OBJECTIVETo measure the content of silica in C1 bituminous coal and its combustion products in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province, China and to investigate the relationship between high incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women and silica produced naturally in C1 bituminous coal in Xuan Wei.

METHODSThe C1 bituminous coal widely used in the high-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei was selected as experiment group, while the C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal that was mined and used in the low-incidence area of lung cancer in Xuanwei for more than 10 years were selected as control group. Fourteen paraffin-embedded cancer tissue samples from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer who were born in Xuanwei and were at least the 3rd generation of the family living there were collected from the department of pathology, the third affiliated hospital of kunming medical university (tumor hospital of yunnan province). Titrimetric potassium silicofluoride method was used to measure the content of silica in raw coal and its bottom ashes in 20 samples from the experimental group and control group. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (SEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) was used to observe the morphology of silica particles in the bottom ashes and coal soot of C1 bituminous coal as well as the lung cancer tissue from the non-smoking women in Xuanwei, and transmission electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analyzer (TEM-EDX) was used to analyze the microscopic composition. The silica particles were separated from the coal soot and bottom ashes and characterized by physical method.

RESULTSThe silica content in C1 bituminous coal and its bottom ashes was significantly higher than that in C2+1, K7, and M30 bituminous coal (P < 0.05). The bottom ashes of C1 bituminous coal contained a large quantity of silica particles, mostly with microscale sizes. Silica particles were found in the soot of C1 bituminous coal and the lung cancer tissue from non-smoking women in Xuanwei. The silica particles in the bottom ashes were mostly 120 ∼ 500 nm in diameter, had various shapes, and contained such elements as iron, aluminium, calcium, and potassium; the silica particles in the coal soot were mostly nanoscale, ranging from 37 nm to 80 nm in diameter, had various shapes, with some in fibrous form, had non smooth surfaces, and contained such elements as iron, potassium, calcium, aluminium, and sulfur.

CONCLUSIONIn Xuanwei, the incidence of lung cancer among non-smoking women is high in the area where silica-rich C1 bituminous coal is produced. There are silica particles enriched in both the combustion products (coal soot and bottom ashes) of C1 bituminous coal and the cancer tissue from the non-smoking women with non-small cell lung cancer, with similar morphology and microscopic composition. We hypothesize that the silica particles from combusted C1 bituminous coal in Xuanwei are mixed with indoor air and inhaled along with other suspended particles.

Air Pollutants ; analysis ; China ; epidemiology ; Coal ; Coal Ash ; analysis ; Environmental Exposure ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lung Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors ; Silicon Dioxide ; analysis ; Smoking

BACKGROUNDVascular hyporeactivity, which occurs in the terminal stage of hemorrhagic shock, is believed to be critical for treating hemorrhagic shock. The present study was designed to examine whether the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) was involved in the development of vascular hyporeactivity in rats suffering from hemorrhagic shock.

METHODSSixteen animals were randomly divided into two groups (n = 8 in each group): sham-operated (Sham) and hemorrhagic shock (HS) groups. Hemorrhagic shock was induced by bleeding. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) was reduced to and stabilized at (25 +/- 5) mmHg for 2 hours. The vascular reactivity was determined by the response of MAP to norepinephrine (NE). In later experiments another twelve animals were used in which the changes of CB1R mRNA and protein in aorta and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) were analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blotting. In addition, we investigated the effects of a CB1R antagonist on the vascular hyporeactivity and survival rates in rats with hemorrhagic shock. Survival rates were analyzed by the Fisher's exact probability test. The MAP response was analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

RESULTSVascular hyporeactivity developed in all animals suffering from hemorrhagic shock. The expression of CB1R mRNA and protein in aorta and 2 - 3 branches of the SMA were significantly increased in the HS group after the development of vascular hyporeactivity when compared to those in Sham group. When SR141716A or AM251 was administered, the MAP response to NE was (41.75 +/- 4.08) mmHg or (44.78 +/- 1.80) mmHg respectively, which was higher than that in saline groups with (4.31 +/- 0.36) mmHg (P < 0.01). We also showed an increased 4-hour survival rate in the SR141716A or AM251-treated group with 20% or 30%, but with a statistically significant difference present between the AM251-treated and saline groups (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCB1R is involved in vascular hyporeactivity resulting from hemorrhagic shock in rats, and CB1R antagonist may be useful in treating patients with traumatic, hemorrhagic shock who need field-rescue or initial treatment.

Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Gene Expression Regulation ; drug effects ; Hypotension ; metabolism ; Male ; Piperidines ; pharmacology ; Pyrazoles ; pharmacology ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Shock, Hemorrhagic ; metabolism ; mortality ; Survival Rate

BACKGROUNDSepsis is a leading cause of death in the intensive care units. The late inflammatory cytokine, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), plays a critical role in sepsis. In the present study, we investigated the association between the serum HMGB1 levels and the severity of organ injury in the lipopolysaccharide-induced sepsis in rats.

METHODSTo produce an animal model of sepsis with different degree of organ injury, animals were treated with three different doses of lipopolysaccharide (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg), and the animals in control group were treated with the same volume of the vehicle (saline). The levels of serum HMGB1 were measured at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32 and 48 hours after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or vehicle injection, meanwhile the biochemical and histopathological indicators for the severity of organ injury were assessed.

RESULTSThe level of HMGB1 had a positive, high correlation with the abnormal changes of serum cardiac troponin I, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, as well as the pathologic scores of heart, lung, liver and kidney.

CONCLUSIONSThe level of serum HMGB1 is highly correlated with the severity of sepsis in rats, suggesting that HMGB1 could serve as a valuable adjunct in the diagnosis and management of sepsis.

Animals ; HMGB1 Protein ; blood ; Lipopolysaccharides ; therapeutic use ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sepsis ; blood ; drug therapy ; pathology

【Objective】 The two databases，GEO（gene expression omnibus，GEO）and TCGA（the cancer genome alas ，TCGA），were analyzed using bioinformatics methods to screen differentially expressed genes associated and their related regulatory networks in prostate carcinoma. 【Methods】 The prostate carcinoma gene expression chip data （GSE46602 ，GSE55945） downloaded from the GEO database were integrated into the RNA- seq data of the TCGA database. And the differentially expressed genes analysis was performed using GEO2R and the edgeR package of R software to extract common significant differentially expressed genes. The clusterProfiler package of R software was used to enrich the GO（gene ontology ，GO）function enrichment analysis and KEGG（kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes， KEGG）pathway analysis. Differentially expressed genes were further constructed into a protein-protein interaction（PPI） network to screen out key genes for regulatory protein expression in prostate carcinoma. Gene analysis results were combined with TCGA clinical follow-up data to analyze the clinical prognostic value of key node genes. 【Results】A total of 278 significant differentially expressed genes were extracted，of which 178 genes were down- regulated and 100 genes were up-regulated. These genes were closely associated with the function and pathway enrichment such as the regulation of proliferation of epithelial cells，metabolism of benzene- containing compounds，the glutathione metabolism，and focal adhesion. The protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed three key protein expression modules and 12 key node genes. Among these key genes，EDN3（endothelin-3），EDNRB（endothelin receptor B）and AMACR（alpha-methylacyl- coa racemase）were closely related to the survival rate of prostate cancer patients. 【Conclusion】Through bioinformatics analysis of gene chip and RNA-seq data in prostate carcinoma，we found that EDN3，EDNRB and AMACR may play an important role in the occurrence and development of prostate carcinoma.

