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Background: Complementary medicine (CM) use is a ubiquitous aspect of an increasingly consumer-driven model of healthcare delivery and plays an increasingly prominent role in the Australian health sector. Yet there is limited empirical research investigating the quality and integrity of protections for consumers in Australia. The aim of this study is to help address this gap in knowledge by exploring how members of the public engage with protection mechanisms related to CM use. Methods: This study utilised a cross-sectional online survey to recruit a sample of 1132 Australian adults aged 18 and over. Purposive convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from an existing database of Australian adults who had expressed interest in participating in research. Results: The majority of the participants (64.0%) had visited a CM practitioner in their lifetime. However, a minority of participants (36.9%) indicated they would feel confident in knowing where to complain if something went wrong with the treatment they received from a CM practitioner. Most participants (74.7%) had used a CM product in their lifetime. Specifically, 32.3% had ‘ever’ used an herbal product and 69.9% had ‘ever’ used a nutritional supplement. However, a minority of participants (32.7%) indicated they would feel confident knowing where to complain if something went wrong with a herbal or nutritional supplement they used. Most participants indicated a lack of knowledge about how CM practitioners and CM products are regulated in Australia. Conclusion: The findings of this study clearly highlight a concerning lack of knowledge by CM patients and consumers regarding the regulation of CM in Australia. From a policy perspective, it is necessary to seek proactive approaches that target complaint-related knowledge of the CM patients and consumers through education and advocacy efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tide has turned at length: Ebb with the tide, drift helpless down. Useless to struggle on ... How must I deal with grief?... See where my outcast limbs have [...]

We examined effects of 17[beta]-estradiol ([E.sub.2]) on human vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation under normal (5 mmol/l) and high (25 mmol/l) glucose concentrations. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) BB (20 ng/ml)-induced increases in DNA synthesis and proliferation were greater in high than normal glucose concentrations; the difference in DNA synthesis was abolished by a protein kinase C (PKC)-[beta] inhibitor, LY-379196 (30 nmol/l). Western blotting showed that PKC-[[beta].sub.1] protein increased in cells exposed to high glucose, whereas PKC-[alpha] protein and total PKC activity remained unchanged, compared with normal glucose cultures. In normal glucose, [E.sub.2] (1-100 nmol/l) inhibited PDGF-induced DNA synthesis by 18-37% and cell proliferation by 16-22% in a concentration-dependent manner. The effects of [E.sub.2] were blocked by the estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist ICI-182780, indicating ER dependence. In high glucose, the inhibitory effect of [E.sub.2] on VSMC proliferation was abolished but was restored in the presence of the PKC-[beta] inhibitor LY-379196. Thus high glucose enhances human VSMC proliferation and attenuates the antiproliferative effect of [E.sub.2] in VSMC via activation of PKC-[beta]. high glucose; estrogen; proliferation; smooth muscle cells; protein kinase C-[beta]

Experiments were performed to investigate the effects of estrogen on the responses to stress of the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (NE) in ovariectomized ewes. In particular, the responses to the audiovisual and hypoglycemic stress in the follicular and luteal phases of the estrous cycle were described. The findings suggest that the administration of estrogen attenuated the glucocorticoid reaction to audiovisual and hypoglycemic stress, while the responses of ACTH, Epi and NE were heightened during the luteal phase.