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Biomedical subjects

F C Chen

Publications and source records attributed to F C Chen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Adjuvant chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer: a preliminary report.

In this prospectively random study, the effect of oral Ftorafur as an adjuvant chemotherapy was compared with that of oral placebo in patients with Stage II and Stage III gastric cancer. Patients had undergone a subtotal gastrectomy with a resection margin that should have been free of tumors. Ftorafur (10 mg/kg) was given daily to 59 Group A patients. Multiple vitamins were given twice a week to 56 Group B patients. We found that there was no statistical significance in Stage II patients with regard to survival. In Stage III patients, those treated with oral Ftorafur had better 3-year and 5-year survival rates than those receiving oral placebo. This preliminary report on this ongoing study seems to indicate that long-term postoperative Ftorafur treatment may be beneficial to Stage III gastric cancer patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1994

Prognostic factors for pyogenic abscess of the liver.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous drainage and antibiotics for pyogenic abscess are well established therapeutic modalities. However, the mortality rate for hepatic abscess of liver remains high. STUDY DESIGN: Three hundred fifty-two cases of pyogenic hepatic abscesses were studied to evaluate prognostic factors. RESULTS: Using univariate analysis, the following factors were associated with a high mortality rate: patient age, gas-forming abscess, rupture of abscess, bilobe involvement, clinical sepsis, bilirubin (more than 2 mg per dL), blood urea nitrogen (more than 20 mg per dL), serum creatinine (more than 2 mg per dL), aspartate aminotransferase (more than 100 U per L), and albumin (less than 2.5 gm per dL). Using multivariate analysis, the following were independent significant factors in predicting mortality: patient age (more than 60 years), blood urea nitrogen (greater than 20 mg per dL), serum creatinine (greater than 2 mg per dL), total bilirubin (greater than 2 mg per dL), and albumin (less than 2.5 gm per dL). CONCLUSIONS: Systemic effects of hepatic abscess with sepsis and multiple organ failure were significant factors in predicting mortality. Local findings, such as rupture of the abscesses, multiple abscesses, and gas-forming abscesses, were not independent factors. Percutaneous drainage is always considered if the condition of the patient can not be improved with antibiotic therapy. Operative treatment is indicated if the patient is unresponsive to medical treatment and percutaneous drainage or if the patient has complications of biliary tract stone or rupture of the abscess.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Complications of splenectomy for splenic injury.

From March 1986 to October 1991, there were 97 patients undergoing splenectomy for traumatic spleen injury at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Kaohsiung. Their ages ranged from 6 to 73 years with a mean of 39. The most common cause was blunt abdominal trauma (94/97). Sixty-five patients received splenectomy only and thirty-two patients had other operative procedures in addition to splenectomy. The most common complication in this study was intraabdominal abscess (7/97); followed by respiratory problems (5/97); postoperative hemorrhage (3/97) and wound infection (3/97). Postsplenectomy sepsis occurred in one case. There were nine cases of in-hospital mortality. Sepsis, prolonged shock and severe head injury were the main causes of death.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A prospective study of outcome in 100 unselected patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the outcome of laparoscopic (percutaneous) cholecystectomy in the management of gallbladder stones. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred unselected consecutive patients referred for cholecystectomy, or admitted as emergencies with complicated gallbladder disease. Ten patients had acute cholecystitis, three had empyema, three had gallstone pancreatitis, and 11 had a history of recent jaundice. Common bile duct stones were dealt with by endoscopic sphincterotomy. OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraoperative and postoperative complications, 30-day mortality rate, duration of hospital stay, and length of postoperative disability. RESULTS: Three patients were excluded and underwent open cholecystectomy. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in the remaining 97, and successfully completed in 87; 10 were converted to open cholecystectomy. There were no significant intraoperative complications. Two patients had a postoperative haemorrhage and one had a transient bile leak; none required reoperation. There was one death from myocardial infarction 12 days after operation. Minor complications occurred in 12 patients. Mean operating time was 88 minutes. The average length of hospital stay was 72 hours, and most patients returned to normal activities after seven days. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy offers an outcome comparable to standard cholecystectomy and is applicable to 90% of patients requiring removal of the gallbladder. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has significant advantages over open cholecystectomy in terms of reduced postoperative pain and disability.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Early gastric cancer in southern Taiwan.

