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Biomedical subjects

H Xie

Publications and source records attributed to H Xie.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Preventive effect of artemether on schistosome infection.

OBJECTIVE: To study the preventive effect of artemether (Art) in protecting the people from schistosome infection during flood fighting in schistosomiasis endemic area of Poyang Lake, Jiangxi Province. METHODS: From mid July to mid August in 1996, the water level in Poyang Lake rose due to torrential rains and 2 embankments, Zhedi and Jiangtongdi, which appeared in dangerous situation and were selected as the pilot spots. After those who went to fight against flood arrived at the pilots their sera were collected within 48 hours and were examined with indirect hemagglutination test (IHA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and McAb-ELISA. Individuals with negative outcome in the 3 tests were then selected as the study subjects and were allocated randomly to the Art or the control group. The first dose of Art given to the individuals contacted with the infested water within 11-15 days was 6 mg/kg. If the individual continually contacted the infested water, the same dose of Art was given once every 15 days. After the individuals withdrew from the pilot, one more dose of Art was administered 7-15 days later. Placebo (starch) was given to individuals in the control group at the same period as in artemether group. Stool examinations were made in both groups 40-50 days after the last medication for evaluation of the preventive effect of artemether. Double blind method was used in the administration of both artemether and placebo. RESULTS: In Zhedi pilot, the individuals fought against flood for about 1 month. In Art group, 99 individuals receiving 3 doses of the drug completed the stool examination with egg-positive rate of 4% and no acute schistosomiasis was seen. In the control group, among 110 people who completed the observation, 44 were egg-positive with an infection rate of 40%, and 29 were identified as having acute schistosomiasis. In Jiangtondi, the studied individuals contacted the infested water for only about 4 hours. But in the control group 4 out of 102 individuals were egg-positive, while none of the 103 individuals in Art group receiving 2 doses of the drug showed schistosome infection. No apparent side effect was seen in the people treated with artemether. CONCLUSION: After oral Art was given to the people fighting against flood in schistosomiasis endemic area of Poyang Lake, it was shown that the oral Art has a promising effect on controlling acute schistosomiasis and reducing the infection rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Existence of IL-8 degrading protease and anti-IL-8 immunoglobulin G in gingival crevicular fluid.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to identify the nature of the IL-8 inhibitor(s) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). METHODS: Part 1: Fourteen GCF samples were collected from 13 adult periodontitis (AP) patients, and 9 samples were taken from 8 healthy subjects. Each GCF sample was divided into two aliquots. A serine protease-specific inhibitor, PMSF, was added to one aliquot, and PBS was added to the other aliquot as control. ELISA was used to measure IL-8 level in the samples. Part 2: Forty-one GCF samples were collected from 15 AP patients and indirect ELISA was performed to detect the anti-IL-8 IgG antibody. RESULTS: Part 1: IL-8 level in the PMSF samples was significantly greater than that in the control group (3.01 +/- 5.79 mg/L vs 0.05 +/- 0.15 mg/L, respectively P < .001). Part 2: The mean value of anti-IL-8 IgG in GCF was greater than that of negative control + 3 x SD. CONCLUSIONS: A serine protease that can "cleave" IL-8 exists in GCF. Gingival crevicular fluid from AP sites contains an autoantibody against IL-8.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[PAH-DNA adduct in human lung cancer explants. A preliminary study].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influences of external exposure on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH)-DNA adduct formation in lung cancer patients. METHODS: On the basis of pilot experiments in mice, 32P post-labeling assay developed by Randerath was used to measure PAH-DNA adduct in human lung tissue explants. Relative adduct label(RAL) value was employed as a measure of adduct formation. A case-control study was designed using age-, sex-, and residence-matched patients with lung cancer and benign pulmonary diseases. RESULTS: Although the mean RAL value in male lung cancer patients was not significantly different from that in patients with benign diseases, patients who smoked cigarettes had significantly higher RAL value than those who did not smoke(27.62 x 10(-9) versus 11.42 x 10(-9), P = 0.0015). In contrast, in female lung cancer patients, the RAL value was significantly higher in patients with lung cancer than in those with benign lung diseases (13.59 x 10(-9) versus 7.9 x 10(-9), P < 0.05). Moreover, significant difference in RAL values existed between female smokers and non-smokers. Cooking affected female patients only. Higher RAL values were seen in patients with squamous-cell carcinoma than with adenocarcinoma (P < 0.05). RAL values were significantly higher in poorly differentiated than in well-differentiated lung cancers (P < 0.05). A significant increase in RAL values was observed in patients with lymph node metastasis as compared with those without lymph node metastasis. CONCLUSION: PAH-DNA adduct level in lung tissue explants can be taken as a measure of environmental exposure and it correlates with the histological type, degree of differentiation and lymph node metastasis of lung cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1998

