The acute and subacute toxicities of ajmalicine (raubasine) extracted fro Vietnamese Catharanthus roseus roots were studied. The oral administration of this substance (from 500 mg/kg to 1600 mg/kg) on mice caused no effect, except sedative. It was certified that there was no need to determine the LD50 of ajmalicine. The continuous oral administration on rabbits with high dose of ajmalicine (4.8 mg/kg body weight daily for one month) did not influence on their body weight, the blood and other biochemical indices. It can be confirmed that ajmalicine extracted from Vietnamese Catharanthus roots had very low toxicity when used by oral.
ajmalicine ; Medicine, Traditional ; toxicity ; Plants, Medicinal

After researching on chemical compound of nipple plant widely growing in Viet nam, we concluded that: In the roots, the stems, the fruits of nipple plant contained much alcaloids and saponins, but not in the leaves. Besides, all parts of the Solanum mammosum L.have flavonoid, there were at least 3 alcaloids in the plant all in the form of glycoaloaloid. Alcaloid isolated from fruits have spectral data and physical, chemical contains of at least 2 aglycols are elements of glycol acaloids. Both have structure of steroid in which one aglycon is initially concluded as solasodin
chemistry ; Nipples ; Plants, Medicinal ; Medicine, Traditional

Background: Production of semi-functional dystrophin protein from the dystrophin gene encoded with a premature stop codon has been shown to modify the severe phenotype of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The mutation of the dystrophin gene affects the process of complete mRNA and is important in gene therapy. Objective: To analyze the mutation of dystrophin gene in DMD cases. Subjects and methods: A patient with diagnosed with DMD when he was 2 years old, and at age 9, he was completely disabled and had to use a wheelchair. DNA and total RNA were extracted from fresh peripheral blood; cDNA was synthesized by transcript polymerase chain reaction (RT - PCR). PCR, nested PCR or sequence methods were used to determine the mutation of the dystrophin gene. Results: A nonsensical mutation (E638) due to a single nucleotide change in exon 17 of the dystrophin gene (GAA2047TAA) was identified. This mutation affects mRNA splicing process and induces complete exon 17 skipping. Conclusion: Patients, who had E638X mutation with exon 17 deletion in the dystrophin gene, had clinical symptoms of Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD). This discovery as a potential target for therapeutic strategies for DMD, to change the severe phenotype of DMD to a milder phenotype (BMD), in order to improve clinical conditions for the patients.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy ; dystrophin gene

Background: Semiquantitative PCR and quantitative PCR are accurate and simple methods. They are commonly used to determine amplified gene levels in PCR reaction. Objective: Using semiquantitative PCR and quantitative PCR methods to determine HIP transcript levels in cancer and normal tissue; to evaluate sensibility of two methods. Subject and methods: 30 cancer patients were diagnosed based on clinical, para-clinical (ultrasound, biochemistry, histopathology) at K hospital in Hanoi. 15 benign tissue samples are used for control.mRNA was extracted from cancer and normal tissues, cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcript-polymerase chain reaction (RT - PCR); HIP transcript was determined using semiquantitative PCR and quantitative PCR methods. Results: Both methods showed the same results: HIP transcript was increase in cancer tissues but very low in normal tissues. This showed that HIP was linked closely with the development of cancer tissue. Conclusions: Levels of HIP transcript was different between cancer tissue and the normal control. Semi- quantitative PCR and quantitative PCR are useful methods to determine HIP transcript for cancer diagnosis. \r\n', u'\r\n', u'\r\n', u'
Neoplasms ; Hip

Background: Dental caries are the most common diseases in Vietnam and the World. There are some risk factors influencing diseases.Objectives: (1) describe dental caries prevalence in first and second molars, and (2) risk factors of the first molars. Subjects and method: The cross sectional study was applied with sample size of 377 students in Khuong Thuong primary school in 2005. Structured questionnaries were used to collect information on individual characteristics, eating habits and dental hygienic practices. Results: prevalence of the below first molars was highest (35,3%-36,5%). The prevalence of the above first molars was 8,4%. The logistic regression analysis show that students who had poor tooth brushed practice have higher dental caries prevalence significantly. Hygiennic dental education is important and needed to reduce dental caries.Conclusion:The prevalence of the first molars was higher than the prevalence of the second molars. The prevalence of the first below molars was higher than that in the first above molars. Wrong tooth brushing was a determinant of dental caries.
Dental Caries ; Risk Factors ; Students ;

Background: Heparan-sufate interacting protetin (HIP) has been known to be up-regulated and expressed in various human cancer cell lines at both transcript and protein levels. HIP\u2019s expression was related to the differentiation status and cancer development. Objective: Using a semi-quantitative PCR method to determine HIP transcript levels in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostate cancer tissues. Subjects and methods: 30 samples of BPH, 12 samples of high-grade PIN, and 40 samples of prostate cancer were collected from patients at Viet Duc Hospital and Friendship Hospital. Total RNA was extracted from BPH, PIN and prostate cancer tissues; cDNA synthesis by reverse transcript - polymerase chain reaction (RT - PCR); HIP transcript determination using semi-quantitative PCR. Results: There was significant difference in HIP transcript levels. HIP transcript was very highly up-regulated in the prostate cancer tissues. The up-regulation of HIP transcript was lower in PIN, and lowest in BPH. HIP transcript levels in benign samples were 1/2 and 2/3 compared with cancer and PIN samples, respectively (P< 0.05). These indicated that up-regulation of HIP transcript may be an early event in tumorigenesis. Conclusions: Levels of HIP transcript were different between tissues of prostate cancer, PIN, and BPH. HIP may be a marker for pre-cancer of the prostate.
HIP/L29 ; prostate cancer ; Transcript

