Biomedical subjects

H Lu

Publications and source records attributed to H Lu.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

PubMed1999

[Clinical significance of post-operative follow-up gastroscopy for patients with gastric cancer: a report of 986 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical significance of postoperative follow-up gastroscopy in patients with gastric cancer. METHODS: Gastroscopy was performed in 986 patients with gastric cancer from 3 weeks to 21 years after operation. Each cases received gastroscopy 1 to 5 times in the follow-up period. RESULTS: Recurrent cancer was found in 75 cases, multiple primary malignant tumors in 4 cases and gastric stump cancer in 9 cases in the residual stomach. Functional disturbance of emptying after subtotal gastrectomy was found in 12 cases. Retention of gastric tube or silicon tube was found at the anastomotic stoma site in 9 cases. The other non-cancerous disorders included gastritis in 187 cases, residual non-absorbable sutures in 91 cases, metal staple in 4 cases, erosion in 51 cases, ulcer in 22 cases, polyposis in 38 cases and scar stenosis in 11 cases at anastomotic site. CONCLUSION: Routine postoperative gastroscopy check-up(s) is capable of early detecting cancer lesion and other non-cancer disorder in residual stomach. It helps increase survival rate and improve quality of life.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

[Transurethral microwave tissue coagulation therapy for carcinoma of urinary bladder: an analysis of 35 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To study the reliability of transurethral microwave tissue coagulation therapy for transitional epithelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder. METHODS: The suitable microwave output was affirmed by studying its coagulation effect on pig and human bladder wall according to histo-morphologic changes: Based on this study, transurethral microwave tissue coagulation of bladder cancer (TUMTCBC) was carried out in 35 patients with bladder carcinoma. Biopies were taken from the microwave irradiated sites after the procedure. All patients were given regular intravesical chemotherapy with mitomycin C after microwave treatment and were followed-up for a mean of 56 months. RESULTS: The treatment was effective in all of the treated patints. The recurrence rate and the tumor-free period in patients treated with TUMTCBC was comparable to those in patients treated with transurethral electric cauterization or partial cystectomy. In 19 cases (54.3%), no recurrence of tumor was found in 5 years. CONCLUSION: TUMTCBC is safe, effective and easy to perform. It may be used for the treatment of both superficial and invasive bladder carcinoma.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

[Systemic inflammatory response syndrome in critical patients - an analysis of 1,292 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To study the significance of the occurrence and the development of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in critical patients. METHODS: The clinical data of 1292 patients accepted by our hospital in ten months from October 1995 to July 1996 were analyzed. The patients met at least two of the criteria for SIRS such as fever, hypothermia, tachycardia, tachypnea or abnormal white blood cell count. RESULTS: 1292 (67.7%) of the 1909 patients investigated met two or more of the criteria for SIRS. In the 1292 cases, those who met two, three or four of the criteria were respectively 467 (36.1%), 526 (40.7%) and 299 (23.1%). 149 patients (11.5%) in the 1292 cases died of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS). In which 33 (7.1%), 57 (10.8%) and 59 (19.7%) respectively in patients with two, three and four of the criteria for SIRS. The proportion of patients suffering from acute respiratory distress syndrome, metabolic function dysfunction, disseminated intravascular coagulation and acute renal failure increased with the increase in the number of SIRS criteria that the patients met and with the increase in the proportion of patients progressing from SIRS to septic shock. The mortality rate of the patients also gradually increased while the patients with SIRS were developing sepsis, severe sepsis and septic shock, but there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is suggested that bacterial infection, severe trauma and acute pancreatitis might cause SIRS and compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome might play an important role in the maintenance of internal environment of the body. A comprehensive understanding of SIRS might be of help to the management of critical diseases.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[The protective effects of thalidomide on acute liver failure].

OBJECTIVE: To understand whether thalidomide (Thal) has the same protective effects as it does in leprosy reaction type II, immunologic and inflammatory diseases. METHODS: D-Galactosamine (D-GalN, 600 mg/kg body weight, intraperitoneally) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 5 microg/rat, hypodermically) were used to produce a model of acute liver failure in Wistar rats. The mortality of the models was counted. The plasma peak levels of various cytokines and transaminases were measured. The pathological alterations of the livers were examined with hematoxylin and eosin stain under light microscopy. The expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha mRNA was determined by dot blot hybridization combined with semiquantitative analysis. RESULTS: It was found that Thal could lower the mortality of the models (P < 0.05); reduce the peak levels of plasma cytokines, especially TNFalpha, and transaminases (P < 0.05), alleviate the degree of liver injury and suppress the expression of TNFalpha mRNA (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: It is fully demonstrated that Thal has definite protective effect on acute liver failure, as it does in other diseases. Even though Thal possesses teratogenic effect in patients with pregnancy, it is still believed that Thal has an important curative significance in the treatment of patients who are not pregnant.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

