Appropriate selection and measurement of lead biomarkers of exposure are critically important for health care management purposes, public health decision making, and primary prevention synthesis. Lead is one of the neurotoxicants that seems to be involved in the etiology of psychologies. Biomarkers are generally classified into three groups: biomarkers of exposure, effect, and susceptibility.The main body compartments that store lead are the blood, soft tissues, and bone; the half-life of lead in these tissues is measured in weeks for blood, months for soft tissues, and years for bone. Within the brain, lead-induced damage in the prefrontal cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum can lead to a variety of neurological disorders, such as brain damage, mental retardation, behavioral problems, nerve damage, and possibly Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsons disease, and schizophrenia. This paper presents an overview of biomarkers of lead exposure and discusses the neurotoxic effects of lead with regard to children and adults.
Alzheimer Disease ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Animals ; Behavior ; drug effects ; Biomarkers ; metabolism ; Brain ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Brain Diseases ; chemically induced ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Lead ; pharmacokinetics ; toxicity ; Lead Poisoning ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes ; etiology ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Parkinson Disease, Secondary ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology ; psychology ; Schizophrenia ; chemically induced ; metabolism ; pathology ; physiopathology

OBJECTIVETo compare the therapeutic effects between the Hwato neuro and muscle stimulator (SXDZ-100) and the regular electronic stimulator (SDZ-II) on chronic functional constipation.

METHODSSixty-four cases of chronic functional constipation were randomly divided into a (SXDZ-100) observation group (n = 33) and SDZ-II control group (n = 31). For the SXDZ-100 group, under the considerations of patients' endurance, Zhigou(TE 6) and Tianshu (ST 25), Zusanli (ST 36) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) were punctured and then the courle of acupoints on the same side were connected with SXDZ-100 apparatus in reinforcing and reducing by twirling and rotating manipulation wave for 30 min, while in the control group SDZ-II apparatus was applied in the same way mentioned above with disperse-dense wave at frequency of 1Hz/20Hz for 30 min. By means of clinical therapeutic effect evaluation and clinical symptom score, the contrast between two groups can be made.

RESULTSAlthough the total effective rates were both 100.0%, the rate of short term effects in SXDZ-100 group (54.6%, 18/33) is significantly higher than that in SDZ-II group (29.0%, 9/31) (P < 0.05). After the treatment, the clinical symptom scores in both groups decreased significantly (both P < 0.05). And the therapeutic effective indices of the SXDZ-100 group were significantly higher than those of the SDZ- II group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe therapeutic effect of Hwato neuro and muscle stimulator (SXDZ-100) on chronic functional constipation is superior to that of a regular electronic stimulator (SDZ-II).

Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; therapy ; Constipation ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the clinical significance of CT angiography(CTA)in the diagnosis of arterioportal shunts(APS)associated with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).Methods One hundred and twenty-seven consecutive HCC patients accepted both dynamic enhancement CT and DSA examinations.The interval between CT and DSA exam was from 3 to 15 days.Based on transverse CT images in hepatic artery phase,CTA was performed for all the patients.By contrast with DSA results,the capabilities of transverse CT and transverse images combined with CTA in APS diagnosis were analyzed. Results In all 127 HCC cases,52 cases with APS were confirmed by DSA(40.94%),33 with central type of APS and 19 with peripheral type.Diagnostic sensitivity of APS based on transverse CT and combined CTA with transverse CT images were both 94.23%(49/52).However,specificity was 84.00%(63/75) and 97.33%(73/75),respectively,accuracy was 88.19%(112/127)and 96.06%(122/127),the predictive value of positive cases was 80.33%(49/61)and 96.08%(49/51),and the predictive value of negative cases was 95.45%(63/66)and 96.05%(73/76).Combined with CTA,false positive cases of 4 central type of APS and 6 peripheral type of APS were excluded which were demonstrated by transverse CT images.By contrast with DSA,the coincidence rate of the type of APS diagnosed by transverse images combined with CTA was 88.46%(46/52),including 90.91%(30/33)of central type of APS and 84.21%(16/19)of peripheral type.The supplying arteries of central type of APS were intuitively displayed by CTA in 23 cases,19 from proper hepatic artery and 4 from gastro-duodenal artery.Conclusion CTA techniques based on the dynamic enhancement CT exams could effectively promote the specificity and the accuracy of APS diagnosis.

