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Biomedical subjects

M C Yu

Publications and source records attributed to M C Yu.

204 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Ultrastructural changes in chick cerebellum induced by polyinosinic polycytidylic acid.

The ultrastructural changes in cerebellar encephalopathy induced by intravenous injection of poly I:C in young chickens were studied. The neuroglia and the small blood vessels showed the most severe injury. In the astroglia, initial alterations consisted of a mild cytoplasmic swelling whereas terminally, evagination of the outer nuclear membrane, formation of large vacuoles, and mitochondrial swelling occurred. In the cortex, oligodendroglial alterations consisted of dilatation of the nuclear membranes and of the endoplasmic reticulum, whereas in the white matter, the interfascicular oligodendroglia exhibited clumping and coagulation of the chromatin material. Some small blood vessels appeared normal, while others showed massive erosion of the endothelium resulting in aneurysm-like ballooning of the vascular wall. The granule cells displayed marked edema. The myelin of nerve fibers showed an accumulation of fluid initially, with splitting occurring in the terminal stages. These studies indicated a severe cytotoxic effect of poly I:C on the cerebella of young chickens.

Animals↗

Neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the developing human central nervous system. A review.

This is a review on the ontogenesis of major neurotransmitters and neuropeptides in the developing human central nervous system. In general, the molecules under study appeared early in development, usually in the first trimester. Cholinergic neurons were found to be present around the time of neuropeptide formation. The newly formed neuropeptidergic fibers extended towards the cholinergic centers where both might interact. In the major centers of the central nervous system, neuropeptides were also noted to colocalize with various neurotransmitters. For example, in the facial nucleus, enkepahlin and substance P fibers coexisted with cholinergic and catecholaminergic neurons, suggesting complex interactions. In the interpeduncular nucleus, peptidergic neurons acting as interneurons clearly modulated the afferent input to this nucleus. In the hippocampus and in sensory organs such as the retina, there were indications that neuropeptides and gamma-amino butyric acid coexisted. We hypothesize that interactions of neurotransmitters and peptides in neurons and fibers early in development play an indispensable role in the morphogenesis of the human central nervous system.

Central Nervous System↗

A case-control study of breast cancer in Tianjin, China.

In a population-based case-control study of breast cancer in Tianjin, China, involving 300 cases and 300 population controls interviewed during 1985-1986, a number of strong risk factors were identified. Although average age at menarche was late by Western standards in this developing country (14.4 years), it was clearly related to risk. Women with their first menstrual period at age 12 years or earlier had 80% greater risk than women who started at age 17 years or later. Age at first full-term pregnancy was also strongly related to risk, with women whose first birth after age 30 years having 3.2 times the risk of women whose first birth was under age 20 years. Other established breast cancer risk factors in Western populations (family history of breast cancer, a history of benign breast disease, and use of oral contraceptives late in reproductive life) were also risk factors in this population. Parity and duration of lactation were both strongly protective against breast cancer development in univariate analyses. These two variables were highly correlated with each other and with age at first full-term pregnancy. Although the effects of each variable dissipated somewhat in multivariate analysis, our data strongly suggest that both parity and lactation independently contribute to breast cancer risk.

Adult↗

Urinary excretion of 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline in white, black, and Asian men in Los Angeles County.

The heterocyclic aromatic amines produced by high temperature cooking of foods containing creatin(in)e and amino acids (such as beef, pork, poultry and fish) are a class of potent animal carcinogens and have been implicated indirectly in human colon and pancreas carcinogenesis. We studied the urinary excretion of a mutagenic heterocyclic aromatic amine compound, 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo-[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MelQx), among 47 black, 41 Asian (Chinese or Japanese), and 43 non-Hispanic white (white) male residents of Los Angeles County by quantitative analysis of total free and conjugated MelQx in pooled overnight urine collections. Significant interracial differences were observed. Geometric mean level in blacks was 1.3- and 3.0-fold higher than that in Asians and whites, respectively. Urinary level of MelQx was positively associated with intake frequencies of bacon, pork/ham and sausage/luncheon meats among study subjects, consistent with the observation that in Los Angeles, blacks had the highest consumption of these three food groups among the three races. Among men in Los Angeles County, the incidence rates of pancreas and colon cancers, which have been shown to be positively related to intake of fried meats, are 50% and 20% higher in blacks relative to Asians and whites, respectively. Our results are, therefore, consistent with the hypothesis that exposure to heterocyclic aromatic amines is related to risk of pancreas and colon cancers, and may in part explain the higher incidence among blacks relative to Asians and whites in Los Angeles.

Adult↗

A follow-up study of urinary markers of aflatoxin exposure and liver cancer risk in Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

A cohort of 18,244 mostly middle-aged (45-64 years) men residing in four small geographically defined areas of Shanghai was accrued between January 1986 and September 1989. In addition to an in-person interview regarding dietary and other past exposures, each subject donated a single void urine sample at recruitment so that the presence of aflatoxins in urine could be assessed. In addition, a 1-year survey of market foods in Shanghai was conducted to quantitatively estimate the extent of aflatoxin exposure in the study population. After close to 70,000 person-years of follow-up, 55 incident cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had been identified. Levels of urinary aflatoxin B1 and the oxidative metabolites, including the major aflatoxin nucleic acid adduct, aflatoxin-N7-guanine, were determined for 50 of the 55 identified cases of HCC. Two hundred sixty-seven controls were chosen randomly from the cohort; they were matched to the 50 cases by age (within 1 year), time of specimen collection (within 1 month), and residence. After integrating the high-pressure liquid chromatography chromatograms to measure aflatoxin-N7-guanine, aflatoxin M1, aflatoxin P1, and aflatoxin B1, 49, 67, 53, and 71 of the urine samples had detectable levels of these compounds, respectively. The aflatoxin metabolite detected at the highest concentration was aflatoxin P1; the range was 0.59-16.0 ng/ml. The range of aflatoxin M1 in the urine was 0.17-5.2 ng/ml. The aflatoxin-N7-guanine adduct range was 0.3-1.81 ng/ml in the 49 positive samples.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aflatoxins↗