Adult ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Extranodal NK-T-Cell ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

The imbalance of Shen-yin and Shen-yang is a common pathological basis of sexual precocity and senescence. Senescence can be regarded as physiological Shen-deficiency, which is mainly the deficiency of Shen-Yang, while the essence of sexual precocity is hyperactivity of Fire due to Yin-deficiency, and deficiency of Shen-Yin is the predominance in the imbalance. The process of growth, development, maturing and aging led by Shen-qi, is mainly involving the hypothalamus-pituitary-growth hormone axis and sexual gland axis. Early initiation of these two axes appears in sexual premature children, manifesting syndrome of Fire hyperactivity due to Yin-deficiency, while in senescence, the decline of the axes appears ahead of time and manifests syndrome of Yang qi consumption. It has been shown in experimental and clinical researches that significantly good effects could be obtained by applying Chinese recipe for warmly reinforcing Shen-Yang to postpone senescence and recipe for nourishing Yin and removing Fire to inhibit sexual precocity. It also been proved by determining syndrome and speculating the damaged site according to the effects of drug that the pathologic damage of sexual precocity and senescence is sited on the hypothalamus or higher center.
Aging ; physiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System ; physiopathology ; Hypothalamus ; physiopathology ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Puberty, Precocious ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Yang Deficiency ; drug therapy ; Yin Deficiency ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Chinese herbs for nourishing yin and removing fire (NYRF) on gene expressions of estrogen receptor alpha (ER alpha), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) and epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the epiphyseal growth plate of the female pubertal rats.

METHODSThe rats were randomly divided into the control group and the intervened group. Immunohistochemistry and realtime-PCR methods were used to measure the gene expression of ER alpha, IGF-1R and EGFR and their protein synthesis in epiphyseal growth plate.

RESULTSAfter being intervened with NYRF, the gene expressions of ER alpha and IGF-1R were down-regulated and their protein synthesis markedly reduced, while those of EGFR were unchanged.

CONCLUSIONNYRF can modulate the development and maturation of bone by regulating the expressions of ER alpha and IGF-1R in the epiphyseal growth plate.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Estrogen Receptor alpha ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Growth Plate ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Protein Biosynthesis ; drug effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptor, IGF Type 1 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Yin-Yang

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) in causing the precocious puberty.

METHODSThe blood samples were collected from 79 cases of precocious puberty patients and 42 cases of normal children. The concentrations of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), 1, 1-dichloro-2, 2, bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p, p'-DDE) and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in blood serum samples were measured by using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The volume of uterus and ovary, the bone density, and the content of estradiol (E(2)) in serum were determined at the same time. The contents of EEDs in blood serums of precocious puberty and the indices of the target organs were analyzed by using of correlation and regression.

RESULTSIn normal control group, p, p'-DDE was detected in all the blood samples (14.93 - 40.39 ng/ml), but 4-NP and DEHP were detected in some samples (ND -6.77 ng/ml, ND -17.61 ng/ml). The levels of 4-NP, p, p'-DDE and DEHP in blood serum in precocious puberty group were notably increased than that in control group (P < 0.01). In precocious puberty group, there was a positive correlations between the 4-NP in volume of uterus and the volume of ovary and the density of bone (r = 0.394, 0.286, 0.237, P < 0.01); p, p'-DDE and volume of uterus also showed a the positive correlation (r = 0.306, P < 0.01). The influencing extent of 4-NP was 1.3 times to that of the p, p'-DDE.

CONCLUSIONThe normal children and the children with precocious puberty should be all contaminated by EEDs, and the later be exposured to more EEDs. There might exist a close relationship between EEDs and the precocious puberty, and EEDs should be an important factor in causing the disease. Different kinds of EEDs might have different influencing extents to the target organs.

Case-Control Studies ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene ; blood ; Endocrine Disruptors ; blood ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Polychlorinated Biphenyls ; blood ; Puberty, Precocious ; blood

OBJECTIVETo establish the environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) induced precocious puberty macaca fascicularis model, thus verifying the antagonism of yin nourishing fire purging Chinese materia medica (YNFPCMM) against the estrogenic effects.

