Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C F Chen

Publications and source records attributed to C F Chen.

400 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Antimetastatic activity induced by Clostridium butyricum and characterization of effector cells.

The effects of a bacterial vaccine, heat-killed Clostridium butyricum MII 588 cells, on the metastasis of B16-F10 melanoma in BDF1 mice was investigated. The vaccine stimulated natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity against YAC-1 target cells, which peaked at 72 hr after the pretreatment, whereas maximum macrophage cytotoxic activity was obtained on days 9 to 11. These stimulated cytotoxic activities were also observed in B16-F10 tumor-bearing BDF1 mice. The important role of stimulated NK cells and/or macrophage in the antimetastatic effect was confirmed using Anti-asialo GM1 antibody, whole body x-ray irradiation and carrageenan treatment. In addition, the vaccine could induce a high titer of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), an important lymphokine which may account for a significant portion of its antimetastatic activity.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Geographic variation of breast cancer in Taiwan: international and migrant comparison.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is increasing rapidly in Taiwan. A geographic variation, international comparison and migrant study has become essential for the development of hypotheses to account for this. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age-adjusted mortality rates of breast cancer patients from all precincts and townships of Taiwan were calculated for a geographic variation study, and summarized for an international comparison. Age-specific and adjusted incidence rates of breast cancer in Taipei City were used for a migrant study. RESULTS: Age-adjusted mortality from breast cancer was highest in the Taipei and lowest in aboriginal areas. Oriental countries have significantly lower mortality rates from breast cancer but the incidence of breast cancer among Chinese women, and the difference between younger and older age groups has increased together with the degree of westernization in residential areas. Chinese women were found to have lower incidence rates than white women of the same area. We concluded that diet, reproductive behavior, and hereditary factors are involved in the development of breast cancer.

Asian People↗

Body size and risk of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer in Taiwan.

The incidence of breast cancer is increasing rapidly in Taiwan but is still low compared with western countries. The impact of body size factors in western countries inspired us to have a case-control study. A matched case-control study was done on 122 pairs of incident cases of female breast cancer and community controls. Body height and weight were collected from a questionnaire interview and used to derive the body mass index (kg/m2). Demographic and reproductive characteristics were collected and controlled as potential confounders. Conditional multiple logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for each risk factor regarding body size. After adjustment for age, schooling years, age at menarche and parity; body weight and height were positively related to postmenopausal breast cancer but not significantly related to the risk of premenopausal breast cancer. The odds ratios for body mass index were less prominent. Women with a higher breast stem cell mass resulting from better adolescent nutrition had a higher risk for breast cancer; and postmenopausal obesity may increase the breast cancer risk through the increased conversion of adrenal androstenedione to estrogen in adipose tissue after menopause.

Body Height↗

Hemodynamic effects of acute tetrandrine and terlipressin administration on portal hypertensive rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effects of tetrandrine and terlipressin, alone or in combination, on anesthetized portal hypertensive rats. Portal hypertension was induced by partial portal vein ligation in Sprague-Dawley rats. Each portal hypertensive rat received one of three regimens: vehicle plus terlipressin, tetrandrine (.50 mg.kg-1.min-1) [corrected] plus terlipressin, or tetrandrine (.75 mg.kg-1.min-1) [corrected] plus terlipressin. Terlipressin dosage was 0.025 mg.kg-1.min-1 [corrected] infused for 3 min. Infusion of vehicle followed by terlipressin induced significant reduction of portal venous pressure (PVP, -24.3 +/- 1.5%) and prominent elevation of mean arterial pressure (MAP, 73.3 +/- 4.6%) as well as total peripheral resistance (TPR, 133 +/- 8%) from baseline, and there was a cardiodepressant response (cardiac index, CI, -30.6 +/- 3.8%; heart rate, HR, -10.4 +/- 2.1%). Infusion of tetrandrine (.50 mg.kg-1.min-1) [corrected] induced significant reduction of PVP (-7.2 +/- 0.9%), MAP (-12.5 +/- 1.6%), and TPR (-14.3 +/- 4.2%) from baseline. Infusions of tetrandrine followed by terlipressin induced significant reduction of PVP (-14.2 +/- 2.4%) but an increase in MAP (22.6 +/- 2.7%) and TPR (71.1 +/- 10.5%). Infusion of tetrandrine (.75 mg.kg-1.min-1) [corrected] induced significant reduction of PVP (-9.9 +/- 0.8%). MAP (-19.2 +/- 2.1%), and TPR (-24.1 +/- 2.1%) from baseline. Infusions of tetrandrine followed by terlipressin induced significant reduction of PVP (-14.0 +/- 1.1%) but an increase in MAP (14.0 +/- 2.7%) and TPR (75.2 +/- 5.2%). Compared with vehicle followed by terlipressin, tetrandrine significantly attenuated systemic pressor (MAP and TPR elevation), cardiodepressant (CI reduction) as well as portal hypotensive (PVP reduction) effects of terlipressin. Our results suggest that tetrandrine and terlipressin, alone or in combination, induced portal hypotensive effects in portal hypertensive rats. Combined tetrandrine and terlipressin administration ameliorated systemic pressor and cardiodepressant effects of terlipressin, but it also attenuated the latter's portal hypotensive effects.

Alkaloids↗