Objective To study the inducement of U251 glioblastoma cell apoptosis in vivo through up-regulating PUMA expresion and knocking down miR-221/222, and explore its mechanism.Methods Nude mouse xenograft models were established in 5-week-old BALB/c nude mice by subcutaneous vaccination of U251 glioblastomas; 1 week later, they were treated with intratumoral injection of lipofcctamine-mediated miRNA-221/222 antisense oligonucleotides (GroupA), nonsense sequences (Group B) and controls (Group C),respectively (n=8).The tumor growth was monitored until the end of observation period (28 d after the treatment) and pathological changes of the glioblastoma tissues were observed by HE staining at the end of observation.Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and real-time PCR were employed to measure the miR-221 and miR-222 expressions. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated uridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to detect the apoptosis of glioblastomas.Immunohistochemistry and Westem blotting were used to detect the expressions of PUMA,bax,bcl-2 and p53 in removed tumor specimens. Results The volume in Group A was significantly smaller than that of those in group B and group C 6-28 dater treatment (P=0.006). The miR-221 and miR-222 mRNA expressions in Group A were significantly decreased as compared with those of those in group B and group C.HE staining indicated that decreased heteromorphism and reduced number of new vessels in Group A were noted as compared with those in group B and group C.The cell apoptotic index in Group A was significantly higher than that in group B and group C (P＜0.05).Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression levels of PUMA and bax in Group A was significantly up-regulated as compared with those in group B and group C, while the expression of bcl-2 in Group A was significantly down-regulated as compared with that in group B and group C; and no significant changes were noted in the p53 expression. Conclusion By up-regulating PUMA expresion,knocking down miR-221/222 can induce U251 glioma apoptosis in vivo.

Congenital coronary sinus anomalies are extremely rare, and they have received relatively little attention. This is probably due to the lack of both clinical symptoms and significant cardiac functional disturbance. We present two cases of a coronary sinus anomaly and briefly review the literature. Recognizing and being familiar with the variations of a congenital coronary sinus anomaly in congenital heart disease may avoid a misinterpretation of cardiac catheterization findings and the troublesome disruption of coronary sinus blood return during the surgical management of cardiac lesions.
Coronary Sinus/*abnormalities/*radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVETo study the changes in the constituent ratio of patients received surgical therapy for their thyroid diseases in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 1986 to 2012.

METHODSThe clinical data of patients received surgical therapy with pathologically confirmed findings from 1986 to 2012 were collected, and a corresponding database was established. The constituent ratios of thyroid diseases and thyroid malignant tumor among different population groups in different years were analyzed.

RESULTSThe number of patients with thyroid diseases admitted to our hospital had significantly increased in the past 27 years, particularly those with nodular goiter or thyroid cancer. The composition ratios of thyroid cancer and nodular goiter increased significantly, and among malignancies the papillary thyroid carcinoma increased obviously. The detection rate of papillary thyroid micro-carcinoma had continuously increased since 2008.

CONCLUSIONThyroid diseases and malignant tumor pathological types had dramatically changed in hospitalized patients in our hospital in the past 27 years.

Adult ; Female ; Goiter, Nodular ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Diseases ; epidemiology ; surgery ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo construct multifunctonal nano-delivery system crossing the blood brain barrier (BBB).