Between January 1986 and November 1990, 231 patients underwent resection for primary gastric adenocarcinoma at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in southern Taiwan. Thirty-nine (17%) of these patients had early gastric cancer (limited to the mucosa or submucosa regardless of nodal metastases). Epigastric pain was the most frequent symptom (71.8%). The lesions were located in the lower third of the stomach in 84.6% of the patients and in the middle third in 15.4%. A preoperative diagnosis of gastric cancer was achieved in 94% of patients by endoscopic examination with biopsies. All of the patients underwent distal subtotal gastrectomy without mortality. Macroscopically, 84.6% of cases were included in types IIc, III, and IIc-III. One patient died of multiple liver metastases 3.2 years after operation. The cumulative survival rate at 5 years is 92.9%. We comment on these matters and place early gastric cancer in Taiwan into a more global context.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

Empyema of the gallbladder treated by laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PATIENT: A 52-year-old woman with an eight-year history of gallstones who had twice declined to have a cholecystectomy. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient presented as an emergency with severe abdominal pain, hectic fevers and rigors. Results of examination showed an enlarged, tender and easily palpable gallbladder. A diagnosis of empyema of the gallbladder was made. INTERVENTIONS: Intravenous administration of antibiotics was started immediately and a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed 36 hours after admission. OUTCOME: Postoperative recovery was uncomplicated. The patient was discharged after 72 hours and returned to normal activities within one week. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy seems a useful technique to treat gallbladder disease in emergency as well as elective situations.

Cholecystectomy↗
PubMed1991

Endoscopic management of gallstone pancreatitis.

The use of minimally invasive techniques of removing gallstones, and the gall-bladder, is an attractive option for patients who may be severely ill with pancreatitis. We describe here a patient with gallstone pancreatitis who was managed completely by endoscopic techniques consisting of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) followed by laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[High incidence of tetanus in the middle-aged and elderly].

Tetanus is a disease which has a high mortality rate, caused by clostridium tetani. It presents with trismus, difficulty in swallowing, and more ominously difficulty in breathing, or opisthotonus. Included in this retrospective study are 23 cases of tetanus treated in Chang Gung Memorial Hospital between Jan. 1986 and Dec. 1989. Age ranged from 36 to 87, with the highest incidence in the middle-aged and elderly (91% older than 40 years of age). In 20 cases a wound was found as the source of infection, most of which were minor injuries. Of the nine patients who received no medical attention, three received herb drugs. Of the eleven patients who did seek medical attention at the time of injury, four received tetanus toxoid but none of them received human tetanus immunoglobulin. Tetanus is a totally preventable disease. Prevention includes three basic principles: local wound management, active immunization, and passive immunization. When treating injured patients, it is important to recall that many middle-aged and older adults are not adequately immunized against tetanus. Such patients should receive human tetanus immunoglobulin as well as tetanus toxoid.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Hinokiflavone, a cytotoxic principle from Rhus succedanea and the cytotoxicity of the related biflavonoids.

Hinokiflavone (1) was isolated as the cytotoxic principle from the drupes of Rhus succedanea L. A comparison of the cytotoxicity of 1 and other related biflavonoids, including amentoflavone (2), robustaflavone (3), agathisflavone (4), rhusflavone (5), rhusflavanone (6) and its hexaacetate (7), succedaneaflavanone (8) and its hexaacetate (9), cupressuflavone (10), neorhusflavanone (11), volkensiflavone (12) and its hexamethyl ether (13), spicataside (14) and its nonaacetate (15), morelloflavone (16) and its heptaacetate (17) and heptamethyl ether (18), GB-1a (19) and its hexamethyl ether (20) and 7"-O-beta-glucoside (21), and GB-2a (22), indicates that an ether linkage between two units of apigenin as seen in 1 is structurally required for significant cytotoxicity. Compounds 13 and 20 also demonstrated significant cytotoxicity.

Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic↗
PubMed1989

Urinary excretion of pentoxifylline and its metabolites by standardbred mares.

The urinary excretion of a sustained-release formulation of pentoxifylline was studied in the horse after the oral administration of 4.0 grams of Trental tablets. Urine samples were collected for 24 hours after dosing and analyzed for pentoxifylline and its metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ultraviolet detector. Six metabolites of pentoxifylline were identified in horse urine in addition to less than 0.2% of unchanged drug. Concomitant use of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry allowed for the elucidation of the chemical structures of the metabolites. Metabolism of pentoxifylline yields one demethylated derivative, four hydroxylated metabolites and a conjugate of one of the hydroxymetabolites as urine products. The demethylated derivative, 3-methyl-1-(5-oxohexyl)-xanthine, was found to be the predominant metabolite in the urine.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Acute toxicity of PR toxin, a mycotoxin from Penicillium roqueforti.

