Objective To explore the relationship between the change of serum ferritin level and acute lung injury.Methods 192 cases living hospital patients with critical factor of acute lung injury were divided into two groups:acute lung injury group(study group,52 cases)and having critical factor of acute lung injury but not devel- oped acute lung injury group(control group,140 cases).50 people at the same time were selected as normal group. Serum ferritin level were measured,and their correlation between groups were analyzed.Results The serum ferritin level in study group[female(354.7?9.8)/,g/L,male(789.7?30.8)tag/L]increased significantly as compared wit h that in control group[female(182.7?7.8)/,g/L,male(312.5?1.9)?g/L](P

Cardiovascular diseases, like coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction, are the most common cause of death worldwide. Chinese medicines have demonstrated rich cardioprotective activities for clinical applications. Salvia miltiorrhiza, a very important component of traditional Chinese medicine, can promote blood circulation and relieve blood stasis. Salvia miltiorrhiza is widely used in treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease such as coronary heart disease and cerebral infarction ( CI). Tanshinone II(A), the major lipophilic components extracted from the root of S. miltiorrhiza, possesses anti-atherosclerosis, anti-cardiac hypertrophy, anti-oxidant, anti-arrhythmia and so on. This paper discusses current research status of tanshinone II(A) in cardioprotective effects.
Animals ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; drug therapy ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Coronary Vessels ; drug effects ; physiopathology ; Diterpenes, Abietane ; therapeutic use ; Humans

OBJECTIVE Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has been one of the most common complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Glomerular hyperfiltrationis central in earlystage of DN and leads to the progression of renal architectonic and functional abnormalities. Salvi?anolic acid A (SalA) has been proved to protect diabetic complications such as hepatic fibrosis and neuropathy. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of SalAon glomerular endothelial dysfunctionand diabetic nephropathy. METHODS Primary glomerular endothelial cells were subjected to assess permeability under injury of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). AGEs-induced changes of RhoA/ROCK pathway and cytoskeleton rearrangement were assessed bywestern blotandimmunoflu?orescence. The beneficial effects of SalA on diabetic nephropathy were investigated in a rat model induced by high-fat and high-glucose diet combined with low dose of streptozocin (35 mg·kg- 1, ip). Renal function and architectonic changes were evaluated by biochemical assay and PAS staining. RESULTS SalA 3μMameliorated AGEs- induced glomerular endothelial permeability (P<0.05) and suppressed rearrangement of cytoskeleton through inhibiting AGE-RAGE-RhoA/ROCK pathway. SalA 1 mg · kg- 1 markedly reduced endothelium loss (P<0.01) and glomerular hyperfiltration (P<0.05) in diabetic kidney. Subsequently,SalA 1 mg·kg-1 suppressed glomerular hypertrophy and mesangial matrix expansion, eventually reduced 24 h-urinary albumin and ameliorated renal function by decreasing blood urine nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr) and serum n-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG). AGEs-RAGE-Nox4-induced oxidative stress was suppressed by the treatment of SalA 1 mg·kg-1. CONCLUSION SalA ameliorated AGEs-induced glomerular endothelial hyperpermeability, and effec?tively protected against early-stage diabetic nephropathy by reducing hyperfiltration and alleviating renal structural deterioration through inhibiting AGEs and its downstream pathway. Thus, SalA might be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

OBJECTIVELeukemia is a major cause of death of children in China, which accounts for 50 % of all cancers of children. Data from Tianjin Cancer Hospital was analyzed for mortality of leukemia in children under 20 years from 1981 to 2000 in the city of Tianjin.

METHODSAll physicians and medical staff of the hospitals and clinics in the registry area were responsible for filling out the report forms for every new case diagnosed as malignant tumors. Death certificates for malignant tumors have been registered at the local police station and the residential files were checked. All cancer cases with insufficient information were traced to his/her family and relevant persons worked in the clinic. Tianjin Cancer Registry Center periodically conducted an active re-checking program to review all patient records on cancers that was not registered in this period. Tumors diagnosed in this study were coded according to the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology (ICD-O). Mortality rates were calculated by age, sex and date of death.

RESULTSThe types of acute lymphoid leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia and chronic myeloid leukemia were the most common types of childhood leukemia in Tianjin, comprised 69.3%, 20.9 % and 8.0%, respectively. The mortality for childhood leukemia decreased slowly during the period of 1981 to 2000 in Tianjin. Mortality and morbidity ratios were 0.51.

CONCLUSIONCombined with characteristics of individual forms of childhood leukemia mortality, further epidemiological research is needed to prevent childhood leukemia.

Adolescent ; Cause of Death ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; mortality ; Young Adult

A LC-MS method was established for the determination of the protein binding rates of oleanolic acid in human plasma and serum albumin. The equilibrium dialysis combined with LC-MS to determine the total concentration in plasma and free drug concentration of oleanolic acid was carried out. The human plasma protein binding rates of oleanolic acid at three concentrations were 79.6%, 81.9% and 63.3%, respectively. The human serum albumin protein binding rates of oleanolic acid at three concentrations were 53.5%, 56.6% and 47.7%, respectively. The method is shown to be simple, accurate, sensitive and specific for the determination of biological samples. The protein binding rates in human plasma and serum albumin were of high strength.
Chromatography, Liquid ; methods ; Dialysis ; Humans ; Mass Spectrometry ; methods ; Oleanolic Acid ; blood ; Protein Binding ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serum Albumin ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of hydroquinone (HQ) on expression of topoisomerase IIα (TOPOIIα) in human bone marrow mononuclear cells, and to explore the role and possible regulatory mechanism of TOPOIIα involved in toxicity of HQ to hematopoietic cells.

