[A descriptive analysis on coronary heart disease in adult twins in China]

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of coronary heart disease in adult twins recruited from Chinese Twin Registry (CNTR), and provide clues and evidence for the effect of genetic and environmental influences on coronary heart disease. Methods: By using the data of CNTR during 2010-2018, a total of 34 583 twin pairs aged ≥18 years who completed questionnaire survey and had related information were included in the current study to analyze the population and area distribution characteristics of coronary heart disease. Random effect models were used to compare the differences between groups. The concordane rate of coronary heart disease were calculated respectively in monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs to estimate the heritability. Results: The twin pairs included in this analysis were aged (34.2±12.4) years. The overall prevalence rate of coronary heart disease in twin pairs was 0.7%. Twin pairs who were women, older, obese and lived in northern China had higher prevalence of coronary heart disease (P<0.05). Intra-pair analysis in the same-sex twin pairs found that the concordane rate of coronary heart disease was higher in MZ twin pairs (25.3%) than in DZ twins (7.4%), and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The overall heritability of coronary heart disease was 19.3% (95%CI: 11.8%-26.8%). Stratified by gender, age and area, the concordane rate was still higher in MZ twin pairs than in DZ pairs. Participants who were women, aged 18-30 years or ≥60 years and lived in northern China had a higher heritability of coronary heart disease. Conclusion: The distribution of coronary heart disease in twin pairs differed in populations and areas. The prevalence of coronary heart disease was affected by genetic factors, but the effect varied with age, gender and area.

[A descriptive analysis on type 2 diabetes in twins in China]

Objective: To describe the distribution characteristics of type 2 diabetes in twins in Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), provide clues and evidence for revealing the influence of genetic and environmental factors for type 2 diabetes. Methods: Of all twins registered in the CNTR during 2010-2018, a total 18 855 twin pairs aged ≥30 years with complete registration information were included in the analysis. The random effect model was used to describe the population and area distribution characteristics and concordance of type 2 diabetes in twin pairs. Results: The mean age of the subjects was (42.8±10.2) years, the study subjects included 10 339 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs and 8 516 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs. The self-reported prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes was 2.2% in total population and there was no sighificant difference between MZ and DZ. Intra-twin pairs analysis showed that the concordance rate of type 2 diabetes was 38.2% in MZ twin pairs, and 16.0% in DZ twin pairs, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The concordance rate of type 2 diabetes in MZ twin parts was higher than that in DZ twin pairs in both men and women, in different age groups and in different areas (P<0.05). Further stratified analysis showed that in northern China, only MZ twin pairs less than 60 years old were found to have a higher concordance rate of type 2 diabetes compared with DZ twin pairs (P<0.05). In southern China, the co-prevalence rate in male MZ twin pairs aged ≥60 years was still higher than that in DZ twin pairs (P<0.05). Conclusion: The twin pairs in this study had a lower self-reported prevalence of type 2 diabetes than the general population. The study results suggested that genetic factors play a role in type 2 diabetes prevalence in both men and women, in different age groups and in different areas, however, the effect might vary.

Biomarkers of Age-Related Frailty and Frailty Related to Diseases: An Exploratory, Cross-Sectional Analysis from the MAPT Study

BACKGROUND

Frailty may in most cases result from two main causes: the aging process (age-related frailty) and diseases (evolving chronic conditions or acute medical illnesses - disease-related frailty). The biological determinants characterizing these two main causes of frailty may be different.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to compare the biological and neuroimaging profile of people without frailty, those with age-related frailty, and subjects with disease-related frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a secondary, cross-sectional analysis from the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT). We included 1199 subjects without frailty throughout the 5-year follow-up, 82 subjects with incident age-related frailty, and 53 with incident disease-related frailty. Available blood biomarkers involved nutritional (eg, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids), inflammatory-related (IL-6, TNFR1, GDF15), neurodegenerative (eg, beta-amyloid, neurofilament light chain) and neuroimaging markers (MRI, Amyloid-PET).