Background: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane cell-surface glycoprotein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity. EGFR has been shown to stimulate cell proliferation and to enhance the migration and invasiveness of breast cancer. EGFR is expressed in epidermal cell lines and have been implicated in the pathogenesis of many different types of cancer. Objective: To evaluate the level of EGFR transcript in breast cancer and normal tissues; comparison the EGFR transcript level at different development stages and cancer cell types. Subject and methods: Total RNA from 62 tissue samples including 47 breast cancer and 15 normal tissues were extracted; cDNA synthesis by reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction, EGFR transcript level were determined using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Result and conclusions: EGFR transcript level was highly expressed in breast cancer tissues compared to the normal tissues. Especially, its expression was related to the different status and cancer cell types of breast cancer. There was a difference of EGFR transcript level between histological pathology\u2019s forms of breast cancer in the same stage.
breast cancer ; Epidermal growth factor receptor

Background: Hepatic trauma is a common disease in surgical emergency. Nowadays, there are many means of diagnostic imaging such as ultrasound, computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging.. but computerized tomography is more valuable in the diagnosis and treatment decisions. Objectives: To assess the value of computerized tomography in diagnosis of hepatic trauma. Subjects and method: To conduct computerized tomography on 36 patients with hepatic trauma (28 male, 8 female, aged 5-70 year olds), was diagnosed by ultrasound in Viet Duc hospital from January, 2005-June, 2005. Results: Major cause of the trauma was still due to traffic accidents (77.8%), followed by living and occupational accidents (61.5%). Using computerized tomography, there were only 12 patients undergoing surgery, the remainders were conservative treated. The common signs were: fluids in abdominal cavity: 33/36 patients (91.7%), without fluids in abdominal cavity: 3 patients. Parenchyma crush: 28/36 patients (77.8%). The most common lesion site was right liver. Diagnostic CT scans at 4 or more degrees was necessary during considering surgical indication for cases of having combined injuries, which can lead to hemodynamic dysfunction. Therefore, clinicians tend to use conservative therapy in hepatic trauma. Conclusion: CT scans was chosen as major examination to determine exactly level of lesions and to decide procedures.
Liver/ injuries ; Tomography ; X-Ray Computed ;

Background: \r\n', u'In the antituberculosis chemotherapy, shortening treatment course, and applying new high effective methods are top prioritized. Of which,the immunotherapy with M vaccea an environmental saprophyte, combined with the antituberculosis medicines all over the world has been applied since 1985, aimed to enhance the host immune responses.\r\n', u'Objectives:\r\n', u'To evaluate the results after 6 months of shortened course anittuberculosis chemotherapy by combining the immunotherapy withM vaccae.\r\n', u'Subjects and method: \r\n', u'233 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+) selected from Centers for Tuberculosis Control in some districts of Ha Tay and Ha Noi. They are 15 above, and not the pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetes, HIV infections, and hepatitis B (Unnecessary) \r\n', u'Dividing randomly into 2 groups, group A was in treatment of the standard 8 month chemotherapy regimen, and group B was treated in a shortned 6 month chemotherapy regimen in combination with immunotherapy by using M. vaccae vaccine. \r\n', u'Results:\r\n', u'The rates of AFB (-) sputum of group B were 98,2% and 100% respectively, the rates of the group A were 97,4% and 99% respectively after 2 and 6 months of treatment. There are 88.5% and 100% for group B, 85.6% and 98.8% for group A at the same time to achieve a negative sputum culture for M. tuberculosis. IgM responses against M. tuberculosis sonicated antigen before and after the follow-up time in Group A are not changed, whereas this level of the immunotherapy group had reduced significantly at the 6th moth (P<0.05). There is no responses in IgC to M. tuberculosis of both groups during the same follow-up period. The mean weight of patients in group B was higher than that of group A after 2 and 6 months of treatment.\r\n', u'Conclusion:\r\n', u'M. vaccae vaccine brings good benefits when be combined with the chemo-immunotherapy for newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients with AFB smear (+). The negative sputum indicators and clinic improvements in the chemo- immunotherapy group of treatment are better than that of chemotherapy only. This study created more effective method for treating tuberculosis infection.\r\n', u'
Tuberculosis ; Pulmonary ; Tuberculosis ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis ;

Background: Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) is a protein that belongs to a novel class of heparin and heparansulfate binding protein. It plays an important role in extracellular matrix structure and function, cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix adhesion, growth and differentiation. HIP was shown to be expressed in normal epithelia and epithelial cell lines at both mRNA and protein levels. Especially, HIP was found to be up-regulated in some cancer cell lines and related to different status and metastasis.\r\n', u'Objectives: To determinate HIP transcript level of mRNA in breast cancer tissues in comparison with normal tissues; to compare HIP transcript level at different cancer stages and cancer cell types. \r\n', u'Subjects and method: Total RNA was isolated from 62 tissue samples (47 breast cancer and 15 normal tissues); cDNA synthesis by reverse transcript \u2013polymerase chain reaction (RT \u2013 PCR); determination of HIP transcript using semi-quantitative RT \u2013 PCR. \r\n', u'Results: HIP transcript was particularly up \u2013 regulated in breast cancer tissues compared to normal tissues, especially this up-regulated in cancer tissues at different stages of development and cancer cell types. \r\n', u'Conclusion: These results show that the HIP transcript level was different between breast cancer and normal tissues and its expression was related to different status and metastasis in human cancer cell lines. HIP may be used as a prognostic marker for breast cancer.\r\n', u'
Heparansulfate Interacting Protein (HIP) ; breast cancer