METHODS(1) The female prepubescent monkeys at different months old were fed with high dose and low dose EEDs. By observing EEDs' estrogenic effects, the optimal age, the optimal exposure dose, and the optimal exposure time were determined. (2) Fifteen female prepubescent monkeys were randomly divided into the exposure group, the treatment group, and the control group, 5 in each group. Those in the exposure group were fed with EEDs such as nonylphenol (4-NP) and bisphenol A (BPA). Those in the treatment group were fed with EEDs and YNFPCMM. Those in the control group were fed with dissolvent such as corn oil. The therapeutic course was 4 weeks. By the end of the treatment, the serum estrogen level was measured and the maturation index of the vaginal keratinocytes was calculated. The uterus was extracted to measure the wet weight, the endometrial thickness, the ring-shaped myometrium thickness, the endometrial epithelial cells, and the glandular epithelium height.

RESULTS(1) Twenty month was the optimal exposure age. The low dose EEDs was the best exposure dose, and 4 weeks was the optimal exposure time. (2) Compared with the control group, the serum estrogen level obviously increased, the maturation index of the vaginal keratinocytes significantly increased, the wet uterus weight, the endometrial thickness, the ring-shaped myometrium thickness, the endometrial epithelial cells, and the glandular epithelium height significantly increased in the exposure group (P<0.05). Compared with the exposure group, the aforesaid indices significantly decreased in the treatment group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe EEDs induced precocious puberty macaca fascicularis model was successfully established in this study. The EEDs were proved to have estrogenic-like activities. YNFPC-MM was proved to have significant antagonism like estrogenic activities.

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Endocrine Disruptors ; adverse effects ; Female ; Macaca fascicularis ; Puberty, Precocious ; chemically induced ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo explore the pattern of abnormal skeletal development in girls with idiopathic precocious puberty (IPP) and the therapeutic effect of Chinese herbs for nourishing yin and purging fire (CH).

METHODSMeasurement of bone age, bone mineral content (BMC) and bone density (BD) were performed and levels of serum gla-protein (BGP), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) were determined in girls with IPP at various stages of pubertal development. Data were compared with those collected from matched girls, and the correlativity between various parameters and the extent of the disease were analyzed to explore the pattern. Thirty-eight girls out of them were treated with CH and the therapeutic effect was observed.

RESULTSThe bone age of the IPP girls was ahead of time obviously (P < 0.05), levels of BMC, BD and serum BGP, IGF-1 were significantly higher than the levels in the healthy girls of matched age (P < 0.05). And the degree of these changes were markedly positive correlated with the severity of disease (P < 0.05). After being remitted with CH treatment, the advanced bone age was apparently alleviated, and above-mentioned abnormal criteria were lowered significantly (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe skeletal development of the girls with IPP was accelerated and the skeletal maturity were ahead of time, the more serious the condition of disease, the more obvious the acceleration and the advanced bone age. CH could decelerate skeletal development and delay the skeletal maturity of IPP patients.

Age Determination by Skeleton ; Bone Development ; Child ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; metabolism ; Osteocalcin ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Puberty, Precocious ; blood ; drug therapy

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of Chinese herbs for nourishing Shen-yin and removing Xiang-fire (NYRF) on estrogen receptor (ER) expression in uterus and ovary of rats contaminated with nonylphenol (NP) or its bisphenol A (BPA) mixture, for exploring the action mechanism of NYRF in antagonizing the estrogen-mimetic activity of environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs).

METHODSEEDs contaminated female SD rats, 3-week old, were divided into two groups, the treated group fed with NYRF and the control group with corn oil during the same period of contaminating for 15 days. The wet weight (WW) and organ coefficient (OC) of uterus in rats, as well as the ER protein and mRNA expressions in rat's uterus and ovary were detected and compared.

RESULTSAs compared with normal range, WW and OC increased significantly in the contaminated rats of the control group, with significantly down-regulated ER protein expression in uterus, and expressions of ER alpha and ER beta gene and protein in ovary (P<0.05). While in the treated group, the above-mentioned abnormalities of various indicators were markedly reversed to a certain extent (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONEEDs show estrogenic-mimetic action on productive organs, which could be antagonized by NYRF, resulting in the down-regulated mRNA and protein expressions of ER in reproductive organs, so as to reduce the sensibility of reproductive organs to EEDs, which is probably one of the acting mechanisms of NYRF.

Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endocrine Disruptors ; toxicity ; Female ; Ovary ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism ; Uterus ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo analyze the secular changes of physical growth in 7-17 year old students of Zang-tribe in Tibet during 1965-2004, and to make suggestions for further improvement.

METHODSThe data collected by local government in 1965 and Chinese national survey on students' physical fitness and health in 1985, 1995 and 2004 were used to analyze and find out the differences from the students' stature, body weight, chest girth, and BMI in different years, and to compare the increasing rate per 10 years in different periods of time.

