[Study on the author and its edition circulation of Ao shi shang han jin jing lu (Ao's Records of Golden Mirror on Cold Pathogenic Diseases)].

Based on Ao's original work, Du Qingbi compiled Ao shi shang han jin jing lu (Ao's Records of Golden Mirror on Cold Pathogenic Diseases) . Though someone claimed that Ao shi shang han jin jing lu was an expert of Confucian classics, Ao Jiweng in the Yuan dynasty, unfortunately, no records reveal that he had been related to medicine, and it needs further investigation. It was seldom known since the completion of Ao shi shang han jin jing lu. Thanks to Xue Ji' of the Ming Dynasty who blockprinted this work twice and then it began to circulate. In addition to its circulation as a monograph, it was attached to other medical works as appendix as another significant form for circulation, mostly attached to Gu jin yi tong da quan (A Complete Medical Book, Ancient and Modern) and Zheng zhi zhun sheng (Standards for Syndromes and Treatment) . It was transmitted to Japanand Vietnam and was especially famous in Japan. Currently, scores of versions of Ao shi shang han jin jing lu exists in Japan. On the basis of Ao shi shang han jin jing lu, new works on tongue diagnostics did appear, such as Shang han guan she xin fa (Mastering Tongue Diagnostics in Cold Pathogenic Disease) and Shang han she jian (Lingual Mirror for Cold Pathogenic Disease) , thus further pushing the transmission of tongue diagnostics.

Translation and validation of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) Version 4 quality of life instrument into traditional Chinese.

The need for a culturally sensitive instrument to assess quality of life (QOL) of patients in international oncology clinical trials has been well documented. This study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the traditional Chinese translation (TCHI) of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant (FACT-BMT) Version 4. The FACT-BMT consists of the FACT-General and treatment-specific concerns of bone marrow transplantation. The Chinese translation follows the standard Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT) translation methodology. Bilingual teams from the United States and Hong Kong reviewed the translation to develop a provisional TCHI FACT-BMT, which was then pre-tested by interviewing 20 native Chinese-speaking BMT patients in Hong Kong. The pre-test results indicated good content coverage and overall comprehensibility. A refined translation, taking into account patient comments, was validated by 134 BMT patients in Hong Kong. The results indicated the high internal consistency of the TCHI FACT-BMT scales, with Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranging from 0.71 (emotional well-being) to 0.92 (FACT-BMT total). The FACT-BMT also demonstrated good construct validity when correlated with SF-36 Health Survey scales. The QOL of Chinese BMT patients can now be evaluated using a well-validated international QOL instrument in their own language.

[Identification of Amomum villosum, Amomum villosum var. xanthioides and Amomum longiligulare on ITS-1 sequence].

OBJECTIVE: To identify Amomum villosum Lour. and some their adulterants on molecular biology. METHOD: The DNA of Amomum villosum Lour. and some their adulterants were extracted, and amplified using ITS-1 primer. The amplificed DNA were purified and then sequenced by direct PCR sequencing method. RESULT: The ITS-sequence of all of the samples are 248 bp in size. But there are 7 bases in Amomum villosum Lour var. xanthioides (Wall.ex Bak) T.L. Wu et Senjen and 12 hases in Amomum longiligulare T.L. Wu. differing from Amomum villosum Lour. CONCLUSION: The ITS-1 sequence can be used to identify effectively Amomum villosum Lour. and their adulterants.

Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukaemia relapsing as Ph-negative leukaemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

Two patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) relapsed 1.5 and 5 years after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). Although the leukaemias were of recipient origin, t(9;22) could no longer be detected using conventional cytogenetics/fluorescence in situ hybridization or molecularly. Both patients responded to immunotherapy with donor lymphocytes/peripheral blood stem cells, although one patient ultimately relapsed again. These patients were similar to the occurrence of Ph(-) leukaemias previously described in Ph(+) CML after treatment with interferon or autologous BMT, and might be relevant in the pathogenesis and monitoring of treatment after BMT in CML.

An integrated approach in the discovery and characterization of a novel nuclear protein over-expressed in liver and pancreatic tumors.

