Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Capsules ; Chronic Disease ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis ; blood ; drug therapy ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phytotherapy ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; blood ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1

OBJECTIVETo explore the changes in spatial learning performance and long-term potentiation (LTP) which is recognized as a component of the cellular basis of learning and memory in normal and lead-exposed rats after administration of melatonin (MT) for two months.

METHODSExperiment was performed in adult male Wistar rats (12 controls, 12 exposed to melatonin treatment, 10 exposed to lead and 10 exposed to lead and melatonin treatment). The lead-exposed rats received 0.2% lead acetate solution from their birth day while the control rats drank tap water. Melatonin (3 mg/kg) or vehicle was administered to the control and lead-exposed rats from the time of their weaning by gastric gavage each day for 60 days, depending on their groups. At the age of 81-90 days, all the animals were subjected to Morris water maze test and then used for extracellular recording of LTP in the dentate gyrus (DG) area of the hippocampus in vivo.

RESULTSLow dose of melatonin given from weaning for two months impaired LTP in the DG area of hippocampus and induced learning and memory deficit in the control rats. When melatonin was administered over a prolonged period to the lead-exposed rats, it exacerbated LTP impairment, learning and memory deficit induced by lead.

CONCLUSIONMelatonin is not suitable for normal and lead-exposed children.

Animals ; Female ; Lead ; toxicity ; Learning ; drug effects ; Long-Term Potentiation ; drug effects ; Male ; Maze Learning ; drug effects ; Melatonin ; administration & dosage ; toxicity ; Rats ; Spatial Behavior ; drug effects

Professor HUANG's clinical acupuncture and moxibustion characters are introduced from selection of acupoints, needles used, needling methods, etc. Based on the differentiation of symptoms and signs, he is good at using pair-points and syndrome differentiation, point-through-point acupuncture and combined many methods, and pays attention to adjusting mental activity, promoting flow of qi, treating both body and mental treatment. He also uses other therapies besides acupuncture and adopts good advance from others, so as to greatly increase clinical therapeutic effects.
Acupuncture Therapy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional

OBJECTIVETo provide scientific evidence for breast cancer prevention and control through epidemiological analysis of the incidence, mortality and survival rate of female breast cancer in Beijing.

METHODSThe registration data of females in Beijing urban area from 1982 to 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. The incidence, mortality and survival rate of female breast cancer were analyzed using routine and life table statistical methods.

RESULTSThere was a trend of annual increase by an average of 4.6% and 4.9% in the Beijing urban incidence and world population standardized incidence of female breast cancer during the period of 1982 to 2001. The epidemiological features of Beijing urban female breast cancer showed: (1) The incidence curve of different age groups from 25 to 80 years elevated with two peaks at age of >or= 45 and >or= 70 years; (2) There was an elevation in each age group during the last 20 years; (3) The interception rate at age of 35 to 64 reached 95.3/100,000 population, which made the breast cancer become the number one cancer in female. The changes of survival rate showed: the 5-year observed survival rate (OSR) increased from 62.0% in 1982 - 1983 to 68.7% in 1987 - 1988, the relative survival rate (RSR) increased from 66.3% to 74.2%. The OSR and RSR in 1987 - 1988 were 60.3% and 65.1% at 10 years, and 57.7% and 61.3% 15 years, respectively. The mortality rate of breast cancer fluctuated at 8 to 10 per 10(5) population during the last 20 years.

CONCLUSIONThere is a trend of an annual increase in female breast cancer in Beijing. The 5-year survival is being improved gradually while the mortality rate remains stable. The results demonstrate that the "early prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment" principles for breast cancer is effective in Beijing.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Breast Neoplasms ; epidemiology ; mortality ; prevention & control ; China ; epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Life Tables ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Survival Rate

Aorta ; pathology ; surgery ; Aortopulmonary Septal Defect ; therapy ; Balloon Occlusion ; methods ; Catheterization, Swan-Ganz ; methods ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Pulmonary Artery ; pathology ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome

Aim To investigate the effect of curcumin extract on melanin production and melanosome transport, and to explore the possible mechanism of the curcumin extract on microenvironment. Methods (1) B16F10 and HaCaT cells were cultured with different concentrations of curcumin. The proliferation ability was detected by MTT method. Melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells were detected by NaOH pyrolysis method and Oxidation dopamine response in vitro. The expression levels of key proteins were detected by Western blot. (2) B16F10 cells were cultured with different concentrations of ISG15 protein. NaOH pyrolysis method and Oxidation dopamine response in vitro were used to detect melanin synthesis and tyrosinase activity in B16F10 cells. Results Curcumin could directly inhibited tyrosinase activity and melanin production, and inhibit melanocyte migration within a certain concentration range. ISG15 protein could enhance the melanin production, tyrosinase activity. Curcumin could reduce the expression of the ISG15 in HaCaT cell, change the microenvironment of melanocyte, and indirectly inhibit melanin synthesis through ISG15. Conclusions In addition to directly inhibiting melanin synthesis, curcumin can also play an indirect role in inhibiting melanin synthesis by inhibiting the expression of ISG15 protein and altering the microenvironment of melanocytes.

OBJECTIVETo identify the impact of age and gender on cardiac structure and left ventricular function in normal Chinese by echocardiography.

METHODSCardiac structure, valve flow velocity and cardiac function were measured by echocardiography in 15,692 healthy volunteers. Subjects were grouped by age at 5 years interval in population older than 5 years. Children under 5 years were divided into 3 age groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years). Hierarchical cluster analyses were performed for ages, based on indexes of cardiac structure and function respectively.

RESULTSSix groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 20 years, > or = 21 years) were generated after the age hierarchical cluster analyses based on index of cardiac structure. Four groups (< or = 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on spectral current flow. Six groups (< 1 years, 1 - 3 years, 4 - 5 years, 6 - 10 years, 11 - 15 years, > or = 16 years) were generated based on left ventricular systolic function and five groups (< or = 15 years, 16 - 30 years, 31 - 50 years, 51 - 80 years, > or = 81 years) were generated based on left ventricular diastolic function. Cardiac structure index were similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years and significantly lower in females than males in age groups > or = 11 years (P < 0.05). Valve flow velocity was similar between male and female in various age groups (P > 0.05). Left ventricular systolic function was similar between male and female in age groups < or = 10 years but was significantly higher in males than females in age groups > or = 11 years (all P < 0.05). Left ventricular diastolic function was similar between female and male in various age groups (P > 0.05) and equally decreased with aging in both female and male subjects.

CONCLUSIONSThe cardiac development in Chinese population can be divided in 6 phases and becomes stable in subjects older than 21 years, left ventricular systolic function becomes stable in subjects older than 16 years and the left ventricular diastolic function declines physiologically with aging.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cluster Analysis ; Echocardiography ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Heart ; physiology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sex Factors ; Ventricular Function, Left ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVEIt was noticed that coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) and enterovirus 71 (EV71) were two major etiological agents of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in children. Recently there were several large outbreaks of HFMD in the Asia-Pacific region, and there was a propensity to cause severe complications or death in children under 5 years of age. The severe forms were associated with EV71 infection. Although epidemics of HFMD have been reported in the mainland of China, few reports about EV71 as the pathogen of HFMD epidemics are available. The present study was conducted to investigate the causal agent of an HFMD epidemic in children in Shanghai from April to June of 2002.

METHODSTotally 102 specimens (including vesicle fluid, stool and throat swabs) were collected from 72 patients with HFMD. The specimens were inoculated into Vero and/or RD cells. At first all the isolates were respectively neutralized by the RIVM pools of enterovirus antiserum, the type-specific antisera to EV71 or to CA16. Secondly all untyped isolates were tested by RT-PCR assay with two specific primer pairs for VP1 genes of EV71 and CA16 respectively. The EV71 and CA16 were identified depending on the size of PCR products. Sequence analyses of VP1 genes of 9 virus strains were performed by the laboratory of China CDC.

RESULTSViruses were isolated from 91 specimens from 67 patients. Serotyping by neutralization failed for all the isolates. But the RT-PCR results indicated that the viruses isolated from 78 specimens from 58 patients were identified as positive for CA16 and the isolates from 13 specimens from 9 patients were identified as positive for EV71, the ratio between CA16 and EV71 was 6.4:1. The results of sequence analyses were consistent with those of PCR assay. Two EV71 strains isolated in this study belonged to a new lineage (C4) within genogroup C. One patient with EV71-associated HFMD had a complication of encephalitis with convulsion, shock, coma and dyspnea.

CONCLUSIONCA16 and EV71 were the primary causes of HFMD during the epidemic. It was the first report of EV71-associated severe encephalitis occurred in patients with HFMD in Shanghai.

Animals ; Cercopithecus aethiops ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Disease Outbreaks ; Enterovirus ; isolation & purification ; Enterovirus A, Human ; isolation & purification ; Female ; Genes, Viral ; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease ; epidemiology ; virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Vero Cells

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical feature of patients with atrial septal defects (ASD) and the safety and efficacy of transcatheter closure of ASD in elderly patients.

METHODSBetween May 2000 and June 2010, 82 patients aged (64.5 ± 3.8) years underwent attempted transcatheter ASD closure. Right heart catheterization was performed before intervention. Echocardiography was made at 1 day, 1, 3, 6 months after the procedure. The pre- and post-closure clinical feature, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and cardiac function were evaluated.

RESULTSIn 82 patients, 37 (45.1%) patients were associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The systolic PAP and mean PAP [(44.1 ± 12.4) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa) and (25.2 ± 6.8) mm Hg, respectively] were measured by right heart catheterization before the procedure. One patient was unsuitable for closure because of severe PAH. The remaining 81 patients underwent successful ASD closure without major complications. After closuring, systolic PAP decreased from (52.7 ± 10.3) mm Hg to (31.8 ± 6.3) mm Hg (P < 0.05), and mean PAP descended from (30.9 ± 4.7) mm Hg to (21.8 ± 3.4) mm Hg (P < 0.05) in the 36 patients with PAH. The cardiac function improved post procedure. There were 6 new-onset atrial fibrillations during follow up.

CONCLUSIONSASD in elderly patients are commonly associated with PAH. Transcatheter ASD closure is safe and effective in the majority of elderly patients.

Aged ; Cardiac Catheterization ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect of comprehensive therapeutic protocol of electroacupuncture combined with active-blood-and-dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training for cerebral infarction.

METHODSA multi-center randomized controlled trial was done, three hundred and twenty cases were divided into four groups: electroacupuncture combined with active-blood and dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training group (group A), electroacupuncture combined with rehabilitation training group (group B), herbs combined with rehabilitation training group (group C) and rehabilitation training group (group D), 80 cases in each group. The following two groups of acupoints were used alternatively in electroacupuncture treatment: the first group including Vasomotor Area, Jianyu (LI 15), Biguan (ST 31), Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3); the second group including Motor Area, Quchi (LI 11), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and Shenshu (BL 23). 20 mL Xiangdan injection and 250 mL 5% glucose injection or 250 mL 0.9% sodium chloride injection were used by intravenous drip in herbs treatment once a day. The rehabilitation training was performed by the professional physical therapist. Each group was treated with corresponding treatment protocol. The therapeutic effect was evaluated by index of the mortality or disability rate 3 months after the onset of disease. The intention to treat analysis (ITT) was used in data.

RESULTSThe mortality or handicap rate 3 months after the onset of disease of four groups were 17.5% (14/80) in group A, 22.5% (18/80) in group B, 40. 0% (32/80) in group C, and 31.3% (25/80) in group D, respectively. The group A has a best therapeutic effect (vs group C, group D, both P<0.05), and there was no adverse event.

CONCLUSIONThe combined application of electroacupuncture, active-blood and dissolve-stasis herbs and rehabilitation training is a better treatment for cerebral infarction in clinic.

Adult ; Aged ; Cerebral Infarction ; drug therapy ; rehabilitation ; therapy ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged