Arsenic in drinking water and lung cancer: a systematic review

Exposure to inorganic arsenic via drinking water is a growing public health concern. We conducted a systematic review of the literature examining the association between arsenic in drinking water and the risk of lung cancer in humans. Towards this aim, we searched electronic databases for articles published through April 2006. Nine ecological studies, two case-control studies, and six cohort studies were identified. The majority of the studies were conducted in areas of high arsenic exposure (100 μg/L) such as southwestern Taiwan, the Niigata Prefecture, Japan, and Northern Chile. Most of the studies reported markedly higher risks of lung cancer mortality or incidence in high arsenic areas compared to the general population or a low arsenic exposed reference group. The quality assessment showed that, among the studies identified, only four assessed arsenic exposure at the individual level. Further, only one of the ecological studies presented results adjusted for potential confounders other than age; of the cohort and case-control studies, only one-half adjusted for cigarette smoking status in the analysis. Despite these methodologic limitations, the consistent observation of strong, statistically significant associations from different study designs carried out in different regions provide support for a causal association between ingesting drinking water with high concentrations of arsenic and lung cancer. The lung cancer risk at lower exposure concentrations remains uncertain.     

ZT glue immobilizes iodinated oil in vivo

PURPOSE: ZT glue immobilizes iodinated oil to raise treatment efficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ZT glue and iodinated oil were mixed at a series of volume ratios on a level surface which be put vertically after 30 min. Five Sprague-Dawley rats (group 1) were subcutaneously injected in the groin with ZT glue and (131)I-iodinated oil (volume ratio at 1:4, 0.1 ml per rat, (131)I activity 13.6 x 37 x 10(3)Bq), at 1, 8, 12, and 27 days, a SPECT plain scan was performed to observe the (131)I distribution in the body, and to calculate the gamma counts at the site of injection. At 28 days, the rats were sacrificed and organs were collected. Iodinated oil states at the injection spot were recorded. Specimens from organs and the injection spot were used to detect gamma counts. Another five Sprague-Dawley rats (group 2) were subcutaneously injected (131)I-iodinated oil in the groin as control group. Through portal vein, five rabbits right liver lobe received (131)I-iodinated oil (1 ml, 20 x 37 x 10(3)Bq)+ZT glue (0.25 ml). gamma counts in the liver region were recorded on days 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 15, 21, 27, and 33 after surgery. Then, gamma counting and pathological examination of the liver specimen and the lung specimen were performed. All gamma counts data was processed by INDFIT1.0 software that was designed in our laboratory to establish nuclide metabolic equation. RESULT: The mixed iodinated oil above the volume ratio of 1:12 stop at level surface local. At rat the injection site, the nuclide stagnation time of group 1 are longer than those of group 2, and the biological half-life of group 1 is four times that of group 2. Single agent analysis of variance comparing the biological half-life: F value is 81.999, p<0.001. No visible damage was seen in the rat organs. All rat organs except the liver had no statistically significant gamma counts difference. Tissue gamma counts at the site of injection at day 28 had statistically difference between the two rat groups, F value is 5.608, p=0.045. The iodinated oil metabolic patterns in rabbit liver revealed two portions, the rapid and the slow. ZT glue rabbit group had higher slow proportion than iodinated oil group. Pearson Goodness-of-Fit Chi-square test found the Chi-square value was 25.433, d.f.=6, p<0.0001. ZT glue rabbit group right liver lobe has iodinated oil and ZT glue depositing, some liver cells were degenerated and vacuolated in the cellular plasma. Fibrous tissue proliferated around hepatic portal canal regions. CONCLUSION: ZT glue fixed iodinated oil is possible in vivo. This provides a new potentiality to delay iodinated oil metabolic in clinical liver cancer interventional treatment.     

The onset of voluntary reactive movement is temporally influenced by the central oscillation in action tremor caused by multiple sclerosis

The influence of oscillatory activity in the motor system on the generation of voluntary movement has been previously studied by revealing temporal coupling between voluntary movements and associated physiological or pathological tremor. The present study aims to investigate whether there is any temporal correlation between the onset of a rapid reactive movement and the action tremor at the wrist in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In 13 MS patients, their reactive wrist movements and tremor were simultaneously recorded during a visually cued simple reaction time task. Significant correlation was found between the tremor-related and non-tremor-related measurements of the wrist movement. The onset of reactive movement was unevenly distributed over the tremor cycle peaking at 177 degrees in the direction opposite to the reactive movement, suggesting a temporal coupling between the reactive movements and tremor. No significant difference in reaction time was found between voluntary flexion and extension movements, and no significant differences in the mean values or the standard deviations of the reaction time between the movements in-phase and out-of-phase with tremor were detected, suggesting that entrainment of the spinal motor neurons is not influenced by tremor activity. In conclusion, in MS action tremor, the timing of the initiation of a rapid voluntary movement may be influenced by the pathological oscillator at a supra-spinal level.     