An integrated approach in protein discovery through the use of multidisciplinary tools was reported. A novel protein, Hcc-1, was identified by analysis of the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)-M cell proteome. The assembled EST sequence of the 210 amino acid novel protein was subsequently confirmed by rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). A total of 687 bp at the 5' untranslated region of Hcc-1 was identified. Promoter activity and several upstream open reading frames (uORFs) were demonstrated at this region. Bioinformatics prediction showed that the first 42 amino acids of the protein is a SAP domain with sequence matches to hnRNP from various vertebrate species. The Hcc-1 protein was localized to the cell nucleus while the gene was localized to chromosome 7q22.1. Hcc-1 cDNA level was increased in pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The level was also increased in well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma but decreases as the carcinoma progressed to a poorly differentiated stage.

Metabolism of chloramphenicol succinate in human bone marrow.

OBJECTIVE/METHODS: The metabolism of chloramphenicol succinate (CAPS) by human bone marrow was studied in vitro using 75 marrow samples. Whole marrow samples were incubated with CAPS with or without reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate for 1, 2 and 3 h at 37 degrees C. Ficoll-paque-separated marrow mononuclear cells and erythrocytes were similarly incubated. After precipitation and centrifugation, clear supernatant was analysed for the presence of metabolites using high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Only one metabolite was detected when CAPS was incubated for 3 h with whole marrow from 72 donors. Its retention time (RT 10.9 min) corresponded to chloramphenicol (CAP). When CAPS was incubated with samples of whole marrow, marrow mononuclear cells, marrow erythrocytes, marrow plasma and peripheral blood from one donor who had taken Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), three metabolite peaks were detected within 15 min to 1 h. The RT of two of these peaks corresponded to CAP and nitroso-CAP (RT 14.9 min), but one peak remained unidentified. These peaks were not detected in the control samples incubated without CAPS. Blood samples collected after 3 months and 6 months to reconfirm metabolic activity yielded no such metabolite peaks when incubated with CAPS for 1-3 h. Therefore induction of enzyme activity by TCM was suspected. Three metabolite peaks with the same RTs were also detected when CAPS was incubated for 3 h with whole marrow from two other donors. CONCLUSION: These studies demonstrated that CAPS may be metabolised to CAP and occasionally other metabolites in human bone marrow. This novel observation is particularly important because the bone marrow is known to be a target organ for chloramphenicol toxicity.

Identification and characterization of BCL6 translocation partner genes in primary gastric high-grade B-cell lymphoma: heat shock protein 89 alpha is a novel fusion partner gene of BCL6.

Primary gastric high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL) is a special type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. So far, the genetic features of this tumor have not been well characterized. Recently, a high incidence of BCL6 rearrangements has been detected in HGBL. However, no previous cytogenetic studies have found translocations involving the BCL6 locus (3q27) in HGBL, and the genetic basis underlying the BCL6 rearrangements in this tumor remains unclear. We therefore characterized the partner genes of BCL6 in five primary gastric HGBLs with a rearranged BCL6 gene by analyzing BCL6 transcripts using the 5' RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA end) strategy. BCL6 translocation partner genes were identified at the 5' end of the chimeric transcripts in all five cases, including the immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IGH) gene in three cases and the immunoglobulin lambda-light-chain gene and the heat shock protein 89 alpha (HSP89A) gene in the other two cases. The chimeric transcripts in all cases contained the intact BCL6 exon 2, but lacked exon 1, which was replaced by sequences from the partner genes, suggesting that BCL6 expression was under the control of regulatory sequences of the partner genes. These results, for the first time, indicate that immunoglobulin genes, especially IGH, are the most common BCL6 translocation partner genes in primary gastric HGBL and that HSP89A is a novel partner of BCL6. Because immunoglobulin genes are also the most frequent partners of BCL6 in nodal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), these data suggest that primary gastric HGBL shares a common genetic basis with nodal DLBCL. Genes Chromosomes Cancer 27:69-75, 2000.

T-lymphocyte activation increases hypothalamic and amygdaloid expression of CRH mRNA and emotional reactivity to novelty.