[Reinfusion of autologous shed blood after joint replacement].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of reinfusion of autologous shed blood after joint replacement. METHODS: From February 1996 to March 1998, we selected 36 patients for 56 joint replacements. Apart from preoperative donation of autologous blood, all patients received transfusion of unwashed autologous drained blood from hips and knees after arthroplasty. The CBCIIConstaVac blood conservation system was used to salvage shed blood. Among the patients, 8 hips and 48 knees were involved. 12 patients had rheumatoid arthritis, 16 osteoarthritis, 5 ankylosing spondylitis, and 3 other arthritis. RESULTS: 36 patients received 24 260 ml (50%) autologous shed blood, 9 700 ml (20%) reserved autologous blood, and 14 600 ml (30%) allogenic blood. 15 patients experienced transient febrile reaction at the time of reinfusion, no other clinic abnormalities were discovered after reinfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Reinfusion of autologous shed blood is a safe and effective to decrease the use of allogenic blood and avoid the complications of its transfusion.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

[Posttraumatic or inflammatory acute respiratory distress syndrome on high altitude area: a retrospective analysis of 94 deaths due to ARDS/MOF].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristic predictors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in the high altitude area of China. METHODS: According to the diagnostic criteria of ARDS, 2 325 cases were screened in the recent 10 years. Except malignant tumors, cardio-cerebrovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and chronic multiple organ failure, the causes of death were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: 94 cases (4.04%) were diagnosed as ARDS, but in the primary case record, only 27 cases (1.16%) had been diagnosed as ARDS/MOF. Of the 94 ARDS patients, 79 complicated by extrapulmonary organ damage involving the kidney, heart, liver, gastro-intestinal tract, and brain. A total of 305 organs were involved (average 3.24 organs each case). Lung failure only accounted for 15 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the diagnostic criteria of ARDS for high altitude area and flate area, injury severity scale, blood gas monitoring, and integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine may improve the prognosis of ARDS.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[Studies on detection of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in blood samples by multiplex polymerase chain reaction].

AIM: To establish a sensitive and specific PCR-based method to detect Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in blood samples in a single amplification reaction. METHODS: Malaria parasite DNA in blood was amplified by the multiplex polymerase chain reaction using two sets of primers derived from the P. f. moderately-repetitive DNA sequence and COIII gene of P.v. RESULTS: A 206-bp product for P. f. and a 370-bp product for P.v. were amplified by multiplex PCR, being able to detect parasitemia level as low as 5 x 10(-7) for P. f. and 1.02 x 10(-6) for P. v. and having no cross-reaction with human leucocyte DNA. A total of 783 blood samples on the filter paper collected from patients attending to malaria clinics in malaria endemic areas were detected. The positive rate of multiplex PCR was 85.8%, the misdiagnosis rate was 0, and the under-diagnosis rate was 0.1%, while these three rates of microscopic examination were 84.9%, 3.1% and 1.0%, respectively. The concordance between the two methods was 95.8%. CONCLUSION: The multiplex PCR method made the malaria detection more sensitive and specific than the microscopic examination and should be suitable for the diagnosis of malaria in mixed endemic areas, large-scale epidemiological studies, follow-up of drug treatment and donor blood screening.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

[Effects of Trp64Arg mutation in the beta 3-adrenergic receptor gene on body fat, plasma glucose level, lipid profile, insulin secretion and action in Chinese].

OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the association of the Trp64Arg mutation in the beta 3-adrenergic receptor (ADRB3) gene with the total body fat and fat distribution, plasma glucose level, lipid profile, insulin secretion and action in Chinese. METHODS: Genotyping of the Trp64Arg mutation in the ADRB3 gene as well as measurment of clinical variables body mass index(BMI), percent of desirable weight(PDW), area of regional adipose tissue depots, fasting lipid profile, and also, plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, free fatty acids levels before and after glucose challenge and blood pressure were performed in 308 Chinese, of whom, 161 were nondiabetics and 147, type 2 diabetic subjects. RESULTS: (1) The frequency of Arg64 allele of ADRB3 gene in Chinese was similar to that in Japanese but slightly higher than that in Caucasians. (2) No association of any of the clinical varaibles with Trp64Arg mutation was observed in nondiabetics. (3) The Trp64Arg mutation in the ADRB3 gene was associated with BMI(P=0.019), PDW(P=0.001) and waist circumference (P=0.045) in type 2 diabetic subjects. In female diabetic subjects, more significant association with BMI(P=0.001), PDW(P=0.001), waist circumference(P=0.023), and also, association with abdominal and femoral subcutaneous fat area(P=0.032 and P=0.023) were observed. The frequencies of Arg64 allele were 21%, 14% and 4% in female diabetics with obesity, over-weight and normal-weight respectively (P=0.026). Logistic regression analysis showed that BMI was the only independent clinical variable related to the Trp64Arg mutation in the ADRB3 gene (P=0.0027). CONCLUSION: The Trp64Arg mutation in ADRB3 gene contributes to the variation of total body fat in Chinese type 2 diabetic subjects.

Adipose Tissue↗

PubMed1998

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of mouse leptin in rats: behavioral specificity and effects on meal patterns.

Leptin is a protein that is produced primarily in fat tissue and is thought to be a lipostatic feedback signal for the regulation of body fat stores. The purpose of this study was to determine the behavioral specificity of i.c.v.-administered mouse leptin in rats and to assess the effects on meal patterns. Using a modified two-bottle paradigm we examined the putative aversive response to i.c.v. doses of 1, 5, 7, 10, and 30 microg of mouse leptin. Artificial CSF and intraperitoneal lithium chloride served as negative and positive controls, respectively. Saccharin consumption in all leptin treatments was not significantly different from the negative control. Following a recovery period, rats from the same group were used to assess the effects of a 30-microg i.c.v. dose on cumulative food intake and meal patterns using a computer-based system for acquisition of feeding data. Leptin (i.c.v.) significantly increased intermeal interval and decreased meal size. We, therefore, conclude that mouse leptin, at doses up to 30 microg i.c.v., is not aversive in the rat, and that leptin has a multiphasic effect on meal patterns.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Obesity due to high fat diet decreases the sympathetic nervous and cardiovascular responses to intracerebroventricular leptin in rats.

Obesity is associated with an increase in plasma leptin levels primarily derived from enhanced expression of the leptin gene in the adipose tissue. Leptin levels and expression are higher in females than males. The main functions of leptin are to decrease food intake and increase sympathetic nerve activity, especially in the brown adipose tissue. The high levels of leptin in obese, female rats suggest leptin resistance. In this article we describe experiments designed to investigate the effect of the intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of leptin on lumbar sympathetic nerve activity (LSNA) and cardiovascular parameters in female rats fed a low fat diet (control), a high fat diet (obese), or high fat diet followed by a period of food restrictions (reduced). The i.c.v. leptin administration increased LSNA in control rats, but decreased it in obese rats. In weight reduced animals the LSNA response to leptin returned to control levels. The i.c.v. leptin increased the mean arterial pressure in control and wt. reduced rats, but not in obese animals. The heart rate did not respond to leptin in any animal group. These results suggest that obesity decreases the central nervous system (CNS)-mediated lumbar sympathetic nervous and cardiovascular responses to leptin and that these responses recover following food restriction and wt. reduction. We conclude that obesity is associated with a decreased CNS response to leptin leading to a decrease in leptin effects to increase the activities of the autonomic nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Spontaneous skin ulceration and defective T cell function in CD18 null mice.

