Objective To analyze 206 cases of pregnant women with multiple organ dysfunction syndrome(MODS)due to different primary diseases and the prognosis.Method A retrospective study was conducted of 206 cases of pregnant women with MODS who were treated during January 2000 to December 2006 in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College,regarding their primary disease and prognosis.Results Fourty-four cases among the 206 pregnant women with MODS died.The main primary causes were postpartum hemorrhage in 63 cases(30.6%),severe preeclampsia or eclampsia 60 cases (29.1%),pregnancy with hepatitis C in 23 case(11.2%),pregnancy with heart disease in 11 cases (5.3%),12 cases of ectopic pregnancy(5.8%).The mortality was mainly because of pregnancy complicated with heart disease(63.6%),ectopic pregnancy(41.7%),pregnancy with hepatitis (22.7%),of postpartum hemorrhage(17.5%)and severe preeclampsia-eclampsia(11.7%).The difference was statistically significant(P

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hepatitis B ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the protective effects of danshen (Salvia Miltiorrhiza) on vascular endothelial cells in hypertension patients in the gestation period.

METHODSThe umbilical vein endothelial cells pre-incubated with Danshen solution at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 300 mg/L) were randomly divided into 3 groups, i.e., the blank control group (8 cases), the normal control group (14 cases, cultured in the serum from 14 normal pregnant women), and the observation group (14 cases, cultured in the serum from 14 pregnant women with severe pre-eclampsia). The levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) in each culture supernatant were detected respectively.

RESULTSThe ET-1 level was higher in 300 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L and 100 mg/L Danshen solution groups (P <0.05). The NO level was lower in the observation group than in the blank control group and the normal control group (P <0. 05). The NO level was higher in 200 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L Danshen solution group (P <0.05). The NO level was higher in 300 mg/L Danshen solution group than in 0 mg/L, 100 mg/L, and 200 mg/L Danshen solution groups (P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONDanshen could increase the secretion of NO from in vitro umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in the serum from patients with pre-eclampsia, and reduce the secretion of ET-1.

Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media ; chemistry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; secretion ; Endothelin-1 ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Nitric Oxide ; metabolism ; Phenanthrolines ; pharmacology ; Pre-Eclampsia ; blood ; metabolism ; Pregnancy ; Salvia miltiorrhiza ; chemistry ; Serum ; chemistry ; Umbilical Veins ; cytology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of prenatal and lactational exposure to brominated diphenyl ethers-209 (BDE-209) on the expression of growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) and brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF) in the hippocampus of the offspring rats.

METHODSPeanut oil suspensions of commercial BDE-209 were administered daily at doses of 100, 300, 600, and 1200 mg/kg by oral gavage in pregnant Wistar rats (groups A, B, C, and D, respectively). The control group (E) only received peanut oil of an equivalent volume. The hippocampus was isolated from 10 offspring rats in each group to determine the expression of GAP-43 and BDNF using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe GAP-43 in the BDE-209-treated groups were lower than that of the control group, and decreased with the increase of the dose of BDE-209 exposure. The groups C and D (P=0.013, P=0.000), but not the groups A and B (P=0.177, P=0.093), showed significant difference from the control group in GAP-43 expression. The positive expression of BDNF in the hippocampus was decreased as the exposure dose to BDE-209 increased, and significant differences were found between the groups B, C, D and the control group (P=0.033, P=0.005, P=0.001, respectively), but not between group A and the control group (P=0.066).

CONCLUSIONSMaternal BDE-209 exposure can decrease the expression of GAP-43 and BDNF in the hippocampus of offspring rats, which may affect the axonal plasticity and regeneration of the neurons.

Animals ; Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor ; biosynthesis ; Female ; GAP-43 Protein ; biosynthesis ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; toxicity ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Maternal-Fetal Exchange ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of maternal brominated diphenyl ethers-209 (BDE-209) exposure on the learning and memory ability of the offspring rats in prenatal and lactational periods.

METHODSAfter confirmation of successful mating, female Wistar rats were randomized into 5 groups and subjected to daily oral gavage of peanut oil suspensions containing BDE-209 at the doses of 100 mg/kg (group A), 300 mg/kg (group B), 600 mg/kg (group C), and 1200 mg/kg (group D), or only peanut oil (group E, as control). From each group, 20 male weaning rats of the first generation were randomly selected to examine their learning and memorizing ability using Morris water maze. The histological alterations of the hippocampus were observed microscopically with HE staining after the test.

