Endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene polymorphisms associated with susceptibility to high altitude pulmonary edema in Chinese railway construction workers at Qinghai-Tibet over 4 500 meters above sea level.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the polymorphisms of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene are associated with the susceptibility to high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in Chinese railway construction workers at Qinghai-Tibet where the altitude is over 4 500 m above sea level. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted including 149 HAPE patients in the construction workers and 160 healthy controls randomly recruited from their co-workers, matching the patients in ethnicity, age, sex, lifestyle, and working conditions. Three polymorphisms of eNOS gene, T-786C in promoter, 894G/T in exon 7, and 27bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in intron 4, were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and confirmed with DNA sequencing. RESULTS: The frequencies of 894T allele and heterozygous G/T of the 894G/T variant were significantly higher in HAPE patients group than in the control group (P=0.0028 and P=0.0047, respectively). However, the frequencies of the T-786C in promoter and the 27bp VNTR in intron 4 were not significantly different between the two groups. Haplotypic analysis revealed that the frequencies of two haplotypes (H3,T-T-b, b indicates 5 repeats of 27 bp VNTR; H6, C-G-a, a indicates 4 repeats of 27 bp VNTR) were significantly higher in HAPE patients (both Pü0.0001). On the contrary, the frequencies of H1 (T-G-b) and H2 (T-G-a) were lower in HAPE patients than in healthy controls (both Pü0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Two haplotypes (T-T-b and C-G-a) may be strongly associated with susceptibility to HAPE. Compared with the individual alleles of eNOS gene, the interaction of multiple genetic markers within a haplotype may be a major determinant for the susceptibility to HAPE.

Studies on flavonoids of Ardisia mamillata / 中草药

To study the flavonoids of Ardisia mamillata. The constituents were isolated by column chromatography and their structures were elucidated through spectroscopic analysis. Ten compounds were isolated from the ethanol extract of A. mamillata and these compounds were elucidated as: 3', 4', 5, 7-tetrahydroxyflavone (1), 3', 4', 5', 5, 7-penta-methoxyflavone (2), quercetine (3), quercitroside (4), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (5), quercetine-3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside (6), trifolin (7), naringenin-7-O-glucoside (8), kaempferol (9), and 4'-methoxy-kaempferol-7-O-β-rutinoside (10). All the compounds are obtained from this plant for the first time. Compounds 6 and 10 are isolated from the plants of Ardisia Swartz for the first time.

A study of high altitude environment affecting on worker's health during the constructing Qinghai-Xizang railway / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study high altitude environment affecting on worker's health</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using the cohort study, the altitude reaction was investigated and the WBC, RBC, Hb and oxygenation indexes were measured on workers in several periods, namely, acclimatization period, initially arrived high altitude and resident 90 days.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 83.3% of men had altitude reactions with different kinds at initially arrived high altitude. The headache was the most. The rate of abnormal blood pressure increased with altitude and resident time (P < 0.01). The rate of 90 day's group was 41.7%. The rise of diastole pressure was obvious (P < 0.01). As the beginning of arrived highland, the increase of WBC, RBC were significant (P < 0.01). The increase of Hb appeared only in 90 day's group. The level of malondialdehyde (MDA) obviously increased during acclimatization period and increased with altitude and resident time (P < 0.01). The activity of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased significantly in 90 day's group [(222.36 +/- 36.52) x 10(3) U/L, (158.49 +/- 14.42) U/L, (45.74 +/- 8.31) NU/ml respectively] (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The high altitude environment may result in the abnormal blood pressure, the rise of diastolic pressure was important. It lead to the increase of WBC, RBC, Hb. It initiated activity of oxygenation reaction. The symptoms of headache, dizziness, loss of appetite and insomnia appeared as working in high altitude environment.</p>