[Determination of paeonol in jiawei xiaoyao granules by HPLC].

A HPLC method has been used for the determination of paeonol in Jiawei Xiaoyao Granules. The method is simple and accurate. The average recovery is 96.48% and relative standard deviation 1.11%. The method can be used for quantitative analysis of these granules.

Acetophenones↗
PubMed1998

[Existence of IL-8 degrading protease and anti-IL-8 IgG in gingival crevicular fluid].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the nature of the IL-8 inhibitor(s) in gingival crevicul fluid (GCF). METHODS: (1) 14 GCF samples were collected from 13 adult periodontitis (AP) patients, and 9 samples were taken from 8 healthy subjects. Each GCF sample was divided into two aliquots. A serine protease-specific inhibitor-PMSF was added to one aliquot and PBS added to the other aliquot as control. ELISA was used to measure IL-8 level in the samples. (2) 41 GCF samples were collected from 15 AP patients and indirect ELISA was performed to detect the anti-IL-8 IgG antibody. RESULTS: (1) IL-8 level in the PMSF-added samples were significantly greater than that in the control group(3.01 mg/L +/- 5.79 mg/L vs 0.05 mg/L +/- 0.15 mg/L, P < 0.001). (2) The mean value of anti-IL-8 IgG in GCF was greater than that of negative control +3 x s. CONCLUSION: A serine protease which can "cleave" IL-8 exists in GCF and GCF from AP sites contain auto-antibody against IL-8.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1998

[Effects of hairy root huangqi on hemopoietic function].

The effects of hairy root Huangqi on hemopoietic system were studied in this paper. The oral administration of 5-20 g/kg hairy root Huangqi per day for 5-12 days could increase the count of RBC and reticulocytes in mice with hemorrhagic anemia, raise the hemoglobin, RBC and hematocrit in mice with hemolytic anemia, enhance the number of WBC and nucleared cells in bone marrow of mice treated with cyclophosphamidum or x-rays. The experiments showed that hairy root Huangqi promoted the hemopoietic function. The effects were similer to those of natural Huangqi.

Anemia, Hemolytic↗
PubMed1998

[Study on chemical components of Momordica charantia].

The paper deals with the study of chemical constituents of the unmatured fruits of Chinese traditional medicine Momordica charantia L. which is usually used as green-stuff. There are two parts of the extracts obtained by ethanol precipitation, and four compounds obtained from the further isolation. They are identified as Vincine, Mycose, Momordicoside A and Momordicoside B.

Drugs, Chinese Herbal↗
PubMed1998

[Studies on the chemical components of Brucea javanica].

Three active components were isolated from treated dry-fruits of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr by chromatographic methods, and they were identified as Brusatol (I), Bruceine D (II), Bruceosidae A (III) by means of UV, IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis methods.