METHODSAfter human bone marrow mononuclear cells were exposed to 50 µmol/L HQ (used the cells which were exposed to sterile distilled water as control); the activity of TOPOII was measured by TOPOII assay kit; the expression levels of TOPOIIα mRNA and protein were detected by RT-PCR technique and Western blotting method respectively; the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was carried out to study the possible mechanism of TOPOIIα expression changes.

RESULTS(1) The activity of TOPOII was inhibited obviously; the protein and mRNA expression of TOPOIIα were 0.017 ± 0.029 and 0.610 ± 0.128, significantly lower than that in the control with the significant difference (P < 0.01) after treated with HQ for 10 h; (2) The decreased content of TOPOIIα was associated with descended level of histone H4 acetylation than in the control, from 1.198 ± 0.056 to 0.324 ± 0.229, with the significant difference (P < 0.01), without accompanied descended level of histone H3 acetylation, from 1.253 ± 0.045 to 1.177 ± 0.025 (P > 0.05); (3) TOPOIIα mRNA expression decreased gradually after HQ processing, and the chemical modification (histone H4 acetylation) of TOPOIIα promoter happened prior to the mRNA expression.

CONCLUSIONHQ could repress the expression of TOPOIIα in human bone marrow mononuclear cells; the change of histone chemical modification plays an important role in the benzene's hematopoietic toxicity.

Acetylation ; Adult ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; metabolism ; Bone Marrow Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA Topoisomerases, Type II ; metabolism ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; metabolism ; Female ; Histones ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hydroquinones ; toxicity ; Male ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of RUNX3 protein in hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC) and its relationship with the clinicopathological factors of HCC.

METHODSImmunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of RUNX3 protein in HCC and the surrounding normal tissues, and the relation of RUNX3 with the clinicopathological factors of HCC was analyzed.

RESULTSThe positivity rate of RUNX3 protein expression was 49.02% (25/51) in HCC tissues, significantly lower than that in the surrounding normal tissues [82.35% (42/51), Χ(2)=12.5706, P<0.01). RUNX3 protein expression varied significantly with such pathological factors as the differentiation degree, cancer-associated thrombosis in the portal vein and intrahepatic metastasis (P<0.05), but not with tumor diameter, location, tumoral hemorrhage, necrosis or histotypes of the tumor (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONRUNX3 protein expression is lowered in HCC as compared with that in the surrounding normal tissue, suggesting an important role of RUNX3 in the tumorigenesis and development of HCC and the possible identity of RUNX3 gene as an anti-oncogene of HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Down-Regulation ; Female ; Genes, Tumor Suppressor ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Tumor Suppressor Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo evaluate three alternative methods for LD50 test-Fixed Dose Procedure (FDP), the Acute Toxic Class Method (ATC) and Up and Down Procedure (UDP).

METHODSFemale SD rats (8-12 weeks of age, 160-200 g) were used. Three alternative methods from OECD were applied to assess 22 chemicals (10 cosmetic raw materials and 12 raw materials of personal and home care products). The toxicity ranking for tested chemicals was established according to Globally Harmonized System (GSH). The results LD50 test were compared for the consistency and correlation between alternative methods and traditional test.

RESULTSFor cosmetic raw materials, the concordance rate of the three alternative methods was 80% (8/10); for raw material of personal and home care products, the concordance rates of FDP, ATC and UDP was 91.7% (11/12), 75.0% (9/12) and 83.0% (10/12), respectively. The number of animals required in three alternative methods was significantly lower than that in traditional test (P < 0.05), but the time required in three alternative methods was significantly higher than that in traditional test (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSHigh consistency and correlation were found between each alternative method and LD50 test. FDP may be more potential when applied to assess acute oral toxicity of cosmetic raw materials.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Cosmetics ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Hazardous Substances ; toxicity ; Lethal Dose 50 ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Toxicity Tests, Acute ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the expression of RUNX3 mRNA and protein in hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC) and surrounding normal tissue, to analyze the relationship between RUNX3 expression and clinical pathological parameters.

METHODSReverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to detect the expression of RUNX3 mRNA and protein in HCC and surrounding normal tissue respectively, and their relationship with clinical pathological parameters were analyzed.

RESULTSThe relative expression value of RUNX3 mRNA found in 51 cases HCC was 0.4509 +/- 0.0963, and that did in 51 cases surrounding normal tissue was 0.9147 +/- 0.0222. The difference of RUNX3 mRNA expression between two kinds of samples was statistically significant (t = 33.6087, P < 0.001). The positives rate of RUNX3 protein expression found in 51 cases HCC tissue was 49.02% (25/51) and that did in 51 cases surrounding normal tissue was 82.35% (42/51). The difference of RUNX3 protein expression between two kinds of samples was statistically significant (chi2 = 12.5706, P < 0.005). The difference of RUNX3 mRNA and protein expression in some clinical pathological parameters involving differentiation degree, invasion, cancer thrombus and diversion in liver were statistically significant (P < 0.05). However that were not in another clinical pathological parameters involving gender, cancer diameter, cancer location as well as hemorrhage and necrosis of cancer, histotype (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of RUNX3 mRNA and protein in HCC were significantly lower than that in surrounding normal tissue. The lower expression of runx3 protein in the HCC probably plays an important role in the tumorigenesis and development of HCC. The RUNX3 gene may be an anti-oncogene of HCC.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; chemistry ; pathology ; Core Binding Factor Alpha 3 Subunit ; analysis ; genetics ; physiology ; Female ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; chemistry ; pathology ; Male ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis

Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been rapidly spreading worldwide and affecting the physical and mental health of the general population. It may have even more serious potential harm to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper provides a literature review on the psychological and behavioral problems experienced by children with ASD during the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the factors influencing these issues. The findings of this review can serve as a basis for clinical research on ASD children.
Humans ; Child ; Problem Behavior ; COVID-19 ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Epidemics