PURPOSE: This study differentiates patient and care delays of breast cancer and explores the related factors as well as the associations with the prognosis in Guangzhou, a southern city of China. METHODS: A cohort of female incident breast cancer patients (n=1,551) was recruited from October 2008 to March 2012 and followed up until January 1, 2016 (n=1,374) in the affiliated hospitals of Sun Yat-sen University. The factors associated with patient and care delays were analyzed with multivariable logistic models. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate the impacts of the delays on the prognosis. RESULTS: There were 40.4% patient delay (≥3 months) and 15.5% care delay (≥1 month). The patient delay, but not the care delay, was significantly related to the clinical stage and consequently worsened the prognosis of breast cancer (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.91 for progression-free survival). The factors related to an increased patient delay included premenopausal status, history of benign breast disease, and less physical examination. CONCLUSION: Patient delay was the main type of delay in Guangzhou and resulted in higher clinical stage and poor prognosis of breast cancer. Screening for breast cancer among premenopausal women may be an effective way to reduce this delay.
Breast Diseases ; Breast Neoplasms ; Breast ; China ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Mass Screening ; Physical Examination ; Prognosis ; Solar System

OBJECTIVETo observe effect of Shufeng Xuanfei Recipe (SXR) and Jiebiao Qingli Recipe (JQR) on mRNA and protein expressions of Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) in mice infected with influenza virus FM1.

METHODSOne hundred and eight mice were randomly divided into nine groups, i.e., the normal control group, the model group, the Oseltamivir group (at the daily dose of 2.5 g/mL), the high dose SXR group (at the daily dose of 3.762 g/kg), the middle dose SXR group (at the daily dose of 1.881 g/kg), the low dose SXR group (at the daily dose of 0.941 g/kg), the high dose JQR group (at the daily dose of 4.368 g/kg), the middle dose JQR group (at the daily dose of 2.184 g/kg), and the low dose JQR group (at the daily dose of 1.092 g/kg), 12 in each group. All mice were mildly anesthetized by ether. Mice in the normal control group were treated by nasal drop of 0.05 mL normal saline, while mice in the rest groups were infected by nasal drop of 0.05 mL influenza virus strain FM1 (LD50). The successful modeling rate was 100%. All medication was performed by gastrogavage 2 h after infection. Distilled water was given by gastrogavage to mice in the normal control group and the model group at the daily dose of 0.2 mL, each time per day for 4 successive days. mRNA expressions of TLR7, MyD88, and NF-kappaB in the lung tissue were determined by Western blot.

RESULTSCompared with the normal control group, mRNA expressions of TLR7, MyD88, and NF-kappaB increased in the model group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, mRNA and protein expressions of TLR7, MyD88, and NF-kappaB decreased in the Oseltamivir group, the high, middle, and low dose SXR groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expressions of TLR7 and NF-kappaB decreased in the high and middle dose JQR groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); mRNA expressions of MyD88 decreased in the high and middle dose JQR groups (P < 0.05); protein expressions of MyD88 decreased in the middle dose JQR group (P < 0.05); protein expressions of TLR7 and NF-kappaB decreased in the low dose JQR group (P < 0.05). Compared with the Oseltamivir group, protein expressions of MyD88 decreased in the low dose SXR group (P < 0.05); protein expressions of NF-kappaB decreased in the middle and low dose SXR groups (P < 0.01); mRNA and protein expressions of TLR7 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), and protein expressions of MyD88 (P < 0.01) decreased in the high, middle, and low dose JQR groups; mRNA and protein expressions of NF-kappaB decreased in the low dose JQR group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSEach dose SXR and middle dose JQR could down-regulating the activity of NF-kappaB through adjusting MyD88 dependent TLR signal pathway, thus fighting against influenza virus. SXR was more effective than JQR.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Lung ; metabolism ; Male ; Membrane Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88 ; genetics ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; genetics ; metabolism ; Orthomyxoviridae ; Orthomyxoviridae Infections ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; Pneumonia, Viral ; drug therapy ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Toll-Like Receptor 7 ; genetics ; metabolism

Through analyzing the indication distribution of the different acupoints located at the upper limbs recorded in
Acupuncture Points ; Arm ; Goiter ; Humans ; Meridians ; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node

OBJECTIVETo evaluate efficacy and advantages of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) synthetic rehabilitation therapy in the treatment of wrist dysfunction after distal radius fractures.