Brucea↗
PubMed1998

A study of clinical characteristics and treatment of Mooren's ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics and to compare the effects of several therapies of Mooren's corneal ulcer. METHODS: 550 consecutive cases of Mooren's corneal ulcer inpatients were analysed, including the age, sex, laterality of the eye, ulcer location, perforative rate, cure rate of surgeries, recurrent rate, and the effects of conjunctiva excision, lamellar keratoplasty (LKP), LKP and plus cyclosporin A eye drop. RESULTS: The average age of onset of the corneal ulcer was 48.4 years old, the ratio of the male to the female patients was 1:0.74, the bilateral disease was 30% of the total cases, 31.5% of the bilateral disease occurred in the younger group, and 68.5% of the bilateral ulcer occurred in the older group, ulcers located at the limbus of the palpebral fissure were 70% of the total cases, perforative rate was 13.3%, 43.2% of the perforation occurred in the younger group, and 56.8% of the perforation occurred in the older group, recurrent rate of the post-operation was 25.6%, the cure rate of the first procedure of LKP and plus cyclosporin A eye drop was 73.7%, the final cure rate was 95.6%, and the preservative rate of the corneal anatomical structure of the surgeries was 99.7%. CONCLUSION: The study primarily provided the clinical characteristics of Mooren's corneal ulcer patients of China. The available data do not support the present concept of the classification of the two clinical types. The bilateral ulcer may be the malignant type of Mooren's ulcer. LKP and plus cyclosporin A eye drop was an effective treatment of Mooren's corneal ulcer.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Cost-effectiveness of assertive community treatment versus standard case management for persons with co-occurring severe mental illness and substance use disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cost-effectiveness of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) in comparison to Standard Case Management (SCM) for persons with severe mental illness and substance use disorders. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: Original data on the effectiveness and social costs of ACT and SCM that were collected between 1989 and 1995. Seven community mental health centers in New Hampshire provided both types of treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Persons with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder and a concurrent substance use disorder were randomly assigned to ACT or SCM and followed for three years. The primary variables assessed were substance use, psychiatric symptoms, functioning, quality of life, and social costs. DATA COLLECTION METHODS: Effectiveness data were obtained from interviews at six-month intervals with persons enrolled in treatment and with their service providers. Social cost and service utilization data came from client reports; interviews with informal caregivers; provider information systems and Medicaid claims; law enforcement agencies; courts; and community service providers. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants in both groups showed significant reductions in substance use over time. Focusing on quality of life and substance use outcomes, ACT and SCM were not significantly different in cost-effectiveness over the entire three-year study period. Longitudinal analyses showed that SCM tended to be more efficient during the first two years but that ACT was significantly more efficient than SCM during the final year of the study. CONCLUSIONS: In an adequately funded system, ACT is not more cost-effective than SCM. However, ACT efficiency appears to improve over time.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Autoantibodies to IA-2 and IA-2 beta in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus recognize conformational epitopes: location of the 37- and 40-kDa fragments determined.

IA-2 and IA-2 beta are major autoantigens in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and the precursors, respectively, of a 40-and 37-kDa tryptic fragment that reacts with IDDM sera. In the present study, by amino acid sequencing of recombinant IA-2 and IA-2 beta, we determined the tryptic cleavage sites involved in the generation of these fragments. Both cleavage sites are immediately after an arginine residue at position 653 for IA-2 and position 679 for IA-2 beta. The resulting tryptic fragments are 326 and 307 amino acids in length and retain their ability to react with IDDM sera. In contrast to IA-2 and IA-2 beta, other members of the protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) family (i.e., RPTP kappa, RPTPmu, NU-3, SHP, and 3CH134) are completely susceptible to digestion by trypsin. Sequence analysis revealed five conserved cysteine residues in IA-2 and IA-2 beta that are not present in other PTPs. Reduction and alkylation of IA-2 and IA-2 beta recombinant proteins resulted in loss of both resistance to digestion by trypsin and reactivity with autoantibodies in IDDM sera. It is concluded that disulfide bond formation plays a critical role in the maintenance of antigenic structure and that the autoantibodies to IA-2/IA-2 beta in IDDM sera recognize conformational epitopes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1997

Antigenic variants of yellow fever virus with an altered neurovirulence phenotype in mice.