A null mutation was prepared in the mouse for CD18, the beta2 subunit of leukocyte integrins. Homozygous CD18 null mice develop chronic dermatitis with extensive facial and submandibular erosions. The phenotype includes elevated neutrophil counts, increased immunoglobulin levels, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and abundant plasma cells in skin, lymph nodes, gut, and kidney. Very few neutrophils were found in spontaneously occurring skin lesions or with an induced toxic dermatitis. Intravital microscopy in CD18 null mice revealed a lack of firm neutrophil attachment to venules in the cremaster muscle in response to N-formyl- methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine. A severe defect in T cell proliferation was found in the CD18 null mice when T cell receptors were stimulated either by staphylococcal enterotoxin A or by major histocompatibility complex alloantigens demonstrating a greater role of CD11/CD18 integrins in T cell responses than previously documented. The null mice are useful for delineating the functions of CD18 in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Inhibitory effect of Multiglycosidorum tripterygii on coronary arteriosclerosis after heart transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Graft coronary arteriosclerosis (GCA) is the major limiting factor for long-term survival after heart transplantation. In this study, we investigated the effect of Multiglycosidorum tripterygii (MT) on GCA and platelet-derived growth factor A (PDGF-A) mRNA expression of transplanted hearts. METHODS: Two groups of Lewis rats (n=7/group) underwent heterotopic heart transplantation from Wistar-King donors and were treated with either cyclosporine (CsA;10 mg/kg/day) or MT (30 mg/kg/ day). Histological evaluations of rejection and coronary arteriosclerosis, as well as Northern blot analysis on graft PDGF-A mRNA expression were made 60 days after transplantation. RESULTS: Morphometric results indicated no significant difference in rejection between the CsA- and MT-treated groups. However, the extent of GCA in the MT-treated group was significantly less than that seen in the CsA-treated group (P<0.01). The expression of PDGF-A mRNA of cardiac allograft was also significantly suppressed in the MT-treated group when compared with the CsA-treated group (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: MT is superior to CsA in preventing graft coronary arteriosclerosis, and this efficacy is probably associated with the depressed expression of graft PDGF-A mRNA in the MT-treated group.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Non-p53 p53RE binding protein, a human transcription factor functionally analogous to P53.

The transactivation activity of the p53 tumor suppressor protein is critical for regulating cell growth and apoptosis. We describe the identification of a transcription factor that is functionally similar to p53 and contains the same DNA binding and transcription activities specific for the p53 responsive DNA element (p53RE). This protein was highly purified through chromatography from HeLa cell extracts. The purified protein was able to bind specifically to the p53RE derived from a p21(waf1) promoter and to stimulate p53RE-dependent transcription but not basal transcription in vitro. Its DNA-binding activity was inhibited by the wild type but not mutant p53RE-containing DNA oligomers. Also, this p53RE-binding activity was found in human p53 null Saos-2 osteosarcoma and H1299 small cell lung carcinoma cells. Interestingly, this activity exhibited a p53RE sequence preference that was distinct from the p53 protein. The activity is neither p53 nor p73, because anti-p53 or anti-73 antibodies were unable to detect this purified protein nor were the antibodies able to alter the p53-like activity, the p53RE-protein complex. These results demonstrate that, besides p73, an additional p53-like protein exists in cells, which is named NBP for non-p53, p53RE binding protein.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1998

Angiostatin gene transfer: inhibition of tumor growth in vivo by blockage of endothelial cell proliferation associated with a mitosis arrest.

The antitumoral effects that follow the local delivery of the N-terminal fragment of human plasminogen (angiostatin K3) have been studied in two xenograft murine models. Angiostatin delivery was achieved by a defective adenovirus expressing a secretable angiostatin K3 molecule from the cytomegalovirus promoter (AdK3). In in vitro studies, AdK3 selectively inhibited endothelial cell proliferation and disrupted the G2/M transition induced by M-phase-promoting factors. AdK3-infected endothelial cells showed a marked mitosis arrest that correlated with the down-regulation of the M-phase phosphoproteins. A single intratumoral injection of AdK3 into preestablished rat C6 glioma or human MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma grown in athymic mice was followed by a significant arrest of tumor growth, which was associated with a suppression of neovascularization within and at the vicinity of the tumors. AdK3 therapy also induced a 10-fold increase in apoptotic tumor cells as compared with a control adenovirus. Furthermore, we showed that systemic injection of AdK3 delayed C6 tumor establishment and growth, confirming that angiostatin can function in a paracrin manner. Our data support the concept that targeted antiangiogenesis, using adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, represents a promising alternative strategy for delivering antiangiogenic factors as their bolus injections present unsolved pharmacological problems.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed1998

Ultraviolet radiation, but not gamma radiation or etoposide-induced DNA damage, results in the phosphorylation of the murine p53 protein at serine-389.

Polyclonal antibodies were produced and purified that selectively react with a p53 epitope containing the murine phosphoserine-389 or the human phosphoserine-392 residue, but not the unphosphorylated epitope. These antibodies, termed alpha-392, were employed to demonstrate that the phosphorylation of this serine-389 residue in the p53 protein occurs in vivo in response to ultraviolet radiation of cells containing the p53 protein. After ultraviolet radiation of cells in culture, p53 levels increase and concomitantly serine-389 is phosphorylated in these cells. By contrast, the serine-389 phosphorylation of the p53 protein was not detected by these antibodies in the increased levels of p53 protein made in response to gamma radiation or the treatment of cells with etoposide. These results demonstrate an ultraviolet responsive and specific phosphorylation site at serine-389 of the mouse or serine-392 of the human p53 protein. Previous studies have demonstrated that this phosphorylation of p53 activates the protein for specific DNA binding. This study demonstrates in vivo a unique phosphorylation site in the p53 protein that responds to a specific type of DNA damage.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Immunocytochemical analysis of sex differences in calcitonin gene-related peptide in the rat dorsal root ganglion, with special reference to estrogen and its receptor.

Previous studies have shown that the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity in the central nervous system (CNS) of adult rats is sexually dimorphic and regulated by sex steroid. In the present study, we used immunocytochemistry to investigate the sex difference in CGRP-immunoreactive (IR) neurons in rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The numbers of CGRP-IR neurons at the cervical, lumbar and sacral levels in the female rats were significantly lower than those of the male rats. We also found that the number of CGRP-IR neurons at the lumbar level was increased in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, but was decreased in estradiol (E2)-treated rats (OVX+E2). A large number of estrogen receptor (ER)-IR neurons at the lumbar level were found in the female rats, and its number was greater than that in the male rats. We also investigated the change in the number of ER-IR neurons of OVX rats after estrogen treatment. The number of ER-IR neurons in the OVX+E2 rats was consistent with that of the intact female rats, but was significantly increased in the OVX rats. As shown by a double-labeling immunocytochemical method, over 80% of the CGRP-IR neurons at the lumbar level showed ER immunoreactivity in the female, OVX and OVX+E2 rats, compared to only about 46% in the male rats. These results indicate that there is a gender difference in CGRP expression in the rat DRG, and that this CGRP expression might be downregulated by estrogen (at least in part) through its receptor.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Effectiveness of ischemic preconditioning on long-term myocardial preservation.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess whether the protective effect of ischemic preconditioning can be adapted for myocardium undergoing 6 hr of ischemia. METHODS: Eighteen isolated rat hearts were perfused with oxygen-bicarbonated Krebs-Henseleit buffer in the Langendorff mode for 35 min (group A, controls) or perfused in the Langendorff apparatus for 20 min, followed by 5 min of global normothermic ischemia and 10 min of buffer perfusion (group B, preconditioning) or followed by two cycles of 2.5 min of global normothermic ischemia plus 5 min of buffer perfusion (group C, preconditioning). The hearts were then arrested and preserved for 6 hr with Bretschneider's histidine-tryptophan-potassium cardioplegic solution at 4 degrees C, followed by 30 min of reperfusion. Recovery of cardiac function, postischemic enzyme leakage, and intracellular calcium concentration were compared. RESULTS: After 6 hr of ischemia, the hearts that underwent preconditioning in groups B and C showed better recovery of left ventricular developed pressure (P<0.05), a lower end-diastolic pressure level (P<0.05), less leakage of creatine kinase, and a lower intracellular calcium concentration than those in group A. There were no statistical differences in the rate of recovery of coronary flow. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated that ischemic preconditioning improves myocardial functional recovery after 6 hr of hypothermic preservation in the isolated rat heart. Preconditioning might be useful for preserving the heart against long-term ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

On-line pretreatment and determination of Pb, Cu and Cd at the microgram l-1 level in drinking water by chelation ion chromatography.

A novel, highly sensitive method for the simultaneous separation and determination of lead, copper, cadmium and other transition metals in drinking water was achieved by on-line sample pretreatment of chelation ion chromatography. Manganese, which coeluted with cadmium, was oxidized to permanganate by ammonium persulfate before injection. Permanganate, with bulk quantity of alkali, alkaline earth metals, iron and aluminum, was eliminated by pyrophosphoric acid-ammonium acetate buffer solution (pH 5.5), while retaining heavy and transition metals on a selective chelating resin (MetPac CC-1 column). Then, they were disabsorbed and transferred to a sulfonated cation exchanger (TMC-1 column). Finally, the concentrated trace metals were separated on a bifunctional ion-exchange column (CS5A) by a concentration gradient of oxalic acid and sodium nitrate eluents, coupled with post-column spectrophotometric detection with 2-[(5-bromo-2-pyridyl)azo]-5-diethylaminophenol (5-Br-PADAP) at 560 nm. The separation and color-development conditions were optimized. The detection limits for the method (signal-to-noise ratio = 3:1) were at or below the microgram l-1 level. The results of drinking water analyses were satisfactory.

Cadmium↗