Polysaccharides widely exist in animals, plants, microorganisms, and possess various biological activities including anti-tumor, anti-virus, anti-oxidant and immunomodulatory. Polysaccharides shows notable anti-tumor activity and less toxicity, and becomes a hotspot in the studies of anti-tumor drugs. Therefore, there is huge potential for developing polysaccharides into a novel antitumor medicine. This article summarized polysaccharides derived from animals, plants, microorganisms which have significant antitumor effect in the latest 5 years; findings indicate that polysaccharides show the anti-tumor effect directly by inducing tumor cell apoptosis and indirectly as an immunoenhancement. This article also looks into the future of studies on anti-tumor activity of polysaccharides.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Agents ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Humans ; Immunity ; drug effects ; Immunologic Factors ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; immunology ; metabolism ; Polysaccharides ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects

INTRODUCTIONTo investigate the attitudes of medical and nursing student towards the older Chinese population.

MATERIALS AND METHODSA reliable and valid Chinese language version of Kogan's Attitudes toward Older People (KAOP) with 17 matched item pairs (34 items) was completed by 275 medical and nursing students. Descriptive data analysis was employed.

RESULTSParticipants reported slightly to have a more positive attitudes (Mean, 144.30 +/- 17.89) than those reported from studies in other countries (Jordanian: Mean, 110.6 +/- 21.79). Students who were females (Mean, 148.27 +/- 18.97), younger (Mean, 146.01 +/- 18.59) and studying nursing (Mean, 156.86 +/- 17.56) were more likely to have a more positive attitudes than older (Mean, 140.04 +/- 15.31), males (Mean, 140.47 +/- 15.93), studying medicine (Mean, 138.77 +/- 15.04).

DISCUSSIONResults show that students may have greater ambivalence attitudes on 10 out of 17 matched item pairs which provides useful information for faculty involved in aged care curriculum design. Working as a volunteer in the university hospital may increase students' interactions with the elderly and may positively influence attitudes towards the elderly.

Aged ; Attitude of Health Personnel ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Students, Medical ; psychology ; Students, Nursing ; psychology ; Taiwan

OBJECTIVES: The effects of serum uric acid (UA) level on a variety of diseases were found from experimental and observational studies via oxidative stress and anti-oxidants. However, research on the association of UA and hearing thresholds is relatively sparse. We investigated this issue in the U.S. general population to evaluate the relationship of serum UA levels and pure tone threshold of hearing. METHODS: Forty four thousand eighty four eligible participants aged 20 to 69 years who have serum UA data and received Audiometry Examination Component were enrolled from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004. Hearing thresholds (dB) as a pure tone average at low frequencies (0.5, 1, 2 kHz) and at high frequencies (3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz) were computed. Multivariate linear regression models and tertile-based analysis with an extended-model approach for covariates adjustment were used to assess the correlation between serum UA level and hearing thresholds. RESULTS: In the adjusted mode of tertile-based analysis, the regression coefficients elucidated as the change of log-transformed mean hearing thresholds upon comparing participants in the highest tertile of serum UA to those in the lowest tertile were –0.067 (P=0.023) in high frequency and –0.058 (P=0.054) in low frequency. After adjusting for multiple pertinent covariates, inverse association between tertiles of serum UA and hearing thresholds remained essentially unchanged. The negative trends between serum UA and hearing thresholds were statistically significant (P for trends <0.05) in tertile-based multiple linear regressions. CONCLUSION: Individuals with elevated UA levels independently were found to be inversely associated with hearing thresholds for pure tone audiometry in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.
Adult ; Antioxidants ; Audiometry ; Hearing* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Neuroprotection ; Nutrition Surveys ; Oxidative Stress ; Uric Acid*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of frankincense and myrrha in the treatment of acute interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS). METHODS: The effects of frankincense and myrrha on the proliferation and migration of primary human urothelial cells (HUCs) were assessed in vitro. In the animal study, 48 virgin female rats were randomized into 4 groups (12 in each group): (1) control group (saline-injected control); (2) cyclophosphamide (CYP) group (intraperitoneal injected 150 mg/kg CYP); (3) CYP + pentosan polysulfate sodium group (orally received 50 mg/kg pentosan polysulfate sodium); and (4) CYP + frankincense and myrrha group [orally received frankincense (200 mg/kg) and myrrha (200 mg/kg)]. Rats orally received pentosan polysulfate sodium or frankincense and myrrha on day 1, 2, and 3. The experiments were performed on day 4. Pain and cystometry assessment behavior test were performed. Voiding interval values were assessed in rats under anesthesia. Finally, immunohistochemistry and Western blot were used to confirm the location and level, respectively, of cell junction-associated protein zonula occludens-2 (ZO-2) expression. RESULTS: Low dose frankincense and myrrha increased cell proliferation and migration in HUCs compared with control (P<0.05). Rats with acute IC/PBS rats exhibited lower voiding interval values, pain tolerance, and ZO-2 expression (P<0.05). Voiding interval values and pain tolerance were higher in the frankincense and myrrha group than CYP group (P<0.05). ZO-2 expression in the bladder was increased in the CYP + pentosan polysulfate and frankincense + myrrha groups compared with the CYP-induced acute IC/PBS group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION frankincense and myrrha modulate urothelial wound healing, which ameliorates typical features of acute IC/PBS in rats.