Epidemic non-A, non-B hepatitis in Xinjiang. Clinical and pathologic observations

131 cases of epidemic hepatitis from two villages in Xinjiang, were admitted to the provisional infectious diseases hospital from February to April 1987. In 125 (95%) patients neither anti-HAV IgM nor anti-HBc IgM were positive. 118 (90%) were drinking water from a local stream of the Hotan River. The study was conducted on 125 patients aged from 5 to 90 years, with a mean of 26.4 years. There were slightly more males than females, a ratio of 1.5 to 1. The incubation period was roughly estimated to be 17 to 37 days (mean 24.8 days). All subjects were jaundiced. 12 patients (including 6 pregnant women) had cholestatic symptoms. Except one woman who died of postpartum bleeding, all patients ran a benign course without fulminant hepatic failure. Pathologic changes of liver biopsies from 35 cases included lobular damage and inflammation, ballooned hepatocytes with clear cytoplasm and delineated cell membrane which were named "clear cell". There were cholestasis of different degrees in the acute icteric stage and fatty changes in the convalescent stage. It was seen under the electron microscope that the livers of 8 cases had neither tubular structure nor sponge-like inclusions, but had nuclear changes including curled edge of nuclear membrane and nuclear heterochromatin condensed in masses. Liver biopsies were repeated in 7 cases followed up for 6-13 months, and hepatohistology was normal in 5. Of the other two cases there was one of each.

[Antitumor activity of 4-(4''-(2'',2'',6'',6''-tetramethyl-1''-piperidinyoxy)amino)-4'- demethyl epipodophyllotoxin in vitro]

The antitumor activity of a new podophyllotoxin spin-labeled derivative, 4-(4''-(2'',2'',6'',6''-tetramethyl-1''-+piperidinyoxy)amino)-4'- demethylepipodophyllotoxin (GP-7) First synthesized by us, was studied in vitro. It was found that the proliferation of SGC-7901 cells was markedly inhibited by GP-7 depending the concentration and exposure time. At concentration of 0.04-100 mg/L, the inhibition rates were 15.5-92.6% ID50 was 0.42 mg/L. After exposure to GP-7 greater than 0.5 mg/L for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, the inhibition rates of cells were 25.1, 49.0, 71.4 and 84.9% respectively. The dose-response curve of GP-7 on SGC-7901 cell was similar to that of etoposide (VP-16). The colony formation of SGC-7901 cell was also inhibited by GP-7 in a concentration dependent fashion with ID50 1.63 mg/L. At concentrations of 0.1-0.5 mg/L, the inhibitory effects were stronger than that of VP-16. GP-7 decreased the mitotic index (MI) of SGC-7901 cell and had no effect on microtubule assembly and disassembly in vitro, which suggested that GP-7 did not act on M phase.

Anticancer drugs. II. Synthesis and biological evaluation of spin labeled derivatives of podophyllotoxin

The spin labeled derivatives of podophyllotoxin, 4-[4''-(2'',2'',6'',6''-tetramethyl-l''-piperidinyloxy)amino] -4'-demethylepipodophyllotoxin(GP-7,3) and N-podophyllic acid-N''-[4-(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-l-piperidinyloxy)] thiosemicarbazide(GP-4,5) were synthesized and tested for their anticancer activity against the mouse solid tumors S180 and HepA in vivo, and the mouse lymphocytic leukemia L1210 and human stomach carcinoma SGC-7901 cells in vitro. At equitoxic concentrations, the anticancer activity of GP-7(3) was found to be similar to that of the clinically used VP-16(2). The toxicity of GP-7(3) (LD50231.2 mg/Kg) is 3.3 times lower than that of VP-16 (LD50 69.5 mg/Kg). GP-7(3) exhibits low subchronic toxicity. The total chemical yield of GP-7 (26%) is 4 times higher than that of VP-16 (6%) (based on podophyllotoxin). Therefore, GP-7(3) seems to be a promising new entry into the podophyllotoxin class of anticancer drugs.

A macro-view of China's elderly population: an analysis of the sampling survey in 1987 on China's population above 60 years of age

"This treatise analyzes the characteristics of [China's] elderly population and examines some of the most important factors that affect population, economic development and the reform of the social security system." Data are from a 1987 survey of China's elderly population.