Impact on parents during hospitalisation for acute diarrhoea in young children

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This study aimed to determine the emotional impact on parents of young children who require hospitalisation for acute diarrhoea (AD), and the disruption of daily activities experienced and costs incurred by them.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A prospective study was conducted on children below two years of age with AD admitted to two urban hospitals in Malaysia. Parents were interviewed on the emotional impact and disruption of daily activities experienced by them, as well as the extra costs incurred as a result of the hospitalisation of their child.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The parents of 85 children (median age 13 months; boys n = 58, 68%; girls n = 27, 32%) were recruited for the study. The proportions of parents who reported that they were very worried about the symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever in their child were 82%, 83% and 78%, respectively. Parents also reported being upset, helpless, mentally and physically exhausted, and having experienced loss of sleep and disruption of daily routine during the hospitalisation of their child (median four days). The median extra cost (including out-of-pocket cost and loss of income) incurred by parents as a result of the hospitalisation was USD 252.86, which constituted 16% of the combined monthly family income.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Although short, AD-related hospitalisation in young children has considerable emotional impact and creates significant distress, in addition to causing significant financial burden for parents.</p>

Clinical features differentiating biliary atresia from other causes of neonatal cholestasis

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>This study determined any clinical features which may help to differentiate biliary atresia (BA) from other causes of neonatal cholestasis (NC).</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>A prospective and observational study was conducted on consecutive infants with NC referred to the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia, between November 1996 and May 2004.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The 3 most common causes of cholestasis among the 146 infants with NC studied were idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (n = 63, 43%), BA (n = 35, 24%) and congenital cytomegalovirus hepatitis (n = 13, 9%). Common clinical features at presentation were jaundice (100%), hepatomegaly (95%), splenomegaly (52%) and pale stools (47%). Three clinical features noted to be sensitive for BA were the presence of acholic or variably acholic stools on admission, a liver which was firm/hard in consistency and a palpable liver of ≥4 cm (sensitivity of 77%, 80% and 94%, respectively), but the corresponding specificity was poor (51%, 65% and 39%, respectively). The stools of 2 children with BA were pigmented initially but became acholic subsequently.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>We did not find any single clinical feature with sufficient sensitivity and specificity to differentiate BA from other causes of NC. Repeated inspection of stools colour is necessary as occasionally, patients with BA may have initial pigmented stools. Biochemical assessment and imaging studies are important in the assessment of any infant with NC.</p>

Isolation, culture and purification of olfactory ensheathing cells from human fetal olfactory mucosa / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the method for obtaining olfactory ensheathing cells from human fetal olfactory mucosa by cell culture for selective adhesion in the presence of neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and low-concentration serum.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The olfactory ensheathing cells were cultured alternatively in DMEM/F12 culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and the medium containing NT3 and 2.5% FBS every 72 h. The cells were observed for morphological changes and identified using immunocytochemistry with P75NTR and GFAP, and the cell purity was estimated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The olfactory ensheathing cells from human fetal olfactory mucosa were positive for P75(NTR) and GFAP, and in in vitro culture, the cells exhibited dipolar or tripolar appearance with long thin neurites. On the 9th day of cell culture, the purity of the olfactory ensheathing cells reached about 83%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The olfactory ensheathing cells can be obtained by in vitro culture for selective adhesion in the presence of NT3 and low-concentration serum.</p>

Determination of cinnamic acid in rat plasma after oral administration of subing orally disintegrating tablets and study of its pharmacokinetics behavior / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop a RP-HPLC method for determination of cinnamic acid in rat plasma.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The plasma samples were acidified with acetic acid and extracted with chloroform. Cinnamic acid was separated on a Kromasil C18 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm, 5 microm) eluted with a mobile phase of methanol-acetonitrile-water-glacial acetic acid (25:20:55:0.3) at a flow rate of 1.0 mL x min(-1) and room temperature with UV detection at 278 nm, carbamazepine as internal standard.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The standard curve was linear over the range of 4.0 to approximately 400 ng x mL (-1) r = 0..99 9. The LOQ was 4.0 ng x mL(-1), the mean extraction recovery of the spiked samples at low, middle and high levels was 86.4%, while the mean method recovery was 100.3%. The RSD of intra-day and inter-day were both less than 6.0%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The method was sensitive, specific, accurate and precise, which was used to study the pharmacokinetic profile of cinnamic acid in rat plasma after oral administration of the Subing orally disintegrating tablets.</p>

