Acrylonitrile ; toxicity ; Carcinogens ; toxicity ; Humans ; Mutagens ; toxicity ; Occupational Exposure

There are two types of Chinese medicine, i.e., "Shihu" and "Tiepi shihu", using the stems of species of Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) as original materials. In order to understand species of Dendrobium using in Chinese medicine, taxonomic investigation and revision were performed. Our results indicated that about sixty species of sect. Dendrobium, sect. Formosae, and Sect. Stachyobium, are used as raw materials of "Shihu". Seven species of Dendrobium moniliforme complex and four species in Dendrobium officinale complex were recognized.
Dendrobium ; classification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; classification

This paper collects and analyzes 40 398 pieces of information from Chinese Modern Acupuncture Information Database (1970- 2002). It covers 93 articles concerning the treatment of chronic gastritis by acupuncture and 5 325 subjects, the total effective rate being 94.4%. The frequent treatment methods are needling, moxibustion, burial therapy, and hydropuncture. The major acupoints are Zusanli (ST 36), Zhongwan (CV 12), Weishu (BL 21),Pishu (BL20), Neiguan (PC 6), Ganshu (BL 18), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. In the presence of severe stomachache, Liangqiu (ST 34) and Gongsun (SP 4) are added; in the presence of abdominal fullness, Tianshu (ST 25) and Qihai (CV 6) are added; in the presence of diarrhea, Tianshu (ST 25) and Shangjuxu (ST 37) are added; in the presence of vomiting, Shangwan (CV 13) and Taichong (LR 3) are added.

0.05].After 12 week treatment,the YGTSS total score in study group was significantly lower [(27.88?14.24) vs(36.53?17.45) scores] and the reduction rate of YGTSS score was significantly higher [(43.12?18.42)% vs(33.49?14.38)%] compared with those in control group(Pa

BACKGROUND: Embryonic stem cells (ESCs), the seed cells of all mature cells in vivo, are useful tools for nerve transplantation and developmental gene function research. Notch1 signaling pathway is the key pathway to control the ordered neural development and differentiation of many kinds of neural cells, however, there is no report on the dynamic expression of Notch1 signal during the ESC differentiation to date. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of Notch1 protein, transmembrane signal transduction molecule, during directional differentiation of embryonic stem cells into neural cells. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: Cell research was carried out between October 2003 and October 2004 at Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, SUN Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. MATERIALS: BALB/C mouse embryonic stem cell line Ⅵ (passage 11)was obtained from experimental animal center of SUN Yat-sen University, provided by professor Huang Bing. ESC culture medium was high-glucose DMEM medium with 20% bovine serum and 106 IU/L mouse leukemia inhibitory factor. Induced differentiation medium was high-glucose DMEM medium with 20% fetal bovine.serum and 5×107 mol/L retinoid acid(RA). METHODS: Passage 11 ESCs were resuscitated and incubated by ESC culture medium in incubator at 37℃ with 5% CO2. Passage 11 ESCs were subcultured after 2 or 3 days and RA was added into medium to induce differentiation. Three time points for observation were established: induced for 1, 5 and 9 days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Morphological changes were observed under inverted phase contrast microscope, MAP-2 antigen expressed in differentiated cells was detected by immunofluorescence method. Immunocytochemistry, Western Blot, flow cytometry assay were used to investigate the Notch1 protein expression. RESULTS: ESCs presented clone-like growth. After induced by RA for 9 days, single neural network was achieved around most of the cell clusters. With the prolongation of induction, MAP-2 positive neural cells increased gradually. Almost all ESC clones expressed Notch1 protein strongly or positively, but Notehl protein expression decreased gradually after induced differentiation (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Notch1 signal shuts off progressively during induction of ESCs into neural cells, which suggests Notch1 may play an important role in the differentiation of ESCs into neural cells.

Child, Preschool ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal ; methods ; Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular ; diagnostic imaging ; therapy ; Humans ; Male

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; cytology ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Megakaryocytes ; cytology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred Strains ; Thrombopoietin ; pharmacology

This paper statistically analyzes sixty-two articles concerning the treatment of obesity with acupuncture, and finds that the common therapy embraces needling, moxibustion, electroacupuncture, ear acupuncture, auricular application, auricular needle-embedding, acupoint application, acupoint embedding and combined methods of acupuncture. The frequent auricular acupoints are Stomach (MA-IC), Endocrine (MA-IC 3), Er Shenmen (MA-TF 1), Lung (MA-IC 1), Spleen (MA-IC), Hunger Point (MA-T) and Sanjiao (MA-IC 4). The clinical total effective rate was 75.8%.