The live-attenuated yellow fever (YF) vaccine virus, strain 17D-204, has long been known to consist of a heterologous population of virions. Gould et al. (J. Gen. Virol. 70, 1889-1894 (1989)) previously demonstrated that variant viruses exhibiting a YF wild-type-specific envelope (E) protein epitope are present at low frequency in the vaccine pool and were able to isolate representative virus variants with and without this epitope, designated 17D(+wt) and 17D(-wt), respectively. These variants were employed here in an investigation of YF virus pathogenesis in the mouse model. Both the 17D-204 parent and the 17D(+wt) variant viruses were lethal for adult outbred mice by the intracerebral route of inoculation. However, the 17D(-wt) variant was significantly attenuated (18% mortality rate) and replicated to much lower titer in the brains of infected mice. A single amino acid substitution in the envelope (E) protein at E-240 (Ala-->Val) was identified as responsible for the restricted replication of the 17D(-wt) variant in vivo. The 17D(+wt) variant has an additional second-site mutation, believed to encode a reversion to the neurovirulence phenotype of the 17D-204 parent virus. The amino acid substitution in the E protein at E-173 (Thr-->Ile) of the 17D(+wt) variant which results in the appearance of the wild-type-specific epitope or nucleotide changes in the 5' and 3' noncoding regions of the virus are proposed as a candidates.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

A mitosis-specific phosphorylation of the gap junction protein connexin43 in human vascular cells: biochemical characterization and localization.

Western blotting studies revealed that connexin43 (Cx43), one of the major gap junction proteins in human vascular endothelial cells, is posttranslationally modified during mitosis. This mitosis-specific modification results in a Cx43 species that migrates as a single protein band and was designated Cx43(m). Cx43(m) was shown to be the result of additional Ser/Thr phosphorylation as indicated by: (a) the increased gel mobility induced by both alkaline phosphatase and the Ser/ Thr-specific protein phosphatase-2A (PP2A) and (b) the removal of virtually all (32)P(i) from Cx43(m) by PP2A. Immunofluorescent confocal microscopy of mitotic cells revealed that Cx43 is intracellularly located, while in nonmitotic cells Cx43 is located at regions of cell-cell contact. Dye coupling studies revealed that mitotic endothelial cells were uncoupled from each other and from nonmitotic cells. After cytokinesis, sister cells resumed cell coupling independent of de novo protein synthesis. The mitosis-specific phosphorylation of Cx43 correlates with the transient loss of gap junction intercellular communication and redistribution of Cx43, suggesting that a protein kinase that regulates gap junctions is active in M-phase.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Cues intrinsic to the spinal cord determine the pattern and timing of primary afferent growth.

We have used organotypic cultures of embryonic rat spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) to study the development of central projections of primary sensory afferent axons that express calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In vivo, small- and medium-diameter CGRP-positive primary afferents terminate in laminae I, II, and V of the spinal cord and do not enter the ventral horn. A similar pattern of CGRP-positive axonal projections was observed in spinal cord slices of Day 16 embryos (E16) maintained in culture for 6 days. Both intact and dissociated DRG neurons showed the same pattern of central arborization, indicating that complex intercellular interactions between DRG neurons are not required for laminar specific targeting. Furthermore, targeting to the dorsal horn and avoidance of the ventral horn was observed in isolated dorsal and ventral hemicords, suggesting that separate mechanisms mediate the avoidance of CGRP-positive axons from the ventral horn and the elaboration of the afferent arbors within the dorsal horn. CGRP-positive afferents can grow into the dorsal horn only during a brief time window. Cultures of age-matched (isochronic) DRG and spinal cord from E14, E16, and E18 animals showed the characteristic pattern of CGRP-positive axon arborization, while cultures from E20 and neonatal animals did not. Heterochronic cultures indicate that it is the age of the spinal cord, and not the age of the DRG, that determines the ability of the CGRP-positive afferents to arborize within the dorsal horn. Together these results demonstrate that cues intrinsic to the spinal cord can direct sensory projections to appropriate locations in the spinal cord.

Aging↗