Objective To investigate the current status of coal-burning endemic fluorosis and the fluoride content in foods and drinking water in Hongya County,Sichuan Province.Methods Dental fluorosis and urinary fluoride were suveyed in children of 8～12 years old in two schools which repectively located in Gaomiao and Wawushan Town.The adults above 20 years old underwent clinical examination.At the same time,fifty adults above 20 years old in Garden Village were chosen to take forearm and calf X-ray films to find out the evidence of skeletal fluorosis.The content of fluoride in food such as bacon,corn,dry capsicum in Sanxing Village in Gaomiao Town and Futian Village in Wawushan Town as well as drinking water in five families in Sanxing Village were determined.Results The dental fluorosis rate of children was 40.76%(161/395),the dental fluorosis index was 0.86 in Gaomiao Town.The dental fluorosis rate of children was 14.36%(82/571),the dental fluorosis index was 0.31 in Wawushan Town.The medium value of the urine fluoride was 0.81 mg/L.ranged 0.16～3.89 mg/L.The positive rate oi the clinical examination of skeletal fluorosis was 5.27%(27/512),the X-rays detective rate was 4.00%(2/50).The medium value in bacon,corn,dry capsicum were 6.00,0.64,1.49 mg/kg.The averaged content of the fluoride in drinking water(0.14±0.06)mg/L of local household was within the eligible limitation.Conclusions It is currently a mild endemic disease in Hongya Country,its incidence is reduced apparently,pathogenetic environmental fluoride content is reduced.The main source of fluoride is from the preserved ham contaminated with fluoride,which is epidemiologically significant in endemic area of Hongya County.Defluoriding countermeasures should be taken in the endemic areas.

Metabolomics is an omics subject which studies on the metabolic network of organism and the intrinsic metabolic change of entirety with the aim of clarifying the mechanism of medicinal effect and pathogenesis of disease, is similar to the whole concept theory of Chinese medicine. The mectabolomics technology helps to promote the modern process of traditional Chinese medicine. This article illustrated the application research on the concept of metabolomics, the syndrome of Chinese medicine, quality and components of traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine compounds and so on, explored the problems on the current research and the prospect meanwhile.

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of WAVE1 and p22phox in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and the relationship of WAVE1 with oxidative stress.

METHODSReal-time PCR was used for detecting WAVE1 and p22phox expression in PBMCs in 41 children with ALL and 10 normal controls. Plasma activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was measured by the xanthine oxidase method. Plasma activity of GSH-Px was measured by the DTNB reaction test.

RESULTSThe expression of WAVE1 and p22phox was significantly higher in the active ALL groups (newly diagnosed and relapse ALL) than that in the normal control and the complete remission (CR) ALL groups (<0.01). The CR ALL group showed increased WAVE1 and p22phox expression than those in the normal control group (<0.05). Plasma activities of SOD (22.62+/-7.39 U/mL) and GSH-Px (91.73+/-28.88 micromol/L) in the active ALL group were significantly lower than those in the normal control (166.35+/-27.93 U/mL and 490.94+/-39.38 micromol/L, respectively) and the CR ALL groups (107.11+/-28.57 U/mL and 267.56+/-82.64 micromol/L, respectively) (<0.01). WAVE1 expression was positively correlated with p22phox expression (r=0.34, <0.05) but negatively correlated with plasma activities of SOD and GSH-Px ( r=-0.336 and-0.408, respectively; <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSWAVE1 and p22phox expression in PBMCs increased and was associated with the disease course in children with ALL. Oxidative stress may be involved in the regulation of WAVE1 expression in ALL children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Glutathione Peroxidase ; blood ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear ; metabolism ; Male ; NADPH Oxidases ; genetics ; Oxidative Stress ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; blood ; Superoxide Dismutase ; blood ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family ; genetics

OBJECTIVE[corrected] To study the cyclic peptides from Psammosilene tunicoides.

