OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of activated carbon nanoparticles for guiding lymphadenectomy in lung cancer.

METHODSFourty-two lung cancer patients were divided into two groups: the control group (22 cases) and experiment group (20 cases) who received activated carbon nanoparticles injection around the tumor either by endoscopic injection or intraoperative subserosal injection. The number of dissected lymph node, black-stained lymph node, positive lymph node and the side effect of the procedure were analyzed, respectively.

RESULTSNo severe complication was observed in the experiment group. The operative time was not prolonged significantly in the experiment group either. However, the number of average lymph nodes dissected in the experiment group (25.5) was significantly more than that in the control group (14.6) (P <0.01).

CONCLUSIONLocal injection of activated carbon nanoparticles around the tumor during surgical exploration is effective, safe and easy to do for guiding lymphadenectomy in lung cancer patient.

Adult ; Aged ; Charcoal ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; pathology ; surgery ; Lymph Node Excision ; methods ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nanoparticles ; Pneumonectomy

OBJECTIVETo explore the Notch1 mRNA and protein expression in human breast cancers and normal mammary tissues, and their relationship with the clinical indicators of breast cancers were analyzed.

METHODSNotch1 gene of human breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and normal mammary gland tissues were amplified by RT-PCR, and the expression of Notch1 protein was detected by immunohistochemical Streptavidin-Biotin Complex (SP) stain in 60 IDC, 30 ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and 60 normal mammary tissues.

RESULTSNotch1 gene of human IDC and normal mammary tissues both could express in a transcription level; the positive rates of Notch1 protein expression in normal mammary tissues and DCIS were 55% and 70%. Respectively, which did not differ statistically (P > 0.05), while the positive rate in IDC was 90%, significantly higher than that of the normal mammary tissues and DCIS (P < 0.05). The high expression of Notch1 protein in IDC correlate significantly with lymph node metastasis, pathological grades and TNM stages.

CONCLUSIONSNotch1 protein was over expressed in breast IDC. A high Notch1 protein expression is considered associating with the evolution and malignant transformation of the breast tumor. The expression of Notch1 gene maybe impact the effect of on the progression of breast cancers.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Mammary Glands, Human ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptor, Notch1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo explore factors associated with retention in a community-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) among heroin addicts in Xichang of Sichuan province.

METHODSAll 206 heroin addicts were first admitted to MMT community-based program between March to September 2004. Baseline data of patients characteristics, social function, drug using behaviors, sexual behaviors, dose of methadone and retention were collected.

RESULTSUp to Oct, 2005, all 206 patients contributed 8.98 +/- 5.74 person-months of following-up. The retention rates were 58.7% after 6 months and 34.6% after 12 months respectively. Cox proportional hazard regression model indicated that the employed (HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.39 - 0.92), helping family to do housework in past 30 days more than once a day (HR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.42 - 0.82) and previous self-detoxification > or = 3 times (HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47 - 0.91) were independently associated with retention.

CONCLUSIONWe should give individual counseling to help heroin addicts increasing compliance.

Adult ; Cohort Studies ; Community Health Services ; methods ; Female ; Heroin Dependence ; epidemiology ; rehabilitation ; Humans ; Male ; Methadone ; therapeutic use ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; Regression Analysis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo study the rate of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seroconversion, HIV transmission and related risk factors among injecting drug users (IDUs) in an area of Sichuan province.

METHODSIn November 2002, a community-based baseline survey was conducted to recruit 333 HIV-seronegative IDUs for a prospective cohort study in Xichang county of Sichuan province, China. Follow-up visits were carried out every 6 months to study the situation of drug use, sexual behaviors of the IDUs and blood specimens were collected to test for antibodies against HIV and syphilis.

RESULTSDuring a 24-month follow-up period, cohort retention rate and HIV incidence were 75.7% and 2.53 per 100 person-years [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-3.97)], respectively. Multivariate Poisson regression model showed that risk factors which were significantly associated with HIV seroconversion would include: ethnicity (RR = 12.42; 95% CI: 2.72-56.74, P = 0.0012) and needle or syringe sharing in the past 3 months (RR = 4.06; 95% CI: 1.29-12.81, P = 0.0168). Syphilis seroconversion in this cohort was 4.71 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 2.59-6.82). In multivariate Poisson regression being female (RR = 4.42; 95% CI: 1.78-10.99, P = 0.0014) appeared to be the only factor which was significantly associated with syphilis seroconversion.

CONCLUSIONOur study results showed that there was a rapid transmission of HIV and syphilis among IDUs in Sichuan province, suggesting that effective intervention should be urgently taken.

Cohort Studies ; HIV Seropositivity ; immunology ; transmission ; Humans ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sexual Behavior ; Substance Abuse, Intravenous ; Syphilis ; immunology ; transmission

OBJECTIVETo explore the prevalence of vision, mental, audibility, language, psychiatry, extremity, and influence factors in the 0 - 7 year olds.

METHODSA total number of 77,727 0 - 7 year old children living in Shenzhen city were tested with tree phase screening under the Chinese standard of evaluation in disabilities.

RESULTSThe prevalence of all disabilities was 5.59 per thousand (adjusted rate was 8.49 per thousand with a false negative of 3.1 per thousand ). The prevalence of mental disease was the highest (1.88 per thousand, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ), the prevalence of language disability was 1.88 per thousand (including retarded language development, with adjusted rate 3.43 per thousand ). The prevalence rates of psychiatry, extremity and audibility disability were 1.59 per thousand, 1.56 per thousand, 1.11 per thousand respectively with of vision the lowest (0.37 per thousand ). The prevalence of all disabilities, audibility, language and mental was on the increase with age. The difference was statistically significant. Among all different age groups regarding psychiatric disease, the highest fell in the 2 - 4 year olds. The prevalence of extremity was not statistically different among age groups. The suspected agents of disease which occurred before or during pregnancy took up 45.7%.

CONCLUSIONThe prevalence of six kinds disabilities in Shenzhen was about 10 per thousand lower than that of the samples of the nation in 1989, but two times higher than that of similar studies in Japan. The prevalence rates of language and psychiatric disease were higher than that of the nation in 1989. The causation should be further studied.

Age Factors ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Disabled Children ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Language Disorders ; epidemiology ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Vision Disorders ; epidemiology

The role of intestinal microbiota in mammals and humans are gaining increasing attention. The health of piglets requires a dynamically balanced intestinal microbiota. However, there are temporal and spatial changes in the distri-bution and composition of microbiota from the esophagus to the rectum during the life cycle of the pig. The intestinal micro?biota has various beneficial functions in pig, like nutrient metabolism, intestinal mucosal barrier, immune responses and pathogen infection. A variety of factors play an important role in the formation and stabilization of intestinal microbiota, in?cluding the ways of delivery ( vaginal or caesarean) , the diet during infancy ( breast milk or formula feeds) and the usage of antibiotics or antibiotic-like molecules. In this review, we mainly discussed the relationship between intestinal microbi?ota and the intestinal health of piglets from the aspects of the composition and colonization of intestinal microbiota, as well as the functions and influencing factors of intestinal microbiota, so as to further understanding the importance of intestinal microbiota in intestinal function of piglets.

The present study was designed to identify bioactive compounds similar to those isolated from Dendrobium genus from its relative specie Eria bambusifolia. Compounds 1-10 were isolated and purified using silica gel, MCI CHP-20 gel, Sephadex LH-20, and Lichroprep RP-18 chromatography methods. Their structures were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses. The cytotoxicity of these compounds against five human cancer cell lines was tested. Erathrins A and B (1 and 2) were new compounds, and compound 1 represented a novel carbon framework having a phenanthrene-phenylpropane unit with a dioxane moiety. Moreover, compound 1 showed selective cytotoxic activity against HL-60 cells (IC50 = 14.50 μmol·L(-1)). These results provided a basis for future development of these agents as anticancer lead compounds.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cell Survival ; drug effects ; Dendrobium ; chemistry ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Molecular Structure ; Phenanthrenes ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Plant Extracts ; chemistry ; pharmacology

【Objective】 To guide the nutritional intervention of children in the clinical practice ，by exploring the effect of over-nutrition in postnatal life on growth of the female SD rats.【Methods】We established the rat model of intra? uterine growth retardation（IUGR）through diet restriction in pregnant rats and selected female newborn rats that met the criteria as the experimental group（group I）. Group I was randomly divided into control group（group IC）and small group（group IS）. Fifty-eight female newborn rats with normal diet in pregnant period（group C）were also divided into control group（group CC）and small group（group CS）. After 21-days-lactation，group IC and group CC were randomly subdivided into 4 rats per cage，and then fed with normal diet，while group IS and group CS were fed with high fat diet. We measured the body weight and the body length of each rat every week. Serum fasting insulin，fasting blood glucose，IGF-1，IGF- BP3 levels，and rat insulin sensitivity index（ISI）were measured at different growth and development stages.【Results】 The body weight and body length of group IS were higher than those of group IC（P<0.05）；the same was true for group CS and group CC. In the different growth and development stages，the FINS，FBG，IGF- 1 and IGF- BP3 of group IS were higher than those of group IC（P < 0.05），the ISI was lower than that of group IC（P < 0.05）. Besides，the FINS，FBG of group CS were higher than those of group CC and the ISI of group CS was lower than that of group CC in the 75 days after birth（P < 0.05）.【Conclusions】We found that those small for gestational age infants can be added nutrition appropriately for rapid catch-up，but it is necessary to evaluate the growth index closely and adjust the nutrition on time. Children with normal intrauterine development also need to prevent over-nutrition.