METHODSThe magnetic nanoparticles were preprared with O-carboxylmethylated chitosan (O-CMC) and conjugated with a peptide sequence from the human immunodeficiency virus 1-tat protein and transferrin (Tf), and anti-tumor drug methotrexate (MTX), and thus constructed a O-CMC magnetic nanoparticles carrier system conjugating with Tat and Tf (O-MNPs-Tat-Tf) that combines multiple functions including crossing BBB, magnetism, receptor-mediated dual targets and anti-tumor capabilities. The appearance, diameter, and magnetism of MTX-O-MNPs-Tat-Tf carrier system were characterized with transmission electronic microscopy, atomic force microscopy and vibrating samples magnetometer. The cytotoxicity of MTX-loaded O-MNPs-Tat-Tf was investigated with C6 glioma cells. The ability of O-MNPs-Tat-Tf crossing BBB was investigated in rats by single photon emission computed tomography.

RESULTSThe mean particle diameter was 75 nm, along with good anti-tumor property. The multi-functioned carrier system successfully crossed the BBB in rat.

CONCLUSIONThe establishment of MTX-O-MNPs-Tat-Tf carrier model implies a promising future for its application in therapy of cerebral diseases.

Blood-Brain Barrier ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Chitosan ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Humans ; Magnetics ; Nanoparticles ; Transferrin

Astrocytoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Brain Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Frizzled Receptors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioblastoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Glioma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Paraffin Embedding ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Wnt2 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; beta Catenin ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo construct a recombinant adenovirus vector that expresses small hairpin RNAs (shRNA) against COX-2, AKT1 and PIK3R1 gene and to evaluate its potential for suppressing the cell proliferation of human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC701 cell in vitro and in vivo, which will enable the development of a gene therapy protocol for the treatment of human gastric adenocarcinoma.

METHODSThree strips of shRNA targeting AKT1, COX-2 and PIK3R1, was subcloned into adenovirus expression vector. After verification, it was amplified and titered. The recombinant adenovirus expression vector was infected into human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC7901 cells in vitro and the infected cells were injected in nude mice. The mRNA and protein expression levels of AKT1, COX-2 and PIK3R1 were determined by real-time PCR and Western blot respectively. Cell proliferation in vitro was determined by methyl thiazolyltetrazolium (MTT) assay and flow cytometry, tumor growth in vivo was measured by volume of tumor in nude mice.

RESULTSRestriction digestion and sequencing analysis showed that the rAd5-C-A-P adenovirus expression vector was constructed successfully. It significantly inhibited the expression of AKT1, COX-2 and PIK3R1, and cell growth was inhibited over 70% as indicated by MTT assay and accompanied with G0/G1 phase arrest. Cell growth on matrigel matrix showed that the rAd5-C-A-P transfected cells were detached from the matrix or grew in a scattered clustering pattern, indicating poor cell growth activities in 2-D matrigel. Tumor growth in nude mice in the C + A + P group was inhibited (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONshRNA targeting COX-2, AKT1 and PIK3R1 down regulated significantly the expression of the three genes in a sequence-specific manner, exerted proliferation inhibition effect on SGC7901 cells in vitro and in vivo.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; physiopathology ; therapy ; Adenoviridae ; genetics ; metabolism ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclooxygenase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Disease Models, Animal ; Down-Regulation ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Inverted Repeat Sequences ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases ; genetics ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA Interference ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; therapeutic use ; Stomach Neoplasms ; genetics ; physiopathology ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the application of tunica vaginalis flap in repairing the deformity of urethra and urethral fistulas.

METHODSTunica vaginalis flap from the scrotum were used to wrap the reconstructed urethra in the 38 cases of hypospadias urethroplasty and urethral fistulas repair from 2002.

RESULTSAll of cases were followed up for six months to one year. There was a fistula reoccurred after epispadias fistula repair, the repair was successful in other patients. There was no recurrent fistulas or urethral strictures. Penile cosmesis was excellent and erected well.

CONCLUSIONSThe application of tunica vaginalis flap in urethral repair can raise achievement ratio and reduce the incidence of urethral fistulas. The flap is ease to mobilize with no harmful effects on the testicles.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hypospadias ; surgery ; Male ; Scrotum ; surgery ; Surgical Flaps ; Testis ; surgery ; Urethra ; surgery ; Urethral Diseases ; surgery ; Urinary Fistula ; surgery ; Young Adult