METHODThe constituents were separated and purified with chromatographic methods, identified by NMR, MS, UV and IR.

RESULTThree cyclic dipeptides: cyclo(-Pro-Val-) (1), cyclo(-Pro-Ala-) (2) and cyclo(-Pro-Pro-) (3), were isolated and identified.

CONCLUSIONCompound 1 and 2 are new natural products, compound 3 was isolated for the first time from Psammosilene tunicoides.

Caryophyllaceae ; chemistry ; Dipeptides ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Molecular Structure ; Peptides, Cyclic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo compare efficacy of different adjuvant chemotherapy regimens for stage II-III gastric cancer after D2 gastrectomy in Asian patients.

METHODSAssociated literatures were searched through electronic databases and hand-searching. Prospective randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing adjuvant chemotherapy after D2 gastrectomy with surgery alone were included in the study. Overall survival and disease-free survival were chosen as the endpoints. Relative hazard was analyzed by Bucher adjusted indirect comparison.

RESULTSTwo RCTs were selected, including comparison between S-1 versus surgery alone and comparison between XELOX versus surgery alone. There was no statistical difference in overall survival between the two regimens (HR=0.94, 95%CI:0.62-1.44, P=0.79). The recurrence risk of S-1 was slightly higher as compared to XELOX, but no statistical difference was found (HR=1.11, 95%CI:0.80-1.53, P=0.54).

CONCLUSIONThe adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 is similar to XELOX for stage II-III gastric cancer after D2 gastrectomy in Asian patients.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Deoxycytidine ; analogs & derivatives ; Fluorouracil ; analogs & derivatives ; Humans ; Postoperative Care ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Stomach Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVEReceptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) determine the ligand specificity of the calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR); co-expression of RAMP1 and CRLR results in a calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) receptor, whereas the association of RAMP2 or RAMP3 with CRLR gives an adrenomedullin(ADM) receptor. As CGRP and ADM may play a beneficial role in heart failure, this study aimed at the question whether RAMPs mRNAs are changed in heart failure.

METHODSSemi-quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) was used to detect and quantify the mRNAs of RAMP1 and RAMP3 in the atria of heart failing patients.

RESULTSIt was found that the expressions of RAMP1, RAMP2 and RAMP3 mRNAs increased with the worsening of heart function, but the expressions of RAMP1 and RAMP2 mRNA decreased at level IV of heart failure.

CONCLUSIONThe above results demonstrated in the atria of heart failure patients an up-regulation of CGRP receptor by an increase of RAMP1 in association with CRLR and an up-regulation of ADM receptor by an increase of RAMP2 expression in association with CRLR, thus suggesting that CGRP and ADM receptors be playing a functional role in compensating the chronic heart failure in human.

Adult ; Calcitonin Receptor-Like Protein ; Female ; Heart Atria ; metabolism ; Heart Failure ; genetics ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Male ; Membrane Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 1 ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 2 ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Protein 3 ; Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins ; Receptors, Adrenomedullin ; Receptors, Calcitonin ; genetics ; physiology ; Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide ; genetics ; physiology ; Receptors, Peptide ; genetics ; physiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between human cyclin C (CCNC) gene and childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).

METHODSThe total RNA isolated from myeloid tissues of normal children and of children with newly diagnosed ALL and from ALL cell line 6T-CEM was reversely transcribed into cDNA. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR method was used to detect CCNC gene expression.

RESULTSCCNC was expressed in myeloid tissues of normal children and of children with newly diagnosed ALL as well as 6T-CEM. The relative expression level of CCNC gene in children with newly diagnosed ALL was significantly lower than in normal controls (2.35 +/- 0.83 vs 13.5 +/- 0.30; P <0.05).

CONCLUSIONSCCNC gene shows lower expression in children with newly diagnosed ALL, suggesting that it may be a tumor suppressing gene in childhood ALL.

Child ; Cyclin C ; Cyclins ; genetics ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Male ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo dynamically investigate the morphology of human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cell clones, and then compare the tumorigenic ability of different clones in order to identify the tumor stem cell clones.