RESULTSDuring the initial one or two days of water maze test, no significant difference was noted in the escape latency between the groups (P=0.068, P=0.104). On days 3 to 5, groups B, C, and D showed prolonged escape latency as compared with the control group (P<0.05), but group A showed no such changes (P>0.05). Under optical microscope, the hippocampus in groups A and B exhibited no significant variation from that of the control group, but in groups C and D, the neural cells were obviously reduced and presented disorderly alignment, with substantial cell nuclear shrinkage and interstitial edema.

CONCLUSIONMaternal BDE-209 exposure induces disturbance of the learning and memorizing ability and pathological changes of the hippocampus in the offspring rats, and these changes show a dose-effect relation.

Animals ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Female ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; toxicity ; Hippocampus ; drug effects ; pathology ; Learning ; drug effects ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

OBJECTIVETo assess the DNA damage in mouse sperms induced by exogenous BDE-209 and explore the possible mechanism of BDE-209 in affecting normal zygote development.

METHODSMouse sperms were harvested from the epididymal tail and suspended in HTF medium for a 90-min exposure to BDE-209 at varied concentrations of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 10, and 20 µg/ml (groups A-E, respectively). After the exposure, the sperms were subjected to single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) to assess the DNA damage.

RESULTSThe tail length of the sperms averaged 1.15 ∓ 1.27 µm in group A. Exposure to 10 and 20 µg/ml BDE-209 resulted in a significant lengthening of the sperm tails (2.13 ∓ 1.29 µm and 2.83 ∓ 2.46 µm, respectively, P<0.01) as well as increased DNA content in the tail of the cells (P<0.01). The Olive tail moment in group A was 0.270 ∓ 0.322, and increased after BDE-209 exposure to 0.453 ∓ 0.375 and 808 ∓ 0.822 in groups D and E, respectively. The tail/head length ratio in groups C, D, and E (0.077 ∓ 0.093, 0.112 ∓ 0.068, and 0.191 ∓ 0.207) were significantly greater than that in group A (0.045 ∓ 0.049). The DNA damage of the mouse sperms was directly correlated to the concentrations of BDE-209, with correlation coefficients all above 0.9.

CONCLUSIONSExogenous BDE-209 can cause mouse sperm DNA damage and lead to sperm DNA chain breakage, and this effect shows an obvious dose dependence.

Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Flame Retardants ; toxicity ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; toxicity ; Male ; Mice ; Spermatozoa ; drug effects ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo assess the potential hazard of environmental deca-brominated diphenyl ether (PBDE-209) exposure to the immune function of the offspring rats.

METHODSThe parental Wistar rats were exposed to PBDE-209 administered intragastrically during pregnancy and lactation, and the development of the immune organs and changes in T lymphocyte subset and their proliferation, NK cell surface markers CD161 and serum immunoglobulins (IgM and IgG) were observed.

RESULTSSignificant differences in the weight of the immune organs were noted between the exposure group and control group. In the exposure group, the percentage of T lymphocyte subset CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(+)CD8(+), the percentage of NK cell surface markers CD16 1 and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio were lowered, while the percentage of CD4(-)CD8(-) cells increased. T lymphocyte subset proliferation in the exposure group did not show obviously changes, but compared with the control group, the IgM level in the exposure group was significantly lowered. No significant differences were observed in IgG levels between the exposure and control groups.

CONCLUSIONContinuous exposure to high-dose PBDE-209 in female rats during pregnancy and lactation results in possible adverse effect on the immune function of the offspring rats.

Animals ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Female ; Flame Retardants ; toxicity ; Halogenated Diphenyl Ethers ; Killer Cells, Natural ; drug effects ; immunology ; Lactation ; Male ; Maternal Exposure ; Phenyl Ethers ; toxicity ; Polybrominated Biphenyls ; toxicity ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; immunology

OBJECTIVETo provide a convenient method for screening obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) in pregnant women.

METHODSSeventy-eight pregnant women with suspected OSAHS were calculated for the EP index using Epworth sleepiness score (ESS) with also measurement of the neck circumference (NC) and body mass index (BMI). The apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) was calculated and the lowest SaO(2) (LSaO(2)) measured through a 7-h polysomnography (PSG). The women were then divided into 4 groups according to the AHI and LSaO(2). The ESS was compared with the PSG-AHI and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was generated.

RESULTSAll the clinical indexes (NC, BMI, EP, AHI, and LSaO(2)) showed significant differences between the 4 groups (P<0.05). EP and PSG were found to have greater correlations to AHI (r=0.759, P=0.000) than NC (r=0.668) and BMI (r=0.663). The area under the ROC of the EP (0.825) was greater than that of NC (0.772) and BMI (0.784). The index of EP showed greater clinical diagnostic value of OSAHS in pregnancy. Base on the ROC, EP at the optimal operating point of 7.5 had a sensitivity of 76.8% and specificity of 68.2% for diagnosis of OSAHS in pregnant women.

CONCLUSIONThe ESS is an economic and convenient method for screening OSAHS in pregnant women with high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Polysomnography ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications ; diagnosis ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Sleep Apnea, Obstructive ; diagnosis ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; standards ; Young Adult

Objective To evaluate the curative value of the tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) and Danning table (DN) in the prevention of bile duct stones recurrence after ERCP. Methods 210 patients with Choledocholithiasisby ERCP were randomly divided into 3 groups. The patients in the control group were not given any medicine. The patients in the TUDCA group took TUDCA every night. The patients in the DN group took Danning tablets of three times a day. The course of medication and followed up for the patients was 24 months after the operation. All the patients would be examined regularly by Biliary color doppler ultrasound and MRCP. The recurrence rates of Choledocholithiasis, cholesterol saturation index and serum lipid were recorded and compared statistically between the three groups. Results In total, 190 patients completed the treatment and follow-up according to the experimental design. The recurrence rates of the control, TUDCA and DN group were 17.46%(11/63), 6.34% (4/63) and 10.94% (7/64). The recurrence rates in the TUDCA and DN group were significantly lower than those the control group (P < 0.05).The recurrence rate in the TUDCA group was significantly lower than that in the DN group; On the tenth days after the operation, the CSI in the TUDCA were significantly lower than those the control group and the DN group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the DN group and the control group (P > 0.05); To the patients without recurrence, the level of TC, LDL in the TUDCA group were significantly lower than those the control group and and the DN group (P < 0.05). The level of HDL in the TUDCA group were significantly higher than those the control group and and the DN group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference on the level of HDL between the DN groupand the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion The application of TUDCA and DN for patients with Choledocholithiasis after ERCP can effectively reduce the recurrence rates, the curative effect of TUDCA more than DN.

Objective To study the effect of maternal deca-brominated diphenyl ether (PBDE-209) exposure on the microstructure and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase Ⅱ (CaMK Ⅱ) content in the hippocampus of the offspring rats. Methods Three-month-old female Wistar rats were exposed to peanut oil suspensions of commercial BDE-209 administered by daily oral garage at the doses of 100, 300, 600 and 1200 mg/kg (groups A, B, C, and D, respectively). The control rats (group E) were given only peanut oil of the same volume. The microstructure of the hippocampus of 5 offspring rats from each group was observed microscopically using HE staining. Ten offspring rats from each group were examined for CaMK Ⅱ content in hippocampus using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results Obvious histomorphological changes were found in the hippocampus of the offspring rats in groups C and D. The CaMK Ⅱ content in the hippocampus decreased with the increase of the doses of BDE-209 exposure, and compared with group E, the offspring rats in groups C and D showed significantly decreased CaMK Ⅱ content in the hipposcampus (P<0.05, respectively), but those in groups A and B showed no significant variations in CaMK Ⅱ content (P>0.05, respectively). Among the experimental groups, compared with group D, the offspring rats in group A showed significant decreased in CaMK Ⅱ (P<0.05), but those in group B and C showed no significant variations (P>0.05). Conclusion Maternal BDE-209 exposure can induce histological changes in the hippocampus, decrease the neuronal number, and lower CaMK Ⅱ content in the hippoeampus of the offspring rats to affect the development of the nervous system.