Stimulation of T-cells with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) significantly elevates interleukin-2 (IL-2) and contemporaneous activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and c-fos in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of BALB/cByJ mice. Such neural signaling may promote cognitive and emotional adaptation before or during infectious illness. Because corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) is an anxiogenic neuropeptide that may mediate the stressor-like effects of immunological stimuli, we measured neuronal CRH mRNA alterations in mice challenged with SEB. Increased CRH mRNA levels were observed in the PVN and central nucleus of the amygdala (ceA) 4-6 hr after SEB administration. This was associated with plasma ACTH increases, which could be abrogated by the systemic administration of anti-CRH antiserum. Additional experiments did not support a role for IL-2 or prostaglandin synthesis in activating the HPA axis. Behavioral experiments testing for conditioned taste aversion did not confirm that SEB challenge promotes malaise. However, consistent with the notion that central CRH alterations induced by SEB may affect emotionality (e.g., fear), SEB challenge augmented appetitive neophobia in a context-dependent manner, being marked in a novel and stressful environment. It is hypothesized that immunological stimuli generate a cascade of events that solicit integrative neural processes involved in emotional behavior. As such, these data support the contention that affective illness may be influenced by immunological processes and the production of cytokines and are consistent with other evidence demonstrating that autoimmune reactivity is associated with enhanced emotionality.

Inspiration and development of modern medical education in Henan Province.

The medical education in Henan is introduced during the period from Opium War to 1948, with emphasis laid on the developmental course of the highest academic institution, the Medical Department of Hanan Zhongshan University and several high advanced vocational nurse schools, all for western medicine, as well as officially - run Henan Medical School and several privately - run TCM schools, all for TCM, with their establishment and characteristics mentioned. It is also pointed out that this histroy can shed light on the current medical educational reform.

Integrality of benign prostatic hyperplasia tissues after transurethral thermotherapy evidenced by transmittance fourier transform infrared spectroscopy combined with thermal analyzer.

Transmittance Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy combined with differential scanning calorimetry was used to simulate the clinically transurethral thermotherapy of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by in vitro isothermal determination. The simulative study to the thermotherapy of epithelium or stroma in BPH tissue was performed at 47 degrees C for 3 h, like clinical therapy. Whether thermal treatment can induce changes in the secondary structure of epithelium or stroma in BPH tissue was investigated. The results indicate that the epithelium and stroma in BPH tissue had different protein secondary structures, due to the different compositions of the epithelium and stroma. No significant change was evidenced in secondary structure for each sample either before or after isothermal study, suggesting the integrality and safety of BPH thermotherapy in a 47 degrees C for 3 h treatment course.

[Dynamic effect of tifukang on brain proopiomelanocortin gene expression of exercise-induced fatigue rat].

OBJECTIVE: To study the mechanism of exercise-induced fatigue (EIF) and effect of Tifukang (TFK) from the gene transcription level. METHODS: In situ hybridization was adopted, using biotin-labelled proopiomelanocortin (POMC) cRNA probe and integrating with image pattern analysis, to observe the effect of TFK on changes of POMC mRNA expression in different areas of EIF rat's brain. RESULTS: TFK could significantly strengthen POMC mRNA expression in hippocampal CA1 and hypothalamus and inhibit obviously that in frontal cortex of chronic fatigue rats. In rats managed with long term (7 weeks in total) and high intensity exercise with the speed increased from 15 m/min gradually to 35 m/min, 20 to 25 min/d, after the final exercise, the POMC mRNA expression in frontal cortex and hippocampal CA1 decreased (the latter recovered at 30 minutes after ending exercise but the former was not recovered yet 3 hours after the ending of exercise), while that in hypthalamus increased. TFK could remarkably increase POMC gene expression in the above-mentioned three areas after the final exercise especially prominent at the time of 3 hours after the ending of exercise. CONCLUSION: The dynamic changes of POMC gene expression in different areas of EIF rat's brain were not the same, and TFK displayed an important dynamic regulating effect on it.

In vitro simulation of thermotherapy for benign prostatic hyperplasia by Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy combined with differential scanning calorimetry.