RESULTS

Although not statistically significant, the results of the unadjusted model showed increasing gradients for inflammatory markers (GDF15, TNFR1) and decreasing gradients for nutritional and neuroimaging markers (omega 3 index, hippocampal volume) from age-related frailty participants to individuals with disease-related frailty. Considering the linear models we observed higher GDF15 values in disease-related frailty group compared to age-related frailty individuals [β = 242.8 (49.5, 436.2)]. We did not find any significant difference between subjects without frailty and those with age-related frailty. Subjects with disease-related frailty compared to subjects without frailty had lower values of DHA [β = -2.42 (-4.76, -0.08)], Omega 3 Index [β = -0.50 (-0.95, -0.06)] and hippocampal volume [β = -0.22 (-0.42,-0.02)]. They also had higher values of GDF15 [β = 246.1 (88.9, 403.4)] and TNFR1 [β = 157.5 (7.8, 307.2)].

CONCLUSION

Age-related frailty and disease-related frailty may represent different degrees of frailty severity on a biological level. Further research is needed to identify biomarkers potentially able to distinguish these classifications of frailty.

Can We Distinguish Age-Related Frailty from Frailty Related to Diseases ? Data from the MAPT Study

BACKGROUND

No study has tried to distinguish subjects that become frail due to diseases (frailty related to diseases) or in the absence of specific medical events; in this latter case, it is possible that aging process would act as the main frailty driver (age-related frailty).

OBJECTIVES

To classify subjects according to the origin of physical frailty: age-related frailty, frailty related to diseases, frailty of uncertain origin, and to compare their clinical characteristics.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a secondary analysis of the Multidomain Alzheimer Preventive Trial (MAPT), including 195 subjects ≥70 years non-frail at baseline who became frail during a 5-year follow-up (mean age 77.8 years ± 4.7; 70% female). Physical frailty was defined as presenting ≥3 of the 5 Fried criteria: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, low physical activity. Clinical files were independently reviewed by two different clinicians using a standardized assessment method in order to classify subjects as: "age-related frailty", "frailty related to diseases" or "frailty of uncertain origin". Inconsistencies among the two raters and cases of uncertain frailty were further assessed by two other experienced clinicians.

RESULTS

From the 195 included subjects, 82 (42%) were classified as age-related frailty, 53 (27%) as frailty related to diseases, and 60 (31%) as frailty of uncertain origin. Patients who became frail due to diseases did not differ from the others groups in terms of functional, cognitive, psychological status and age at baseline, however they presented a higher burden of comorbidity as measured by the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) (8.20 ± 2.69; vs 6.22 ± 2.02 frailty of uncertain origin; vs. 3.25 ± 1.65 age-related frailty). Time to incident frailty (23.4 months ± 12.1 vs. 39.2 ± 19.3 months) and time spent in a pre-frailty condition (17.1 ± 11.4 vs 26.6 ± 16.6 months) were shorter in the group of frailty related to diseases compared to age-related frailty. Orthopedic diseases (n=14, 26%) were the most common pathologies leading to frailty related to diseases, followed by cardiovascular diseases (n=9, 17%) and neurological diseases (n = 8, 15%).

CONCLUSION

People classified as age-related frailty and frailty related to diseases presented different frailty-associated indicators. Future research should target the underlying biological cascades leading to these two frailty classifications, since they could ask for distinct strategies of prevention and management.

Distortion and magnification of four digital cephalometric units

Objectives

To assess the validity of using the calibration ruler for correcting magnification of linear measurements and to explore and compare the vertical and horizontal magnification of four digital cephalometric units.

Methods

An acrylic box was imaged at seven sagittal positions using four digital cephalometric units: Orthopantomograph OC100, Orthopantomograph OC200, Sirona Orthophos CD, and Sirona Orthophos DS. The true linear lengths of the phantom, corrected, and uncorrected linear lengths on the images were measured and compared. The validity of measurements using the calibration ruler was assessed. The magnification values and distortion indices were calculated and compared among the four cephalometric units.

Results

For linear measurements on the mid-sagittal plane and averaged linear measurements on bilateral symmetric sagittal planes, the bias 1.96 STD of the calibration ruler ranged from 1% to 2% for the four cephalometric testing units. For linear measurements on the single lateral sagittal plane, the bias 1.96 STD ranged from 3% to 6%. The vertical scanning charge-coupled device cephalometric unit produced the greatest distortion, ranging from 1.029 to 0.964.

Conclusion

The metal millimeter calibration ruler is an accurate reference for linear measurement magnification correction. Because of unpredictability and machine specificity, the magnification and distortion of a cephalometric unit should be calibrated for the estimation of cephalometric measurement error.