Objective To study the anti-tumor effect of Zhongjiefeng Injection in vitro and its combination with adriamycin.Methods MTT assay was adopted to determine the in-vitro anti-tumor effect,IC50 was used to measure the direct anti-tumor effect,and Jing' s formula was applied to analyze the combination of the drugs.Results Zhongjiefeng Injection can inhibit the proliferation of Bel 7402(human hepatoma cells),HCT-8(human colon cancer cells),and the IC50 was 33.13 mg/mL for Bel 7402 and 52.39 mg/mL for HCT-8 respectively.Zhongjiefeng Injection at the concentrations of 3.125,6.25,12.5 mg/mL showed an efficancy potentiation action with doxorubicin on the inhibition of HCT-8 cells in vitro,and 25,50 mg/mL showed a synergic effect on HCT-8 .Conclusion Zhongjiefeng Injection has a certain in-vitro inhibitory effect on the growth of Bel 7402 and HCT-8,its combination with doxorubicin in vitro can produce synergic effects(a simple combined or enhanced effects)to HCT-8 cells,especially high concentrations of Zhongjiefeng Injection with doxorubicin.It is suggested that Zhongjiefeng Injection in the doubled dosage may have a better synergistic effect with doxorubicin in clinical treatment of colon cancer.

Objective To research the relationship between the serum level of cystatin C (CysC),N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and the cardiovascular (CV) events in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients,looking for a new and effective biological prediction method for cardiovascular disease (CVD).Methods According to the excluded criteria and included criteria,a total of 126 patients [male 67(53.2％),female 59 (46.8％)] were included in this study,screening out of 452 MHD patients from 3 blood purification centre,no secondary hyperparathyroidism,blood pressure controlled,hemoglobin standard,no lipid abnormalities,and without history of coronary heart disease,heart failure and arrhythmia.Participants adopted 3 dialysis treatment,including hemodialysis,hemoperfusion and hemodiafiltration.Every 3 months before the dialysis,the Cys-C,NT-proBNP,serum phosphorus,serum intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH),hemoglobin and electrocardiogram were detected.The heartbeat ultrasound was examined every 6 months,observed for 24 months and followed up for 3 years,recording the incidence and the inspection results.The correlation and the occurrence of CVD were analyzed by conducting a multiple factor logistic regression analysis.The forecast performance of Cys-C,NT-proBNP was evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under curves (AUC).Results Eighteen episodes of CV events occurred in 126 patients during the experiment and follow-up,including 8 episodes of heart failure,4 episodes of myocardial infarction,6 episodes of arrhythmia.Detection indexes had no statistically significant correlation (P ＞ 0.05),and the results of ECG and ultrasound heartbeat graph showed that no significant difference in cardiac structure and function before treatment (P ＞ 0.05).After 24 months duration,the research showed that the level of serum calcemia was lower,and the levels of phosphorus and iPTH were higher in hemodialysis group compared with that in the other 2 groups,and the differences had statistical significance (P ＜ 0.05).The median levels of Cys-C and NT-proBNP were 8.59 (9.74,7.10) mg/L and 7 739 (9 887,6 736) ng/L in the patients CV events occurred.Non conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the increasing interdialytic weight,Cys-C,NT-proBNP,iPTH,dialysis hypotension were the independent risk factors of CV occurrence.AUCs to predict CVD occurrence in MHD patients was 0.64 (95％CI 0.53-0.71,P ＜ 0.05) and 0.79 (95％CI 0.72-0.89,P＜ 0.01) using Cys-C and NT-proBNP respectively.The cut-off values of serum Cys-C and NT-proBNP for CVD occurrence were 8.59 mg/L and 7 739 ng/L,with a sensitivity of 84.3％ and a specificity of 92.7％.Conclusions Cys-C,NT-proBNP can be used to predict the risk of CV events in dialysis patients.