METHODSFrom May 2014 to October 2015, 72 patients with distal radius fracture meeting standards were treated using central randomization system for clinical research. All the patients were divided into two groups: 36 patients in test group and 36 in control group. Sixty-nine cases were finished treatment and followed up in the end. The test group fell off 1 case, and the control group fell off 2 cases. The test group was given TCM synthetic rehabilitation (manipulative therapy, joint mobilization, soaking-washing with Chinese medicinal herbs, functional exercise), and the control group was given functional exercise as well as soaking-washing with Chinese medicinal herbs, 3 weeks for both. Five evaluation standards were used in this research, which were grip strength, patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE), Gartland and Werley wrist score, self-rating anxiety scale(SAS) and the overall curative effect evaluation. Before treatment(baseline), after 3 weeks of treatment and 3 months after fracture were the three points in time when collected the data.

RESULTSAfter 3 weeks of treatment and 3 months after fracture, the test group had a significantly better results than those of control group in the PRWE, G-W wrist score and the overall curative effect evaluation(<0.05). In terms of grip strength recovery, after 3 weeks of treatment, the intergroup difference between the test group and the control group were statistically significant relative to the baseline regarding grip strength of ipsilateral wrist by group t-test(<0.05). However, the test group and the control group had no statistically significant relative to the baseline at 3 months after fracture in grip strength(<0.05). For the anxiety of patients, compared with the test group and control group at before and after rehabilitation treatment, the anxiety of both test group and control group cases was eased(<0.05). However, The degree of anxiety relief in test group and control group cases had no difference(>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe TCM synthetic rehabilitation therapy has better curative effects on the treatment of functional disability of wrist joints after distal radius fractures than the general therapy of soaking-washing with Chinese medicinal herbs and functional exercise.

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical efficacy and toxicity of CLAT protocol (cladribine, cytarabine and topotecan) for treating patients with refractory acute myeloid leukemia (R-AML).

METHODSA total of 18 patients with R-AML (median age 37 years, range 18 to 58 years; male n = 16, female n = 2) were treated with CLAT protocol, which consisted of cladribine 5 mg/m(2)/d, i.v. on days 1-5, cytarabine 1.5 g/m(2)/d, i.v. on days 1-5, topotecan 1.25 mg/m(2)/d, i.v. on days 1-5 and G-CSF 300 µg/d subcutaneous injection on day 6 until neutrophile granulocyte recovery.

RESULTSOut of 18 patients 2 died of severe infection before the assessment. Among 16 evaluated patients, 10 (55.6%) achieved complete remission (CR), and 2 (11.1%) achieved partial remission (PR), the overall response rate was 66.7%, the rest 4 patients did not respond (NR). The median overall survival time and DFS for the CR patients was 9.5 months (95%CI: 6.7-16.64) and 9.5 months (95%CI: 6.1-16.7) respectively. The 1 year OS and DFS rates were 45% and 46.9%, respectively. All patients developed grade 4 of granulocytopenia and thrombocytopenia, the median duration was 13 (range 2 to 21) days and 12 days (range 2 to 21), respectively, all patients developed infection, 2 patients died of severe infection. The most common non-hematological side effects included nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, aminotransferase or bilirubin elevation and were grade 1 to 2.

CONCLUSIONThe CLAT protocol seems to have promising for the treatment of refractory AML patients, and patients well tolerated. This CLAT protocol offers an alternative treatment for R-AML patients who received severe intensive treatment, especially with anthracycline-containing chemotherapy.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Agranulocytosis ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; therapeutic use ; Cladribine ; therapeutic use ; Cytarabine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Remission Induction ; Thrombocytopenia ; Topotecan ; therapeutic use ; Young Adult