Apoptosis induction of rhesus peripheral blood lymphocytes / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a method for inducing apoptosis of rhesus peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rhesus PBLs were irradiated with X-ray, (60)Co gamma-rays and ultraviolet (UVC254 nm), respectively, and the cell apoptosis was evaluated with flow cytometry using annexin-V staining and propidium iodide staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>X-ray and (60)Co gamma-ray irradiation induced only low apoptotic rates of the PBLs, and UVC resulted in the highest apoptotic rate of about 60%. UVC irradiation of the PBLs in RPMI supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum for 60 min at a distance of 20 cm led to an early apoptotic rate of 58.85% and necrotic rate of 11.5%. The apoptotic rate of PBLs increased in a dose- and time-dependent fashion.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For inducing apoptosis of the rhesus PBLs, UVC can be more effective than X-ray and (60)Co gamma-ray. The highest apoptotic rate can be achieved when the rhesus PBLs in RPMI supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum are exposed to UVC for 60 min at the distance of 20 cm.</p>

Half-dose Zenapax for acute rejection prevention after renal transplantation / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the efficacy and safety of half-dose Zenapax for prevention of acute rejection after renal transplantation.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the immunosuppressive regimen and renal function after transplantation, patients were divided into 4 groups, namely groups A, B, C, and D of 90, 73, 11 and 13 patients, respectively. Blood creatinine measured 1 week after operation was <176.6 micromol/L in groups A and B, and was >353 micromol/L in groups C and D. Patients in groups A and C were given 25 mg Zenapax (0.5 mg/kg) and MMF 0.75 g before operation, and those in groups B and D had only MMF of 0.75 g. All patients were given Pred, CsA and MMF after operation, and the rejection episodes, the time of acute rejection onset, the rate of rejection reversal and complications were analyzed in the time period of 6 months after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After the operation, 13 patients (14.4%) developed acute rejection in group A, 18 (24.6%) in group B, 6 (54.5%) in group C and 7 (53.8%) in group D (P<0.01). The incidence of acute rejection in group B was significantly lower than that in groups C and D groups (P<0.01), and the latter two groups had similar incidence. The time of acute rejection onset ranged from 3 to 9 days postoperatively (mean 6.2-/+3.2 days) in group A, significantly delayed as compared with that in group B (range 2-8 days, mean 4.7-/+3.1 days), group C (range 2-7 days, mean 4.3-/+4.2 days) and group D group (range 2-9 days, mean 3.9-/+3.5 days), but the time was similar between groups B, C, and D (P>0.05). All acute rejection cases in group A was reversed, and the rate of reversal was 88.9% (16/18) in group B, 83.3% in group C, and 71.4% in group D. No significant differences were noted in such complications as infection, vascular injuries or gastrointestinal reactions between the 4 groups (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Zenapax at the dose of 25 mg can safely decrease the risk of acute rejection in patients with good postoperative renal function recovery, but dose not seem effective in patients with delayed graft function recovery.</p>

Determination of sophoramine by spectrofluorimetry / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The fluorescence property of sophoramine was studied and a spectrofluorimetric method was established to determine the sophoramine content.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>In 20% ethanol solution, with excitation wavelength at 394 nm and emission wavelength at 467 nm, the fluorescence intensity of sophoramine can be detected by the fluorophotometer.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Sophoramine content can be determined with external standard method by fluorophotometer. The linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and concentration is kept in the range of 10-200 microg x mL(-1). The regression equation is Int = 1.137C + 3.875. The recovery rate is 98%-102%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Utilizing the fluorescence character of sophoramine, its content can be determined fast and sensitively. The analysis is not interfered by the existing matrine and oxymatrine. The method has high selectivity and the results is satisfying.</p>