The toxic effects of PR toxin were observed in mice, rats, anesthetized cats and isolated rat auricle preparations. In mice and rats the toxic effects included abdominal writhing, decrease of motor activity and respiratory rate, weakness of hindleg and ataxia. In mice, the i.p. LD50 was 5.8 mg/kg. In mice, rats and cats PR toxin given i.p. caused ascites fluid an edema in the scrotum and lungs, and i.v. injection caused edema in the lungs, giving rise to a large volume of pleural and pericardial fluid. In rats, at the LD50 dose level (11.6 mg/kg, i.p. and 8.2 mg/kg, i.v.), the water content in the lungs was increased, but in the skin it was decreased. Blood K+, hematocrit, red blood cell, white blood cell, hemoglobin, uric acid, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were all increased, while the total protein and albumin contents were decreased after i.p. injection of PR toxin. High content of protein was found in the pleural fluid and fluid due to ascites. In anesthetized cats the blood pressure and respiratory rate were progressively decreased and the heart rate was reflexly increased after i.p. injection. The i.v. injection produced a multiple response on the arterial blood pressure, but with a progressively decreasing heart rate. Arrhythmias were observed in the late shock stage in the case of i.p. or i.v. injection. In the isolated rat auricle preparations contractile force was more affected that heart rate. We conclude that PR toxin produced acute toxic effects in animals via an increase of capillary permeability and a direct damage to the lungs, heart, liver and kidney.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Adenylate cyclase and beta adrenergic receptor development in the mouse heart.

We have demonstrated previously a postnatal peak for the beta adrenergic receptor in the heart and detected the appearance of a beta adrenergic receptor before an (-)-isoproterenol inducible increase in heart rate. The present study examined 1) agonist displaceable [3H] dihydroalprenolol (DHA) binding in the neonatal and adult mouse heart and 2) adenylate cyclase in fetal, neonatal and adult mouse heart. 3[H]DHA binding displaceable by (-)-isoproterenol gave a similar Ki from 1 day neonate through adult. Similar to the result found for antagonist displacement binding, there was a dramatic increase in the agonist displaceable [3H] DHA binding postnatally. The maximum was achieved in 2 weeks and then gradually declined to adult level. Cyclase activity (basal, (-)-isoproterenol- and NaF- stimulated) paralleled beta adrenergic receptor increases before birth. However, no early postnatal peak was present. In the 13 day fetal mouse heart, there is no (-)-isoproterenol increase in heart rate, but beta adrenergic receptor (13 +/- 4% of adult) and (-)-isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity (15 +/- 5% of adult) are present. It is concluded that 1) no significant difference exists between the agonist and antagonist displaceable [3H] DHA binding during development, 2) adenylate cyclase activity increases significantly during the last third of pregnancy in parallel with the beta adrenergic receptor, 3) both the beta adrenergic receptor and adenylate cyclase activity can be detected before the heart rate responses and 4) total adenylate cyclase activity does not increase in parallel with the early postnatal beta adrenergic receptor peak.

Adenylyl Cyclases↗
PubMed1980

Dimensions of Xf virus from its rotational and translational diffusion coefficients.

Measurements on monodisperse preparations of the filamentous virus Xf give 17.3 +/- 0.6 s-1 for its rotational diffusion coefficient in 1 mM sodium phosphate, pH 7.5 at 20 degrees C and (2.53 +/- 0.06) X 10(-8) cm2 s-1 for its translational diffusion coefficient in 0.15 M NaCl and 0.015 M sodium phosphate, pH 7, at 25 degrees C. These coefficients yield a length of 980 +/- 30 nm and a diameter of 7.2 +/- 1.5 nm for the virus in solution when used to solve simultaneously the two Broersma equations for the diffusion of rigid rods.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed1980

Video characterization of flume patterns of inhalation aerosols.

An in vitro technique was developed to characterize the intermittent flume patterns associated with the short bursts of metered-dose aerosols. Two orthogonal video images are utilized to describe the complex shape and direction of the flume pattern. This technique facilitates the evaluation of components manufactured by different suppliers.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1978

Anticonvulsant properties of ropizine in epileptic and nonepileptic beagle dogs.

Studies were conducted on a colony of purebred beagle dogs. Animals with spontaneous seizures were classed as epileptic beagles (EB). Those without spontaneous seizures were termed nonepileptic beagles (NEB). The median convulsant current for maximal electroshock seizure (MES) threshold was 175(194-158)mA for EB and 390 (417-364) mA for NEB. Similarly the median convulsant dose of pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) was 7.9 (10.1-6.2) mg/kg for EB and 20.2 (24.2-17.6) mg/kg for NEB. Following pretreatment with graded doses of ropizine (SC 13504), the median protective dose against MES was 6.0(9.2-3.9) mg/kg in EB and 3.2(4.8-2.1) mg/kg in NEB. Based on the incidence of ataxia, EB had a median toxic dose (TD50) of 14.0(16.5-11.9) mg/kg, while in NEB it was 18.0(23.6-13.7)mg/kg. The TD50 doses were unable to protect against a convulsive dose of PTZ. It is concluded first that ropizine may have anti-grand mal activity but apparently lacks an anti-petit mal action. Secondly, EB are more sensitive than NEB to the convulsive effects of electric current and PTZ, yet less responsive to the anticonvulsant actions of ropizine.

Animals↗