

BACKGROUND: Arterial hypertension and its organ sequelae show characteristics of T cell mediated inflammatory diseases. Experimental anti-inflammatory therapies have been shown to ameliorate hypertensive end-organ damage. Recently, the CANTOS study targeting interleukin-1β demonstrated that anti-inflammatory therapy reduces cardiovascular risk. The gut microbiome plays pivotal role in immune homeostasis and cardiovascular health. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) are produced from dietary fiber by gut bacteria and affect host immune homeostasis. Here, we investigated effects of the SCFA propionate in two different mouse models of hypertensive cardiovascular damage. METHODS: To investigate the effect of SCFA on hypertensive cardiac damage and atherosclerosis, wild-type NMRI (WT) or ApoE(-/-) deficient mice received propionate (200mM) or control in the drinking water. To induce hypertension, WT mice were infused with Angiotensin (Ang)II (1.44mg/kg/d s.c.) for 14 days. To accelerate the development of atherosclerosis, ApoE(-/-) mice were infused with AngII (0.72mg/kg/d s.c.) for 28 days. Cardiac damage and atherosclerosis were assessed using histology, echocardiography, in vivo electrophysiology, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry. Blood pressure was measured by radiotelemetry. Regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion using PC61 antibody was used to examine the mode of action of propionate. RESULTS: Propionate significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, vascular dysfunction, and hypertension in both models. Susceptibility to cardiac ventricular arrhythmias was significantly reduced in propionate-treated AngII-infused WT mice. Aortic atherosclerotic lesion area was significantly decreased in propionate-treated ApoE(-/-). Systemic inflammation was mitigated by propionate treatment, quantified as a reduction in splenic effector memory T cell frequencies and splenic T helper 17 cells in both models, and a decrease in local cardiac immune cell infiltration in WT mice. Cardioprotective effects of propionate were abrogated in Treg-depleted AngII-infused mice, suggesting the effect is Treg-dependent. CONCLUSIONS: Our data emphasize an immune-modulatory role of SCFAs and their importance for cardiovascular health. The data suggest that lifestyle modifications leading to augmented SCFA production could be a beneficial non-pharmacological preventive strategy for patients with hypertensive cardiovascular disease