ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anterior displacement of the anus has been reported to be a cause of chronic constipation amongst young children. However, the normal position of the anus has not been studied in Taiwan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Normal anal positioning was studied in 200 neonates (100 males and 100 females). All of these individuals were non-constipated. The position of the anus was numerically defined by the anal position index (API), which is the distance from the center of the anus to the vagina or scrotum divided by the distance between the vagina or scrotum and the coccyx. Thirty non-constipated infants aged between 5 and 19 months (15 males and 15 females) were included in the study to compare the index between neonates and older infants. RESULTS: The API values were 0.54 +/- 0.03 (95% CI, 0.48-0.60) for newborn males and 0.40 +/- 0.04 (95% CI, 0.32-0.47) for newborn females, 0.53 +/- 0.02 (95% CI, 0.49-0.57) for young boys and 0.39 +/- 0.06 (95% CI, 0.28-0.51) for young girls. The difference in indices between males and females was significant, but there was no significant difference in the indices between newborns and older infants. CONCLUSIONS: The API is independent of age, and provides a constant and reliable parameter for determining the position of the anus.
Subject(s)
Anal Canal/anatomy & histology , Anthropometry , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
Recent studies have shown biological effects of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) induction and antioxidation in cardiovascular disorders. The ethanol extracts of leaves of 12 selected indigenous Taiwanese plants were investigated for their antioxidant activities, evaluated using assays of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl, and superoxide radicals scavenging and reducing power activities as well as the induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Acer albopurpurascens, Cinnamomum kanehirai, Diospyros discolor, Excoecaria kawakamii, Koelreuteria henryi, and Syzygium formosanum showed better DPPH-scavenging activities than the other plants. IC(50) values ranged from 1.7 to 8.7 microg/mL. Excepting Millettia pulchra var. microphylla and Pittosporum moluccanum, the extracts displayed hydroxyl-scavenging activities (IC(50) of 0.16-0.67 microg/mL). A. albopurpurascens, D. discolor, K. henryi, and S. formosanum also showed good superoxide anion radical scavenging activities and IC(50) values ranged from 12.9 to 28.5 microg/mL. D. discolor, K. henryi, and S. formosanum showed potent reducing power and M. pulchra var. microphylla and S. formosanum exhibited potent HO-1 induced activity. These active plant extracts also contained abundant phenolic constituents. The present results provide candidates to isolate the active constituents and develop natural antioxidants.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/pharmacology , Heme Oxygenase-1/drug effects , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plants, Medicinal/chemistry , Antioxidants/isolation & purification , Biphenyl Compounds , Enzyme Induction/drug effects , Ethanol/chemistry , Heme Oxygenase-1/analysis , Heme Oxygenase-1/biosynthesis , Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics , Hydroxyl Radical/analysis , Inhibitory Concentration 50 , Luciferases/analysis , Luciferases/genetics , Picrates/metabolism , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Plant Leaves/physiology , Plasmids/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/biosynthesis , Reducing Agents/analysis , Superoxides/analysis , TaiwanABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to assess the total concentration and health risk to infants of breast milk mercury in urban mothers and mothers married to fishermen in relation to fish intake in Taiwan. A total of sixty-eight healthy mothers were recruited for the study. The breast milk mercury geometric mean concentration was 2.02 microgl(-1) (n=56, range: 0.24-9.45 microgl(-1)) for the city group and 2.04 microgl(-1) (n=12, range: 0.26-8.62 microgl(-1)) for the fishermen's group. Of the three sources of mercury exposure (i.e., ingestion (breast milk), inhalation (ambient air), and dermal exposure (shower)), breast-feeding was found to be the largest (96.3-99.6% of the total). From a Monte Carlo simulation, in which methyl mercury accounted for about 50% of total mercury, the hazard quotient (exposure estimate/oral minimal risk level or target organ toxicity dose) exceeded 1.0 for 12.9% of urban babies and 18.8% of fishermen's babies (chronic oral minimal risk level and target organ toxicity dose: 3 x 10(-4)mgkg(-1)d(-1)). The calculated mercury exposure was 3.02 x 10(-1) microgkg(-1)d(-1) for a 3.49 kg urban baby boy and 3.06 x 10(-1) microgkg(-1)d(-1) for a 3.44 kg urban baby girl. These results suggest the life style of mothers (eating raw fish and shellfish such as used in "Sashimi" and "Sushi," and vitamin supplementation) may influence the mercury concentration in breast milk.