RESULTSLevels on stature, body weight and chest girth were increased significantly among 7-17 year-old students of Zang-tribe in Tibet during 1965-2004. From 1965 to 1985, the levels of stature and body weight were increased 11.4 cm and 5.0 kg respectively among male Zang-tribe students, 9.1 cm and 3.9 kg among the female. During 1985-2004, stature levels of Zang-tribe students was kept rising in much less extent, while average levels of body weight were reaching up remarkably, especially in 1995-2004, in which the average increasing rate per 10 years had achieved 14.8% and 13.4% among the male and female students aged 7-17 years old respectively. Levels of chest girth were increased rapidly in 1965-1985, showing a higher increasing rate in male students (2.7%) than in female students (1.9%). In 1985-2004, the increasing rates fell obviously both in male and female students, but there existed a higher rate in 1995-2004 than in 1995-1985, especially for females (4.0%). Upon the secular changes of stature and body weight, the levels of BMI were decreased in 1985 as comparing to those in 1965, then increased rapidly in 1985-2004, especially in 1995-2004, having an increasing rate up to 12.6% and 12.4% respectively in male and female students.

CONCLUSIONSecular changes on physical growth among 7-17 year-old students of Zang-tribe in Tibet were paralleled with the economic progress in 1965-2004, giving active effects by economic progress and nutrition improvements to the physical growth of children and adolescents.

Adolescent ; Body Height ; physiology ; Body Mass Index ; Body Weight ; physiology ; Child ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Male ; Students ; statistics & numerical data ; Tibet

OBJECTIVETo explore the relations between fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and glycosylated serum protein (GSP).

METHODSFBG, HbA1c and GSP were measured in 303 patients with diabetic nephropathy and in 167 non-diabetic patients with comparable baseline data, and the correlations between FBG, HbA1c and GSP were analyzed.

RESULTSGSP levels were significantly higher in patients with diabetic nephropathy than in the non-diabetic patients (P<0.01). In patients with diabetic nephropathy, GSP levels were found to positively correlate to FBG (r=0.606) and HbA1c (r=0.733).

CONCLUSIONPatients with diabetic nephropathy show strong correlations between FBG, HbA1c and GSP. GSP detection is convenient, stable, and practical in evaluating the average FBG over a short term, which reduces the interference by FBG fluctuations in conventional blood glucose monitoring.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Blood Proteins ; analysis ; Case-Control Studies ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; blood ; Female ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; analysis ; Glycoproteins ; analysis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Serum ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression profile of NK ligands in acute leukemia cell lines and investigate the differential expression pattern between acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

METHODSUsing quantitative real-time PCR, 23 NK ligands (MICA, MICB, ULBP-1, ULBP-2, ULBP-3, ULBP-4, HLA-E, HLA-G, CD48, NBTA, HLA-F, LLT-1, PVR, Nectin2, CD72, CD80, ICAM-1, LFA-3, CRACC, Fas, DR4, DR5, TNFR1) were detected in 6 acute leukemia cell lines, including 3 ALL cell lines (CEM, Jurkat T, Reh) and 3 AML cell lines (HL-60, KG-1a, NB4), respectively. Independent-samples t test analysis was performed to determine statistical significance.

RESULTSUsing β-actin as reference gene, the relative expression results showed that the expression of 4 NK ligands between ALL and AML is significantly different. Specifically, the level of ULBP-2 is higher in ALL (CEM: 1, Jurkat T: 0.617, Reh: 0.246) than that in AML (HL-60: 0.000, KG-1a: 0.003, NB4: 0.000)(P = 0.047). However, the expressions of CD48, PVR(PVR-1, PVR-2) and DR4 is higher in AML (HL-60: 13.987, 4.403, 10.334, 8.711; KG-1a: 5.387, 2.900, 7.315, 4.512; NB4: 7.763, 3.248, 7.049, 6.127) than that in ALL (CEM: 1, 1, 1, 1; Jurkat T: 2.035, 1.553, 3.888, 0.449; Reh: 1.559, 0.000, 0.000, 1.304) (P = 0.044, 0.014, 0.014, 0.011). And there're no significant differences between the rest 19 NK ligands.

CONCLUSIONSULBP-2, CD48, PVR and DR4 might play an important role in the distinct mechanisms in leukemogenesis between ALL and AML and could be potential targets for diagnosis and treatment.

Acute Disease ; Antigens, CD ; genetics ; metabolism ; CD48 Antigen ; Cell Line, Tumor ; GPI-Linked Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; HL-60 Cells ; Humans ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ligands ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Receptors, TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand ; genetics ; metabolism ; Receptors, Virus ; genetics ; metabolism