Thermo-dependent changes in the secondary structure of the epithelium and stroma of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) microspectroscopy combined with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). This microscopic FT-IR/DSC system was used to simulate transurethral thermotherapy for BPH in vitro. The results indicate that thermal-induced conversion from an alpha helix to a beta structure was found in the epithelium and stroma of BPH. However, this thermal-induced conversion behavior in the stroma was less sensitive than that in the epithelium during thermal treatment. The different thermal response between the epithelium and stroma of BPH might be due to the different constitutions of the epithelium and stroma of BPH.

Interleukin 6 modulates interleukin-1-and stress-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in male rats.

This study examined the interaction between interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-1 and between IL-6 and stress on the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Coadministration of IL-6 (100 ng/rat) with IL-1 (20 or 100 mg/ rat) resulted in synergistic stimulation of the HPA axis, as determined by increased plasma levels of ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) which were greater in rats that received both cytokines than in rats receiving either cytokine alone. Concomitant administration of IL-6 (100 ng/rat) with exposure to a novelty stressor also synergistically stimulated the activation of the HPA axis, as IL-6-treated rats subjected to novelty stress had greater increases in plasma levels of ACTH and CORT than vehicle-treated rats exposed to novelty stress or rats receiving IL-6 alone. However, concomitant administration of IL-6 (100 ng/rat) did not significantly affect restraint stress induced elevation of plasma levels of ACTH and CORT, although IL-6 tended to prolong restraint stress induced elevation of plasma levels of CORT. These findings indicate a modulatory role for IL-6 stimulated HPA axis activity in response to IL-1 or a novelty psychological stressor, but not for restraint stress.

Evaluation of ibuprofen for pressure ulcer prevention: application of a rat pressure ulcer model.

This blinded study describes the effect of ibuprofen (IBU) on experimental pressure ulcers (PU) induced in the fuzzy rat model. Ibuprofen's fibrinolytic activity has been found effective in preserving dermal vasculature in rats following burn injury. Experimental pressure ulcers were generated on the hips of fuzzy rats with the aid of computer control, using five daily, 6-hour pressure sessions. In the first study, 17 rats received intraperitoneal (I.P.) injection of IBU or saline control after each pressure session. In the second study, 44 rats received IBU or control, before, during, and after application of pressure by I.P. or intramuscular (I.M.) injections. Quantitation of histology is based on five prominent lesions, including: ulceration, infarction, panniculus carnosus necrosis, fat atrophy, and deep muscle necrosis. The following hypothesis was tested: Reperfusion injury and vascular occlusion in pressure ulcers may be similar to that which occurs in burns and, therefore, is responsive to IBU intervention. The results indicate that IBU does not have significant effects on the development of pressure ulcers. The mechanisms of IBU action in other organ and tissue systems are discussed in relation to the effect of IBU on the pressure ulcer model.

Human intestinal H+/peptide cotransporter. Cloning, functional expression, and chromosomal localization.

In mammalian small intestine, a H(+)-coupled peptide transporter is responsible for the absorption of small peptides arising from digestion of dietary proteins. Recently a cDNA clone encoding a H+/peptide cotransporter has been isolated from a rabbit intestinal cDNA library (Fei, Y.J., Kanai, Y., Nussberger, S., Ganapathy, V., Leibach, F.H., Romero, M.F., Singh, S.K., Boron, W. F., and Hediger, M. A. (1994) Nature 368, 563-566). Screening of a human intestinal cDNA library with a probe derived from the rabbit H+/peptide cotransporter cDNA resulted in the identification of a cDNA which when expressed in HeLa cells or in Xenopus laevis oocytes induced H(+)-dependent peptide transport activity. The predicted protein consists of 708 amino acids with 12 membrane-spanning domains and two putative sites for protein kinase C-dependent phosphorylation. The cDNA-induced transport process accepts dipeptides, tripeptides, and amino beta-lactam antibiotics but not free amino acids as substrates. The human H+/peptide cotransporter exhibits a high degree of homology (81% identity and 92% similarity) to the rabbit H+/peptide cotransporter. But surprisingly these transporters show only a weak homology to the H(+)-coupled peptide transport proteins present in bacteria and yeast. Chromosomal assignment studies with somatic cell hybrid analysis and in situ hybridization have located the gene encoding the cloned human H+/peptide cotransporter to chromosome 13 q33-->q34.