METHODSClones derived from gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells were assessed by morphological observation, and the clone formation rate and proportion of each clone were calculated. The expression of CD44 and CDX2 in different clones was detected by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blot. Furthermore, different clones were isolated and cultured, and their self-renewal property was assayed. Cells of different clones were subcutaneously inoculated into nude mice and the tumorigenic ability of each group was determined.

RESULTSClones derived from gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells had three types, i.e. clones of tight, transitional and loose types. The total clone formation rate was (9.80 ± 1.07)%, and the proportion of tight, transitional and loose type clones was 10.2%, 56.0% and 33.8%, respectively. The results of immunofluorescence microscopic examination showed that the signal of CD44 was significantly stronger in the tight clones than in the transitional and loose clones, however, the signal of CDX2 was weakest in the tight colonies. The results of Western blot were consistent with that of immunofluorescence microscopic observation. SGC-7901 cells of tight clones possessed strong ability of self-renewal and in vivo tumorigenicity in the nude mice.

CONCLUSIONSGC-7901 cell clones vary in morphology and differentiation, and the tight type clones may include rich gastric cancer stem cells.

Animals ; CDX2 Transcription Factor ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Clone Cells ; classification ; Female ; Homeodomain Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neoplastic Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Random Allocation ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate role of WASP family verprolin homologous protein 1 (WAVE1) in K562 leukemia cell invasion and its mechanism.

METHODSImmunofluorescence method was used to detect the distribution of WAVE1 and MMP-2 in the cells. K562 cells were transfected with pcDNA3. 1-WAVE1 reconstructed plasmid or with specific siRNA to WAVE1 gene. The invasion ability of K562 cells was examined by Transwell assay. The expression level of WAVE1 and MMP-2 in K562 cells was assayed by real-time PCR and Western blot.

RESULTS(1) WAVE1 and MMP-2 mainly expressed and co-localized in the cell membrane; (2) 24 h and 48 h after transfected with pcDNA3. 1-WAVE1, the MMP-2 mRNA level in K562 cells increased by 295% and 198% while its protein increased by 80% and 23% respectively as compared with control K562 cells. At the same time point after transfected with specific siRNA, the MMP-2 mRNA level decreased by 81% and 28%, and its protein decreased by 36% and 53% respectively as compared with control. (3) The invasion ability of K562 cells was enhanced after transfected with pcDNA3. 1-WAVE1 and depressed after transfected with the specific siRNA.

CONCLUSIONThe co-localization of WAVE1 and MMP-2 in K562 cells suggests they coordinate in functions; WAVE1 may involve in the migration and invasion of K562 cells through regulating the expression level of MMP-2.

Humans ; K562 Cells ; Leukemic Infiltration ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; RNA, Small Interfering ; genetics ; Transfection ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family ; genetics ; metabolism

In order to investigate the sleep quality and influencing factors in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD),201 PD patients were enrolled and underwent extensive clinical evaluations.Subjective sleep evaluation was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI),and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).It was found that poor sleep quality (77.11％) and excessive daytime sleepiness (32.34％) were commonly seen in PD patients and positively correlated with disease severity.Then 70 out of the 201 PD patients and 70 age-and sex-matched controls underwent a polysomnographic recording.The parameters were compared between PD group and control group and the influencing factors of sleep in PD patients were analyzed.The results showed that sleep efficiency (SE) was significantly decreased (P＜0.01),and sleep latency (SL) and the arousal index (AI) were increased (P＜0.05) in the PD group as compared with those in the control group.SE and total sleep time (TST) were positively correlated with the Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage.There was significant difference in the extent of hypopnea and hypoxemia between the PD group and the control group (P＜0.05).Our results indicate that PD patients have an overall poor sleep quality and a high prevalence of sleep disorder,which may be correlated with the disease severity.Respiratory function and oxygen supply are also affected to a certain degree in PD patients.