PM2.5 stimulated the release of cytokines from BEAS-2B cells through activation of IKK/NF-κB pathway

Previous studies indicated that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) was related to pulmonary inflammatory diseases through activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway to trigger cytokine secretions in human lung carcinoma cells. To investigate the potential mechanisms underlying expression of cytokines via activated NF-κB by PM_2.5, human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B cells) were treated with PM_2.5 extracts at different concentrations (6, 13, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg mL^-1) for 6 and 24 h. We found that 100 µg mL^-1 PM_2.5 increased interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 expression at 24 h (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). Moreover, 100 µg mL^-1 PM_2.5 upregulated phosphorylated IκB kinase (IKK), p65, and IκBα at 6 h, which could be reversed by the IKK inhibitor Bay11-7082 (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). The p65 subunit of NF-κB was translocated into the nucleus of the cells treated with 100 µg mL^-1 PM_2.5 at 6 and 24 h. Bay11-7082 partly inhibited PM_2.5-induced increases of IL-6 and IL-8 secretion. The results indicated that PM_2.5 extract increased IL-6 and IL-8 levels in BEAS-2B cells through activation of IKK/NF-κB pathway. Our study will contribute to better understanding of the mechanism of PM_2.5-induced pulmonary inflammatory diseases.

Autophagy is involved in ethanol-induced cardia bifida during chick cardiogenesis

Excess alcohol consumption during pregnancy has been acknowledged to increase the incidence of congenital disorders, especially the cardiovascular system. However, the mechanism involved in ethanol-induced cardiac malformation in prenatal fetus is still unknown. We demonstrated that ethanol exposure during gastrulation in the chick embryo increased the incidence of cardia bifida. Previously, we reported that autophagy was involved in heart tube formation. In this context, we demonstrated that ethanol exposure increased ATG7 and LC3 expression. mTOR was found to be inhibited by ethanol exposure. We activated autophagy using exogenous rapamycin (RAPA) and observed that it induced cardiac bifida and increased GATA5 expression. RAPA beads implantation experiments revealed that RAPA restricted ventricular myosin heavy chain (VMHC) expression. In vitro explant cultures of anterior primitive streak demonstrated that both ethanol and RAPA treatments could reduce cell differentiation and the spontaneous beating of cardiac precursor cells. In addition, the bead experiments showed that RAPA inhibited GATA5 expression during heart tube formation. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analysis indicated that BMP2 expression was increased while GATA4 expression was suppressed. In the embryos exposed to excess ethanol, BMP2, GATA4 and FGF8 expression was repressed. These genes are associated with cardiomyocyte differentiation, while heart tube fusion is associated with increased Wnt3a but reduced VEGF and Slit2 expression. Furthermore, the ethanol exposure also caused the production of excess ROS, which might damage the cardiac precursor cells of developing embryos. In sum, our results revealed that disrupting autophagy and excess ROS generation are responsible for inducing abnormal cardiogenesis in ethanol-treated chick embryos.

Proper autophagy is indispensable for angiogenesis during chick embryo development

People have known that autophagy plays a very important role in many physiological and pathological events. But the role of autophagy on embryonic angiogenesis still remains obscure. In this study, we demonstrated that Atg7, Atg8 and Beclin1 were expressed in the plexus vessels of angiogenesis at chick yolk sac membrane and chorioallantoic membrane. Interfering in autophagy with autophagy inducer or inhibitor could restrict the angiogenesis in vivo, which might be driven by the disorder of angiogenesis-related gene expressions, and also lead to embryonic hemorrhage, which was due to imperfection cell junctions in endothelial cells including abnormal expressions of tight junction, adheren junction and desmosome genes. Using HUVECs, we revealed that cell viability and migration ability changed with the alteration of cell autophagy exposed to RAPA or 3-MA. Interestingly, tube formation assay showed that HUVECs ability of tube formation altered with the change of Atg5, Atg7 and Atg8 manipulated by the transfection of their corresponding siRNA or plasmids. Moreover, the lost cell polarity labeled by F-actin and the absenced β-catenin in RAPA-treated and 3-MA-treated cell membrane implied intracellular cytoskeleton alteration was induced by the activation and depression of autophagy. Taken together, our current experimental data reveal that autophagy is really involved in regulating angiogenesis during embryo development.

