BackgroundTo further explore characteristics of myopia and changes in factors associated with myopia among students at Inner Mongolia Medical University.MethodsTwo cross-sectional censuses were conducted in 2011 and 2013. Participants were medical students residing on campus in 2011 and 2013. Logistic regression analysis was performed to ascertain associations with basic information, genetic factors, environmental factors. The χ2 test was used to test for differences in prevalence between 2011 and 2013. Prevalence was calculated at various myopia occurrence times among different parental myopia statuses.ResultsA total of 11,138 students enrolled from 2007 to 2012 completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of myopia in 2011 and 2013 was 70.50% and 69.21%, respectively, no statistically significant difference existed between the two censuses (p = 0.12). Both censuses were completed by 1015 students. There were no differences among the various year of study in 2011 or 2013. Myopic prevalence increased with an increased number of myopic parents: the prevalence if both parents were myopic was over 90%, nearly 80% if one parent was myopic, and less than 70% with non-myopic parents (p < 0.001). Myopic occurrence ranked from earliest to latest was in kindergarten and primary school when both parents were myopic, in middle school when one parent was myopic, and in university when no parent was myopic. Students staying up late, using a computer more than 3 h per day, not performing eye exercises, using eye drops, and rubbing the eyes at high risk for myopia.ConclusionsMyopic status was stable during the university period. Genetic factors play a major role in myopia. Protective measures are useful for university students.

One of the most significant classes of mycotoxins, aflatoxins (AFTs), can cause a variety of detrimental outcomes, including cancer, hepatitis, aberrant mutations, and reproductive issues. Among the 21 identified AFTs, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most harmful to humans and animals. The mechanisms of AFB1-induced toxicity are connected to the generation of excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), upregulation of CYP450 activities, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy, necrosis, and inflammatory response. Several signaling pathways, including p53, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, Nrf2/ARE, NF-κB, NLRP3, MAPKs, and Wnt/β-catenin have been shown to contribute to AFB1-mediated toxic effects in mammalian cells. Curcumin, a natural product with multiple therapeutic activities (e.g., anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, and immunoregulation activities), could revise AFB1-induced harmful effects by targeting these pathways. Therefore, the potential therapeutic use of curcumin against AFB1-related side effects and the underlying molecular mechanisms are summarized. This review, in our opinion, advances significant knowledge, sparks larger discussions, and drives additional improvements in the hazardous examination of AFTs and detoxifying the application of curcumin.

b 2 -Adrenoceptor agonists, the most effective bronchodilator, have long been widely used in symptomatic therapy of asthma. A variety of b 2 -adrenoceptor agonists are currently available, such as salbutamol, terbutaline, salmeterol, formoterol and procaterol. The majority of b 2 -adrenoceptor agonists possess chiral center(s) (asymmetric carbon atom) in their structures; therefore, they exist as pair(s) of enantiomers.1) Based on the conformational stereochemistry and pharmacokinetic parameters, enantiomers can vary greatly in their pharmacological effects on target tissue(s).2) Except for levalbuterol, most available b 2 -adrenoceptor agonists are a racemic mixture of equimolar (R)-and (S)-enantiomer. Against this background, separation of enantiomers is a practice increasing in popularity, since a single optical isomer may represent a safer and more efficacious alternative than its corresponding racemate.3) 2-(4-Amino-3-chloro-5-trifluomethyl-phenyl)-2-tert-butylamino-ethanol hydrochloride (SPFF) is synthesized and exploited by the drug synthesis laboratory of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University as a novel b 2 -adrenoceptor agonist. Gan et al. 4) has found that bronchodilator effects of racemic SPFF on isolated guinea pig trachea strips with or without precontraction of bronchoconstrictors (histamine and acetylcholine) were more potent than isoprenaline. Moreover, it was confirmed that the bronchodilator effect of racemic SPFF was due to the activation of b 2 -adrenoceptor because this effect was easily antagonized by a specific b 2 -adrenoceptor antagonist, ICI-118551 (pA 2 ϭ8.90Ϯ0.01). Furthermore, the positive chronotropic effect of SPFF on isolatd guinea pig left atria (pD 2 ϭ5.41Ϯ0.38) was much weaker than that of isoprenaline (pD 2 ϭ8.75Ϯ0.24). A radioligand binding experiment using guinea pig lung and cardiac ventricle as b 2 and b 1 adrenoceptor sources, respectively, also demonstrated that racemic SPFF possesses high affinity and selectivity to b 2 -adrenoceptor. The protective effect of racemic SPFF on bronchospasm induced by bronchoconstrictor aerosol in guinea pig in vivo was 6 times more potent than that of sulbutamol, and the Konzett and Rösler experiment performed in anesthetized rabbits showed that racemic SPFF exerted action of longer duration than sulbutamol did. In the present study we compared the pharmacological effects of racemic SPFF with its individual enantiomers on bronchodilating action and potency in guinea pigs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Chemicals and Drugs

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