[Influence of the L-carnitine and resveratrol complex on physiological, biochemical and morphological indicators of normal and obese rats]

Specialized products and dietary supplements, enriched with complexes of minor biologically active substances (BAS), are often offered as components of therapeutic diets in the treatment of obesity and metabolic syndrome. At the same time, the possible effects of the interactions of BAS when consuming a multicomponent product have not been studied enough. The aim - to study the action on rats' organism of a complex supplement (RС), containing resveratrol (Res) and L-carnitine (L-Car), when consumed with a standard balanced or hypercaloric diet. Material and methods. Male Wistar rats received for 63 days a standard balanced diet (SD) or a high-fat-high-carbohydrate diet (HFCD) with an excess of total fat (30%) and fructose (20% solution instead of drinking water), or the same diets supplemented with RС in a low (25 mg/kg body weight as Res and 300 mg/kg body weight as L-Car) or high (50 and 600 mg/kg body weight, respectively) doses. The muscle grip strength, behavioral reactions in tests of the conditioned passive avoidance reflex (CPAR) and elevated plus maze (EPM) were studied. At the end of the experiment, the mass of adipose tissue and internal organs was determined together with the activity of microsomal and cytosolic liver enzymes for specific substrates, plasma biochemical parameters, liver morphology by lightoptical microscopy, accumulation of lipofuscin-like granules (LLG) in the liver and kidneys by laser confocal microscopy. Results. In the rats fed HFCD, compared with SD, there was an increase in the mass index of liver, total inguinal and retroperitoneal white adipose tissue, in the levels of glucose and triglycerides, in the activity of hepatic CYP1A1 and CYP3A monooxygenases, UDPglucuronosyltransferase, heme oxygenase, and simultaneous decrease of high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and quinone oxidoreductase activity. The RС intake stimulated the locomotor activity of rats in EPM, however, this effect was less pronounced against the background of HFCD consumption. In rats consuming SD (but not HFCD), the addition of RС caused an increase in search activity and anxiety according to the EPM and CPAR data. The effect on short- and long-term memory retention was statistically insignificant. RС intake did not have hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic properties but caused in low dose an increase in the ratio of the activity of transaminases AST/ALT in animals fed HFCD. The liver CYP3A activity increased in rats supplemented with RС in high dose fed HFCD. In the kidneys of animals, the consumption of RС resulted in increased accumulation of LLG. Conclusion. When studying the effect of the complex supplement RС on normal and obese rats according to the studied physiological, morphological and biochemical indexes, no positive effects were revealed, that would not have manifested themselves for Res and L-Car separate intake. No evidence of synergistic action of L-Car and Res were found, and some of the effects of the complex supplement can be considered as adverse. This requires careful assessment when combined using these substances in complex diet therapy of metabolic disorders in humans.

Administrative Mechanism of Joint Participation and Cooperation in the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Wuhan

Introduction

From December 2019 to January 2020, a novel coronavirus disease (officially COVID-19) was reported in Wuhan and continued to spread all China. This study describes the administrative mechanism of joint participation and cooperation during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan and the rest of the country by health practitioners and administrative authorities.

Methods

This study adopted a qualitative design. An analytical framework based on the theory of policy participation that included stimulus, setting, and position of policy participation was constructed. Qualitative data of policy participation by health practitioners and administrative authorities consisted of publicly available data.

Results

Early during the outbreak, from December 2019 to January 2020, three main stages occurred according to the containment situation. The first stage was characterized by limited knowledge of the transmission dynamics of the virus and a consequently weak response. In the second stage, the disease spreads rapidly because of travel during a national festival. In the third stage, particularly when top Chinese leaders delivered instructions to intensify containment efforts, diverse departments initiated joint prevention and control measures to combat COVID-19.

Conclusion

The administrative mechanism of joint participation and cooperation was instrumental in avoiding a substantial increase in both cases and fatalities in the initial stage of the outbreak. This joint participation provides valuable experience and initiatives for major public health emergency preparedness, and the new empirical evidence further highlights the importance of policy participation theory in epidemic prevention in other countries.