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Objective: Evidence on potential cardiovascular benefits of personal-level intervention among the elderly exposed to high levels of particulate matter (PM) remains limited. We aimed to assess improvements in surrogate markers of cardiovascular injury in vulnerable populations at risks by using indoor air filtration units. Methods: We conducted a randomized crossover trial for 2 separate 2-week air filtration interventions in 20 households of patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and their partners in the winter of 2013, with concurrent measurements of indoor PM. The changes in biomarkers indicative of cardiac injury, atherosclerosis progression and systemic inflammation following intervention were evaluated using linear mixed-effect models. Results: In the analysis, average levels of indoor PM with aerodynamic diameters < 2.5 µm (PM2.5) decreased significantly by 59.2% (from 59.6 to 24.3 µg/m3, P < 0.001) during the active air filtration. The reduction was accompanied by improvements in levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I by −84.6% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −90.7 to −78.6), growth differentiation factor-15 by −48.1% (95% CI: −31.2 to −25.6), osteoprotegerin by −65.4% (95% CI: −56.5 to −18.7), interleukin-4 by −46.6% (95% CI: −62.3 to −31.0) and myeloperoxidase by −60.3% (95% CI: −83.7 to −3.0), respectively. Conclusion: Indoor air filtration intervention may provide potential cardiovascular benefits in vulnerable populations at risks.

The cultivation and production of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) are severely affected by viral disease. Yet there have been few studies of the molecular response of passion fruit to virus attack. In the present study, RNA-based transcriptional profiling (RNA-seq) was used to identify the gene expression profiles in yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) leaves following inoculation with cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Six RNA-seq libraries were constructed comprising a total of 42.23 Gb clean data. 1,545 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained (701 upregulated and 884 downregulated). Gene annotation analyses revealed that genes associated with plant hormone signal transduction, transcription factors, protein ubiquitination, detoxification, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis and chlorophyll metabolism were significantly affected by CMV infection. The represented genes activated by CMV infection corresponded to transcription factors WRKY family, NAC family, protein ubiquitination and peroxidase. Several DEGs encoding protein TIFY, pathogenesis-related proteins, and RNA-dependent RNA polymerases also were upregualted by CMV infection. Overall, the information obtained in this study enriched the resources available for research into the molecular-genetic mechanisms of the passion fruit/CMV interaction, and might provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and management of passion fruit viral disease in the field.

Mulberry leaves and white kidney beans may improve postprandial glycaemic control. However, data are lacking on the combined anti-diabetic effect of these two plant extracts among pre-diabetic individuals. This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the acute and chronic effects of mulberry leaf and white kidney bean extract mix (MWEM) on postprandial glycaemic control in 66 pre-diabetic subjects. In the acute effect test, ingestion of MWEM led to a significant decrease in the postprandial glucose, insulin, and C-peptide, as well as the incremental area under the curves from 0 to 120 min (iAUCs0–120min) for glucose, insulin, and C-peptide. In the chronic effect test, no significant treatment × time interactions were observed in the iAUCs0–120min, as well as the homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and glycated serum protein (GSP) levels. The consumption of MWEM with a meal could potentially help to improve postprandial glycaemic control in pre-diabetic individuals.

In this Beijing Indoor Air Purifier StudY (BIAPSY), we conducted a randomized crossover intervention trial in a panel of 35 non-smoking senior participants with free-living, with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Portable air filtration units were randomly allocated to active-(filter in) for 2weeks and sham-mode (filter out) for 2weeks in the households. We examined the differences in indoor air pollutant concentrations in 20 study homes and a suite of cardio-respiratory biomarker levels in study participants between filtration modes, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. Following active filtration, we observed significant reductions from 60±45 to 24±15μg/m3 in ten-day averages of indoor PM2.5 and reductions from 3.87±1.65 to 1.81±1.19m-1.10-5 in ten-day averages of indoor BC, compared to sham-mode filtration. The major components of indoor PM2.5, including water soluble organics, NO3-, SO42-, Zn2+, Pb2+ and K+, were also reduced significantly by 42% to 63%. However, following active filtration, we only observed significant reductions on systemic inflammation measured as of IL-8 at 58.59% (95% CI: -76.31, -27.64) in the total group of participants and 70.04% (95% CI: -83.05, -47.05) in the subset of COPD patients, with adjustments. We were not able to detect improvements on lung function, blood pressure, and heart rate variability, following short-term intervention of two-week active air filtration. In conclusion, our results showed that indoor air filtration produced clear improvement on indoor air quality, but no demonstrable changes in the cardio-respiratory outcomes of study interest observed in the seniors living with real-world air pollution exposures.

Particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μM (PM2.5) is one of the major environmental pollutants in China. In this study, we carried out a metabolomics profile study on PM2.5-induced inflammation. PM2.5 from Beijing, China, was collected and given to rats through intra-tracheal instillation in vivo. Acute pulmonary injury were observed by pulmonary function assessment and H.E. staining. The lipid metabolic profile was also altered with increased phospholipid and sphingolipid metabolites in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) after PM2.5 instillation. Organic component analysis revealed that benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) is one of the most abundant and toxic components in the PM2.5 collected on the fiber filter. In vitro, BaP was used to treat A549 cells, an alveolar type II cell line. BaP (4 μM, 24 h) induced inflammation in the cells. Metabolomics analysis revealed that BaP (4 μM, 6 h) treatment altered the cellular lipid metabolic profile with increased phospholipid metabolites and reduced sphingolipid metabolites and free fatty acids (FFAs). The proportion of ω–3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) was also decreased. Mechanically, BaP (4 μM) increased the phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity at 4 h as well as the mRNA level of Pla2g2a at 12 h. The pro-inflammatory effect of BaP was reversed by the cytosolic PLA2 (cPLA2) inhibitor and chelator of intracellular Ca2+. This study revealed that BaP, as a component of PM2.5, induces pulmonary injury by activating PLA2 and elevating lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) in a Ca2+-dependent manner in the alveolar type II cells., Graphical abstract fx1, Highlights • PM2.5 instillation increases pro-inflammatory lipid metabolism in the lung. • BaP promotes the metabolism of phospholipid in alveolar type II cells. • BaP activates cPLA2 in a Ca2+-dependent manner in alveolar type II cells.

In this Beijing Indoor Air Purifier StudY (BIAPSY), we conducted a randomized crossover intervention trial in a panel of 35 non-smoking senior participants with free-living, with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Portable air filtration units were randomly allocated to active-(filter in) for 2weeks and sham-mode (filter out) for 2weeks in the households. We examined the differences in indoor air pollutant concentrations in 20 study homes and a suite of cardio-respiratory biomarker levels in study participants between filtration modes, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. Following active filtration, we observed significant reductions from 60±45 to 24±15μg/m

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of air filtration on indoor air quality and cardio-pulmonary health in residents living in high outdoor pollution settings in Beijing. Methods: Twen...