Role of Slit2/Robo1 in trophoblast invasion and vascular remodeling during ectopic tubal pregnancy

INTRODUCTION

For ectopic tubal pregnancy to be viable, it requires a supporting vascular network and functioning trophoblast. Slit2/Robo1 signaling plays an important role in placental angiogenesis during normal pregnancy. Hence, we here investigated whether or not Slit2/Robo1 signaling also had an impact in ectopic tubal pregnancy.

METHODS

The Slit2 and Robo1 expression pattern relevant to trophoblast invasive behavior and vascular remodeling was studied in human tubal placenta obtained from patients with ectopic pregnancy (5-8weeks gestation), The trophoblast development, vascular architecture and Robo1 expression pattern were observed in Slit2 overexpression (Slit2-Tg) and C57BL mice placenta (E13.5 and E15.5).

RESULTS

Marked with CK-7 and Vimentin, the vessel profiles of fallopian tube were classified into four stages. In the presence of extravillous trophoblast (EVT), stellate-shaped and polygonal-shaped EVTs were observed, and the stellate-shaped EVT showed the higher Slit2 expression (P < 0.01) but lower Robo1 expression (P < 0.05) than polygonal-shaped cells. By contrast, a temporary Slit2 up-regulation in remodeling vessel and Slit2 down-regulation in remodeled vessel of polygonal-shape extravillous trophoblast cells occurred in tubal pregnancies. In Slit2-Tg mice E13.5 and E15.5 placenta, Slit2 overexpression promoted vascular remodeling by increasing in the diameter of the maternal blood sinusoids and fetal capillaries, but enhanced the thickness of trophoblast and vasculature at E15.5 Slit2-Tg mice.

CONCLUSIONS

The varying Slit2 and Robo1 expression in EVTs was associated with trophoblast invasion and probably plays an important role in the events of blood vessel remodeling of the fallopian tube tissues.

Autophagy functions on EMT in gastrulation of avian embryo

Autophagy is important for cell renewing for its contribution to the degradation of bulk cytoplasm, long-lived proteins, and entire organelles and its role in embryonic development is largely unknown. In our study, we investigated the function of autophagy in gastrulation of the chick embryo using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, especially in the EMT process, and we found that autophagy gene Atg7 was expressed on the apical side of the ectoderm and endoderm. Over-expression of Atg7 could enhance the expression of Atg8 and the E-cadherin, the latter of which is a crucial marker of the EMT process. We also found that the disturbance of autophagy could retard the development of chick embryos in HH4 with shorter primitive steak than that in the control group, which is a newly formed structure during EMT process. So we assumed that autophagy could affect EMT process by adhesion molecule expression. Moreover, more molecules, such as slug, chordin, shh et., which were all involved in EMT process, were detected to address the mechanism of this phenomena. We established that the inhibition of autophagy could cause developmental delay by affecting EMT process in gastrulation of chick embryos.

Investigating the effect of excess caffeine exposure on placental angiogenesis using chicken 'functional' placental blood vessel network

It is now known that over-consumption of caffeine by pregnant mothers could have detrimental effects on normal fetal development. However, it remains obscure how caffeine's harmful effect impacts directly or indirectly on the developing embryo/fetus through damaging placenta development. In this study, we demonstrated the morphological similarities between the yolk sac and chorioallantoic membranes (CAM) of chick embryos and the villi of the mammalian placenta. Using the chick yolk sac and the CAM as a model, we found that 5-15 µmol per egg of caffeine exposure inhibited angiogenesis. Under the same condition, cell proliferation in extraembryonic mesoderm was reduced while apoptosis was enhanced. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that caffeine treatment down-regulated VEGF, VEGFR2, PIGF, IGF2 and NRP1 expression, but up-regulated Ang1 and Ang2 expression. We performed in situ hybridization to show VE-cadherin expression and as to demonstrate the blood vessels in the CAM and yolk sac membranes. This distribution of the VE-cadherin(+) blood vessels was determined to be reduced after caffeine treatment. Furthermore, MDA activity was induced after caffeine exposure, but GSH-PX activity was inhibited after caffeine exposure; SOD activity was unchanged as compared with the control. In summary, our results suggest that caffeine exposure could negatively impact on angiogenesis in the chick yolk sac and CAM by targeting angiogenesis-related genes. Some of these genes are also involved in regulating excess ROS generation. The results implied that the negative impact of caffeine on fetal development was partly attributed to impaired placental angiogenesis.

Vascular risk factors aggravate the progression of Alzheimer's disease: a 3-year follow-up study of Chinese population

PURPOSE

To explore the correlation of vascular risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Chinese population.

METHODS

A total of 123 outpatients with probable AD followed up for 3 years were investigated. Severity of cognitive impairment and functional ability was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and modified activities of daily living (ADLs), respectively. The incidence of vascular risk factors was studied in patients with AD.

RESULTS

Univariate analysis showed significance difference in MMSE and ADL scores between patients with and without vascular risk factors (P < .05). Multiple regression analysis showed age, education, hyperhomocysteinemia, and hypertension were significant variables associated with annual MMSE, while there were no significant correlations between annual MMSE and sex, initial MMSE, diabetes, and so on.

CONCLUSIONS

Vascular risk factors are common comorbidities in patients with AD in China, with younger, better educated ones showing faster cognitive decline. Hypertension and hyperhomocysteinemia may also aggravate the progression, and it is important to prevent and treat patients with AD.

Relationship between the TaqI B polymorphism of the cholesterol ester transfer protein gene and atrial fibrillation in Han and Kazak populations

The TaqI B polymorphism in the cholesterol ester transfer protein (CETP) (B1 and B2 alleles; rs708272) is associated with changes in enzyme activity and lipid concentrations. The B1 allele of the CETP gene is a known independent risk factor for genetic susceptibility to atrial fibrillation (AF); however, little is known about this polymorphism in the minority groups of Xinjiang, China. We examined the role of this polymorphism in AF using two independent case-control studies: the Han population (101 AF patients and 129 control subjects) and the Kazak population (103 AF patients and 101 control subjects). Carriers of the B1B1 genotype were more frequent among AF patients than among controls both in the Han population (34.7 versus 26.4%; χ(2) = 10.686, P = 0.001) and in the Kazak population (53.4 versus 24.8%; χ(2) = 27.802, P < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) for carriers of the B1B1 genotype to AF susceptibility was 0.187 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.071- 0.491] in the Han group and 8.426 (95%CI = 2.295-30.933) in the Kazak population. After adjustment of confounding factors such as gender, age, smoking, alcohol consumption, hypertension, diabetes, as well as serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein, the difference remained significant in the Han group (P = 0.001; OR = 0.187, 95%CI = 0.071-0.491) and in the Kazak group (P = 0.001; OR = 8.426, 95%CI = 2.295-30.933). The presence of the B1B1 polymorphism of the Taq1B CETP genotype contributes to the development of AF in the Han and Kazak populations in western China (Xinjiang).

Design and implementation of a telecare information platform

For the aging population and for people with dominant chronic diseases, countries all over the world are promoting an "Aging in Place" program with its primary focus on the implementation of telecare. In 2009, Taiwan held a "Health Care Value-Added Platinum Program" with the goal of promoting the development of "Telecare" services by integrating medical treatment, healthcare, information communication, medical equipment and materials and by linking related cross-discipline professions to enable people to familiarize themselves with preventive healthcare services offered in their household and community environments. In addition, this program can be utilized to effectively provide diversified healthcare service benefitting society as a whole. This study aims to promote a diversified telecare service network in Taiwan's household and community environments, establish telecare information platforms, build an internal network of various healthcare service modes, standardize externally interfacing telecare information networks, effectively utilize related healthcare service resources, and complete reasonable service resource links forming an up-to-date health information exchange network. To this end, the telecare information platform based on service oriented architecture (SOA) is designed to promote an open telecare information interface and sharing environment to assist in such tasks as developing healthcare information exchange services, integrating service resources among various different healthcare service modes, accessing externally complex community affairs information, supporting remote physiological information transmissions, and providing diversified remote innovative services. Information system architecture and system monitoring indices of various types of healthcare service modes are used for system integrations for future development and/or expansions.

[Preliminary studies on process and ultramicro-pulverization on pharmacodynamics of Leech]

OBJECTIVE

To compare pharmacodynamics of decoction and powder of Leech; To identify effect of pharmacodynamics of Leech with new methods of process and ultrmicro-pulverization.

