Adult ; Coke ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Occupational Exposure ; Pyrenes ; pharmacokinetics ; Urine ; chemistry ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the relationship between the laxative potency and anthraquinones content of six kinds of traditional Chinese drugs (TCDs) like Rheum tanguticum, Polygonum cuspidatum, R. palmatum, R. officeinale, Semen Cassiae and Radix Polygoni Multiflori.

METHODThe half effective dose (ED50) was applied to determine the laxative potency and the content of anthraquinones was evaluated by RP-HPLC.

RESULTThe ED50 for the six kinds of TCD was 0.458, 0.686, 0.925, 1.004, 1.047, 1.986 g x kg(-1), respectively, and the sequence of laxative potency was R. tanguticum > P. cuspidatum > R. palmatum > R. officeinale > Semen Cassiae > Radix Polygoni Multiflori. In terms of the HPLC quantitative determination, the content of combined anthraquinones was 2.82% ,1.64%, 1.44%, 0.82%, 0.15%, 0.019%, respectively,and the sequence was R. tanguticum > Polygoni cuspidatum > R. palmatum > P. cuspidatum > Semen Cassiae > Radix Polygoni Multiflori.

CONCLUSIONThere is a great difference in laxative potency between TCDs, and the relationship between laxative potency and the content of combined anthraquinones was found. The bioassay may be utilized to evaluate and control the quality of TCD with the chemical methods.

Animals ; Anthraquinones ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Female ; Laxatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Regression Analysis

This study was purposed to detect the expression of autophagy-related gene Beclin1 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (MAPLC3) in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) isolated from acute leukemia (AL) patients, and to explore its significance. Transmission electron microscopy and RT-PCR were used to detect the autophagy activity and the expression level of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in BMMNC isolated from 27 AL patients with de novo, refractory or relapse AL and completely remission and 31 normal persons respectively. The results showed that autophagy activity and expression levels of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in BMMNC from de novo AL patients were 80%, 0.68 ± 0.18, 0.24 ± 0.06, respectively; those in BMMNC from refractory or relapse AL patients were 100%, 0.79 ± 0.09, 0.30 ± 0.07, respectively; those in BMMNC from CR patients were 40%, 0.52 ± 0.15, 0.16 ± 0.04, respectively, while those in BMMNC from normal persons were 20%, 0.57 ± 0.13, 0.16 ± 0.05, respectively. The autophagic activity and expression levels of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in de novo and refractory or relapse AL patients were higher than those in normal persons, with statistical significance (p < 0.05), while the comparison between CR patients and normal control showed no statistical difference (p > 0.05). It is concluded that autophagy activity and Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA expression level of in de novo and refractory or relapse patients are higher than those in normal control, and the up-regulation of autophagy activity and expression of Beclin1 and MAPLC3 mRNA in refractory or relapse patients is especially significant. This may be related to the genesis, development and drug resistance of AL.
Acute Disease ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins ; metabolism ; Beclin-1 ; Bone Marrow Cells ; metabolism ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Leukemia ; metabolism ; pathology ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; metabolism ; Microtubule-Associated Proteins ; metabolism ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence, pathogens, and clinical features of infection in consecutive cases from 2010 to 2012 in Peking Union Medical College Hospital.

METHODThe incidence, pathogen, treatment, and outcomes of patients with hematological diseases who had positive findings of bacterium in their samples from 2010 to 2012 were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTSThere were 449 positive samples (5.8%) from 4 890 patients during this period, among which 388 were proved to be with pathogenic bacteria. Samples separated from patients with community-aquired infections accounted for 8.4% of all positive samples. Most community-aquired infections were caused by Gram-negative bacteria (75%), although no multidrug-resistant bacteria was observed. Samples separated from patients with nosocomial infections accounted for 91.6% of all positive samples. Respiratory tract (49.4%) and peripheral blood (32.6%) were the most common samples with positive results. Skin soft tissues (10.4%), and urine (3.7%) were less common samples. Most of the pathogenic bacteria of the nosocomial infections were Gram-negative (66.9%). The most common Gram-negative bacteria included Escherichia coli (13.8%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (12.1%), and Klebsiella pneumonia (12.1%), while Staphylococcus aureus (10.4%), Enterococcus faecium (7.0%), and Staphylococcus epidermidis (5.1%) were the most common Gram-positive bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria consisted of most of sputum samples and peripheral blood samples. Samples from the surface of skin wound and anal swab were composed largely by Gram-positive bacteria (63.8%). The detection rates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumonia/Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Proteus mirabilis were 24.0%, 87.9% and 38.4%, respectively. The resistance to Acinetobacter baumannii was serious. Multidrug-resistant, extensive drug resistant and pan drug resistant A. baumannii acountted for 74% of all A. Baumannii infections. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia showed low resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, levofloxacin and minocycline. Also, 22 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 9 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Epidermidis were detected, which were only sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. All patients were treated in the haematology wards and most of them were under agranulocytosis or immunosuppression. Finally, 22 patients reached clinical recovery through anti-infective therapy, whereas 49 patients died. Among those deaths, 42 patients attributed to severe infections and infection-associated complications. Fourteen of all the deaths might be infected with drug-resistance bacteria. There were 61 samples proved to be bacteria colonization. Nonfermenters such as Acinetobacter baumannii and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia made up for a large amount of bacteria colonization.

CONCLUSIONSThe pathogens of nosocomial infections in the hematology ward are mainly Gram-negative bacteria. The incidences and pathogens vary from different infection sites. Nosocomial infection still has a higher mortality rate. Once nonfermenters are detected positive, the pathogenic or colonial bacteria should be distinguished.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bacteria ; isolation & purification ; Bone Marrow Transplantation ; Cross Infection ; microbiology ; Female ; Hematologic Diseases ; complications ; microbiology ; Hematology ; Hospital Departments ; statistics & numerical data ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult