Objective To investigate the current status of lead(Pb) poisoning in children and correlations between Pb levels and calcium(Ca), iron(Fe), zinc(Zn) and environmental factors. Methods ①Questionnaire survey was conducted among 3160 parents in Qingdao area, regarding factors that might have effects on the levels of Pb. ②Levels of blood Pb, Ca, Fe and Zn were determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption (GFAA) spectrometry for 3160 children, who were divided into three groups: mildly increased Pb levels, moderately increased Pb levels and severely increased Pb levels, and the effects of Ca, Fe and Zn on children's blood Pb levels were analyzed by multiple linear regressions.③Children having mildly Pb increase were divided into four groups and received Ca, Fe or Zn preparations or placebo. Results ① Children living with smokers, in new houses, in houses or kindergartens located in industrial areas or main traffic roads, consuming preserved eggs or canned drinks regularly were more easily poisoned.②Percentages of children with increased levels who had insufficient blood Ca, Fe and Zn : 53.31% (306/574), 46.17% (265/574) and 68.47% (393/574), respectively, in the group of children with mildly increased Pb levels; 57.68% (263/456), 49.34% (225/456) and 77.41% (353/456), respectively, in the group of children with moderately increased Pb levels; 64.71% (11/17), 58.82% (10/17) and 82.35%(14/17), respectively, in the group of children with severely increased Pb levels. In contrast, the percentages of children in the control group who had low blood Ca, Fe and Zn were 19.78%(418/2113), 5.21% (110/2113) and 14.62%(309/2113), respectively. ③The levels of Ca, Fe and Zn had a negative correlations with blood levels of Pb(coefficient of regression were-0.870,-0.430,-0.565, respectively). ④When given Ca, Fe and Zn, the children had the blood Pb levels decreased by 78.32% (112/143), 66.43% (95/143) and 67.83% (97/143), respectively. Conclusions ①Children's increased levels of Pb have adverse effects on the absorption of Ca, Fe and Zn. ②Intaking Ca, Fe and Zn preparations can reduce blood Pb level.

Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Language Development ; Sampling Studies

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Azithromycin ; pharmacology ; Bacteremia ; microbiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Culture Media ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Escherichia coli ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Methicillin Resistance ; Middle Aged ; Penicillin G ; pharmacology ; Salmonella paratyphi A ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; isolation & purification ; Staphylococcus epidermidis ; drug effects ; isolation & purification

With the development of medical education,the traditional cell biology teaching modes and methods need constant adjustment to adapt to the current teaching.In view of the present high-speed development of cell biology,we seriously picked some representative themes to carry out thematic teaching.Students were encouraged to read some references about the corresponding content and thought primarily before the class.After the lesson,the teacher guided students to discuss and find the answers to the questions they asked before.Participation in class discussion and homework completion accounted for 10％ of the final assessment results.The thematic teaching helped to optimize classical teaching contents and frontier progress.This teaching mode not only stimulated learning interest but also fully exercised learning ability.

Objective To investigate the characteristics of family environment in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in clinics, and analyse the risk factors for ADHD. Methods Two thousand two hundred and ninety-six children with inattention, hyperactivity or unfavourable school performance were subjected to diagnosis with DSM-Ⅳ criteria in clinics. The characteristics of family environment were investigated by self-prepared questionnaires. The risk factors for ADHD were explored by univariate analysis and noneonditioned multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results Seven hundred and twenty children were diagnosed with ADHD. There were significant differences in family environment between children with ADHD and those without(P<0.05 or P<0.01). The risk factors for ADHD included discord between parents, parental smoking and maternal depression during pregnancy and after delivery, while older age, female, paternal higher educational background were protective factors for ADHD. Conclusion Unfavourable family environment may be associated with the prevalence of ADHD, and special attention should be paid to the family environment in the treatment of ADHD.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to measure the concentration of adiponectin (APN) in serum and induced sputum in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD during acute exacerbation (AECOPD) and at stable stage and to determine the role of APN as a marker of inflammation in the pathogenesis of COPD. METHODS: All the patients in this prospective study were enrolled from October 2008 to October 2009, including 30 male AECOPD patients from the emergency department, 30 male stable COPD patients from the department of respiratory diseases, and 30 healthy non-smoking male controls from the department of medical examination. The serum and induced sputum were collected from each patient. All of the patients had normal weight (BMI range 18.5-24.9 kg/m2). Patients with severe bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis or autoimmune disease were excluded. Cell count and classification was performed for the induced sputum. The concentrations of APN, IL-8, IL-6 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA. Pulmonary function was tested among the three groups. Comparisons between the groups were conducted by Student's t test, ANOVA analysis or nonparametric test. Correlation analysis was carried out by Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient test or Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient test. RESULTS: The concentrations of APN in the serum or induced sputum in AECOPD patients were significantly higher than those in stable COPD patients or healthy non-smoking controls (P<0.01). The concentration of APN in stable COPD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy non-smoking controls (P<0.01). For the AECOPD patients, APN was positively correlated with IL-8 and TNF-α in the serum and induced sputum (r=0.739, 0.734, 0.852, 0.857 respectively, P<0.05). For the stable COPD patients, APN was also positively correlated with IL-8 and TNF-α in the serum and induced sputum (r=0.751, 0.659, 0.707, 0.867 respectively, P<0.05). In addition, for the AECOPD patients, APN was positively correlated with the percentage of neutrophils in the induced sputum (r=0.439, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: APN is involved in the process of systematic and airway inflammation of COPD. This process is related to neutrophils in the airway, IL-8 and TNF-α. APN could be used as a new marker for inflammation of COPD.

Objective To improve treatment success rate and prognosis for patients with bifrontal contusions by intracranial pressure monitoring.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 79 cases of bifrontal contusions admitted between October 2004 and April 2012.The patients were divided into intracranial pressure monitoring group (n =40) and group without intracranial pressure monitoring (n =39),according to the treatments.Significance of high coronary craniotomy timing,surgical strategy and intracranial pressure monitoring in the diagnosis,treatment and prognosis was analyzed.Results The intracranial pressure monitoring group showed a significantly shorter period concerning osmotic dehydration [(14.24 ± 7.93) days vs (21.61 ± 11.97)days,P＜0.01],ICU stay [(14.38 ±7.56)days vs (24.71-± 17.94)days,P＜0.01] and total hospital stay [(17.20 ±8.09)days vs (33.92 ± 21.70)days,P＜0.01] as well as a better GOS [(4.15 ± 1.22) points vs (3.69 ± 1.56) points,P ＜ 0.05],as compared with group without intracranial pressure monitoring.Conclusions Craniotomy,especially decompressive craniectomy,is one of the most important treatment means to control cranial pressure and ensure cerebral perfusion pressure in patients with bifrontal contusions (in particular the moderate and severe ones).Besides,intracranial pressure monitoring is conducive to selection of surgery timing and is instructive to combined treatment,such as osmotherapy,intracranial pressure controlling and assurance of cerebral perfusion pressure.

Animals ; Cadmium Chloride ; toxicity ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Estradiol ; toxicity ; Female ; Organ Size ; drug effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Uterus ; drug effects ; pathology

Objective To elucidate the function of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway underlying the regulation of Na+-I-symporter (NIS) and the influence of different levels of iodine on PI3K-AKT signaling pathway in lactating breast cells.Methods The primary cultured mammary gland cells were divided into three groups:①control group [0 μmol/L LY294002 + 0 μg/L insulin-like growth factor Ⅰ (IGF-Ⅰ)];②stimulation group (50 μg/L IGF-Ⅰ);③inhibition group (40 μmo]/L LY294002 + 50 μg/L IGF-Ⅰ).In addition,the cells were treated with different iodine contents (0,5,50,1 000,3 000 μg/L) for low iodine groups 1 and 2,iodine group,high iodine groups 1 and 2,and IGF-Ⅰ (50 μg/L) was used to stimulate PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.The expressions of AKT and NIS mRNA and protein were determined by real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting,respectively.Results The expression of AKT mRNA (1.497 ± 0.550) in stimulation group was higher than that in inhibition group (0.777 ± 0.108,P ＜ 0.05),while the expression of NIS mRNA and protein in stimulation group (0.783 ± 0.187,0.618 ± 0.103) was lower than those in inhibition group (2.430 ± 1.423,1.417 ± 0.250,all P ＜ 0.05).With the iodine concentration increasing,except high iodine group 1 (1.090 ± 0.356),the expression of AKT mRNA in low iodine groups 1 and 2,iodine group,high iodine group 2 (1.758 ± 0.893,1.320 ± 0.538,1.003 ± 0.006,0.745 ± 0.307) tended to decline;total AKT protein (0.640 ± 0.106,0.601 ± 0.081,0.583 ± 0.089,0.555 ± 0.097,0.532 ± 0.023) and NIS mRNA (2.259 ± 0.682,1.823 ± 0.332,1.409 ± 0.366,1.321 ± 0.405,1.150 ± 0.454) tended to decline in low iodine groups 1 and 2,iodine group,high iodine groups 1 and 2;except low iodine group 2 (0.484 ± 0.179),NIS protein expression tended to decline (0.556 ± 0.199,0.502 ± 0.179,0.455 ± 0.126,0.435 ± 0.138);however,except low iodine group 2 (0.076 ± 0.045),the p-AKT protein expressions (0.078 ± 0.049,0.079 ± 0.040,0.085 ± 0.055,0.095 ± 0.051) were on the rise.Conclusion PI3K-AKT signaling pathway may play an inhibition role in the expression of NIS in lactating breast cells.

BACKGROUND: As a cytokine highly expressed in internal organs, visfatin could be used as a biomarker of systemic inflammation response for chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, but few studies have reported the use of visfatin in severe pneumonia. The present study was undertaken to determine the plasma levels of visfatin in patients with severe pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 70 patients, including 40 patients with severe pneumonia (group A) and 30 patients with non severe pneumonia (group B) who had been admitted to the ICU from June 2009 to June 2010, were enrolled in this prospective study. And another 30 healthy physical examinees served as healthy controls (group C). Patients were excluded if they suffered from severe diseases of the heart, brain and kidney, cancers, autoimmune diseases, or received special treatment in the latest month. The plasma levels of visfatin, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α were measured by ELISA, while the level of CRP was determined by immuneturbidimetry, and the routine blood test was performed. Blood gas analysis and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) were performed in patients with pneumonia. Comparisons between the groups were conducted by Student's t test, ANOVA or nonparametric test. Correlation analysis was carried out by Pearson's correlation test or Spearman's rank-order correlation test. RESULTS: The plasma level of visfatin in group A was significantly higher than that in groups B and C (P<0.001), and the level of visfatin in group B was significantly higher than that in group C (P<0.001). The plasma level of visfatin was positively correlated with CRP, TNF-α, APACHE II and PMN％ in patients with severe pneumonia (rho=0.653, r=0.554, r=0.558, r=0.484, respectively, P<0.05 for all), while it was negatively correlated with PaO2 and PaO2/FiO2 (rho=?0.422, r=?0.543, respectively, P<0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Visfatin may be involved in the systematic inflammation response in patients with severe pneumonia as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and it is valuable in assessing the severity of pneumonia..