METHOD

The size of ultramicor-powder of Leech and new method processed Leech is determined by BT-1500 size distributive instrument. It is compared that the pharmacodynamics of Leech decoction and powder as well as ultramicro-powder with new method processed of 1/2 decoction dose by anticoagulation and antithrombus action of mice. The safety of different samples is identified.

RESULT

The pharmacodynamics of samples is as ultramicro-powder of Leech with new method processed > ultrmicro-powder of Leech > powder of Leech > decoction of Leech.

CONCLUSION

The ultramicro-powder of Leech with new method processed has better pharmacodynamic effect and the smell of Leech is improved.

[Detection of residual antibiotics in honey with capillary electrophoresis]

Five antibiotics compounds, tetracycline (TC), oxytetracycline (OTC), doxycycline (DOC), chlortetracycline (CTC) and chloramphenicol (CP), were successfully separated and determined by high performance capillary electrophoresis(HPCE). Effects of buffer pH, various organic additives and temperature on electrophoretic separation of antibiotics were investigated. Satisfactory separation of these five antibiotics was achieved in the buffer of pH 3.2, 0.02 mol/L Na2HPO4-0.01 mol/L citric acid with addition of 4% (V/V) N-methylmorpholine and 12% (V/V) acetonitrile within 20 minutes. The calibration graphs were linear by plotting the peak area against the sample concentration over the range of 150 micrograms/L to 750 micrograms/L and the correlation coefficients were greater than 0.9917. The detection limits were 10 micrograms/L for CP, 20 micrograms/L for TC, OTC and DOC and 40 micrograms/L for CP (signal to noise ratio > 5). HPCE method was successfully applied to the analysis of trace antibiotics in honey.

An evaluation of trauma team response in a major trauma hospital in 100 patients with predominantly minor injuries

BACKGROUND

A prospective study of trauma team response and performance at a major trauma service was undertaken between June and September 1998.

METHODS

Following activation of the trauma team, the timing of the trauma team's arrival, the subsequent early management of the patient, time to monitoring, X-ray investigation and procedures performed were documented.

RESULTS

The study evaluated 100 activations, 76% male, mean age 32 years and 65% were due to road trauma. The team leader, airway doctor and surgical registrar were present on patient arrival in 96%, 90% and 76% of cases, respectively. The airway, procedure and scribe nurses were present on patient arrival in 77%, 97% and 95% of cases, respectively. The radiographer was present in 69% of cases. Comparison between normal and after-hour response revealed little difference in medical and radiographer response, but the after-hour nurse response was significantly worse (P < 0.001). The median time to achieve electrocardiogram monitoring, blood pressure reading, and oxygen saturation tracing was 3 (range: 1-13), 4 (range: 2-20) and 3 (range: 1-21) min, respectively. Intravenous cannulation, phlebotomy and dispatch of bloods occurred at median times of 5 (range: 2-22), 6 (range: 3-23) and 17 (range: 7-40) min. The median times for intubation, chest tube and splintage of fracture were 10 (range: 3-19), 10 (range: 6-14) and 26 (range: 19-55) min, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study identified an excellent multidisciplinary trauma response and provides a template to improve performance in early trauma management.

[The significance of sIL-2R detection in various hepatic diseases]

To study the alteration of the level of sIL-2R in acute and chronic hepatic diseases and its relation between alteration and the extent of damage to liver, the level of sIL-2R with hepatic disease was measured by a monoclonal and polyclonal Antibody ELISA. The result showed that the level increased differently in various hepatic diseases. The level of sIL-2R decreased when turning into severe hepatitis, acute hepatitis, active cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, hepatocarcinoma, compensative cirrhosis, chronic persistent hepatitis. It was suggested that the level of sIL-2R be considered of clinical value to estimate the extent of damage to liver in patients with progressive liver damage.

[A preliminary experimental study on processing of peach kernel]

Contents of water, alcohol, ether soluble components and amygdalin of differently processed peach kernel (raw drug, scalded, stir-baked and steamed) were determined. The security of the decoctions from the four processed samples was compared. This paper provides a preliminary experimental basis for the rational utilization of peach kernel.