[Preliminary study on pathophysiology of liver-qi deficiency syndrome].

The authors advocate a program for diagnosing Liver-Qi Deficiency Syndrome (LQDS) based on the TCM theory and clinical practice. Through investigation, LQDS was found to be widely existed as latent period or as external manifestation, which occupied 18.85% in Qi Deficiency Syndrome. The subjects were divided into four groups including normal group, Spleen-Qi Deficiency Syndrome (SQDS) group, LQDS with Liver diseases (LD) and LQDS with non-Liver diseases (NLD) group. In order to explore the essence, the simultaneous determinations were done on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and its isoenzyme, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (D beta H), trace element Zn and Cu, and other serological indexes such as GPT, TP, Alb, A/G, etc. The results were, the content of LDH and trace element Zn in both LQDS-NLD and SQDS were significantly lower than that of normal group. D beta H reflecting sympathetic nerve function in LQDS-NLD was significantly higher than that of both normal and SQDS group; comparing LQDS-LD and LQDS-NLD group, the content of GPT, LDH, LDH5 and trace element Cu in former was significantly higher than that of the latter, but the content of TP, Alb, A/G, D beta H and Zn in former was remarkably lower than that of the latter. In order to avoid confusion, in studying this syndrome, one should distinguish LD and NLD.

ESR dating of tooth enamel: comparison with U-series, FT and TL dating at the Peking man site.

Deer tooth samples from Zhoukoudian, the Peking Man Cave, were studied. Non-linear fitting is used to determine AD, from which ESR ages were calculated by both the disequilibria model (DU) and linear uptake model (LU). Comparison of ESR ages with those from U-series, FT and TL methods show that the enamel of deer teeth is a suitable material for ESR dating.

Ceftazidime versus imipenem-cilastatin as initial monotherapy for febrile neutropenic patients.

One hundred febrile episodes in 89 neutropenic patients after cytotoxic chemotherapy were randomized to be treated with either ceftazidime or imipenem as initial monotherapy. The clinical characteristics of the two groups of patients were comparable. The response of the fever in patients who received imipenem was significantly better than that in those who received ceftazidime (77 versus 56%, respectively; P = 0.04), especially in those with microbiologically documented infection (81 versus 33%, respectively; P = 0.02). The in vitro susceptibilities and the clinical responses suggested that, with the possible exception of Pseudomonas spp., imipenem was more effective than ceftazidime in treating neutropenic infections caused by both gram-positive and -negative organisms. An additional 23 and 21% of the patients in the ceftazidime and imipenem groups, respectively, responded to the addition of cloxacillin and amikacin following failure of monotherapy. The majority of the treatment failures, relapses, and superinfections were related to resistant infective organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. or disseminated fungal infections.

Ofloxacin versus co-trimoxazole for prevention of infection in neutropenic patients following cytotoxic chemotherapy.

The efficacy of ofloxacin in preventing infection in neutropenic patients following cytotoxic chemotherapy was evaluated and was compared with that of co-trimoxazole. A total of 102 patients with hematological malignancies were randomly selected to receive either co-trimoxazole or ofloxacin. All patients were monitored for compliance, occurrence of infection, and drug-related side effects. A surveillance culture of a rectal swab was performed regularly. A total of 25 of the 52 patients (48%) who received co-trimoxazole and 11 of the 50 patients (22%) who received ofloxacin developed fever during the study period (P less than 0.025). Gram-negative bacteremia occurred in nine patients in the co-trimoxazole group (17%) but in only one patient (2%) in the ofloxacin group (P less than 0.05). No patient in either group had documented gram-positive bacterial or Pneumocystis carinii infection. Poor performance status was the only identifiable factor associated with an increased incidence of bacteremia. The surveillance study showed that significantly fewer bacterial strains were resistant to ofloxacin than to co-trimoxazole and that acquisition of resistance to co-trimoxazole was more commonly observed than was acquisition of resistance to ofloxacin. Significantly more patients had skin rashes following co-trimoxazole than ofloxacin treatment (P less than 0.05). Ofloxacin was superior to co-trimoxazole in preventing infection in this population of neutropenic patients.