卒中后的神经内分泌功能失调

卒中后患者可出现多种内分泌功能异常。研究证实 ,这些内分泌功能异常可直接造成神经细胞死亡、血管痉挛和脑水肿等 ,可能会加重神经功能缺损 ,影响卒中患者的预后。文章综述了下丘脑-垂体 -肾上腺轴激素、性激素、转化生长因子 β1、可溶性细胞间黏附分子 1、精氨酸血管加压素、瘦素和内皮素等因素在卒中患者病理改变中的作用及其机制。     

Impaired innate immunity of ocular surface is the key bridge between extended contact lens wearing and occurrence of Acanthamoeba keratitis

Acanthamoeba keratitis is a progressive, sight-threatening corneal disease. Extended wearing contact lens is one of predisposed factors. Early studies mostly focused on "improper contact-lens hygiene", which described that contact lens wearers have more opportunities to contact with pathogens directly and prone to get A. keratitis. However, improper contact-lens hygiene can not explain the phenomenon that Acanthamoeba protozoon were found in normal individuals' lens-cases. So there might be other factors related with A. keratitis. Recently, more attention has been paid on the influence of extended wearing contact lens on the innate immunity of ocular surface. It has been proven that in contact lens wearers the reactivity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNs) and the concentration of certain inflammatory mediators were significantly altered compared with that in non-lens wearers. Moreover, other studies showed the important contributions of innate immunity on occurrence and development of A. keratitis. With the contribution of extended wearing contact lens on immunity and the relation between innate immunity and Acanthamoeba, we suggest that the impaired innate immunity of ocular surface may be a key bridge between extended wearing contact lens and A. keratitis. With the impaired innate immunity caused by extended contact-lens wearing, the Acanthamoeba trophozoites and cysts could not be easily killed, therefore A. keratitis was occurred and aggravated. Understanding the immunological mechanism of extended contact lens wearing on the A. keratitis may give more contributions on the research of the disease, and facilitate the production of contact lens with much higher biocompatibility.     

TcR-induced regulated secretion leads to surface expression of CTLA-4 in CD4+CD25+ T cells

In this study we show that CD4+ T cells develop a functional regulated secretory compartment after differentiation into effector cells, as shown by their increased expression and T-cell receptor-induced exocytosis of lysosomal and cytotoxic effector proteins. We tested the hypothesis that activation-induced surface cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen (CTLA-4) expression in CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells occurs via a similar regulated secretory pathway. Fluorescence microscopy showed that internal CTLA-4 in these cells was stored in a vesicular compartment distinct from lysosomal vesicles. Rapid activation-induced CTLA-4 surface expression in mouse CD4+CD25+ T cells is independent of protein synthesis and Rab-27a. When antigen-dependent T-cell-antigen-presenting cell (APC) conjugates were analysed for surface distribution of CD86 on APC, a higher concentration of CD86 molecules was observed in the synapse of APC conjugated to CD4+CD25+ cells than APC conjugated to CD4+CD25- cells. These results demonstrate that fast delivery of mediators by the regulated secretory pathway in CD4+ T cells can be used to perform other functions that are not involved in cytotoxic function but that can influence/regulate other cells.     

大蒜素对HL-60细胞端粒酶活性的影响

目的 研究大蒜素对人早幼白血病HL-60细胞端粒酶活性的影响。方法 不同浓度的大蒜素作用HL-60细胞后,MTT法测细胞的生长和增殖情况,TRAP-PCR-ELISA法研究细胞端粒酶活性的变化。结果 大蒜素能明显地抑制HL-60细胞的生长,且呈时间、浓度依赖性。不同浓度的大蒜素能下调HL-60细胞的端粒酶活性,且同样呈时间、浓度依赖性。结论 大蒜素可抑制HL-60细胞的端粒酶活性,可能是其诱导HL-60细胞凋亡的重要机制之一。     

袖状与楔形支气管切除术在支气管肺癌治疗中的临床对照研究

目的：观察对比分析袖状切除术与楔形切除术在支气管肺癌治疗中的效果。方法选取100例支气管肺癌患者作为研究对象,选用随机表格法,将所有患者分为观察组（50例,给予袖状切除术治疗）,对照组（50例,给予楔形切除术治疗）,分别在术后进行相应的辅助治疗,治疗结束后随访3年。结果术后近期疗效比较中,观察组吻合口瘘发生率与病死率分别为4％、6％,对照组为6％、8％,两组差异均无统计学意义（χ^2=0．00、0．00,均P＞0．05）;观察组支气管残端癌细胞阳性率为4％,明显低于对照组的16％（χ^2=4．00,P＜0．05）。观察组在随访期内的吻合口瘢痕组织增生率与复发率分别为2％、2％,均低于对照组的16％、18％（χ^2=4．40、7．11,均P＜0．05）。观察组1、3年生存率分别为92％、64％,均显著高于对照组的62％、42％（χ^2=12．70、4．86,均P＜0．05）。结论采取袖状切除术治疗支气管肺癌,能够有效控制患者的支气管残端癌细胞阳性率,抑制吻合口瘢痕组织增生,减少复发率,并且远期疗效非常理想,值得在临床中推广应用。     

代谢综合征患者瘦素胰岛素抵抗与颈动脉内膜中层厚度的相关性研究

目的探讨代谢综合征患者瘦素、胰岛素抵抗与颈动脉内膜中层厚度的关系及胰岛素增敏剂干预治疗后效果。方法选取代谢综合征患者100例及健康对照30例,测定患者的腹围、血压、血糖、血脂、血清瘦素及空腹胰岛素水平,并测定颈动脉内膜中层厚度,进行分析,根据正常对照人群HOMA-IR的95%可信区间的上限值定为胰岛素抵抗,将代谢综合征患者分为胰岛素抵抗组(80人)与非胰岛素抵抗组(20人);对代谢综合征患者伴胰岛素抵抗组随机分为两亚组,一组给予基础治疗,另一组基础治疗的基础上加用胰岛素增敏剂,观察胰岛素增敏剂干预治疗后的疗效。结果代谢综合征患者颈动脉内膜中层厚度与胰岛素抵抗指数、瘦素均存在独立相关,胰岛素增敏剂干预治疗组部分指标与基础治疗组有显著差异。结论瘦素、胰岛素抵抗可能均参与代谢综合征患者动脉硬化的形成,在代谢综合征的早期联合应用胰岛素增敏剂可有效降低多个危险因素。