[Effects of huperzine A on electroencephalography power spectrum in rabbits]

Huperzine A (Hup-A) is a new alkaloid extracted from Huperzia serata in China. The effects of Hup-A on learning and memory are superior to those of physostigmine (Phys). The purpose of this paper is to observe the effects of Hup-A on EEG and EEG power spectrum in rabbits with micro-computer analysis. Hup-A 0.1 mg/kg iv in conscious rabbits produced, after 0.5 min, an alert EEG pattern, which showed decreases of lower frequency components and the total EEG power in cortical area, and the dominant frequency transferred from delta rhythm to theta rhythm in hippocampus. The same effects were seen with Phys 0.1 mg/kg. Scopolamine (Scop, 0.2 mg/kg iv) reversed significantly these effects of Hup-A (10 micrograms/rabbit, icv), but Scop butylbromide (0.4 mg/kg, iv) which can not pass the blood-brain barrier did not. Hup-A 0.2 mg/kg iv or Phys 0.3 mg/kg iv antagonized the EEG effects of Scop 0.3 mg/kg iv. The results indicate that the effects of Hup-A are closely related to the action on the central cholinergic system.

The effect of phagocytosis of Candida albicans blastospores on alkaline phosphatase levels in rat polymorphonuclear leucocytes

The phagocytic function of young polymorphonuclear leucocytes with high levels of leucocyte alkaline phosphatase, which are present in the peripheral blood during an inflammatory response, was compared with that of normal polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Candida albicans blastospores were used as phagocytic targets. The phagocytic index of polymorphonuclear leucocytes with low levels of leucocyte alkaline phosphatase was higher than that of cells with high levels of enzyme. Monitoring of leucocyte alkaline phosphatase levels with increasing times of incubation of leucocytes with the blastospores showed a progressive decline in the level of the enzyme. Thus loss of the enzyme is linked to the phagocytic function, although the mechanism of this dynamic process is unclear.

[Changes in protein in bile excretion from rat liver inoculated with BERH-2 hepatoma]

Rocket immunoelectrophoresis was used to assay the change in alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and albumin (Alb) in bile of rats 10 to 14 days after intrahepatic or intraperitoneal inoculation of BERH-2 hepatoma. The bile was collected from the common bile duct cannula. Total protein was determined by the Lowry method. The results showed that the excretion of total protein and Alb was reduced to 54% and 24% of the control in the intrahepatic group, and 65% and 56% of the control in the intraperitoneal group. Bile-AFP can be detected in rats in both groups and its concentration increased gradually during the tumor progression. In the hepatic group, the bile-AFP content per gram of tumor tissue was 29% of that in the intraperitoneal group. It suggests that decreased excretion of AFP, Alb and total protein in bile of rat bearing tumor in the liver be related to local obstruction of excretion by the tumor mass leading to constriction of biliary canaliculi.

The effect of accelerated release of rat neutrophil polymorphonuclear leucocytes from bone marrow on cell accumulation in inflammatory exudates

The purpose of this study was to establish whether there was enhancement or impairment of the migratory abilities of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMN) released prematurely into the circulation during the inflammatory response, as a consequence of their shortened bone-marrow transit time. Sixteen healthy young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received an i.v. injection of 1 microCi (methyl-3H) thymidine per g body wt, followed 40 h later by the i.p. injection of 2 ml of a mixture of Brain Heart Infusion/Proteose Peptone (BHI/PP). Four, 8 and 12 h after injection of BHI/PP, isotope incorporation in blood and peritoneal exudates was compared by liquid scintillation counting. During the first 12 h of the inflammatory response there was no significant difference between levels of isotope incorporation in blood and peritoneal exudates. Thus the accelerated release of cells from the bone marrow did not affect their ability to emigrate into the local lesions during this period.

The modulation of inflammatory response in the peritoneal cavity through stimulation of the pleural cavity: an experimental study in the rat

To establish whether local inhibition of emigration or a centrally acting mechanism is responsible for the diminished response to a second inflammatory stimulus, three groups of young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats received in intrapleural injections of glycogen followed 4 h later by intra-peritoneal Beef Heart Infusion/protease Peptone. Two, 4 and 8 h after the second injection cell counts were made on both the pleural and peritoneal effusions. Circulating PMNs were also monitored using tail vein blood. The prior injection of glycogen intrapleurally significantly suppressed the subsequent accumulation of peritoneal PMNs in response to the second stimulus. The mechanism of this suppression is discussed.